[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY, TOWN OF
[1. Call to Order]
HILTON HEADS FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING THE APRIL, 2020 NINTH.[2. Adoption of the Agenda]
HAVE THE AGENDA IN FRONT OF US.COUNCILMAN BRYSON, MOVE TO ADOPT PLEASE.
I MOVE TO ADOPT THE AGENDAS AS, UM, DISTRIBUTED.
THERE'S ONLY TWO OF US LEAN ON MR. COLTRANE.
DO I HAVE TO PASS THIS GAVEL EVERY TIME I SECOND SOMETHING TODAY? SIR, I THINK YOU WOULD HAVE TO PASS AGAIN TO MAKE A MOTION TO GIVE BACK.
KEN, YOU HAVE A QUORUM, SO YOU KNOW.
[3. Approval of the Minutes]
FROM OUR MARCH 18TH MEETING.I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND OUR TIME DISCUSSING 'EM, BUT I MOVE ADOPTION.
[4.a. Town of Hilton Head Island FY2025 Monthly Financial Update – Adriana Burnett, Finance Director]
WILL HAVE OUR 2025 FISCAL YEAR MONTHLY FINANCIAL UPDATE BY OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, MS. ADRIANA BURNETT.HOPE YOU'RE DOING OKAY THIS MORNING.
KNOW AFTER THE REPORT,
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE, THE DETAILS IN THIS REPORT.
UM, AS I REVIEWED IT, I NOTICED THAT THERE'S SORT OF A HIGH LEVEL THROUGH PAGE SEVEN.
UM, SO I WANNA GO AHEAD AND LET YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN STOP AT PAGE SEVEN, PLEASE.
IF WE'VE GOT A LOT ON THE AGENDA TODAY, I WANNA MOVE FORWARD.
THAT GIVES US A LOT OF INFORMATION, UH, WITH THE SUMMARY.
UM, THIS IS POSTED ONLINE SO THE PUBLIC HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
UH, BUT ONCE YOU GET THROUGH THE EXECUTIVE PIECE AT PAGE SEVEN, WE WILL STOP THERE.
SOMETHING THAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME.
UM, I ACTUALLY HAVE AN UPDATE FOR YOU, AND IT'S BASED ON THE MAJOR FUNDS THAT WE HAVE, WHICH IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT, UH, FROM WHAT I HAVE DONE BEFORE.
UM, SO IF WE START WITH A GENERAL FUND, ACTUALLY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE, UM, A TOTAL OF, OF REVENUES COLLECTED OF $3.1 MILLION COMPARED TO $2.3 MILLION FROM THE PRIOR YEAR.
THAT REVENUE SOURCES INCLUDED $1.7 MILLION OF BUSINESS LICENSE FEES, 483,000 APPROPRIATE TAXES RECEIVED, AND $258,000 IN EMS REVENUE.
IN ADDITION, WE HAVE THE GENERAL FUND FISCAL YEAR 2025.
YEAR TO DATE, REVENUES ARE 3.8 HIGHER THAN THE FISCAL YEAR OF 2024.
THIS IS EXCLUDING OUR TRANSFERS IN.
IN ADDITION, WE HAVE GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES FOR MARCH OF $3.9 MILLION, AND THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE EXPENDITURES THAT WE HAVE.
THE PRIMARY EXPENDITURES INCLUDED $2.6 MILLION IN PERSONNEL AND $1.1 MILLION IN OPERATING EXPENSES WITH $221,000 IN AFFILIATED AGENCIES REIMBURSEMENTS.
IF WE TRANSITION TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM OF C-I-P-C-I-P REVENUES FOR MARCH, WERE ABOUT $64,000, AND THAT COMES FROM $12,000 IN TRAFFIC IMPACT FEES AND $42,000 IN INTEREST.
EARNED REVENUES COLLECTED WERE COMPARABLE TO THE PRIOR FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN IF WE MOVE ON THE CIP FUND EXPENDITURES FOR MARCH TOTAL, ABOUT $1.4 MILLION, INCLUDING THREE SE 374,000 ON PARK IMPROVEMENTS, 297,000 ON ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS, AND 447,000 ON FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS.
LAST MARCH IS EXPENDITURES TOTAL $1.5 MILLION IN INDICATING A 6% DECREASE, PRIMARILY DUE TO VENDOR PAYMENT TIMING.
AND THE LAST POINT ON THE CIP FUND, YEAR TO DATE EXPENDITURES, INCLUDING ENC CUMBER CUMBERSOME, REPRESENT APPROXIMATELY $36.9 MILLION, LEAVING A REMAINING VALUE BALANCE OF $46.8 MILLION.
A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE REMAINING BALANCE IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE $16.5 MILLION
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BUDGETED FOR THE BEACH RENOURISHMENT PROGRAM THAT WE BUDGETED IN 2025.A NEGATIVE BALANCE OF ABOUT $5.7 MILLION IS SHOWN UNDER LAND ACQUISITION.
A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO REFLECT THIS LAND ACQUISITION IS GOING TO BE PRESENTED TO THE TOWN COUNCIL IN MAY.
UH, IF WE MOVE ON THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, TOP SOURCES OF REVENUE IN MARCH INCLUDED $164,000 IN PROPERTY TAXES AND $45,000 IN INTEREST EARNED DEBT SERVICE FUND.
NO EXPENDITURES WERE RECORDED IN THE MONTH OF MARCH.
THE NEXT BULLET POINT IS DEBT SERVICE FUND.
YEAR TO DATE TOTALS REFLECT A 5.4 INCREASE COMPARED TO LAST YEAR'S FIGURES OF 5.3% INCREASE IN INVESTMENT INCOME.
THERE'S ALSO A DECREASE OF 5.7% IN PRINCIPLE AND A 13.5 DECREASE IN INTEREST OVERALL.
YEAR TO DATE, DEBT SERVICE FUND EXPENDITURES DECLINED BY 7.6%, REFLECTING AN ONGOING DEBT REPAYMENT STORMWATER FUND.
THE STORMWATER FUND REVENUES FOR MARCH INCLUDED $29,000 IN THE STORMWATER FEES AND $25,000 IN INTEREST EARNED.
EXPENDITURES FOR MARCH INCLUDED $166,000 FOR PERSONNEL OPERATING ON DEPTH SERVICE AND $45,000 IN THE STORM WATER MAINTENANCE.
THE STORM WATER FUND YEAR TO DATE REVENUES INCREASED BY FOUR 4.6 COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, DRIVEN BY 85% INCREASE IN PLAN REVIEW FEES AND 3.3 INCREASE IN THE STORM WATER UTILITY FEES.
STORMWATER FUND YEAR TO DATE EXPENDITURES ARE ABOUT 2.7 MILLION IN ACTUAL EXPENSES WITH AN ADDITIONAL $1.7 MILLION IN CONVERT THE CDC.
THE GALACHY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UM, FUND INCLUDED REVENUES FOR MARCH INCLUDED A 12 POINT, EXCUSE ME, $12,000 IN INTEREST EARNED $15,000 IN EXPENDITURE FOR PERSONAL EXPENSE.
FOR PERSONAL EXPENSES, UH, THE FUND YEAR TO DATE EXPENDITURES ARE 246,000 COMPARED TO 137,000 LAST YEAR.
THE EXPENDITURES INCLUDE PERSONNEL OPERATING AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES HOUSING FUND.
THE HOUSING FUND EXPENDITURE FOR MARCH INCLUDED AN OPERATING EXPENSE OF $5,000 FOR WORK WORKFORCE HOUSING.
THE HOUSING FUND, HOUSING PROGRAM OPERATING BUDGET YEAR TODAY REFLECTS AN ACTIVITY OF 295,000, LEAVING A REMAINING BUDGET BALANCE FOR THE YEAR OF $115,000.
THIS IS THE, WHAT I JUST MENTIONED TO YOU FOR THE ACTIVITY FOR THE MONTH.
SO THIS IS JUST A MONTH OF MARCH FOR THIS YEAR.
AND THIS, AGAIN, IS WHAT I MENTIONED EARLIER.
THE NET ACTIVITY FOR THE MONTH IS 7,000, $7,303.
AND THEN THIS IS THE CONSOLIDATED.
UH, HERE WE HAVE THE LAST THREE YEARS AND WE'RE TRYING TO COMPARE HERE WHERE WE ARE COMPARED TO THE FIRST THREE YEARS.
AND THIS IS THE YEAR BEGINNING BALANCES OF FISCAL YEAR 25 WITH A TOTAL OF 229, 229 $0.8 MILLION.
AND OUR YEAR TO DATE ENDING FUND BALANCE AS OF 3 31 25 IS $238 MILLION.
THIS IS ABOUT A 4% INCREASE COMPARED TO 24.
AGAIN, THIS IS YEAR TO DATE, NOT THE ENTIRE YEAR.
SO WE'RE COMPARING AS OF 3 31 COMPARED TO THE WHOLE YEAR FOR 24, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT YEAR TO DATE REVENUES, INCLUDING TRANSFERS IN, UH, WE HAVE $131.8 MILLION IN REVENUES RECEIVED YEAR TO DATE, AND THEN YEAR TO DATE EXPENDITURES.
AND THIS, AGAIN, FOR ALL THE FUNDS, THE YEAR TO DAY EXPENDITURES IS ABOUT $122.8 MILLION.
DO YOU WANT ME TO CONTINUE, SIR?
UH, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE DOING VERY WELL FOR THE YEAR.
WE'RE THREE QUARTERS OF A YEAR THROUGH THE FISCAL YEAR, SO IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD SUN WITH REVENUES COMING IN AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR, UH, PROPERTY TAXES, ET CETERA.
SO LOOKS LIKE WE'RE DOING WELL.
I THINK, UH, THE TEAM IS TO BE CONGRATULATED FOR, UM, BEING CONSERVATIVE ON OUR FORECAST.
UM, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THAT IN THE NEW BUDGET PROPOSED FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UH, MS. ALFRED, ANYTHING? SORRY,
MR. ALFRED, ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? GOOD.
ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC COMMENTS? QUESTIONS ON THE PRESENTATION? WE'LL MOVE
[5.a. Presentation of the FY26 Destination Marketing Organization Plan, Budget and Industry Metrics- Ariana Pernice, Vice President of the Visitor & Convention Bureau]
ON TO OUR NEW BUSINESS.UH, NEXT WE WILL HAVE A, UH, PRESENTATION OF OUR FISCAL YEAR 26 DESTINATION MARKET ORGANIZATION PLAN, BUDGET, AND INDUSTRY METRICS.
MISS ADRIANA BERNICE, WELCOME.
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HOW ARE WE DOING? GOOD, SIR.IS IT GOOD IN ITS CURRENT MODE OR DO I NEED TO PUT IT IN PRESENTATION? IT'S OKAY NOW.
WELL, WHILE WE FIGURED THAT DETAIL OUT, THANK YOU SO MUCH TODAY.
I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE VISITOR AND CONVENTION BUREAU FOR THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
OUR TEAM TODAY, WE HAVE, UM, TOM CLARK.
IT'S NOT TOM
O'DELL ON THE TEAM TODAY TO COLLECTIVELY ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THERE MIGHT BE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT FISCAL YEAR 25, 26 DMO MARKETING PLAN TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS OUR EFFORTS TO DRAW, UH, QUALIFIED VISITORS INTO THE DESTINATION.
SO WHAT IS OUR APPROACH? WE OFTEN TALK, UM, ABOUT HOW WE OUTREACH TO QUALIFIED VISITORS FOR THIS DESTINATION IN REGARDS TO TOURISM.
UM, SO WE ALWAYS HAVE, UM, START WITH OUR VISION AND OUR MISSION.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE A WELCOMING WORLD CLASS COMMUNITY.
WE EMBRACE NATURE, CULTURE, ECONOMIC VIBRANCY FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS WITH A MISSION TO STIMULATE THE REGIONAL ECONOMY WHILE ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL.
BUT I THINK MORE IMPORTANTLY, AND WHAT SHOWS, UM, THE COLLECTIVE EFFORT THAT, UM, IS TAKING PLACE ON A DAILY BASIS IS THIS, UM, GRAPHIC TO YOUR, UH, RIGHT, MY LEFT, WHICH TALKS ABOUT OUR APPROACH.
SO WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF THE TOWN'S COMPREHENSIVE 20 YEAR PLAN.
WE SAW OUR SUPPORTING THAT WITH OUR 10 YEAR MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR TOURISM.
WE HAVE COLLECTIVELY, UH, WORKED TOGETHER ON A COMMUNITY CORNERSTONE PLAN.
WE HAVE AN INTERNAL AND, UM, STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN, AS WELL AS THE OUTREACH TO NOT ONLY OUR COMMUNITY, BUT OUR VISITORS ON A, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
SO THAT FULL EFFORT GOES INTO OUR EFFORTS EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UM, A FEW YEARS BACK, WE, WE HELD HANDS, UM, ABOUT WHAT TOURISM WAS GOING TO MEAN FOR THE DESTINATION, NOT JUST IN THE CURRENT YEAR WHEN IT WAS DISCUSSED, BUT WHAT IS IT GONNA LOOK LIKE GOING FORWARD? AND WE HELD HANDS AND, AND CAME TOGETHER FOR THESE FIVE PILLARS.
WE FELT WITH THESE FIVE PILLARS, THAT WE COULD INCORPORATE ALL THE TOUCH POINTS THAT WERE IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY, UM, ECOTOURISM HISTORY, ARTS AND CULTURE, RECREATION AND WELLNESS.
AND SO WITHIN EACH ONE OF THESE PILLARS, YOU'LL FIND SEVERAL EFFORTS THAT FALL UNDERNEATH THEM.
UM, AND WE EXERCISE THOSE IN ALL OF OUR OUT-MARKETING EFFORTS.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DESTINATION, THE TARGET TRAVELER THAT WE'RE, UM, LOOKING FOR AND GOING AFTER AND, AND TALKING TO THEM ABOUT OUR DESTINATION.
UM, IS AN AFFLUENT TRAVELER, 150 TO 250,000.
THEY'RE, UM, HAVE A GRADUATE, UH, UNDERGRADUATE OR GRADUATE DEGREE.
THEY HAVE A PROPENSITY TO TRAVEL AND THEY STAY FOR AN AVERAGE SEVEN NIGHTS.
THAT'S WHO WE'RE GOING AFTER EVERY SINGLE DAY WHEN WE'RE OUTREACHING TO THE QUALIFIED VISITOR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY SHOWING THAT IT'S, IT'S REALLY A SHARED DECISION ABOUT TRAVEL IN THE HOUSEHOLD.
AND SO THOUGH THIS ONE TICKS UP JUST A, A HAIR HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR OF BEING MORE MALE ORIENTED IN TERMS OF 50% BEING THE DECISION MEASURE, WE REALLY SEE THAT AS AN EVEN, YOU KNOW, UM, OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT BEING HEALTHY CONVERSATION ABOUT TRAVEL IN THE FAMILY.
SO IT'S A COLLECTIVE DECISION.
AND AGAIN, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING ABOUT TRAVEL, IT'S NOT JUST THE INITIAL NET CAST THAT WE'RE DOING, BUT AS YOU START TO PULL THE NET IN AND YOU'RE STARTING TO QUALIFY, YOU'RE TALKING TO EACH PERSONA OR DEMOGRAPHIC SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, DIFFERENTLY.
AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH WE DO THAT.
SO ARE THEY LOOKING AND HAVE A PROPENSITY TO TRAVEL MORE ON WEEKENDS? ARE THEY FAMILY ORIENTED? SO ON AND SO FORTH.
MR. TERRY, I'M WONDERING, I DON'T WANNA INTERRUPT, BUT IS IT POSSIBLE TO ASK QUESTIONS AS YOU GO ALONG? OF COURSE.
BUT I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE, THE TARGET LEISURE TRAVELER, BECAUSE I REMEMBERED IN THE PAST IT HAD SKEWED MORE FEMALE MM-HMM
AND SO I LOOK BACK AT, UM, THE, UH, I GET MY PAGES RIGHT, 2324 WAS 51.1% MALE, 48.8% FEMALE.
BUT IN 20 22, 20 23, IT WAS 62.5% FEMALE MM-HMM
SO THAT, IT'S QUITE A DIFFERENCE, UM, FROM THAT YEAR, NOT FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
AND I SEE YOUR DATA GUIDE JUST POPPED UP TO
SO, YEAH, SO I'LL, I'LL SPEAK TO THAT.
UM, THE WAY WE GET THESE NUMBERS ON HOW TO, ON HOW WE BREAK OUT THE MALE AND FEMALE TRAVELER, UH, WE DO A VISITOR PROFILE STUDY THAT GOES OUT EVERY YEAR.
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UH, IS TRAVELING TO HILTON HEAD, THEY REQUEST A VACATION PLANNER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.UM, WE, UH, SEND THE SURVEY TO COINCIDE WITH WHEN WE EXPECT THEM TO RETURN HOME.
UH, SO LET'S SAY THEY WANT TO COME IN FEBRUARY, UM, WE SEND IT TO THEM LIKE LATE FEBRUARY, EARLY MARCH AFTER THEY'VE GONE HOME, SO THEY CAN GIVE US AN IMPRESSION OF THEIR TRAVEL.
UM, THE DOWNSIDE TO A SURVEY IS THAT OBVIOUSLY, UM, AS WITH ANY SURVEY, UH, IT KIND OF BIASES ITSELF TOWARD PEOPLE WHO TAKE THE TIME TO COMPLETE SURVEYS.
UH, SO SOME YEARS, UH, THE PEOPLE WHO COMPLETE SURVEYS ARE MORE MALE, SOMETIMES THEY'RE MORE FEMALE.
AND SOME YEARS, LIKE THIS YEAR, IT'S MORE EVEN, UH, IT'S JUST THE NATURE OF USING SURVEY BASED, UH, DATA.
NOW IN RECENT YEARS, UH, THIS YEAR IN PARTICULAR, WE'VE, UH, MOVED TOWARD USING PLACER AI TO DO MORE GEOFENCING AND MORE REAL TIME TRACKING OF THOSE VISITORS.
UM, WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THAT IS THAT, UM, PLACER IS, AT LEAST FOR THIS YEAR, GIVING US A NUMBER PRETTY SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING FROM THE SURVEY.
SO THIS YEAR SEEMED TO BE A PARTICULARLY STRONG SURVEY RESPONSE.
UM, BUT, UH, GOING FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE, WE'RE GONNA BE INCORPORATING MORE OF THAT, UH, NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT PLACER AI IN CONJUNCTION WITH THOSE SURVEYS TO MAKE SURE WE GET THE MOST ACCURATE POSSIBLE RESULTS.
SO I APPRECIATE THE DATA ANALYSIS, BUT, UH, DO WE KNOW WHY, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND SOME PEOPLE RESPOND TO SURVEY AND SOME DON'T.
SOMETIMES I DO, SOMETIMES I DON'T.
IT DEPENDS UPON THAT DAY AND WHAT I MIGHT HAVE DONE TO, UH, GENERATE A SURVEY.
UM, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE TARGET? SO IF WE'RE TARGETING IT BASED ON THOSE WHO RESPOND BY SURVEY ONLY, THEN HOW DO WE KNOW WHO TO TARGET? ESPECIALLY SINCE WE SAW THE DECREASE IN FEMALE, UH, FROM 62.5% TO 49%, AND THE INCREASE IN MALES FROM THREE 7.4 TO 50.7%.
I MEAN, IS THAT JUST DATA BASED ON RESPONDING TO SURVEYS? OR ARE WE, UH, HAVING A NEW KIND OF TRAVELER OR A DIFFERENCE IN OUR TRAVELERS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHO TO TARGET IS REALLY WHERE MY QUESTION IS.
I THINK THAT THIS IS ONE COMPONENT OF OUR RESEARCH THAT WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS SKEWING A LITTLE BIT MORE TOWARDS A CONVERSATION, A HEALTHY CONVERSATION OF TRAVEL IN THE HOUSEHOLD.
HOWEVER, WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, LONG-TERM DATA, KIND OF THE, THE RUN OF WHERE IT HAS SAT FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, IT DOES STILL PREDOMINANTLY SKEW FEMALE.
AND SO WE WILL POSITION SOME OF OUR CREATIVE, OUR ADS, OUR COPY TO DIRECT THAT TOWARD THE FEMALE DECISION MAKER, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE MALE IS JUST AS MUCH.
SO WE ADJUST AND FLEX, AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE MOST OF THAT DIGITAL.
AND THIS IS ONE ASPECT OF OUR, UM, RESEARCH BEING THE SURVEYS AND THEN ALSO THE PLACER AI.
WE ALSO HAVE GOOGLE ANALYTICS, WHICH IS TALKING ABOUT THOSE WHO ARE COMING TO THE WEBSITE, HOW THEY'RE INTERACTING WITH OUR BRAND.
SO WE'VE TAKEN THOSE INTO ALL INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS.
UM, THIS IS JUST ONE COMPONENT OF THAT MAYBE WHO'S MAKING RESERVATIONS.
AND IT'S NOT THAT I PREFER, YOU KNOW, MEN OR WOMEN COMING, I JUST NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE IN THAT.
UH, TAR, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S CALLED TARGET LEISURE TRAVELER.
SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S WHO WE'RE AFTER
UM, AND SO I'M, I'M GLAD IT'S EQUAL
UM, BUT, UM, I, I JUST WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THAT INTERESTING CHANGE IN THE TARGET, RIGHT? AND I THINK JUST A COUPLE YEARS AGO, THE, THE YEARS THAT YOU'RE MENTIONING, I, UM, WAS THE FIRST TIME WE SAW THE MALE TAKE A MORE PROMINENT ROLE IN THAT DECISION MAKING, UM, YOU KNOW, STATISTIC AND, UH, OR STAT.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONE.
IT'S SKEWED BACK, AND NOW IT'S MORE EVEN.
SO WE ARE SEEING SOME EBBS AND FLOWS.
TRAVEL IS CHANGING, IT'S EVER CHANGING.
AND SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING WE KEEP OUR, OUR FINGER ON THE PULSE OF.
UM, BUT, BUT TEND TO LEAN INTO MORE OF THE FEMALE DECISION MAKER AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN, UM, WHEN WE'RE CREATING OVERALL ADS, BUT ALSO WATCHING THIS CLOSELY.
