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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
[1. Call to Order]
TODAY'S FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING TO ORDER, HAVE AN AGENDA BEFORE US.I MOVE, I MOVE ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA.
[2. Adoption of the Agenda]
SECOND.ALL IN FAVOR? ALSO, THE MINUTES FROM
[3. Approval of the Minutes]
OUR MAY 29TH, 2025 MEETING.UH, MR. CHAIR, I APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK OF OUR STAFF.
UM, THERE IS ONE ADDITION I'D LIKE TO SEE TO THE MINUTES.
SO, AND, AND THAT IS UNDER THE DISCUSSION OF THE TIFF.
UM, I MENTIONED, UM, THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS THAT HAD BEEN SENT FOR EACH OF THE TIFF AREAS AND THE INEQUITY OF THE, THE EXPENDITURE, ESPECIALLY WITH REGARD TO THE STONY ENTRANCE AREA.
SO I, I WOULD ASK IF WE COULD DEFER APPROVAL OF THOSE MINUTES FOR THE STAFF TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT DISCUSSION AND ADD SOME LANGUAGE ABOUT THAT.
YOU OKAY WITH THAT? I, I SECOND THAT.
[4.a. Town of Hilton Head Island FY2025 Monthly Financial Update ]
FINANCIAL UPDATE FOR FY 2025.ANYBODY PREPARED TO GO THROUGH THAT WITH US TODAY? OPEN IT UP.
I THINK THAT GIVES US SORT OF A OVERVIEW.
AND UNLESS ANY OF THE MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS FURTHER THAN THAT, JUST FOR TIME'S SAKE.
WELL, SO, UH, POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
DO YOU WANT ME TO GO THROUGH EACH PAGE OR DO YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS? SO, UM, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR PUT THIS MONTHLY UPDATE TOGETHER, PUT IT IN THE PACKET.
UM, WE ARE WORKING TO ALIGN THE STAFF'S UNDERSTANDING AND EXPECTATION OF MONTHLY REPORTS FOR Y'ALL.
AND SO, ONE, WHILE I'M HERE TODAY, I WILL ASK YOU IF WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK, IF WE'RE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND ARE WE, ARE WE REPORTING THE APPROPRIATE INFORMATION TO YOU ON A MONTHLY BASIS? SO WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH THIS REPORT IS YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE BROKE IT DOWN BY EACH FUND.
WE JUST HAD OUR BUDGET APPROVED FOR 26.
WE'RE STARTING TO CLOSE OUT 25.
AND OVER THE NEXT 30 DAYS, 45 DAYS, WE'RE GONNA START REALLY, UH, CLOSING OUT THAT FY 25 BUDGET FOR NOW AS PART OF THIS YEAR TO DATE, AS OF 5 31, UM, GENERAL FUNDS COLLECTED, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE'RE LOOKING AT YEAR OVER YEAR.
COLLECTED IN MAY, TOTALED APPROXIMATELY 2.3 MILLION.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE REVENUE SOURCES, AND WE TALK A LOT ABOUT THAT IN THE BUDGET AS WELL.
BUSINESS LICENSE CAME IN, UM, LOCAL AT TAX CAME IN.
NOTHING ON THIS PAGE WAS JUMPING OUT AT US AT, AT OUR REVENUES, LET ALONE OUR EXPENDITURE PACE.
UM, AS WE ARE CLOSING OUT THE BUDGET, WE'RE STARTING TO REALIZE WE ARE GOING TO GET, AGAIN, UNDER UNDERSPEND, RIGHT? LESS THAN BUDGET.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHERE MY MIND'S BEEN OVER THE LAST 30 DAYS.
UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT CLOSEOUT AND UNDERSTANDING ALL IN, UM, WE CAN GO THROUGH IT.
THERE'S NOTHING JUMPING OUT AT US THERE EITHER.
UH, DEBT SERVICE FUND AS WELL.
UM, TOP SOURCES OF REVENUE, IT'S INTEREST EARNED AS WELL AS, UM, PROPERTY TAX REVENUE COLLECTED TOWARDS YOUR DEBT.
BUT I THINK WHAT, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS, PAGE SIX IS, IS THE WHOLE FUNDS, RIGHT? MONTHLY REVENUES, MONTHLY EXPENDITURES, NET ACTIVITY.
BUT OVERALL THE NEGATIVE, WE'RE NOT IN THE NEGATIVE.
WE ARE, UH, CASH POSITIVE, REVENUE POSITIVE.
UM, OUR EXPENDITURES ARE ON TRACK.
THEY'RE AS BUDGETED SOME LESS.
UM, AND, AND REALLY ACTUAL REVENUES IS, IS WHERE I'VE BEEN TRENDING OVER THE LAST 30 DAYS, LIKE I SAID.
SO JUST FROM THE COMMITTEE? YEAH.
SO THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THIS TOPIC.
AND, UM, UM, I DID WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE GOT SOME VERY GOOD UNDERLYING REVENUE RESULTS, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE PACKAGE UP 11.8% DUE TO PROPERTY TAXES, BUSINESS LICENSE, AND LOCAL ACCOMMODATION TAX.
IT, IT SHOWS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR ECONOMY, RIGHT? UM, AND AS YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, EXPENSES ARE, ARE
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TRENDING UNDER PLAN, UNDER BUDGET, UM, WHICH IS ALWAYS A GOOD THING YOU LIKE WITH YOUR FINANCES, MORE REVENUE AND, UH, CONTROLLING OF EXPENSES.THERE WAS A REVENUE CATEGORY THAT I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THOUGH.
IF YOU CAN GO TO PAGE EIGHT, AND IT HAS TO DO WITH THE BEACH PARKING.
I MADE A COMMENT LAST MONTH ABOUT HOW, UM, UNDER BEACH SERVICES AND PARKING, IT SHOWS A YEAR TO DATE, UH, AMOUNT OF $69,484.
THAT DOES NOT ALIGN TO THE EXCEL SPREADSHEET THAT YOU SEND OUT THAT CAPTURES HOW MUCH WE'RE CAPTURING IN BEACH PARKING REVENUE AND CITATIONS.
UM, AND THE EXCEL SPREADSHEET, IT SAYS THROUGH MAY, WE'VE COLLECTED ABOUT $241,000 IN PARKING FEES AND $10,000 IN CITATIONS.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING HOW THAT MONEY FLOWS THROUGH THAT PROGRAM INTO THE FINANCIALS.
LET ME LOOK INTO THAT AND FORGIVE ME, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IT AT THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL SINCE LAST WEEK.
UM, I JUST GOTTA BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
SOMEBODY CAN TAKE APRIL'S SHAKE.
DO YOU HAVE AN ANSWER TO THAT? DO YOU KNOW WHY THEY'RE OFF? NOT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT ALRIGHT.
WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT AND WE'LL REPORT BACK TO YOU, UM, FRANKLY, TO ALL OF TOWN COUNCIL IN AN EMAIL.
AND THEN NEXT MONTH WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THOSE TWO ALIGN.
RIGHT? AND THEN, UH, IN RE UH, REGARDS TO THE PACKAGE, UM, I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ADDITION IN THE BACK OF, UM, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAD ASKED FOR IS MORE DETAIL ON THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.
UM, AND THE REASON FOR THAT, ALTHOUGH OUR P AND L SO TO SPEAK, SHOWS THE TRANSFERS AND A TRANSFERS OUT, WHAT IS, WHAT I AM MOST INTERESTED IN IS UNDERSTANDING THE MONIES THAT WE'RE COLLECTING MM-HMM
SO TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT AND SEE HOW WE'RE DOING, UM, I THINK IS VERY HELPFUL AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'VE LAID IT OUT.
I'M LOOKING FOR, YOU'VE GOT, UM, YOU KNOW, QUARTERLY, UM, BY THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES, UM, SO THAT WE CAN SEE IF WE'RE, UM, THE NEXT ONE, UM, IT THIS ONE, THIS AS WELL AS THIS.
UM, SO WE CAN SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN REGARDS, REGARDS TO THOSE TRENDS SO THAT WE KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE DOING IN THESE, 'CAUSE THEY TOTAL OVER $50 MILLION.
SO IT, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT, UH, REVENUE STREAM FOR US.
UM, AND IS THE WAY THAT WE SAVE OUR MONEY TOWARDS THESE MM-HMM
SO HAVING THAT INFORMATION, I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT, UH, FOR THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
SO THANK YOU FOR THOSE ADDITIONS.
UM, AND IT'S, IT'S BEEN GREAT TEAMWORK DEFINITELY WITH ERICA AND KIMBERLY'S HELP PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
AND, AND FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, SO, YOU KNOW, WHERE MY HEAD'S AT MOST OF THE TIME IT'S, IT'S LONG TERM.
SO TODAY, IF I'M NOT ANSWERING THOSE MONTHLY EXACT QUESTIONS, 8% OR 7% UP OR DOWN, IT'S BECAUSE I AM LOOKING AT HOW OUR BUDGET'S COMING IN AND OUR REVENUES HAVE STAYED STRONG THIS YEAR.
UM, OUR ACTUALS WILL END UP BEING MORE JUST LIKE EVERY YEAR.
AND OUR EXPENDITURES ARE LESS.
WE NEED TO START SPENDING IN CIP AS PLANNED.
AND I THINK THAT THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, WE'RE GOING TO SEE A, A MUCH BETTER ABILITY FOR US TO REPORT TO YOU MONTHLY AND QUARTERLY ON THAT.
NOT JUST GENERAL FUND OPERATING SPEND.
PAYROLL'S PAYROLL, WE, WE BURNED THAT OUT OVER 12 MONTHS.
IT'S THE CIP AND THE STORM WATER FUND THAT YOU'LL SEE, UH, MORE ALIGNMENT WITH OUR WORK THAT'S BEING COMPLETE.
AND I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'VE ASKED ME FOR, FOR A FEW YEARS, NOT JUST THE DOLLARS AND CENTS, BUT THE ACTIVITY AND THE PRODUCTIVITY THAT ALIGNS WITH IT.
SO I'M, I'M PLEASED TO HEAR THAT THIS IS THE LEVEL OF DETAIL YOU NEED, YOU WANT TO SEE EVERY MONTH.
UH, JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
I, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR SOME REASON MY IPAD'S NOT SHOWING ME THE PAGE NUMBER, BUT, UH, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT PAGE SIX, THE MAY, UM, ACTIVITY.
UM, AND, AND SO THAT SHOWS NET ACTIVITY, THE TOTAL OF, UH, A DEFICIT OF 4.7 MILLION.
BUT WHEN I LOOK AT, UM, AND I'M SORRY, I THINK IT'S NEAR THE LAST PAGE.
I'M SORRY TO MAKE YOU JUMP FROM ONE TO THE OTHER.
SO IT'S THE LAST PAGE, THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIALS, UM, 5 31 25 BALANCE.
NOT THE VERY LAST LINE OF PAGE SIX, BUT THE VERY LAST PAGE
SO THERE IT SHOWS, UM, AND INDEED
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THERE'S, UM, A A, A BALANCE OF 243 MILLION.SO, UM, SO IT LOOKS AS THOUGH SOMEHOW WE CAUGHT UP THERE.
UM, AND, AND THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS THAT, UM, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH FOR SOME OF THE FUNDS, WE'LL HAVE SOME CARRY OVER TO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, FOR INSTANCE, THE HOUSING FUND HAS 1.9 MILLION.
STORMWATER HAS 16.5 MILLION ENDING BALANCE.
SO UNLESS WE'RE GONNA SPEND ALL THAT MONEY IN JUNE OR HAVE SPENT IT, IT'S ALMOST THE END OF JUNE, THEN, UM, I WOULD GUESS THAT A LOT OF THAT'S GONNA BE CARRIED OVER AND, AND WAS SHOWN AS SOME SORT OF CARRYOVER IN THE BUDGET.
AND, AND I, I UNDERSTAND, I I BELIEVE I UNDERSTAND YOUR COMMENT AND AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO SHOW FUND BALANCE DIFFERENT THAN BUDGET, BUT HOW BUDGET IS AFFECTING FUND BALANCE OVER TIME.
AND THAT'S THE REVENUES OVER THE ACTUAL REVS OVER PROJECTED BALANCED BUDGET REVS FEED INTO THIS.
YOU WILL SEE THE THI THIS WILL COME INTO ITS OWN AS WE AMEND THE FY 26 BUDGET TO ROLL FORWARD ANY CIP AS WE CLOSE OUT FY 25.
SO I, I THINK I'M HEARING YOU SAY THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE CONFIDENT, EVEN THOUGH MAY OVER, UNDER ON REV EXPENDITURE IS A, IS A NEGATIVE, THERE'S A MUCH MORE POSITIVE RESULT WHEN WE LOOK OVER 12 MONTHS, YEAR OVER YEAR, LET ALONE FUND BALANCE GROWTH.
AND IT MAY BE GOOD ON THIS PARTICULAR, UM, UH, DOCUMENT, UH, PAGE TO SAY HOW DOES THIS COMPARE TO BUDGET? UM, 'CAUSE THAT'S THE FUND BALANCE.
UM, SO HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO, UH, FFY BUDGET FY 25 BUDGET? I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THOSE ARE TWO SEPARATE SHEETS.
ERICA, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO YOU? I, I THINK WHAT, WHAT IS MISSING HERE IS A IS A MONTH OVER MONTH BUDGET, BUT A YEAR TO DATE BUDGET.
SO WE SHOULD BE SHOWING RIGHT NOW JUNE, WELL JULY ONE THROUGH MAY 31 ON OVERALL BUDGET AS WELL AS SOME ACTUAL REVS THAT HAVE COME IN.
AND I THINK THAT WILL HELP BECAUSE THAT FEEDS THIS.
I'M NOT A CPA, SORRY, I'M USING GENERAL LANGUAGE, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S HOW, THAT'S HOW IT ALL WORKS TOGETHER TO ASK GENERAL QUESTIONS.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IS THAT ON THE RIGHT TRACK? MM-HMM.
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE, UH, ESPECIALLY WITH ME TODAY.
UM, WE ARE STABILIZING FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE A INTERIM DIRECTOR THAT, UM, MAY ARRIVE SOON.
UM, THEY WILL BE A BENEFIT TO US.
AND WE WILL, WE WILL WORK THROUGH, UH, LEADERSHIP CHANGE.
UM, WE'VE GOT, UH, OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE ROOM.
MR. ALFRED, MS. BECCA, ANY QUESTIONS ON THE FINANCIALS? YOU GUYS WANNA PARTICIPATE AT THIS POINT? MS. ALFRED? NO.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MR. ORLANDO.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM,
[5.a. Consideration of a Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Hilton Head Island to approve a Comprehensive South Carolina Accommodations Tax Program to include Application Process and Fund Distribution Policy - Michele Bunce, Senior Grants Administrator]
CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF HEALTH, NATE ISLAND, TO APPROVE A COMPREHENSIVE SOUTH CAROLINA ACCOMMODATION TAX PROGRAM TO INCLUDE APPLICATION, PROCESS AND FUND DISTRIBUTION POLICY.AND, UH, MICHELLE, IT IS MR. COLON.
DID YOU HAVE A SISTER NAME? MICHELLE.
BUT, UH, YEAH, SEAN COLE, ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER.
UM, AND I'M GONNA COVER, UH, THIS ITEM FOR THE COMMITTEE.
UM, UH, WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY IS A RESOLUTION, UM, THAT WE'RE ASKING THE COMMITTEE FOR APPROVAL OF THE COMPREHENSIVE SOUTH CAROLINA AT TAX PROGRAM TO INCLUDE THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
UM, AND THEN A FUND DISTRIBUTION POLICY AS IT RELATES PRIMARILY TO THE, UM, DISCRETIONARY PORTION, THE 65% OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA AT TAX PROGRAM, UM, WHERE YOU CAN DECIDE HOW TO ALLOCATE, UH, THOSE FUNDS.
AND SO I'M GONNA RUN THROUGH THE, UH, THE STAFF REPORT, UH, WHICH REALLY IS, UH, IT'S PRETTY EXHAUSTIVE.
UM, I, I DO WANNA LET YOU KNOW, UM, AS WE START INTO THIS, UM, AND AS I REALLY SAT DOWN AGAIN LAST NIGHT, UM, AND THIS MORNING TO KIND OF MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD THIS IN A WAY WHERE I COULD SAY I KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS THAN JUST BALANCING MY OWN CHECKBOOK FROM A FINANCE STANDPOINT.
UM, I DID FIND, AND I I DID TALK TO OUR TOWN
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ATTORNEY ABOUT TWO THINGS.ONE, THE TITLE ON THE RESOLUTION IN THE PACKET.
UM, WE HAVE MODIFIED, AND I HAVE AN UPDATED RESOLUTION THAT I PUT ON THE SCREEN, UM, TO MATCH WHAT IS THE ACTION THAT WE'RE REQUESTING.
UH, THERE WAS, UH, SOME LANGUAGE IN THERE ABOUT TRAINING.
I THINK EVEN THE SPELLING ERROR AND THE WORD TRAINING.
UM, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE REALLY ASKING FOR.
IT'S RIGHT WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU.
AND I'LL PULL THE RESOLUTION UP THAT IT MATCHES EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO, UM, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UM, TO COUNSEL, UH, TODAY.
