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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY CAN
[1. CALL TO ORDER]
DO THE PUBLIC COMMENT.I'D LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE DRAW.
[3. STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE WITH FOIA]
ADVERTISED IN, IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
AND I'D LIKE TO HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.I MADE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN PASSMAN.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND TO APPROVE THE AGENDA? I'LL SECOND.
[5. CITIZEN COMMENTS PERIOD – 30 MINUTES TOTAL]
THIS TIME WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.UH, THE FIRST ONE IS RAY POLONE.
UM, GOOD MORNING, CHAIRWOMAN HOWARD AND VICE CHAIR TABER.
I'M RAY CHIPI AND THE QUESTION I HAVE, UH, IS IN REGARDS TO THE BURNT CHURCH ROAD PROJECT.
ACCORDING TO THE LATEST LIST OF PROJECT PRIORITIES, THE BURNT CHURCH ROAD, UM, PROJECT FROM 2018, THAT INCLUDED TWO, UH, PROTECTED, UH, MULTI-USE PATHS ON EACH SIDE OF THE ROAD.
NOW, ACCORDING TO, UH, THE LATEST DOCUMENT THAT I RETRIEVED OFF YOUR WEBSITE THIS MORNING, IT'S BEEN MOVED TO THE BURNT CHURCH ROAD REFURBISHMENT OR UPGRADE PROJECT.
AND I'D LIKE YOU TO COMMENT ON WHETHER OR NOT THE ORIGINAL DESIGN FOR THE MULTI-USE PATHS WILL BE INCLUDED.
BECAUSE WHAT YOUR DOCUMENT STATES IS THAT IT'S DEVELOPED A CONSENSUAL CONCEPTUAL PLAN AND IT'S BEEN REMOVED FROM THE PROGRAM AS INCORPORATED WITH THE BURNT CHURCH ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT CURRENTLY IN DESIGN.
SO BASICALLY, I WANNA KNOW IF THE MULTI-USE PATHS ARE STILL INCLUDED, WHAT THE TIMELINE IS, AND THE MONIES THAT WERE ALLOCATED FROM THE 2018 PENNY SALES TAX.
WHERE'D THAT MONEY GO? SIR? THIS IS PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE CAN REFER YOU TO MR. FRA IF YOU'D WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT THAT PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO YOU HAVE NO RESPONSE WHATSOEVER? NOT, NOT AT, NOT RIGHT AT THIS MINUTE.
BUT WE CAN, WE CAN HAVE MR. FRA TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT.
AND HOW DO WE INITIATE THAT? HE'S IN THE ROOM.
BUT IF YOU CAN YOU PLEASE ADDRESS THAT? WELL, WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS IT LATER AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT.
YOU CAN MEET WITH, YOU CAN TALK TO HIM.
AND I'M, I APOLOGIZE I DIDN'T READ THE STATEMENT, BUT, UM, I THINK WE, UH, ALL KNOW PUBLIC COMMENT IS WHAT IT'S ABOUT IS, UH, TO LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC RECEIVE COMMENTS, PLEASE DO NOT, UM, SAY ANYTHING DEROGATORY OR ABOUT OTHERS.
AND, UH, YOU HAVE A THREE MINUTE LIMIT.
NEXT ON THE LIST IS JOSH GRUBER ON PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND YOU'RE WELCOME AT THE END OF, AFTER WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION TO TALK TO, IF YOU, WOULD YOU WANT DEFER AND WAIT FOR THAT? YES, PLEASE.
JOSH GRUBER IS, UM, HARDY BILL'S CITY, CITY MANAGER.
[6. DISCUSSION ON STRATEGIES TO REFINE AND FOCUS COUNTY EFFORTS FOR COMPLETION OF 2018 SALES TAX TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS]
TIME WE'LL GO INTO THE PROGRAM AND THE AGENDA.THIS, THIS IS A DISCUSSION ON STRATEGIES TO REFINE AND FOCUS COUNTY EFFORTS FOR COMPLETION OF THE 2018, UM, TRANS TAX TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS AND STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE.
AND WE'LL, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION.
AND MR. HOLBERT HAS, YES, SIR.
WE HAD A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN PASSMAN AND A SECOND TO BEGIN DISCUSSION.
WHO SECONDED THE MOTION? SOMEBODY SECOND IT PLEASE.
CAN WE GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON THE, I'M GONNA NEED YOU TO MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT THE WRONG TOPIC.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE 2018 SALES TAX.
PENNY SALES TAX, UH, UH, ISSUE IN WHICH TYPE OF SALES TAX THEY WANNA GO.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CAPITAL PROJECTS PREPARED.
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IS INTENDED FOR A FUTURE SALES TAX DISCUSSION.AND, UM, WE ARE GOING TO COME BACK LATER AT A LATER DATE, WHETHER THAT'S A WORKSHOP OR A COMMITTEE MEETING, TO TALK ABOUT THE 2018 SALES TASK.
WE, WE TALKED ABOUT BOTH IN MARCH, 2018 MM-HMM
UM, BUT TODAY IS, TODAY IS INTENDED JUST FOR THE FUTURE.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION THAT ENGINEERING AND STAFF IS PUTTING TOGETHER TO, TO COME BACK TO, UH, COUNSEL ON THE 2018.
I'LL WITHDRAW MY MOTION, BUT I WILL MAKE THAT MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA AS STATED.
IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND THAT.
ALL IN FAVOR OF CONTINUING THE DISCUSSION PER THE CHANGE MOTION BY COUNCILMAN PASSMAN.
AND WE HAVE TWO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS COMING IN.
UM, WE'VE ALREADY HAD PUBLIC COMMENT.
LET'S GO FORWARD WITH THE PRESENTATION AT THIS TIME AND THAT WILL BE, MR. EDMUNDSON WILL MAKE THE PRESENTATION ABSON.
SO, UM, COUNCILMAN GLOVER AND COUNCILMAN BARTHOLOMEW, WE AMENDED WHAT IT SAYS ON THE AGENDA.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT CAPITAL SALES TAX, NOT THE 2018 TRANSPORTATION TAX, JUST SO YOU KNOW.
I THINK WE KNEW, BUT IT WAS, UM, WE HAD TO MEND THE AGENDA TO CORRECT IT.
ALRIGHT, WE READY? AND WE ARE GONNA LISTEN AND THEN ASK QUESTIONS AT THE END.
IS THAT HOW YOU'D LIKE TO DO THIS? I'M OPEN TO WHATEVER.
MY, MY GOAL IS NOT TO MAKE A PRESENTATION.
MY GOAL IS TO FOSTER DISCUSSION.
AND SO WE'RE NOT HERE TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO.
WE'VE BEEN TASKED WITH FINDING OUT SOME INFORMATION, MAKING SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT AS WE GO THROUGH THE SLIDES, IF YOU HAVE A COMMENT QUESTION OR DISCUSSION, WE'LL DO IT.
THERE MAY BE SOME TIMES, I THINK I SAID THIS AT THE STRATEGIC PLANNING RETREAT, THERE MAY BE A TIME IF WE START GOING DOWN A RABBIT HOLE, I MIGHT HAVE TO PUT A PIN IN THAT AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT AT A FUTURE FOLLOW UP.
BUT THE MAIN THING HERE IS TO BASICALLY FOLLOW UP ON OUR ORIGINAL DISCUSSION IN MARCH TO BRING BACK SOME INFORMATION AS TASKED BY COUNCIL.
SO THOSE TASKS WERE, LET'S SEE IF, WHICH WAY DO I POINT THIS? ARE YOU PLAYING A JOKE ON ME? LET'S TRY.
AND THEN WE REMINDED THE PUBLIC AND ELECT AND ELECTED OFFICIALS, WHOEVER AT THE END, THEY CAN, WE CAN HAVE MORE DISCUSSION.
SO IN OUR DISCUSSION PREVIOUSLY, WE TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENT NEEDS THAT THE COUNTY HAS.
I'LL, I'M PREFACING THIS SLIDE A LITTLE BIT.
UH, AND IT'S NOT JUST THE COUNTY, COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES HAVE CAPITAL NEEDS, HAVE, UH, VARIOUS NEEDS THAT ARE UNFUNDED.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT STRATEGIES OF HOW TO POTENTIALLY FUND THOSE WITHOUT AFFECTING A VALOREM TAXES.
AND, UH, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT VARIOUS PENNY SALES TAXES OVER THE YEARS.
UH, BUT COUNCIL'S DIRECTION WAS BRING BACK INFORMATION ON A CAPITAL PROJECT, SALES TAX, CAPITAL PROJECT, SALES TAX AS WE'LL COVER LATER CAN DO MORE THAN JUST BUILDINGS.
IT CAN DO SOME TRANSPORTATION, IT CAN DO VARIOUS THINGS.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT THOSE ALLOWABLE THINGS ARE.
BUT WHAT WE WERE TASKED WITH WAS TO REACH OUT TO VARIOUS COUNTIES, FIND OUT LESSONS, LEARNED BEST PRACTICES, AND COME BACK WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS SO WE DON'T REPEAT MISTAKES OF OTHERS OR REPEAT SOME MISTAKES THAT WE MAY HAVE MADE IN THE PAST.
ADDITIONALLY, WAS TO BRING BACK A TIMELINE OF IF WE WERE GONNA DO THIS, HOW WOULD WE GO BACKWARDS AND MAKE SURE WE DO THINGS SO WE'RE NOT COMPRESSED OR RUSHED AND SO THAT WE CAN PROPERLY COMMUNICATE BOTH WITH THE PUBLIC AND WITH OUR PARTNER JURISDICTIONS WITHIN THE COUNTY.
BECAUSE AS WE LEARNED IN TALKING TO ALL THE OTHER, UH, OTHER ENTITIES THAT HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL, AND SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND NOT SUCCESSFUL, WHICH IS ACTUALLY MORE HELPFUL 'CAUSE THEY CAN SAY WHAT THEY LEARNED FROM THEIR MISTAKES, UH, IS THAT TEAMWORK AND BUY-IN AND CONSENSUS OF OTHERS IS KEY TO MOVING THIS FORWARD AS AN ENTIRE COUNTY.
SO WE'LL BRING THAT TIMELINE IN A LITTLE WHILE, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT OUR RECOMMENDED POTENTIAL PROJECTS ARE.
THERE'S SOMETHING WE'VE DISCUSSED MULTIPLE TIMES, THERE'S NO SURPRISES HERE.
WE, WE HAVE SOME OBVIOUS NEEDS.
SOME OF US EXPERIENCED THEM TODAY, UH, AS WE, AS WE CAME HERE.
UH, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TASKED WITH AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA COME BACK WITH.
SO, SOME LESSONS LEARNED IN TALKING.
SO WE'VE TALKED WITH AND LOOKED AT ORDINANCES AND QUESTIONS POSED ON A BALLOT REFERENDUM TO SEE IN GOOD ONES WHAT WAS DONE AND BAD ONES, WHAT WAS NOT DONE OR DONE INCORRECTLY AND TALK.
WE ALSO HAD ONE COUNTY THAT VOLUNTEERED AND DROVE DOWN AND SAT WITH US FOR HOURS TO TALK ABOUT SUCCESSFUL CAPITAL PROJECT PENNIES THAT THEY PASSED AND UNSUCCESSFUL IN WHAT THEY IDENTIFIED AS THEIR
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DEFICIENCIES THAT THEY THEN CORRECTED AND THEN PASSED.SO SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE EIGHT YEARS AND A PENNY.
THAT IS A, THAT'S WHAT THE LAW ALLOWS.
THAT'S WHAT GENERATES SUFFICIENT FUNDS FOR NOT JUST THE COUNTY AS WE'LL LEARN LATER FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN THE COUNTY TO MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NECESSARY.
THE NEXT RECOMMENDATION WAS TO ALLOCATE THESE PROCEEDS.
BASICALLY, IN PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS, BOTH HERE AND ELSEWHERE, UM, THERE HAS BEEN A SOLICITATION OF PROJECTS TO EVERYONE WITHIN THE COUNTY TO BRING FORTH YOUR PROJECTS AND IT BECOMES AN INFINITE LIST.
AND INVARIABLY THERE ARE PEOPLE WITH HURT FEELINGS.
AND SO THE IDEA WOULD BE TO USE REAL NUMBERS.
AND WE WOULD, OUR RECOMMENDATION AFTER TALKING TO OTHERS AND INTERNALLY IS TO USE CENSUS DATA.
THERE ARE NUMBERS THAT ARE PUBLISHED AND NOT BY US THAT WE COULD USE TO POTENTIALLY ALLOCATE FUNDS WITHIN THE COUNTY FOR THOSE PROJECTS TO BE PUT FORTH.
SO THE NEXT ONE IS ALLOW THE JURISDICTIONS TO WORK WITHIN THEIR GOVERNING BODIES AND STAFF TO PROPOSE THEIR PROJECTS WITHIN THEIR MUNICIPALITY WITH FUNDS POTENTIALLY ALLOCATED TO THEM.
THEREFORE, YOU GET BUY-IN AND WE'LL TALK OVER TIME MULTIPLE TIMES ABOUT PEOPLE ROWING IN THE SAME DIRECTION.
THE NEXT ONE, AS WE LEARNED IN LOOKING AT FAILED REFERENDUMS HERE AND ELSEWHERE, IS THE PROJECTS NEED TO BE VERY FOCUSED, CLEAR IN SCOPE AND ACCOMPLISHABLE WITHIN THE TIMELINE.
THE GOOD PART ABOUT OUR CAPITAL PROJECT SALES TAX IS EVERYTHING IS CLEARLY LISTED ON A BALLOT WHEN IF WE TALK LATER ABOUT RESURFACING, IT'S NOT GONNA SAY RESURFACING FOR X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS.
IT'LL SAY RESURFACING OF THIS ROAD, THAT ROAD, THIS ROAD SPECIFICALLY WHERE THAT HAPPENS.
AND THAT IS WHAT IF TASKED A COMMISSION WOULD GO OUT IF, IF THE COUNTY DECIDED TO DO SUCH A THING INTO THE COMMUNITIES AND SAY, WHERE, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOUR, WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST NEEDS? WE DON'T NEED TO INVENT THESE THINGS.
AND THEREFORE, AGAIN, THIS IS MORE IN THE RURAL AREAS OF UNINCORPORATED BEAUFORT COUNTY.
YOU ARE GETTING BUY-IN AND INPUT ON WHAT PROJECTS WOULD BE UNDERTAKEN THERE.
JUST LIKE WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH JURISDICTIONS AND MUNICIPALITIES.
NEXT, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, WE CAN ONLY EDUCATE AND PROVIDE INFORMATION ON WHAT PROJECTS ARE, WHAT PROJECTS AREN'T, WHAT THE ACTIVITIES WILL BE.
WE CAN'T SAY IT IS GOOD WE FROM, FROM HERE OR FROM THERE.