BUT THE REST OF THE TARGET, A MORE AFFLUENT TRAVELER, UM, UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE OR HIGHER AND TRIPS PER YEAR, ALL OF THOSE OTHER DATA, ALL OF THAT IS PART OF THE TARGET.
AND THOSE SEEM TO BE A LITTLE MORE CONSISTENT.
AND THAT'S OUR DESIRED, RIGHT? THAT'S WHO ARE RIGHT.
SO WE ADDED SOME MORE COLORS TO MAKE IT A LITTLE EASIER ON THE EYES.
UM, AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IS HOW THE AGE DISTRIBUTION, AGAIN, FROM OUR COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON SURVEY RESULTS KIND OF FLUSHES OUT IN TERMS OF WHO, UM, IS TAKING THE SURVEY, THE AGE DISTRIBUTION, AND THE INCOME DISTRIBUTION.
AS CHASE MENTIONED THOUGH, IN THIS OPPORTUNITY, WHEN HE DID COMPARE IT TO THE PLACER AI PIECES OF DATA THAT WE HAVE, UM, IT IS VERY SIMILAR IN TERMS OF INCOME.
THE AGE, AS HE MENTIONED, DID SKEW ON THE SURVEY A BIT YOUNGER.
'CAUSE IT WAS A DIGITAL COMPONENT WHERE ON PLACER AI, IT WOULD SHOW YOU JUST A LITTLE BIT OF AN OLDER, UM, AGE DISTRIBUTION IF YOU WERE TO BREAK IT DOWN.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT, UM, A BIT AGO WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE KIND OF IN REAL TIME WITH TECHNOLOGY MEETING KIND OF THE MORE TRADITIONAL WAYS OF RESEARCH.
[00:20:01]
WE'RE CHARGED WITH HOW ARE WE GONNA BLEND THAT GOING FORWARD.AND SO THESE ARE SOME GREAT TALKING POINTS AS WE MOVE THROUGH THESE CHARTS BECAUSE WE HAVE, UM, BROUGHT IN THE PLACER DATA AS A, AS A SPEAKING POINT.
BUT WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE ON THE SCREEN IS FROM THE SURVEY.
BUT AGAIN, UM, THE ONE DIS UM, DIFFERENCE WOULD BE AGE DISTRIBUTION IS JUST SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
IT SKEWS A LITTLE OLDER WITH THE PLACER.
AND AGAIN, PLACER AI IS TAKING YOUR CELL PHONE DATA, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TRACK TRACING YOU THAT WAY VERSUS A SURVEY.
ADRIANA, IS THE INCOME QUESTION POLLS AS, UH, INDIVIDUAL INCOME OR HOUSEHOLD INCOME? I BELIEVE IT'S INDIVID.
IS IT, IT'S HOUSEHOLD, HOUSEHOLD INCOME.
AND THEN AGAIN, IT'S, UM, THE PREDOMINANT NUMBER HERE.
I CAN LEAVE MY CODE A HUNDRED TO 150,000 IS THE, BUT JUST SLIGHTLY UNDER THAT, YOU HAVE THE, UM, 150 TO 199.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TOURISM MARKETING TODAY AND OUTREACH, WE ARE LOOKING AT AN ALWAYS ON APPROACH.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE SHARED AND, UM, TALKED ABOUT, UM, DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF OUR, OF OUR EFFORTS TOGETHER.
BUT TODAY'S CONSUMER IS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN YEARS AGO.
AND WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP AND PERHAPS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT TRAVEL WITH OUR FAMILIES, WE, UM, MAYBE SAW AN AD IN A, IN A PRINT MAGAZINE, OR WE SAW SOMETHING ON THE TV OR HEARD SOMETHING ON THE RADIO, THERE WASN'T POTENTIALLY THE SAME APPROACH, OR WAS THIS HOLISTIC 365 DAYS ALWAYS ON KIND OF USING ALL OF OUR TOOLS ON OUR TOOLKIT TO GARNER THAT THREE SECONDS OF ATTENTION FROM THAT CONSUMER THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GOING AFTER.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, UM, GRAPHIC, KNOWING THAT WE HAVE ALL THESE TOOLS WITHIN THE TOOLKIT, AND WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN BEST SERVE OUR MESSAGE AT THE RIGHT TIME TO THE DESIRED CONSUMER.
AND WE, AND WE ALSO TALK ABOUT CASTING THAT NET.
AND SO WHEN WE'RE CASTING THE NET, AND YOU THINK ABOUT PULLING THAT, THAT NET IN, AND YOU'RE SAYING, HOW ARE WE QUALIFYING THOSE VISITORS? SO RIGHT AT THE TOP OF THE, WHEN YOU'RE CASTING IT OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME, YOU'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT BRAND AWARENESS.
DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HILTON HEAD ISLAND? AND THEN AS YOU START TO BRING HIM DOWN THROUGH THE FUNNEL OR PULLING THAT NET IN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE INTENT.
DO YOU HAVE INTENT TO TRAVEL? HOW ABOUT THE INTENT TO TRAVEL TO AN ISLAND DESTINATION THAT'S DOMESTIC BEAUTIFUL.
WE START TO SHOWCASE AND THEN WE START TO PEEL OFF SPECIFICS THAT THEY MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN BASED ON THEIR, UM, DETAIL THAT THEY'RE SHARING, UM, PUBLICLY.
AND SO THEN WE'RE CONVERTING THEM.
AND THAT CONVERSION FOR US NOT BEING A POINT OF SALE IS HANDSHAKE OUT TO OUR PARTNER.
SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO QUALIFY THEM, UM, BASED ON WHAT WE HAD IDENTIFIED EARLIER ON IS WHO WE WERE HOPING THAT WOULD COME TO THE DESTINATION.
SO COUNCILMAN BROWN, COUNCILMAN BRYSON, WE HAD TALKED OFTEN ABOUT IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS ABOUT SHOWING THE YEAR OVER YEAR PERFORMANCE, HOW CAN THE DATA BE BETTER DISPLAYED SO WE'RE NOT JUST SHOWING A, A MOMENT IN TIME, BUT WE'RE SHOWING MULTIPLE YEARS.
SO I HOPE THAT THESE NEXT FEW SLIDES PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
WE CAN STOP AT ANY POINT AND WE'RE HAPPY TO JUMP IN INTO A DEEPER CONVERSATION.
WE'LL START OFF WITH JUST WHERE WE WERE IN THIS PAST CALENDAR YEAR 2024, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
WE'LL SHOW THE YEAR OVER YEAR.
SO FOR OUR HILTON HEAD ISLAND DOT, UH, DOT ORG WEBSITE, WE HAD OVER 3.3 MILLION VISITS OR SESSIONS.
SO THAT IS OUR VIRTUAL FRONT DOOR.
WE WORKED, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, VERY HARD SEVERAL YEARS AGO TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE WERE TALKING TO A DESIRED VISITOR, UM, OR SOMEONE WAS INTERESTED IN A DESTINATION SUCH AS OURSELVES, THEY HAD A LANDING SPOT.
AND THAT IS HILTON HEAD ISLAND.ORG.
UM, WE USE THIS ALONG WITH OUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND OUR DIGITAL ADS TO FUNNEL ALL OF OUR QUALIFIED, UM, VISITORS TO, OR POTENTIAL VISITORS TO THIS WEBSITE.
UM, FROM THOSE VISITS OR SESSIONS, WE'VE SEEN OVER 1.5 MILLION PARTNER REFERRALS.
SO THAT MEANS THAT THE CON, THE VISITOR, POTENTIAL VISITOR TOOK THE TIME TO DIVE DEEPER THAN THE PAGE THAT THEY, UM, OPENED UP AND THEY WERE DIVING INTO OUR PARTNERS AND, AND CLICKING OUT ONTO THEIR SITES.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK BACK, STARTING WITH 2020 TO YOUR RIGHT, MY LEFT, YOU'LL SEE ON THE BLUE LINE IS THE VISITS OR SESSIONS, AND THEN THE HANDSHAKES OUT TO PARTNERS IS THE GREEN.
SO WE HAVE HAD CONSISTENT, UM, VISITATION AND OUTREACH TO OUR PARTNERS YEAR OVER YEAR FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
AND THAT'S, UH, IT LOOKS VERY STEADY.
WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF HEALTHY, UM, ACTIVITY WITHIN THE WEBSITE.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA, SORRY, SORRY SIR, SORRY.
FOR THE PUBLIC, THE VISITS FOR VISITS TO THE WEBSITE, NOT TO THE ISLAND, JUST TO THE WEBSITE.
THIS IS THE FIVE YEAR LENS ON THIS.
SO COMING TO THE WEBSITE, WHETHER IT BE ON A LAPTOP, DESKTOP,
[00:25:01]
OR YOU KNOW, YOUR HANDHELD DEVICE, THANKS, THAT'S THE FIVE YEAR LOOK.SO SOCIAL MEDIA, UM, IS EVER CHANGING, AS YOU KNOW.
IT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE STRONGEST, UM, PIECES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR TOOLKIT THAT BRING QUALIFIED VISITORS TO OUR SITE.
WE'RE ENGAGING THEM WITH, UM, THE SOCIAL MEDIA LITTLE CLIPS THAT THEY LOVE.
THEY LOVE TO LEARN ABOUT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ANIMALS AND WILDLIFE THAT WE HAVE HERE.
WE BROUGHT UP A COUPLE OF THE POPULAR, THE SEA TURTLE.
AS YOU KNOW, THEY LOVE A SEA TURTLE, SO WE GIVE IT TO THEM.
UM, AND WE'RE JUST ABOUT ON THE CUSP OF SEA TURTLE SEASON, BUT THIS SPECIFICALLY IS ORGANIC, RIGHT? SO WE DO HAVE OUR PAID EFFORTS, AND OUR PAID EFFORTS ARE REALLY THE ONES TALKING ABOUT OUR FIVE PILLARS WITH REALLY BOLD BRAND MESSAGING.
UM, THIS IS THAT ORGANIC AUDIENCE.
SO 357,000 AND THEN THE SESSION.
SO THEY LANDED ON, THEY SAW OUR CONTENT, UM, AT 435,000.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE GROWTH OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, WE'VE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO ENSURING, UM, THESE CHANNELS FOR OURSELVES.
AS YOU KNOW, THAT'S ACROSS PINTEREST.
UM, FACEBOOK, WE HAVE INSTAGRAM AND WE DO AT THIS TIME, PLAY WITHIN THE TIKTOK WORLD, AND WE WATCH THAT VERY CLOSELY, UM, AS THOSE THINGS WORK THEMSELVES OUT.
UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT STEADY GROWTH.
AND AGAIN, THESE ARE ORGANIC SOCIAL CHANNELS.
AND THIS IS OUR LOOK BACK REGARDING 2024 PUBLIC RELATIONS.
AND CHARLIE CLARK IS WITH ME TODAY IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, HER TEAM, UM, SHE AND HER TEAM WORK VERY HARD TO WORK STORIES ABOUT HILTON HEAD ISLAND INTO GREAT PUBLICATIONS, WHETHER THAT BE ONLINE, WHETHER THROUGH THE SOCIAL CHANNELS, INFLUENCERS, OR IN THE PRINT PIECE.
AND SHE'S REALLY WORKING THOSE 365 DAYS A YEAR.
SHE'S TALKING AND, UH, WORKING WITH HER PARTNERS ON THE EDITORIAL SIDE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE STORIES ARE FRONT AND CENTER AND BEING MENTIONED ACROSS ALL THESE DIFFERENT CHANNELS.
AND THIS IS JUST A, UM, A QUICK SHOWCASE OF THE CHANNELS THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO REACH OVER THE PAST YEAR.
AND OUR FULFILLMENT PIECE IS THE COFFEE TABLE PIECE THAT, UM, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS AS A 2025 VERSION.
UM, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE ALL VERY PROUD OF.
WE'VE JUST RECENTLY, UM, WERE AWARDED THE ESTO AWARD FOR THE BEST, UM, DESTINATION GUIDE IN THE COUNTRY.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT TO HANG OUR HAT ON.
YOU KNOW, I, I DO BELIEVE IN ALL THINGS DIGITAL.
I THINK THAT'S AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO BE FLEXIBLE AND NIMBLE TO THE CONSUMER TODAY.
BUT THERE IS TO, IN MY OPINION, UM, AND WHAT OUR, YOU KNOW, TRAVELERS ARE, ARE TELLING US IS THEY LOVE THAT PIECE TOO.
WHAT WE ARE DOING IS MONITORING FULFILLMENT NUMBERS, AND WE MONITOR THAT ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.
AND SO WE ARE ADJUSTING, UM, OUR ANNUAL RUN OF BOOKS BASED ON WHAT WE'RE SEEING, UM, HAS HAPPENED THE PRIOR YEAR.
SO WE ARE REALLY, UM, COGNIZANT OF THAT.
UM, 'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE PIECE THOUGH, BEAUTIFUL, WE WANNA BE MINDFUL OF THE TOTAL COST GOING INTO THAT.
BUT WHERE IS THIS DISTRIBUTED? WHAT ARE OUR TOUCH POINTS? NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE IT AT OUR, UM, OFFICES, WE ALSO HAVE THESE AT ALLSTATE WELCOME CENTERS ACROSS THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AAA OFFICES.
YOU COULD ALWAYS CALL INTO OUR OFFICE OR REQUEST ONLINE THROUGH THAT FULFILLMENT REQUEST.
WE TAKE IT TO ALL TRADE SHOWS AND EVENTS, AND WE USE IT IN ALL OF OUR MEDIA AND PUBLIC RELATIONS INITIATIVES.
AND THESE ARE THE NUMBERS FOR FULFILLMENT.
AND SO, BASED ON THESE NUMBERS PRIOR TO ORDERING THE THE NEXT YEAR'S BOOK RUN OF BOOKS, WE, WE LOOK AT THIS VERY CLOSELY AND MAKE THAT DECISION BASED ON THESE TOTAL NUMBERS FOR THE YEAR.
AND THEN HOW DID WE DO COMBINED REPORT OF HOME AND VILLA AS WELL AS THE HOTEL REPORT COMBINED FOR THE YEAR OF 2024? SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT OCCUPANCY, IT WAS DOWN 4%, BUT THE AVERAGE DAILY RATE UP BY 1%.
YOU KNOW, WITH THAT UP DOWN THERE, WE DID HAVE A DOWN 3% FOR REVPAR.
BUT I THINK BASED ON PRIOR CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING TO GARNER THAT QUALIFIED VISITOR WHO'S WILLING TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND SO THIS IS KIND OF THAT TRAJECTORY OF, OF HOW THAT'S HAPPENING.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE THREE SEGMENTS, OCCUPANCY, A DR AND REVPAR FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'RE, UH, LAST YEAR, CALENDAR YEAR, AND THIS, UH, I'M SORRY, TWO YEARS AGO IN 2024, WE SEEM TO BE VERY CLOSE TO WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN.
SO WHAT WE DO SEE THOUGH, IS THE A DR, THAT LIGHT PURPLE LINE IS REALLY MUCH HIGHER THAN 2023, WHICH IS GREAT TO SEE AT THE END OF THE DAY, EVEN WITH A QUALIFIED VISITOR, WHAT ARE THEY DOING? ARE THEY SPENDING, ARE THEY MAKING AN ECONOMIC IMPACT ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND TO OUR BUSINESSES, UM, WHEN THEY ARE HERE? SO YES, OUR NUMBER OF VISITORS WAS DOWN 4.6 TO THE PRIOR YEAR.
[00:30:01]
THE IMPACT OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING WHEN THEY ARE HERE IS UP BY 17%.SO THEY'RE SPENDING, THEY'RE INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY WHILE THEY'RE HERE.
AND THAT'S A GREAT NUMBER TO SEE.
AND IF YOU LOOK BACK ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACT FROM 2020 TO 2024, YOU'LL SEE THAT ECONOMIC IMPACT, AGAIN, THE VISITORS' INVESTMENT INTO THE DESTINATION WHILE, WHILE ON VACATION.
IT HAS GONE UP YEAR OVER YEAR.
WE TOOK IT ONE STEP FURTHER, AND THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT.
CAN WE BREAK IT DOWN BY SEGMENT? AND WHAT ARE THOSE SEGMENTS DOING AGAIN, AGAIN, BASED ON OUR VISITOR PROFILE STUDY, WHO'S HERE, HOW ARE THEY DIGESTING? WHAT ARE THEY DOING IN TERMS OF MAKING AN E ECONOMIC IMPACT? SO HOME AND VILLA RENTALS, AGAIN, THEIR DIRECT SPEND, UM, NEAR 1 BILLION, UP 8%.
HOTELS AND RESORTS DIRECT SPEND 659 MILLION, UP 18%.
UM, AND THOUGH THE DAY TRIPPERS NUMBER WAS DOWN, THEY WERE SPENDING, AND THAT SPEND WAS UP 55 MILLION, 26%.
I'M JUST CATCHING UP WITH YOU.
UM, THE, TO SHARE, NOT A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE, BUT A SLIGHT UPTICK IN THE VISITS AND A DECLINE IN THE DIRECT SPIN.
CAN YOU GIVE US ANY REASONS FOR THAT? YEAH, SO PART OF IT COULD JUST BE, UH, PREFERENCE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE MAY HAVE MORE PEOPLE, UH, SPENDING, UH, CHOOSING TO SPEND THEIR TIME HERE IN TIMESHARES.
UM, THEY'RE JUST NOT SPENDING AS MUCH MONEY WHEN THEY'RE HERE.
UM, WITH IT ONLY BEING 1% UP AND 2% DOWN, UM, AT LEAST DIRECT SPEND WISE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AVERAGES OUT TO ABOUT FLAT.
UM, I'D BE HAPPY TO INVESTIGATE, UM, MORE INTO THAT, UH, 'CAUSE THAT IS AN INTERESTING QUESTION.
BUT, UM, RIGHT HERE, I DON'T, UM, HAVE A ANSWER FOR YOU RIGHT NOW, BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO LOOK INTO IT.
THANK YOU FOR THE BREAKDOWN, BY THE WAY, THIS, YES, UM, THIS HELPS A LOT.
WE CAN KEEP REFINING IT AS WE NEED TO GOING FORWARD, BUT GOOD START.
SO WHERE WE'VE BEEN HELP HELPS US DEFINE ALONG WITH ALL OF OUR, UM, EFFORTS TO UNDERSTAND COLLECTIVELY WHERE WE WANT TOURISM TO GO.
UM, HOW DID WE PERFORM THIS PAST YEAR? WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE COMING AND ARE ON THE HORIZON? ALLOW US TO PLAN, UM, FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, 26.
AND SO WE, FIRST, WE LOOK AT NOT JUST WHAT HAPPENED IN 24 IN THE YEARS PRIOR, WE LOOK AT WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GLOBAL TRAVEL TRENDS.
THESE HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT SIMILAR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
UM, THESE MIGHT BE SIMILAR GRAPHICS, UM, FOR YOU, BUT AGAIN, WE'LL GO QUICKLY THROUGH THEM AND, AND REALLY TALK ABOUT IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES HOW IT APPLIES TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
BUT WELLNESS, TRAVEL, AGAIN, A VERY BROAD TERM.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU HEAR SOMETHING LIKE WELLNESS, THAT'S GREAT, BUT HOW DOES IT APPLY TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND? AND HOW CAN WE FIND OUR SPIN ON BRINGING OUR ATTRIBUTES FORWARD IN THIS CATEGORY? SO THAT'S KIND OF THE APPROACH FOR ALL OF THESE SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL.
IT'S A REALLY GREAT INITIATIVE FOR US.
IF WE'VE TALKED OFTEN ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING THE PROMISE ON OUR WEBSITE THAT TALKS ABOUT BEING, UM, YOU KNOW, VERY CONSCIENTIOUS OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING WHILE YOU'RE TRAVELING ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND, UM, BEING MINDFUL OF OUR DIFFERENT, UM, ANIMALS AND WILDLIFE, LEAVING NOTHING BUT YOUR FOOTPRINTS, ESSENTIALLY.
UM, ACTIVE TRAVEL, PASSION, TRAVEL, JET SETTING, TRAVEL, SLOW TRAVEL, AND CULINARY TRAVEL.
WE ARE ALWAYS PROMOTING THE SHOULDER AND WINTER SEASONS SUMMER, AS WE KNOW IT HAS REALLY, IT DOES TAKE CARE OF ITSELF, UM, IN TERMS OF FROM AN OCCUPANCY STANDPOINT AND PEOPLE BEING AWARE OF US AS A SUMMER DESTINATION.
BUT WE HELD HANDS, UM, QUITE A WHILE AGO TO SAY, HOW DO WE ENSURE DISPERSION, YOU KNOW, DISPERSING OF OUR CONSUMER AND OUR VISITOR KIND OF THROUGHOUT 365 DAYS, UM, AND MAKING THEM AWARE OF THE DIFFERENT ATTRIBUTES AND THINGS THAT COME TO LIFE IN DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR FOR US.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY OUR GOAL AS WE APPROACH SOME OF THESE TRENDS, UM, FROM A HILTON HEAD ISLAND LENS AND HOW WE CAN BRING THEM FORWARD.
AND THROUGHOUT THOSE DIFFERENT SEASONS, OUR GOALS REMAIN THE SAME FROM LAST YEAR, BECAUSE UNDERNEATH THEM WE HAVE, UM, DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES TO EXECUTE OVER THE, YOU KNOW, NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.
BUT JUST TO REFRESH ALL OF US THAT WE'RE ALIGNED ON THE, UM, FIVE ARE CONNECTING THE MARKETING PROMISE WITH THE ON ISLAND EXPERIENCE.
SO AGAIN, LEAVING NOTHING BUT YOUR FOOTPRINT, REALLY RESPECTING THE DESTINATION WHEN YOU ARE HERE VISITING.
UM, HAVING THE SAME VALUES THAT OUR COMMUNITY DOES CREATE AN UNDERSTANDING AND RESPECT FOR OUR DELICATE ECOSYSTEM.
BOTH RESIDENTS AND VISITORS DRIVE DEEPER DISCOVERY AND EXPLANATION OF OUR DESTINATION.