UM, AND THEN BEYOND THAT, IN, UM, IN ONE SECTION OF THE RESOLUTION, YOU KNOW WHAT, LEMME JUST PULL THAT RIGHT UP.
I WANNA GET THIS ONE OUT OF THE WAY.
SO THIS IS THE, THE CORRECT TITLE FOR THE RESOLUTION.
UM, IT MATCHES WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT, LIKE WE HAVE ANOTHER TYPO HERE WITH THE ISLAND.
BUT, UH, A COMPREHENSIVE ACCOMMODATION TAX PROGRAM, APPLICATION PROCESS, AND FUND DISTRIBUTION POLICY.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO TODAY.
AND THEN IN THE VERSION OF THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS IN THE PACKET, THIS SECTION OF SOUTH CAROLINA CODE, UM, THAT WAS IN THE BEGINNING, I THINK IN THE PACKET IT SAID, UM, TITLE IX SECTION, UH, CHAPTER 36.
AND THAT CARRIES THROUGH, UM, WITH THAT.
AND THEN THERE'S SOME OTHER SECTIONS OF STATE CODE AND TITLE SIX, UH, CHAPTER FOUR THAT TALK ABOUT THE, UH, ELIGIBILITY AND REQUIREMENTS.
SO WE'VE MADE THAT CHANGE AND THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD BRING FORWARD, UM, UPON, UH, IN ADVANCE TO COUNCIL IF YOU WERE TO APPROVE IT.
SO, UH, WE HAVE MADE THOSE CHANGES.
I WANNA MAKE YOU AWARE OF THAT.
UM, TITLE IX OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE DEALS WITH A SOUTH CAROLINA RETIREMENT SYSTEM.
AND WHEN I WAS, WHEN I LOOKED IT UP, I, I WAS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT RELATES TO AAX, BUT, UM, GOOD GOD, IF THAT'S THE CASE, WE BETTER
SO, UM, WE GET THAT OUT OF THE WAY, SO JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S CLEAR ON THAT, UM, THAT, UH, THAT, THAT THOSE ERRORS, UM, HAVE BEEN RESOLVED.
AND I TALKED WITH CURTIS AND HE SENT OVER THIS REVISED RESOLUTION THIS MORNING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN COVER THAT WITH THE COMMITTEE.
SO AGAIN, I'M ASKING FOR RECOMMENDATION ON THE, ON THE ENTIRE PROGRAM, UH, THE APPLICATION PROCESS, UM, AND THE FUND DISTRIBUTION POLICY.
I DO WANNA SAY THAT WE HAVE NOT RUN THIS THROUGH THE ATAC COMMITTEE.
WE WANT, UH, TO UNDERSTAND THE DIRECTION FROM THE COMMITTEE AND TOWN COUNCIL, UM, AND THEN WORK WITH THE ATAC COMMITTEE, UM, ON THE EXPECTATIONS RELATED TO THIS.
I WILL SAY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE PURPOSE HERE IS TO PUT EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE.
IT'S MEMORIALIZED IN A WAY THAT APPLICANTS, UM, STAFF, THE ATAC COMMITTEE, THE FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE AND TOWN COUNCIL, UH, HAVE ACCESS TO THE WHOLE PROGRAM.
THEY UNDERSTAND THE EXPECTATIONS RELATED TO ALIGNMENT WITH THE STATE CODE ON, UM, HOW THE FUNDS ARE NEED TO BE ALLOCATED, UH, WHAT THEIR, WHAT THE ELIGIBLE, UH, ITEMS ARE FOR USE OF THE FUNDS.
UM, AND THEN THE, UM, THE PROCESS THAT YOU MUST GO THROUGH TO BE, UH, COMPLIANT WITH, WITH THE STATE, UH, WITH THE STATE CODE, STATE REQUIREMENTS.
UM, WE WILL UPON COUNCIL ADOPTION OF THE POLICY, WORK CLOSELY WITH THE ATAC COMMITTEE TO CONVEY THOSE EXPECTATIONS.
AND IF WE LEARN RIGHT, THAT WE NEED TO MAKE A TWEAK AND IT'S SUBSTANTIVE, THEN WE CAN ASK COUNCIL, UH, TO RECONSIDER A A PORTION OF THAT.
BUT, BUT REALLY STARTING WITH COUNCIL DIRECTION AS WE DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ALIGNING, UM, YOUR ADVISORY COMMITTEES TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS, UM, AND THE, AND THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STATE LAW.
SO, UM, THE WAY THAT WE'VE OUTLINED THE STAFF REPORT, THE, AND THE POLICY, UH, THAT'S ATTACHED TO THE RESOLUTION IS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THE OVERVIEW OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA ACCOMMODATIONS TAX, UH, CODE, UH, FROM STATE LAW.
UH, AND AGAIN, IT'S AUTHORIZED UNDER TITLE 12, CHAPTER 36, 9 20, ON AND ON.
UM, IT HAS THREE PARTS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THAT CODE.
UM, ONE OF WHICH IS, UM, THE COLLECTION OF 2% LOCAL AT TAX ON ALL TRANSIENT, UM, LODGING, RENTALS, HOTELS, MOTELS, SHORT TERM RENTAL, UH, ON AND ON.
AND THEN OUTLINES THE USE OF THOSE FUNDS.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT THE STATUTE SAYS, UM, UNDER TITLE SIX, CHAPTER FOUR, UM, THESE ARE THE PROVISIONS FOR THE COLLECTION USE AND OVERSIGHT
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OF AT TAX SOUTH CAROLINA AT TAX FUNDS.SO ESTABLISHES 2% STATE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX, IT DEFINES THAT YOU HAVE TO USE THESE FOR TOURISM RELATED EXPENDITURES.
UM, MUNICIPALITIES THAT RECEIVE, UH, MORE THAN 50,000, UH, HAVE TO APPOINT AN ATAC ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND WE RECEIVE AROUND $12 MILLION, UM, IN STATE ATAC ATAC FUNDS.
UM, OUTLINE ELIGIBLE USES AND RESTRICTIONS, UM, APPROVE A HOUSING IMPACT ANALYSIS, WHICH WE'VE DONE PRIOR TO AWARDING ANY STATE A TAX FUNDS, UH, TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF WORKFORCE HOUSING.
AS YOU RECALL, THE TOWN COUNCIL APPROVED, UH, MOUS WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AND COASTAL, UM, THE CCDC, UM, IN THE AMOUNT OF 500 TO $600,000 LAST YEAR.
AND THEY USED THAT MONEY TOWARD DEVELOPMENT OF WORKFORCE HOUSING.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S A OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
THE STATE, THE TOURISM EXPENDITURE REVIEW COMMITTEE.
TUR HAS OVERSIGHT AUTHORITY, UM, ON ALL, UH, RELATED EXPENDITURES, UH, AND CAN, LET'S NOT WORRY ABOUT IF WE, WE DON'T COMPLY, RIGHT? BUT IF, IF THERE'S NON-COMPLIANCE, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO TAKE, TAKE SOME ACTION, OKAY.
PERMITTED USE OF FUNDS, THEY'RE THEN LAID OUT IN THE NEXT SESSION, NEXT SECTION, AGAIN, ALL UM, EXPENDITURES HAVE TO BE RELATED TO TOURISM.
UM, AND THEY'RE OUTLINED HERE, I DON'T HAVE TO READ 'EM UNLESS YOU'D LIKE ME TO, BUT ADVERTISING, CULTURAL, HISTORIC RECREATION, UM, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
AND YOU CAN SEE THIS BULLET AT THE END.
WORKFORCE HOUSING, IT'S A RELATIVELY NEW PROVISION THAT ALLOWS, UM, TEMPORARY, UH, USE THROUGH 2030, I THINK, UM, TO, UH, USE FUNDS TOWARD THE PROVISION OF WORKFORCE HOUSING.
SO, AND THERE'S A, THERE'S A LIMITATION, BUT IN SECTION SEVEN, WE, WE OUTLINED IN MORE DETAIL.
UM, BUT THERE'S, YOU CAN USE UP TO 15% OF YOUR DISCRETIONARY SOUTH CAROLINA ACCOMMODATIONS TAX TOWARD THE PROVISION OF WORKFORCE, UH, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WORKFORCE HOUSING IS IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR SURE.
UM, HELPS TO SUPPORT THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, UM, AND THE GENERATION OF THE A TAX FUND, UM, TAX ITSELF.
SO THAT, ANY QUESTIONS ON THE, THE STATE PROGRAM, THE AUTHORIZATION, UM, THE REQUIREMENTS, THE ELIGIBILITY AND USE OF FUNDS, AND THEN THE, AND THEN THE, UM, ELIGIBLE EX UH, EXPENDITURES RELATED TO TOURISM AT THIS POINT.
UM, BEFORE WE MOVE ON? YES, SIR.
UM, IS THERE A, UH, TIME LIMIT ON THE ATEX FUNDING AS FAR AS WHEN THEY HAVE TO BE SPENT? I THINK IT'S TWO YEARS.
TWO YEARS FROM WHAT I THINK WE NEED TO SAY, TWO YEARS FROM WHAT, TWO YEARS FROM TIME OF RECEIPT IS WHAT I'M HEARING.
AND WE CAN CLARIFY AND WE'LL MAKE, NOT MAKE SURE WE'RE, MAKE MAKING NOTES, BUT WE BELIEVE IT'S TWO YEARS FROM TIME OF RECEIPT AND, UH, WE CAN MAKE SURE TO, TO MAKE THAT A POINT AT COUNSEL IF THIS ADVANCES WITH YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
SO NOW WE'LL DIVE INTO THE NEXT SECTION, WHICH REALLY THEN TALKS ABOUT THE TOWN OF HILTON AND ISLANDS AT TAX GRANT PROGRAM, AGAIN, RELATED TO SOUTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA AT TAX.
SO, UH, WE ADMINISTER AN ANNUAL PROGRAM, UM, TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATION AND PROJECTS THAT ENHANCE TOURISM AND BENEFIT THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
SO OUR PROCESS INCLUDES STAFF REVIEW AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT, STAFF REVIEW THE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION FROM THE ATAC COMMITTEE.
UM, IT THEN MOVES THROUGH TO OUR FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE BEFORE ULTIMATELY, UH, MOVING TO COUNCIL WHERE THEY HAVE FINAL OR COUNCIL, AS YOU UNDERSTAND, HAVE FINAL AUTHORITY ON, UM, ON THE AWARDS, YES OR NO? HOW MUCH, UM, AS LONG AS WE'RE WITHIN THE PROGRAM GUIDELINES.
SO APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS, AGAIN, THIS IS A BENEFIT FOR OUR APPLICANTS AS WELL.
THEY NEED TO COMPLETE THE AT TAX FORM, INCLUDING DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION.
THEY HAVE TO INCLUDE A BUDGET AND SPECIFIC FUNDING REQUEST.
UM, INCLUDE THE PROJECTED IMPACT ON TOURISM AND THE METRICS, UM, FOR VISITORS TO MEASURE VISIT VISITORS THAT THEY'RE ATTRACTING HERE.
INCLUDE MARKETING A RESEARCH STRATEGY, AND THEN IF THEY HAVE, UM, ANY PAST HISTORY WITH AT TAX, PROVIDE THAT.
UM, AND THEN PROOF OF NONPROFIT STATUS OR
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ANY OTHER QUALIFYING, UM, DOCUMENTATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR RECEIPT OF THE FUNDS.ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT PART AS YOU GO THROUGH THIS? I'D BE INTERESTED TO KNOW THAT IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY CHANGES TO THE PROCESS PROCESSES THAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH, UH, AS PROPOSED VERSUS WHAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST? YEAH, AND I'LL RELY A LITTLE BIT ON OUR FINANCE TEAM HERE AS I UNDERSTAND IT, OTHER THAN, UM, INCLUDING SOME GUIDELINES OR SOME PROPOSED, UH, EVALUATION PROTOCOLS, INCLUDING THE SCORING RUBRICS THAT WAS INCLUDED AS ATTACHMENT SIX.
I THINK, UM, THE REQUIREMENTS UNDER STATE CODE HAVEN'T CHANGED OTHER THAN THE, THE HOUSING COMPONENT HERE RE UH, RECENTLY, BUT THE APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS, UM, THE SUBMISSION, THE CALENDAR, THE SUBMISSION, UM, I DON'T BELIEVE HAS CHANGED.
UM, IT'S REALLY JUST MAKING SURE THAT IT'S MEMORIALIZED IN A WAY THAT BOTH, THAT, THAT, NOT BOTH, BUT APPLICANTS AND ALL THE REVIEW, UH, GROUPS UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE PROCESS FOR MEN.
AND I'M GETTING SOME NODS, SO.
UM, I KNOW YOU COVERED A AND THEN YOU MENTIONED BRIEFLY SUBSECTION B OF THAT ARTICLE THREE, THE TIMELINE, AND I SEE THE NOTE FISCAL YEAR 2026 AT TAX CALENDAR.
I, I'D RAISED AN ISSUE BEFORE ABOUT, UM, DECEMBER BEING THE TOWN COUNCIL APPROVAL.
I SEE THIS AS FOR THIS YEAR, WHICH SHOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE.
UM, BUT IN, IN ELECTION YEARS, EVERY TWO YEARS, UM, THE FIRST TUESDAY IN DECEMBER IS WHEN A NEW COUNCIL IS SWORN IN.
UM, AND TO HAVE, UH, THE AT TAX, UH, COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, FOLLOWED BY FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE CONSIDER AT THAT TIME IS AN ISSUE.
UM, SO I KNOW IT HAPPENED IN 2022 AND 2024 THAT THE APPROVAL WASN'T UNTIL JANUARY AND THAT CAUSED A LOT OF THE AGENCIES, A LOT OF HEARTBURN.
SO I, I AM WONDERING IF WE CAN MOVE THAT, AS I SAID, THIS YEAR, HOPEFULLY IT'S NOT A PROBLEM, BUT IT WILL BE NEXT YEAR.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD BE BETTER TO MOVE BACK THE PROCESS, UM, TO SOMEHOW COLLAPSE IT.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE AAC RECOMMENDATIONS COULD BE THE END OF OCTOBER AND THEN WE COULD LOOK AT 'EM AT OUR MEETING, UM, IN EARLY NOVEMBER.
ANYHOW, SOMETHING, SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT.
AND THEN I, I KNOW THERE WAS ALSO PERHAPS A QUESTION ABOUT MOVING IT FROM FISCAL YEAR, OR SORRY, MOVING IT FROM CALENDAR YEAR TO FISCAL YEAR.
UM, AND, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO COMPLICATE IT.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT DECEMBER THE FIRST, TUESDAY IN DECEMBER IS A PROBLEM IN THE EVEN YEARS
YEAH, I THINK TO DIRECTLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES, YES, WE WILL CHANGE IT NOT THIS YEAR.
THAT THAT DEFINITELY HAS ALWAYS BEEN SOMETHING, UH, THAT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO JUMP INTO THE MIDDLE OF THAT SKIP AND ROPE ON.
THIS HELPS US, THE REASON WE HAVEN'T DONE IT THIS YEAR IS SIMPLY JUST TIMING AND VOLUME, RIGHT? WE JUST FINISHED BUDGET.
WE'RE GETTING A, A, A, A THREE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN IN PLACE.
AND SO WHILE ALL THAT WAS GOING ON, WE'RE PUTTING THIS ON THE, THE D AND ON THE AGENDA.
IF YOU SEE HOW THIS SCHEDULE LAYS OUT THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR, WE'RE GONNA BACK IT UP 60 DAYS NEXT YEAR.
WE WILL NOT HAVE TO THOUGH, CHANGE THE AIRPLANE ENGINE WHILE WE'RE FLYING IT.
WE WILL ALREADY HAVE THIS IN PLACE.
AND SO STATUS QUO OF EXPECTATIONS UPON APPLICATION CRITERIA THAT YOU'RE MEASURING THE APPLICATION ON WILL NOT HAVE TO BE A PART OF YOUR WORK OR OUR WORK.
SIMPLY CALIBRATING THAT CALENDAR BACKWARDS A LITTLE BIT WILL BE THE EASY LIFT FOR NEXT YEAR.
WE WILL GET THAT MESSAGE OUT WELL IN ADVANCE ONCE WE, ONCE WE'RE IN GOOD PLACE HERE.
SO, TO YOUR POINT, ABSOLUTELY, THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT TOWN COUNCIL WON'T HAVE TO, OR DOESN'T HAVE TO, UH, WEIGH IN ON, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M TRACKING QUITE HEAVILY SO THAT IT NEVER JUMPS INTO JANUARY.
AGAIN, WE UNDERSTAND THAT DECEMBER DATE, OUR GOAL WOULD BE THAT THIS WOULD BE IN WITH YOU IN OCTOBER, NOT NOVEMBER.
'CAUSE EVEN THE DECEMBER DATE, THAT'S THE ONE THING THE NOVEMBER ELECTION IS, IS, IS YET AGAIN, WE, WE NEED DECISIONS IN OCTOBER ON THIS.
SO WHAT WE'RE CONSIDERING TODAY IS JUST THE SCHEDULE FOR, UM, FISCAL YEAR 2026.
BUT YOU WILL NOT BE APPROVING SCHEDULES MOVING FORWARD.