BUT WHAT SUCCESSFUL GROUPS DID IS THEY ENLISTED IT OUTSIDE GROUP.
IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT WHERE WE HAVE MULTIPLE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, WHICH ARE GREAT BECAUSE THERE ARE THEN MULTIPLE VOICES THAT CAN ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF WHATEVER THIS QUESTION AND PROJECTS MIGHT BE.
HOWEVER, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM COMMUNICATION WITH OTHERS IS THAT THERE WOULD BE ONE SINGULAR GROUP THAT WOULD REFINE THE MESSAGE, DEFINE THE TALKING POINTS, AND THEN HARNESS THE POWER OF THESE ENTITIES TO GO FORTH.
BECAUSE THE, THE MESSAGE FROM THE HILTON HEAD CHAMBER POTENTIALLY WILL, THEY MIGHT FOCUS ON, UH, POINTS SEVEN THROUGH 12, AND THE BEAUFORT REGIONAL MAY FOCUS ON POINTS ONE TO SEVEN.
BUT THE POINT IS, THE POINTS AND THE REPETITION AND THE CONSISTENCY OF MESSAGE IS VERY IMPORTANT.
OUR JOB IS TO SIMPLY PROVIDE THOSE FACTS.
SOMEBODY ELSE OUTSIDE, WE HAVE TO FIND THAT ADVOCATING GROUP THAT IS IN, IN ONE EXAMPLE, THEY HAD A GROUP CALLED THE SPEAKERS BUREAU, BUT THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE, BUT WE HAVE TO, IT'S, IT'S IN ALL OF THIS IS COUNTY COUNCIL AND STAFF HAS TO RELINQUISH A LITTLE BIT OF CONTROL AT MULTIPLE POINTS.
ONE OF THE POINTS IS ALLOCATION OF FUNDING TO JURISDICTIONS TO PUT FORTH THEIR PROJECTS.
THE COMMISSION WOULD DEEM THOSE PROJECTS ELIGIBLE BY THE RULES, WHICH WE'LL GET TO IN A SECOND.
AND THEY WOULD FORMULATE THAT BALLOT QUESTION THAT WOULD COME BACK TO US.
THE SECOND PART IS THAT ADVOCATING WE CAN GO, LIKE WE JUST SAID, YOU CAN EDUCATE, BUT WE HAVE TO TRUST, WE HAVE TO FIND THIS PARTNER GROUP THAT IS GONNA DO THIS FOR US AND TRUST THE PROCESS THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE MARCHING FORTH ACTION STEPS.
SO WE HAVE TO DEFINE THE ALLOWABLE PROJECTS.
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OF, WE DISCUSSED IN A PREVIOUS MEETING, DO WE REFINE THIS? DO WE SAY WE ONLY WANT TO DO TRANSPORTATION IN BUILDINGS? DO WE ONLY WANT TO DO FLOOD CONTROL OR CULTURAL RECREATION, UH, IN DISCUSSION WITH OTHERS? WE AS A COUNTY, YOU'LL SEE HOW ALLOCATIONS FALL OUT HERE.TOWARDS THE END WE CAN, THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE CAN REFINE WHAT WE PUT FORTH AS OUR PROJECTS.
BUT TO PUT HANDCUFFS ON, UH, MUNICIPALITY OR JURISDICTION, AGAIN, IS, IS KIND OF CHIPPING AWAY AT THAT BUY-IN AND ROWING IN THE SAME DIRECTION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE TIMELINE.
I'M SKIPPING TO THE END AND I'LL COME BACK TO THIS AT THE END, BUT THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
THE GOOD NEWS IS WORK IN THE MIDDLE.
THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE THAT HAVE PLANNED TWO YEARS OUT OR MORE.
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME THAT PLANNED SIX MONTHS OUT OR LESS AND HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND WORKING WITH OTHERS.
WE FEEL LIKE IF COUNCIL CHOOSES TO MOVE FORWARD, WHICH WILL COME TO THAT QUESTION AT THE END, AND WE GET THIS COMMISSION ESTABLISHED AT THE END OF THE SUMMERTIME, IT'D BE GREAT TO BE AT THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST.
THAT GROUP THEN PUTS OUT THE REQUEST TO THE MUNICIPALITIES AND US TO FORMULATE OUR PROJECTS.
THAT GIVES US FROM SEPTEMBER TO FEBRUARY TO GET PROPER COST ESTIMATES, PROPER REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY TO DEFINE THE DIFFERENT ROADS AND NEEDS OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.
AND ALSO FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES TO DO THE SAME, WHETHER BECAUSE THERE'S GONNA BE DISCUSSION, THE LIST OF NEEDS IS GOING TO OUTSTRETCH.
I MEAN, IN A PERFECT WORLD, WE WOULD, THERE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING, BUT WE KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE.
BUT THOSE, WE HAVE TO GIVE TIME FOR THE INTERNAL DISCUSSION, COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSION.
THERE'S GONNA BE NEED FOR US AS STAFFS AND AS COUNCILS TO TALK TO EACH OTHER BECAUSE IT'S ONE BALLOT FOR ONE COUNTY THAT SERVES MUNICIPALITIES, OF WHICH THE CITIZENS ARE COUNTY RESIDENTS AS WELL.
SO IF WE WANT TO BE A TEAM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK AS A TEAM AND HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
THIS GIVES US TIME TO DO SO, TO BUILD THE COMMISSION PROPERLY, TO BUILD THE PROJECT LIST PROPERLY SO WE HAVE THE BEST CHANCE FOR SUCCESS.
SO MARCH, I THINK WE'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS.
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PENNY COMMISSION BY LAW IS, THAT'S THE SIX MEMBER COMMISSION.
SHOULD WE NOT BE STARTING THAT NOW SO THAT BY AUGUST WE NOW KNOW WHO THAT COMMISSION IS MADE UP OF? GREAT QUESTION.
THAT'S WHY THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT I MEANT OF THESE COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSIONS.
THOSE DISCUSSIONS NEED TO, IF YOU SO CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD, THOSE DISCUSSIONS NEED TO BEGIN.
NOW, AUGUST WOULD BE THE ACTUAL VOTING OF COUNTY COUNCIL TO ESTABLISH SAID COMMISSION, BUT THE MAKEUP OF THAT COMMISSION IS IMPORTANT.
AND WE COULD GO DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE.
THIS WHAT THIS LITTLE HIGHLIGHTED SHEET IS HERE OF, UH, HOW IT WORKS.
BUT IN A NUTSHELL, THREE COUNTY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS AND THEN MATH DETERMINES HOW MUNICIPALITIES APPOINT CURRENTLY BY 2020.
HILTON HEAD IS THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS ENOUGH NUMBERS TO HAVE A DIRECT ONE IN THE EQUATION.
IN THE BEST CASE SCENARIOS, THERE HAVE BEEN REPRESENTATIVES FROM MULTIPLE MUNICIPALITIES, EVEN IF THERE WAS ONLY ONE THAT COULD DO SO, BACK TO THE POINT OF TEAMWORK AND FULLY REACHING OUT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
BUT THE CONVERSATIONS START NOW, BUT THE ESTABLISHMENT WOULD BE BY AUGUST.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW? OKAY, GO AHEAD.
THEY, THEY RECEIVED THESE PROJECTS IN MARCH AND BY MAY THEY WOULD HAVE THE REFINED LIST.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY.
THEY'RE ADDITIONALLY, IF THERE'S MORE THAN THE MONEY IS IN A SET ALLOCATION, THEY WOULD THEN RANK THOSE PROJECTS.
BUT I BELIEVE IF GIVEN NOTICE AND GIVEN HONEST OPEN INFORMATION, MUNICIPALITIES KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE TO WORK WITH AND THEY'RE GONNA COME FORWARD, EVEN IF THEY'RE ELIGIBLE, THEY'RE STILL GONNA BE RANKED BECAUSE CERTAIN THINGS HAVE TO HAPPEN FIRST.
AND IF FOR SOME REASON MONEY RUNS OUT, THOSE HAPPEN IN THAT ORDER BECAUSE THINGS CHANGE.
WE ARE GONNA ENCOURAGE, AS WE'VE SAID BEFORE, EVERYONE TO BUILD IN NOT 20, 25 NUMBERS INTO THEIR PROJECTED PROJECTS.
SO FROM THEN THEY GIVE THIS, THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA FORMULATE THE QUESTION.
AND WHAT THE QUESTION IS, IS LITERALLY A LIST OF PROJECTS.
AND IF YOU'D LIKE AN EXAMPLE, WE CAN FIND THEM MULTIPLE ONLINE.
AND IT'S AGAIN, VERY SPECIFIC, VERY CLEAR AND ACCOMPLISHABLE, THEY'RE GONNA SUBMIT A QUESTION TO YOU GUYS IN MAY AT THAT POINT, COUNTY COUNCIL VOTES TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT QUESTION OR NOT.
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ABSOLUTELY IT.THAT IS WHEN YOU'RE AT THAT POINT, YOU'RE GETTING A LIST OF ROADS, A LIST OF ONE 70 FROM HERE TO HERE, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A SECOND.
OR, YOU KNOW, VERY, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE ACTUAL BALLOT QUESTION HANDED TO YOU TO APPROVE OR TO OR DISAPPROVE OF.
UH, HANK, UH, I WANNA CIRCLE BACK A LITTLE TO THE AUGUST DATE WHERE THERE'S AN ORDINANCE TO CREATE THE COMMISSION WHEN THAT IS CREATED, SHOULDN'T WE ALREADY KNOW WHO THE MEMBERS WILL BE SO THAT BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, WE CAN WORK TO GET THOSE PEOPLE IDENTIFIED SO THAT WE'RE NOT JUST CREATING THE COMMISSION UNDER AN ORDINANCE, BUT CREATING THE MEMBERSHIP OF THAT COMMISSION AS WELL SO THEY CAN START BUSINESS IN AUGUST RATHER THAN OCTOBER.
AND THAT'S WHAT, AS MR. PASSMAN SAID, THAT'S WHY THOSE DISCUSSIONS HAPPEN NOW TO SAY HOW DO WE BUILD THAT TEAM PROPERLY? OKAY.
SO THAT WHENEVER YOU GUYS CREATE THE COMMISSION, IT'S A COMMISSION WITH NAMES.
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, IT WAS AUGUST, IT'S TIME TO PUT OUT A LETTER TO SOLICIT THESE PROJECTS FROM THE COMMISSION TO EVERYBODY THAT'S GONNA BE POTENTIALLY PUTTING FORTH PROJECTS.
BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA GET THOSE SUBMISSIONS UNTIL THE COMMISSION IS CREATED IN AUGUST.
WELL, WE WON'T GET SUBMISSIONS FORMALLY, BUT I MEAN, WE WON'T, WE'RE GONNA KNOW.
I MEAN, I WOULD, I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY IN TALKING TO DIFFERENT STAFFS AROUND THE COUNTY YEAH.
JUST LIKE THE COUNTY AS WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MINUTE, PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.
SO WHAT'S THE DOLLAR AMOUNT WE'RE FOCUSING ON AND WHAT'S THE YEARS WE'RE FOCUSING ON? OKAY, IT'S, WELL, I'LL, THAT'S, WE'RE GETTING THERE.
NOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ANY ACTION, BUT AS A RESULT OF OUR DISCUSSION, IT WILL BE THE PATH WE WANT FORWARD AT THE QUOTE UNQUOTE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING WHERE WE CAN TAKE ACTION TO SAY WE DO WANT A CAPITAL PENNY.
THEREFORE WE MUST NOW BEGIN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THE COMMISSION SO THAT WE PUT OUT THE INFORMATION BECAUSE WE HAVE TO SOLICIT THREE MEMBERS AND OUR MUNICIPALITIES HAVE TO SEEK THEIRS.
AND THAT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME.
AND DIRECTION TO STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION FROM COUNCIL WAS WOULD, WE WOULD BE LOOKING FOR THAT? ABSOLUTELY.
JUST FOLLOW UP WHAT I SAID AND THEN I'M DONE.
UM, THIS CAN'T BE A STANDALONE.
THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS FROM 2018 NEED TO BE ANSWERED.
AND UM, A LOT OF THE WORK THERE WAS INTERRUPTED FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS BECAUSE OF, UH, EPIDEMIC.
AND THEN AFTER THE EPIDEMIC SETTLED DOWN, WE COULDN'T GET PEOPLE TO WORK BECAUSE OF THE BACKLOG AND THE INCREASED PRICES.
BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THE $80 MILLION THAT WE COLLECTED, THAT WE SPENT IT SOMEWHERE AND THEY DON'T REALIZE WE HAVE THAT MONEY IN THE BANK AND READY TO USE FOR, FOR, UH, PROJECTS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED.
AND I THINK AS PART OF OUR EDUCATION CAMPAIGN HERE, YOU HAVE TO TELL PEOPLE WHO DON'T REALIZE IT, THAT THE MONEY WASN'T SPENT SOMEWHERE, BUT RATHER IS BEING USED TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE PROBLEM, SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WERE ACTUALLY ADDRESSED.
MAYBE NOT ALL OF THEM, BECAUSE DURING THE FIVE YEARS THAT NOTHING WAS HAPPENING, ESSENTIALLY PRICES HAVE GONE UP.
SO WE HAD TO ELIMINATE A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN 2018.
BUT THAT'S GOTTA BE A PART OF WHAT WE SELL AND TELL ABOUT WHERE WE ARE WITH THIS IF WE'RE GOING FORWARD.
BECAUSE THERE'S UNANSWERED QUESTIONS IN THE COMMUNITY AS TO WHAT ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS.
WHAT DID YOU DO WITH ALL THE MONEY? THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN MARCH.
AND WE'RE GONNA BRING THAT FORWARD TO YOU GUYS IN THE FORM OF A HARD AND FAST RESOLUTION TO DEFINE THESE PROJECTS.
AND AT THAT OF WHAT WILL BE DONE WITH THE FUNDING TO SHOW.
AND I, I CAN TELL YOU, UM, MONEY COLLECTED IN ANY REFERENDUM BASED TAX, ANY, BUT ESPECIALLY IN THESE, IS TIGHTLY MONITORED AND CANNOT JUST BE SPENT ON DIFFERENT THINGS.
UH, PEOPLE GO TO JAIL FOR THAT.
UM, SO
NO, BUT THE THING IS, WE'RE TELLING PEOPLE I AGREE WITH YOU.
THAT'S WHY, AND JARED, IT'S A DIFFERENT MEETING, BUT JARED, JARED IS GONNA BRING THAT LIST.
THAT'S WHAT WE REFINED WITH YOU GUYS IN MARCH TO SAY, HERE'S THE PROJECTS, HERE'S EXACTLY HOW MUCH MONEY'S IN THAT ACCOUNT THAT WE WENT OVER IN MARCH.