WE TALK ABOUT THAT OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF EXPLORE DEEPER AS OPPOSED TO THAT, OOPS, THE SUN, SORRY.
[00:35:01]
UM, YOU KNOW, TO EXPLORE THE DESTINATION.UM, AND SO WHEN WE THANK YOU, SANDA, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT VISITING AT A DIFFERENT TIME OF THE YEAR, THAT ALSO MEANS DISCOVERING DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
I THINK ONE THING THAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT, UM, TRAVEL, UM, IS THAT YOU HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT TIMES, BUT HUMAN NATURE TENDS TO FIND OURSELVES IN THE SAME SPOT DOING THE SAME THING YEAR OVER YEAR, BECAUSE WE DO IT AS A FAMILY, RIGHT? WE RENT THE SAME HOME, OR THIS, WE STAY AT THE SAME LOCATION, WE GO TO THE SAME RESTAURANT.
SO NOW WE'RE JUST PROVIDING DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES.
WHEN YOU'RE HERE IN THE FALL, PERHAPS YOU CAN TAKE THE BIKE OUT AND EXPLORE THESE DIFFERENT AREAS, OR YOU CAN TRY THESE NEW, UM, LOCATIONS FOR A CULINARY EXPERIENCE OR SO, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
AND I JUST THINK SOME OF THESE ITINERARY IDEAS AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE MORE SEASONALLY DRIVEN ALLOW US TO DO THAT AND, AND REALLY TAKE SOME OF THE, UM, VISITORS AND, AND KIND OF ALLOW THEM TO EXPLORE FURTHER INTO THE ISLAND AND BUILD BRAND AWARENESS.
IT'S ONE THING TO RECOGNIZE HILTON HEAD ISLAND AS YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER ONE US DESTINATION.
BUT WHAT DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL WHEN YOU THINK OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND? FOR SO MANY PEOPLE, IT'S A SNOW GLOBE MOMENT, RIGHT? THEY RECALL ALL OF THEIR GREAT MEMORIES THEY'VE HAD FOR 40, 30, 40, 50 YEARS WITH THEIR FAMILY.
BUT BEYOND THAT, WHAT DOES IT BRING TO MIND? DOES IT BRING TO MIND THAT THEY WERE RESPECTFUL OF THEIR COMMUNITY AND THEY'RE RESPECTFUL OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT AND, AND SOME OF THOSE DEEPER DRAWS THAT KEEP YOU COMING BACK AS THE NEXT GENERATION MAKES THAT A DECISION TO COME BACK TO THE DESTINATION FOR TRAVEL.
AND THEN FROM THE BUSINESS LENS, IT'S ALWAYS TO ENHANCE THE LEISURE AND GROUP BUSINESS THROUGH QUALIFIED VISITATION.
AND THAT IS REALLY THE BEHIND THE SCENES WORK THAT WE'RE ALL DOING TOGETHER TO ENSURE ALL OF OUR ASSETS, WHETHER THAT BE THE INFRASTRUCTURE, HOTEL INFRASTRUCTURE, ROADWAYS, AND EXPERIENCES.
SO WE'RE REALLY TAKING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AND TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PROPERTIES, AS WELL AS ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES HERE ON THE ISLAND.
SO WHEN WE LOOK ABOUT OUR, OUR, OUR MARKETING PLAN AND STRATEGY AND TACTICS, IT'S REALLY ALL WORKING TOGETHER, RIGHT? WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA, DIGITAL ADVERTISING, PR GROUP, TRAVEL, AND INTERNATIONAL.
SO JUST AGAIN, ANOTHER VISUAL TO SHOW YOU THAT NOTHING IS AN ISOLATED EFFORT, BUT WE'RE ALL WORKING IN TANDEM IN THESE TOOLKIT PIECES.
SO THEY CAN WORK VERY HARD ALL THE TIME.
FOR US, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE LOOK AT THE YEAR WHEN YOU TAKE A FISCAL YEAR, JULY THROUGH JUNE, IS TO GIVE YOU SOME THOUGHTS ON HOW WE FLOW DIFFERENT THEMES, UM, TRADITIONAL MEDIA PLACEMENT AND CAMPAIGNS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE IN MARKET.
AGAIN, JUST TO GIVE YOU A NICE SENSE OR A VISUAL TO SEE HOW WE MIGHT FLOW CONVERSATION WITH OUR POTENTIAL VISITOR AS THEY MAKE THEIR DECISION TO TRAVEL TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
BUT AS WE DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER INTO EACH OF THEM, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE AREAS THAT WE WILL FOCUS ON BASED ON THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE, WE'VE HAD TOGETHER.
SO DESTINATION WEBSITE, REALLY UTILIZING THAT AS THE LANDING, UM, SPOT FOR OUR POTENTIAL VISITORS WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING TO DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER INTO ALL THINGS HILTON HEAD ISLAND, THIS IS WHERE THEY CAN FIND ITINERARIES.
THEY CAN START TO DO TRIP PLANNING.
THEY CAN TALK AND, AND SHARE THINGS WITH EACH OTHER AS THEY'RE DOING THAT FAMILY PLANNING.
BUT REALLY HOW ARE THEY GETTING THERE? AND IT'S AN EFFORT OF ALL OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA.
SO YOU HAVE OUR ORGANIC AND PAID SOCIAL MEDIA THAT'S REALLY BRINGING THEM THERE AS WELL AS OUR DIGITAL ADVERTISING IS REALLY WORKING HARD TO BE THE DRIVERS TO THAT DESTINATION WEBSITE.
SO OUR CHANNELS, THE ONES THAT WE'RE CONTROLLING IN AND OUT EVERY DAY WITH OUR FIVE PILLARS AND BRINGING PEOPLE IN ARE REALLY THE, REALLY WORKING HARD TO DO THAT AND BRING PEOPLE TO THE WEBSITE FOR DEEPER CONTENT ENGAGEMENT.
BUT WE LAYER IN OUR MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE A, WE'VE, WE'VE ALIGNED WITH MEDIA PARTNERS THAT WE KNOW HAVE OUR DESIRED QUALIFIED VISITOR, AND WE'RE TALKING TO THEM ABOUT, UM, TO THEIR QUALIFIED READERSHIP TO SAY, HEY, CHECK OUT HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
A GREAT EXAMPLE IS CONDE NAST TRAVELER.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR READERSHIP QUALIFIED AUDIENCE ALSO HAS VOTED THE DESTINATION EIGHT YEARS IN A ROW AS THE NUMBER ONE US ISLAND.
AS WE HEAD INTO THE END OF VOTING SEASON FOR YEAR NINE, WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL COME OUT AS THE NINTH YEAR IN A ROW.
BUT THAT QUALIFIED AUDIENCE, THEY HAVE BUILT AN AFFINITY FOR THE DESTINATION AND IT'S, UM, QUALIFIED THROUGH THE, THE, THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE DO TOGETHER.
SO IT'S A NICE, AGAIN, MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS ARE A NICE LAYER PIECE THAT WE CAN ADD ON TO OUR EFFORTS THAT WE ARE HAVING.
AGAIN, PUBLIC RELATIONS, CHARLIE AND HER TEAM ARE OUT EVERY SINGLE DAY.
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH, UM, TOP PUBLICATIONS AS YOU SEE LISTED HERE, EDITORS, UM, AND DIFFERENT INFLUENCERS AND CONTENT MANAGE MANAGEMENT EFFORTS THAT REALLY ARE BRINGING FORTH THE GREAT STORIES OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND THAT REALLY SIT ASIDE, UH, ALONGSIDE THOSE FIVE PILLARS.
UM, AND THEN MEETINGS AND GROUPS.
YOU KNOW, WE WENT THROUGH THESE EBBS AND FLOWS WITH MEETINGS AND GROUPS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.
AND NOW THAT WE'RE COMING BACK OUT OF IT, THE HOTELS HAVE ALL MADE GREAT INVESTMENTS
[00:40:01]
INTO THEIR PROPERTIES.UM, AND THEY ARE OUT AND ABOUT LOOKING FOR THE MEETINGS AND GROUPS TO COME HERE.
AND WE ARE HELPING LEAD THAT CHARGE.
UM, PROMOTING THE PRODUCT, REACHING OUT TO PLANNERS, ATTENDING TRADE SHOWS, AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT OUR QUALIFIED GROUPS, UM, AND MEETINGS LOOK LIKE FOR OUR DESTINATION.
UM, AND THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING POST COVID THAT WE'VE HAD TO WORK REALLY HARD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOTELS TO DO INTERNATIONAL MARKETING HAS BEEN, UM, A REALLY INTERESTING AND FUN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DESTINATION.
WE DO ORGANICALLY RECEIVE MANY INTERNATIONAL VISITORS TO THE DESTINATION EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
NOW AS WE PUT, UM, A SCOPE AROUND IT AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR US AND OUR OVERALL EFFORTS, AGAIN, HELPING US FILL SOME OF THOSE TIMEFRAMES IN THE OFF SEASON OR IN, UM, THE SHOULDER SEASONS.
THESE MARKETS HERE ARE THE ONES THAT IDENTIFY FOR, UH, THE STRONGEST OPPORTUNITY TO BE VISITORS TO OUR DESTINATION.
AND WE'RE EXCITED TO CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR FINGER ON THE PULSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND, AND BRINGING THEM AND SERVING THEM THE CORRECT MESSAGES AT THE CORRECT TIME TO BRING THEM IN.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR VACATION PLANNER PIECE, WHICH WE SPOKE IN LENGTH ABOUT, BUT EVERYTHING KIND OF CIRCLES BACK AGAIN, BUILT UPON THE COMMUNITY CORNERSTONE PLAN AND REALLY FITS TO THESE FIVE PILLARS THAT, THAT SPEAK TO WHO WE ARE AS A COMMUNITY OVERALL.
AND THIS IS THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND I'LL LEAVE THIS SLIDE UP FOR YOU 'CAUSE I'M SURE THIS IS THE, THE MOMENT WE CAN BREAK INTO SOME A LITTLE BIT MORE CONVERSATION.
BUT THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT AND WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, MS. BRYON, ANY QUESTIONS? UH, SURE.
UM, I, AND I'M HOLD, UH, SINCE MS. BERNICE IS UP HERE, I'LL COME BACK TO THE STAFF IN A MINUTE.
I WANTED TO TALK, ASK A QUESTION TO THE STAFF ABOUT COMMUNITY CORNERSTONE PLANS.
SO IF YOU'LL PUT A, PUT A NOTE IN THERE, I'LL COME BACK TO YOU IN A MINUTE.
UM, IN THE, UM, THE GROUPS MARKETING, UM, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FESTIVALS HERE ON THE ISLAND.
DO YOU TRACK, UM, HOW SUCCESSFUL OR UNSUCCESSFUL THOSE FESTIVALS ARE WITH BRINGING FOLKS, ESPECIALLY IN THE SHOULDER SEASONS? UM, HOW, HOW DO WE KNOW WHETHER OR NOT IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THOSE FESTIVALS, I GUESS IS WHAT I'M SAYING? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
WE ACTUALLY WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UM, THE PARTNERS AND THEIR EVENTS THAT THEY HAVE IN THOSE TIMEFRAMES.
UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT STARTED BACK WHEN WE WERE A PART OF THE ACCOMMODATION, A SUPPLEMENTAL, UM, REQUEST.
UM, BUT WE'VE CONTINUED OUR EFFORTS IN SUPPORT OF OUR PARTNERS.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I CAN NAME A FEW, BUT IN, YOU KNOW, THE MARCH, APRIL, JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH TIMEFRAME, UM, IT'S THE GULLAH CELEBRATION, IT'S THE SEAFOOD FESTIVAL, IT'S THE WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL.
AND HOW WE PARTNER IS WE ENGAGE USCB AND THEY DO THE RESEARCH COMPONENT OF IT.
SO THEY'RE DOING THE BASICALLY SURVEY INTERCEPT TO UNDERSTAND WHO IS THERE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE PROVIDE INSIGHT FOR THE FESTIVAL, UM, PARTNER TO SHOW THE ENGAGEMENT FROM OUR VISITORS, UM, AND WHO'S ENGAGING WITH THEIR EVENT.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST A HIGH LEVEL OF WHAT WE DO.
IT, IT REALLY IS SCOPED PER PARTNER OF WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO RECEIVE, BUT EVERYTHING GOES BACK TO SUPPORT THEIR SUBMISSION ON HOW THEY DID FOR THEIR SUPPLEMENTAL REQUEST.
IS THAT, THAT'D BE GOOD TO, TO SEE SOME OF THAT DATA, ESPECIALLY WITH REGARD TO, UM, OUR, OUR CULTURAL FOCUS, UH, WITH THE GULLAH COMMUNITY HERE MM-HMM
AND THE DIFFERENT FESTIVALS AND ACTIVITIES THAT GO ON.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, UH, OTHER KIND OF ACTIVITIES.
I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A CONFERENCE, UH, THIS YEAR, UM, UH, ABOUT SEA TURTLES.
UM, AND I WANTED TO MENTION THE FILLET FORD PROGRAM, UH, WHEN I WAS AT, AT THE CHAMBER, LOOKING AT THE, UM, UH, THE, THE DATA ANALYSIS.
UM, ONE OF YOUR STAFF MEMBERS CAME IN AND SHOWED ME THE REFILLABLE BOTTLE.
IT'S NOT THE ONE I HAVE TODAY.
I DO HAVE MY OTHER REFILLABLE BOTTLE, THOUGH.
BUT THE FILL IT FORWARD HAS A QR CODE ON THERE.
SO IT'S REALLY HELPFUL THAT YOU, EVERY TIME YOU REFILL IT, YOU, UH, SCAN IN THAT QR CODE AND A LOCAL, UH, GROUP GETS CREDIT FOR THAT.
UM, SO THAT'S ANOTHER LINK WITH A LOCAL FESTIVAL HERE WHERE WE CONNECTED WITH THE SEA TURTLE CONFERENCE.
I'M JUST CALLING IT THAT 'CAUSE I'M NOT SURE THE EXACT APPROPRIATE NAME, BUT WHERE WE BROUGHT PEOPLE INTO OUR COMMUNITY, UM, AND THEY CONNECTED WITH A CULTURE, OH, SORRY, WITH AN ECOTOURISM ACTIVITY.
AND THEY ALSO LEARNED ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.
SO I LIKE TO SEE THOSE CONNECTIONS AND ANY KIND OF DATA THAT WE CAN HAVE SHOWING THAT, UM, IT LINKS US BACK TO COMMUNITY VALUES AND THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE MARKETING.
THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE COMING HERE FOR, AND THAT'S WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE LEARNING ABOUT WHEN THEY COME TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
SO THAT KIND OF LINK IS REALLY HELPFUL.
UM, THE, UM, THE OTHER INTERESTING THING, UM, IT IT'S ATTACHED TO YOUR MARKETING PLAN.
UM, AND, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT
[00:45:01]
REMEMBERING THE APPROPRIATE NAME, BUT IT'S THE, THE ANALYSIS THAT'S DONE, UH, BASED ON, UH, BOTH VISTA SURVEYS AND RESIDENT SURVEYS.UM, AND, AND JUST LOOKING AT THE TOP CONCERNS FACING THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I SEE WORKFORCE SHORTAGE, UM, ON ISLAND WORKFORCE HOUSING, UM, OVERALL DEVELOPMENT, AND ALSO THE 2 78 QUARTER PROJECT ARE THE TOP ONES.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS TO KNOW ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE CAN HELP TO DEVELOP OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES.
UM, AND WE INCLUDE THOSE IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, THAT, THAT THOSE SURVEYS CONTINUE TO REFLECT CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN ALSO THE VISITORS WHEN THEY COME, WE WANT 'EM TO SEE CLEAN BEACHES,
SO THERE'S A CONNECTION THERE BETWEEN THE VISITORS EXPERIENCE, UM, WHEN THEY COME ON THE ISLAND.
AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT, AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE CONTINUING TO DO, UM, THAT I THINK WE'RE IN WAVE FOUR NOW MM-HMM
UM, AND, AND THERE'S A CONSISTENCY IN THOSE WAVES, UM, WITH REGARD TO BOTH RESIDENTS, UM, AND THEIR, UH, RESPONSES IN THE SURVEY AND ALSO VISITORS.
SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT CONSISTENCY.
I THINK THAT HELPS US TO KNOW WHAT IS EXPERIENCED LOCALLY AND THOSE WHO COME TO VISIT.
SO I THINK THAT'S HELPFUL AS FAR AS THAT.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I WILL NOTE IS THAT, UM, UH, THE MARKETING PLAN, UM, AND THE BUDGET HAVE BEEN THROUGH, UH, THE TOWN WIDE MARKETING COUNCIL, UM, CONSISTING OF, UH, MY COLLEAGUE HERE, UM, MAYOR PRO, TIM, ALEX BROWN, TOWN MANAGER, MARK ORLANDO TOWN, STAFF MEMBERS, HEATHER WOOLWINE, KELLY SPINELLA, AND NATALIE HARVEY.
SO IT'S ALREADY BEEN VETTED BY THAT GROUP.
IN ADDITION, THE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX COMMITTEE APPROVED IT.
UM, SO, UH, BASED UPON THAT AND WHAT I'VE SEEN SO FAR TODAY, I WOULD BE IN A POSITION, UM, FOR OUR COMMITTEE TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL BY THE FULL TOWN COUNCIL.
AND THAT'S A FEW QUESTIONS AND, UM, MAYBE AN ENCOURAGEMENT, UM, AT THE END.
YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU HAD A QUESTION FOR STAFF AS WELL.
SO STAFF, WHAT I, I JUST MENTIONED THAT THE, UM, TOWN WIDE MARKETING COUNCIL, UM, APPROVED THIS.
AND A PART OF IT IS THE, UH, UH, COMMUNITY CORNERSTONE PLAN.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO HEAR IS JUST A LITTLE BIT FROM THE STAFF ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CHAMBER IN THAT CORNERSTONE PLAN.
THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN BRYSON, UM, FOR THE RECORD, HEATHER WOOLWINE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR.
UM, SO BEING NEW TO THE TOWN, NEW IN THE ROLE, THIS WAS MY FIRST, UM, MARKETING COUNCIL PROCESS.
UM, AND I'VE BEEN GETTING TO KNOW THE FOLKS AT THE CHAMBER, UH, AS WELL.
AND WE ARE IN A REALLY COLLABORATIVE SPACE.
UM, NOT ONLY ARE WE PIGGYBACKING OFF OF EACH OTHER IN THE ORGANIC SOCIAL MEDIA SPACE, WHEREVER POSSIBLE, UM, BUT I'M WORKING FREQUENTLY WITH CHARLIE ON, UH, THINGS RELATED TO PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR THE ISLAND.
AND THEN, UM, AS ARI MENTIONED, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, REAL TIME, UH, CURATING AND COLLATING OF WHERE, WHICH EFFORTS ARE AT WHAT TIME.
UM, AND SO I FEEL LIKE I'M BEING, UH, KEPT WELL IN THE LOOP ABOUT ANY CHANGES OR ADJUSTMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE.
UM, AND I FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING FROM A GOAL PERSPECTIVE AND ALIGNING SORT OF THOSE VALUES OF THE TOWN, THOSE CORE COMMUNITY VALUES OF THE TOWN WITH THE QUALIFIED VISITOR PROFILE AND WHO WE'RE TRYING TO BRING HERE.
UM, I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE COMMUNITIES, OUR RESIDENTS, OUR BIGGEST CONCERN, RIGHT, IS THE, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
AND SO I THINK THE, THE DATA THAT'S SHOWING US THAT WE'RE BRINGING IN THE RIGHT KIND OF QUALIFIED VISITOR AND THEY'RE SPENDING MORE MONEY WHEN THEY'RE HERE, UM, WE'RE REALLY GETTING TO THAT, THAT RIGHT MIX OF FOLKS AND, AND POSITIONING OURSELVES WELL FOR THE FUTURE.
AND THEN INCLUDED IT IN THE DOCUMENTS WE'VE SEEN ARE PLANS, MONITORS FOR WHAT HAPPENS IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY AND MARCH, ET CETERA, DURING, SORRY, DURING WHATEVER YEAR.
SO HOW IS THAT MOVING FORWARD? IS THAT WORKING WELL, UH, ON THE TIMING ON THE CORNERSTONE PLAN? IT IS.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WE PARTNER ON.
FOR EXAMPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU MENTIONED FESTIVALS AND THINGS, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CRESCENDO IN BOTH PLACES.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HILTON HEAD JAM IN BOTH PLACES.
AND IN THE FOCUS AREAS OF VALUES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED.
THANKS FOR REMINDING ME, MR. CHAIR.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, PRESENTATION.
WELL DONE BUDGET WELL THOUGHT THROUGH.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE US DIVING A LITTLE DEEPER INTO THE METRICS.
[00:50:02]
UM, OBVIOUSLY, UM, I WILL CONTINUE TO CHALLENGE.SO I'M GOING TO PUT ANOTHER ONE IN FRONT OF US HERE SINCE WE ALL WORKING TOGETHER.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALWAYS, UH, SAY OUT LOUD THAT SUMMER SORT OF TAKES CARE OF ITSELF MM-HMM
AND, UM, WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE SHOULDER SEASONS MM-HMM
AND, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THE PERFORMANCE OF THE SHOULDER SEASONS AS WELL.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE ARE LOOKING AT THE OVERALL, UH, PERFORMANCE, BUT I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US, NOT JUST AS A COUNCIL, BUT AS A COMMUNITY.
UM, OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES, ALTHOUGH THEY MAY THRIVE DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS MM-HMM
UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE HEALTHY AS THEY MOVE ALONG THE SHOULDER MONTHS AS WELL.
SO UNDERSTANDING THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO US, PARTICULARLY AS WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE POLICY DECISIONS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY, UM, HAVE SOME INFLUENCE ON THAT, EITHER POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY.
SO IN THE FUTURE, WE'D APPRECIATE TAKING A LITTLE DEEPER DIVE IN THAT.
ANY, YES, MS. ALFORD, PLEASE, SIR.
UM, THANK YOU FOR A VERY EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.