SO YOU KNOW HOW ALL OF THIS LAYS OUT, RIGHT? LIKE LET'S JUST GO THROUGH IT APPLI SO YOU CAN SEE HOW ALL OF THIS NEEDS TO BE MOVING FORWARD SO THAT AS YOU'RE DELIBERATING AND CONTEMPLATING YOUR DECISION TODAY,
[00:30:01]
YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS A TIME OF THE ESSENCE SITUATION.THAT'S ALL THAT'S UP THERE FOR AND FOR CLARITY.
YEAH, AND, AND I, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, BECAUSE IT'S A, IT'S THE EXHIBIT A, IT'S PART OF EXHIBIT A ATTACHED TO THE RESOLUTION BEFORE US.
SO SHOULD WE TAKE OUT THAT CALENDAR? YOU CAN DO WITH IT FOR ME.
I PUT IT IN HERE SO YOU'RE CLEAR ON IT.
SO I UNDERSTAND WHERE MS. BRYSON'S GOING.
WHAT, WHAT I THINK WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN IS, SEAN MADE THE POINT EARLIER THAT ANY SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES ULTIMATELY COME BACK TO TOWN COUNCIL.
I KNOW CURTIS CAN HELP US OUT HERE, BUT WHAT I'M THINKING IS THAT WE ARE SAYING THAT WE WILL HAVE A TIMELINE, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO COMMIT TO DATES WITHIN A TIMELINE BECAUSE THAT WILL CHANGE PRETTY IMMEDIATELY.
I'M, I'M NERVOUS BECAUSE I THINK I JUST READ HIS MIND AND I'M JUST SAYING THIS
YEAH, NO, IT, HOW, HOW ABOUT ON THE THIRD BULLET POINT, TOWN COUNCIL APPROVAL OCCURS EARLY STRIKE THROUGH DECEMBER, AT OCTOBER BEFORE THE START OF THE NEW FISCAL YEAR.
THAT WAY YOU ALL KNOW, AND YOU HAVE THE CONFIDENCE THAT THAT'S THE TARGET THAT WE'RE HEADING TOWARDS TO BRING YOU AT TAX GRANT AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS TO FULL TOWN COUNCIL.
AND HOW WE GET THERE IS SIMPLY OPERATIONAL PROCESS.
BEFORE YOU GO, MR. DYLAN, I JUST WANNA MAKE A COMMENT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY RESPOND TO THIS, UM, UM, UNDER, UH, A APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.
UM, AND A PIECE OF THIS IS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THE AT TAX MONIES ARE GOING OUT TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE BRINGING IN, UH, TOURISM.
AND, UH, THERE'S A BIG PART OF IT THAT OBVIOUSLY, BUT THE, THE METRIC, THE WAY THAT WE MEASURE IT, UM, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, IS VERY COMPLEX, NOT NECESSARILY, UH, STANDARD JUST BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A RIGHT SIZE SHOE THAT FITS ALL ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, AND AS WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF NEGOTIATING, RENEGOTIATING, WHATEVER WE WANT TO CALL IT AS FAR AS A, A CONTRACT WITH OUR DESIGNATED MARKETING ORGANIZATION, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S NEW TECHNOLOGIES OUT HERE THAT CAN BE USED TO HELP US ALONG THE WAY.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ENGAGE WITH A ENTITY OF THAT SIZE THAT COULD AFFORD SUCH TECHNOLOGY AND THAT POTENTIALLY BE OFFERED TO SOME OF OUR SMALLER AGENCIES SO WE GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TRUE DRAW AND THE TRUE RETURN ON THE INVESTMENT.
UM, JUST SORT OF PLANTING SEEDS AS WE HAVE THIS DISCUSSION THROUGH CONTRACT WITH DMO.
IS THAT MAKING SENSE TO Y'ALL? OKAY.
I KNOW SHANNON'S DOVE DEEP IN ON THIS, SO I'M HAPPY TO SEE HER NODDING.
I'LL JUST SIT HERE AND, AND SO ON THAT, JUST TO CLOSE THE LOOP ON THIS ONE, SO THE, UH, THE POLICY THAT'S ATTACHED TO THE RESOLUTION, WE'LL TAKE OUT THE SPECIFIC CALENDAR.
WE PUT SOME IN THERE TO AS EXAMPLES TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTOOD THAT.
BUT WE'LL TAKE OUT THE SPECIFICITY, UM, INCLUDING THE 26TH CALENDAR IN OUR, IN THE POLICY AND, UM, AND MAKE THE CHANGE THAT THE TOWN ANDREW MENTIONED UP HERE THAT REVIEW OCCURS OF SEPTEMBER THROUGH OCTOBER.
AND COUNCIL WILL, THAT'LL BE THE GOAL TO BRING IT TO COUNCIL IN OCTOBER.
SO AS THE APPLICATIONS ARE SUBMITTED WITH THE CRI WITH THE, UH, INFORMATION THAT I WENT THROUGH ABOVE, UM, OH, ACCORDING TO THE GENERAL CALENDAR THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT AND THE RIGHT, WE NEED TO HAVE, UM, APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BETWEEN A AUGUST 4TH AND SEPTEMBER 5TH.
UM, IT BEGINS THE REVIEW PERIOD, UM, AND REVIEW BEGINS WITH TOWN, TOWN STAFF.
AND SO WHAT TOWN STAFF WILL DO IS TO MAKE, WILL MAKE SURE THAT APPLICATIONS ARE COMPLETE AND THOSE THAT SUBMITTED MEET THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.
UM, THEY'RE COMPLIANT WITH THE PROVISIONS I MENTIONED EARLIER IN, IN TITLE SIX, CHAPTER FOUR OF THE TOWN CODE.
UM, THERE'S NO DUPLICATION OF SERVICES AND WHAT THEY'RE SUGGESTING TO PROVIDE IF IT'S ALREADY PROVIDED, UM, THEY'LL, THAT WOULD BE PART OF THAT REVIEW AND THEN LOOK AT IT, UH, AS IT REAL, AS IT ALIGNS TO THE TOWN'S STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN.
AND SO, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, IF THIS ADVANCES TO THE COUNCIL, UH, THIS WILL BE ON THE SAME AGENDA AS YOUR STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN THAT WE DISCUSS TUESDAY.
UM, SO THE POLICY AND THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN ADOPTED AT THE SAME TIME, WHICH WOULD BE THE FOUNDATION FOR, UM, THE STAFF REVIEW COMPONENT.
[00:35:03]
UM, THEN IT MOVES ON TO THE ATAC ADVISORY COMMITTEE.UM, AND THEN THE LARGE, UM, THE LARGER CALENDAR, THEY HAVE SEVERAL MEETINGS WHERE THEY'LL REVIEW AND VET THE APPLICANTS.
UM, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE GENERATE MORE THAN $50,000 IN ATAC AT TAX FUNDS.
WE HAVE THEN, UH, THEREFORE APPOINTED AN ATAC COMMITTEE TO, TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO TOWN COUNCIL.
UM, THE ATAC COMMITTEE INCLUDES STAKEHOLDERS FROM TOURISM RELATED SECTORS, INCLUDING HOSPITALITY, LO AND LODGING.
THEY REVIEW THE APPLICATIONS, UM, AND, UM, AND WE TYPICALLY, UH, GET PRESENTATIONS FROM SOME, MAYBE NOT ALL OF THE APPLICANTS, BUT, BUT THEY CAN REQUEST THE PRESENTATIONS AND THEN THEY SCORE AND RANK THE PROJECTS BASED ON THE VALUATION CRITERIA.
ANY QUESTIONS THROUGH THAT POINT? STAFF AND NATAC? UH, I DID WANNA MAKE A COMMENT ON SECTION A ON THE STAFF AND TECHNICAL REVIEW.
UM, I LIKE THAT COMMENT OF DUPLICATION OF TOWN SERVICES OR EXISTING EFFORTS.
AND WHEN I THINK OF EXISTING EFFORTS, I THINK ABOUT DMO AS WELL IN THAT, UM, BECAUSE, UH, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT SOME OF, SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS OR MAYBE ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT, UH, MIGHT FEEL LIKE A DUPLICATION OF EFFORTS FROM THE DMO.
SO IT'S, I THINK IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THAT LANGUAGE IN THERE AS ONE OF OUR WAYS TO REVIEW.
NOTHING ON THE, UH, STAFF AND TECHNICAL REVIEW OR, OR ATAC OR FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE? I DON'T THINK YOU'VE GONE ALL THE WAY DOWN THROUGH D UM, BUT I DID NOTICE CURIOSITY, A LITTLE KNIT UNDER TOWN COUNCIL REVIEW.
IT SAYS THE TOWN COUNCIL HALLS PUBLIC MEETING, BUT THE OTHERS DON'T SAY THEY'RE A PUBLIC MEETING.
WELL, THEY'RE ALL A PUBLIC MEETING.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS AS TO WHY PUBLIC MEETING WAS USED.
UM, SO IT, IT SEEMS ODD TO SAY THAT ONLY THE TOWN COUNCIL HAS A PUBLIC MEETING.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN COUNCIL HAS DELIBERATION IN ACTION.
IF THAT'S THE WILL OF THE COMMITTEE, WE CAN MAKE THAT, THAT CHANGE.
UM, UNDER SECTION B, UH, THE ATAC REVIEW, UM, THE SECOND BULLET POINT, UM, IS, UH, SPEAKING ON THE MAKEUP OF THE ATAC COMMITTEE, UM, IS A CULTURAL SEAT THERE AS WELL THAT'S MISSING IN THIS LINE? YES.
ALRIGHT, WELL, CAN WE, YEAH, IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE THE EARLIER DRAFT THAT I PRINTED OUT HAD CULTURAL SECTORS IN THERE, SO, OKAY.
OH, WE CAN CERTAINLY ADD, ADD THAT.
UM, I'M, I APOLOGIZE IF THAT'S AN OVERSIGHT, BUT YEAH.
WE CAN ADD CULTURAL IN THAT YEAH.
SO I DIDN'T COVER C AND D, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON THAT.
IT GOES TO FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE, UM, AND YOU LOOK AT THE ATAC COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS ALIGN WITH THE BUDGET AND POLICY GOALS, ALIGNMENT WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, YOU CAN ADJUST, UH, IN YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL, UM, BUT THEN ULTIMATELY GOES TO TOWN COUNCIL FOR, UH, FINAL REVIEW, DELIBERATION.
AND THEN, UM, ANY ACTION THAT TOWN COUNCIL, UH, CHOOSES TO, TO TAKE THERE.
I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT IN EXHIBIT A, WHICH IS THE ATTACHMENT TO THE RESOLUTION, IT DOES SAY UNDER B INCLUDE STAKEHOLDERS FROM HOSPITALITY, LODGING, AND CULTURAL SECTOR SECTORS.
THE GOOD NEWS IS IT'S IN, IT'S IN THE RIGHT SPOT WHEN YOU ADOPT THE RESOLUTION, SO THAT'S TRUE.
SO MY, MY APOLOGIES THAT WE MISSED THAT IN THE STAFF REPORT.
UM, SO ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT FOR REVIEW? AND WE JUMP INTO THE, THE EVALUATION CRITERIA.
SO AGAIN, UH, RELYING ON STATE CODE, THERE'S EVALUATION CRITERIA THAT GOVERNS THE DECISION ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.
UM, AND, AND THEY'RE OUTLINED HERE, BUT TOURISM IMPACT OVERNIGHT STAYS MARKETING.
UM, A LOT OF THOSE METRICS, I THINK, ALEX, THAT YOU WERE, OR, OR, UH, CHAIRMAN BROWN THAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO, UM, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE LISTED THERE PER STATE CODE.
UM, AND THAT SHOULD BE THE FOUNDATION AND, AND SOMEONE SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE PROVIDING HOW THEY'RE MEETING THIS,
[00:40:01]
THESE CRITERIA.UM, AND THEN USED IN THE, UM, IN THE EVALUATION AND SCORING.
AND THEN WE GET INTO POST AWARD REQUIREMENTS.
UM, AND MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE PUT THIS AFTER COMMON COUNCIL VOTING AND APPROVAL PROCESS, BUT, BUT IF SELECTED YOU, THE APPLICANTS ARE, UH, REQUIRED TO ENTER A FORMAL AGREEMENT WITH THE TOWN, THEY MUST SUBMIT REGULAR PROGRESS AND FINAL FINANCIAL REPORTS, UM, MAINTAIN DOCUMENTATION.
THEY MUST SUBMIT DOCUMENTATION TO REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT OF THE APPROVED GRANT FUNDING.
AND THEN, UM, IF THEY DON'T USE ALL THE FUNDS OR IF THERE'S ANY MISUSE OF THE FUNDS, THEY MUST BE RETURNED.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? I'M TRYING TO BE DELIBERATE AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS, SO NO, NO, APPRECIATE THAT.
NO, SOMEWHERE IN HERE, AND MAYBE MS. HUNTER NOW REMEMBERS THIS, UM, BUT THE TOWN SENDS AWARD LETTERS, AND I KNOW THIS YEAR WE HAD SOME DELAY IN THAT SOME ORGANIZATIONS CONTACTED ME AND SAID, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW IT'S BEEN APPROVED, BUT WE DON'T HAVE OUR LETTER.
THIS IS, UH, TALKS ABOUT WHAT THE GRANTEES MUST DO, BUT SHOULD WE ADD SOMETHING IN THERE? UM, AND I KNOW IT'S IN HERE SOMEWHERE THAT THE TOWN SENDS AWARD LETTERS.
YEAH, WE HAD IT IN, IN THE CALENDAR.
SO, UM, AND AGAIN, I THINK, I THINK WHAT WE SHOULD COMMIT TO IS THAT ONCE TOWN COUNCIL, IF IT'S IN OCTOBER, ONCE THEY MAKE, UH, THEIR FINAL DECISION, WE SHOULD WITHIN A CERTAIN PERIOD, WHETHER IT'S, UH, 72 HOUR, WHOEVER ONE WEEK LOOKS LIKE HERE, IT'S WITHIN THREE DAYS OF COUNSEL, UH, FINAL APPROVAL, THEN THE, THE AWARD DISTRIBUTION LETTERS ARE, UM, ARE SENT TO THE, UH, THE GRANTEES.
SO TO AVOID THE HOLIDAY MAILING, I GUESS, BUT, UM, OR MAYBE SEND BY EMAIL, BUT IT MIGHT BE GOOD UNDER POST AWARD REQUIREMENTS TO SAY THE TOWN WILL SEND THE AWARD LETTERS WITHOUT ANY SORT OF DATE IN THERE.
AND, UH, IS THERE AN EXPECTATION FOR A TIMEFRAME THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF IF THIS WAS A COUNCIL MEETING TODAY ON THE 26TH, UM, AND IT'S ON, UH, WITHIN SEVEN DAYS, IS THAT REALISTIC? I'M NOT LED TO A TIME.
UH, I JUST THINK THAT IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER IT.
THE, THE POST AWARD REQUIREMENTS, UH, TOWN WILL, UPON APPROVAL OF COUNSEL, DISTRIBUTE, UM, AWARD LETTERS TO GRANTEES NOTIFYING THEM OF TOWN COUNCIL ACTION.
SO, UM, AND WHAT WE'VE GOT IN HERE, AS I MENTIONED, IS SOME PROPOSED GUIDELINES THAT, UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT TOWN COUNCIL VOTING AND APPROVAL PROCESS, UM, AND NOT HAVING BEEN COMPLETELY IN THE DEEP END ON AT ATTACKS, BUT HAVE BEEN IN THE ROOM ENOUGH TO KNOW HOW DELIBERATIONS GO, UM, THERE ARE SOME WHERE TOWN COUNCIL IS COMPLETELY ALIGNED AND VERY FEW QUESTIONS, IF ANY.
AND THEN THERE'S SOME THAT, UM, REQUIRE MORE DELIBERATION, CONSIDERATION, UM, AND DISCUSSION BEFORE MAKING A FINAL, UH, RECOMMENDATION.
SO THE VOTING AND APPROVAL PROCESS ARE INCLUDED IN HERE FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO OBVIOUSLY TOWN COUNCIL, UH, FORMALLY VOTES ON GRANT AWARDS AT A SCHEDULED PUBLIC MEETING.
UM, SO GRANT RECOMMENDATIONS APPEAR ON THE AGENDA AS AN ACTION ITEM.
IT INCLUDES THE AWARD LIST, THE COMMITTEE SUM, UH, THE COMMITTEE SUMMARIES, UM, AND I THINK IT INCLUDES WHAT THE ATAC COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED, WHAT THE FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED.
UM, AND THEN I THINK THERE IS A, A, UM, AN OPEN COLUMN THAT FOR COUNCIL ACTION, UM, THAT WE THEN FILL IN AS THE FINAL, UM, DISTRIBUTION, UH, OF THE GRANT AWARDS AS YOU AS, AS COUNCIL C FIT.
SO THAT'S PROVIDED IN THE AGENDA, AND THAT'S WHAT'S USED AS A FOUNDATION TO GO THROUGH AND, AND TO, TO FINALIZE THE AWARDS.
TOWN COUNCIL THEN DELIBERATES, UM, THE APAC CHAIR, UH, I THINK HAS PRESENTED MOST OF THE TIMES I'VE SEEN THIS COME TO COUNCIL.