WE'RE GONNA REPEAT THAT AND SHOW THIS IS HOW WE PROVE THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THOSE GOALS.
IT'S PROBABLY IN YOUR PRESENTATION AND IT'S WHAT MUCH TO WHERE MR. MCCLEAN'S GOING.
UH, IS THERE AN OPTION? HAVE YOU EXPLORED THE OPTION OF TAKING THE SAME APPROACH AND HOLDING OFF UNTIL 28? AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY.
YOU TALKED ABOUT COMPRESSION AND GETTING THINGS OUT THERE, GETTING A BUY-IN.
I FOCUS ON WHAT WE HEARD NOVEMBER 5TH AND PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTY SAID NO TO THAT TAX REFERENDUM.
WE QUICKLY HEARD FROM PEOPLE THAT WE BETTER NOT
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CONSIDER MILLAGE RAISING MILLAGE TAB.UH, THE VICE CHAIR ADDRESSED THAT VERY SUCCINCTLY.
ARE YOU GONNA SHARE WITH US TODAY IF IT MAKES SENSE AS A COUNTY AND AS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PEOPLE TO HOLD OFF UNTIL 28.
28? THOSE ARE POLITICAL DECISIONS THAT ARE UP TO YOU GUYS.
YEAH, BUT I'M SAYING GOOD ANSWER.
WE HAVE A STAFF HERE COME TO US TODAY, BUT WE, WE CAN'T ANSWER POLITICAL QUESTIONS.
WE'RE GONNA TELL YOU WHAT THE NEEDS ARE.
HERE ARE YOUR OPTIONS OF HOW TO SOLVE THOSE NEEDS.
THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT JUST FOR, SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE TRANSPORTATION SALES TAX PENNY.
VERY DIFFERENT IN THAT EVERY SINGLE PROJECT IS DEFINED VERY CLEARLY.
I'M HAPPY WITH THE TIMELINE BECAUSE IN THAT ONE, AS YOU, YOU HEARD FROM PEOPLE, AND I'LL, I'LL REPEAT.
THERE WERE A BUCKET OF MONEY FOR X, Y, Z.
THAT IS WHY I BELIEVE COUNSEL SAID LET'S GO FORWARD WITH A CAPITAL PENNY.
BECAUSE IT GIVES US DISCIPLINE BY LAW THAT YOU HAVE TO DEFINE THESE PROJECTS AND CLEARLY SPELL OUT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO WITH THE MONEY AND WITH, WITH A DOT ON THE MAP OF WHERE THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
HEY, IS THIS BETTER? CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME BETTER WITH THIS? THANK YOU.
I HOPE THE FOLKS ONLINE HEARD IT.
'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S TONS OF PEOPLE LINED UP WATCHING US.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WHEN I LOOK AT THE PEOPLE WE INTERACT WITH, UM, WHETHER IT'S A CAPITAL, WHETHER IT'S A SUPER PENNY, WHETHER IT'S A REF, WHATEVER IT IS, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT TAKING THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY AND USING IT.
AND I'M NOT TALKING POLITICAL OR NOT, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT TAKING ANYBODY'S MONEY.
WELL, WHAT I'M SAYING, WHAT I'M SAYING, WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING FOR AN EIGHT YEAR, UH, WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
WE JUST HEARD NOVEMBER 5TH THAT NO TO TAX, WE SAID NO TO MILLAGE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE.
AND, AND JUST YOU TALKED BEFORE ABOUT THERE HAVE BEEN TAX REFERENDUMS THAT HAVE PASSED IN A COMPRESSED AMOUNT OF TIME AND AND EXPANDED.
WHAT IS THAT? I MEAN, WHAT'S THAT NUMBER OUT OF ALL THE, THE HISTORY OF TAX ASK OR WHATEVER YOU WANNA, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE PROBABILITY, I MEAN, OF GETTING THIS PASSED? WELL, I THINK HE'S GONNA GO A LITTLE BIT INTO THAT.
WE CAN'T PREDICT THE PROBABILITY AT THIS POINT.
WHAT, WHETHER IT'S GONNA PASS OR, YEAH, I MEAN IT IS JUST TO DISCUSS HOW, HOW TO APPROACH IT.
MAY, MAY I JUST MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT.
I THINK IT'D BE VERY HELPFUL HERE TO LOOK BACK A LITTLE BIT.
I KNOW THE VOTE, UH, NORTH AND SOUTH OF ABROAD WAS DIFFERENT AND THAT THE, UH, THE, UH, VOTE AGAINST THIS, THE LAST REFERENDUM, UH, WAS THERE WERE A LOT OF PRECINCTS.
I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WE COULD FIND OUT WHAT PRECINCTS SAID YES AND WHAT PRECINCTS SAID NO.
AND ACTUALLY FIND OUT WHAT THE PERCENTAGE WAS THAT CAUSED THIS TO FAIL.
BECAUSE EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT A BIG NO.
WELL, IT WASN'T A BIG NO, IT WASN'T, IT WAS A CLOSE.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO TRY AND FOCUS IN THOSE AREAS WHERE THERE WAS A BIG YES, BECAUSE THERE WERE BIG YESES IN A NUMBER OF PRECINCTS.
NOW THAT WILL HELP US, THAT WILL HELP GUIDE US GOING FORWARD ON HOW WE CAN PRESENT THINGS TO PEOPLE AND WHO NEEDS TO MAYBE HEAR MORE THAN OTHERS.
BUT IT'S A, IT'S ALSO SOMETHING WE SHOULD CONSIDER SO THAT PEOPLE DON'T KEEP SAYING, EVERYBODY SAID NO, BECAUSE IT WASN'T EVERYBODY WHO SAID NO.
IN ONE OF OUR MEETINGS WITH A DIFFERENT COUNTY THAT STUDIED A NO VERSUS A YES.
UH, ONE OF THE TACTICS THAT WILL BE UNDERTAKEN IF WE SO CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD IS PRECINCT BY PRECINCT IN INVESTIGATION AND WHY INVESTIGATION.
AND THEY, THEY DISCOVERED SOME REALLY UNUSUAL THINGS, DIDN'T THEY? AND SOME OF THE PRECINCTS.
AND ALSO YOU MIGHT, YOU MIGHT REALIZE THAT A MESSAGE WAS CONVOLUTED OR INCORRECTLY STATED.
THAT'S WHY THE UNI UNI UNITY OF MESSAGING AND DATA HAS TO BE UNIFORM AND CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT.
UH, BUT THAT'S PART OF THAT ADVOCAT ADVOCATING BY THIS THIRD PARTY OUTSIDE GROUP WILL BE GIVEN ALL OF THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE THAT IS HOW YOU TURN THE TIDE.
AND TO YOUR POINT, LARRY, THAT AND WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION WHEN WE START DOING THE DEEP LOOK INTO IT.
AND I THINK HIRING, I MEAN, I HAD IT FOR MY DISTRICT.
I DON'T CALL IT ADVOCATING, BUT EDUCATIONAL.
MORE EDUCATIONAL AND, AND HAVING A GREAT, MANY PEOPLE, LISTEN, WE DID IT WITH STAFF, THEY DID A GREAT JOB, BUT WE HAD A, A LIMIT.
WE CAN HIRE SOMEONE WHO DOES THIS FOR A LIVING AND, UH, MAKE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE IN THE AREAS THAT NEED TO RECEIVE INFORMATION SO THEY CAN MAKE AN INFORMED JUDGMENT ON THIS.
I THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT WAY TO GO.
CHAIRMAN, SIR, LET, LEMME JUST MAKE A COMMENT.
UM, WHEN I, WHEN I, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE, UM, PAST REFERENDUM AND THE FAILURE, AND I CAN TELL YOU IT FAILED IN MY COMMUNITY ALL OVER EVERY, EVERY PRECINCT IN MY COMMUNITY.
[00:30:01]
OR IN MY DISTRICT.UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I HEARD FROM A CITIZEN WHO WAS A FORMER REPRESENTATIVE, UH, EDIE ROGERS, SHE SAID THE, THE, THE, THE REFERENDUM WAS NOT SPECIFIC.
IT DID NOT HAVE DETAIL WHAT ROAD YOU'RE GONNA PAVE, WHAT BUILDING YOU GONNA DO.
AND, UM, SHE SAID, WE NEED TO DO THAT.
AND SHE USED JASPER COUNTY AS AN EXAMPLE.
UM, I THINK YOU ARE HEADING IN, WE ARE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, UM, FOR THE CITIZENS.
THEY WANT TO KNOW AND THEY WANT TO HAVE A BUY-IN TO IT.
UM, AND, AND, AND I THINK WHEN YOU DECENTRALIZE IT AND GET COMMUNITY INPUT FROM ALL OVER, I THINK WE, WE SHOULD BE HEADING TOWARD A YES.
I, AND SHE, AND SHE'S IN MY DISTRICT, SHE GAVE ME THE SAME INPUT.
I, I TAKE, I TOOK IT THAT SERIOUSLY RESPECT TO HER, ALY.
I RESPECT, I RESPECT HER A LOT.
EDIE ROGERS, SHE BE STATE REPRESENTATIVE, UM, IN NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
I JUST SAY THAT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IS REQUIRED AND WE NEED TO DO PROPERLY.
THAT'S WHY WE TALKED ABOUT CLEAR, FOCUSED, CONCISE DETAIL OF WHAT IS BEING DONE WITH THIS.
SO EDUCATION CAMPAIGN IS AUGUST TO NOVEMBER, UH, THAT WAS RECOMMENDED.
THERE'S A KIND OF A SWEET SPOT OF SOMETIMES PEOPLE HAVE STARTED TOO EARLY AND, UH, THE, THE NEWS CYCLE TURNS OVER FOUR TIMES IN, IN THE, IN THAT SAME PERIOD.
THIS IS WHAT HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED BECAUSE THIS IS WITHIN, UH, THE, THE PROPER WINDOW.
AND THEN ELECTION DAY, THAT'S OUT OF OUR HANDS.
UH, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THIS POPULATION BROKE DOWN IN THE 2020 CENSUS.
THERE ARE ZEROS IN HARVILLE AND YMSC BECAUSE IT DOESN'T COUNT THAT GRANULARLY.
YOU'LL SEE WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AT THE END TO PROPERLY SPREAD THERE.
BUT THIS IS JUST WHAT YOU CAN PULL FROM US CENSUS DATA OF WHAT'S IN THOSE MUNICIPALITIES.
BUT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THE NUMBERS ARE THE NUMBERS AND THAT'S HOW IT BREAKS OUT.
ALL OF THIS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO US AFTER THE MEETING, CORRECT? ABSOLUTELY.
AND WE CAN SEND IT OUT TO OTHERS.
SO WHAT WOULD BE OUR POTENTIAL PROJECTS? THESE ARE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE IN CAPITAL NEEDS.
UH, WE'VE HAD PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS TO KIND OF REFINE SOME OF THEM.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WHEN Y'ALL BOUGHT THE PROPERTY, THE COOLER TRACT.
WE TALKED ABOUT A BIG LAW ENFORCEMENT CONSOLIDATED CAMPUS AND DISCUSSIONS WITH THE SHERIFF.
AND, AND IT'S REALLY BEEN REFINED INTO WHAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE ON THAT SITE.
AND IT CAN BE A LITTLE BIT SMALLER, BUT IT'S THOSE NECESSARY OPERATIONS THAT ARE GOOD IN THE CENTER.
AND IT POTENTIALLY EVEN BREEDS A REGIONAL IDEA WHEN IT COMES TO, AND I WROTE IT HERE WITH A CENTRALIZED COMMUNICATIONS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS RESPONSE CENTER.
SO THAT WOULD BE EOC, EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, 9 1 1 INVESTIGATIONS WITH FORENSICS LAB AND EVIDENCE STORAGE FACILITY, WHICH CURRENTLY WE HAVE CRAMMED ON DEPOT ROAD.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT WHETHER THEY'RE SOMEBODY, UH, DEPUTIES WORKING IN HILTON HEAD OR IN LOKO BRINGS IT TO A CENTRAL LOCATION.
THESE THINGS HAPPEN AT FROM ONE POINT AND A CENTRAL EMS FACILITY BECAUSE THEY ALSO DO THE SAME THING.
UH, THE SHERIFF WAS CLEAR IN SAYING IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE SENSE FOR HEADQUARTERS OR A BIG STATION BECAUSE BEING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND DECENTRALIZED IS ACTUALLY GOOD FOR OPERATION AND REACH THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT ONE? IDEAS? MM-HMM.
SECOND IS, WHEN I SAY NEW DETENTION CENTER, WHAT WE'VE REALLY DISCUSSED AS A NEW DETENTION CENTER IS A MAJOR LEAGUE LONG-TERM UNDERTAKING.
WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS A DETENTION CENTER EXPANSION AS A PHASE ONE FOR A LONG-TERM RE LONG-TERM GROWTH, WHICH WOULD EVENTUALLY, THE OLD BUILDING IS GONNA GO AWAY, BUT IT DOESN'T NEED TO GO AWAY TODAY.
AND SO I'LL SHOW YOU A PICTURE LATER ABOUT HOW DO WE DO THIS ON SITE, SAVE MONEY, GROW EX GROW CAPACITY IN A WAY THAT WE CAN CONT CONTINUE TO USE THE EXISTING FACILITY, THE SHERIFF AND OTHERS.
LIKE THE IDEA OF IT BEING RIGHT THERE WITH THE COURTHOUSE, BECAUSE GUESS WHERE THOSE INDIVIDUALS GO.
IT HELPS US SAVE MONEY AND STAY FUNCTIONAL AS WE EXPERIENCE MOST, A LOT OF US TODAY, AND IT'S BEEN SPOKEN ABOUT FOR A WHILE, IS THE ONE 70 CORRIDOR.
AND THAT WE WOULD BE VERY CLEAR AND SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT WOULD BE DONE ON.
IT WON'T JUST SAY ONE 70 CORRIDOR.
IT WOULD SAY A, WITHOUT COMMITTING, I'M JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, WIDEN HERE.
[00:35:02]
HERE.THIS TYPE OF IMPROVEMENT HERE.
VERY SPECIFIC TO GRANULAR LOCATION OF ACTIVITIES TO MOVE THAT CORRIDOR TO BE MORE FUNCTIONAL AS IT HANDLES THE NORTH SOUTH CONDUIT OF ALL OF US MOVING ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND THEN TO REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AROUND.
WE COULD, IF, IF THE COUNTY COUNCIL SHOULD SO CHOOSE TO SAY, OKAY, LET'S FOCUS ON SOME TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS.
MAYBE THAT'S RESURFACING, MAYBE THAT'S THEIR ROAD PAVING.
THAT'S UP FOR YOU GUYS TO DECIDE.