I JUST HAVE ONE MINOR QUESTION ON THE, UH, BUDGET AND THAT RELATES TO INTERNATIONAL.
UH, WE SEE IN THE PRESS TODAY THAT IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT, UH, THE NUMBER OF TRAVELERS FROM CANADA AND OTHER COUNTRIES IS DECLINING.
UH, DOES THAT SUGGEST THAT YOU, UH, REDUCE OR INCREASE THE AMOUNTS THAT ARE SPENT WITH RESPECT TO INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND, UM, I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH, RIGHT? AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT SOLELY FOCUSED ON CANADA AS A MARKET FOR INTERNATIONAL.
WE ARE MINDFUL OF ALL THE, UM, EFFORTS THAT ARE HAPPENING SURROUNDING TRAVEL INTO THE US FROM CANADA.
AND WE ARE BEING VERY, UM, CONSCIENTIOUS OF MEDIA PLACED OR BEING, UH, REDUCED.
BUT I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, UM, LET NOT JUST THE CANADIAN MARKET, BUT OTHER INTERNATIONAL MARKETS UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE WELCOMING OF YOU ON, ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
UM, WE WANT YOU TO FEEL THAT YOU ARE WELCOME HERE.
AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO OUTREACH RESPONSIBLY AND IN MARKETS TO, UM, HELP IDENTIFY THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THOUGH THE THREE 50, UM, NUMBER IS UP THERE, I WANT TO BE KIND OF IN PARTNERSHIP TO UNDERSTAND THAT HOW THOSE DOLLARS ARE USED MIGHT LOOK DIFFERENT MONTH TO MONTH BECAUSE OF HOW THE MARKET IS PERFORMING AND WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM A SENTIMENT STANDPOINT OF, OKAY, MAYBE WE HAVE TO APPROACH THIS MARKET A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THAN THE THIS ONE INTERNATIONALLY.
'CAUSE I THINK THOSE, THAT'S THE RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO AS YOU KIND OF WORK THROUGH SOME OF THESE, UM, POLITICAL, INTERNATIONAL, UM, THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
SO IT'S STILL A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE OF OUR, OF OUR EFFORT.
UM, BUT WE JUST NEED TO BE NIMBLE AND FLEXIBLE ACCORDING TO WHAT'S HAPPENING.
THAT SPARK ANOTHER, UH, YES, I THINK IT MIGHT BE, UH, HELPFUL.
AND, AND NOW I FINALLY SAW THE FULL TITLE OF THIS DOCUMENT.
IT'S THE 2024 DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION INDUSTRY METRICS, THAT'S, I GUESS I COULDN'T REMEMBER REMEMBER THAT LONG NAME.
UM, AND I, I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING IN HERE THAT SHOWS WHERE VISITORS COME FROM.
SO I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR US TO MAYBE TAKE A DEEPER DIVE AND, AND LOOKING AT, UH, WHAT IMPACT, IF ANY THERE IS ON INTERNATIONAL VISITORS AND FROM WHICH COUNTRY OR COUNTRIES.
UM, AND IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE NEED TO DO WITH REGARD TO OUR MARKETING TO SHOW THAT WE ARE INDEED WELCOMING? ABSOLUTELY.
MY QUESTION, AND WE ARE ALSO ON THE RESEARCH SIDE, I WANTED TO MENTION THIS.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT KEEPING OUR FINGER ON THE PULSE THROUGH DIFFERENT RESEARCH CHANNELS.
WE'RE CONTINUALLY CHECKING IN WITH OUR PARTNERS AT TRAVEL SOUTH AND BRAND USA, UM, TO GIVE US SOME INSIGHTS OF WHAT THEY'RE SEEING AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, UM, REGARDING TRAVEL IN FROM OTHER COUNTRIES.
AND WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR STATE TOURISM BOARD TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'VE ALSO WORKED VERY LOCALLY WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING THE REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS.
WHAT IS THAT LIKE? WE'RE TRYING TO CHECK IT FROM EVERY AVENUE.
CHARLIE HAS BEEN WORKING VERY HARD WITH HER EDITORIAL SIDE TO SEE WHAT THE SENTIMENT IS ON THE WRITERS AND WHAT THEY'RE WRITING.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING ADDITIONAL.
BUT YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE KIND OF LIVING THIS REAL TIME, WE ARE RESEARCHING AND UNDERSTANDING ALONGSIDE OUR PARTNERS, UM, TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN BEST EITHER INDEPENDENTLY OR COLLECTIVELY APPROACH THE OPPORTUNITY.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM? MR. WILLIAMS? OKAY.
[00:55:01]
THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. BRYSON.UM, I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR US TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO FULL TOWN COUNCIL, PLEASE.
UM, I MOVE THAT WE RECOMMEND TO THE FULL TOWN COUNCIL APPROVAL OF THE DMO MARKETING PLAN AND BUDGET FOR FY 26.
[5.b. Discussion to provide Direction for Consideration of an Ordinance of the Town Council of the Town of Hilton Head Island Amending Municipal Code Section 2-5-60 Committees of Council - Shawn Colin, Assistant Town Manager]
UP WE HAVE A DISCUSSION TO PROVIDE DIRECTION FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND AMENDING MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION TWO DASH FIVE DASH 60, DEALING WITH COMMITTEES OF COUNSEL, ASSISTANT MANAGER, MR. SEAN CO.UM, COMMITTEE MEMBER, UH,
SO I'M GOING TO FACILITATE SOME DISCUSSION, UH, FROM THE COMMITTEE.
AND, UH, WE'VE GOT COUNCIL, UM, COUNCILMAN ALFRED AND THE, AND THE, UM, IN ATTENDANCE HERE TODAY.
UM, BUT THIS IS RELATED TO TOWN COUNCIL COMMITTEES.
UM, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE CURRENT CODE LANGUAGE, UM, THE CURRENT STATUS OF COMMITTEES, AND THEN FACILITATE DISCUSSION SO THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE DIRECTION ON THE FOLLOWING ITEMS, THE NUMBER OF TOWN COUNCIL STANDING COMMITTEES, THE NAMES OF THE TOWN COUNCIL, STANDING COMMITTEES, COMPOSITION OF THOSE COMMITTEES, THE ROLES OF THOSE COMMITTEES, AND THEN THE PREFERRED PROCESS FOR THOSE COMMITTEES TO FOLLOW AND EXECUTION OF AGENDA ITEMS AND, AND COUNCIL BUSINESS.
SO, UM, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH MY STAFF REPORT.
UM, I THINK IT LAID IT OUT, UH, PRETTY WELL.
THE, UM, BASED ON WHAT I JUST TOLD YOU FROM A FRAMEWORK.
SO SECTION 2 5 60 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE OUTLINES THE FRAMEWORK FOR TOWN COUNCIL COMMITTEES.
THE CURRENT CODE LANGUAGE HAS THREE COMMITTEES, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMUNITY SERVICE, AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC PLANNING.
THE COMPOSITION OF THOSE COMMITTEES PER CODE ARE FOUR MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND AN ALTERNATE, ALSO A MEMBER OF COUNCIL, THAT THOSE MEMBERS ARE APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR AND THE MAYOR DESIGNATES A CHAIRPERSON.
AND THEN THERE'S OTHER ADDITIONAL NON STANDING COMMITTEES THAT MAY BE CREATED, UH, BY RESOLUTION AND INCLUDE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, OR RESIDENTS IF, IF COUNCIL SO CHOOSES.
SO AS WE STAND HERE TODAY, WE ARE, UM, UM, AND THEN THE FINAL THING, COUNCIL MAY ADOPT RULES AND PROCEDURES COVERED TO THESE COMMITTEES, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY TO TRY TO GET MORE CLARIFICATION AND DIRECTION FROM, FROM, FROM YOU ALL'S RECOMMENDATION TO TOWN COUNCIL.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN COMMITTEE CHANGES OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
UM, BACK IN 2015, AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHED SIX STANDING COMMITTEES OF TOWN COUNCIL, UH, THAT WAS REDUCED VIA OR TOWN COUNCIL ORDINANCE IN 2019 TO FOUR COMMITTEES.
AND THEN THE LAST REVISION TO THIS SECTION OCCURRED IN 2020.
IT REDUCED THE NUMBER OF COMMITTEES TO THREE, THE THREE THAT I JUST IDENTIFIED.
FINANCE, ADMINISTRATIVE, PUBLIC PLANNING, COMMUNITY SERVICES OF PUBLIC SAFETY, SAFETY.
UM, CURRENTLY OUR, THE WAY OUR COMMITTEES ARE POPULATED, THE MAYOR HAS APPOINTED THREE MEMBERS TO EACH COMMITTEE.
UM, HE'S ONLY APPOINTED MEMBERS TO TWO OF THE THREE COMMITTEES PER CODE.
AND SO THIS DIRECTION FROM THE COMMITTEE TODAY WILL HELP IDENTIFY A ORDINANCE THAT WOULD BE COMING FORWARD TO TOWN COUNCIL FOR FULL CONSIDERATION.
SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THE REQUEST FOR TOWN COUNCIL DIRECTION AND ASK FOR YOUR INPUT AND CLARITY ON THE FOLLOWING DIRECTION.
ON THE NUMBER OF STANDING COMMITTEES, THERE ARE CURRENTLY THREE.
THERE'S A PROPOSAL FOR TWO, IT WAS DISCUSSED AT YOUR STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOP.
UM, I'D LIKE TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON, ON THAT ITEM TO START.
UM, AND I'LL ASK, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
BUT YEAH, WE HAVE THREE CURRENT COMMITTEES.
AND, UM, AND THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE TO REASSIGN THE WORK THAT IT WAS NORMALLY ATTRIBUTED TO THOSE THREE, TO THESE TWO UNDER SOMETHING WE'LL TALK ABOUT HERE IN A FEW MINUTES.
UM, I, I WANNA JUST GIVE SOME SURE.
UM, TECHNICALLY FOR THE, UH, TO PUBLIC, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE THAT DID NOT ATTEND A
[01:00:01]
STRATEGIC PLANNING, UH, SESSION, UM, YOU KNOW, WE REALIZED AS A COUNCIL THAT, UH, WE WANT TO BE VERY EFFICIENT AND OUR WORKLOAD, UM, AND MR. ORLANDO HAS SHARED WITH US THAT ALTHOUGH YOU MAY AGREE ON 15 PRIORITIES, EACH OF THOSE 15 HAVE SUBWORK BEHIND THEM.UM, THAT NEED TO BE PUSHED THROUGH, UM, VARIOUS SUBCOMMITTEES AND ULTIMATELY TO TOWN COUNCIL.
UH, SO THE INTENT HERE IS TO DEVELOP AN ORDINANCE AND RESOLUTION TO HELP WITH OUR EFFICIENCY AND, UM, BE BETTER SERVING TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, SO, MR. COLIN, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GET STARTED WITH ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS.
ONE IS, UM, JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY.
SO THE ORDINANCE THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO, UH, RECOMMEND WILL SIMPLY STATE THE AMOUNT OF COMMITTEES AND AMOUNT OF PERSONS ON THE COMMITTEE.
IS THAT ACCURATE? I'M MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS APPROPRIATELY.
SO THERE WERE FIVE ITEMS WHERE, UM, I'M ASKING FOR YOUR DISCUSSION AND DIRECTION ON.
SO AMENDMENT, AN AMENDMENT TO THAT SECTION 2 5 60 WOULD INCLUDE THE NUMBER OF COMMITTEES THAT YOU, UM, THAT YOU RECOMMEND, THE COMPOSITION, OR, I'M SORRY, THE NAMES OF THOSE COMMITTEES THAT YOU RECOMMEND.
THE COMPOSITION OF THOSE COMMITTEES.
AGAIN, THE CURRENTLY FOUR PLUS AN ALTERNATE.
UM, THE ROLE AND GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF THOSE COMMITTEES.
WHAT BODY OF WORK IS EXPECTED TO BE IN FRONT OF THOSE COMMITTEES.
AND THEN FINALLY, THE, THE PROCESS FOR HOW COMMITTEES, UH, VA EVALUATE, UM, CONSIDER INFORMATION BEFORE THEM.
AND THEN THE, THE STEPS TO COUNCIL.
IS IT A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL? DOES THE COMMITTEE HAVE THE AUTHORITY ON ITEMS THAT AREN'T REQUIRED LEGALLY? UM, TO, TO MOVE FORWARD, TO COUNT TOWN COUNCIL, UM, TO, UM, TO TAKE FINAL ACTION AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL, UNLESS THERE'S AN OBJECTION BY MAYOR OR COUNCIL.
AND THE, YOU MENTIONED, UH, RULES AND PROCEDURES OF THE COMMITTEES.
UH, DO WE CURRENTLY HAVE RULES AND PROCEDURES FOR COMMITTEES? SO OTHER THAN THE BULLET THAT'S AT THE VERY TOP MM-HMM
UNDER SECTION 2 5 60 THAT SAYS TOWN COUNCIL MAY ADOPT RULES AND PROCEDURES GOVERNING THESE COMMITTEES.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING CODIFIED.
AND THE, THOSE WILL BE CODIFIED THROUGH RESOLUTION.
WE WOULD NO, THEY WOULD, THE, THE, THE RULES WOULD BE LAID OUT, UM, AS FAR AS YOUR EXPECTATION ON ITEMS THAT COME TO COMMITTEE.
AND HOW THEY ADVANCE OR DO NOT ADVANCE BEYOND THE COMMITTEE WOULD BE LAID OUT IN IN THE ORDINANCE.
THERE, THERE'S SOME OTHER OPERATIONAL ITEMS, UM, ABOUT REVIEWING OF AGENDAS AND OTHER THINGS THEY THINK THAT SHOULD BE LEFT AT JUST AN OPERATIONAL LEVEL AND NOT PUT IN THE CODE, BUT THE EXPECTATION OF COUNCIL ON IF AN ITEM GOES TO COMMITTEE, IS IT COMING TO FULL COUNCIL REGARDLESS OF COUNCIL ACTION, IS A QUESTION THAT, THAT WE HAVE.
SO THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE ORDINANCE AND CODIFIED IN, IN THE MUNICIPAL CODE.
UM, NOT TO THROW YOU OFF, OH, NO, NO, I'M SORRY.
BUT I SORT OF WANNA START WITH THE END IN MIND HERE WITH THIS.
AND I APPRECIATE THE TWO QUESTIONS THAT YOU'RE ASKING US AT THE END AS FAR AS, UM, THE, THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COMMITTEES AS FAR AS WILL WE HAVE TO TAKE STUFF TO FULL COUNSEL THROUGH RECOMMENDATION FOR DENIAL OR APPROVAL.
UM, AND SINCE WE HAVE COUNCILMAN ALFRED IN THE ROOM AS WELL, UM, I WANTED TO START THERE.
AND THEN WE'LL BACK INTO THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ASK US AS FAR AS THE AMOUNT OF COMMITTEES.
SO YOU WANT ME TO MOVE TO THE YES, PLEASE, SIR.
SO LET ME GO DOWN, I'LL START WITH THE TOWN COUNCIL COMMITTEE PROCEDURE.
IS THAT WHERE YOU MENTIONED? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
SO, UM, AS I MENTIONED, THERE CURRENTLY IS NO, UM, CODIFIED PROCEDURE IN TOWN CODE FOR HOW COMMITTEES HANDLE AND HANDLE, UM, THE WORK AND ADVANCE OR NOT ADVANCE ITEMS TO FULL TOWN COUNCIL.
SO IN REVIEW OF, UM, SEVERAL DIFFERENT SOUTH CAROLINA LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, BOTH MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES, UM, THERE'S OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE THE SAME LANGUAGE THAT WE HAVE THAT THEIR COUNCIL CAN ADOPT.
PROCE POLICIES, PROCEDURES ON HOW COMMITTEES WORK.
[01:05:02]
UM, SAY THAT THEIR COMMITTEES ARE RECOMMENDING BODY AND THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS GO TO FULL TIME COUNSEL.AND THERE'S A COUPLE THAT ALLOW ITEMS THAT AREN'T REQUIRED BY LAW OR MANDATE TO GO TO FULL COUNSEL TO DIE IN COMMITTEE.
LIKE THEY, THEY TABLE IT OR DENY IT.
AND UNLESS SOMEONE ON COUNCIL ASKS FOR IT TO BE ADVANCED MAYOR OR COUNCIL MEMBER, MAJORITY OF COUNCIL SUPPORT ASKS FOR IT TO ADVANCE.
SO I'VE OUTLINED THE TWO OPTIONS, UM, FOR CONSIDERATION AND ON OPTION ONE, IT'S COMMITTEE IS A GATEKEEPER.
THE COMMITTEES HAVE, UH, AUTHORITY OVER CERTAIN SUBJECT MATTERS.
AND WE'VE BEEN OPERATING, I THINK, USING THE UNDERSTANDING FOR MANY YEARS, RIGHT? SO FINANCE, ADMINISTRATIVE HANDLES ALL THE STUFF THAT'S FINANCIAL.
UM, YOU HEARD BUDGET, PRESENTATION, DMO, UM, MOUS, THAT SORT OF THING.
AND THEN THE OTHER COMMITTEES, PUBLIC PLANNINGS HANDLE LMO PLANNING, ZONING, UM, AND COMMUNITY SERVICES HANDLE LAND, UM, IMPACT RELATED TO THOSE ITEMS. SO COMMITTEE IS A GATEKEEPER.
ITEMS ARE ASSIGNED TO COMMITTEE OVER, UH, FOUR ITEMS THAT THEY HAVE KIND OF BEEN DESIGNATED THE AUTHORITY TO, TO, UM, TO REVIEW AND VET.
WE'VE ALSO DISCUSSED AT COMMITTEE LEVEL THE EXPECTATION THAT IF COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE INPUT QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, THAT THEY ALSO SHARE THOSE COMMITTEES.
SO YOU SHOULD BE GETTING A PRETTY FULL, UM, IM, UH, INPUT AND, UM, ASSESSMENT FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THESE ITEMS. BUT UNDER THIS OPTION, LEMME GO BACK UP HERE UNDER OPTION ONE, IF IT'S NOT REQUIRED TO COME FORWARD BY LAW OR MANDATE, THEN THE COUNCIL COULD SAY, OR THE COMMITTEE COULD SAY, WE DON'T MAKE, WE, WE, WE DON'T WANT THIS TO ADVANCE, OR WE DENY WE WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING IT ADVANCE, OR WE'RE JUST GONNA TABLE IT 'CAUSE IT'S NO LONGER IMPORTANT IN OUR OPINION.
AND, UM, AND THAT'S OUR RECOMMEND.
THAT'LL BE WHAT WE, UM, REPORT OUT TO TOWN COUNCIL.
THERE IS A PROVISION IN, UM, IN A, UH, A LOCAL JURISDICTION IN SOUTH CAROLINA THAT ALLOWS A COUNCIL MEMBER WITH MAJORITY SUPPORTIVE COUNCIL OR THE MAYOR TO REQUEST AN ITEM COME FORWARD, EVEN IF IT'S DENIED OR TABLED THAT COMMITTEE.
AND SO THAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS OPTION ONE AS, AS AN ALTERNATIVE FOR MAKING SURE THE ITEM IS ADVANCE IF COUNCIL, THE MAJORITY OF COUNCIL THINK IT SHOULD.
SO THERE ISN'T ONE OVERRIDE, BUT, UM, BUT OPTION ONE ITEMS COULD STOP AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT BEFORE I MOVE ON? OKAY.
YOU GOOD ON THAT? PRICING? I UNDERSTAND THE PRINTED LANGUAGE.
THEN IN OPTION TWO, AND THIS WAS, UM, THE MOST PREVALENT, OR AGAIN, A LOT OF COMMUNITIES ARE SILENT, BUT STILL UTILIZE AT WHAT I WOULD CALL OPTION TWO.
BUT THE ONES THAT, OTHER THAN THE ONE THAT HAD THE VETO OR THE OVERRIDE, THE, THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAD LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT OUTLINED THE COMMITTEE DUTIES AND EXPECTATIONS FOR PROCESS HAD WHAT I WOULD CALL, WHAT I WOULD REFER TO AS OPTION TWO, THAT COMMITTEES ARE MET TO KIND OF ROLL UP THE SLEEVES, GET FULL INPUT, GET INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY, OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND TO MAKE A, RECOMMEND MAKE A, UH, TO TAKE ACTION WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OR ADVANCEMENT OF AN ITEM, DENIAL OF AN ITEM, UM, OR THEY HAVE NO RECOMMENDATION.
UM, THERE IS A PROVISION ABOUT IF THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO MAKE A DECISION, THEN THE, THE PROCESS WOULD BE WE'D LIKE TO TABLE THIS UNTIL WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION AND LAY IT OUT VERY SPECIFICALLY WHAT INFORMATION IS NEEDED SO THAT WE DON'T KIND OF GET IN THE DO LOOP AND EVERY MEETING WE'RE ASKING FOR MORE AND MORE INFORMATION, OR OUR COUNCIL WOULD, UH, COMMITTEE WOULD BE.
SO, UM, BUT UNDER THIS OPTION TWO, THE COMMITTEE, ONCE THEY TAKE ACTION, APPROVE, DENY NO RECOMMENDATION TABLE FOR MORE INFORMATION, COME BACK FOR AN ACTION, THE ITEMS MOVE FORWARD TO TOWN COUNCIL, LET'S THE EXPECTATION THAT IT'S GONNA BE PLACED ON A TOWN COUNCIL AGENDA, UH, WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE MAYOR.
UH, BUT IT WOULD ADVANCE FOR FULL TOWN COUNCIL REVIEW AND ACTION, UM, INCLUDING THE ACTION THAT THE COMMITTEE HAD TAKEN.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT ACTION'S INCLUDED IN THE STAFF REPORT, AND THEN ONE OF THOSE FOUR OPTIONS, UM, CAN BE TAKEN BY TOWN COUNCIL.
TOWN COUNCIL COULD APPROVE THE ITEM, DENY THE ITEM, UH, OR REFER IT BACK,
[01:10:01]
UM, OR DECIDE IT'S NO LONGER IMPORTANT.SO LET'S, LET'S PAUSE THERE AND, UM, HAVE A DISCUSSION AROUND THAT.