UM, SO YOU HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE COMMITTEE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE THE FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR AND MEMBERS, UH, THERE TO SHARE WHAT THEY HAD VETTED IN THE COMMITTEE LEVEL.
UM, BUT ATAC CHAIR PRESENTS THE FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL, UM, ALONG WITH FINANCE TEAM HERE, UH, DIRECTOR AND OR WHOEVER THEY DESIGNATE.
UM, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL CAN ASK QUESTIONS.
[00:45:01]
THAT, UH, TO YOU, BUT I JUST DID.UM, BUT QUESTIONS OF STAFF, THE AT TAX CHAIR, AND IF APPLICANTS ARE THERE, PROBABLY IN THEIR BEST INTEREST TO BE THERE, UH, TO ASK QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANTS THEMSELVES.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S DISCUSSION ABOUT PRIORITIES, ANY FUNDING ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, OR IF THEY WANT, OR IF COUNCIL NEEDS SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO HELP THEM REACH, REACH A DECISION, UM, OR TO SUPPORT, UM, THEIR, THEIR OVERALL UNDERSTANDING OF THE APPLICATION.
SO WITH THAT, SHOULD I STOP THERE? WE GOOD? YEP.
JUST MAKE SURE THAT I'M NOT, ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT PIECE OF IT.
ARE WE GOOD? NO, I'M GLAD WE'RE LAYING IT OUT BECAUSE, UM, BEING A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER, I WASN'T SURE WHAT THE PROCESS WAS, UM, ESPECIALLY AS WE WERE TARGETING IT ON A FEW, UM, SPECIFIC, UM, APPLICANTS AND WHETHER THOSE COULD BE REMOVED OR NOT, UH, FOR ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONS.
SO I THINK IT'S GOOD TO LAY OUT WHAT THAT PROCESS IS SO THAT EVERYONE IS CLEAR
IT'S A COUPLE QUICK THINGS THAT, UM, THE VERY INTRO PARAGRAPH SAYS, TOWN COUNCIL FORMALLY VOTES ON THE GRANT AWARDS AT A SCHEDULED PUBLIC MEETING.
I MEAN, CONFUSES WHY WE ADD SOME LANGUAGE IN HERE, WHICH, OH, I'M JUST A LITTLE KNIT.
AND THEN UNDER, I THINK YOU GOT THROUGH D VOTING PROCEDURE.
PARDON ME? DID YOU GET THROUGH SECTION? I DIDN'T GET THROUGH THE SPECIFIC, LIKE, I, I WAS THROUGH THE DELIBERATION PROCESS AND THEN I WAS GONNA COVER HOW, HOW, HOW TO HELP, UH, OR, OR PROPOSE STRUCTURE FOR COUNCIL.
I'LL WAIT TILL COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL TO CONSIDER MM-HMM
I'LL WAIT TILL YOU GET TO THAT.
AND ON THE, ON THE WORDING FOR PUBLIC, I THINK IT'S, UH, IT'S JUST PART OF THE PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THAT ONCE THE STAFF AND COMMITTEE REVIEW THAT COUNCIL'S MAKING DECISIONS IN, IN PUBLIC.
BUT I, I UNDERSTAND YOUR YOUR POINT THERE THAT ALL YOUR MEETINGS ARE PUBLIC
SO, ALL RIGHT, SO AFTER DELIBERATION, UM, AND WHAT TYPICALLY HAPPENS, UM, AS TOWN COUNCIL APPROVES EVERYTHING UNANIMOUSLY AND, NO, I'M JUST JOKING.
SO, UM, BUT IF, IF FOR, IF ONE YEAR, UH, OR FROM HERE FORWARD, THERE'S ALIGNMENT ON COUNCIL THAT SAYS WE APPROVE EVERYTHING IS SUBMITTED, UM, YOU CAN APPROVE WHAT WAS BEFORE YOU AS SUBMITTED WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, THERE'S NO CHANGES AND COUNCIL VOTES ON THE ENTIRE PACKET AS THAT'S ONE OPTION, UM, PROBABLY DOESN'T HAPPEN.
UM, WHERE YOU HAVE ALIGNMENT ON, ON MANY, BUT NOT ALL OF THESE, UH, APPLICATIONS, UH, FOR GRANT AWARD, UM, YOU CAN MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE THAT THERE'S ALIGNMENT ON.
AND I'M, WE'LL THROW A SCENARIO OUT THERE.
IF THERE'S 20 APPLICATIONS, YOU'RE ALIGNED ON 14, YOU CAN MAKE A MOTION TO GET THOSE OFF THE TABLE AND APPROVED, AND THEN TALK ABOUT THE REMAINING SIX.
AND YOU CAN GO THROUGH THOSE LINE BY LINE.
BUT, SO THERE'S A MOTION TO APPROVE, UH, A PARTIAL, UM, PARTS OF THE LIST, UM, WHERE THERE'S ALIGNMENT.
UM, AND EVEN WITH THAT, YOU CAN HAVE AMENDMENTS OR, UM, DISPER, UH, AND, AND DEFER THE SPECIFIC VOTES ON THE OTHER ONES INDIVIDUALLY.
AND THEN AS YOU GO THROUGH, UM, THE ONES WHERE THERE WASN'T MAYBE COMPLETE ALIGNMENT OR THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE INFORMATION OR CLARITY, UH, YOU CAN VOTE ON THOSE INDIVIDUALLY.
AND THEN FINALLY, THERE COULD BE A REJECTION OR DEFERRAL.
SO, UM, YOU COULD REJECT ONE OR MORE OF THE APPLICANTS OR, OR, OR APPLICATIONS FOR GRANT AWARD, UM, OR YOU CAN DEFER, UM, ANY OR ALL OF THOSE TO A FUTURE MEETING FOR A DECISION.
UH, ROLL CALL CONDUCTED BY THE TOWN CLERK, MAJORITY VOTE, SO FOUR OR MORE, UH, REQUIRED FOR PASSAGE RESULTS ARE IN RECORDED IN THE MINUTES.
AND, UM, AND THEN AS WE MENTIONED BEFORE, UPON APPROVAL, WE'LL INITIATE THE GRANT AGREEMENTS.
WE PROBABLY SHOULD PUT, UM, DELIVER THE AWARD LETTERS, INITIATE THE GRANT AGREEMENT, AND THEN, UM, AND THEN DISBURSEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE, THE YEAR, ONCE SUBMITTED, ONCE SUBMITTED.
SO, UM, I DID HAVE A COUPLE OF, OH, A COMMENT REGARDING THE RESULTS
[00:50:01]
RECORDED IN THE OFFICIAL MEETING MINUTES.SO I WENT BACK TO THE MEETING MINUTES AND, YOU KNOW, WITHIN IT, IT SHOWED WHAT WAS, UM, PRESENTED BY THE ATECH, UM, CHAIRMAN, AND THEN ALL OF THE INDIVIDUAL, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSION POINTS AND VOTES.
UM, AND WHEN WE FINISHED, WE DID MAKE CHANGES, AND THERE WAS NEVER A TABULATION INCLUDED IN THE FINAL MINUTES OF WHAT WAS ACTUALLY APPROVED.
THERE WERE THE PARAGRAPHS OF, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND VOTED ON THIS AND WE REDUCED THIS, BUT THERE WAS NEVER THAT FINAL LIST.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS KIND OF LOOKING FOR LAST NIGHT.
I WAS, AS I WAS PREPARING THAT, UH, FOR THIS.
SO I THINK IT, UH, WOULD BE HELPFUL TO INCLUDE THAT IN THE MINUTES AS THE FINAL, UM, FINAL LIST OF WHAT HAS BEEN APPROVED.
OTHERWISE IT CR CREATES SOME WORK.
SO IF YOU HAVE THAT MATRIX, UM, HAVING A CLEAN VERSION THAT HAS APAC COMMITTEE FINDING ADMINISTRATIVE AND TOWN COUNCIL, RIGHT, THE REC THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE FINAL AWARD APPROVED BY TOWN COUNCIL, UM, ABSOLUTELY MAKES SENSE THAT IT
WHILE WE'RE ON THE VOTING PROCEDURE, THE ROLL CALL VOTE, UM, IS THERE A REQUIREMENT FOR ROLL? I, I MEAN, I'M FINE WITH A ROLL CALL VOTE, BUT I, I WONDERED WHY IT WAS CALLED OUT IN THIS CASE.
WE'VE BEEN VOTING BY HAND SIGNALS LATELY INSTEAD.
SO I USED TO DO A LOT OF ROLL CALL VOTES, AND THEN FOR TIME'S SAKE, I THINK WE WENT TO THE HAND SHOW, UNLESS THE ROLL CALL VOTE IS REQUESTED, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THERE'S SOME SORT OF STATUTORY REQUIREMENT.
I'M GONNA ASK THE TOWN ATTORNEY IF HE HAS ANY ADVICE ON IF, IF A ROLL CALL VOTE IS REQUIRED.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT PROBABLY, RIGHT.
I, I THINK THAT IT'S, IT'S A MATTER OF, IT'S, SOMETIMES IT'S A MATTER OF HOW, HOW THE MEETING'S GOING.
IT, IT, IT'S A MATTER OF, OF WHAT THE CHAIR NEEDS.
I WILL SAY THAT AT THE LAST, AT TAX VOTE, AS WE REMEMBER, AND I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING UP WATCHING IT AGAIN, WE WENT BACK THROUGH OUR NOTES AND REALIZED THAT THERE WAS SOME, SOME DELIBERATION FROM TOWN COUNCIL ABOUT THE FULL LIST, HAVING TO APPROVE IT OR CONSIDER IT IN WHOLE OR IN PART.
AND WE'VE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE, IF, AS AS I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH AT TAX OVER TIME, YOU'VE TYPICALLY TAKEN THE FULL BATCH.
YOU ASKED IF THERE WAS A CONCURRENCE.
RARELY, I DON'T THINK EVER THERE WAS A HUNDRED PERCENT CONCURRENCE ANYWHERE THAT I'VE EVER WITNESSED OR BEEN A PART OF.
AND THAT'S, THOSE, THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE ALIGNED, STAY IN AND YOU VOTE, AND THOSE ITEMS THAT AREN'T ALIGNED, YOU PULL OUT AND YOU VOTE ON ONE AT A TIME.
WE PUT IN HERE ROLL CALL CONDUCTED BY TOWN CLERK AS A ROLL CALL, AND I WOULD ASK THAT IT STAY IN HERE, OR AT LEAST THE CHAIRS AND THE MAYOR KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT OUR TOWN CLERK NEEDS.
BECAUSE SOMETIMES SITTING OVER THERE AND NOT KNOWING IF SOMEONE'S HANDS ALL THE WAY UP OVER THEIR SHOULDER, ESPECIALLY ON SOMETHING THAT HAS, LET'S SAY 70 ITEMS YOU'RE VOTING ON AS ONE OR TWO MOTIONS OR 10, IT'S HARD.
SO WE PUT THIS, IT IS OUR RECOMMENDATION.
THE COMMITTEE CAN RECOMMEND WHAT THEY'D LIKE, BUT IT'S IN THERE BECAUSE THAT IS OUR RECOMMENDATION AND IT HELPS US TRULY DOESN'T MATTER TO ME.
UH, MR. CHAIR, I, I, I JUST WONDERED WHY IT WAS INSERTED HERE, AND I'M FINE, ALWAYS FINE WITH HELPING THE CLERK OUT AND THE DEPUTY CLERK ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
IT ELIMINATES THE, MAYBE, MAYBE I DID, MAYBE I DIDN'T LATER.
AND THEN EVERYBODY LOOK AT OUR AMAZING TOWN CLERK AND SAY, YOU GOT IT WRONG.
A ROLL CALL ON AT TAX IS, IS, IS GOOD STANDARD PRACTICE.
IF I COULD GO BACK UP AND, AND, UM, THE OPTIONS FOR VOTING, UH, MOTIONS AND AMENDMENTS, SO, UH, THREE REJECTION OR DEFERRAL, IT SAYS COUNCIL MAY REJECT AND REQUEST A REVISED RECOMMENDATION.
AND SO I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO WE'RE REQUESTING OR REVISED RECOMMENDATION FROM.
IS IT A SUGGESTION TO GO BACK TO A COMMITTEE OR ARE WE ASKING THE APPLICANT TO REVISE THEIR I, I, I'M NOT SURE WHO WE'RE REQUESTING IT.
UH, I MEAN, I, I I UNDERSTAND THERE'S AN OPTION LIKE THAT, BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.
YEAH, I MEAN, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
UH, WHEN I, WHEN I WAS READING THIS, I, I THOUGHT IT WAS, THEY COULD REVISE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT HAD COME FORWARD FROM THE F FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE.
UM, SO THAT MEAN IT GOES BACK TO THE FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE.
[00:55:02]
ANYBODY KNOW? WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN? YEAH, I'M SORRY.ON THIS ONE, UH, I'VE AX FOR 20 YEARS.
WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CONCERN IS.
I'M SORRY, I WAS TALKING TO KIM.
YEAH, IT SAYS COUNCIL MAY REJECT AND REQUEST A REVISED RECOMMENDATION.
SO WHO IS THE COUNSEL ASKING TO REVISE THE RECOMMENDATION? YOU CAN ASK YOURSELVES, YOU CAN ASK THE APPLICANT, YOU CAN ASK A TAX THERE, SOMEONE MIGHT SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO YOU FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT YOU FEEL THAT THEIR APPLICATION'S OFF, YOU CAN REJECT IT.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO BE REAL CLEAR THAT YOU CAN REJECT IT.
YOU CAN ALSO MAKE A DECISION AT A LATER DATE.
THERE IS NO STATUTORY REQUIREMENT THAT TOWN COUNCIL HAS TO DECIDE AT THAT VERY TIME.
YOU COULD, IF YOU'D LIKE TO APPROVE SOMEONE'S AT TAX IN FEBRUARY, IS THEIR, THEIR TIMELINE ON THEIR BUDGET DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE YOUR TIMELINE ON AS, AS WELL.
AND, AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS, IS HELP WITH THAT.
BUT I ALSO THINK FOR FULL CLARITY THAT YOU ALSO KNOW, RIGHT? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU ASKED US TO DO AT THE LAST VOTE.
YOU WANTED US TO BE VERY CLEAR AS WE CAME BACK WHAT YOUR OPTIONS ARE AND WHAT YOUR PROCEDURES ARE.
SO WE CAN, WE CAN STRIKE THIS.
IF, IF THAT'S NOT PART OF THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION TO FULL COUNSEL.
UM, WE'VE PUT THIS IN THERE BECAUSE WE, WE UNDERSTOOD, I UNDERSTOOD THAT WE NEEDED TO BE FULLY CLEAR AND FULLY TRANSPARENT OF WHAT, WHAT YOUR OPTIONS ARE.
AND YOU DO HAVE AN OPTION TO REJECT AND YOU HAVE AN OPTION TO DEFER FOR A LATER DATE WITH A REVISED APPLICATION.
THERE MIGHT BE A NEW NONPROFIT OUT THERE THAT HAS A LOT OF VALUE AND THEY JUST APPLIED WRONG, THAT IT MIGHT MEAN YOU DON'T HAVE TO DENY THEM.
YOU MIGHT HAVE TO SAY, GO FIRM THAT UP A LITTLE BIT AND BRING IT BACK TO US.
WE REALLY THINK YOU'RE GONNA ADD SOME VALUE WITH THE USE OF OUR AT TAX INVESTMENT.
SO HOWEVER YOU'D LIKE ME TO WORD THIS.
UM, YEAH, WELL, DEFERRAL IS UP IN SUBSECTION TWO AND, AND REJECT IS IN THREE AND I'M FINE WITH THAT.
UM, I JUST WAS NOT SURE WHO WE WERE ASKING FOR A REVISED RECOMMENDATION.
UM, AND, AND YOU'VE EXPLAINED SOME OF IT, BUT YOU KNOW, IS, IS IT THAT WE ARE GOING TO ASK THE APPLICANT TO REVISE THEIR REQUESTS, NOT THEIR RECOMMENDATION.
THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD COME FROM ONE OF THE COMMITTEES BEFOREHAND.
UM, IS THERE, IS THAT SENDING IT BACK TO A COMMITTEE? THAT'S MY QUESTION.
ARE WE ASKING THE APPLICANT TO REVISE THEIR APPLICATION OR ARE WE ASKING, UH, A COMMITTEE, THE FINANCE, ADMINISTRATIVE OR ATAC TO REVISE THE RECOMMENDATION? THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING.
WELL, I I DON'T KNOW WHY, WHY COUNCIL WOULD ASK THE COMMITTEE TO REVISE THE RECOMMENDATION.
BECAUSE WHATEVER YOU DECIDE, UM, TAKE, YOU KNOW, TAKES THE DAY OR WHATEVER, UH, WINS THE DAY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT TERM IS, BUT AS IT RELATES TO NUMBER THREE IN THE REJECTION REFERRAL, SO TOWN COUNCIL CAN REJECT THE APPLICATIONS.
AND I THINK THEIR QUESTION IS IF YOU, IF YOU, UH, REQUEST REVISED RECOMMENDATION, UM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE PROBABLY MAKING AN AMENDMENT OR YOU'RE DEFERRING, I THINK WE SHOULD JUST TAKE THE LANGUAGE OUT AND JUST SAY REJECTION REFERRAL TOWN COUNCIL MAY REJECT AN APPLICATION YEAH.