THAT IS WHERE YOU, THE COMMISSION GOES OUT INTO THE AREAS UNINCORPORATED BEAUFORT COUNTY TO SAY, TELL US WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE.
TELL US WHAT THE WORST ROAD IS.
THAT'S WHERE, BECAUSE IN THE SUCCESSFUL COUNTIES, THEY'RE ABLE TO PUT UP A MAP OF PROJECTS OF THE COUNTY AND EVERY AREA OF THAT COUNTY FELT ADDRESSED.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
AND THEN I PUT IT WITH A QUESTION MARK.
'CAUSE THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSIONS AND I'LL SHOW SOME PICTURES LATER.
DO WE WANT TO, AS A COUNTY COUNCIL SAY, I'M NOT ADVOCATING ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
YOU'RE, DO YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING WITH RECREATION? WHETHER THAT'S FIELDS, WHETHER THAT'S A SPORTS TOURISM FACILITY.
THAT'S FOR YOU ALL TO THINK ABOUT.
UM, WE'VE HAD PREVIOUS DISCUSSION, UH, IN THE BUDGET PROCESS OF SOME THINGS MIGHT BE ABLE, IF WE CAN TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THESE BIG TICKET ITEMS THROUGH THIS PROCESS, POSSIBLY OUR CIP BUDGET ON AN ONGOING BASIS CAN ADDRESS OTHER ISSUES.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE A, A PLANNING PROCESS OF BALANCE.
SO, BUT THIS IS FOR YOUR DISCUSSION AND YOUR DECISION.
BUT THOSE, THAT'S ANOTHER OPTION OF SOMETHING WE COULD DO.
ANY, ANY IDEAS ABOUT THESE OTHERS OR COMMENTS THAT WE, THAT THEY'RE THROWING OUT THERE? YES.
WE HAVE A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY IN THE CAPITAL PROJECTS ARENA TO ADDRESS THINGS THAT WOULD AFFECT THE ENTIRE COUNTY FOR MANY, MANY YEARS TO COME IN THE FORM OF RECREATION, IN THE FORM OF ADDITIONAL PROJECTS, ROAD IMPROVEMENTS, THINGS THAT WE COULD DO.
I KNOW THAT USCB IS PLANNING A MAJOR ADDITION TO THEIR CAMPUS THAT COULD HAVE GRAND IMPLICATIONS OF RECREATION ACTIVITIES THERE, UM, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
THE FACT THAT THAT BUILDING THAT THEY'RE CONSIDERING BUILDING THAT CONVOCATION CENTER COULD HOUSE 4,500 PEOPLE FOR EVENTS, UH, COULD BE USED IN THE CASE OF EMERGENCIES, HURRICANES AS AN EVACUATION CENTER, WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE HERE NOW.
SO THERE'S LOTS OF POSSIBILITIES.
THIS COMMISSION COULD TAKE UP JUST ONE COMMENT AND LOOKING AT THIS, WHICH IS GREAT.
YOU STILL HAVEN'T TOLD ME HOW MUCH MONEY YOU WANT, BUT I'M NOT, I'M GONNA GO HERE
IF I PUT, IF I PUT THAT SLIDE UP FIRST, WE FIXATE.
I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT CONCEPT, NOT A CONCEPT, NOT A TOTAL LIVE TV.
I THINK WE HAVE TO CONSIDER WHAT THE SALES TAX, WHICH IS WHAT IT IS, IS GOING TO BRING IN FROM THE PEOPLE WHO RESIDE HERE AND THE PEOPLE WHO VISIT HERE.
BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S NECESSARY FOR US TO USE ALL OF THAT MONEY FOR PROJECTS BECAUSE THERE MAY BE SOME ALTERNATE TYPE OF FUNDING WE CAN USE FOR BIG PROJECTS LIKE THAT.
UM, THAT, UH, CENTRALIZED LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER WHERE MAYBE WE GO TO A BOND ISSUE AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE TO DRAW DOWN ON THE MONEY COMING IN FROM A PENNY SALES TAX, UH, TO DEAL WITH THAT.
SO ALL I'M SAYING IS AS WE, AS WE CONSIDER ALL OF THESE THINGS, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD JUST FOCUS ON HOW MUCH ARE WE GONNA GET FROM THE SALES TAX.
LET'S LOOK AT THE PROJECTS AND THEN SEE WHAT THE ALTERNATE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS MAY BE.
THAT WOULD COMPLIMENT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS IN PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, THAT YOU WOULD THEN SAY, HEY, I'M NOT ASKING TO FUND THIS ENTIRE PROJECT.
IT MIGHT JUST BE A PORTION THAT'S WHAT WOULD COME FORWARD TO THE FINAL BALLOT QUESTION.
IT'S IMPORTANT JUST TO LEAVE THAT AS AN OPEN DOOR.
I WANNA TAKE YOU BACK TO HILTON HEAD FOR THE 950 MILLION NOVEMBER 5TH REFERENDUM.
UM, THERE WAS A PROCESS BY WHICH YOU WENT TO HILTON HEAD AND YOU TARGETED AT 30 OR 33 MILLION FOR THE INE CIRCLE.
TELL US ABOUT THAT PROCESS, HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK THIS TIME.
NOW THAT MUNICIPALITY HAS A LOT MORE NEEDS THAN THE INE CIRCLE.
HOW DID WE GET THAT 30 MILLION TARGETED FOR THE INE CIRCLE? IS THAT SOMETHING YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MUNICIPALITIES, LIKE YOU SAID, ABOUT ONE REPRESENTATIVE COMING FROM HILTON HEAD FOR IDENTIFYING PROJECTS? NO.
HOW DID WE DO THAT? FOR THE 900? NO, THAT THE, THERE'LL BE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM HILTON HEAD, AT LEAST ONE THAT WOULD NOT BE BRINGING FORTH PROJECTS.
THE MUNICIPALITY ITSELF WILL BRING FORTH PROJECTS.
THEY WOULD SIT ON THE COMMISSION THAT REVIEWS AND MAKES SURE THAT, THAT THEY'RE ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.
IS THAT WHAT TOOK PLACE FOR THE I HAVE NO, I WAS NOT A PART NOVEMBER 5TH.
NO, NO, THAT WASN'T, NO, THAT WAS A DIFFERENT PRO.
THAT'S A DIFFERENT PROCESS FOR A DIFFERENT SALES TAX.
[00:40:01]
HILTON HAD CAME TO YOU AND SAID THE ENTIRE MUNICIPALITY WILL FOCUS IN AND JUST GIVE THAT MONEY TO THE CINE CIRCLE.WE'RE NOT, THIS WOULD BE THE ONE REPRESENTATIVE WOULD BE ON THE COMMISSION FROM HILTON HEAD, BUT THE PROJECTS WOULD COME FROM, SO THE MUNICIPALITY ITSELF.
SO LET'S MUNICIPALITY WE CAN SKIP AHEAD TO THAT.
I'M GONNA, YOU WANNA GO? LET'S SEE WHERE THE NEXT SLIDE IS HERE.
I'M GONNA SKIP ACROSS OUR PROJECTS 'CAUSE WE KNOW WHAT THE PROJECTS ARE.
WE DON'T NEED TO SEE THAT PICTURE.
WE ALL KNOW ONE 70, THE JAIL, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT ALL THAT STUFF.
THIS IS WHAT WE'D RECOMMEND OF HOW THE FUNDING WOULD SHAKE OUT.
SO CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE OF EIGHT YEARS AT A PENNY IS ABOUT $650 MILLION.
THE ONE PROJECT THAT WE FELT LIKE AFFECTS AND BENEFITS EVERYBODY SIMILARLY IS THE PUBLIC SAFETY CAMPUS AND DETENTION CENTER THAT GO AHEAD TOGETHER.
DETENTION CENTER, PUBLIC SAFETY? NO, NOT TOGETHER.
IF YOU TAKE 'EM, IF YOU ADD THEM TOGETHER, GOT ADD THEM TOGETHER.
THIS IS JUST A, THIS IS JUST A CONVERSATION STARTER TO HELP THINK THROUGH THIS.
THIS IS NOT HANK'S BLAND
AT THAT POINT, THE DIFFERENCE IS 500.
AND IF YOU DO THAT, AND YOU'LL NOTICE I ADDED A COUPLE NUMBERS IN THERE BECAUSE THE TOTAL POPULATION IN 2020 WAS 8 1 8 7 1 1 7.
IN ORDER TO HAVE SOMETHING POTENTIALLY FOR HARDY AND YEE, WE JUST THREW IN A 400 NUMBER THAT GOT INTO THE, SOME BENEFIT OF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR THOSE MUNICIPALITIES TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS WITH.
UM, THE NUMBERS ARE NOT MUCH DIFFERENT FROM THAT, BUT IT'S OUTSIDE OF COUNTING HOUSES, WHICH I TRIED TO DO ON GIS, UH,
BUT THIS IS TO HAVE SOME ALLOCATION AGAIN SO THAT ALL, EVEN THE SMALLEST MUNICIPALITY STILL HAS BUY-IN AND INPUT AND CAN HELP PUSH FORWARD.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING.
I KNOW THE LAST ONE WAS TARGETED AND I WANNA KNOW THE PROCEDURE FOR, SO THAT'S GOOD.
SO, SO TO YOUR QUESTION, I'M GONNA BACK UP FOR A SECOND.
SO, IF THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, THE NUMBER BY THIS ESTIMATE WOULD BE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, RIGHT? THEY WOULD BRING FORTH PROJECTS TO UTILIZE THAT MONEY.
AND IF THE COMMISSION DEEMS THOSE PROJECTS ELIGIBLE AND PUTS 'EM ON THE QUESTION, THOSE PROJECTS ARE WHAT'S ON THE QUESTION.
THAT IS, AND COUNCIL AT THIS LEVEL DOESN'T GO BACK AND CHANGE THAT LIST.
THE COUNCIL SIMPLY SAYS, WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS REFERENDUM.
SO THEREFORE THEY'VE HAD THE, THE DELIBERATION TIME, THE CONSENSUS BUILDING WITHIN THEIR MUNICIPALITY TO PUT FORTH THIS PROJECT AND BACK TO GETTING US ALL ROWING IN THE SAME DIRECTION.
SO WE CAN ALL SHARE IN THE BENEFIT.
AND THERE'S NO, THIS PERSON MADE A DECISION FOR ME OR NOT.
SO BACK TO WHAT I'VE STARTED WITH, WHICH IS THE ALLOWABLE PROJECTS THAT IS NOT FOR US TO MAKE UP.
AND IF A CO AND IF A MUNICIPALITY OR JURISDICTION PUTS FORTH A PROJECT THAT'S ELIGIBLE AND THEY AGREE THAT IT'S A PRIORITY AND IT GETS ON THERE, THAT'S WHAT'S ON THERE.
SO THIS IS HOW THE MONEY WOULD, WOULD, WOULD BREAK OUT WITH, THERE'S, WE WOULD THEN OUT OF THE COUNTY UNINCORPORATED PORTION THAT WOULD BE FOR ONE 70 CORRIDOR AND OTHER PRIORITIES DEEMED A PRIORITY BY YOU ALL.
UH, LET ME ASK YOU, UM, YES, SIR.
UM, IF, IF, IF A MUNICIPALITY BROUGHT FORTH A PROJECT AND TELL YOU, LET'S USE, UM, LET'S USE THE EMBASSY.
IT HAS A MILLION DOLLARS THERE AND THEY BROUGHT FORTH A PROJECT, UM, AND THE CITIZENS OR THE COMMITTEE REJECTS THAT PROJECT, UM, SAY, UM, A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS OR THREE A HALF A, A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS GOT REJECTED, DOES THAT MONEY GO BACK INTO THE POT? UM, OR THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME FORWARD WITH SOME OTHER PROJECT TO MAKE IT, THEY WOULD'VE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME FORTH WITH OTHER PROJECTS.
THIS WOULD NOT BE A ROB PETER PAY PAUL SITUATION BY RECOMMENDATION OF OTHERS.
AND THE ONLY REASON THAT A COMMISSION WOULD DEEM SOMETHING TO REJECT IT WOULD BECAUSE IT DIDN'T COMPLY WITH THE LAW.
IT WASN'T ELIGIBLE OR, UM, NOW, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T APPLY, BECAUSE IT'S LAWFUL IS LEGAL TO DO.
SO SUPPOSE THERE IS A, A PROJECT THAT THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T LIKE AND BUT THE COMMITTEE BRING IT, BROUGHT IT FORWARD.
THE COMMITTEE WILL NOT BRING FORTH PROJECTS TO ITSELF.
[00:45:01]
OKAY.SO IT WOULD HAVE TO COME HERE.
IT WOULD COME FROM THE MUNICIPALITY.
FROM THE MUNICIPALITY TO THE COMMISSION, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS OF THAT MUNICIPALITY.
BUT THE MUNICIPALITY BASICALLY, UH, HAS BROUGHT FORTH OR MADE A RECOMMENDATION.
IT COMES THROUGH THE COMMITTEE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA GETS HERE.
UM, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY BASICALLY SAID, NO, WE DON'T WANT THIS.
THAT COMMUNITY IS WHAT BROUGHT IT FORTH.
IT'S AN SO THERE'S A PROCESS, BRING IT FORWARD.
THAT'S BACK TO THE DECENTRALIZATION AND TRUST OF THE, THE INDIVIDUAL JURISDICTIONS MAKING MOVES FOR THEMSELVES.
ARE THEY GONNA KEEP TRACK OR ARE YOU GONNA KEEP TRACK OF WHAT YOU COLLECT FROM EACH PLACE? NO.
SO THEN HOW WILL YOU DETERMINE HOW MUCH CAN BE SPENT BY EACH PLACE? IT'S RIGHT THERE.
SO YOU'RE NOT KEEPING TRACK OF WHAT THEY CONTRIBUTED FROM THEIR AREA, JUST BY POPULATION.
IS THAT IN THE STATE LEGISLATION THAT IT'S THAT WAY? NO.
SO LET'S SAY THAT, UH, PORT ROYAL WANTS A PROJECT THAT'S WORTH UH, $50 MILLION.
ARE THEY ALLOWED TO DO THAT? WELL, GOOD QUESTION.
SO I WAS THINKING ABOUT HIS, UH, I THOUGHT HE WAS GONNA SAY THEY WANTED SOMETHING BIGGER OR I WAS THINKING ABOUT WHETHER IT'S AN ARENA OR SOMETHING THAT'S KIND OF CROSSES LINES.
AND THEY HAVE $37 MILLION THERE THAT YOU THINK THEY'VE COLLECTED.
IS THAT THE NUMBER? NO, THAT'S WHAT WOULD BE, THAT IS WHAT THAT THIS IS OH, WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE AVAILABLE.
SO THEY CAN'T GO HIGHER THAN THAT.
THE ONLY WAY THEY COULD GO HIGHER, AND THIS IS THIS, WE HAD AN EXEC.