UM, MS. BISON, YOUR THOUGHTS ON OPTION ONE OR OPTION TWO? UM, SO UNDER OPTION ONE, ASSUMING THERE IS A TOPIC THAT SHOULDN'T COME BEFORE THE TOWN COUNCIL, WHICH IS HARD, REALLY HARD FOR ME TO IMAGINE, UM, IF, IF IT'S GONNA GO TO A TOWN COUNCIL COMMITTEE, USUALLY IT'S IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR THE FULL TOWN COUNCIL TO CONSIDER IT.
SO I, I'M, I'M NOT SURE WHAT WOULD FIT, UH, WITHIN THAT CATEGORY.
AND ALSO MEANS THERE ARE TWO OF US TODAY,
SO THE TWO OF US COULD SAY, NO MAS, WE'RE NOT DOING THAT MM-HMM
UM, AND, AND THAT DOESN'T BRING IT TO THE FULL TOWN COUNCIL.
SO I, I THINK IT'S, I I WOULD NOT SUPPORT IT AT ALL.
UM, THE, THE SECOND OPTION IS THE ONE I THINK IS THE MOST COMMON AND THE PRUDENT AND THE, THE FUNCTIONAL AND THE OPTION WE SHOULD, UM, ADOPT.
BUT I'M LOOKING AT THE CURRENT LANGUAGE IN OUR CODE, AND, AND MR. BROWN ASKED YOU A QUESTION ABOUT WOULD THE RULES OR PROCEDURE FOR COMMITTEES BE INCLUDED IN A RESOLUTION OR IN AN ORDINANCE? AND YOU RESPONDED IT WOULD BE CODIFIED, BUT I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE LANGUAGE YOU HAVE PRINTED HERE AND, AND IT, I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU CODIFY THAT LANGUAGE.
UM, IN FACT, THE CURRENT CODE SECTION TWO DASH FIVE DASH 60 C SAYS, THE TOWN COUNCIL MAY BY RESOLUTION ADOPT RULES AND PROCEDURES TO GUIDE THE OPERATION OF STANDING COMMITTEES.
THE TOWN COUNCIL MAY, AT THE TIME OF CREATION OF ANY OTHER COMMITTEES OF COUNCIL AS PART OF THE RESOLUTION, CREATING THE COMMITTEE OR SEPARATELY ADOPT RULES AND PROCEDURES TO GUIDE THE CONDUCT OF SUCH COMMITTEES.
IT SEEMS LIKE BECAUSE A CODE IS, IT SHOULD BE LONGER LASTING IN TIME, AND MY EXPERIENCE IS IT'S BETTER, UM, TO ADOPT THINGS LIKE RULES OR PROCEDURE BY RESOLUTION.
UM, AND, AND BECAUSE THAT'S, WE WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE THE CODE JUST TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, AND THEN WE'D HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER SECTION TRYING TO CODIFY THE PROCEDURE THAT YOU SET OUT HERE.
SO I, I THINK OPTION TWO IS THE ONLY ONE FOR US TO CONSIDER, ESPECIALLY ONCE YOU INDICATE THAT NOT MANY JURISDICTIONS HAVE OPTION ONE.
AND I FIND IT VERY HARD TO FIND AN ITEM THAT THE FULL TOWN TOWN COUNCIL SHOULD NOT CONSIDER IF IT COMES TO A TOWN COUNCIL COMMITTEE.
UM, SO, UM, I, I WOULD, THAT'S HOW I WOULD PROCEED, UH, RECOMMEND PROCEEDING TO THE FULL TOWN COUNCIL, WHICH IS WHAT OUR JOB IS TO DO.
AND THAT IS TO GO WITH OPTION TWO, NOT TO CODIFY, BUT TO ADOPT RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR COMMITTEES BY RESOLUTION.
BEFORE YOU REACT, SEAN, LET ME GET MR. ALFRED.
UH, I AGREE WITH, UH, MS. BRYSON.
I STRONGLY FAVOR THE SECOND CHOICE.
UH, I FIND IT SOMEWHAT SHOCKING.
THE TWO MEMBERS OF COUNCIL MIGHT BE IN A POSITION TO SQUASH AN ITEM, UH, WHICH THE FULL COUNCIL IS VERY LIKELY TO APPROVE.
AND WHILE THERE MAY BE SOME, UH, SIDEWAYS TO GET AROUND THAT, AND THE WHAT'S BEEN PRESENTED, UH, IT'S AN OBSTACLE.
I VIEW THE COMMITTEES AS, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO FLUSH OUT THE ISSUES, UH, TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THINGS THAT MIGHT NOT BE IMMEDIATELY APPARENT FROM STAFF TO GET AS INDICATED PUBLIC REACTION.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE, UH, A DELUGE OF IRRELEVANT AND UNNECESSARY ITEMS THAT ARE COMING BEFORE COMMITTEES, WHICH WE MIGHT HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN A STATE LEGISLATIVE SITUATION WITH WHICH I'VE SPENT A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME.
UM, WE, WE ARE NOT IN THE SITUATION, AND FROM MY PERSPECTIVE OF HAVING TO DEAL WITH ISSUES THAT DON'T REALLY BELONG, UH, BEFORE COUNCIL, UM, STAFF AND THE MAYOR DO A VERY GOOD JOB IN THAT REGARD.
SO I WOULD STRONGLY FAVOR, UH, OPTION TWO.
UM, BEING THAT THE TOWN COUNCIL WORK, IT ALWAYS HAS A TIE BACK TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE ALL HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO WEIGH IN ON.
UM, I TOO AM IN STRONG SUPPORT OF OPTION TWO, UM, JUST SO THAT WE CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH MOVING ITEMS ALONG FOR FULL-TIME COUNSEL CONSIDERATION.
AND, UM, AS YOU REACT, IF WE CAN GET MR. COLTRANE TO ALSO ADDRESS MS. BRYSON'S, UM, QUESTION OR CONCERN ABOUT ORDINANCE VERSUS RESOLUTION WHEN IT COMES TO THE RULES AND PROCEDURES AS YOU GUYS RESPOND.
[01:15:01]
EXCUSE ME.UM, OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN DO IT EITHER WAY.
UH, THE REALITY I THINK IS, IS THAT WHEN TOWN COMMITTEES SUCH AS THE BZA OR THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAVE ADOPTED RULES OF PROCEDURE, THEY ARE CHANGED SELDOM, IF EVER.
AND SO IT WOULD BE NOT DIFFICULT TO CREATE A SET OF RULES OR PROCEDURE THAT YOU COULD CODIFY AS AN ORDINANCE.
UM, AND YOU JUST WRITE 'EM INTO THE ORDINANCE.
UM, YOU'RE CHANGING YOUR ORDINANCE ANYWAY TO ADDRESS THE NUMBERS OF COUNCIL NUMBERS OF COMMITTEES AND NUMBERS OF MEMBERS OF COUNCIL ON THE COMMITTEE.
SO CHANGING THAT WOULD NOT BE DIFFICULT.
AND THE RULES, PROCEDURE, PROCEDURE TO TAKE UP MORE SPACE, AGAIN, THEY DON'T CHANGE OFTEN.
SO IF COUNSEL ADOPTS THEM BY RESOLUTION, UH, IT'S GONNA HAVE EFFECTIVELY THE SAME EFFECT.
I I, IT'S IT NOT CRITICAL TO THE OPERATION OF THE COMMITTEES ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
THE ONLY BENEFIT TO CODIFYING THEM WOULD BE THAT, UM, IT'D BE UNIFORM.
YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH THE SAME THING BY RESOLUTION THOUGH.
SO THERE, THERE, THERE IS THE, THERE ISN'T A DOWNSIDE TO THE OPERATION OF THE COMMITTEES BY ACHIEVING EITHER PATH.
YEAH, I'M JUST LOOKING AT, UM, UH, THE MUNICIPAL CODE CODIFICATION OF SECTION TWO DASH FIVE DASH 60, AND THAT CODE PROVISION ALONE ABOUT THE COMMITTEES HAS BEEN CHANGED 1, 2, 3, 4 TIMES WITHIN THE LAST, UM, BACK TO 2015, WHICH IS AN UNUSUAL NUMBER OF TIMES TO CHANGE THE CODE WITHIN THAT TIME PERIOD.
THAT'S WHY I THINK IT WOULD BE A LOT MORE FLEXIBLE TO ADOPT RULES OF PROCEDURE BY RESOLUTION.
AND INDEED, THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS, UM, THOSE RULES OF PROCEDURE ARE NOT ADOPTED BY AN AMENDMENT TO THE MUNICIPAL CODE.
SO THAT LEAVES THAT BOARD WITH THAT ABILITY TO CHANGE THOSE RULES OR PROCEDURE.
AND I KNOW THEY WERE DONE WHILE I WAS ON THAT BOARD.
SO, UM, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CAN DO IT EITHER WAY.
I JUST THINK THERE'S MORE FLEXIBILITY BY RESOLUTION AND OUR CURRENT CODE REQUIRES IT THAT WAY.
UM, ONE OTHER DIFFERENCE IN THE CASE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE DCA, THEY ADOPT THEIR OWN RULES AS OPPOSED TO COUNCIL ADOPTING THEM.
AGAIN, SINCE THE COMMITTEES ARE COMPOSED OF MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA GET A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT OF DIFFERENCE BY WHICH WAY YOU DO IT.
BUT AGAIN, THERE'S NO SITTING HERE, I DON'T SEE A DOWNSIDE TO DOING IT BY RESOLUTION OR THE OTHER WAY.
SO IT'S REALLY JUST HOW THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL FEEL ABOUT DOING THAT.
AND WHETHER YOU'D LIKE ALL OF THAT TEXT IN YOUR CODE OR YOU THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE IT AS IN THE FORM OF A RESOLUTION.
I, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT AS IT OKAY.
SO BACK TO YOUR ORIGINAL FIRST QUESTION.
SO WE'LL COME BACK TO RESOLUTION ON THAT.
UM, AGAIN, THERE'S CURRENTLY THREE IDENTIFIED IN THE CODE.
UH, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION EARLIER THIS YEAR ABOUT RE REDUCING THAT, UH, TO BE MORE EFFICIENT.
THE COMMITTEES WOULD BE WORKING MEETINGS, UM, TO ADVANCE THE MANY ITEMS THAT ARE, UH, INCLUDED IN OUR, UH, AGENDA PIPELINE AS PART OF, UH, SUPPORT FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND OPERATIONAL GOALS OF TOWN COUNCIL AND THE TOWN MANAGER.
UM, AND SO THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, THAT'S BEFORE YOU FOR CONSIDERATION IS DO YOU SUPPORT THREE COMMITTEES AS THERE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE CODE OR REDUCING THOSE TO TWO? OKAY.
UM, I REMEMBER THAT DISCUSSION FROM THE STRATEGIC PLAN WORKSHOP, UM, AND, AND I SAID THAT I WOULD BE OKAY WITH TWO BUCKETS AND UNNAMED COMMITTEES PROVIDED THAT THE WORKLOAD WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED EQUALLY.
AND, AND YOU MAY REMEMBER SEEING ME DO THIS
UM, AND, AND SO IN LOOKING AT THE AREAS OF FOCUS AND THE STAFF REPORT, INDEED IT HAS BECOME THIS WAY.
IF YOU COUNT OUT, AND IT WAS INTERESTING IN THE FIRST STAFF REPORT I SAW ONLINE THAT I PRINTED OUT LAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT, THE AREAS OF FOCUS WERE NUMBERED.
SO IT WAS EASY TO SAY, HERE'S THE TOTAL AND THE ONE
[01:20:01]
THAT I PRINTED OUT ANOTHER DAY SUNDAY, THE NUMBERS HAD BEEN REMOVED AND THEY WERE REPLACED BY BULLETS.AND I STILL SEE A GREAT UNBALANCING OF AREAS OF FOCUS OF THE TWO COMMITTEES IDENTIFIED IN THE STAFF REPORT UNDER WHICH WE'RE CURRENTLY OPERATING.
UM, SO I, I LOOK BACK, UM, AND I HAD DONE THIS BEFORE, UM, AND INCLUDED IN THE STAFF REPORT WAS A REFERENCE TO THREE ORDINANCES.
BUT IF YOU LOOK IN THE CODIFIED VERSION, THERE HAVE BEEN SIX TIMES THAT THE COMMITTEE STRUCTURE HAS BEEN CHANGED, UM, SINCE 1983.
I'M ONLY GOING TO READ FROM FOUR OF THEM, OR MAYBE IT'S FIVE.
I DON'T HAVE THE ORIGINAL ONE.
SO THE FIRST ONE I COULD FIND WAS ORDINANCE 2008 DASH OH THREE.
AND THESE WERE THE COMMITTEE NAMES AT THE TIME.
AND THERE WERE, UM, FIVE STANDING COMMITTEES.
THESE WERE THE COMMITTEE NAMES, INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE, PERSONNEL COMMITTEE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS COMMITTEE, PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMITTEE AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT ORDINANCE 2015 DASH OH FIVE, THESE ARE THE NAMES OF THE COMMITTEES.
AND THE WERE, AS THIS REPORT INDICATES, SIX STANDING COMMITTEES, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE, AND A GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE, COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE, PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE, PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMITTEE, AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT ORDINANCE 2016 DASH 33, WHICH WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE STAFF REPORT, IT WAS REDUCED TO FIVE STANDING COMMITTEES.
AND THESE WERE THEIR NAMES, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE, INTERGOVERNMENTAL AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE, PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE, AND PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMITTEE.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR ORDINANCE FROM 20 16, 20 16 DASH 33, NOT INCLUDED IN THE STAFF REPORT, I'M SORRY, I'M ON THE WRONG PAGE, 2016, AND I'M SORRY, I MAY HAVE READ 2016.
SO 2016 IS FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE, INTERGOVERNMENTAL AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE, PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE AND PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMITTEE.
AND 2015 WAS FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE, INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE, COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE, PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE, PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMITTEE, AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
2019 WAS FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE, INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE, COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE AND PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE.
AND THEN AS INDICATED, 2020, THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE WAS REMOVED.
IT BECAME, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY AND COMMITTEE SERVICES COMMITTEE PLANNING COMMITTEE AND FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE.
SO MY POINT IN READING ALL THIS OUT IS, IS TOO, NOT JUST THAT THE STAFF REPORT DID NOT INCLUDE THE ENTIRE HISTORY, BUT THAT THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CHANGES IN COMMITTEE NAMES OVER TIME.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT I SAID AMONGST OTHER THINGS AT THE STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOP IS THAT, UM, WE NEED MORE FLEXIBILITY IN THE CODE INSTEAD OF CONSTANTLY HAVING TO CHANGE THESE NAMES OF COMMITTEES.
IN ADDITION, THE STRAT PLAN SHOULD DRIVE WHAT THE COMMITTEES WORK ON.
THAT'S HOW WE CARRY OUT OUR WORK.
AND SO I, I SAID, WE'RE STANDING THIS ON OUR HEAD BY SAYING, HERE'S THE EXISTING COMMITTEES BY CODE.
WE'RE ONLY OPERATING WITH TWO, AND WE HAVEN'T YET DEFINED OUR NEW STRAT PLAN PRIORITIES.
SO WE SHOULD DEFINE OUR STRAT PLAN PRIORITIES AND THEN DECIDE HOW MANY AND WHAT COMMITTEES SHOULD BE NAMED.
AND I HAVE SUGGESTED THAT INSTEAD OF PUTTING SPECIFIC NAMES OF COMMITTEES IN THE CODE, THAT WE DO SOMETHING LIKE THE FOLLOWING, THE TOWN COUNCIL SHALL HAVE AT LEAST TWO STANDING COMMITTEES TO REVIEW AND RECOMMEND ACTION ON PRIORITIES ADOPTED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL AND THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
IN ADDITION, THE STANDING COMMITTEE SHALL REVIEW FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AND RECOMMEND APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS, COMMITTEES, AND COMMISSIONS, WHICH ARE ESTABLISHED BY
[01:25:01]
THE TOWN COUNCIL, LEAVING THE NAMES OUT, INCREASING THE FLEXIBILITY, AND HAVING THE WORK BEING DRIVEN BY THE STRATEGIC PLAN ADOPTED BY THE FULL TOWN COUNCIL.SO I WOULD HAVE NO NAMES FOR THE COMMITTEES IN THE CODE, BUT THAT FUNCTION OF THE COMMITTEES INCLUDED IN THE CODE, WHICH GIVES US A LOT MORE FLEXIBILITY, AND WE WON'T HAVE TO KEEP CHANGING THE NAMES EVERY TIME THE PRIORITIES CHANGE.
AND THAT CAN DIRECT THE FLOW EVENLY BASED UPON WHAT IS COMING BEFORE THE COMMITTEES.
THE CURRENT COMMUNITY SERVICES AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, I THINK I SAID IT REVERSED BEFORE, UM, LOOKS AT APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UM, LOOKS AT ALL THOSE APPLICATIONS, DECIDES WHO TO INTERVIEW, INTERVIEWS, FOLKS, THEN MAKES A RECOMMENDATION TO TOWN COUNCIL THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S THREE MEETINGS OF THAT COMMITTEE IN MAY OR THAT PROCESS ALONE.
AND THAT'S A LOT OF, UH, OF, OF TIME AND EFFORT THAT GOES INTO THOSE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TIME AND EFFORT.
UM, THIS COMMITTEE LOOKS AT FINANCIAL REPORT EVERY TIME WE MEET.
THAT'S A, A MAJOR TASK AS WELL.
SO YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER THOSE KIND OF FUNCTIONS AS WELL AS THE STRAP PLAN PRIORITIES IN DETERMINING WHAT KIND OF COMMITTEES WE SHOULD HAVE AND HOW THE WORKLOAD SHOULD BE DISTRIBUTED.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT I SAID AT THE STRAT PLAN WORKSHOP.
I'M STILL SAYING THE SAME THING TODAY.
MAYBE I'VE COME UP WITH A LITTLE MORE FORMAL LANGUAGE.
UM, BUT IN, IN LOOKING AT THE AREAS OF FOCUS, UM, AND I'VE GOT THE NUMBERS, UM, AS, AS FAR AS COUNTING UP HOW MANY AREAS OF FOCUS IN THE STAFF PROPOSAL FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES AND PUBLIC SAFETY VERSUS FINANCE, ADMINISTRATIVE, AND TAKING OUT THE PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE.
AND AGAIN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STAFF REPORT, THE SCALE IS THIS WAY.
UM, SO THIS WOULD EVEN OUT THAT PROCESS AND NOT, UM, NOT LIMIT US TO THOSE NAMES AND TRYING TO BOOTSTRAP EVERYTHING WE CAN THINK OF INTO TWO COMMITTEES.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY ANALYSIS, MR. CHAIR OF THAT SO FAR.
SO AS FAR AS YOUR QUESTION OF DOWNSIZING THE TWO COMMITTEES, UM, I AGREE WITH MS. BRYSON THAT, UH, WE SHOULD GO IN THE DIRECTION OF TWO COMMITTEES.
AND BY NO MEANS, UM, AM I TIED TO WHATEVER THE NAMES ARE GOING TO BE? OKAY.
UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO HAVE OUR FOCUS ON TOWN COUNCIL INITIATIVE AND STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVES, NOT THE AREAS OF FOCUS THAT ARE CURRENTLY, UH, BEING PRESENTED, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, UM, YOU KNOW, IN GOVERNMENT THINGS ARE GOING TO CHANGE.
THAT'S WHY WE'VE CHANGED THE CODE FIVE TIMES,
AND, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY WE ARE TRYING TO BE MORE EFFICIENT IN THE WORKLOAD, AND THE WORKLOAD IS ALWAYS GONNA TIE BACK TO WHAT WE'VE AGREED UPON AS FAR AS INITIATIVES ARE CONCERNED.
SO, UM, I'M MORE IN FAVOR OF US SORT OF SETTING ASIDE THE AREAS OF FOCUS, CONCENTRATE ON WHAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH THROUGH THE STRATEGIC PLAN, AND TIE THAT BACK INTO HOW WE THEN OFFER UP THE BALANCES AND SCALE OF WORK.
UM, THAT MAKE SENSE? IT DOES MAKE SENSE.
UM, AS, AS I'VE DONE THE RESEARCH ON OTHER COMMUNITIES, SO, UM, IN, IN THE, UM, IN THE MUNICIPAL CODE LANGUAGE FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES, THE APPOINTMENTS TO THE STANDING COMMITTEE AS A COUNCIL, UM, THERE'S AN EXPECTATION, THERE'S AN EXPERTISE THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY HAVE, UM, IN A PARTICULAR TOPIC.
AND SO THERE'S STRATEGIC ASSIGNMENT TO COMMITTEES BASED ON THEIR, THEIR BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING.
AND SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S A CONSIDERATION.
IT CAN BE MADE, I GUESS, IF THE COMMITTEES DON'T HAVE NAMES, BUT AS ITEMS ARE ASSIGNED, IF THERE'S A, UM, MEMBERS OF COMMITTEE THAT HAVE A STRENGTH IN, IN CERTAIN AREAS, THEN THAT WOULD, UM, I THINK FOR CLARITY TO THE PUBLIC, IT, UM, IF THERE'S A BODY OF WORK THAT COMMITTEES ARE GOING TO HANDLE REGULARLY, I THINK THAT IT'S EASIER TO COMMUNICATE THAN TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT, UH, WHICH COMMITTEE.
BUT, UM, BUT WE CAN COME BACK, WE CAN COME BACK TO THE COMMITTEE NAMES AND THEN THE ROLES, I DID COUNT IT UP.
IT'S 12 AND 18, I THINK IF I LOOK AT THE BULLETS.
UM, AND I WILL SAY THAT NOT ALL ITEMS ARE NECESSARILY EQUAL EITHER.
SO I DON'T, UM, I WANT TO GET TOO DEEP INTO THAT, BUT YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO HEAR COUNCIL, IF COUNCILMAN
[01:30:01]
ALFORD WANTS TO WEIGH IN ON NUMBER OF COMMITTEES.WE'VE GOT THE PROCESS, I THINK DIRECTION, NUMBER OF COMMITTEES.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S SUPPORT TO REDUCE THE TWO FROM THE TWO COMMITTEE MEMBERS HERE.