OR TOWN COUNCIL MADE A FUR DECISION TO A LATER MEETING AND JUST LEAVE IT THERE.
AND THEN YOU HAVE AMENDMENT ABOVE THAT, SIR.
AMENDMENT'S ALREADY COVERED IF YOU CHANGE OR DEVIATE FROM WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION WAS TO BEGIN WITH.
I, I DON'T WANNA TAKE OUT OPTIONS, BUT I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND, UNDERSTAND.
UM, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE FINAL CLEAN LIST, UH, IS INCLUDED IN THE MINUTES RELATED TO FINAL ACTION OF COUNSEL ON THESE GRANT AWARDS.
AS, UH, COUNCILWOMAN TURNER MENTIONED.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THE, THE REVIEW ALL THE WAY THROUGH TOWN COUNCIL, INCLUDING VOTING PROCEDURES, JUST A KNIT, UH, UPON APPROVAL STAFF DOES SOMETHING THAT'S NOT PART OF THE VOTING PROCEDURE.
I THINK THAT GOES BACK UP TO POST AWARD.
SO WE'LL MOVE, WE WILL MOVE THIS UP TO THE TOWN REQUIREMENT POST AWARD.
AND ADDING THE AND ADD LETTERS, AWARD LETTERS.
ARE WE READY TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SECTION? WELL, I, I WANNA PAUSE SIR, JUST FOR A MOMENT, SIR.
MR. COLIN, UH, SINCE WE'VE COVERED THE, THE GRANT PORTION WHEN IT COMES TO APPLICANTS AND JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT MS. BECCA AND MR. ALFRED HAD A CHANCE TO WEIGH IN ON THIS PARTICULAR PIECE.
IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING AT THIS POINT YOU WANNA WEIGH IN ON ANYTHING WE'VE DISCUSSED SO FAR? NO.
YOU GOOD? OKAY, MS. BECCA? YES, THANK YOU, UM, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY I HAVE, UM, SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT YOU'RE UNDERTAKING IN RES
[01:00:01]
WITH REGARD TO THE, UM, THE ADDITION OF ADDING HOUSING TO THE, UM, A TAX PROCESS HERE.UM, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, UM, AND I'VE HEARD SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET AND GETTING MONEY INTO THAT.
UM, WE'VE VOTED ON A BUDGET WHEREIN WE DECIDED, UM, WITH THE MAJORITY THAT NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS WERE GOING INTO A HOUSING FUND.
SO A, THERE'S THAT, SO CURIOUS WHY THAT CONVERSATION IS CONTINUING.
SECONDLY, WE JUST SAT THROUGH THE THIRD DAY OF A STRATEGIC PLAN AND THROUGH THAT PLAN WHEN WE WERE LOOKING UNDER THE WORKFORCE HOUSING, UM, PROGRAM, I THINK IT'S 7.4 OR 7.5, THAT, UM, IT WAS AGREED TO THAT WITH REGARD TO FUNDING THAT WE WOULD ASSESS AND EVALUATE A RECURRING STREAM FUNDING STREAM.
HERE WE SEEM TO BE, UM, MOVING FORWARD INTO ESTABLISHING SOMETHING THAT WE JUST, UM, SAID WE WEREN'T PREPARED YET TO DO.
SO I WANNA MAKE THOSE OBSERVATIONS AND, AND I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR THE TIME BEING.
I'M ALSO A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT I'M HEARING, UM, AND I'LL ELABORATE ON THAT ANOTHER TIME, BUT I'M ALSO A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT I'M HEARING WITH TAKING OUT LANGUAGE WITH REGARD TO HOLDING PUBLIC HEARINGS AND SCHEDULED MEETINGS OF TOWN COUNCIL FOR VOTES.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING IS BEING TAKEN OUT OF HERE THAT REMOVES ANY TRANSPARENCY AT ALL.
IN FACT, IF ANYTHING, YOU OUGHT TO BE ERRORING ON THE SIDE OF MORE TRANSPARENCY, AND THAT'S NOT THE LANGUAGE THAT I'M HEARING THAT COUNCILWOMAN BRYSON HAS BEEN SUGGESTING.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO PUSH BACK ON THAT AS I WILL WHEN IT COMES FOR APPROVAL.
OKAY, MS. KOHLER, IF I COULD SAY SOMETHING ABOUT PUBLIC MEETING.
I, MY OBSERVATION IS THAT IT'S INCONSISTENT IN THE WAY IT'S DONE.
ALL OF THE MEETINGS ARE PUBLIC MEETINGS.
I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULD NOT HAVE PUBLIC MEETINGS.
READY TO MOVE FORWARD TO THE NEXT SECTION.
UM, AND SO, AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, RECENT CHANGE IN THE, IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE ALLOWS TEMPORARY USE OF, UM, SOUTH CAROLINA AT TAX FUNDS TOWARD THE PROVISION OF WORKFORCE HOUSING.
UM, AND I'LL GO THROUGH THE, THE PARAMETERS UNDER THAT STATE CODE SO THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS, UH, USE LIMITATIONS WHEN IT EXPIRES, AND THEN HOW TO IMPLEMENT, UH, IF TOWN COUNCIL CHOOSES TO U TO USE A TAX FUNDS SOUTH, SOUTH COUNTY TAX FUNDS TOWARD THE PROVISION OF THAT.
SO, UM, UNDER THE, THE PROVISION OF THE STATE CODE NOW, UM, THAT DEALS WITH THIS ELIGIBILITY ELIGIBLE ACTIVITY, UH, PERMITTED USES INCLUDE SUPPORT SUBSIDY OR DEVELOPMENT OF WORKFORCE HOUSING.
AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS A TEMPORARY ALLOWED ELIGIBLE USE.
UH, CURRENTLY IS SET TO EXPIRE THE END, WELL, DECEMBER 30TH, 2030.
AND SO, UH, ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF YEARS, UNLESS THERE'S AN EXTENSION AT THAT POINT, UM, TO, TO EXTEND IT BEYOND THAT 2030 DE UH, EXPIRATION, UM, COMMITMENTS MUST BE INCLUDED WITHIN THAT TIMEFRAME.
UM, AND THEN THERE MUST BE A TRACK OF EXPENDITURES AND TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THAT PROVISION.
SO, UH, IF TOWN COUNCIL, UH, WERE TO CONSIDER IMPLEMENTING THIS PROVISION, UH, AS AN ELIGIBLE ACTIVITY USING THE GRANT FUNDING, UM, WE WERE, WE REQUIRED TO ENSURE LEGAL COMPLIANCE, UH, REPORTING AND DOCUMENTATION TO KEEP US IN COMPLIANCE.
AND AS I MENTIONED, THAT TURK GROUP, THE TOURISM EXPENDITURE REVIEW COMMITTEE HAS OVERSIGHT AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND, UM, AND, UH, WE'D HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MEETING THE STATE REQUIREMENTS OR WE WOULD HEAR FROM THEM.
SO, UM, THAT'S A VERY BRIEF OVERVIEW, JUST TO SAY WORKFORCE HOUSING'S ELIGIBLE, UM, PROVIDE YOU THE, THE FOUNDATION FOR THAT AND, UM, GIVE YOU AN IDEA ON THE TIMEFRAME AND REQUIREMENTS IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE THAT.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT PART OF IT? NO.
SO THEN WE GO INTO THE NEXT SECTION, AND THIS IS REALLY TO HELP BE REPRESENTATIVE ON HOW YOU WANT TO, UM, CONSIDER YOUR DISTRIBUTION OF SOUTH CAROLINA AT TAX FUNDS FROM A PROGRAM STANDPOINT.
UM, WE'VE INCLUDED SPECIFIC INFORMATION FROM FISCAL YEAR 26 TO HELP PAINT
[01:05:01]
A CLEARER PICTURE.UM, AND SO I'M GONNA RUN THROUGH THE 26 EXAMPLE, UM, AND THEN WE CAN GO THROUGH IN DETAIL AS, AS MUCH AS YOU NEED ON THE BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS THAT WERE USED TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.
BUT I'LL RUN IT THROUGH AT A HIGH LEVEL AND THEN BASED ON YOUR NEED, GO THROUGH SOME MORE DETAIL.
SO, FISCAL YEAR 26, THE PROJECTED SOUTH CAROLINA ACCOMMODATIONS TAX REVENUES ARE $12.3 MILLION.
UM, THERE'S AN, UH, THIS ESTIMATE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE ATTACHMENT THREE THAT SHOWS THE HISTORICAL REVENUES GENERATED BY THE TOWN THROUGH THIS FUNDING SOURCE.
UM, AND THEN BASED ON THE REVENUES AND THE DISTRIBUTION, AND IT'S INCLUDED IN THE TABLE HERE, UM, WE HAVE INCLUDED THE REQUIRED DISTRIBUTION, WHICH IS AGAIN, REQUIRED OF THE CODE.
SO THERE'S MANDATORY DIS DISTRIBUTION AND THERE'S DISCRETIONARY DISCRETIONARY DISTRIBUTION.
AND SO WHEN THE TOWN RECEIVES THE AT TAX FUNDING, THE FIRST $25,000 OF THE AT TAX REVENUES, UM, ARE, ARE, UM, PLACED IN THE GENERAL FUND.
SO THERE'S 25,000 THAT SET ASIDE, UM, FIVE ADDITIONAL 5% OF THE TOWN, UM, COLLECTED REVENUES FROM SOUTH CAROLINA AT TAX ARE PLACED IN THE GENERAL FUND, UH, AS WELL.
AND THEN THERE'S 30% THAT'S REQUIRED TO BE DISTRI DISTRIBUTED TO THE TOWN'S DESIGNATED MARKETING ORGANIZATION.
SO THIS 35%, AND I WOULD SAY PLUS 25,000
UM, AND SO WE USED THAT ALONG WITH THE, UM, EXHIBIT, I THINK EXHIBIT FOUR, WHICH WAS THE HISTORIC DISTRIBUTION OF SOUTH CAROLINA AT TAX FUNDS FROM THE TOWN, UM, TO PROPOSE A DISTRIBUTION.
AND THIS IS PROPOSED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 26, BUT THE FIRST THREE LINES REMAIN THE SAME CONSISTENT WITH THE STATE CODE REQUIREMENTS.
AND THEN THE BALANCE, THE 65%, UM, DISTRIBUTION THAT TOWN COUNCIL HAS DISCRETION OVER THE PROPOSED DISTRIBUTION IS 30% OF, OF THE COLLECTED REVENUE IS AVAILABLE FOR THE AT TAX GRANTS AND AWARD TO APPLICANTS.
THAT 20% IS ALLOCATED TO THE GENERAL FUND TOWARD TOURISM OPERATING EXPENSES.
10% IS ALLOCATED TO THE TOWN'S CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FUND, AND THAT 5% IS, UM, ALLOCATED TO THE HOUSING PROGRAM, UM, UNDER THIS PROVISION OF THE TEMPORARY USE AUTHORIZED THROUGH 2030.
AND SO THE 25 PLUS THESE PERCENTAGES ADD UP TO A HUNDRED PLUS 25,000, UM, COMPLETE THE FULL DISTRIBUTION MANDATORY AND A PROPOSED, UM, DISCRETIONARY DISTRIBUTION AS A POLICY CONSIDERATION FOR THE COMMITTEE TO RECOMMEND THE TOWN COUNCIL.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE, UM, FROM REAL NUMBERS, RIGHT, NOT JUST THE PERCENTAGES, HOW THAT WOULD PLAY OUT IN FISCAL YEAR 26.
SO, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE GENERAL FUND REQUIRED, IT'S A, UM, 641,000 TO GENERAL FUND REQUIRED $3.7 MILLION TO THE DMO 3.7 TO GRANT APPLICANTS THROUGH THE AWARD PROCESS.
UM, ADDITIONAL 2.4 TO THE TOWNS GENERAL FUND, 1.2 TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND, AND AROUND 608 17 $18,000 WOULD GO INTO OUR HOUSING PROGRAM.
AND I DO WANNA SAY THAT THE HOUSING PROGRAM ALLOCATION WOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF THE TOWN COUNCIL ADOPTED STRATEGIC PLAN HOUSING GOALS, UM, AND, UH, AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WHAT COUNCIL HAS DIRECTED IN THAT STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, TO UTILIZE THOSE FUNDS TOWARDS.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, THAT IS A DIRECT LINE TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND EXPECTATIONS FROM COUNCIL.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS SO FAR, MS. MR. COLAN? BEFORE? UH, YEAH, WE GET INTO THE QUESTIONS ON, UM, THE DETAILS HERE.
UM, I ASKED EARLIER ABOUT, UM, THE FUNDING HAVING TO BE SPENT WITHIN A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME.
[01:10:01]
SO IF, IF THIS SCENARIO, LET'S SAY CHANGES WHERE WE'VE GOT A 10% INCREASE IN THE ATEX DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE COLLECTED, BUT ANY OF THESE ITEMS, AND WE'LL USE THE ATEX GRANTS AS AN EXAMPLE, COME IN LOWER THAN THE PRESCRIBED 30%, WHAT THEN HAPPENS WITH THE OVERAGE IF WE'VE GOT TWO YEARS TO SPEND IT? SORRY.UM, I'M NOT, UH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE EVER HAD A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE LESS GRANT REQUESTS THAN MONEY, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION.
UM, I THINK THERE COULD BE A PROVISION INCLUDED THAT IF THE, WELL THIS ALL PERCENTAGES, SO IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S UNSPENT, IF AT TAX FUNDS, UM, THAT TOWN COUNCIL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DISTRIBUTE IN A MANNER THEY, THEY BELIEVE OR THEY SEE FIT.
NOW THE, THE ONLY, THE ONLY PROVISION THAT, LIKE THE HOUSING AS A CAP, LIKE THE MAXIMUM YOU CAN ALLOCATE IS 15%.
ONLY REASON I RAISE IT IS BECAUSE, AND WHEN YOU LOOK BACK THE, THE HISTORICAL DATA, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE, WE HAD A JUMP, PRETTY SIGNIFICANT JUMP AND EVERYBODY REACTED TO THAT.
UM, SO I THINK THIS HELPS US IF WE HAVE A DECREASE MOVING FORWARD, BUT INCREASES, I JUST WANNA BRING IT TO EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION THAT THAT MAY BE A STUMBLING BLOCK FOR US DOWN THE ROAD.
SO YES, QUESTIONS? UM, IF I START WITH MS NO, THAT'S FINE.
UM, SO I'M NOT SURE IT'S A QUESTION, BUT SURE.
WHAT I WOULD SAY ABOUT, IN LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS, UM, SO LOOKING AT, UH, WHAT'S, WHAT'S BEEN PROVIDED TO US IS ATTACHMENT THREE.
I'M LOOKING AT, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING OUT, UH, STAFF TAKING OUT THE SUPPLEMENTAL GRANT TO THE DMO 'CAUSE WE'RE NO LONGER DOING THAT.
SO LOOKING AT THE PROVED TOWN GRANTS, UM, THE 30% RECOMMENDED SEEMS TO SOMEWHAT TRACK.
I I DID NOT ADD ALL THESE TOGETHER AND THEN AVERAGE THEM, I'LL, I'LL LEAVE THAT TO THE FOLKS WHO DO THAT FOR A LIVING
UM, BUT IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THE 30% MARK IS CLOSE TO WHAT'S BEEN APPROVED OVER THE YEARS.
THERE'S SOME CERTAINLY FLUCTUATION.
I MEAN, IN, IN 2019 IT WAS 31%, 20, 20, 30 9%, 2021, 16%.
AND WE KNOW THAT WAS A RESULT OF COVID YEAR OR YEARS.
UH, THEN IT GOES BACK UP TO 30%, 20, 22, 20 23.
IT'S, UM, I JUST JUMPED, UH, 27%, 20 24, 30 6%.
UM, AND THEN, UH, 2025 PROJECTION IS 33%, AND THEN THE RECOMMENDATION IS 30%.
SO I LIKE, AS I SAID, I DIDN'T AVERAGE IT OUT, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S CLOSE TO A GOOD TARGET BECAUSE, UM, WITH REGARD TO HOW WE HAVE DISCRETION TO SPEND THIS REMAINING, UH, PERCENTAGE OF THE AT TAX FUNDS, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, UH, PROVIDE A, A COMFORT LEVEL FOR OUR ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, WHO, UM, WOULD MEET THE STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS, UM, FOR, UH, DISTRIBUTION OF ATEX FUNDS.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD TARGET.
UH, I'LL JUST START WITH THAT 30%.
UM, THEN I'M GONNA JUMP DOWN TO HOUSING, UH, WHICH IS A, A NEW ABILITY THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AND I'M LOOKING AGAIN AT THE PERCENTAGE IN PREVIOUS YEARS, 2024 9%, 1.1 MILLION, UH, 2025 PROJECTION, 8%, 1 MILLION.
AND THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS YEAR IS 5%, $617,726.
UM, MY PREFERENCE, I KNOW WE CAN GO UP TO 15%, BUT NOT TO GO TO 15%.
'CAUSE I, AS I MENTIONED, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE PROVIDE ENOUGH COMFORT LEVEL FOR, UM, THOSE ORGANIZATIONS WHO CAN APPLY AND SUCCEED TO MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS.
