* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY. GUYS CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. THAT'S UP OVER HERE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO A FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE. ALL THAT IS A VERY CURIOUS STATEMENT. YEAH. DO COMPLIANCE. OKAY. THIS MEETING WAS ADVERTISED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FREEDOM OF INF, SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT. I'LL CONFIRM WITH MS. BROCK. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. AT THIS TIME, UM, I'D LIKE, UH, I'M GOING TO, UM, ENTERTAIN A MOTION, UM, TO AMEND. I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA, FIRST OF ALL, TO AMEND, UH, TO ADD AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AFTER ITEM NUMBER 10, SOMETHING WE NEED TO DISCUSS. AND THAT WOULD BE PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH 70 A TWO LEGAL ADVICE RELATED TO DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS, INCIDENT TO PROPOSED CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS, TOSKI ISLAND FERRY SERVICE. I'LL SECOND THAT. THANK YOU. SO TO DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION, DOES THIS A REQUIRE US TO HAVE A TWO THIRDS OF COUNTY COUNCIL? NO. OR NO ACTION? THE AGENDA ADDED TO THE AGENDA, RIGHT. OKAY. OTHER DISCUSSION? GO AHEAD. YEAH, I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S THE RIGHT PLACE TO ADD AN EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM TO A WORKSHOP, ESPECIALLY ON SUCH SHORT NOTICE. UM, I WILL NOT SUPPORT IT AND IF IT DOES PASS, I WILL NOT BE IN THAT MEETING. I AGREE WITH MR. CUNNINGHAM. I'M GOING TO SAY THE SAME THING. I WANTED TO SAY THAT FIRST, BUT THANK YOU BOTH FOR SAYING THAT WE WILL NOT SUPPORT THAT. OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS REGARDING THE UM, AMENDMENT? NOPE. ALRIGHT. WE'RE GONNA DO A, UM, COULD YOU REPEAT IT? COUNCILMAN DAWSON? YES. YES. I MOVE THAT WE AMEND THE AGENDA TO ADD AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AFTER ITEM NUMBER 10 FOR THE PURPOSE TO RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE RELATED TO PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH 70 A TWO LEGAL ADVICE RELATED TO DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS, INCIDENT, TWO CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS, DUSKY ISLAND FERRY SERVICE. IF I CAN JUST, AND ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? YES. UM, LET ME JUST, JUST ADD THAT, THAT WE'VE HAD, UH, THINGS HAPPEN JUST SINCE YESTERDAY THAT I THINK THAT Y'ALL SHOULD KNOW ABOUT. AND AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT THIS EXECUTIVE SESSION WOULD, WOULD BE ABOUT IS UPDATE ON, ON THE FERRY SERVICE JUST FROM YESTERDAY. UPDATE OR LEGAL ADVICE. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YEAH, IT'D BE JUST ONE LAST ONE. MARK OR WE DOING IN PUBLIC COUNCILMAN, WHY CAN'T WE DO IT RIGHT HERE THEN? AND SET AND DO THAT RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE WORK FOR. I DON'T THINK IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL IF, I MEAN, IT'S LEGAL ADVICE, YOU KNOW, IT IS LEGAL. LEGAL ADVICE IS THE REASON WE'RE NOT GETTING LEGAL ADVICE AT ALL. WE DON'T KNOW. UM, AT THIS POINT I'D LIKE TO ANY, I'D LIKE TO HAVE ONE MORE COMMENT. ONE MORE COMMENT, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE A VOTE. UM, WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT SOME OF THESE EXACT THINGS ON MONDAY, AND WE KNEW THE CONVERSATIONS THAT COME COULD COME AFTER. SO IT'S NOT A SURPRISE NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY. SO I HAVE NO PROBLEM CALLING A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING AND IT BEING ADVERTISED, BUT THERE'S NO REASON FOR THIS TO BE DONE WITHIN 16 HOURS OF SOMETHING COMING OUT. OKAY. UH, UH, MS. BROCK, CAN YOU WE DO A ROLL CALL? VOTE? YES, MA'AM. THIS WOULD A YES VOTE WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF DOING THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, CORRECT. VICE CHAIR TABER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER LAWSON. LAWSON? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER REEDS? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER PASSMAN? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER GLOVER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER DAWSON? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CUNNINGHAM? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER. BARTHOLOMEW. YOU'RE ON MUTE. DAVID? UH, SORRY. NO, NO. CHAIR HOWARD? YES. THE MOTION FAILS. COULD YOU GIVE US A FIVE? FIVE. FIVE. FIVE. THANK YOU. NO. YEAH. FIVE. FIVE. 'CAUSE WE'RE MISSING COUNCIL MEMBER MCALLEN. MCALLEN'S NOT HERE. OKAY, MADAM CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE ANOTHER AMENDMENT TO THE, UM, AGENDA. I'D LIKE TO AMEND THE AGENDA [00:05:01] TO HAVE 15 MINUTES PUBLIC COMMENT WHERE IT IS NOW, NUMBER FIVE. AND THEN ADD PUBLIC COMMENT AFTER NUMBER SEVEN AFTER THE USCB PRESENTATION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THAT. SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN BROWN DISCUSSION. OKAY. IS THERE, UM, ANY NEED FOR A, FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE ON THIS AMENDMENT. I SEEING NONE BY SHOW OF HANDS. WE WILL, UH, THIS IS A VOTE TO SPLIT THE PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, FROM 30 MINUTES TO 15 MINUTES AND 15 MINUTES. ALL IN FAVOR BY SHOW OF HANDS. OKAY. THAT PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. ALL RIGHT. NOW WE'LL GO TO THE AGENDA. WE HAVE 15 MINUTES OF PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAD. UM, SO SHE'S MS. BOAT. WRIGHT'S GONNA BE AT THE SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT. SHE'S A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER. APPROVE THE AGENDA AS AMENDED. OH, YES. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THE REMINDER. ALL RIGHT. UM, WE NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS AMENDED. AS AMENDED. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION A SECOND TO APPROVE THE AMENDED AGENDA. A SECOND. A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM. ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE. ALL BY SHOW OF HANDS TO APPROVE THE AMENDED AGENDA. AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS. ALRIGHT, SO THE PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WE HAD A PERSON SIGN UP FOR WOULD BE AT THE SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT. IS THAT CORRECT, MS. FULBRIGHT? YES. YOU'D LIKE TO WAIT. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. WE WILL TAKE IT THEN. MADAM CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, POINT OF ORDER. YES, MA'AM. THAT I AND THE ROBERT RULES, IN FACT, YOU GAVE US, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING SOME, ONE OF MY CONSTITUENTS SENT ME SOME DISTURBING INFORMATION YESTERDAY. FIRSTLY, IT'S ABOUT THE, UH, COUNTY CHAT THAT WAS AT ST. HELENA ON TUESDAY NIGHT. THESE EVENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FOR US TO GO AND MEET WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS WHERE THEY LIVE AND FIND COMMON AND FIND COMMON GROUND ON ISSUES. AND NOT TO BE HANDED MISINFORMATION YET AGAIN ON COUNTY PROPERTY HAS, IS, HAS TO STOP. SECONDLY, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE IN PUBLIC SERVICE AND THEREFORE, OUR PUBLIC FIGURES, THAT'S FINE. EMAILS, COUNTY PHONES, ALL AVAILABLE. IT'S ALL PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE. BUT TO PHYSICALLY DISTRIBUTE OUR HOME ADDRESSES, THAT'S RIGHT. ALL OF OUR HOME ADDRESSES ON A SHEET OF PAPER IS CROSSING THE LINE. WHILE MAY, IT MAY NOT BE ILLEGAL, IT'S CERTAINLY IMMORAL AND INTENDED TO INTIMIDATE US AS DECISION MAKERS IN CURRENT, IN A CURRENT POLITICAL CULTURE THAT WE'RE ALL IN, NOT JUST LOCALLY, BUT NATIONALLY AS WELL. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN EXTREMELY SERIOUS WHILE BEING DEALT WITH SWIFTLY. I'M GONNA ASK OUR ADMINISTRATOR, MICHAEL MOORE, TO INSTRUCT HIS STAFF TO SEND A DEMAND LETTER TO THIS ORGANIZATION'S, THE HEAD OF THIS ORGANIZATION AND PUBLIC COME TO US AND APOLOGIZE. I'M ASKING OUR CHAIR TO DO THE SAME THING THAT COUNTY COUNCIL AND CHARLESTON COUNTY DID A FEW YEARS AGO. HERE'S THE, UH, INFORMATION, AND THIS IS ONE I WANNA SHOW YOU, MR. MOORE. THIS IS A SHEET OF PAPER WITH ALL OUR HOME ADDRESSES ON ONE SHEET. LET ME CLARIFY, WHERE WAS THIS HANDED OUT? THEY WERE AT THE TABLE OUTSIDE CHAT. OH, OKAY. I JUST WENT PAST, YEAH, I DIDN'T SEE IT. OKAY. OKAY. I DIDN'T SEE IT EITHER. MADAM CHAIRMAN. I WAS THERE. I WAS THERE TOO, AND I DIDN'T SEE IT. OKAY. YOU CAN PASS THAT ON TO MR. MOORE. WELL, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. WE DON'T KNOW. WE DON'T KNOW WHO, WHO PUT THAT PAPER OUT. IT'S ON THERE, ON THE FRONT PAGE. YES, IT IS. OH, OKAY. THEY WERE, WE DON'T NEED TO DISCUSS IT. OKAY. OKAY. WE CAN GO ON TO THE NEXT THING. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MADAM CHAIR. YES, MA'AM. I DID NOT SEE THAT THAT NIGHT. ALRIGHT. UM, MOVING ON TO THE AGENDA. UH, WE, WE HAVE, WE WILL HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT LATER ON AFTER THE SECOND ONE. AT THIS TIME, TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF THE LOW COUNTRY WILL PRESENT. AND YOU WANT US TO WAIT TILL THE END TO ASK QUESTIONS? PROBABLY, OR, UM, I, I'LL BE BRIEF. I WANNA HAND THIS OUT IF YOU ALRIGHT. OKAY. I HAVE A TAKEAWAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. YEAH, [00:10:01] ME TOO. IT'S DANGEROUS. REALLY IS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MLC ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE COLLEGE, I WANNA THANK COUNCIL FOR CONTINUING THIS CONVERSATION. UM, AND JUST TO KIND OF RECAP IN FRONT OF YOU, IS WHAT WE HAD UNDERSTOOD TO BE THE FUNDING FOR THE REGIONAL WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTER. UM, ONE OF THE POINTS TO, TO REMIND ALL, WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH CONSTRUCTION IN OUR STATE PROCESS UNTIL, UH, WE HAVE ALL THE FUNDS FOR THE, UM, CONSTRUCTION. DO YOU KNOW OF IT? UM, YOU NOTICE THAT THE COLLEGE DOES HAVE CAPITAL RESERVE OF LOW OF OVER 1.6 OF ITS OWN MONEY IN THE PROCESS. UM, IN THE PROCESS TOO, ON BEHALF OF DR. GOFF RIGHT NOW, UH, WE'RE GOING, WE WANT TO, AS OF OCTOBER 15TH, MOVE FORWARD. WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS IN THE COMMUNITY NOW FOR TWO YEARS. UM, IT'S TIME TO, TO REALLY TURN THAT DIRT AND, AND GET THIS DONE. SO WE'RE COMMITTED TO THAT. DR. GOFF HAS WALKED INTO THE ROOM. WHAT TIMING. THANK YOU. GRAND ENTRANCE. UM, RICHARD, I JUST SAID THAT BY OCTOBER 15TH, WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD. YES. WITH, WITH THE PROJECT. UM, AT THE BOTTOM, THERE'S SOME SCENARIOS. IT'S, IT'S THE FUNDING SCENARIOS. UM, AS COUNCIL KNOWS, UM, THE COLLEGE HAS BEEN OPERATING WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT COUNCIL HAD INVESTED SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION INTO, INTO THE PROJECT. UH, WE WERE UNAWARE OF THE, OF THE BOND CONVERSATIONS. UM, YOU KNOW, WE DID NOT ASK COUNCIL TO BOND ON BEHALF OF THE COLLEGE. UM, WE SIMPLY ASKED FOR THE SEVEN AND A HALF, UM, SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION. SO WE APPRECIATE, UM, WHERE THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE ALL IN. DO YOU KNOW, UM, UH, RIGHT NOW, UH, BEFORE YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, KIND OF ONE MORE POINT THAT I JUST WANNA POINT OUT TO COUNT COUNCIL. INTERESTINGLY, BEAUFORT COUNTY'S LABOR PARTICIPATION RATE IS BELOW SOUTH CAROLINAS AND IT'S BELOW THE NATIONS. ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THAT IS OUR RELIANCE ON, UH, ACCOMMODATIONS IN FOOD SERVICE. YOU KNOW, IN SEASON, AL UH, ABOUT 43, 40 4% OF EMPLOYMENT IS ALL IN THAT SECTOR. UH, SEASONAL AVERAGE IS 34%. UH, WAGES ARE LOW IN THAT. ON THE BACK, YOU'RE SEEING THESE ARE SOUTH CAROLINA WAGES, WAGES, THE REGIONAL WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTER WILL INCREASE THOSE WAGES AND IT WILL INCREASE LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION. UM, LOCALLY LABOR FORCE PART, UM, PARTICIPATION IS LOW BECAUSE OF MOSTLY DISCOURAGED WORKERS, AND IT'S A VULNERABLE SECTOR TO WORK IN. UM, SO I DO WANNA POINT THAT OUT, THAT WHEN WE DO GET OUR REGIONAL WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTER UP, IT'S GONNA HELP OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY. IT'S GONNA INCREASE WAGES OVERALL, AND IT'S GONNA INCREASE OUR TAX BASE TOO. UM, SO IT'S GONNA INCREASE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC INCOME. SO, DR. GOFF, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING? I'M NOT SURE WHAT ALL YOU SAID . I'M SURE IT WAS PERFECT. WELL, YOU HAD JUST STARTED. YOU WALKED RIGHT IN. UM, SO WITH THAT, I, IT'S, I THINK THE CONVERSATION IS ALL OF US KIND OF UNDERSTANDING WHERE, WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. COULD, I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, CHAIRWOMAN. UM, MS. CARNES, I, I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, NOT MOST IMPORTANT, BUT SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT IS HOW YOU'RE FOCUSING ON RETENTION TOO. I THINK ALL YOU SAID IS GREAT, BUT ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE NEED FOR NURSES, UM, PLUMBERS, WHATEVER, IS RETENTION. SO I THINK YOU'RE DOING A LOT IN THAT REGARD AS WELL, WHICH I THINK WE SHOULD KNOW. WE, WE ARE DOING A LOT, UH, WITH THAT. AND DO YOU KNOW THE TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF LOW COUNTRY IS THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, DO YOU KNOW? 80% MORE OF OUR STUDENTS COME FROM OUR COMMUNITIES. DO YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A VALUE THAT I'VE LEARNED MOVING HERE. THE VALUE OF LIVING, LOVING, WORKING AND WORSHIPING IN YOUR HOME COMMUNITY. MORE THAN 90% OF OUR STUDENTS GO RIGHT BACK INTO THESE COMMUNITIES. AND THAT INCLUDES THE NURSES, THE PHYSICAL THERAPISTS, THE SURGICAL TECHNOLOGISTS, THE RADI, RADIOLOGY TECHNOLOGISTS. AT ANY GIVEN TIME, EVERY ONE OF US IN THIS ROOM, EVERY DAY ENCOUNTERS A GRADUATE OF THE TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF THE LOW COUNTRY. THEY ARE FOUNDATIONAL TO THE QUALITY [00:15:01] OF LIFE WITH MANY, LIKE MYSELF MOVED HERE TO, TO ENJOY. YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT THE ONLY PROJECT IN THE ROOM, AND EVERY PROJECT IS GOOD, BUT WE ARE THE WORKFORCE FOR YESTERDAY'S PROJECTS, TODAY'S PROJECTS AND TOMORROW'S PROJECTS. UM, AND I THINK, I KNOW THAT WE WANT TO DIVERSIFY THIS ECONOMY, AND IT'S A REGIONAL WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTER THAT WILL BE A PILLAR TO THAT. WE WERE ALL PART OF TS CONDUCTOR WHEN THEY CAME AND THEY'RE, AND THEY'RE HERE AND THAT'S, YEAH. RIGHT. THAT'S GREAT. YEAH. THAT'S WONDERFUL. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE PROMISE OF THIS REGIONAL WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTER PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN THAT CONVERSATION WHEN WE MET WITH THEM, THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO TRAIN IN THESE TECHNICAL FIELDS, WHICH IS GONNA INCREASE THE WAGES IN THE SALARIES OF EVERYONE. DO YOU KNOW OF, OF THE INDIVIDUALS? DO YOU KNOW WHO ARE, THEY MAY BE UNDEREMPLOYED, BUT THEY STILL HAVE A LOT OF CAPABILITY WITH THE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE TRAINING. UM, BUT SPEAKING KIND OF AS WE WEAR BOTH HATS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL ALSO PART OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY. SOMETIMES IT'S JUST THE DANCE OF A THOUSAND VEILS WHEN YOU CANNOT POINT TO TOUCH, SEE, SMELL THAT WE CAN DO THIS AND THIS IS WHAT THE REGIONAL WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTER IS GONNA GIVE TO OUR COMMUNITY. CAN I JUST, JUST FOLLOW UP? I'M GONNA, WE'RE GONNA TAKE TURNS. I, COUNCILMAN PASSIT WAS NEXT. UM, EDA GRANT? YES. STATUS. WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO. ONE IS SUBMITTED. UM, GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCE, WE, WE WOULD HAVE TO PULL THAT ONE BECAUSE UNINTENTIONALLY MISREPRESENTED HOW, WHERE THE MONEY WAS COMING FROM. HOWEVER, THAT SAID, I DON'T EXPECT THE FIRST ONE TO BE FUNDED. THAT WAS SUBMITTED THEN CHANGES THAT THE ADMINISTRATION MADE IN THE EDA. I DON'T THINK THAT'S, I THINK IT'S GONNA STAY ON THE DIGITAL SHELF. NOT VIABLE. IT'S RIGHT. IT'S NOT VIABLE. OKAY. UM, I'M ABOUT TO SUBMIT THE SECOND ONE. WE'VE GOTTEN ASSISTANCE FROM, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN'S MESA'S OFFICE FROM SENATOR GRAHAM'S OFFICE AND OUT OF, UM, UH, MCMASTER'S OUTTA THE GOVERNOR'S LATINO OFFICE. UM, SO WE'RE MORE HOPEFUL WITH THIS, WITH THIS SECOND ONE. UM, AND I CAN'T SAY FOR CERTAIN WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD BE RIGHT NOW ON THE, UM, ON THE