WE HAD, WELL THEY, IT WAS, LET'S JUST SAY THEY PARTNERED WITH CITY OF BEAUFORT OR THE COUNTY.
TO SAY, HEY, LET'S MAKE THIS A JOINT PRESENTATION OF A PROJECT.
BUT THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT THEY COULDN'T GO AFTER, UM, GEO BOND, SOME OTHER BONDING OR GRANTS OR OTHER THINGS.
BACK TO HIS POINT, SOME TYPE, THERE ARE GONNA BE NEEDS THAT ARE BIGGER THAN THIS.
AND SOMEBODY, WHETHER IT'S US OR SOMEBODY ELSE IS GONNA SAY, I'M, I'VE GOT THIS SEPARATE BOND, OR I'VE GOT THIS SEPARATE GRANT AND WE'RE GONNA PUT IT TOGETHER WITH THAT TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ALLOCATION? NO, BUT, UM, GOOD WITH THAT.
I MEAN THIS IS, THIS IS WORKSHOP.
THEY WOULD VOTE NO ON THE REFERENDUM, AS HE SAID.
THE REFERENDUM WOULD BE VERY SPECIFIC.
AND SO IF YI WAS GETTING A MILLION DOLLARS, YI WOULD HAVE PROJECTS LISTED UP TO THE MILLION DOLLARS.
IF THE COMMUNITY THEN SAYS, I CHANGED MY MIND, THEY WOULD VOTE NO ON THE REFERENDUM AND WE LOSE 300 VOTES.
BUT THEY COULD STILL END UP WITH THEIR ALLOCATION.
AND I AGREE WITH WHAT, WHAT HE SAID HE MADE VERY CLEAR.
BUT IF THAT, IF THAT COMMUNITY HAS A LOT MORE VOTES FOR AN EXAMPLE, THAT'S COULD BE THE DETRIMENTAL.
THAT'S WHY THE TEAM, THAT'S WHY THE TEAMWORK IS SO IMPORTANT COMING FROM THE BEGINNING.
WE DON'T WANT TO MEDDLE IN EACH OTHER'S PROJECT SELECTIONS.
WE WANT TO EMPOWER THE OTHER, OUR TEAMMATES, WHICH ARE THE MUNICIPALITIES TO MAKE THEIR PRIORITY LIST KNOWN.
AND IF THAT POINT, IF, IF I MIGHT PERSONALLY NOT LIKE SOMETHING THAT'S SOMEWHERE ELSE, THAT'S NOT MY DECISION.
IF I'M JUST A REGULAR JOE CITIZEN.
HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE IN HARDY? WELL, THERE'S A LOT IN HARDY.
HOW MANY, HOW MANY LIVE IN HARDY MILL THAT'S IN? YEAH.
WHAT'S THE POPULATION? UH, I DON'T THINK IT'S 400, BUT IT'S A LOW NUMBER.
THAT'S WHY WE FELT IT WAS AT LEAST TO GET TO A A, WHEN I COUNTED THE HOUSES, 'CAUSE THERE'S ONE LITTLE POCKET STREET.
I DIDN'T, THEY WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF GRANDKIDS, BUT YOU COUNTED THE HOUSE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF GRANDKIDS TO GET TO 400.
BUT IT WAS THE ONLY WAY TO GET TO A NUMBER THAT WAS, YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
ALRIGHT, LET'S GO NEXT, NEXT LINE, NEXT.
SO BACK TO THE TIMELINE, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE'RE MAKING THE DECISION NOT IN THE VOTE TODAY, BUT JUST HEAD NOD.
DO WE LIKE THIS? DO WE NOT LIKE THIS? DO WE WANT TO KEEP GOING? DO YOU WANT US TO KEEP WORKING ON IT? UH, I I DON'T THINK I NEED TO REPEAT IT FOR YOU, BUT WE NEED TO START THE CONVERSATIONS NOW TO ESTABLISH IT IN AUGUST SO THAT WE HAVE A TEAM THAT IS ROWING IN THIS RIGHT DIRECTION ON THAT COMMISSION.
THAT THE MUNICIPALITIES AGREE WITH EACH OTHER.
THAT WE DON'T GO IN WITH DISPARATE INTERESTS.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE TRIED TO SPREAD THE ABILITY TO, FOR TO DETERMINE YOUR OWN PROJECTS AROUND SO THAT THERE'S NO FIGHTING OVER YOU.
IF, IF YOU GET THIS, THEN I DON'T, THERE'S NO ZERO SUM GAME HERE.
AND ALSO, UH, BEFORE AUGUST, OF COURSE THE MUNICIPALITIES NEED TO START TALKING WITH US AND OTHERS.
AND THEIR CONSTITUENTS ON WHO EXACTLY RIGHT.
[00:50:01]
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'LL HAVE WHAT THEY WANT TO BEGIN THOSE INFORMAL CONVERSATIONS OF, HEY, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA DO THIS.LET'S GET THE, THE WHEELS ROLLING.
WHO ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT? MR. CHAIRMAN, MADAM CHAIRMAN, I LET JUST GO BACK.
UM, I DON'T WANNA BE REDUNDANT.
I'M GONNA GO A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE LARGER THAN YEE.
UM, I'M GONNA GO TO THE CITY OF BEAUFORT SOMEHOW.
UM, WE TALK AND WE DISCUSS REIMAGINING REBOUGHT ROAD.
NO, WE DON'T SAY THAT WORD ANYMORE, MR. COVER
I'M JUST, I'M JUST PUTTING THIS ON THE TABLE FOR DISCUSSION.
AND, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, UM, SOMEHOW THAT GOT, UM, ON THE LIST, UM, AND THE QUESTION BECOMES, IT'LL COME TO COUNCIL TO MAKE THAT DECISION, BUT IF THE CITY, AND I DON'T THINK THEY'LL DO THIS, BUT THE CITY OF BEAUFORT PUT THAT IN THERE AND, BUT THE CITIZENS SAID NO, WE DON'T WANT THAT IN THERE.
THAT'S WHERE I'M STRUGGLING WITH.
RIGHT? THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
AND THAT JUST HAS TO DO WITH REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU GUYS ARE ELECTED TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON THE PEOPLE THAT ELECTED, DO THOSE DECISIONS.
SAME THING IN THE CITY, RIGHT? UH, SO IF THAT ELECTED BODY WITH THEIR STAFF PUTS FORTH A PROJECT, BUT THE CITIZEN MAY NOT BE IN A TOTAL AGREEMENT WITH THE CITIZEN, HAVE CONTROL OVER THOSE ELECTED INDIVIDUALS, RIGHT? I MEAN THAT'S, IT'S UP TO, TO THEM WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T.
THAT GETS BACK INTO MEDDLING DEEP DOWN INTO THE PROJECTS.
THERE IS A TRUST INTO THE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE TO INVEST.
SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT ONCE THAT COMES ON THAT LIST AS A COUNCIL MEMBER HERE, I SHOULD SUPPORT THAT LIST.
EVEN THOUGH YOU DON'T, THE CITIZENS IN IN THE AUDIENCE ARE SAYING DON'T SUPPORT YOU DON'T HAVE TO.
AND THAT'S THE, THAT'S WHERE THE COLLABORATION OF PROJECT PRESENTATION IN TALKING TO OTHER COUNTIES, THIS IS NOT FROM US, IS WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES THAT HAVE CONTROVERSIAL PROJECTS.
AND IN ANOTHER PLACE THAT HAS MULTIPLE MUNICIPALITIES, SOMEBODY MIGHT HAVE PUT FORTH A PROJECT THAT THEY WOULD REFER TO AS THE POISON PILL.
THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE TO HAVE THIS, THE TEAMWORK COLLABORATION'S NOT JUST ON PAPER.
IT HAS TO BE THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS TO SAY, HEY, IF WE ALL WANNA WIN, CAN WE NOT DO THAT? IT'S STILL THEIR DECISION, BUT IT'S STILL, THEY'RE, WE'RE STILL HUMAN BEINGS THAT ARE GONNA TALK TO EACH OTHER.
AND IF THE GOAL IS DIFFERENT, THEN PEOPLE, IT'S, LOOK, NOBODY, NOT EVERYBODY'S GONNA AGREE WITH THIS.
NOT EV MAYBE NOT EVERYBODY HERE IS GONNA AGREE WITH THAT, BUT THAT'S JUST PART OF THE SYSTEM AND THAT'S OKAY.
AND IF YOU GUYS SAY, NOT TO MOVE FORWARD, I'LL, I'LL WORK ON ANOTHER PROJECT.
BUT THE, THE THING IS THAT, THAT WE'RE, WE ARE TRYING TO DO THIS IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY, WHICH IS OPEN AND DISCUSSING AND IDENTIFYING THESE TYPES OF ISSUES, JUST LIKE YOU BROUGHT UP.
BECAUSE IF THAT COMES FORTH, THAT WOULD, THAT COULD HURT THE WHOLE PROCESS.
AND THAT WOULD COME FROM THE MUNICIPALITY.
AND I, I REALLY DOUBT IN THE CITY OF BEAUFORT, THAT WOULD BE A PROJECT TO COME FORWARD.
NO, I WAS JUST USING THAT AS AN EXAMPLE.
AND AGAIN, THAT WOULD MY FUTURE QUESTION.
I, I LIKE THE WORD YOU USED THE POISON PILL.
RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT I WOULD USE.
I WOULDN'T USE NO EXAMPLE, BUT THE POISON PILL GO AHEAD.
THE POISON PILL, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S JUST PART OF THIS DISCUSSION, THAT'S PART OF THIS PROCESS OF TO SAY, DO, DO YOU WANT THIS OR NOT? AND THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S HOW THIS HAS TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND THE POISON PILL MIGHT BE IDENTIFIED REALLY EARLY IN THE PROCESS.
SO BY THE COMMISSION WE MAY KNOW THEM ALREADY.
SO WE DON'T NEED TO GO DOWN THAT RABBIT HOLE MADE A PIN IN THAT ONE.
REMEMBER I SAW PUT PIN IN THAT ONE.
IT'S, SO ANYWAY, THAT, BUT THAT'S PART OF THIS COLLABORATION.
IT'S TRULY A COUNTYWIDE EFFORT IF WE DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.
ALRIGHT, SO HERE'S WHAT, HERE'S YOUR THREE QUESTIONS.
DO YOU WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS? YES.
DO WE LIKE THE IDEA OF ALLOCATING THIS WAY? AND DO WE GENERALLY AGREE ON MAJOR PROJECTS? WE'RE GONNA NOT GO DOWN THAT WE'LL.
WE'LL STILL HAVE TIME TO DEVELOP OUR PROJECTS AND SEE WHAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FUND SOME OTHER WAY AND WHAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE THIS FOR.
AND THAT PROJECT LIST WILL CHANGE.
I HAVE A QUICK, COULD YOU GO BACK TO THE ALLOCATION SLIDE? YEAH.
THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T PUT IT FIRST.
I DO LIKE THE ALLOCATION BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWING THE SPECIFIC MUNICIPALITIES TO TALK TO THEIR RESIDENTS ABOUT THE SPECIFICITY OF A PROJECT OR PROJECTS THAT THEY FEEL WILL BE TO THE BENEFIT OF THAT MUNICIPALITY.
WE AS THE COUNTY COUNCIL HAVE TO HAVE THE BIG PICTURE ONE.
WHAT IS THAT PROJECT THAT IS GOING TO BE
[00:55:01]
OVERARCHING FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY, SUCH AS THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER THAT AFFECTS EVERYBODY.AND WE'RE GONNA LET THE PUBLIC HAVE SOME COMMENTS TOO.
BUT COULD YOU GO BACK TO THAT LIST OF POTENTIAL PROJECTS? SURE.
JUST AND SEE IF ANYONE ELSE ON COUNCIL, SO JUST HAS ANY OTHER COMMENTS ABOUT THOSE? I MEAN, NOT THAT WE'RE, WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY DECISIONS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT IS THERE ANYBODY THAT THINKS SOMEONE, THAT'S WHY THERE'S A QUESTION MARK AT THE END.
AND THERE MAY BE SOMETHING ELSE.
IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING ELSE WE'LL THINK OF.
SO THE SHERIFF DID TALK ABOUT, AND YOU'VE INCORPORATED HIS IDEA THAT WE CAN'T GIVE HIM EVERYTHING WE ORIGINALLY TALKED ABOUT, BUT HE'S IN, HE'S VERY INTERESTED IN THE DISPATCH, THE 9 1 1 EMERGENCY RESPONSE EMS. UM, DID WE ELIMINATE THE HOLDING CELL? NO.
THAT, THAT, I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TO SPELL OUT WHAT EACH ROOM IS FOR, BUT THAT WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE TO BE THERE.
BUT I LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ASKED HIS OPINION AND HE CAN'T GET THE WHOLE GOLD STANDARD, BUT THIS COULD BE A PHASE ONE WE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, I THINK EVERYBODY WOULD PROBABLY AGREE ON ONE 70.
I SPENT TWO AND A HALF HOURS COMING HOME FROM BEAUFORT LAST NIGHT BECAUSE THAT TRUCK OVERTURNED ON 4 62.
WE'RE GOING TO ASK THE MUNICIPALITIES AND THEY SHOULD REPRESENT THEIR PEOPLE TO MR. GLOVER'S POINT OF VIEW.
AND WHAT I LIKE ESPECIALLY IS IT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE LAST TIME.
WE'RE NOT JUST GONNA SAY BEAUFORT CITY, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU $70 MILLION AND YOU GO FIGURE, YOU KNOW, JUST MAKE IT A BALL OF WAX.
YOU'RE GONNA GIVE US PROJECTS SO THE PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHAT THEY'RE VOTING ON.
AND WE SAW THE ONE FROM FLORENCE, IT WAS, I FORGOT HOW MANY PAGES, BUT THEY LISTED EVERY ROAD, EVERY SINGLE THING BY DISTRICT.
SO PEOPLE COULD LOOK AND SAY, HEY, I'M DISTRICT SIX, HERE'S WHAT I'M GOING TO GET.
WELL I WAS TALKING, UH, DAVID PULLED UP A WEBSITE ABOUT THE PEOPLE, HOW THEY VOTED IN THE LAST REFERENDUM.
THE BIG RESOUNDING NO WAS 55% TO 45.
SO THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO VOTED.
SO I THINK THAT IF YOU GO THERE, YOU'LL SEE ALL THAT.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT IS MY POINT.
AND I THINK IT CAN BE VERY HELPFUL MOVING FORWARD WHEN YOU DECIDE HOW TO APPROACH THE EDUCATIONAL ADVOCACY PORTION OF THIS THING.
UH, I THINK ONE THING THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT, IF WE'RE GONNA PUT THIS FORWARD, UH, OR BOAT LAUNCHES.