UM, SO WHERE DOES THAT, SO WHAT IS THE TARGET NUMBER? I'D, I'D LIKE TO SEE IT STAY AROUND THE MILLION DOLLARS.
UM, AND, UM, THE BEST I CAN DO, AGAIN, I DON'T DO THIS FOR A LIVING
UM, BUT IF, IF YOU TAKE 5%, WE'VE GOT THE NUMBER THAT WOULD RENDER.
UM, BUT IF YOU TAKE THE PROJECTED TOTAL REVENUES FOR 2026 FISCAL YEAR 2026, IT'S $12,354,522.
[01:15:03]
SO IF YOU TAKE, UM, 8% OF THAT, UM, MY CALCULATION IS IT COMES OUT TO $987,641 AND 76 CENTS.IF YOU USE 9%, I JUST SAY IT'S A LITTLE OVER 1.1 MILLION.
UM, SO THAT'S MY PREFERENCE IS TO GO, UM, YOU KNOW, I I I'M NOT GONNA SAY 8.5%, WHATEVER THE EXACT NUMBER WOULD BE, BUT CLOSER TO THE MILLION DOLLARS IS, IS WHAT I'D PREFER.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THEN WE NEED TO REDUCE, UM, THE PERCENTAGE THAT GOES TO, UH, OPERATING, UH, EXPENSES ON THE GENERAL FUND, UM, OR THE CIP.
UM, AND, UM, THE PROPOSAL IS 20% OPERATING AND 10% CIP.
UM, I, I THINK THAT, UM, MR. ALFRED, HE'S STILL HERE, SO HE POINTED OUT THAT CIP HAS OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING.
UM, AND SO PERHAPS SOME OF THE REDUCTION WOULD COME THERE, BUT ALSO MAYBE LOOK AT SOME REDUCTION IN OPERATING.
I, I DON'T HAVE SPECIFIC NUMBERS IN MIND, BUT IF WE GO TO SOMEWHERE BETWEEN EIGHT AND 9%, UM, THEN THAT'S THREE TO 4%.
UM, AND MAYBE WE TAKE SOME FROM EACH.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT I, I JUST WANNA THROW THAT OUT TO THE COMMITTEE, UH, FOR CONSIDERATION.
UM, BECAUSE I, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE A HOUSING WORKSHOP COMING UP THE END OF THIS MONTH, BUT BECAUSE OF THE TIMING, BECAUSE OF THE SCHEDULE, UH, FOR THE ATAC COMMITTEE TO BE ABLE TO CONSIDER THIS AND FOLKS TO MAKE APPLICATIONS, UH, WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO TODAY, UM, IS MY UNDERSTANDING, UNLESS WE CAN SEPARATE THOSE TWO TIMELINES SOMEHOW.
UM, BUT, BUT THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN, UH, BECAUSE I, UM, I'VE INDICATED YESTERDAY HOW IMPORTANT HOUSING IS TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND THIS TOOL GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, AND I THINK THE TOWN COUNCIL AT THE TIME REQUESTED THE CHANGE TO THE STATUTE TO ALLOW USE FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
AND BECAUSE WE ARE DEPENDENT UPON A TOURISM ECONOMY, WE NEED A PLACE FOR OUR WORKFORCE TO BE ABLE TO STAY ON THE ISLAND AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
WE ASK THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, SORRY, THE STATE LEGISLATURE, WE CALL IT GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN NORTH CAROLINA.
WE ASK THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO INCLUDE THIS.
IT HAS BEEN DONE, IT HAS A SUNSET.
UM, AND IF WE'RE GOING TO USE THIS TOOL, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SHOW THAT WE ARE DOING IT.
ONE MOMENT, MS. DFA, LET ME GET MS. TURNER FIRST PLEASE.
UH, SO FIRST OF ALL, I'M ALIGNED TO HAVING A POLICY ON HOW TO DISTRIBUTE OUR AT TAX DOLLARS.
UM, I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION TO ANSWER.
UM, IT'LL PROVIDE CLARITY, UH, TO OUR ATEX COMMITTEE IN REGARDS TO HOW MUCH MONEY, UH, THEY WILL BE LOOKING TO ALLOCATE.
AND, UH, IT THROTTLES OUR EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE COLLECT.
SO I THINK IT'S A GOOD EXERCISE.
AND OF COURSE, THE DEVIL'S ALWAYS IN THE DETAILS AND, AND HOW THIS ALL, UM, UNFOLDS.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE IS, WHEN WOULD THIS GO INTO EFFECT? SO WE VOTED ON GRANTS IN JANUARY, AND, UM, THIS IS WHERE I GET A LITTLE CONFUSED WITH FISCAL YEAR AND CALENDAR YEAR AND ALL OF THAT.
SO, UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER IS DECIDED DOES NOT IMPACT WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY AGREED UPON, AND THAT THIS POLICY, ONCE IT'S FINALIZED IS FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW IF THE, UM, RESOLUTION OR, UM, IS WRITTEN IN A WAY THAT MAKES THAT CLEAR OR NOT.
I THINK THE INTENT IS FOR THE UPCOMING, UM, AT TAX AWARD, UH, PERIOD, UM, FOR, UM, FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS THAT ARE GETTING READY TO PROGRAM THEIR NEXT CALENDAR YEAR BUDGET.
SO THIS WOULD APPLY TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE NEXT CYCLE COMING UP.
AND TO, TO THAT POINT, MS. TURNER, I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR US TO SAY OUT LOUD THAT, THAT THERE IS A LONG-TERM GOAL THAT WE ALIGN THE FISCAL WITH THIS PROCESS.
UM, THAT'S A LITTLE BIGGER LIFT, BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
SO WE ELIMINATE SORT OF THAT CONFUSION.
AND THEN I'M JUST GONNA MAKE A COMMENT THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT WE CONTROL IN THE ROOM TODAY, BUT I THINK THE, UH, POLICY OF REQUIRING THAT YOU HAVE TO SPEND 30% OF YOUR AT TAX DOLLARS FOR A DIRECT MARKETING ORGANIZATION IS PERHAPS DATED.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT HAS HAPPENED OVER TIME AS THE, UH, TAXES INCREASE, UH, THAT THAT ORGANIZATION GETS
[01:20:01]
AN AUTOMATIC RAISE AND BUMP, UM, AND, AND MAY NOT BE NEEDED.AND SO I KNOW THAT ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DECIDE HERE, BUT IT IS A QUESTION THAT I HAVE AS TO WHETHER, UM, THERE NEEDS TO BE A DIFFERENT APPROACH MOVING FORWARD.
AND I REALIZE THAT'S A, A STATE LAW, UH, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT.
UM, THANK YOU FOR PULLING UP THIS EXHIBIT.
THIS EXHIBIT TO ME WAS, UM, REALLY HELPFUL IN ME ANALYZING, UM, WHAT IS GOING ON HERE AND WHAT THE IMPACTS ARE.
UM, SO ONE OF THE PIECES THAT I NOTICED ON THE HOUSING, WHICH I FOUND A, I GUESS A LITTLE CONFUSING WAS THE 2024 AND 2025 ESTIMATE.
UM, AND WE HAD 1.1 AND 1 MILLION.
UM, I DIDN'T THINK THAT WE APPROVED HOUSING.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I LOOK AT THE BUDGET, UM, FOR THE HOUSING FUND, THERE'S A $1 MILLION CARRYOVER OF STATE AT TAX.
SO I, I WAS JUST TRYING TO RECONCILE HOW THAT FITS INTO THIS EXHIBIT.
SO THE, I, THE, THE 1.1, UM, ALIGNS WITH THE MOAS THAT WERE APPROVED FOR CCDC AND HABITAT 600,000 AND 500,000.
DO WE HAVE, UM, WHAT THE $1 MILLION WAS FROM ATAC FOR FISCAL 25? THAT WAS A TRANSFER TO THE HOUSING FUND.
IT WAS A, A BUDGET TRANSFER WITHIN TO THE HOUSING FUND? YES.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU HELP US, MR. ORLANDO? MAYBE.
UH, A QUESTION ABOUT THE CURRENT DOLLARS IN THE HOUSING FUND DIFFERENT THAN THE YES.
DIFFERENT THAN THE PROPOSED PLANNED USE OF FUNDS? NO, I, WELL, WHEN I, I'M LOOKING AT THE EXHIBIT FROM THE YES, UH, BUDGET BOOK, AND IN 2024 IT SHOWS REVENUES OF 2.35 MILLION, AND THEN IN 2025 IT SHOWS 4 MILLION AND 1 MILLION IF THAT WAS A TRANSFER FROM STATE ATEX.
BUT I DON'T SEE THE 1.1 MILLION THAT IS LISTED FROM 2024.
SO A BUDGET ORDINANCE AMENDMENT, I, I DON'T KNOW.
AND I DON'T KNOW, UH, YOU, YOU'RE LOOKING AT A BUDGET BOOK FROM THAT YEAR, AND I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT I THINK IS UNDERSTOOD STAFF, THAT WAS A BUDGET ORDINANCE AMENDMENT, AND SO MAYBE IT'S NOT REFLECTED IN THAT.
I'M JUST ASKING IF THAT'S WHAT IT IS RIGHT HERE WITHOUT DIVING INTO SOME OF THAT, WHAT, WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO SHOW.
AND IF, IF, IF WE LOOK UP HERE, HOPE THIS WORKS.
CINDY, IF YOU COULD PLEASE GO DOWN TO WHERE IT SAYS HOUSING.
WELL, IF YOU GO ACROSS HOUSING, MS. HUNTER, I'M, I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE ASKING THE 2024 AND OR 2024 AND 2025 SHOWS THE PLACEMENT OF DOLLARS IN THE HOUSING ACCOUNT.
WHAT IS IT YOU'RE ASKING? I JUST, I'M, I'M ON A LOSS.
YEAH, NO, IT, IT JUST DOESN'T, THOSE TWO NUMBERS, THE, THE $1 MILLION RECONCILES TO THE, THE BUDGET EXHIBIT, BUT THE 1.1 DOESN'T, WAS THAT A BUDGET AMENDMENT? WHAT IT IT PROBABLY WAS A BUDGET AMENDMENT.
REMEMBERING THAT A LOT OF NUMBERS AGO.
RIGHT, RIGHT THIS SECOND, WHAT, WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, AND, AND MAYBE I'M GONNA TRY TO LOOK AT IT FROM MY LENS.
IN THE PAST, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE VARIOUS DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS THAT AT TAX HAS BEEN PLEDGED TO, WE HAVE OUR SIX FUNDS IN OUR BUDGET.
HOUSING BECAME A FUND A FEW YEARS AGO, ESPECIALLY AS TOWN COUNCIL DIRECTED.
THAT HOUSING HAVE, UH, AN INVESTMENT THAT'S CLEAR ABOVE BOARD, AND IT'S NOT HIDDEN IN GENERAL FUND OR CAPITAL PROGRAM BY ITSELF.
THE WAY IT OCCURS WITHOUT ANY POLICY IN PLACE IS OUR WORK ONE-ON-ONE, TWO ON TWO, HOWEVER, THROUGH THE YEAR,
[01:25:02]
FOR ME TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT TOWN COUNCIL EXPECTS AND NEEDS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I'M PROPOSING IN A BUDGET OR, OR THE SAME AND BRING FORWARD TO A BUDGET PROPOSAL.AND IN THE PAST, I, I HAVE USED, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE STATE LAW CHANGED, UM, TO ALLOW FOR ACCOMMODATIONS TAX TO BE USED TOWARDS HOUSING.
I'VE DIS I'VE, I'VE MADE YOUR, I MADE PROPOSALS TO YOU ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO DISTRIBUTE A TAX, LET ALONE HOW WE'RE GOING TO GROW THAT HOUSING FUND.
WHAT SIMPLY WE'RE TRYING TO SHOW UP HERE IS IF, IF THE, IF THE QUESTION OR THE, THE REQUEST IS TO SHOW A CONSISTENT APPROACH ON HOW WE'RE COLLECTING AND DISTRIBUTING ACCOMMODATIONS TAX, RATHER THAN SHOW UP AT THE BUDGET FIRST READING AS, AS WE WORK TOGETHER WITH A YEAR BY YEAR NEW PROPOSAL, ALL WE'RE TRYING TO SHOW UP HERE, MS. HUNTER, IS IS, IS AN AUTOMATIC, AT LEAST AS A STARTING POINT DISCUSSION, 5% I, AND FORGIVE ME FOR NOT KNOWING IF REMEMBERING IF IT WAS A BUDGET AMENDMENT OR NOT.
I, I THINK IT WAS THE, THE MORE I'M THINKING ABOUT IT, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE SE CODE CHANGED.
UH, SO AS WE LOOK AT THE EXHIBIT AND THE DISTRIBUTIONS, THIS, UH, PROGRAM AND THE, UM, POLICY IS A DEPARTURE FROM WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
AND THAT DEPARTURE IS THIS IS A BALANCED BUDGET APPROACH.
SO WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT IN THE PAST.
UM, AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, IN SOME YEARS WE DIDN'T SPEND ALL OF THE MONEY PROVIDED TO US AND ANOTHER YEARS WE DIPPED INTO OUR FUND BALANCES.
AND ACTUALLY OUT OF THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, UH, FOUR YEARS, WE SPENT UNDER A HUNDRED PERCENT AND THREE YEARS WE SPENT OVER A HUNDRED PERCENT.
SO THIS IS A CHANGE IN ALLOCATING THE ENTIRE AMOUNT, WHICH MEANS OUR FUND BALANCE WILL NOT GROW UNLESS WE COLLECT MORE MONEY THAN WE HAD, UH, ANTICIPATED.
OR, UM, SOMETHING HAPPENS IN REGARDS TO THE ALLOCATION AND MONEY IS NOT SPENT.
UH, I HAVE TWO CONCERNS REGARDING THE PROPOSAL, THE PROPOSED APPROACH.
AND, UH, THE FIRST ONE IS THE ALLOCATION OF 30% TO OUR GRANTS.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT IT IS DISPROPORTIONATE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTING THAT CATEGORY.
AND, UM, AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'VE LAID THIS OUT AS A SAMPLE BECAUSE IT GIVES US, UM, NUMBERS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT AND WE CAN THINK ABOUT WHAT THOSE IMPACTS ARE.
SO ONE OF THE DRIVERS OF A REDUCTION IS THE FACT THAT WE BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA COLLECT LESS STATE ACCOMMODATION TAX.
AND SO, UH, AT THE TOP OF THE EXHIBIT, UM, THAT MEANS A REDUCTION IN STATE ACCOMMODATION TAX OF MINUS 3.6%.
SO WHEN YOU APPLY THE 30% OF THAT NUMBER TO THE GRANT PIECE, YOU'RE ACTUALLY REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF GRANTS BY 11.3%, WHICH IS MORE THAN THREE TIMES WHAT THE STATE, UM, ACCOMMODATION TAX REDUCTION IS.
AND SO THAT'S A CONCERN FOR ME.
I WOULD PREFER TO SEE THAT, UM, ALLOCATION BE AT THE 33%, UM, VERSUS THE 30% AS IT IS TODAY.
YOU KNOW, OUR CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE FABRIC OF WHO WE ARE AS A, AS AN ISLAND.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THEY ARE SUPPORTED.
UM, AND YOU CAN THINK ABOUT THIS AS, YOU KNOW, UH, SUPPORTIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND IN REGARDS TO THAT 33%, I, I DID DO THE MATH OF, UH, LOOKING AT THE ALLOCATIONS ACROSS THE YEARS, AND THERE IS ONE YEAR THAT STANDS OUT THAT'S REALLY LOW, UM, DUE TO COVID MINUS 16%.
AND IF YOU TAKE THE, UH, REMAINING AVERAGES OF THOSE, UH, YEARS, IT'S LIKE 32 POINT HALF OR 32.6%, WHICH ROUNDS TO THE 33.
SO IT'S NOT, UM, OUT OF THE REALM OF WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN, IN THE PAST.
SO THAT WOULD BE, UH, ONE AREA THAT I WOULD, UM, UH, FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT.
UH, THE OTHER AREA IS, UH, IN REGARDS TO HOUSING AND, UM, THIS IS, UH, AN AREA THAT WE CAN AGREE TO DISAGREE ON.
UM, I AM NOT SUPPORTIVE USING STATE AT TAX DOLLARS FOR HOUSING.
UM, AND I HAVE, UH, SAID THAT BEFORE IN PUBLIC FORUMS, AND I'M, I'M STICKING WITH THAT, UH, PHILOSOPHY.
UM, I SUPPORT HOUSING AND I'VE SAID BEFORE, YOU KNOW, I SUPPORT PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS INCENTIVE, UH, INCENTIVES FOR DEVELOPERS
[01:30:01]
SUPPORTING PRIVATE ENTITIES IN REGARDS TO, UM, THEIR, UH, CONCEPTS AND IDEAS, UH, FOR HOUSING.BUT, UM, I, UH, PERSONALLY DO NOT WANT TO HAVE AN ALLOCATION FOR HOUSING OUT OF STATE AT TAX DOLLARS.
SO I WOULD REDISTRIBUTE, UH, THAT 5%, UM, TO THE GRANTS, MAKING IT FROM 30 TO 33%, AND THEN I'D ADD THE EXTRA 2% TO THE OPERATING EXPENSES, WHICH ALIGNS TO THE PERCENTAGE THAT WE'VE SPENT IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
UM, MS. BECCA, DO YOU WANT TO, I COMMENT ON THIS PARTICULAR PIECE AS FAR AS THE ALLOCATIONS ARE CONCERNED.