DOLLARS IT WOULD QUALIFY FOR WITH, UM, WHEN I REMOVE THE SEVEN AND A HALF FROM THE, FROM THE FUNDING FORMULA OR THE SIX SIX. REMOVE THE SIX. YEAH, THAT WAS GONNA BE MY SECOND POINT WAS, UM, IS THE STATE MORE AMENABLE TO FUNDING PROGRAMS LIKE TCL? UM, I KNOW THE EARMARKS HAVE GONE AWAY, BUT I KNOW THAT BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMY AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE WORKFORCE THAT'S NEEDED, THE STATE IS WELL AWARE OF THE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE AND THAT THIS FITS IN PERFECTLY FOR WHAT WE NEED AND WANT TO DO FOR THE FUTURE. ABSOLUTELY. AND THERE'S ALWAYS A LOT OF WORDS TO THAT. AND WE WERE ALL THERE WHEN THE GOVERNOR SAID, WE'RE THE BEST TECHNICAL COLLEGE IN THE, IN THE, IN THE SYSTEM. LOVE TO, LOVE TO HEAR THAT. BUT EARMARKS DID GO AWAY. WE WERE COUNTING ON ADDITIONAL MONEY FROM THE STATE THIS PAST YEAR. WE DID NOT RECEIVE THAT. THE STATE DOES FUND THE SC WINS SCHOLARSHIP, UH, WHICH SUPPORTS FREE TUITION IN MANY OF THESE, LIKE NURSING. UH, UM, UH, HOWEVER, THOSE FUNDS HAVE DECREASED FOR US THIS YEAR ALSO. UM, SO WE DON'T SEE, I DON'T, I WOULDN'T EXPECT NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO REALLY SEE FURTHER STATE INVESTMENT IN THE REGIONAL WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTER. UM, AND WE DON'T WANT TO, WE HAVE PROMISED THIS COMMUNITY, WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS SINCE 2016. UM, WE, WE'VE PROMISED TO DO THIS. IT'S THE PRESIDENT WHO SAID OCTOBER 15TH. DO YOU KNOW IF WE CAN'T DO THE 50,000 SQUARE FEET? DO YOU KNOW, WE CAN REVIEW PROGRAMS AND TAKE IT DOWN TO MAKE IT FIT THE MONEY INSTEAD OF MAKING, WE CAN MAKE IT FIT THE MONEY OR WE CAN MAKE IT FIT THE NEED. UM, IF WE HAVE TO MAKE IT FIT THE MONEY, THEN WE'LL MAKE IT FIT THE MONEY. UM, ANY COUNCIL MEMBER WHO HASN'T ASKED ANY QUESTIONS? YES, COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM. I WAS JUST RACKING MY BRAIN OF WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR, AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST QUESTIONS I REMEMBER ASKING THEN WAS OTHER HELPS FROM SURROUNDING COUNTIES THAT SEND STUDENTS THERE. AND IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THERE'S TWO QUESTIONS I ASKED. ONE OF 'EM WAS, WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE OF JASPER COUNTY TO BEAUFORT COUNTY THAT GOES TO THE, THE SCHOOL? AND THEN SECONDLY, WHY IS THERE SUCH A DISPARITY IN THE DOLLAR AMOUNT? UM, ABOUT 10% IS JASPER COUNTY'S, YOU KNOW, IN ENROLLMENT. UM, AND A LOT OF THAT IS DUE ENROLLMENT. THERE'S BEEN A BIG INCREASE IN DUAL ENROLLMENT. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ATTENDING [00:20:01] TUNA COLLEGE AT TUNA AT THE SAME TIME. JASPER'S COMMITTED, UH, A MILLION. UM, THEY WENT FROM ZERO TO A HUNDRED MILES AN HOUR. DO YOU KNOW, IN THE HISTORY OF THEIR FUNDING TO, TO THE COLLEGE AND COUNCILMAN? I I REALLY THINK KIND OF WHAT THE DISPARITY IS, IS THE ABILITY. UM, I THINK JASPER IS INCREASINGLY CAPABLE OF COMMITTING AND, AND FUNDING, INVESTING IN THIS KIND OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND WORKFORCE IS INFRASTRUCTURES AS MUCH INFRASTRUCTURE AS THE ROADS THAT WE, THAT WE DRIVE AND THE BRIDGES THAT WE CROSS. UM, OUR OTHER COUNTIES, UM, HAMPTON JUST DOES NOT HAVE THE, THE ABILITY TO, TO CONTRIBUTE. UM, CALLIN, UH, VERY RECENTLY IN THEIR, IN A DIFFERENT WAY. UM, COLLEGE AND VERY RECENTLY PROVIDED THE COLLEGE WITH ABOUT, IT'S ABOUT 22,000 SQUARE FEET. IT'S THE COLLEGE AND CAREER AND SKILLS CENTER. THEY ARE PROVIDING ALL THE OPERATIONS AND ALLOWING US TO, THAT, THAT ENABLES US, UH, TO BRING IN WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAMS. DO YOU KNOW, UM, IN, IN COLLOTON. UM, BUT I THINK SOMETIMES WHEN WE LOOK AT THE COUNTIES, THIS IS THE BIFURCATION OF WHAT EACH COUNTY IS CAPABLE OF. BEAUFORT COUNTY'S ALWAYS BEEN A LEADER, UM, IN THIS REGION. IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A LEADER IN SUPPORTING EDUCATION, UM, AND WORKFORCE TRAINING. UM, AND WE'RE, WE'RE GRATEFUL TO, YOU KNOW, FOR, UM, UH, FOR THAT. COUNCILMAN BAROLO, DO YOU, OH, DID YOU HAVE A FOLLOW UP? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. UM, I, I DO AGREE WITH BASICALLY WORD FOR WHAT YOU SAID. THAT'S KIND OF WHY I HAVE A HARD TIME WITH IT. BECAUSE JASPER JUST APPROVED 2000 HOMES LAST YEAR AND NOW JUST ANNOUNCED THEY'RE TRYING TO PROVE ANOTHER THREE TO 4,000, UM, JUST LAST WEEK. UM, ALL RIGHT. ON THE BORDER OF JASPER COUNTY AND BEAUFORT COUNTY, WHICH MEANS THEY ARE GONNA BE ON OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. SO WE ARE, WE HAVE BEEN THE LEADER IN IT, BUT WE'VE ALSO, NOW WE'RE BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN THE LEADER IN IT ON OUR ROADS. UM, OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM'S CATCHING UP NOW. UM, BUT, SO THAT DOES TAKE A TOLL ON IT. WHEN YOU SAY THE TAX REVENUE DOES COME, BUT STONY TAKES THAT TAX REVENUE BACK TO JASPER COUNTY, THAT THAT TAKES A HIT ON US AS WELL. I THINK JASPER WILL CONTINUE TO, TO INVEST IN, IN THE COLLEGE AND THE WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTER. UM, I, I, I REALLY DO, UH, WITH THAT. AND JUST IF YOU ALLOW ME, BECAUSE THIS IS AN INVESTMENT AND IT'S AN INVESTMENT FOR THE COUNTY ON WHAT YOU'RE ALREADY INVESTING IN, AND PARTICULARLY THE BUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT. SO OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, ESPECIALLY THE TIDES PROGRAM, WITH THIS REGIONAL WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTER, THERE ARE 50 STUDENTS ATTENDING FULL TIME, 50 BUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT STUDENTS ATTENDING FULL TIME AT THE NEW RIVER CAMPUS. WHEN THIS IS BUILT, THEY CAN GO STRAIGHT INTO, I MEAN, THEY'D LITERALLY WALK ACROSS THE CAMPUS, UH, INTO THESE WORKFORCE PROGRAMS. AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, AS WE ALL KNOW, THAT WE KEEP OUR WORKFORCE LOCAL. THAT WE KEEP OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ENGAGED IN OUR COMMUNITY, EDUCATED ABOUT THE FAMILY SUSTAINING CAREERS THAT THEY CAN HAVE HERE BECAUSE WE NEED THAT WORKFORCE. UM, SO IT'S, IT'S, BUT THE, MY POINT REALLY IS THAT WHEN, WHEN IN INVESTING IN THE REGIONAL WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTER IS BUILDING ON INVESTMENT IN THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, IT'S BUILDING ON INVESTMENT IN, IN ALL YOUR OTHER INVESTMENT. I'M, I'M, I'M GONNA CALL ON, UM, DAVID BAROLO YOU, 'CAUSE HE'S THE LIAISON NOW TOO. AND SEE, HE HAS ANY QUESTIONS. DO YOU HAVE ANY DAVID OR COMMENTS, HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, FROM MS. CORN, BUT I, I HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE PLAIN LANGUAGE OF THE RESOLUTION THAT WE PASSED. AND IT DOES APPEAR, AND I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THE CONVERSATION. WELL, LAST YEAR, IT DOES SEEM LIKE OUR INTENT WAS TO FUND THIS AS IT HAS. AND I HAVE SEEN INTERNAL COMMUNICATION FROM, UH, THE PREVIOUS C UH, CFO. IT SEEMED LIKE, IT SEEMED LIKE WE WERE TAKING, AND NOT NECESSARILY BURDEN IS A GOOD INVESTMENT. UH, BUT WE WERE TAKING THIS ON, WE WOULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO DISTRIBUTE THOSE FUNDS OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS WITHOUT IMPACTING THE MILITARY. THE TCL WAS, I BELIEVE THERE WAS SOME, STILL SOME SKIN IN THE GAME BY TCL FOR ANY OVERAGE OF THEIR VILLAGE TO HELP PAY BACK THAT DEBT. BUT I BELIEVE THE BULK OF THE DEBT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY. WE'RE INVESTING, AND I THINK THIS PROJECT IS, IS A WONDERFUL PROJECT BECAUSE AS WE ATTRACT COMPANIES HERE, WE'RE ABLE TO TRAIN PEOPLE HERE INSTEAD OF THOSE COMPANIES HAVING TO BRING PEOPLE OUT OF STATE TO FILL THOSE. SO IT, IT GOES HAND IN HAND WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND I, I HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE PLAIN LANGUAGE OF THE, OF THE RESOLUTION THAT WE ASKED. AND IT, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S MORE OF A GRANT AND AN INVESTMENT FROM THE COUNTY, COUNTY. AND I WANNA STAND BY THAT RESOLUTION. THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS. UM, I'D LIKE TO ASK, UM, [00:25:01] MS. PINKY TO COME FORWARD TO EXPLAIN TO COUNSEL WHAT, WHAT WE'RE AT, WHAT YOU'RE AT, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT THE PATH FORWARD IS. I GUESS WHAT WE'RE ASKING. OKAY. I THINK AT THIS POINT, COUNSEL JUST NEEDS TO DIRECT