WE GOT THE BOAT LAUNCHES, BOAT RAMPS BOAT.
UM, AS FAR AS RECREATION IS CONCERNED, WE HAD THAT STUDY THAT WAS DONE.
I KNOW WE'RE MAKING SOME MOVES ON CERTAIN MM-HMM
BUT I MEAN, WE'RE A WATER-BASED COMMUNITY.
UH, I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE AFFORD AND THAT FACING PROJECT, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT FOR THE GROUP THAT OVER, OVER THE NEXT MANY MONTHS, THE GROUP CAN DO THAT.
AND YOU WOULD LIST THEM BY NAME.
AND THAT WOULD, COULD BE A COUNTY, ONE OF OUR COUNTY PROJECTS.
IT COULD BE ONE OF THE COUNTY PROJECTS, MAYBE ONE OF THE, UM, SO THERE MIGHT BE A MUNICIPALITY THAT PUTS FORTH A PROJECT THAT'S WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTION THAT MIGHT BE OURS OR NOT, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE, BECAUSE OUR PARKS ARE SO CO-MINGLED.
SO THERE, BUT THAT'S PART OF THE COLLABORATION.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S A FOCUS THAT THEY WANNA DO INSIDE THEIR CITY.
WHAT ELSE, BEFORE WE OPEN IT UP, I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE.
AND I KNOW JARED HELPED, AND MIKE MOORE AND OTHERS, SO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY.
UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
I, I KNOW YOU DON'T GET THANKED ENOUGH.
UM, THESE ARE DIFFICULT, DIFFICULT ISSUES WITHOUT EASY SOLUTIONS.
SO THE FACT THAT YOU'RE COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS IS ALL THAT WE CAN ASK FROM YOU.
SO THANK YOU FROM THAT STANDPOINT.
THANK YOU TO HANK, THANK YOU TO MIKE AND YOUR TEAM.
THIS IS A LOT OF EFFORT THAT GOES IN HERE.
UM, JUST A COUPLE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT.
HAVING BEEN THROUGH SEVERAL FAILED REFERENDUMS, HAVING BEEN THROUGH A SUCCESSFUL REFERENDUMS, AND AGAIN, LOOKING BACK AND SEEING WHAT WORKED, WHAT DIDN'T WORK, UM, AND UNDERSTANDING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO STRIVE TO GET SOMETHING THAT CAN GET PASSED BY THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO ALONG THOSE LINES, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I WOULD OFFER UP, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE TIMELINE, AND, AND I UNDERSTAND HANK'S POINT, THERE IS A LOT OF DATA OUT THERE THAT SAYS THAT VOTERS REALLY DON'T TUNE INTO A LOT OF CAMPAIGN INFORMATION MORE THAN 90 DAYS BEFORE AN ELECTION.
IT'S JUST WHITE NOISE TO THEM.
BUT THAT'S CAMPAIGN INFORMATION.
AND SO FOR ME, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU'RE, THE OUTSIDE GROUPS THAT ARE GONNA BE OUT THERE ADVOCATING TO VOTE.
YES, THAT'S WHEN THEY'RE SPENDING THEIR BUDGETS ON ADVERTISING IS WITHIN THAT 90 DAYS OF AN ELECTION.
BUT AS FAR AS AN EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN GOES, WHERE YOU ARE OUT TALKING TO THE PUBLIC, WHERE THE STAFF IS OUT TALKING TO THE PUBLIC, YOU ARE GOING TO NEED MUCH, MUCH LONGER THAN 90 DAYS TO MEET WITH CIVIC GROUPS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT, SO THAT
[01:00:01]
THEY JUST KNOW THE DETAILS OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.BECAUSE AS MUCH AS YOU PUT IT ONLINE, AS MUCH AS YOU PUT IT ON A WEBSITE, IF YOU'RE NOT TELLING THEM FACE TO FACE A LOT OF THE TIME, THEY JUST DON'T GET IT.
AND SO I, I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU THAT YOU NEED A MUCH BROADER PERIOD OF TIME THAT ONCE THE PROJECTS ARE KNOWN AND IDENTIFIED, YOU CAN BE OUT TALKING ABOUT THEM TO THE COMMUNITY JUST IN TERMS OF FACTUAL INFORMATION.
HERE'S THE DOLLARS, HERE'S THE LOCATIONS, HERE'S THE TIMELINE.
AND I THINK ANOTHER THING YOU'VE GOTTA KEEP IN MIND IS YOU'RE NOT JUST WORKING BACKWARDS FROM THE DATE THAT THE ACTUAL ELECTION TAKES PLACE.
WITH EARLY VOTING, NOW MOST FOLKS ARE MAKING UP THEIR MINDS BEFORE THEY VOTE ABSENTEE.
SO BY THE TIME YOU HIT AUGUST, A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE ALREADY MADE UP THEIR MINDS.
SO YOU'VE GOTTA ADJUST THAT SCHEDULE, KIND OF WORKING BACKWARDS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT ARE GONNA GO VOTE ABSENTEE.
UM, SO SAYING ALL THAT, MY RECOMMENDATION TO YOU IS I, IF YOU WANT TO GIVE IT THE BEST CHANCE OF SUCCESS, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO HAVE A CLEARLY DEFINED SET OF REFERENDUM, UH, EITHER A QUESTION OR QUESTIONS THAT YOU CAN HAVE TO THE PUBLIC BY JANUARY SO THAT YOU HAVE AT LEAST SIX MONTHS TO GET OUT INTO THE PUBLIC AND EDUCATE THEM ABOUT THE DETAILS OF IT.
AND THEN THE LAST 90 DAYS, THOSE OUTSIDE ENTITIES CAN HELP MARKET AND ADVERTISE, YOU KNOW, GET OUT THE VOTE AND VOTE YES.
UM, LIKE A, UM, Q AND A IN JANUARY, 2020 6, 26, THAT'S, AND THIS IS JUST LOOKING AT CALENDARS AND SCHEDULES AND WORKING BACKWARD.
IF YOU WANT TO GIVE YOURSELVES AT LEAST SIX MONTHS TO BE OUT IN THE PUBLIC TALKING TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING.
UM, TO ME, YOU'VE GOTTA KIND OF WALK THAT BACK A LITTLE BIT FROM, FROM WHAT WAS DISCUSSED.
I, HANK WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT.
NO, I'LL, I'LL LET YOU FINISH IT UP.
UM, THE OTHER THING, AND THIS IS, THIS IS DRAWING UPON THE LAST TIME THAT THE COUNTY PURSUED A CAPITAL PROJECT, SALES TAX, WHICH WAS 2016.
HAVING LOOKED AT THAT PROCESS AND HOW IT PLAYED OUT, THERE'S, THERE'S A NUMBER OF SIMILARITIES.
THERE'S ALSO SOME DIFFERENCES.
AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS REALLY NO BOOKENDS PUT IN THERE IN TERMS OF, THIS IS THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, DON'T GO ABOVE THIS.
BUT THE PROCESS WAS OTHERWISE FAIRLY THE SAME IN THAT SIX MEMBERS WERE PUT TOGETHER.
THEY WENT AND DID THE ROAD TOUR ALL AROUND THE COUNTY.
THEY SOLICITED PROJECTS FROM EVERY GROUP.
AND ULTIMATELY THE CONCERN THAT I THINK CAME ABOUT THROUGH THAT PROCESS WAS DDD DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN WANTS AND NEEDS.
THERE ARE CLEARLY SOME NEEDS THAT YOU HAVE THAT REA REALISTICALLY, THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO FUND THOSE.
BUT THROUGH A REFERENDUM, AND I'M GONNA USE THE S UH, SOUTH CAROLINA ONE 70 CORRIDOR AS THAT EXAMPLE, THE DOLLAR VALUES THAT IT'S GOING TO COST TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT CORRIDOR, REALISTICALLY CAN'T BE FUNDED THROUGH ANY OTHER MEANS.
SO IF YOU TAKE THAT PROJECT AND YOU ADD IT INTO A LENGTHY LIST WITH A BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE MEANING TO VOTERS, YOU COULD WIND UP, UH, WITH A SITUATION WHERE, YES, THERE'S SOME PROJECTS THAT WE LIKE, BUT OTHERWISE IT FAILS.
AND SO AGAIN, LOOKING BACK AT THE 2016 REFERENDUM, I WOULD TELL YOU A NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT I SPOKE TO AFTERWARDS SAID THE REASON THEY VOTED AGAINST THAT PARTICULAR ONE WAS BECAUSE HILTON HEAD ISLAND HAD $60 MILLION FOR AN ARTS CAMPUS THAT THEY REALLY HADN'T DEFINED, BUT THEY KNEW THAT THEY WANTED TO SPEND THAT MONEY IN THAT WAY.
AND AT THE TIME, THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO PUSHED BACK AND SAID, WHY DO I WANNA PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT'S NOT DEFINED? EVEN THOUGH THEY WANT IT, EVEN THOUGH THEY ASKED FOR IT.
I, AS A VOTER WHO DOESN'T LIVE ON HILTON HEAD, DON'T SUPPORT THAT.
AND SO I THINK YOU'VE GOTTA KEEP THAT IN MIND TOO, THAT IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO THE COMMUNITIES AND SAYING, WHAT DO YOU WANT? BECAUSE PEOPLE VOTE KIND OF HOLISTICALLY, NOT JUST FROM THAT COMMUNITY.
AND, AND WHILE WE'D LIKE TO THINK THAT THEY WOULD RESPECT, WELL, HEY, THE CITY TOLD US THEY WANT THIS, SO WE'RE GONNA GIVE IT TO 'EM.
REALISTICALLY, THAT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN.
SO MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S A CLEAR DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN WANTS AND NEEDS I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL TOO.
UM, MR. MACALLAN, TO YOUR POINT, THERE IS A LOT OF HISTORICAL DATA, NOT ONLY ABOUT THE LAST REFERENDUM, BUT ABOUT MULTIPLE REFERENDUMS GOING BACK AND ALL THAT DATA IS AVAILABLE AT THE PRECINCT LEVEL.
AND SO YOU CAN LOOK AT ONE, WHEN YOU GO TO DO YOUR EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNS, WHO, WHAT COMMUNITIES SHOULD YOU BE TALKING TO? THE REALITY IS THAT SOME COMMUNITIES VOTE IN HIGHER CONCENTRATIONS, THEN OTHERS.
SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO CANVAS THE BIGGEST AMOUNT OF AREA THAT YOU CAN DO WITHIN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE USING THAT DATA TO SAY, WHAT COMMUNITIES SHOULD WE BE OUT TALKING TO TO MAXIMIZE THE IMPACT OF THOSE EDUCATION EFFORTS.
UM, IT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS THE IMP COMPETITIVE IMP IMPEDIMENT FOR VOTING THE LAST TIME AROUND? TO YOUR POINT, THERE WERE MULTIPLE COMMUNITIES THAT VOTED YES, THEY SUPPORTED IT, BUT THERE WERE SOME THAT DIDN'T.
AND SO IF YOU CAN IDENTIFY WHAT WERE THE ASPECTS THAT THOSE COMMUNITIES FOUND TROUBLING AND EITHER MODIFY OR REMOVE THOSE GOING FORWARD, YOU'RE GIVING YOURSELF JUST AN EVEN BETTER SHOT AT SUCCESS WHEN YOU DO COME BACK AROUND AGAIN.
SO I DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE YOU TO MAKE USE OF THAT DATA BECAUSE IT EXISTS AND I THINK IT DOES TELL A STORY.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, UM, WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE AWARE NOW, YOU KNOW, WITH
[01:05:01]
HARDY V, WHICH ONLY A VERY SMALL PORTION OF IT'S IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, JASPER COUNTY WAS ABLE TO PASS THEIR REFERENDUM THIS LAST TIME AROUND.AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THEY 3, 3 3, WELL, I'M JUST GONNA FOCUS ON THIS MOST RECENT ONE.
UM, AND SO FOR THAT ONE, THERE'S FUNDING THERE TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO ARGENT BOULEVARD AND TO WIDEN 2 78.
AND WHILE THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN TOMORROW, IT'S GONNA BE A COUPLE OF YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, THERE IS A SCENARIO WHERE JASPER COUNTY MOVES FORWARD, THEY WIDEN 2 78 UNTIL YOU HIT THE COUNTY LINE AND THEN IT SHRINKS BACK DOWN TO TWO LANES AND IT JUST PUTS AN EVEN GREATER SPOTLIGHT ON BEAUFORT COUNTY AND WHERE YOU'RE AT IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO MEET YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.
SO MY RECOMMENDATION TO YOU ALL WOULD BE TO TAKE AND CONSIDER MAYBE SPLITTING THIS OUT INTO TWO SEPARATE REFERENDUMS. DO A REFERENDUM WITH CAPITAL NEEDS, DO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER COMPLEX, THE DETENTION CENTER, THE NEEDS THAT YOU HAVE THAT AREN'T GONNA GO AWAY, PUT THAT INTO A CAPITAL PROJECT.
AND THEN SIMILARLY DO THAT WITH A TRANSPORTATION REFERENDUM.
DO A HALF PENNY FOR ONE A HALF PENNY FOR THE OTHER.
THEY COULD BOTH BE FUNDED, BUT KEEP THE LISTS AS SMALL AS YOU POTENTIALLY CAN WHILE STILL MEETING THOSE NEEDS THAT AREN'T GOING TO GO AWAY.
BECAUSE THE BIGGER THE LIST GROWS, THE MORE OPPORTUNITY THERE ARE FOR PEOPLE TO POKE HOLES AT.
IS THIS A NEED? IS THIS A WANT? SHOULD WE HAVE TO DO IT THIS WAY? WHEREAS SOME OF THE THINGS UP THERE, AGAIN, UH, I THINK A GOOD STORY COULD BE TOLD ABOUT THE DETENTION CENTER.
THAT'S A NEED THAT'S NEVER GONNA GO AWAY.
AND WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS PROJECTS, YOUR ABILITY TO PAY FOR THAT BECOMES VERY, VERY CONSTRICTED.
SO IF YOU CAN KEEP IT TO JUST THAT SIMPLE LIST, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A MUCH BETTER RESPONSE FROM THE PUBLIC BECAUSE I THINK THEY UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT A NEED THAT'S GONNA GO AWAY ANYTIME SOON.
WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW A WAY TO ADDRESS IT, AND THIS IS THE LEAST PAINFUL WAY TO GO ABOUT DOING IT.
I'LL LET HANK, UM, SPEAK AND THEN ANYONE HAS SOME MORE, ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
BUT TO THE TIMELINE THING, THAT IS ONE OF THE BEAUTIES OF HAVING THESE PROJECT LISTS BEING DEVELOPED IN OPEN FORUMS AT THE MUNICIPALITIES, RIGHT? THAT IS PART OF US ALL PUSHING IN THE SAME DIRECTION.