I HAVE SOME SYMPATHY FOR THE VIEWS EXPRESSED FROM THE DIOCESE ABOUT, UM, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
UH, WHAT THAT ALSO SUGGESTS TO ME IS THAT AS THERE ARE GOING TO BE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES FROM ONE YEAR TO ANOTHER, ONE OF THE CONCEPTS WE PERHAPS SHOULD GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO IS SOMETHING THAT MAY BE MORE ON THE CONCEPT OF TASK FORCE INSTEAD OF COMMITTEE.
IF WE'VE GOT A SUBJECT THAT WE KNOW WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH, UM, BUT ONLY FOR A LIMITED PERIOD OF TIME, UH, I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH CLARITY IN MY MIND AS TO EFFICIENCY IN REDUCING THE NUMBER OF COMMITTEES TO TWO.
UH, IS IT FOR THE BENEFIT OF STAFF WHO HAVE TO TAKE TIME TO PREPARE FOR MEETINGS, UH, IS IT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COUNCIL? UH, AS TO THE LATTER, UH, I, I'M NOT CLEAR THAT, THAT THERE IS A BENEFIT.
THERE'S A STATED NUMBER OF TOPICS WHICH HAVE BEEN LISTED IN THIS DOCUMENT THAT HAVE TO GO BEFORE COUNCIL.
IF, IF WE TAKE THE SAME STATED NUMBER OF SUBJECT MATTERS AND RUN 'EM THROUGH THREE COMMITTEES OR TWO COMMITTEES OR WHATEVER NUMBER OF COMMITTEES, IT'S STILL THE SAME AMOUNT OF SUBJECT MATTERS BEING CONSIDERED.
UH, AND WHAT SO FAR THAT HAS RESULTED IN, AT LEAST AS FAR AS THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE IS CONCERNED, IS LONGER MEETINGS STARTING AT NINE INSTEAD OF 10.
SO THAT, THAT TO ME IS NOT AN INCREASE IN EFFICIENCY.
UM, AND, AND DOES CONCERN ME THAT WE WE'RE SIMPLY RUNNING THE MATTERS THROUGH, UH, SMALLER GROUPS.
IT DOESN'T REALLY IMPROVE ANYTHING.
SO I'M, I'M CURIOUS AS TO HOW OTHERS SEE THE, WHERE THE EFFICIENCY LIES.
LET'S GET STAFF A CHANCE TO RESPOND TO, UM, THE, THE THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF COMMITTEES AND, UM, HOW THAT RELATES TO STAFF INVOLVEMENT.
UM, I THINK AS IT RELATES TO EFFICIENCIES FROM, LET'S TALK ABOUT STAFF PERSPECTIVE FIRST.
UM, THE NUMBER REDUCING THE NUMBER OF COMMITTEES IS THERE, THERE'S LESS AGENDAS, THERE'S LESS MEETING SUPPORT.
UM, THERE'S LESS MEETINGS FOR THE COUNTY CHANNEL RIGHT? TO BROADCAST.
THERE'S A LOT OF LOGISTICAL ITEMS. I THINK THAT WHEN YOU REDUCE THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS, UM, YOU INCREASE SOME EFFICIENCY FROM THE OPERATIONAL SIDE.
I DO AGREE THAT IT, THE RESULT IS IT'S THE SAME AMOUNT OF WORK GOING TO A FEWER NUMBER OF COMMITTEES.
AND SO THE COMMITTEES ARE GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
AND I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THAT WHEN WE INITIALLY HAD THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE POTENTIAL TO REDUCE FROM THREE TO TWO COMMITTEES.
UM, I THINK OVERALL, UNDER WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, HAVING COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, PARTICIPATE AT, AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL, WHETHER THEY'RE ON THE COMMITTEE OR NOT AT THE COMMITTEE, I THINK THERE'S AN EFFICIENCY TO COUNCIL MEMBERS TO NOT HAVE TO ATTEND THREE DIFFERENT COMMITTEE, UH, MEETINGS, BUT TWO, UM, AND THAT BECAUSE IT IS, SHOULD BE MORE A COLLECTIVE INPUT AND DIRECTION FROM THE ENTIRE COUNCIL THAT'S RECEIVED.
IF THERE'S, UM, QUESTIONS, IF THERE'S CONCERNS, IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL INPUT THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE NOT, NOT ON THE COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO, UM, INCLUDE FOR CONSIDERATION, THEY SHOULD BE MADE AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL.
SO I THINK THERE'S EFFICIENCIES ON BOTH SIDES.
THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THE FACT THAT IF YOU HAVE FEWER COMMITTEES IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF WORK, THEN THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS ARE GONNA BE LONGER.
UM, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT TOTAL LENGTH OF DISCUSSION IF WE HAD THREE VERSUS TWO IS ANY DIFFERENT.
UM, SO MS. B GRAYSON, I'LL, I'LL START ON THIS ONE.
UM, I APPRECIATE WHAT, WHERE, WHERE STAFF IS ON, ON THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT OF BACKGROUND WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE TO PREPARE FOR EACH AND EVERY MEETING.
UM, AND UM, BY NO MEANS DO I WANT TO GET INTO THOSE WEEDS, BUT I TRUST THAT STAFF IS MAKING A RECOMMENDATION BASED ON, ON THAT.
AND, UH, FOR ME, UM, I'M, I'M OKAY WITH HAVING LONGER MEETINGS BECAUSE, UM, INSTEAD OF TAKING TIME OUT OF MY WORKDAY THREE TIMES, I CAN TAKE IT OUT ON ONE DAY
[01:35:01]
HERE, I'D RATHER DO THAT VERSUS COMING BACK TWO OR THREE TIMES.UM, SO, UM, YES, IT WILL RESULT IN LONGER MEETINGS.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, FROM MY STANDPOINT, I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
YEAH, COMING BACK TO, UH, REFLECTING ON MR. ALFRED'S COMMENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, INITIALLY I WAS NOT IN FAVOR OF REDUCING IT TO TWO.
THAT'S WHY THE LANGUAGE THAT I WAS SUGGESTING IS AT LEAST TWO, BECAUSE YOU MAY NEED THREE, IN FACT, IF YOU COUNT UP THOSE TASKS.
BUT THREE COMMITTEES, THE CURRENT AREAS OF FOCUS AND, AND THE AREA, THE NEITHER THE MISSION NOR THE AREAS OF FOCUS ARE INCLUDED IN THE CODE.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THOSE CAME FROM.
UM, THERE'S NOTHING IN THE STAFF REPORT THAT TELLS ME THE HISTORY OF THOSE AREAS OF FOCUS OR THE MISSION.
UM, BUT, UM, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY WERE DECIDED SOME TIME AGO.
UM, THERE'S NO HISTORY THAT I CAN FIND BECAUSE THE ONLY HISTORY I CAN FIND IS FROM THE CODE UNLESS I TRY TO GO THROUGH THE MINUTES FROM MANY YEARS.
SO ANYHOW, IF YOU LOOK AT CURRENTLY, UM, THERE IS OF FOCUS FOR FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE, THERE'S 12 AREAS OF FOCUS.
IF YOU LOOK AT COMMUNITY SERVICES AND PUBLIC SAFETY, THERE'RE 11.
IF YOU LOOK AT PUBLIC PLANNING, THERE'RE 10.
AND THE STAFF REPORT HAS FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE HAVING 12, WHICH ARE THE SAME, 12, SOME SLIGHT DIFFERENT IN LANGUAGE, BUT NOT IN SUBSTANCE.
AND THEN, UH, THE STAFF REPORT MERGES PUBLIC PLANNING WITH COMMUNITY SERVICES AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, AND SO NOW THEY'RE 18, SO SOME GOT MISSING ALONG THE WAY.
THERE WAS 33, I THINK, UM, COUNTED, AND NOW THERE'S 30.
UM, SO I DON'T, UH, I MEAN, I CAN GO BACK THROUGH AND LOOK AT WHICH ONES WERE OMITTED.
UM, BUT UM, IT, IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT, IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WELL I'VE GOT TWO PAIRS OF SHOES NOW AND TWO FEET, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SO I'M, I'M NOW TRYING TO PUT ALL OF WHAT I USED TO CARRY AROUND THAT OTHER PAIR OF SHOES IN ONE, ONLY ONE OF MY PAIR OF SHOES.
UM, IT, IT'S JUST, TO ME, IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE O OTHER THAN, UM, WE'LL JUST PUT IT ON ONE COMMITTEE.
UM, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE STRAT PLAN, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK AND COUNTING OUR, OUR BLUE DOTS AND OUR GREEN DOTS, UM, THE BLUE DOTS, GROWTH MANAGEMENT ENHANCED MAJOR CORRIDORS AND STREETS AND ISLAND RESILIENCE.
UM, AND SO THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE AREAS OF FOCUS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO YOU FIND ENHANCED MAJOR CORRIDORS AND STREETS? UM, AND THEN THE GREEN DOTS INFRASTRUCTURE, ESPECIALLY STORM WATER, PUBLIC SAFETY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HOUSING SLASH WORKFORCE HOUSING, GULLAH, GEECHEE, CULTURAL ASSETS AND ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES.
SO SOME OF THOSE ARE MISSING FROM THE AREAS OF FOCUS, AND THAT'S WHY I SAID THAT WE'RE STANDING IT ON ITS HEAD IF WE ARE NOT FOCUSED ON OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, AND, AND WHILE THE DRAFT LANGUAGE THAT I'M SUGGESTING FOR THE CODE SAYS AT LEAST TWO STANDING COMMITTEES, THOSE COMMITTEES WOULD BE NAMED BASED UPON THE STRAT PLAN.
UM, AND, AND THE TOWN COUNCIL THEN WOULD COME UP WITH WHAT THOSE COMMITTEES SHOULD BE NAMED, NOT BY CODE, BUT BY THE STRAP PLAN.
UM, AND, AND SO I, I'M NOT NECESSARILY IN FAVOR OF TWO COMMITTEES.
I SAID I WOULD ACCEPT THEM IF THE WORKLOAD WERE DISTRIBUTED EVENLY AND IF IT WERE RELATED TO THE STRAT PLAN.
SO STRONG CAVEATS ON THE LIMIT TO TWO.
I AGREE WITH MR. ALFRED ABOUT THE DISTRIBUTION.
UM, SO, UM, AS PART OF THE STAFF REPORT, I'M TRYING TO PULL IT UP HERE.
THERE WAS THE, THE LATEST ORDINANCE RELATED TO COMMITTEES ADOPTED IN 2020.
UM, UH, CONSTABLE BRESSON ASKED WHERE THE INFORMATION CAME RELATED TO MISSION AND GENERAL AREAS OF FOCUS.
UM, IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE STAFF REPORT AND ACCOMPANYING THAT ORDINANCE, RIGHT? IT IS, SHE'S RIGHT.
THERE WAS NO RESOLUTION THAT STATED THAT.
UM, BUT YOU, YOU GOT HERE IS ANTICIPATED MISSION OF AREAS OF FOCUS FOR EACH COMMITTEE.
AND THIS WAS AN EXERCISE DONE FIVE, FIVE YEARS AGO, FOUR AND A HALF, FIVE YEARS AGO, UH, TO TRY TO DELINEATE WHAT TYPE OF AGENDA ITEMS WOULD GO TO THE THREE COMMITTEES THAT PRODUCE 'EM FROM FOUR TO THREE AT THAT POINT.
AND SO THERE WAS SOME, UH, REDUNDANCY, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THINGS IN THIS LIST, UM, THAT, UM, NO LONGER MADE SENSE TO HAVE 'EM AS SEPARATE.
I, I DON'T THINK LITTER IS AN AREA OF FOCUS REALLY, UM, NEEDS TO BE PULLED OUT SPECIFICALLY.
SO THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT WERE, WERE MOVED, BUT THIS WAS THE, THIS WAS THE FOUNDATION, UM, FOR WHAT WE SAID CURRENTLY IS I HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED
[01:40:01]
FOR THE AREA OF FOCUS FOR THE COMMITTEES THAT EXIST AND THEN USED USES THE, THE BACKGROUND FOR IDENTIFYING THE TWO COMMITTEE STRUCTURE AND AREAS OF FOCUS.I DO ALSO WANNA SAY THAT WE DID TAKE THE AGENDA PIPELINE, SO, UM, I KNOW THE TOWN MANAGER MENTIONED A STRATEGIC PLAN WORKSHOP THAT THERE WERE 87 ITEMS FOR, UM, THAT WE NEEDED TO, TO HANDLE AT COMMITTEE, AT COMMITTEE LEVEL THROUGH COUNCIL.
AND SO WE LOOKED AT WHERE THOSE ITEMS WERE ASSIGNED BASED ON THE TWO COMMITTEES THAT ARE CURRENTLY, UM, IN OPERATION THAT HAVE BEEN APPOINTED AND, AND ARE, AND ARE ACTIVE TO SEE WHERE THOSE COMMITTEE, UM, THOSE ITEMS WERE ASSIGNED AND USE THAT AS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO IDENTIFY THE AREAS OF FOCUS.
IF COUNCIL'S DIRECTION IS TO BALANCE 12 AND 18 TO 15 AND 15 OR, UM, OR SOMETHING CLOSE AND USE THE STRATEGIC PLAN AS THAT FOUNDATION.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S EXCELLENT DIRECTION.
UM, AGAIN, I DON'T, THERE, THERE'S WORK THAT GOES TO EACH COMMITTEE AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE BALANCED.
UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THE NUMBER, UM, BASED ON THE, THE WEIGHT OF SOME OF THE ITEMS, IF THE NUMBER'S QUITE AS IMPORTANT.
BUT I DO RESPECT THE COMMENTS.
WELL, UM, AS FAR AS THE DIRECTIVE IS CONCERNED, SEAN, UM, I'M, I'M PLEASED THAT YOU'RE TAKING IT AS POSITIVE MM-HMM
I, I THINK FROM A PERCEPTION STANDPOINT, IT COMES ACROSS AS WE'VE SIMPLY TAKEN THE PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE DUTIES AND STACKED THEM ON TOP OF THE CURRENT COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE DUTIES.
AND IF WE ARE MORE FOCUSED ON STRAP PLAN AND TOWN COUNCIL INITIATIVES, I MEAN, BUDGET IS SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE DONE.
IT HAS CERTAIN COMPONENTS OF IT THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH COMMITTEE, AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PICK ONE COMMITTEE OR THE OTHER THAT THAT HAPPENS.
UM, SO WHAT I, WHAT I THINK I'M HEARING, UH, COUNSEL SAY IS THERE'S EVEN DISTRIBUTION AND IT IS LEADING TO MORE EFFICIENCY THAN ABSOLUTELY TWO COMMITTEES.
UM, BUT IF WE'RE JUST STACKING ON TOP OF WHAT IS CURRENTLY THERE, THEN I DON'T THINK THERE'S APPETITE FOR IT, IS WHAT, WHAT I HAD.
AND ONE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY ABOUT THE AREAS OF FOCUS.
YOU MENTIONED THE STAFF REPORT FROM 2020, SO I GUESS THE STAFF CAME UP WITH THE LIST, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE STAFF REPORT FROM MARCH 6TH, 2019, THERE'S ALSO INCLUDED IN HERE MISSION AND FOCUS.
SO EVIDENTLY SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY THE STAFF DECIDED TO DO THIS, UNLESS YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT SOMEWHERE A PRIOR TOWN COUNCIL DECIDED TO ESTABLISH A MISSION IN AREAS OF FOCUS, SO IT WAS NEVER REALLY ADOPTED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL, IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE STAFF REPORT.
IT WAS, THIS WAS A STAFF REPORT, UM, THAT WAS GENERATED, UM, IN TO COVER OR IN SUPPORT OF THE ORDINANCE CHANGE BACK FROM 2020.
UM, I, THERE'S NO COUNCIL RESOLUTION OR PREVIOUS ACTION THAT IDENTIFIED THESE SPECIFIC ITEMS AS THE AREAS OF FOCUS.
SO, OH, UH, LET'S, LET'S JUST APPEAL THAT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WOULD IT BE COUNCIL'S PLEASURE TO INCLUDE COMPONENTS OF MISSION AND VISION IN THE OPERATING PROCEDURES OR THE ORDINANCE THIS TIME IS, I GUESS THE QUESTION THAT WE NEED TO GIVE DIRECTION ON SINCE IT WAS NOT DONE THE LAST TIME, CORRECT.
IT'S JUST IN THE STAFF REPORTING.
WELL, THAT, AND THAT'S CORRECT.
AND, AND I'LL GO BACK TO THE COMMENT MADE ABOUT ORDINANCE AND THEN RESOLUTION MM-HMM
UM, I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL TO ADVANCE THE EXPECTATIONS FOR ITEMS TO MOVE THROUGH COMMITTEE AND HOW THEY REACH COUNCIL.
UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE, UH, WHAT I'M HEARING FROM A, UH, BALANCE OF AREAS OF FOCUS AND ITEMS BASED ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN, WE'RE NOT QUITE, WE DON'T QUITE, WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE.
UNTIL WE HAVE A STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN AT COUNCIL PLUSES, AND THEN WE CAN USE THAT TO IDENTIFY THE AREAS OF FOCUS WE, WE COULD, UM, MOVE THROUGH TO GET THE ORDINANCE CHANGES SO THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, THE, WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, AND, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT NUMBERS OF COMMITTEES IN JUST A MINUTE, UM, WHETHER IT'S A MINIMUM OF TWO OR IT'S TWO, AND THE COUNCIL CURRENTLY IN THE CODE HAS AN OPTION TO APPOINT NON STANDING COMMITTEES IF THERE'S ITEMS THAT NEED SPECIFIC ACTION.
UM, BUT THE AREAS OF THE AREAS OF FOCUS AND THE NAMES WE COULD COME BACK TO VIA RESOLUTION AS SUGGESTED BY COUNCILWOMAN BRYSON, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE, THE FRAMEWORK AND THE CODE, AND THEN THE PROCESS ON
[01:45:01]
HOW ITEMS ADVANCE DONE NOW MM-HMMI THINK THAT WOULD WORK AND, AND LEAVE OUT THE NAMES OF THE COMMITTEES BECAUSE THE NAMES ARE GONNA CHANGE BASED ON THE STRAP PLAN, YOU KNOW? SURE.
IT, IT'S, TO ME, IT'S HARD TO FIT ALL OF THE AREAS OF FOCUS AND, AND ADD THE STRAP PLAN PRIORITIES AND PUT 'EM UNDER THE TWO NAMES AND BALANCE 'EM EQUALLY
SO I'D LIKE MORE FLEXIBILITY IN THE ORDINANCE AND THEN TO ESTABLISH BY, UH, RESOLUTION THE NAMES OF THE COMMITTEES AND AREAS OF FOCUS FOR THAT STRAT PLAN TIME PERIOD.
BUT GO AHEAD WITH SOME CHANGES TO THE CODE.
SO WITH THAT, UM, MS. GOLAND, THE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE ANSWERED BY US AS FAR AS, UM, THE COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEES, UM, HOW MANY ON THE COMMITTEE, SIR? IS THAT PART OF THE CODE THAT YOU WANT US TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION AS WELL? YES, SIR.
IF I LOOK AT CURRENT CODE LANGUAGE, THE QUESTIONS I'VE ASKED SOME DIRECTION ON, IF I, IF I BREAK IT DOWN TO THE, I WOULD SAY, UM, THE ESSENTIALS NEEDED FOR THE CODE CHANGE MM-HMM
TO GET US, I THINK, ONLINE WITH THE PROCESS, THE COMPOSITION AND NUMBER.
UM, IF I LOOK AT THE CURRENT CODE LANGUAGE AND, UM, IT SAYS TOWN COUNCIL MAINS MAINTAINS STANDING COMMITTEES, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE NAMED, I'D ASK CURTIS, I IF CURTIS WILL GET LEFT.
UM, I DON'T, I WOULD LIKE HIS OPINION ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY NEED TO BE NAMED IN THE ORDINANCE OR THAT WE CAN SAY TOWN, TOWN COUNCIL MAINTAINS STANDING COMMITTEES, UH, YOU KNOW, AUTHORIZED BY THE, THE NAMES OF THE STANDING COMMITTEES AND NUMBER WILL BE AUTHORIZED BY RESOLUTION.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? MM-HMM
UM, THE COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEES, UM, CURRENTLY THE CODE SAYS FOUR PLUS AN ALTERNATE APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR.
UM, THE PROPOSAL IN FRONT OF YOU IS THREE TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS AND AN ALTERNATE, WHICH THE TOWN COUNCIL MEMBER THAT'S ALSO APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR AND ALSO THE CHAIRMAN.
SO YEAH, I'M SORRY THAT, THAT QUESTION WOULD BE HELPFUL DIRECTION ON.
LET'S PAUSE ON THAT ONE AND GET YOUR ANSWER.
YEAH, MS. BRYSON, I'M FINE WITH THREE.
I OBJECTED TO FOUR AS, UH, NOT AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT CONSTITUTED A QUORUM OF THE TOWN COUNCIL AND I DIDN'T SEE THAT THAT WAS APPROPRIATE.
AND THE ALTERNATE REST OF THE LANGUAGE? YES.
MR. ALFRED, PRETTY PLEASURE AND ALTERNATE.
SO THEN, UM, WE'D MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, UH, IN THE ORDINANCE THAT THE, THE ROLE OR AREA FOCUS AND THE NAMES OF THE COMMITTEES WOULD BE ADOPTED BY COUNCIL VIA OR, UH, BY RESOLUTION.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER THE, UM, FOR THE COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER, INCLUDING THE PROCESS IN THE ORDINANCE ITSELF THAT ALL ITEMS WOULD ADVANCE THE TOWN COUNCIL AS OPTION TWO AS YOU SUGGESTED.
SO THOSE ITEMS WOULD BE INCLUDED IN AN ORDINANCE CHANGE, UM, THAT THE COMMITTEE WOULD RECOMMEND.
UH, AND I'LL OUTLINE IT HERE IN JUST A SECOND TO FULLTIME COUNSEL, WE COULD BRING THIS FORWARD TO THEM.