US IF IT, WHETHER YOU WANT THIS TO BE, 'CAUSE ORIGINALLY IT WAS PRESENTED AS THAT 6 MILLION WAS GOING TO BE A PART OF THE BOND ISSUANCE AND THE DEBT WOULD BE REPAID WITH THE ADDITIONAL 0.1 MIL INCREASE IN ADDITIONAL REVENUES FROM, UH, THE VALUE OF A MILL INCREASING. THAT'S WHAT WAS DECIDED AND PASSED ON BY COUNSEL WHEN YOU SIGNED UP FOR THE BOND, WHEN YOU APPROVE THE BOND ORDINANCE. UM, AND THAT'S WHAT WAS PRESENTED BY THE, UH, FIRST TRY ON ADVISORS WHENEVER THEY CAME AND DID THAT BOND, UH, PRESENTATION. UM, PCL SAW IT MORE OF A GRANT LIKE, UH, COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN BARMY JUST SAID, AND WE'RE, WE'RE NOT AWARE THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE DEBT SERVICE ASSOCIATED WITH THE INVESTMENT. SO AT THIS POINT, THE RESOLUTION IS AS, AS COUNSEL, UH, APPROVED. BUT WE NEED TO KNOW WHETHER YOU WANT THIS TO BE A GRANT MOVING FORWARD OR ARE YOU PLANNING FOR THIS, THE DEBT THAT'S ASSOCIATED AND WHAT WAS APPROVED IN THE BOND ORDINANCE OKAY. TO MOVE FORWARD. SO THAT'S THE DISCUSSION FOR COUNSEL. ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING WHAT? SURE. UM, MS. HARRIET JUST SAID, YES SIR. COUNCILOR GLOVER, JUST FOR MY CLARIFICATION, UM, I'M MORE IN LINE WITH, UH, WHAT, UM, MR. BARTHOLOMEW JUST SAID A FEW MINUTES AGO, UM, THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS MORE OF A GRANT INVESTMENT, UH, INTO TCL. SO, UH, MY QUESTION IS, UM, WITH THE COLLECTION, WAS THERE SUFFICIENT FUNDS, UM, TO PAY FOR THE DEBT SERVICE? CURRENTLY, THE ADDITIONAL 0.1 MILLS DOES NOT COVER THE DEBT SERVICE FOR THAT $6 MILLION. SO IF THAT IS THE CASE, THE INTENT OF GIVING TCL AN ADDITIONAL 0.1 MILLS WAS TO SERVICE THE DEBT. A LOT CHANGED FROM THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION AND CFO TO NOW. AND THE BOND ISSUANCE ORIGINALLY THAT WAS PRESENTED TO YOU WAS $90 MILLION. IT WAS DROPPED DOWN TO ABOUT 70 68 68 AND SOME CHANGE. AND THEN, UM, AT THAT POINT, TIMELINES HAD CHANGED AND NONE OF THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATED WITH TCL AND THERE WAS A LUMP SUM PAYMENT MADE ON MARCH 1ST. AS SOON AS WE CLOSED ON THE BONDS, THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THAT EITHER. UM, LIKE I SAID, A LOT OF THINGS CHANGED BETWEEN THEN AND WHAT ACTUALLY OCCURRED WHEN BONDS ACTUALLY GOT ISSUED. SO THE 0.1 MILLS THAT WAS PASSED AS A PART OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET AND THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE DOES NOT COVER THE DEBT SERVICE FOR TCLS PORTION OF THAT BOND ISSUANCE. SO IF, IF IT IS COUNCIL'S INTENT TO JUST MAKE THIS A SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION INVESTMENT OVER THE COURSE OF THE THREE YEARS AS THE RESOLUTION STATES, WE WILL PULL THE 0.1 MILS BACK AND RE-APPROPRIATE IT TO DEBT SERVICE BECAUSE WE ARE NOW SERVICING THAT DEBT. WELL, LEMME ASK, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? LEMME FOLLOW UP ON THIS THEN. UM, WHAT HAPPENED WITH USC? BECAUSE I THOUGHT WE HANDLED USC AND TCL, UM, AT THE SAME TIME WITH THE SAME AL PREVIOUSLY USCB AND TCL SPLIT. UM, 0.1, RIGHT, 1.1 MILLS A PIECE FROM THE HIGHER ED, UH, ALLOCATION THAT THAT'S, THAT'S SEPARATE THOUGH, RIGHT? IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH VOLUME THAT GOES BOTH, BOTH ENTITIES OPERATIONS, UM, AND THAT REMAINED THE SAME. BUT IN FISCAL YEAR 20 FIVE'S BUDGET, BECAUSE OF THIS INVESTMENT AND THIS, THE DEBT ASSOCIATED WITH IT, YOU INCREASE TCLS BY 0.1 MILLS. AND THEN THE, THE TERMINOLOGY THAT'S WRITTEN IN THE BOND ORDINANCE IS THE INCREASE IN THE VALUE OF A MILL GENERATED AS WELL AS THE 0.1 MILLS WOULD SERVICE THIS DEBT. SO THIS ALL CAME ABOUT WHEN WE WERE REACHING OUT TO TCL TO DO A IGA IN TERMS OF THE DEBT SERVICE. UM, BUT THEY WERE UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE A GRANT VERSUS A, UM, SERVICE OF THEIR DEBT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THEY'LL HAVE TO BOOK IT AS A LIABILITY IF THEY SIGN INTO THAT. IG BUT DIDN'T WE ALSO ISSUE BONDS FOR USC? NO, WE DID NOT. WE DID NOT. YOU DID NOT. SORRY. I WASN'T HERE AT THAT TIME. OKAY. BUT AT, THAT'S, AT THAT TIME, THE TWO, UM, AREAS THAT YOU INVESTED IN WITH THE 2025 BOND ISSUANCE WAS, UM, $10 MILLION TOWARDS BMH AND