I KNOW YOU MADE COMMENTS EARLIER, BUT THEY WERE NOT NECESSARILY WITH THE OTHER PERCENTAGES OTHER THAN HOUSING.
AND, AND JUST TO REITERATE THAT POINT AS IT'S HERE AGAIN BEFORE US, UM, I CONCUR WITH MS. HUNTER.
HOUSING IS IMPORTANT AND THERE ARE WAYS OF DOING IT, AND THIS, UM, IS NOT ONE OF THEM.
SO I'LL, UH, I'LL WEIGH IN HERE AS WELL, UH, MR. COLE, AND, AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL ASK FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, I TOO THINK THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS AS FAR AS THE ATEX GRANT AWARDS ARE CONCERNED.
UM, DON'T WANT TO GIVE THE, UH, IMPRESSION OR REALITY THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO CUT ANY OF THOSE FUNDS, GOING TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, AND I'VE HEARD, UH, 33% FROM MS. TURNER, AND I'M OKAY WITH GOING IN THAT DIRECTION THERE.
UM, BUT I GOT A LITTLE DIFFERENT TAKE ON HOW WE GET THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, I'M INCLINED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE, UH, CIP UH, PORTION.
UH, I KNOW MR. ALFRED SENT ALL OF US A NOTE MAKING A SIMILAR SUGGESTION THAT WE LOOK AT THE CIP PORTION TO TRY TO MAKE UP GROUND IN, IN OTHER AREAS IN THE AREA THAT HE ALSO AGREED WAS IN THE, THE GRANT, UH, AWARDS.
UM, SO THAT'S SORT OF WAY I'M, WE CAN COME BACK AND SORT OF TRY TO CRUNCH THE NUMBERS UP HERE COLLECTIVELY AFTER WE TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? ANYONE SIGNED UP FIRST? MR. IT WAS MR. HOAGLAND, BUT I DON'T SEE HIM HERE.
UM, I'M A MEMBER OF THE, I'M A CULTURAL REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE ATEX COMMITTEE.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, UH, MS. TURNER BROUGHT UP THE IDEA THAT THE 30% FOR THE DMO SHE FINDS LIMITING.
AND WHEN WE ASKED, FIRST ASKED THE, OUR STATE, UH, LEGISLATOR TO REWRITE THE, AT TAX, UH, THE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX LAW TO INCLUDE HOUSING, I MENTIONED THAT TO HIM AND SAID, HEY, WHAT ABOUT INCLUDING THIS, THAT, TO GET RID OF THAT OR ELSE CHANGE IT? AND HE SAID TO ME, NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, THAT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE.
THE LOBBYIST WOULD KILL THE WHOLE BILL.
SO, UM, BUT IT MAKES ME THINK THAT MANDATING THE SPENDING THIS WAY IS ALSO LIMITING.
AND SO, WHILE I SEE THE VALUE IN ALL OF IT, UM, MANDATING 30% FOR, I, I'LL AGREE WITH BOTH OF YOU, UH, AND PROBABLY MRS. BRYSON AS WELL, THAT, UH, MANDATING AT 30% WOULD BE TOO LOW.
AND HISTORICALLY IT'S NOT REFLECTIVE OF IT.
AND ALSO THIS YEAR, IT, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT IT, THAT IT FLUCTUATES SO MUCH IS THAT WE HAVE DIFFERENT, WE HAVE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES EVERY YEAR, AND WE HAVE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT INVESTMENT, BUT WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'RE LOSING 11% OF YOUR FUNDING YEAR OVER YEAR.
THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY EXTREME.
ANOTHER THING I WOULD, I WOULD ASK TOO, IS THAT BEFORE ANY OF THIS GOES MUCH FURTHER, I WOULD ASK THAT STAKEHOLDERS ARE INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATION, ESPECIALLY ON THE, ON THE GRANT AWARD SIDE OF IT.
SO GRANTEES, I WOULD ASK THAT SOME OF YOU GET SOME INPUT FROM LARGER AND SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS.
ANOTHER THING IS THAT I SAW WAS, UM, WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE GUIDELINES FOR THE GRANTS, IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE COMMITTEE EXISTS IN THE FIRST PLACE IS THAT THERE, THERE HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF LEEWAY MORE THAN JUST BEAN COUNTING.
AND WHILE I AGREE THAT DATA COLLECTION IS, UH, THAT, THAT THERE'S, THERE'S WAYS TO IMPROVE, IMPROVE DATA COLLECTION, IT DOESN'T APPLY TO EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE GIVING GRANTS FOR.
I MEAN, IT WOULD APPLY TO A FESTIVAL, BUT IT MIGHT NOT APPLY TO
[01:35:01]
THE QUILTING FESTIVAL OR, OR, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT.SO, UM, I THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME LEEWAY IN THAT.
AND SO THE COMMITTEE SHOULDN'T BE BOUND TO STRICT REGULATIONS ON THAT WHEN WE MAKE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, LASTLY, I I DO, I I, I SEE THE VALUE OF A HOUSING REVENUE STREAM IN IT, SO I WOULD PROBABLY NOT WANT TO GO THERE.
IF I WAS GONNA RAISE THE, THE THREE PERCENTAGE POINTS ON THE ATEX GRANTS, I'D PROBABLY LOOK INTO THE CIPI BELIEVE, AND I COULD BE WRONG ABOUT THIS, THAT IN THE PAST WHEN THE GRANTS WERE BELOW THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IT DID GO TO CIP, UH, MARK MIGHT BE ABLE TO TELL YOU BETTER ABOUT THAT.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT THAT MONEY WENT INTO THOSE, THAT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS. SO THAT'S IT.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER, OH, I'M SORRY.
HHPI THINK IT'S EASY TO OVERLOOK ME 'CAUSE I REALLY HATE DOING THIS WITH PASSION.
UM, BUT I THINK THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION HERE, AND WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING IS YOU HAVE ASKED ALL THE OTHER GRANT RECEIVERS TO, UM, SHOW THE RETURN ON THE MONEY.
AND I DON'T SEE THAT HAPPENING WITH THE HOUSING.
AND I THINK THAT'S A HUGE CONSIDERATION, THAT IT'S A LOT OF MONEY AND THE RETURN IS VERY LITTLE.
AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED IN THIS WHOLE THING.
WE NEED TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE TRYING, YOU DO IT, BUT THAT'S A REAL BIG CONSIDERATION.
OKAY, SO, UH, WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE US MR. COLE, SIR? I'M SORRY.
TRUST ME, I, I, I'M WELCOMING THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
I, I'M WITH THE ART CENTER, COASTAL CAROLINA, JAN SMITH.
UM, I NOTICED UNDER YOUR VOTING PROCEDURES AND, UM, SECTION SEVEN D YOUR LAST VOTING PROCEDURE WHERE YOU DISCUSS THE, UH, REVISED RECOMMENDATION AND THAT PERHAPS THE COUNCIL MAY REJECT AND REQUEST A REVISED RECOMMENDATION.
IN MY OPINION, I THINK THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT TO LEAN ON THE COMMITTEE, THE ATEX COMMITTEE THAT HAS SPENT ALL THE TIME AND WORK TO REVIEW THE APPLICATIONS AND TO MAKE THEIR, THEIR SOUND RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEY INTIMATELY KNOW THESE ORGANIZATIONS, AND I THINK IF YOU WOULD CIRCUMVENT THEM AND JUST, UM, DEFER OR REJECT ON YOUR OWN WITHOUT REFERRING BACK TO THEM FOR A REVISED RECOMMENDATION, THAT COULD BE TROUBLESOME AND IT COULD SHOW A LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN A COMMITTEE THAT YOU'VE PUT A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT INTO HAVING.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY THING I HAD ON THAT, CAN ME GET YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE? JAN SMITH.
I THINK EVERYBODY THAT'S LEFT IS STAFF, SO I'M OKAY.
UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE ATEX COMMITTEE AND THE FACT THAT YOU'VE COME TO US FIRST, UM, TO GET OUR THOUGHTS.
CAN YOU REPEAT AGAIN WHERE THE AT TAX COMMITTEE FITS INTO THIS CONVERSATION? SO, UM, SO AS YOU KNOW, EVERY BUDGET YEAR, THERE'S A CONSIDERATION FOR HOW MUCH MONEY IS PLEDGED TO AT TAX GRANT APPLICATIONS.
UM, THAT'S USED BY THE REVIEW COMMITTEE.
BOTH I, I'M SORRY, I MEANT REGARDING THIS PROPOSAL.
SO WE WILL BRING WHATEVER COMES OUT OF THIS COMMITTEE, UH, IF IT WAS RECOMMENDED TOWN COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FULL TOWN COUNCIL SUPPORTS THE DIRECTION, UM, THIS ENTIRE POLICY IN, UH, INCLUDING THE FUND DISTRIBUTION COMPONENT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW WILL BE SHARED, UH, WITH THAT COMMITTEE.
UM, AND WE'LL DISCUSS WITH THE CHAIRMAN INITIALLY.
UM, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO ALIGN THE EXPECTATIONS OF COUNCIL WITH THE AT TAX COMMITTEE TO EXECUTE THE WORK, AND THEN THE PROCESS THAT'S OUTLINED HERE IS SIMILAR TO WHAT THEY'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING ON, AND WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN INTO THE SCORING CRITERIA AND ALL OF THAT, BUT I'M WONDERING FROM A PROCESS PERSPECTIVE, THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR A FEW YEARS,
[01:40:01]
YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAVE ANY, UH, FEEDBACK REGARDING PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS AND WHETHER THOSE HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED INTO YOUR REVIEW.UH, WE, WE, AGAIN, HAVE NOT VETTED THIS THROUGH THE ATAC COMMITTEE, UM, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL MEET WITH 'EM AND GO THROUGH THIS IN DETAIL.
UH, AS I MENTIONED, I I HOPE THERE'S NO SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES, BUT IF WE LEARN THROUGH THIS, UM, THAT THERE'S SOME MODIF MODIFICATIONS THAT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE, I THINK THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO COME BACK.
UM, I THINK THE TOWN COUNCIL SHOULD ESTABLISH THE DISTRIBUTION POLICY BASED ON WHAT THEY THINK IS, IS CORRECT, AND THEN THE PRO THE APPLICATION PROCESS REVIEW THE PROGRAM, UM, HAS SOME FLEXIBILITY WITHIN IT, UM, OTHER THAN MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STATE CODE.
SO IT SHOULD BE USED AS A GUIDELINE, UM, AND TO MEET THE EXPECTATIONS OF HOW APPLICATIONS ARE REVIEWED, HOW RECOMMENDATIONS COME FORWARD THROUGH THE PROCESS FROM STAFF ATAC, FINANCE, ADMINISTRATIVE, AND TOWN COUNCIL.
SO I THINK THERE'S CONFIDENCE THAT ONCE TOWN COUNCIL, UH, BLESSES PARTICULARLY THE OPERATIONAL SIDE, THAT YOU HAVE LAID OUT, THAT THERE WILL BE SUFFICIENT TIME TO DEAL WITH THE ATAC COMMITTEE, WHO ALSO HAS CONNECTION TO STAKEHOLDERS, SO THAT THERE ARE ANY THINGS THAT WE ARE TURNING THE APPLE CART UPSIDE DOWN ON.
UM, WE STILL HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO COME BACK AND MAKE THOSE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES IF NEED BE.
UH, UH, ALSO,
I'M, I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN EVEN SEPARATE OUT, UM, THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND, AND THAT SCORING RUBRIC AND LEAVE IT TO THE ATECH COMMITTEE TO, TO MAKE THAT SUGGESTION OR ANY CORRECTIONS TO IT.
I MEAN, I'M JUST THROWING OUT THAT AS ANOTHER POSSIBILITY USUALLY.
WELL, I WON'T SAY USUALLY, UM, IN MY BRIEF HISTORY IN LOOKING AT WHAT THE ATECH IS DOING, THEY HAVE REVISED THE APPLICATION A COUPLE OF TIMES OVER THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN AWARE OF THEM.
UM, SO THAT'S WHY I'M WONDERING WHY, WHY ARE WE NOW LOOKING AT THE APPLICATION AND, AND THE CRITERIA.
I THINK THEY'RE THE EXPERTS IN THE AREA, IF WE WANNA TALK ABOUT 'EM, I'M ALSO HAPPY TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT, UH, KNOWING THAT THERE'S NOT, UH, A CLEAR OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO WEIGH IN, AND THEN IF WE HAVE TO CHANGE SOMETHING IN WHAT WE HAVE, WHAT THE FULL TOWN COUNCIL HAS ADOPTED, THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT.
I'M, I'M ALSO MINDFUL OF THE QUICK TIMELINE
TO GET ALL THIS DONE IN THE FALL.
THAT'S WHY I'M WONDERING ABOUT SEPARATING IT OUT.
BUT JUST AS A SUGGESTION, BUT, YOU KNOW, I DEFER TO MY COLLEAGUES IF, IF WE WANNA TALK ABOUT THE SCORING RUBRIC OR, OR ANYTHING IN THE APPLICATION, I'M ALSO HAPPY TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT JUST THROWING OUT THAT AS AN IDEA.
AND THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO DO IS RESPOND TO THE SUGGESTION FROM THE REPRESENTATIVE OF, OF THE ART CENTER, AND THAT IS, UH, WE, WE LOOKED AT TAKING OUT THAT LANGUAGE ABOUT, UM, UH, REFERRING IT FOR A RECOMMENDATION.
UM, AND IF IT IS TO GO BACK TO THE ATAC COMMITTEE ON, ON SOMETHING, THEN ADDING BACK IN THAT OPTION, AS LONG AS IT'S CLEAR WHO WE'RE REFERRING IT TO, THAT WAS MY MAIN QUESTION, I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
IF WE WANNA ADD THAT BACK IN, AS LONG AS IT'S CLEAR WHERE THE REFERRAL GOES.
UM, I, I THINK AT THIS POINT, UM, I'M MORE INCLINED FOR US TO, TO MOVE THE WHOLE THING TO COUNCIL THAT WAY, PARTICULARLY WITH THE PROCESS PIECE.
UM, STAFF HAS CLARITY AS TO WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE PRESENTING TO ATAC COMMITTEE AND SO ON.
UM, AND THEN IF WE HAVE TO CIRCLE BACK, WE DO, UM, I, I DON'T, I DON'T WANT STAFF TO BE PUT IN A POSITION WHERE THEY'RE, THEY'RE SORT OF SIDESTEPPING, UM, WHEN THEY'RE HAVING CONVERSATION WITH ATAC.
UM, AND SO WE CAN BRING THAT BACK UP TO US IF, IF, IF NEED BE.
AND JUST FOR CLARITY, WHEN I LOOK AT THE APPLICATION, IT, IT, IT'S, RIGHT, IT CHANGES A LITTLE BIT HERE AND THERE.
THE APPLICATION IN THE PACKET IS MEANT TO BE REPRESENTATIVE.
AND THEN THE FINAL ATTACHMENT, WHICH IS THE SCORING GUIDE EV AND, UM, THE EVALUATION AND SCORING RUBRIC GUIDE, I THINK IT SHOULD BE JUST A GUIDING DOCUMENT, UM, FOR ATAC.
AND IF THERE'S, UM, CHANGES, EXCUSE ME, IF, IF THEY USE THAT AS GUIDELINE WITH SOME FLEXIBILITY, UM, I THINK THAT GIVES THEM THE ABILITY TO, TO, UM, MEET THE OTHER REQUIREMENTS THAT WE'VE OUTLINED THE STATE CODE, THE EXPECTATION OF COUNCIL WITH ALIGNMENT TO BUDGET POLICY GOALS, INCLUDING STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH, WHICH WE'VE BEEN BUILT IN THERE, UM, AND NOT HAVE TO COME BACK AS THE SPECIFIC RUBRIC AND CRITERIA
[01:45:01]
IS EXACTLY WHAT NEEDS TO BE FOLLOWED, THEIR GUIDELINES.UM, THEN THEY HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY.
UM, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO, TO SEE, UH, LET'S TALK THROUGH THESE, THESE NUMBERS JUST A LITTLE BIT.
UM, I THINK IT MIGHT BE GOOD, UH, MR. ALFRED WAS HERE FOR A LONG TIME AND THEN HAD TO LEAVE.
IF WE, I'D BE HAPPY TO READ HIS EMAIL INTO THE RECORD.
UM, HE SAYS, UM, I'LL SKIP OVER WHY HE HAD TO LEAVE.
UM, HE WANTS TO RECORD THE COMMENTS HE WOULD'VE MADE IF HE'S NOT PRESENT FOR THE ATAC DISCUSSION.
AS YOU KNOW, I'M A SUPPORTER OF ARTS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS, SO I WANT TO START BY NOTING THAT STATE LAW SPECIFICALLY MENTIONS CULTURE AS AN APPROPRIATE EXPENDITURE OF AT TAX FUNDS.
MOREOVER, STATE LAW SPECIFIES THAT ONE OF THE SEVEN SEATS ON THE ATAC MUST BE FOR A CULTURAL AFFAIRS REPRESENTATIVE APPOINT NOT MENTIONED IN THE STAFF REPORT.