UM, I'M GONNA AGREEANCE TO THAT MS. GRAYSON, AND I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
I WOULDN'T ADD ALL THIS LANGUAGE OTHER THAN THE, THE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS THAT COULD BE TAKEN.
SO I THINK YOU SAY MAY VOTE TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL, RECOMMENDED DENIAL, OR OFFER NO RECOMMENDATION, AND THAT SIMPLIFIES IT.
AND WE'LL SEE WHAT MR. ALFORD HAS TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
MR. ALFRED, ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? YOU FINE.
UM, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A MOTION AND THEN WE'LL ASK FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, OKAY? OKAY.
UM, I MOVE THAT THE COMMITTEE RECOMMEND TO THE FULL TOWN COUNCIL AMENDMENTS TO SECTION TWO DASH FIVE DASH 60 OF THE CODE SUBSECTION A, THAT THE TOWN COUNCIL SHALL HAVE AT LEAST TWO STANDING COMMITTEES WHOSE NAMES AND AREAS OF FOCUS SHALL BE IDENTIFIED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL BY RESOLUTION, PERIOD.
EACH COMMITTEE SHALL BE COMPOSED OF THREE TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS AND AN ALTERNATE WHO SHALL ALSO BE A MEMBER OF COUNCIL.
THE MAYOR SHALL APPOINT THE MEMBERS IN THE ALTERNATE AND SHALL DESIGNATED CHAIRMAN.
IN ADDITION, THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS TO THE FULL TOWN COUNCIL THAT A NEW SUBSECTION BE ADDED TO INCLUDE THE POSSIBLE ACTIONS BY THE COMMITTEES BEING RECOMMENDED APPROVAL,
[01:50:01]
RECOMMEND DENIAL, OR OFFER NO RECOMMENDATION.DID I GET EVERYTHING YOU WANTED US TO ADDRESS? YEAH.
UH, WELL, I THINK IF IN OPTION, IF OPTION TWO IS THE PREFERRED, SO THAT GIVES COUNSEL THE, THE ABILITY TO APPROVE, DENY, UH, OR REFER BACK.
UM, I, I JUST THINK CLARIFICATION ON ALL ITEMS ADVANCE FROM COMMITTEE TO TOWN COUNCIL.
AND TO INCLUDE ALL ITEMS PROCEED TO THE FULL TOWN COUNCIL AGENDA WITH THE MAYOR'S APPROVAL, IRRESPECTIVE OF COMMITTEE OUTCOME.
IF THAT'S THE LANGUAGE THAT SHOULD BE USED.
UH, MR. ALFRED, WELL COME UP MR. ALFRED, SO WE MAKE SURE WE CAPTURE THE COMMENTS.
UNDER THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE IS ANOTHER CHOICE, WHICH IS RECOMMEND WITH, UH, VARIATIONS.
THAT'S THE WAY THE AGENDAS HAVE BEEN PREPARED IN THE LAST RECENT MEETINGS.
CORRECT? WE COULD APPROVE OR APPROVE WITH YEAH.
RECOMMENDATIONS, CHANGES, OR RECOMMEND YEAH.
AND APOLOGIZE TO THE TOWN CLERK FOR TRYING TO GET ALL THAT I CAN.
I, I'VE GOT SOMETHING I'M MARKING ON THAT I CAN HAND TO THE TOWN CLERK.
AND I, I KNOW YOU CAN LISTEN BACK TO THE RECORDING AND I KNOW THAT, UH, MR. COLLIN IS ALSO MAKING NOTES.
PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM.
SKIP TO THE BOTTOM HERE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S STILL YOU, RIGHT? YES.
WAS THERE MR. BROWN, WAS THERE A VOTE? UM, NO, THERE WAS NOT A VOTE.
[5.c. Consideration of an Ordinance of the Town of Hilton Head Island, Amending the Municipal Code by Adding New Sections 1-5-11 and 1-5-12, Authorizing the Issuance of Administrative Citations and Fines; Amending Section 10-2-60 to Authorize Administrative Citations and Fines for Violations of Article 10, Chapter 2 of the Municipal Code; Amending Section 10-2-70 of the Municipal Code to Add Issuance of More Than 5 Administrative Citations in Twelve Months as Grounds for Suspension or Revocation of Short Term Rental Permit; to Add Section 12-3-101 to Authorize Administrative Citations and Fines for Violations of Article 12, Chapters 3 and 6; to Amend Section 12-3-117; to Amend Section 2-3-213; to Add Sections 12-6-100 and 12-6-101 to Authorize Administrative Citations and Fines for Violations of Article 12, Chapter 6; to Amend Section 12-6-111 to Add a Definition for Resident Beach Pass; to Amend Sections 12-6-113, 12-6,114, 12-6-115,12-6-117 to Make Grammatical Changes; to Repeal Sections 12-6-119 and 12-6-120; and to Provide for Severability and Effective Date - Shawn Colin, Assistant Town Manager]
CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF HILTON NET ISLAND AMENDING THE MUNICIPAL CODE BY ADDING NEW SECTIONS, ONE DASH FIVE DASH 11 AND ONE DASH FIVE DASH 12 AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS AND FINES AMENDING SECTION 10 DASH TWO DASH 60 TO AUTHORIZE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS AND FINES FOR VIOLATIONS OF ARTICLE 10, CHAPTER TWO OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE AMENDING SECTIONS 10 DASH TWO DASH 70 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE TO ADD ISSUANCE OF MORE THAN FIVE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS IN 12 MONTHS AS GROUNDS FOR SUSPENSION OR REVOK OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMIT.TO ADD SECTION 12 DASH THREE DASH OH ONE TO AUTHORIZE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS AND FINES FOR VIOLATIONS OF ARTICLE 12, CHAPTER THREE AND SIX.
TO AMEND SECTION 12 DASH THREE DASH SEVEN TO AMEND SECTION TWO DASH THREE DASH TWO 13 TO ADD SECTIONS 12 DASH SIX DASH 112 DASH 6 1 0 1 TO AUTHORIZE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS AND FINES FOR VIOLATIONS OF ARTICLE 12, CHAPTER SIX, TO AMEND SECTION 12 DASH SIX DASH ONE 11.
TO ADD A DEFINITION FOR RESIDENT BEACH PASS TO AMEND SECTION 12 DASH 6 13 12 DASH 6 14, 12 DASH SIX DASH 15, 12 DASH SIX SEVEN TO MAKE GRAMMATICAL CHANGES THROUGH APPEAL SECTIONS 12 DASH SIX DASH NINE AND 12 DASH SIX DASH 20 AND TO PROVIDE, UH, SEVERABILITY AND EFFECTIVE DATE.
YOU GOT FIVE MINUTES TO GET ALL THAT DONE
SO, UM, WHAT'S BEFORE YOU ARE, ARE, UM, CODE AMENDMENTS FOR CONSIDERATION, UM, TO PROVIDE OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAM, UM, SOME MORE TOOLS FOR, UH, FOR ENFORCEMENT SPECIFICALLY ADDING ADMINISTRATIVE FINES AS A TOOL, UM, AND THEN BEING ABLE TO APPLY THOSE TO CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THE CODE WHERE, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT BELIEVES THEY SHOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
AND SO THE, INITIALLY THIS WAS, I HAD THIS AS THREE SEPARATE, UH, ORDINANCES IN THE CODE CHANGES, BUT BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL LINKED AT THE DIRECTION, UH, AND ADVICE OF OUR TOWN ATTORNEY, WE'VE PUT 'EM UNDER ONE UMBRELLA, ONE UMBRELLA ORDINANCE.
AND, UM, AND SO WHEN YOU TALK TO OUR TOWN ATTORNEY, YOU CAN THANK 'EM FOR THAT LONG PREAMBLE TO LEAD IN THE AGENDA ITEM.
UM, BUT WE'D LIKE TO HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE FINES, CITATIONS AND FINES, UM, TO BE MORE EFFICIENT, PROPORTIONATE AND FLEXIBLE, AND HOW WE HANDLE CODE VIOLATIONS.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE, UH, MOST ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS RELY ON
[01:55:01]
CRIMINAL PENALTIES.UM, AND THERE'S SOME LIMITATIONS ON HOW YOU SERVE THEM, WHERE YOU SERVE THEM.
AND, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE FINES, UM, WILL ADD SOME MORE TOOLS IN OUR, UH, TOOLBOX, UH, WILL REDUCE DEPENDENCY IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS FOR NON-COMPLIANCE, IMPROVE TIMELY RESOLUTION OF CODE VIOLATIONS, PROVIDE DUE PROCESS WHILE PROMOTING VOLUNTARY CORRECTION, AND TO ENSURE GREATER CONSISTENCY AND CLARITY AND ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS.
SO IN, I I, I DON'T WANNA BREAK IT DOWN TOO QUICKLY, BUT THERE'S CHANGES TO, UM, SECTION 1, 5, 11 AND 12, WHICH ESTABLISHED THE ABILITY FOR THE TOWN TO HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS AND FINES THAT WASN'T AN OPTION BEFORE THIS RECOMMENDED CODE CHANGE IN, IN THE MUNICIPAL CODE, UH, AND CODE ADOPTED BY TOWN COUNCIL.
SO THE AMENDMENT PROVISION, UM, GENERALLY ESTABLISH THE AUTHORITY.
UM, SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZED OFFICIALS MAY USE THIS TOOL AS AN ALTERNATIVE ENFORCEMENT OPTION.
UM, THAT VIOLATIONS CAN BE, UM, APPLIED TO CODE SECTIONS WHERE THEY'VE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS AN OPTION.
UM, AND THE, IT DOESN'T RESTRICT THE TALENT FROM PURSUING THE OTHER ENFORCEMENT OPTIONS THAT WERE ALREADY IN THE CODE.
UM, THERE'S INFORMATION IN HERE THAT ALLOWS, WHILE IT'S NOT MANDATED, OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT AND OUR, UH, ENFORCEMENT TEAM TO ISSUE WARNINGS IN C IN IN C CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.
UM, AND THEN IT IDENTIFIES THE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATION PROCESS, UM, AND IT'S LISTED HERE IN THE STAFF REPORT, AND I WILL SCROLL DOWN, INCLUDES SERVICE OF CITATION, THE PENALTIES, THE APPEAL PROCESS, AND THEN, UM, AND IT CLAR CLARIFIES THAT IT'S NOT THE, AGAIN, THEY'RE NOT THE ONLY TOOL THAT WE HAVE, UM, TO BE ABLE TO, UM, REQUEST CODE COMPLIANCE.
SO ANY QUESTIONS ON THE SECTION 1, 5, 11 AND 12, WHICH, WHICH ESTABLISHES THE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS AND FINES, MS.
THE TOWN ATTORNEY LEFT BECAUSE MY QUESTION WAS MOSTLY FOR HIM.
I THINK WE'D RUN INTO, AND I, FIRST OF ALL, I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF ALL THESE CHANGES.
UM, BUT WE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH SERVICE OF PROCESS WITH SOMEONE LOCATED IN ANOTHER STATE.
UM, AND, AND, UM, I, I'M NOT GOING TO GO BACKWARDS IN MY TIME AS PRACTICING ATTORNEY IN ANOTHER STATE, UH, FIGURING OUT HOW TO SERVE PROCESS ON SOMEBODY IN ANOTHER STATE.
BUT GENERALLY, UM, THERE IS A PROCESS IN SOME STATES WITH REGARD TO SERVING THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
UM, AND SO I, I'M JUST HOPEFUL THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO RUN AROUND AND FIND SOMEBODY IN ANOTHER STATE TO SERVE PROCESS.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY THIS GIVES US THAT FLEXIBILITY AND I'M GLAD THAT MR. BROMAGE, UH, IS HERE BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET THAT DONE.
UM, AND, AND ESPECIALLY TO HAVE THIS READY FOR THE SUMMER SEASON.
UH, LATE LAST YEAR, WE PUT INTO, UH, EFFECT A OUT-OF-STATE PROCESS SERVER, AND WE HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE IN SERVING THEM WITH SUMMONS, UH, AND HOPEFULLY ADMINISTRATIVE FINES MOVING FORWARD.
WE DID CONTRACT WITH THE COMPANY AND WE'VE, UH, WE'VE USED 'EM QUITE A BIT AT THIS POINT.
I DIDN'T WANT US TO HAVE THAT HOLD UP AGAIN THAT WE WERE HAVING BEFORE.
THAT'S IT, MR. ALFRED? ANYTHING THAT, YES.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA TO PROVIDE FOR CIVIL ENFORCEMENT.
THE PROCEDURE WE'VE HAD IN EFFECT IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
AND AS A CONSEQUENCE, THERE'VE BEEN NO REAL PURSUIT OF, UH, BAD ACTORS IN THIS ARENA.
UM, SERVICE OF CITATION, UH, THE ONLY WAY THAT A, AN OUT-OF-STATE LANDLORD IS GOING TO RECEIVE NOTICE OF A PROBLEM IS IF HE PROVIDES AN EMAIL ADDRESS.
UM, I, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE OTHER CHOICES THAN JUST HAVING AN AN OUT STATE, UH, PERSON RECEIVE ONLY EMAIL.
UH, IF HE DOESN'T PROVIDE ONE, MAYBE HIS ADDRESS OR SOMETHING ELSE SHOULD BE PROVIDED.
UH, I HAVE QUESTIONS IN THE SUSPENSION AS TO WHETHER FIVE VIOLATIONS IS TOO HIGH A THRESHOLD.
[02:00:01]
I THINK PERSONALLY I'D BE IN FAVOR OF THREE.AND LASTLY, IN THE FINE STRUCTURE, UH, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE ADDITIONAL CLARITY.
UM, THERE IS REFERENCED TO THE LEVEL OF THE DOLLAR FINE IF IT'S THE FIRST VIOLATION OF THE YEAR.
UM, IF YOU GO MORE THAN 12 MONTHS, IS IT CLEAR THAT YOU START OVER AGAIN WITH THE FIRST VIOLATION, UH, DOLLAR LEVEL OR NOT? SO I THINK THAT SHOULD BE CLARIFIED IF YOU CAN ADDRESS THE EMAIL FOR THE OWNER.
THE OUTSTATE PROCESS SERVER DOES HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UH, DEPLOY INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES TO LOCATE PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'VE HAD SUCCESS WITH THAT.
OH, SO JUST THAT I'M CLEAR ON WHERE MR. OUTFIT IS GOING? YES, SIR.
UM, WHEN WE ARE ASKING INDIVIDUALS FOR THE INFORMATION, WE ARE ASKING FOR THE EMAIL ADDRESS ONLY, OR IS THERE, SO WE HAVE INFORMATION IN OUR RECORDS, UH, OWNER OF RECORD, RIGHT? MM-HMM
WE HAVE INFORMATION RELATED TO THAT, UM, AS PART OF OUR SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMIT.
THE OWNER OR THE MANAGEMENT, THE PROPERTY MANAGER ARE LISTED AS, UM, AS THE, UH, LISTED ON THAT WILL ALSO CONTACT INFORMATION.
UM, BOB, DO YOU KNOW IF ON THE PERMIT WE HAVE REQUESTED OWNER INFORMATION IF, IF ALONG WITH THE PROPERTY MANAGER? YES, THE PROPERTY OWNER'S RESPONSIBLE TO OBTAIN THE PERMIT AND THE LICENSE.
SOMETIMES THEY DO USE THE, UH, PROPERTY MANAGER TO DO IT, BUT WE DO HAVE THE INFORMATION ON THE OWNER OF RECORD ON FILE.
DOES, DOES THAT SATISFY YOUR QUESTION, MR. ALFRED? AS FAR AS THE EMAIL BEING THE ONLY POINT OF CONTACT, IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME THAT WHETHER THAT SATISFIES IT OR NOT.
I THINK, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE CHOICES, UH, NOT JUST EMAIL.
UM, AND IF YOU'RE GONNA USE THE PROPERTY MANAGER, I THINK THAT'S FINE, BUT THAT'S NOT REFERENCED.
UM, I WOULD JUST PROCESS SERVER IS IN A, IN A LEGAL ACTION AND I'M NOT SURE THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING.
SO IT IS NOT CLEAR TO MAKE THE ANSWER, MR. CHAIR.
I THINK WE, UH, NEED CLARIFICATION THAT FULL TOWN COUNSEL FROM THE TOWN ATTORNEY ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE SERVICE OF PROCESS IS ADEQUATE AND QUESTION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT EMAIL IS ADEQUATE.
UH, THE LANGUAGE IN THE STAFF REPORT SAYS, OR SO YOU CAN, UH, SERVE AT THE LAST KNOWN ADDRESS POSTED ON THE PROPERTY IN PERSON OR SENT VIA AUTHORIZED EMAIL.
AND THE QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT THAT CONSTITUTES ADEQUATE SERVICE OR PROCESS, THAT'S SOMETHING THE TOWN ATTORNEY NEEDS TO ADDRESS.
SO MAKE SURE THAT'S ADDRESSED, UH, BEFORE IT COMES BEFORE A FULL TOWN COUNSEL.
WOULD THAT SATISFY YOU, MR. ALFRED? GOT IT.
SEAN? YEAH, I, I HAVE IT AND I I, I DO WANNA SAY IN, IN THE ACTUAL ORDINANCE THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE STAFF REPORT, UM, IT HAS IN THERE THAT IS UNDER THE SERVICE SECTION, UM, THAT DELIVERY OF A COPY OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATION TO THE LAST KNOWN ADDRESS FOR THE PERSON, UH, WITHIN JURISDICTIONAL LIMITS OF THE, SO IT HAS SOMETHING IN THERE, BUT WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THE ATTORNEY CLARIFIES THAT INFORMATION.
AND THEN I, I DO THINK THE, UH, WE COULD HAVE THE TOWN ATTORNEY ALSO CLARIFY THE 12 MONTH MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, IS IT, UM, IS IT A CALENDAR YEAR BASED ON YOUR PERMIT? LIKE IF YOU HAVE A PERMIT THAT'S VALID FOR 2025 MM-HMM
IS IT IN THAT ONE YEAR, UH, OR 12 MONTH PERIOD, OR IS THAT 12 MONTHS FROM YOUR LAST VIOLATION? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
BUT YOU AGREE WITH THE OTHER COMPONENTS RELATED TO IT.
AND THE OTHER QUESTION THAT MR. ALFRED PULLS FOR US TO DISCUSS MS. BRYSON, IS, UH, THE THRESHOLD FOR SUSPENSION.
I THINK YOU SAID AFTER THE THIRD TIME VERSUS THE FIFTH TIME.
UM, AND THE REASON, WHEN WE TALKED TO THE TOWN OF, UH, WHEN DR. CURTIS TOWN ATTORNEY, WE HAD PROVISIONS FOR THE CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS AS IT RELATES TO IT, BUT NOTHING RELATED TO THE THRESHOLD FOR ADMINISTRATIVE.
UH, BOB CURTIS AND I TALKED, WE PUT FIVE IN FOR DISCUSSION, SO THREE, WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THREE.
SO, UM, I'LL, I'LL MOVE THROUGH THIS RELATIVELY QUICKLY.
SO WE NOW HAVE THE TOOL IN SECTION ONE, UM, AND NOW WE'RE APPLYING IT TO,
[02:05:01]
UH, UM, SECTION 10, 2 60 AND 70, WHICH ARE APPLICATION OF THOSE VIOLATIONS, UM, AND THE FINE STRUCTURE TO THE SHORT TERM RENTAL SECTION OF THE CODE.UM, AND SO, UM, YOU CAN SEE THEY, WE'VE DEFINED THE VIOLATIONS.
WE NOW HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE FINES, UH, IN SECTION 1 5 11, UM, TO BE ABLE TO APPLY TO THIS ANY VIOLATION IN THIS SECTION.
THE FINES ARE 250 FOR A FIRST VIOLATION, 500 FOR A SECOND VIOLATION WOULD ONE YEAR, UM, A THOUSAND FOR A THIRD VIOLATION WITH ONE YEAR WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE SECOND.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S A I, UH, ITEM HERE FOR LATE FEES THAT APPLY TO ALL THE FEE STRUCTURES AS WE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, THERE'S ALSO VEHICLE ENFORCEMENT AND ADDITIONAL REMEDIES.
THESE ARE OUTLINED IN, UH, THE CODE ALREADY, UM, BUT THEY'RE JUST IDENTIFIED HERE SO THAT THERE'S CLARITY, UM, AND THEN GROUND FOR SUSPENSION.
WE'LL CHANGE THIS TO MORE THAN THREE, UH, PROPERTY WITHIN 12 MONTHS, AND AGAIN, PROVIDE CLARITY ON THE 12 MONTH PERIOD, UM, FROM ONE VIOLATION TO THE NEXT.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT APPLICATION OF THIS TOOL TO THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL SECTION OF THE TOWN CODE
IN FACT, I'VE LONG ADVOCATED
UM, I THINK THIS WAS STRIPPED OUT FROM THE, UH, THE PREVIOUS STAFF RECOMMENDATION, UH, WITH REGARD TO SHORT TERM RENTALS, WHERE WE HAD PARKING AND SPACING AND, UH, SORRY, PARKING AND OCCUPANCY.
UM, AND I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER IF THERE WAS ONE OTHER PROVISION IN THERE, IN, IN ADDITION TO THE ENFORCEMENT PROVISIONS.
AND SO THE TOWN COUNCIL HAD DIRECTED STAFF TO, TO PULL OUT THE ENFORCEMENT PROVISIONS AND TO BRING THOSE TO US SEPARATELY.
SO I, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THAT'S WHAT THIS IS DOING.
UH, IT'S, UH, ITEM THREE THAT I WAS REFERRING TO BEFORE.
I DON'T WANT TO GIVE A DEFENDANT THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, UH, WELL, MY VIOLATION WAS BEYOND 12 MONTHS.
UH, SO IT'S, AND IT WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME, SO THEREFORE THERE'S NO PENALTY.
I, I WROTE DOWN IN A COUPLE PLACES WHERE IT SAYS WITHIN ONE YEAR TO CLARIFY THE DEFINITION OF ONE YEAR ON PAGES THREE AND FOUR OF THE STAFF REPORT.