AND SO I DON'T DISAGREE WITH, BECAUSE ONE OF OUR DISCUSSIONS THAT WE JUST WERE, WHEN SUMTER WAS HERE, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT HOW EARLY VOTING CHANGED THE GAME.
AND SO THE MESSAGE DOES NEED TO GET OUT THERE EARLY, BUT THAT'S WHY INSTEAD OF US SITTING IN A ROOM AND MAKING UP A PROJECT LIST AND POPPING IT OUT THERE IN AUGUST, THESE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES ARE GONNA BE GOING FORWARD FROM THIS WINTER FROM THE MUNICIPALITIES.
AND THEIR ENG JOB IS TO ENGAGE THEIR COMMUNITIES.
BUT I DO THINK WE NEED TO, WE CAN START EARLIER THAN AUGUST IN EDUCATION.
I I THINK THAT'S A GOOD, DEFINITELY GOOD, BUT AT THE GOOD NEWS IS THERE, IT WILL BE AN INEVITABLE PUBLIC PROCESS THAT WILL LEAD TO THAT IN THE, ON THE FRONT END.
SECONDLY, INFINITE LISTS OF PROJECTS, UH, AS OPPOSED TO 2016 WHERE EVERYBODY WAS ABLE TO PROPOSE ANYTHING UNDER THE SUN.
IF WE TASK SPECIFICALLY MUNICIPALITIES WITH A FINITE DOLLAR AMOUNT, THEY CAN'T, THEY'RE, THEY KNOW THEIR PRIORITIES MORE THAN WE KNOW THEIR PRIORITIES.
THAT LIST, AS MUCH AS IT SOUNDS LIKE A TON OF MONEY, A LOT OF THE MUNICIPALITIES HAVE VERY LARGE NEEDS AND THERE WILL THAT, THAT WILL HELP DEFINE THAT LIST.
AND SO THAT PUBLIC PROCESS WILL START EARLIER INEVITABLY, AND THE LISTS WILL NOT BELONG BECAUSE IT'S A FINITE DOLLAR AMOUNT.
BEFORE IT WAS KIND OF LIMITLESS, PUT FORTH YOUR REQUESTS AND THEN THE COMMISSION HAD TO BE THE BAD GUY OF SLASH AND BURN IN ALL OF IT.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR HANK AFTER THAT? YEAH, UM, UM, UM, YEAH.
DAVID, DAVID, DAVID, GO AHEAD.
UH, ACTUALLY I WAS KIND OF THINKING THE SAME THING ABOUT SPLITTING IT UP INTO THE CAPITAL AND THE TRANSPORTATION, AND I'M GLAD HE, HE SAID THAT.
I, I THINK ALSO WHAT, WHAT ABOUT SCALING IT BACK? I THINK HE MADE A REALLY GOOD POINT ABOUT LIMITING THAT LIST AND MAKING IT IT SHORTER AND TO THE NEED.
SO DO WE SCALE BACK THE DOLLAR AMOUNT INSTEAD OF DOING THE BIG ASK LIKE WE DID BEFORE AND LIKE WE'RE $650 MILLION I KNOW IS GONNA GET PUSHED BACK.
WELL, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.
IN YOUR RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTION, WHAT ON OUR LIST IS NOT A NEED TRUE? NO, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I THINK DO WE SCALE IT BACK AND ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH? WELL, YOU HAVE TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU GET, GET FOR, BUT MY, I THINK IT'S A GREAT QUESTION, BUT THAT'S WHY I STARTED WITH, UH, WE KNOW THE NEEDS OUT, OUT OUTSTRETCH THIS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY AS A COUNTY, OUR JOB IS TO PROPOSE OUR PROJECTS AND OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO HAVE A VERY SHORT LIST OF THESE BIG NEEDS THAT OTHERWISE, AS JOSH SAID, THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO PAY FOR CERTAIN THINGS AND DON'T, AND WE CAN'T, WE GOTTA RESIST GOING DOWN RABBIT HOLE OF, OF THE, OF THE WANTS.
AND, AND I THINK MY, LOOKING AT MY CONSTITUENTS AND LOOKING AT THE DATA AS WELL, THE ISSUE, THE LAST REFERENDUM,
[01:10:01]
BESIDES EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE TRUST ISSUE WAS THE NON-COMPLETION OF THE 2018.AND SO I MAYBE IF WE DO SCALE IT BACK AND MAKE IT ABLE TO BE ACCOMPLISHED IN A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME, WE CAN START TO REESTABLISH THAT TRUST.
I WANNA SPEAK TO THAT REAL QUICK.
SO AS WE'RE CONTEMPLATING WHAT TYPE OF REFERENDUM OR THE SCALE OR OR SIZE OR ANYTHING, I WANT TO BE VERY CAREFUL ON THE, I WANT YOU GUYS TO CONSIDER THE TIMING OF A REFERENDUM.
SO WHAT WE HAD IN THIS LAST ONE, WE HAD 2018, IT WAS FOUR YEARS.
UM, THE, AND YOU HAD EITHER OR EITHER THE MONEY OR THE TIME THAT COMES FIRST.
WELL, THE MONEY WAS UNDERESTIMATED AND SO WE HIT THE TIME.
AND SO WE COLLECTED THAT 120 MILLION IN TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
THERE WAS NO WAY WE WERE GONNA HAVE ANY OF THOSE PROJECTS COMPLETED IN TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
SO AS YOU'RE, AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT PROJECTS IN ORDER TO SET YOURSELF UP TO BE SUCCESSFUL TODAY AND TOMORROW, THINK ABOUT THE DELIVERY OF THE PROJECTS SUCH THAT IF YOU DO SCALE BACK SOMETHING, AND EVEN AS JOSH MENTIONED, IF YOU DID A HALF A PENNY OR YOU CAN DO ANY INCREMENT, JUST NOT GREATER THAN A PENNY OF THAT PARTICULAR SALES TAX, BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO MATCH THE PROGRAM LENGTH TO THE PROJECTS INCLUDED.
SO IF YOU HAVE A LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER THAT'S FASTER THAN A 2 78 BRIDGE, THE BRIDGE IS GONNA TAKE A DECADE OR LONGER.
WE'RE SEEING THAT WE'RE PART OF THAT RIGHT NOW.
A A FACILITY WHERE YOU'RE ALREADY ON THE LAND AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY, UH, RIGHT AWAY OR UTILITY ROAD LIKE THE SCHOOLS, THE SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN VERY, UM, ABLE TO, TO GET PROJECTS DONE WELL, THEY OWN EVERYTHING.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO BUY RIGHT AWAY.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO RELOCATE UTILITIES.
SO A BUILDING IS GOING TO MOVE FASTER THAN A ROAD PROJECT.
UH, ONE 70, UH, WILL TAKE A PERIOD OF YEARS, 6, 7, 8 YEARS TO DEVELOP.
SO JUST THINK OF THAT AS YOU'RE DECIDING DIFFERENT FACTORS.
WELL, AND THAT REALLY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT AND OTHER COUNTIES HAVE, AND WHAT YOU DO IS, WHAT THE COMMISSION DOES IS THEY HAVE A SCORING SYSTEM WHEN THEY RECEIVE THESE PROJECTS.
AND IN MULTIPLE, IN INSTANCES, ONE OF THE HIGH SCORING CRITERIA IS CAN THIS BE ACCOMPLISHED IN A CERTAIN TIMELINE? EXECUTABLE? YES.
AND THAT'S WHY WE STARTED WITH CLEARLY DEFINED AND EXECUTABLE WITHIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME.
THERE ARE, THIS IS NOT THE, THE MOONSHOT, UH, WE LIKE, YOU KNOW, 10 YEARS, 12 YEARS, THESE PROJECTS ARE GOING, NEED TO BE PUT FORTH FOR IMMEDIATE NEEDS.
BACK TO, UH, REALLY THIS FOR TIMETABLE WITH HANK, I GUESS, UM, UH, JOSH, MR. GRUBER BASICALLY, UM, USED JANUARY AS A STARTING POINT FOR EDUCATION, ET CETERA, GETTING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOUR TIMELINE CAN, CAN, CAN LIVE UP TO? NO.
SO IT IS BASICALLY, AND THE REASON IS IF WE, IF WE'RE GONNA GIVE A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME FOR MUNICIPALITIES AND US TO FINALIZE AND SUBMIT PROJECTS, THEY WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE TURNED THEM IN YET.
AND THE, THE, THAT'S WHY THE, THAT'S DURING THAT SEPTEMBER TO FEBRUARY PERIOD, THERE'S GOING TO BE PUBLIC INFORMATION BECAUSE ALL OF THESE AGENDAS FOR REVIEWING THESE PROJECTS ARE COMING OUT OF THE MUNICIPALITIES THROUGHOUT THAT WHOLE PERIOD.
YOU'RE GONNA KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA KNOW YOU'RE, UH, POPULAR UNPOPULAR PROJECTS AS THEY START TO REFINE THEIR LIST.
BUT UNTIL WE HAVE A BALLOT QUESTION, UNTIL WE HAVE THE FINAL LIST OF PROJECTS, THAT'S WHERE YOU RISK MISINFORMATION, RIGHT? THAT'S WHERE WE RISK GOING OUT AND TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T EVEN END UP ON THE LIST.
BUT SOMEBODY HEARD IT LAST THURSDAY AND NOW THEY DON'T LIKE IT.
SO THAT'S THAT LEGIS WE NEED TO, THERE'S GONNA BE COMMUNICATION ABOUT THIS INEVITABLY BECAUSE IT'S BEING DEVELOPED BY PUBLIC BODIES.
BUT UNTIL THERE'S A LIST, WE RISK MISINFORMATION.
I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO TWO, UM, ESTIMATES OF COSTS, AND I KNOW THAT'S A, THAT'S A, A SHOT IN THE DARK A LOT OF TIMES.
HOW DO, HOW DO WE ENSURE WE'RE GIVING THE PUBLIC THE BEST ESTIMATES WE CAN? ARE WE GONNA HIRE AN OUTSIDE BODY TO GIVE US THOSE ESTIMATES THAT, SO THAT IT'S NOT A SHOT IN THE DARK? RIGHT.
WE DID HAVE SOME DISCUSSION ON THAT.
AND, UH, BASED ON THE BOND FUNDS WE HAD SET ASIDE SOME FUNDING FOR THE, UM, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER MM-HMM
UM, THAT FUNDING WOULD BE ADEQUATE TO DO ENGINEERING STUDIES AS PART OF IT.
IT WOULD INCLUDE THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER, BUT WE COULD LOOK AT OTHER PROJECTS TOO, WHICH, WHICH CAME WITH THAT.
WHAT ABOUT THE, THE MUNICIPALITIES WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN ESTIMATES FOR THEIR, THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE OUR THOUGHT IS THAT THE MUNICIPALITIES WOULD NEED DO THEIR OWN DUE DILIGENCE ON, ON THE PROJECTS, WHATEVER THEY, THE COST ESTIMATE.
SO I'LL I'LL TAKE A RISK AND ANSWER A QUESTION
[01:15:01]
YOU MIGHT NOT ASK.THAT'S WHY WE TALKED ABOUT HOW DO WE PROPERLY ESTIMATE OUR PROJECTS.
WE'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN WHERE THAT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN IN ALL CASES.
THAT'S WHY THE COMMISSION RANKS PRIORITY OF PROJECTS IN WHICH THEY'RE FUNDED.
AND IF FOR SOME CHANCE THERE HAS BEEN A MISCALCULATION, BUT WE'RE GONNA TALK UP FRONT, THIS IS BEING OPEN AND HONEST WITH THE MUNICIPALITY.
MAKE SURE YOU BUILD IN INFLATION, MAKE SURE YOU BUILD IN X, Y, Z.
BECAUSE IF THEY GO TH IF IF THEY GO THROUGH, IF THEY HAVE NINE AND THEY GET THROUGH EIGHT AND SOME OF THOSE WERE OVER, THEY GET, WELL THE THE GOOD NEWS IS THEY GOTTA FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DO NINE EVENTUALLY OTHERWISE, BUT THE, THAT WE, THAT'S PART OF THIS COLLABORATIVE OPEN DISCUSSION IS DON'T MAKE THIS, WE NEED REAL NUMBERS.
WE'RE WE HAVE FUNDING TO DO THAT.
THEY ALL OUR MUNICIPALITIES HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL TO DO THAT.
WE JUST NEED TO BE OPEN AND SAY, DON'T UNDERCUT YOURSELF BECAUSE THE NUMBER IS THE NUMBER.
UM, MIKE MCPHEE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING?
HANK THE PRESENTATION WAS GREAT.
I THINK A LOT OF ENERGY AND EFFORT HAS GONE INTO IT AND UM, YOU CAN BE SURE BE, WILL NOT BRING ANYTHING FORWARD THAT HAS A REBO IN THE NAME
I THINK DAVID TOUCHED ON IT PRETTY STRONGLY.
UM, THE, THE FAILURE IN OUR PRECINCTS ON THE NORTH NORTHERN SIDE WERE BECAUSE OF MISTRUST, UM, FAILED PROJECTS ON LADIES ISLAND SPECIFICALLY WERE THE BIGGEST THING I HEARD DURING ALL THE ELECTION TERM.
AND WHAT I'VE ADVOCATED FOR FROM THE BEGINNING AND IN THE 22 REFERENDUM
AND THAT HAS BEEN MY RESOUNDING COMMENT FROM THE ENTIRE PROCESS.
IT WILL BE, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED PROJECTS ALREADY.
WE ALREADY KNOW PRETTY MUCH WHERE WE WOULD GO IN THE DIRECTION OF WHAT WE, WHAT WE HAVE.
WE HAVE STORMWATER PROJECTS, WE HAVE A LIST OF LITANY THAT WE'LL HAVE TO VET AND DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT THE BEST ONES ARE.
THEY WILL HAVE TO BE UPDATED ENGINEERING WISE.
HOPE WE CAN GET SOME HELP WITH COUNTY ENGINEERING PROJECT OPPORTUNITIES,
UM, BUT, AND, AND SOME OF THE ENGINEERING I KNOW IS BEING WORKED ON FOR THE PROJECTS ON LADIES ISLAND THAT HAVE NOT BEEN COMPLETED SO THAT THEY CAN BE BETTER SHOVEL READY AND BETTER AT ADDED FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE VALUES.
SO WE KNOW OUR CONSTITUENT REQUIREMENTS, WE ALSO KNOW OUR HEADS ARE ON THE LINE FROM THE STANDPOINT OF, OF MAKING SURE THAT THE PROJECTS THAT WE SELECT, THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE BEHIND THEM.
I CAN ALMOST GUARANTEE YOU FROM THE COUNCIL THAT I CURRENTLY SERVE WITH, AND I AM THE LONGEST SERVING, I'M NOT THE OLDEST, I'M THE LONGEST SERVING MEMBER ON CITY COUNCIL.
UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA PUT PROJECTS OUT THERE THAT HAVE NEGATIVE PUBLIC APPEAL.
IT'S NOT IN OUR BEST INTEREST.
IT'S NOT IN THE REFERENDUM'S BEST INTEREST.
AND SO WE'RE NOT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MAYBE ONE MEMBER OF COUNCIL, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT AND WE HAVE TO STILL HAVE A QUORUM.
AND SO WE'RE PRETTY SAFE ON NOT BEING ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO, BUT THAT WOULD BE OUR POSITION.
AND I THINK I'M, I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF AS A COUNCIL, BUT PRETTY MUCH FROM OUR WORK SESSIONS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, THAT WE CAN PRETTY, PRETTY APPROPRIATELY CHOOSE PROJECTS.
SO WE'LL FIT WITHIN THE REALM OF WHAT IT IS.
WE'D LIKE OUR POPULATION TO BE RE-EVALUATED, HOWEVER, SO, BECAUSE OUR ROADWAYS SEEM A LOT BUSIER THAN 37, SO.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS, UM, CITY OF BEAUFORT, IT WOULD, UM, LIKE TO GO FORWARD ON THIS PATH WITHOUT, WE, WE HAVE, I MEAN WORK SESSIONS WE HAVE.
ALRIGHT, I'LL TAKE A, A FEW COMMENTS.
I WAS JUST A QUESTION IN THE BACK.
YEAH, I WAS GONNA CALL ON THE PUBLIC.
IF JOE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, DO YOU MIND IF I TALK ABOUT OUR REGIONAL COMMITTEE? COME ON UP? YEAH, WE'LL GIVE YOU A FEW MINUTES HERE TO, AND IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE, OKAY.
I'M JOE FER, GALE, CHAIR OF A REGIONAL COMMITTEE, AND UH, I WANNA TALK ABOUT IT'S THE REGIONAL, TELL US THE WHOLE TITLE.
OKAY, TERRY, WE ADVOCATED FOR THE 2018 REFERENDUM AND JUST TO EDUCATE YOU ON WHAT WE DID, TERRY AND I WENT NORTH OF ABROAD, TALKED TO ENVIRONMENTAL PEOPLE, GOT THEM BE PART OF A COALITION OF 32 PEOPLE THAT A MEMBER OF OUR COMMITTEE CHAIRED, INCLUDING THE OLD MAYOR OF BLUFFTON WHO DID ALL YOUR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND ALL THAT SORT OF THING, INCLUDING BILL MILES, INCLUDING JOCELYN REMEMBER BEING THERE.
AND WE FORMED A CORPORATION THAT RATE RAISED 50 A THOUSAND DOLLARS AND PAID FOR A CONSULTANT WHO WENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA ALL OVER THE PLACE WHO HAD A TRUCK GOING AROUND, VOTE FOR THE PENNY ONE PENNY SALES
[01:20:01]
TAX.OUR COMMITTEE ALONE HAD A VIDEO.
WE WENT TO ROTARIES, WE WENT TO SYNAGOGUES, WENT TO OLD FOLKS HOMES, WENT OVER THE PLACE WITH THE VIDEO PROMOTING THIS THING.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, HAVING A, AN UMBRELLA GROUP.
UH, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU GET DOWN TO THE GRASSROOTS AND I UNDERSTAND ALL THAT.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS I'M NOT WILLING TO DO ALL THAT WORK WE DID BEFORE.
AND I DON'T KNOW,
I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, ADVOCACY'S A BIG THING AND WE WORKED AWFULLY HARD ON IT AND FRANKLY WE GOT A LOT OF CREDIT FOR HELP ON THAT THING PASS.
BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GONNA NEED.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ANY QUESTIONS? YES.
JOCELYN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO? HI EVERYONE, NICE TO SEE YOU.
STEIGER, PULL THAT DOWN, JOCELYN.
UM, APART FROM WHAT JOE'S JUST TOLD YOU, THE, UH, BOTH REALTORS ASSOCIATIONS, AS YOU KNOW, WERE VERY INVOLVED WITH THE REFERENDUM THAT PASSED.
UM, WE DID EVERYTHING FROM IN ADVANCE STRATEGIC POLLING SO THAT WE COULD IDENTIFY WHERE YOUR VOTERS WERE, HOW THEY VOTED, IF THEY WERE LIKELY TO VOTE OR NOT.
WE DID POLLING ON IF THEY HAD PASSED REFERENDUMS IN THE PAST OR NOT.
WE WERE VERY TARGETED SO THAT WE KNEW WHAT VOTERS TO TARGET TO GET OUT THE VOTE TOO, TO VOTE FOR THE REFERENDUM.
WE ALSO DID, UH, FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT MAILERS THAT WERE VERY SPECIFIC.
WE ALSO HAD A SLOGAN USED BY ALL, LET'S GET BEAUFORT COUNTY MOVING AGAIN.
UM, THIS CAMPAIGN WAS OVER SIX DIGITS.
I I, IT'S NOT IMPORTANT HOW MUCH IT WAS, BUT A LOT WENT INTO IT.
AND WE HAD A VERY GOOD VENDOR, A NATIONAL VENDOR THROUGH THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS THAT DESIGNED EVERYTHING ALONG WITH US, UH, TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
SO BY STARTING THIS EARLY, NUMBER ONE, YOU ARE GIVING AN ASSOCIATION LIKE OURS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DECIDE IF WE'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THIS GOING FORWARD.
AND IF WE WERE GOING TO SUPPORT IT, HOW WOULD WE SUPPORT IT? UM, SO KUDOS TO YOU FOR GETTING STARTED EARLY.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST STUMBLING BLOCKS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HELP WITH THE LAST REFERENDUM.
UM, THE SECOND THING I WANNA SAY IS I UNDERSTAND WHAT, UM, YORK WAS SAYING, BUT I I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CAUTION YOU ALL ABOUT SOMETHING.
UM, IT, NO, THE PEOPLE IN YOUR AUDIENCE ARE NOT ALWAYS REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT THE CITIZENS WANT.
AND VERY OFTEN, UH, IT, IN THE CASE OF THAT REFERENDUM, IT OVERWHELMINGLY PASSED 70 SOME ODD PERCENT.
UH, AND THE SECOND REFERENDUM PASSED ON HILTON HEAD.
SO WHAT I WILL TELL YOU IS I THINK LEADERSHIP NEEDS TO BE STRONG ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THE COUNTY REGARDLESS OF A VOCAL MINORITY THAT MIGHT BE IN YOUR AUDIENCE.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU IN MY HISTORY IN THIS JOB, PEOPLE DON'T COME IN DROVES TO SUPPORT.
THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T COME TO SAY, WE LOVE WHAT YOU'RE DOING, THANK YOU.
THE MINOR VOCAL MINORITIES DO COME OUT.
SO SOMETIMES I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU ALL TO HAVE THE FORTITUDE AND THE STRENGTH TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU MIGHT BE HEARING IN YOUR AUDIENCE.
AND YOU GO TO EVERYBODY'S MEETINGS, SO YOU SEE EVERYTHING
ANY LAST COMMENTS BY COUNTY COUNCIL OR, OR AUDIENCE? ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE? NO.
WELL, THANK Y'ALL FOR SPENDING.
MR. SULLIVAN FROM, UM, FROM PALMETTO BREEZE, IF YOU'LL INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
UH, BRIAN SULLIVAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE LOW COUNTRY REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY.
NUMBER ONE, I WANT TO COMMEND THE PROCESS.
YOUR PROCESS THIS YEAR HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL.
UM, JUST TALKING TO FOLKS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, I GET THE SAME FEEDBACK AND I REALLY LIKE SEEING THAT.
I ALSO LOVE THE APPROACH YOU'RE TAKING HERE.
UM, YOU WOULD, REGARDLESS OF THE DECISION, THE DIRECTION YOU GO IN, YOU'LL HAVE OUR FULL SUPPORT BECAUSE WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE COUNTY IS GOOD FOR TRANSPORTATION IN THE COUNTY AND, AND THE FIVE COUNTIES AREA THAT WE SERVE.
I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, MENTION I'M NO EXPERT ON HOW THE TAX REFERENDUMS ARE ALLOWED, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S ALLOWED, WHAT'S NOT ALLOWABLE.
BUT IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR A SPECIAL AUTHORITY LIKE OURS TO HAVE ANY INPUT, GIVE US A CALL AND LET US KNOW.
OBVIOUSLY WE'LL BE FOLLOWING ALONG, BUT, UM, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE SOME INPUT INTO THAT.
OUR NEEDS RIGHT NOW, OUR IMMEDIATE NEEDS ARE MOSTLY OPERATIONAL AND I BELIEVE THOSE WOULD BE EXCLUDED FROM A, UH, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS.
BUT WE DO HAVE CAPITAL NEEDS TOO.
SOME SOMEWHAT IMMEDIATE OTHERS, UH, FORWARD
[01:25:01]
THINKING.SO, UM, WE PROBABLY HAVE SOME PROJECTS WE'D LIKE TO INCORPORATE OR AT LEAST HAVE AT THE TABLE FOR DISCUSSION AND, AND CONSIDERATION.
AND, AND YOU WOULD HAVE AVENUES WITH EACH MUNICIPALITY AND THE COUNTY CORRECT.
SO, AND THAT'S, THAT WAS MY ASSUMPTION.
I WASN'T SURE IF THERE'S ANY OTHER WAY, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE, PUT THAT IN THE RECORD TODAY.
ANY FURTHER BUSINESS OR DISCUSSION? MR. MOORE, ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? I THINK WE JUST HAD THE THREE QUESTIONS THAT HANK HAD POSED, SO MM-HMM
SO WE YOU WANNA GO BACK TO THOSE? YEAH.
WANNA GO? LET'S KIND OF END ON THAT.
CAN'T WE CAN'T VOTE, BUT WE CAN.
THEY CAN'T VOTE, BUT IT'S, UH, DO YOU WANNA MOVE FORWARD? YES.
DO YOU LIKE THE ALLOCATION PRO WITH, WITH THE 2026 CAPITAL PROJECT SALES TAX MOVEMENTS, DO WE WANT TO KEEP STAFF WORKING TOWARDS BRINGING MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU TO MAKE FINAL DECISIONS? HEAR YES, I WOULD.
I WOULD WANT TO AT LEAST, UM, LOOK AT THE, UM, CENSUS AND GET THE MOST CURRENT, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
SEE, THAT'S, THEY MAKE ESTIMATES EVERY YEAR.
I, I INQUIRED SO WE CAN ONLY 20 I INQUIRE.
YOU KNOW, THE ACTUAL CENSUS IS EVERY 10 YEARS.
CAN'T, YEAH, WE HAVE TO JUST BECAUSE I LOOKED AT EVERYONE.
UH, AND WHEN, THEN I INQUIRED WITH OTHER COUNTIES THAT SAID NOT YOU GOTTA USE THE OFFICIAL CENSUS.
OH, JO, ONE WAS, DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT? THE ALLOCATION PORTION? AND THEN THE THIRD ONE WAS GENERALLY, DO WE AGREE WITH THE PROJECTS, EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA REFINE THEM AND PUT FORTH A FINAL LIST? IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE WEREN'T WAY OFF IN LEFT FIELD.
WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT POSSIBLY DOING THE TRANSPORTATION SALES EX ACTUALLY JOSH, JOSH TALKED ABOUT THAT.
IT WAS ALSO DISCUSSED BY DAVID.
SO I JUST WANNA KNOW, IS THAT SOMETHING WE'RE ALL CONSIDERING IT HAPPY MADE PRETTY QUICK? I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT.
UH, 24 OF THE 46 COUNTIES HAVE MORE THAN ONE PENNY RIGHT NOW.
WELL THIS WILL BE A HALF PENNY EACH, I THINK WAS WHAT WE HAVE.
WELL, THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DISCUSS.
WE CAN DISCUSS IT LITTLE, LITTLE FURTHER BECAUSE IT'S TIME AND MONEY.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING NOW IS THE MONEY YOU NEED TO RAISE.
IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE TO DO THE PROJECTS WE WANT TO DO.
CAN YOU, COULD YOU, I WOULD SAY WE COULD DO A ONE SHEETER FROM OUR INPUT PRO CON OUR INPUT FROM MOTHERS WOULD BE YOU CAN DO TRANSPORTATION WITH THIS.
AND SPLITTING IS TOUGH AND NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS OF THE PREVIOUS ONE AS BROUGHT UP BY MANY PEOPLE HERE TODAY CARRIES THE NEGATIVE BAGGAGE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID IN THIS NEW ONE.
THAT WOULD BE MY INPUT ON THAT.
WHAT, MIKE DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? I I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, UM, BASED ON OUR LAST DISCUSSION, WE PRIMARILY LOOKED AT THE CAPITAL PENNY.
IF THERE'S A DESIRE FOR US TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT POTENTIALLY SPLITTING IT, WE COULD DO THAT.
BUT THERE COULD BE IMPLICATIONS AS WELL.
IF YOU DO A SPLIT PENNY, THEN DOES THAT PRECLUDE YOU DOWN THE ROAD FROM, FROM DOING OTHER THINGS? WE HAVEN'T REALLY LOOKED AT THAT IN ANY DETAIL.
SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE COULD GO BACK AND COME BACK TO YOU ALL ON.
I'D JUST LIKE A LITTLE BIT MORE DISCUSSION SINCE DAVID BROUGHT IT UP.
BECAUSE I THINK IT WOULD BE SOMEWHAT CONFUSING TO THE VOTERS AND THEY MIGHT VOTE ALL UP ALL DOWN AND NOT SPLIT THE BABY.
AND UM, YEAH, IT MIGHT, IT MIGHT BE CONFUSING, RIGHT? THE CAPITAL GIVES YOU THE OPTION TO DO TRANSPORTATION AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER PROJECTS, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO EVERYBODY THINK ABOUT THAT AND I, I I GUESS JUST A ONE SHEETER OR PRO CON, UH, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE OF, OF WHAT DAVID YEAH, THAT'S FINE.
JUST, JUST TO WEIGH THAT ONE OPTION AND WE CAN GET EITHER GO WITH IT OR ELIMINATE IT.
WE KNOW WHAT JASPER DID TO SEPARATE AND GET THREE PENNIES.
WHAT DID THEY CALL 'EM? THIS LAST ONE WAS TRANSPORTATION.
THEY'VE HAD A SEPARATE LOCAL OPTION.
THEY HAD DIFFERENT TESTS THEY HAVE LOST.
WHERE I CAME FROM BEFORE YORK COUNTY, THEY DID ALL THEIR TRANSPORTATION ON A CAPITAL PENNY.
THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING BUT TRANSPORTATION ON THAT.
SO THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO IT.
ANYTHING ELSE? WE'RE READY TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT DISCUSSION.