WHILE I FAVOR USING AT TAX FUNDS FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING, I DO NOT WANT TO SEE THE SHARE OF THE TOWN'S CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS REDUCE AS A RESULT.
I NOTE ONE CATEGORY PROPOSED FOR RECEIPT OF AT TAX GRANTS IS THE CIP FUND THAT WAS ADDED FOR 2025.
IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY PRIOR YEARS.
THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDS FOR THE CIP.
ACCORDINGLY, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THIS GRANT BE REMOVED AND ITS ALLOCATION BE PLACED IN THE GRANTS CATEGORY INSTEAD, AT THE VERY LEAST, SUCH ALLOCATION SHOULD BE RE SPREAD AMONG THE OTHER CATEGORIES.
SO, UH, LET, LET'S START WITH THE ATEX GRANT AWARDS.
UM, I, I THINK I'M HEARING FROM MS. TANNER TO MOVE TO 33%.
UM, I AGREE WITH MOVING, UH, TO A HIGHER NUMBER.
UH, WE'VE GOT ANOTHER MEMBER OF TOWN COUNCIL WHO HAS, UH, EXPRESSED SIMILAR CONCERNS.
I APPRECIATE THAT MS. DUNNER TOOK THE TIME TO DO THE AVERAGES.
UM, AND, AND ESPECIALLY THE, UM, THE LARGE PERCENT REDUCTION IN THE AMOUNT, SO I'M OKAY GOING WITH 33% PROVIDED IT COMES OUT OF THE CIP.
THE GENERAL FUND HAS BEEN NO DISCUSSION ABOUT ANY MOVEMENT THERE.
I THINK THE ONLY SUGGESTION THAT I MADE IS THAT, UM, BY, UH, MY REQUEST TO MOVE THE HOUSING, UM, TO EITHER EIGHT OR 9% THAT IT WOULD COME OUT OF GENERAL FUND OR CIP.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE COULD SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE.
IF IT'S A 3% INCREASE, WE CAN TAKE ONE AND A HALF OUT OF EACH.
UM, ANYHOW, UH, WE ALREADY DROPPED THE CIP, UM, BY 3%, UH, AND AS MR. ALFRED POINTED OUT, UH, THERE'S OTHER SOURCES FOR THE CIP AND, UM, FIRST YEAR IT WAS DONE WAS IN 2025.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE MY REQUEST AS WE FIRST LOOK AT THE HOUSING AND THEN DECIDE IF WE WANT TO ADJUST GENERAL FUND OR CIP FURTHER, JUST TO HELP WITH THAT.
I'M, I'M MORE INCLINED TO, I THAT'S WITH THE CIP NUMBER, THEN THE GENERAL FUND NUMBER.
UM, SOME OF THE GENERAL FUND EXPENSES, UM, DEAL WITH PERSONNEL THAT ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO TOURISM.
UM, SO I, I DON'T WANT US TO LOSE A LEVEL OF SERVICE, UM, BY TOUCHING THE GENERAL FUND NUMBER.
SO I, AND THAT'S FINE WITH ME.
SO, WE'LL, YOU OKAY WITH 20% FOR GENERAL FUND MS. DUNNA? IS THAT LEAVING THAT AS IS? UH, DID I LOSE YOU? SORRY,
IT'S JUST THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL DISAGREEMENT ABOUT THE HOUSING PIECE.
SO, SO IF THERE, IF THERE WAS ANY PLACE TO TAKE MONEY, I WOULD TAKE IT FROM THE CIP.
DID MS. HUNTER, DID YOU DO THE CALCULATION ON THE GENERAL FUND
SORRY, I WAS LASER FOCUSED ON GRANTS
ALRIGHT,
I'VE GOT THAT AT 33% AND 7% CURRENTLY DEPEND PENDING.
UM, NOW FOR THE HOUSING, UM, IN THE SPIRIT OF, UH, THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD ON, UH, EARLIER THIS WEEK, MONDAY, UM, I THINK WE WERE LOOKING AT SOME WORDSMITHING WHEN IT CAME TO THE HOUSING, UH, GOAL AND THE ACTIONS AND, UM, TO ASSESS FUNDING SOURCES.
[01:50:01]
UH, POTENTIAL AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL.UM, AND YES, WE HAVE TWO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE TODAY, BUT THEY'RE ALSO MISSING AND, UM, I THINK THERE'S WORTHY OF US FURTHER ASSESSING AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL AS FAR AS IF IT'S 5% OR, OR NO PERCENT.
UM, AND THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION COMING FROM STAFF.
UM, SO I'VE GOT MS. BRYSON WHO'S SAYING SHE'D LIKE TO SEE IT HIGHER.
MS. NER IS SAYING SHE'D LIKE TO NOT SEE IT AT ALL.
I GUESS I'M GONNA TRY TO SPLIT HEADS HERE,
UM, AND SINCE WE'VE ALREADY, UM, SORT OF EASED OFF OF CIP TO, UM, TO IMPROVE THE GRANT AWARDS, UM, I, I'M OKAY FOR THE MOMENT WITH KEEPING IT AT, AT 5% AS THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
AND, UM, THAT WILL LEAVE SOME MONEY LEFT OVER
UM, SO I JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE AS MAYBE A COMPROMISE TO GET US TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF DISCUSSION WITH THE FULL TOWN COUNCIL.
SO I'M NOW LOOKING FOR SOME REACTION FROM MY COLLEAGUES.
SO, UH, I HEAR YOU SAYING 33% FOR UM, GRANTS, 5% FOR HOUSING, AND THEN HOW WOULD YOU SPLIT THE REMAINDER? AND YOU WERE SAYING SAY 20% AT GENERAL AND THEN DROP CIP TO 7%.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'VE GOT ALL MY
UM, YOU KNOW, WHILE I ADVOCATE FOR SPENDING MORE, I, WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST MR. CHAIR, IS THAT WE SEND IT TO FULL COUNSEL WITH, UM, THE DIFFERENT COMMENTS AND LEAVE IT UP TO FULL COUNSEL AS TO DECIDE ON THE FINAL DISTRIBUTION FOR HOUSING.
UM, IT MAKES THE MOTION A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED, BUT, UM, I, I THINK, I THINK THAT THAT'S A WAY TO COMPROMISE IT AT THIS POINT.
SAY THAT THE, THE COMMITTEE WAS A BIT DIVIDED ABOUT WHAT THAT PERCENTAGE SHOULD BE GOING FROM ZERO TO FIVE.
SO I'LL JUST THROW OUT, UH, 8%.
I MEAN, THAT'S ONE WAY OF REFLECTING WHERE WE ARE.
THE COMMITTEE DOES IS NOT GONNA COME UP WITH IT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE, WE MAY HAVE THREE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT OPINION.
SO THE RECOMMENDATION AT THIS POINT WOULD BE TO MOVE THIS FUND DISTRIBUTION POLICY FORWARD, ADJUSTING THE GRANT AWARDS TO 33% THE CIP, UH, OUT DISTRIBUTION TO 7%, AND THAT THE DISCUSSION RELATED TO HOUSING OR ANOTHER ADJUSTMENTS, UM, BE DONE AT THE, THE FULL TOWN COUNCIL.
WAS THAT, WHAT WE'RE, I'M, I'M GOOD WITH THAT.
IS THAT FAIR? YES, I'M FINE WITH THAT.
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE FULL COUNCIL WILL NEED TO DO TERM.
SO, AND IT, AND IT PROBABLY TO SAVE A BUNCH OF DISCUSSION HERE TO MM-HMM
UM, UNLESS YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN GET TO A POSITION ON
I, I'M, I'M GOOD WITH THAT APPROACH.
YEAH, WE CAN MAKE THAT CLARIFICATION, SIR, IN THE, WHEN WE BRING IT FORWARD TO TOWN COUNCIL.
AND I'D LIKE TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR THE INCREASE TO 33% FOR THE OUR, UH, GRANT AWARD WINNERS, AND THANK YOU FOR DOING THE MATH
SO, UH, WE'VE GOT ANOTHER PAGE HERE, MR. KOLAND THAT YEAH, AND I DON'T NEED TO COVER THIS TOO MUCH DETAIL, REALLY.
IT WRAPS UP THE INTENT OF WHAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, UM, MEETING THE CODE REQUIREMENTS, UM, TRANSPARENCY, UM, IDENTIFYING THE ALLOCATION OF THESE FUNDS TOWARD OUR STRATEGIC GOAL, UH, STRATEGIC, UH, GOALS.
UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NEXT STEPS, SO THE RECOMMENDATION HERE, WE'LL GO FORWARD TO THE FULLTON COUNCIL WITH THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WERE RECOMMENDED, UM, PROVIDED YOU, YOU TAKE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE INCLUDED THE NEXT STEPS HERE RELATED TO THE CURRENT APPLICATION PROCESS.
UM, I WILL SAY ANOTHER STEP IN HERE IS COORDINATION WITH THE ATAC CHAIR AND COMMITTEE.
UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY, UM, CAN WEIGH IN AS WE AS THIS, UM, UN UN, UM, IS ROLLED OUT AND, UH, PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO, TO BOTH STAFF AND, AND THEN TO TOWN COUNCIL.
UM, IF THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ON THAT, I'LL PUT THE, THE RESOLUTION, UM, HERE THAT,
[01:55:01]
UM, SUMMARIZES THE, THE ACT, THE A ACTION THAT WE'D LIKE TO TOWN COUNCIL OR COMMITTEE TO RECOMMEND TO TOWN COUNCIL.MR. CHAIR, WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT, UM, I HAD ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT, UH, LET'S SEE, THE UNDER TOWN COUNCIL VOTING AND APPROVAL PROCESS, MOTIONS AND AMENDMENTS, AND ASK THE QUESTION ABOUT, UM, SUBSECTION THREE, REJECTION OR DEFERRAL, UH, COUNCIL MAY REJECT, AND THEN THE LANGUAGE AND REQUEST OR REVISED RECOMMENDATION WE TOOK OUT THAT I'M WILLING TO PUT THAT BACK IN, UH, PROVIDED WE SAY AND REQUEST A REVISED RECOMMENDATION FROM THE ATAC AND THE SECTION HERE OR, UH, REQUEST REVISED ATAC COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION.
I MEAN, EITHER WAY I JUST HEARD THE REQUEST FROM THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ARTS CENTER AND AS I UNDERSTOOD IT, UM, AND, UH, A THOUGHT TO GO BACK AND ADD IT IN WITH THAT CLARIFICATION, I'M FINE WITH THAT.
SO WITH THAT MR. CHAIR, I'LL TRY TO PUT TOGETHER THE MOTION.
UM, I MOVE THAT WE RECOMMEND THE TOWN COUNCIL, CONSIDER, MAKE SURE I GET THE RIGHT TITLE HERE, A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF HILTON, ED ISLAND SOUTH CAROLINA, ADOPTING AND AUTHORIZING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TOWN OF HILTON, ED ISLAND COMPREHENSIVE SOUTH CAROLINA ACCOMMODATIONS TAX, A TAX PROGRAM, APPLICATIONS PROCESS AND FUND DISTRIBUTION POLICY.
UM, AS SET FORTH ON THE SCREEN IN FRONT OF US WITH THE FOLLOWING MODIFICATIONS TO ATTACH, SORRY, EXHIBIT A.
AND I KNOW THAT THE STAFF WILL HELP ME IF I HAVE MISSED ONE.
UM, ON PAGE THREE UNDER ARTICLE THREE, SUBSECTION B, YOU HAD CHANGED THE SENTENCE WHICH SAYS, TOWN COUNCIL APPROVAL OCCURS IN EARLY DECEMBER BEFORE START OF THE NEW FISCAL YEAR TO NOVEMBER BEFORE THE START OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
AND TAKING OUT THE SECTION WHICH SAYS THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 ATEX CALENDAR IS SHOWN AS AN EXAMPLE BELOW.
AND THEN ALSO ON PAGE THREE UNDER ARTICLE FOUR GRANT REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION PROCESS.
THAT WAY I'M MAKE SURE I'M IN THE RIGHT PLACE HERE.
UM, THE COMMENT EARLIER WAS TO TAKE OUT THE REFERENCE RIGHT COUNCIL TO PUBLIC MEETING COUNCIL TOWN COUNCIL, UH, TO ADD A PROVISION, MAKING IT CLEAR THAT ALL MEETINGS OUR PUBLIC, THE MEETINGS OF AAC, FINANCE, ADMINISTRATIVE AND TOWN COUNCIL ARE PUBLIC MEETINGS.
UM, AND THEN UNDER ON PAGE FOUR, UNDER POST-AWARD REQUIREMENTS AND A PROVISION FOR THE TOWN'S STAFF RESPONSIBILITY, WHICH IS UPON APPROVAL STAFF INITIATE GRANT AGREEMENTS, COMMON DISBURSEMENT, AND SEND LETTERS OF AWARDS.
AND UNDER, ON PAGE FIVE, UNDER ARTICLE SEVEN, SUBSECTION C3, THE FIRST BULLET WOULD READ, COUNCIL MAY REJECT AND REQUEST A REVISED RECOMMENDATION FROM THE ATAC AND UNDER SUBSECTION D VOTING PROCEDURE TO STRIKE THE LAST BULLET, WHICH HAS NOW BEEN MOVED TO THE PRIOR PAGE.
AND FINALLY ON PAGE SIX, ARTICLE NINE AND SUBSECTION B RECOMMENDED DISTRIBUTION POLICY THAT THE PROPOSED DISTRIBUTION PERCENTAGE FOR AT TAX GRANT AWARDS BE REVISED TO 33%
[02:00:03]
THAT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM CIP BE REVISED FROM 10% TO 7%.AND THEN UNDER TOURISM SERVING HOUSING PROGRAM, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WERE SPLIT WITH REGARD TO MS. TONER REQUESTING 0%, MS. BRYSON 8%, AND MR. BROWN, 5% WITH A FULL TOWN COUNCIL TO MAKE A DECISION ON THE PROPOSED DISTRIBUTION ON, ON ALL, UH, SUBJECTS, TOPICS, WHATEVER WE CALL 'EM.
DID I MISS ANYTHING? I'M LEANING ON STAFF A LITTLE BIT TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING MY, AS FAR AS MY NOTES ARE CONCERNED, I THINK SHE CAPTURED IT ALL.
THAT, THAT'S ALL THE TECHNICAL, UH, CAPTURES ALL THE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS OR REQUESTS FROM THE COMMITTEE, UH, TO ADJUST TO TAKE TO TOWN COUNCIL.
UM, THE ONLY OTHER PROVISION THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS THAT THE, UM, THE APPLICATION ITSELF AND THE GUIDELINES BE GUIDELINES, UM, AND NOT ADOPTED AS WRITTEN PO WRITTEN POLICY, UM, AS HARDENED IN STONE.
IT'S THEIR GUIDELINES FOR THE COMMITTEE AND, AND THE REVIEW.
I, I WOULD ADD THAT TO MY MOTION AND I LOOK AT THE POOR DEPUTY CLERK GOING LIKE, I HAVE NO IDEA
I HAVE, I THAT'S WHY YOU'RE STARING.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? UH, READY FOR THE QUESTION?
THANK YOU MR. GOLAND FOR STEPPING IN AND, UH, WALKING US THROUGH THAT.
UM, AND THANKS TO TOWN STAFF FOR ALL THEIR EFFORTS AND PUTTING TOGETHER THIS COMPLICATED POLICY.
UH, NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO PUBLIC
[6. Public Comment - Non Agenda Items ]
COMMENT ON NON-AG AGENDA ITEMS. ANYONE SIGNED UP? SANDA, ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC LIKE TO ADDRESS US ON A NON AGENDA ITEM? I WILL SAY GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE THIS TIME.MAKE SURE I DON'T MISS ANYBODY.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR, UH, CONTRIBUTION TO TODAY'S MEETING.
YOU'RE WATCHING BC TVS, I'M EM CAMPBELL, AND THIS IS YOUR BEAUFORD COUNTY MOMENT.
THE MOSH TACKY IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSETS IN THE GULLAH CULTURE.
THE MARSH TACKY WAS USED FOR PLOWING, FOR CARRYING PEOPLE TO CHURCH, AS WELL AS TO PULL WAGONS.
IT'S A BREED OF HORSE THAT WAS LEFT BY THE SPANISH IN THE 15 HUNDREDS, AND SINCE THAT TIME IT HAS BEEN INBRED.
MARSH TACKY HAS A NARROW CHEST AND SLENDER LEGS, BUT IT'S VERY TOUGH HORSE.
AND BEFORE MODERN DEVELOPMENT, EVERY FAMILY HAD AT LEAST ONE MARSH TACKY.
IT WAS LIKE A CAR OR A TRUCK TODAY.
AND SO WE HAVE ALWAYS ADMIRED THE MOSH TACKY.
IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE ENTERTAINERS OF THE AREA BECAUSE WE HAD RACES WITH MOSH TACKY AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR.
TODAY, THE TACKY HAS BEEN PRESERVED BY CERTAIN PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, THROUGHOUT THE LOW COUNTRY AREA.
THIS IS EMERY CAMPBELL, AND THAT HAS BEEN YOUR BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS.
TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.