UM, AND THEN THE NEXT SECTION, UM, OF THE CODE AMENDMENTS RELATE TO PARKING, UM, TITLE 12, CHAPTERS THREE AND SIX ABOUT PARKING AND BEACH PARKING.
UM, AND IT ESTABLISHES, UM, THE AUTHORITY IT ESTABLISHES THE ADMINISTRATIVE FINES, UH, CAN BE APPLIED TO THESE SECTIONS AS WELL.
UM, THE FINE STRUCTURE AS AGAIN, IN, IN, UH, SECTION ONE ALLOWS FOR THE FINE STRUCTURE TO BE IDENTIFIED WITHIN EACH SPECIFIC CODE SECTION.
SO THE FINE STRUCTURE FOR PARKING IS DIFFERENT THAN THE CODE AND THE, UH, FINE STRUCTURE FOR THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL ADMINISTRATIVE VIOLATION.
UH, BUT FINES ARE $50 FOR THE FIRST VIOLATION, 100 FOR A SECOND VIOLATION WITHIN ONE YEAR, UM, 250 FOR A THIRD VIOLATION, UH, WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE SECOND INFRACTION, AND THEN POSSIBLE TOWING OR MOBILIZATION OF THE VEHICLE.
AND THEN 500 FOR ANY SUBSEQUENT INFRACTION WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE THIRD INFRACTION.
UM, LATE FEE INCLUDED IN THERE.
UM, THE, WE JUST REINFORCED THE DEFINITION, UM, AND BY ADDING IT TO SECTION 12 6 1 11, UH, RESIDENT BEACH PARKING PASS, UM, THE ELIGIBILITY IS STILL THE SAME AS COUNCIL HAD ALREADY APPROVED A COUPLE OF GRAMMATICAL CHANGES IN SECTIONS 12, 6, 13, AND 17.
AND THEN, UM, WE NO LONGER NEED 12 6 1 19 AND 20 AS THEY'VE BEEN INCORPORATED INTO OTHER AREAS OF THE CODE.
UM, BUT THIS ALLOWS ADMINISTRATIVE FINES AND SETS THE FINE STRUCTURE AND EXPECTATION FOR VIOLATIONS OF OUR CODE AS IT RELATES TO PARKING AND BEACH PARKING.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT, MS. ER? NO, I JUST NOTE MR. ALFRED'S QUESTIONS ABOUT ONE YEAR AND CLARIFYING THE TIMING OF THAT.
ANYTHING ELSE, MR. ALFRED? NO.
GOT WHAT YOU NEED, SEAN? WE'LL, I DO, I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE, SUMMARIZE THE FEW OTHER CLARIFICATIONS THAT WE NEED AT TOWN COUNCIL.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST AND THEN COME BACK WITH A SURE.
WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT NOW AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK WITH A MOTION.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS? YES, PLEASE, MR. OH, SORRY.
[02:10:06]
UH, KATIE HENDERSON, HILTON HEAD PLANTATION, JUST A COUPLE THINGS.UM, AS WE THE PUBLIC WANNA KNOW, DO WE NEED THIS WHOLE THING ABOUT THE VIOLATIONS BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY BAD ACTORS, IS THIS A REAL ISSUE FOR US? 'CAUSE THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE HEAR, YOU KNOW, IN JUST A THING.
AND THEN ALSO THE STR UM, PENALTIES SEEM LIKE THEY NEED TO BE BIGGER, SO THEY MAKE MORE OF AN EFFECT.
ASHLEY PHILLIPS, UH, INDIGO RUN, UH, TWO ITEMS. UM, I WROTE, IF THEY ARE HABITUAL OFFENDERS, CAN THEY BE PERMANENTLY BANNED FROM HAVING A SHORT TERM RENTAL? UM, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S YEAR AFTER YEAR AND IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM OVER AND OVER AGAIN, IS THERE A WAY TO, YOU KNOW, NOT ALLOW THEM TO HAVE A SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMIT ANYMORE? UM, JUST A, A THOUGHT THERE.
AND, UM, THE, THE PARKING FINES HERE, THIS FIRST TIME I'M SEEING THEM, UH, NUMBER ONE, I THINK THEY'RE TOO LOW.
AND NUMBER TWO, MOST OF THE VISITORS ARE ONLY HERE FOR SEVEN DAYS.
SO WHY DO YOU HAVE THE, THE PARKING FINES DRAWN OUT FOR A YEAR? UM, ARE YOU ANTICIPATING PEOPLE STAYING HERE THAT LONG OR COMING BACK MULTIPLE TIMES? HOW, HOW ARE YOU KEEPING UP WITH THE VEHICLES THAT ARE, UM, IN VIOLATION? UM, SO I'M, I'M NOT SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF IT GOING OUT THAT LONG WHEN PEOPLE IN SHORT-TERM RENTALS ARE TYPICALLY ONLY HERE FOR SEVEN DAYS.
UH, SO MAYBE SHORTEN IT IF YOU'VE GOT SO MANY VIOLATIONS WITHIN SEVEN DAYS OR SOMETHING.
THOSE ARE JUST MY ONLY THOUGHTS.
UM, SO JUST AS A REACTION TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS THERE, UM, MR. COLE, UM, THE HABITUAL OFFENDERS THERE IS REVOKING OF PERMIT THAT THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, THERE'S ALREADY A PROVISION WITHIN THE BUSINESS LICENSE, SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMIT, UM, THAT AFTER TWO, I THINK TWO THAT AREN'T RESOLVED, YOU COULD, UM, YOU COULD LOSE YOUR PERMIT.
UM, AND, AND ULTIMATELY IF THERE'S A NUISANCE DECLARED, YOU CAN LOSE YOUR BUSINESS LICENSE TO OPERATE A SHORT TERM RENTAL.
UH, WE'VE INCLUDED IN THERE THE ADMINISTRATIVE FINE ONCE YOU GET PAST THREE, IF THERE'S VI, IF THERE'S NOW MORE THAN THREE IS WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
THAT'S AN ALSO AN OPTION FOR REVOCATION OF THE SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMIT.
SO THERE ARE PROVISIONS IN THERE IF SOMEONE IS A, UM, CONTINUAL, UM, VIOLATOR OF THE CODE.
UM, AND THEN AS IT RELATES TO, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS ISN'T ALL JUST FOR SHORT TERM RENTAL, RIGHT? SO THERE IS ALSO, UM, PARKING ISSUES THAT BOB HAS TO DEAL WITH AND RIGHTS OF WAY AND, AND OTHER AREAS.
UM, SOMETIMES PARKING IN A RIGHT OF WAY IS DONE BY A SHORT TERM RENTAL TENANT OCCUPANT, WHATEVER IT IS, OR GUEST, SOMETIMES NOT.
AND SO THIS SETS THE, THE STRUCTURE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE FINES THAT CAN BE USED BY CODE ENFORCEMENT TO ADDRESS BOTH SHORT-TERM RENTAL AND NON SHORT-TERM RENTAL VIOLATORS.
DOES THAT MAKE SOME SENSE? SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S THAT CLARITY AND THE CODE ENFORCEMENT, UH, OFFICER HAS THE ABILITY TO DETERMINE IF IT IS LINKED TO THE SHORT TERM RENTAL OR, OR NOT, AND THEN APPLY WHATEVER REMEDY THAT HE THINKS IS MOST OR HIS TEAM THINKS ARE MOST APPROPRIATE.
UM, YOU WANNA SUMMARIZE? I I CERTAINLY CAN, UH, TRY TO SUMMARIZE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S GENERAL SUPPORT FOR WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED, UM, IN THE STAFF REPORT FOR CODE AMENDMENTS TO THESE SECTIONS OF THE CODE, UM, WHEN COMING FORWARD TO COUNCIL, UM, I THINK THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDING CLARITY, UM, ON A FEW DIFFERENT ITEMS. ONE IS, UM, HOW WE PROVIDE SERVICE TO VIOLATORS THAT ARE OUT OF TOWN OUTTA STATE.
UM, I THINK WE NEED TO CLARIFY THE ONE YEAR PROVISION BETWEEN VIOLATION NUMBER 1, 2, 3, 4, WHATEVER IS, UM, THE TIMEFRAME IN THESE, UH, AREAS OF, UH, VIOLATION.
UM, THE CLARIFICATION TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS TO THREE, NOT FIVE BEFORE POTENTIAL REVOCATION, UH,
[02:15:01]
OF THE PERMIT.AND I THINK THAT'S CAPTURED THE POINTS THAT WERE, THAT WERE BROUGHT UP.
COMFORTABLE WITH THAT MS. BRYSON? YEAH, I'M JUST LOOKING AT, DID YOU GIVE US, UM, UH, AN ORDINANCE WITH ALL THESE CODE AMENDMENTS IN IT? I WAS JUST LOOKING BACK AT MY, YEAH, SO AS PART OF THE PACKET, PART OF THE STAFF REPORT, SO THE STAFF REPORT COVERS THE ORDINANCE AND SO, UM, HERE IN YOUR PACKET IT SHOULD BE, THERE IT IS.
IT HAS THE, THE PREAMBLE, BUT THEN ALSO THE, YOU, THIS IS A NEW SECTION OF CODE AT THE BEGINNING, BUT IT'S ALL, IT'S ALL IN THERE.
SO WE'LL CLEAN UP A FEW, SEE HERE, MORE THAN FIVE.
COUNCIL, COUNCILMAN BROWN, HERE'S THE SUSPENSION AND REVOCATION.
UM, PROVISIONS THAT I, I TALKED ABOUT.
I JUST COULDN'T FIND IT RIGHT AWAY ON MY IPAD.
UM, SO I, I THINK THEN WHAT WE, WHAT OUR ACTION WOULD BE IS FOR THE COMMITTEE TO RECOMMEND ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, UM, SET FORTH.
AND DOES THIS ORDINANCE HAVE A TITLE?
I'LL JUST SAY ITEM NUMBER SOANDSO ON THE AGENDA, UM, WITH THE FOLLOWING CLARIFICATIONS.
SO I THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE MOTION TO TAKE.
SO I MOVE YOU, ARE YOU READY MADAM CLERK OVER THERE?
OH, SHE'S ADJUSTING IN HER SEAT AND GETTING READY.
UM, I MOVE THAT THE COMMITTEE RECOMMEND THAT THE FULL COUNCIL ADOPT THE MUNICIPAL CODE AMENDMENT SET FORTH AS ITEM FIVE, NEW BUSINESS FIVE, SUBSECTION C WITH THE FOLLOWING CLARIFICATIONS, CLARIFYING THE TIMING FOR THE LANGUAGE, EITHER ONE YEAR OR 12 MONTHS.
AND ALSO CLARIFYING, UM, SERVICE WHETHER OR NOT, UM, EMAIL SERVICE CONSTITUTES ADEQUATE SERVICE OR PROCESS FOR SOMEONE ANYWHERE.
IT'S NOT JUST OUTTA STATE, BUT ANYWHERE.
UM, AND REDUCING THE NUMBER OF, UH, UNDER GROUNDS FOR SUSPENSION, WHICH IS THE AMENDMENTS TO 10 DASH TWO DASH 60 AND 10 DASH TWO DASH 70, SOMEWHERE THE GROUNDS FOR SUSPENSION, MORE THAN THREE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS RATHER THAN FIVE.
UM, AND LASTLY, TO CLARIFY THE, UM, REVOCATION OF SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMITS AND BUSINESS LICENSE SUSPENSION, UH, METHOD FOR REINSTATEMENT.
AND CAN THOSE BE PERMANENT? I APOLOGIZE MADAM CLERK FOR ALL THAT.
OH, CAN I, OH, SO IS THERE SOMETHING I LEFT OUT? UM, I I THINK IT WOULD BE, UH, RELATED TO THE EMAIL AS, UM, AS A AUTHORIZED METHOD.
I THINK, UM, IF WE PROVIDE CLARITY TO INCLUDE AN AUTHORIZED METHOD FOR NOTIFICATION AND THEN WHEN WE BRING IT BACK TO YOU IF EMAIL IS NOT SUFFICIENT OR THAT WE'LL MAKE SURE THERE'S A SUFFICIENT NOTICE OF METHOD OF NOTIFICATION IN THERE, ADEQUATE SERVICE OF PROCESS.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO WITH THAT CLARIFICATION, NOT JUST SAYING DOES EMAIL WORK OR, OR NOT, BUT INCLUDE IN THEIR CLARIFI UH, CLARIFICATION AND APPROPRIATE METHOD TO DELIVER AS TO WHAT CONSTITUTES ADEQUATE SERVICE OR PROCESS? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND DON'T ASK ME TO REPEAT IT.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE READY FOR THE QUESTION.
AND CAN YOU BRING US SOMETHING MORE COMPLICATED NEXT TIME,
UM, THIS IS NOT ON THE AGENDA, BUT, UH, I NEED A BREAK.
HEY HONEY, CAN YOU SET THE TABLE DALE 9 1 1.
WHERE IS YOUR EMERGENCY INSTRUMENTS? MAKE NOTES.
[02:20:12]
NOTES PLAYED IN HARMONY.MAKE MUSIC, MUSIC THE POWER OF DIVERSITY.
[5.d. Consideration of an Ordinance of the Town of Hilton Head Authorizing the Execution of a Lease Purchase Agreement for Fire Trucks - Adriana Burnett, Director of Finance]
AGENDA ITEM FOR AS NEW BUSINESS IS CONCERNED IS CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A LEASE PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR FIRETRUCKS.ADRIANA BURNETT AGAIN, WELCOME BACK AGAIN.
THIS IS A CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO APPROVE AND AUTHORIZE A TOWN TO ENTER INTO A TAX EXEMPT LEASE AGREEMENT WITH A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION TO FINANCE BOTH PAST AND FUTURE FIRE TRUCK PURCHASES.
SOME BACKGROUND, AND I KNOW POTENTIALLY, UM, YOU WERE HERE BACK IN 2021, FISCAL YEAR 2022 WHEN TOWN COUNCIL APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF 10 FIRE TRUCKS.
AND AFTER THE APPROVAL OF TOWN COUNCIL FOR THIS PURCHASE, UM, WE REACHED OUT TO SAFE INDUSTRIES TO PRODUCE THIS FIRE TRUCKS DUE TO PRODUCTION AND, AND DELIVERY DELAYS.
WE'RE STILL HAVING THIS DISCUSSION TODAY.
UH, AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE RECEIVED A PUMPS AND WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR TWO QUINCE TO ARRIVE.
THE PROJECTED ARRIVAL DELIVERY DATE IS ON TIME IN 20 26, 20 27.
HOWEVER, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO EXECUTE AND GET YOUR AUTHORIZATION TO MOVE THIS TO TOWN COUNCIL TO EXECUTE AT LEAST PURCHASE AGREEMENT.
UM, I HAVE PROVIDED YOU IN THE PACKET NOT ONLY THE ORDINANCE, BUT ALSO THE SAMPLE OF THE RFP THAT WILL BE UTILIZED TO WITH, UM, TO REQUEST BIDS FROM DIFFERENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO LEASE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IT'S GOING TO DO, AND WE ALREADY PAID OUT OF THE HOSPITALITY TAX, WE ALREADY PAID ABOUT $5.1 MILLION.
AND WE'RE PLANNING TO ALSO, ONCE WE GET THE TO QUEENS TO PAY THE ADDITIONAL 2.4, THE LEASE AGREEMENT IS GOING TO BE ABOUT $8 MILLION, BUT NOT TO EXCEED $8 MILLION.
AND THIS IS GOING TO BRING BACK THAT MONEY THAT WE ALREADY PAID THE 5.1, AND IT'S GOING TO BE REIMBURSED OUR HOSPITALITY TAX FOR THAT AMOUNT.
AND THIS IS GOING TO BE BENEFICIAL TO OUR TOWN FOR THIS REASONS.
AND IT IS STATED IN THE SUMMARY SECTION.
SO, UH, SOME OF THE BENEFITS FOR DOING THIS TYPE OF TRANSACTION, AND BY THE WAY, THIS TYPE OF TRANSACTION IS NOT SOMETHING NEW FOR MUNICIPALITIES.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS ACTUALLY VERY COMMON AMONG MUNICIPALITIES.
BUT THIS IS GOING TO PROVIDE US WITH MAINTAINING A STRONG HOSPITALITY TAX FUND BALANCE ONCE WE GET THE, THE MONEY FROM THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTION IS GOING TO ENABLE THE TOWN TOO TO PAY OTHER APPROVED CAPITAL PROJECTS.
IT'S GOING TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY IN THE EVENT OF A NATURAL DISASTER.
IT'S GOING TO SUPPORT COMPLIANCE.
WE PROPOSED MINIMUM FUND BALANCE POLICIES.
UH, THE LEASE FINANCING STRUCTURE WILL ALIGN THE TOWN'S ANNUAL LEASE PAYMENTS WITH THE FIRETRUCKS ANTICIPATED 10 YEAR LIFE.
THE PROPOSED TAX EXEMPT EQUIPMENT LEASE WILL NOT COUNT AGAINST THE TOWN'S 8% GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND CAPACITY.
IT WILL REMAIN AS LONG AS FINANCIAL OBLIGATION OF THE TOWN UNTIL IT IS FULLY PAID.
AND WE WILL COME EVERY YEAR IN FRONT OF TOWN COUNCIL FOR TO ASK FOR THE APPROPRIATIONS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE EVERY YEAR.
SO I, I ALSO PROVIDED IN THIS MEMO TO KEY DATES OR MILESTONES.
UM, IF YOU APPROVE, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE OUR FIRST READING WITH TOWN COUNCIL ON MAY 6TH.
WE WOULD LIKE TO ISSUE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR POTENTIAL BIDS ON MAY 20 WILL BE OUR SECOND READING.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO CLOSE THIS FINANCIAL TRANSACTION ON JUNE 24TH.
[02:25:01]
POINT, UH, THE EXPECTATION IS TO GET THE FUNDS AND REIMBURSE THE HOSPITALITY TAX WITH THIS FUNDS.AND WE'RE HOPING TO DO THIS IN FISCAL YEAR 25.
SO WE DON'T CARRY THIS FORWARD ANOTHER YEAR.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE'RE TRYING TO, TO PUSH THIS DEADLINE AND GET THE, THE FUNDING AND THE BIDS AND THE, AND FINALIZE THIS FINANCIAL AGREEMENT.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? UH, JUST A COUPLE OF NOTES.
I, I NOTE THAT, UH, I, I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE LEASE PURCHASE AGREEMENT.
UM, HAVING WORKED WITH PREVIOUS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS USING THIS MECHANISM MM-HMM
IT'S A GREAT MECHANISM TO BE ABLE TO PURCHASE LARGE EQUIPMENT LIKE FIRETRUCK.
UM, AND I DO NOTE, UM, THAT, UH, BOND COUNCIL IS ASSISTING US BY FOREMAN.
AND THAT, UM, UH, THE FULL FAITH AND CREDIT OF THE TOWN IS NOT PLEDGED.
UM, ALSO THERE'S A NON APPROPRIATION CLAUSE INCLUDED, UM, IN CASE, UH, ANY, DURING ANY FISCAL YEAR, THE TOWN COUNCIL DECIDES NOT TO PROVIDE FUNDING MM-HMM
UM, SO, UH, THAT'S A GOOD THING THAT, UH, PROTECTS OUR INTEREST AND ALSO, UM, UH, NOT PLEDGING THE FULL FAITH AND CREDIT OF THE TOWN.
UH, BUT REMIND ME WHERE THE PAYMENTS ARE GONNA COME FROM.
WE WERE REPLENISHING THE HOSPITALITY TAX FUNDS, BUT WHERE WILL THE FUNDS COME FROM TO MAKE THE LEASE PAYMENTS? SO INITIALLY WHEN WE GOT, WHEN WE PURCHASED THE, THE, THE FIRST, UM, A TRUCKS, WE GOT THE MONEY OUT OF THE HOSPITALITY TAX.
SO THE IDEA NOW IS TO REPLENISH THAT MONEY.
SO ONCE WE GET THE MONEY FROM THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTION THAT WE SELECT, THEN THAT IS CONSIDERED REVENUE TO THE TOWN.
AND THEN THAT REVENUE WILL BE PLACED BACK IN THE HOSPITALITY TAX FUND.
AND THEN HOW WILL WE MAKE THE LEASE PAYMENTS FROM THE HOSPITALITY TAX TAX? SO THE LEASE PAYMENT WILL BE HAPPENING FROM THE HOSPITALITY TAX.
SO EVERYTHING WILL STAY WITHIN THE HOSPITALITY TAX.
NOT FROM PROPERTY TAXES? NO, NOT FROM PROPERTY TAXES.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW.
UM, YOU MENTIONED, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR A WHILE.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME DELAY IN RECEIVING THE TRUCKS AND WHATNOT MM-HMM
UM, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS IT'S A BIG CHUNK OF MONEY.
AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR HOSPITALITY TAX BALANCE IS IN THE PLACE PROVIDED TO US BY OUR FUND BALANCE, UH, ORDINANCES AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
UM, WE WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
DID YOU ASK FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? I CAN'T.
I WILL HAVE TO RETAKE THE MOTION.
UH, I MOVE THAT WE RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF HILTON AND ISLAND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF LEASE PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR FIRETRUCKS TO THE FULL TOWN COUNCIL.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? ANYONE SIGNED UP? MR. WILLIAMS? GOOD.
ANYONE ELSE? PUBLIC COMMENT? NO.
WE ALSO HAVE A NON AGENDA ITEM, PUBLIC COMMENT.
HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP THERE? MS. IRVIN, MR. WILLIAMS? NO.
SIR, YOU DON'T WANT TO CUT THOSE TREES.
WHY NOT WATER? BOY, THEY'RE IN THE BUFFER ZONE.
THAT'S TREES AND PLANTS THAT SLOW RUNOFF AND FILTER POLLUTANTS.
IT MAKES SENSE WITHOUT THE BUFFER, THE WATER SUFFERS.
REMEMBER, YOU ARE THE SOLUTIONS TO RUNOFF POLLUTION.
BEAUFORD COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA HAS SEVERAL JOB OPENINGS, MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, IT SPECIALISTS, LIBRARY ASSISTANTS AND BUS DRIVERS APPLY TODAY@BUFORTCOUNTYSC.GOV.