THEN $6 MILLION TOWARDS TCL. AND THEN THE 1.5 WAS ADDRESSED IN A DIFFERENT RESOLUTION, UH, TO BE SPLIT UP OVER THE COURSE OF THREE YEARS. SO THE TOTAL INVESTMENT WAS 7.5. OKAY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? I, I'VE GOT YES SIR. COUNCILMAN LARSON. UM, AND SO AGAIN, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS WE INCREASED IT TO COVER THIS AMOUNT. HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE THE INCREASE TO COVER THE AMOUNT THAT THAT, 'CAUSE AGAIN, THAT WAS THE REASON THAT WE INCREASED IT WAS COVER SOME OF THIS. SO HOW LONG, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE US TO AT THAT POINT? ONE MIL? THE 0.1 MIL DOES NOT COVER THE DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT ANNUALLY AT THIS POINT. SO, [00:30:01] AND AS YOU KNOW, VALUE OF A MILL CHANGES UP EVERY YEAR. SO UNTIL THE VALUE OF A MILL REACHES WHAT THEIR DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT WOULD BE FOR THE YEAR, THAT'S, I, I COULD NOT TELL YOU 'CAUSE VALUE MILL VALUES CHANGE ANNUALLY, BUT THIS IS A WORKSHOP SO WE JUST KIND OF NEED TO GET A TEMPERATURE OF THE, UM, OF THE COUNCIL OF JUST OTHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT, UM, RELATE TO THE, WHAT WAS ACTUALLY PASSED VIA OF THE RESOLUTION AND OR YOUR BUDGET ORDINANCE FROM LAST YEAR CHAIR? I DO A QUESTION. YES. UM, COUNCILMAN ON, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE BOND THAT FOR, IS THERE ANY, UM, ANY, ANY POTENTIAL CHANCE WE COULD USE USING THE GENERAL FUND TO HELP COVER COVER PORTIONS OF US AND GET THAT, GET THAT DEBT ACCOUNT FOR IT? IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT COUNSEL WANTS TO DO. UM, ONCE WE DECIDE WHAT, WHAT THE ACTUAL DECISION IS, WE'LL COME UP WITH OPTIONS FOR COUNSEL TO, TO COME CONTINUE WITH SOME OPTIONS WITH THE CONTRIBUTION AND OR NOT. THAT'D BE GREAT. THAT WOULD BE GREAT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? THAT WOULD SEEM LOGICAL BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY HAVE A RESOLUTION THAT HAS BEEN PASSED NOW ADMINISTRATION HAS TO COME BACK TO US AND SAY A B, CD BASED UPON THAT RESOLUTION. IF YOU CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS INVESTMENT, THEN WE'LL BRING YOU OPTIONS TO DECIDE DIFFERENT OPTIONS. DECIDE. AND I WOULD JUST SAY NOT HEARING ANY OBJECTION, I'M OVERHEARING, OH, SORRY. I'M LIKE LOOKING OVER . WE WILL , SORRY ABOUT THAT. WE DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THE VOICE. WHERE'S WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, THE RESOLUTION AS THE COMMITMENT TO, TO MR. MANN'S POINT AND THAT, AND WHAT WE WOULD SUGGEST THEN IS WE WILL WORK ON A, AN I INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT WITH TCL AND WORK ON THE, UM, THE FINANCING PART OF THIS. AND IT WILL MOST LIKELY INVOLVE A BUDGET AMENDMENT DOWN THE ROAD. SO THAT'S WHAT YOU WILL EXPECT TO SEE, UH, JUST GAUGE ON, ON WHERE YOU ALL ARE TODAY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR, UM, QUESTIONS? JUST LAST ONE, MS. CORS, IS THAT GOOD WITH YOU ON HOW WE'RE GONNA, I, UM, I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTOOD IT, SO THAT'S WHY I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU GET THAT BEFORE WE TO, TO KEEP IT. GINA, KEEP OUR SIMPLE MINDS, MY SIMPLE MINDS. UM, I GUESS I NEED THIS. IS IT TOO SIMPLE TO SAY? IS IT A YAY OR NAY ON? WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T GIVE A VOTE. THEY CAN'T. THIS IS A WORKSHOP, SO. OH, OKAY. RIGHT. WHAT I JUST SAID, YOU CAN'T TAKE A VOTE TODAY. CAN'T TAKE A VOTE. SO, NO, WE JUST WANTED TO, BUT SAID WHAT? I'M GET THE TEMPERATURE OF THE GROUP, BUT WHAT I'M TELLING YOU ALL IS ADMINISTRATION'S GONNA PROCEED WITH THIS RESOLUTION MM-HMM . AS A SIX, AS A $7.5 MILLION GRANT. AND, AND WE'RE GONNA BRING FORWARD THE ACTIONS THAT ARE NECESSARY WITH SOME OPTIONS. THANK YOU. THAT THAT'S CORRECT. DIFFERENT OPTIONS. I THINK WHAT MARY LEE IS ASKING IS, ARE WE, IS COUNSEL'S INTENT TO FULFILL THE RESOLUTION? IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH. YES. THE 7.5, THAT'S HER YEAR. NATE, SHE'S NOT ASKING FOR IT, BUT WHAT YOU SHOWED HERE, THE SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS AS PART OF THIS, YOU ARE JUST SHORT. THE 5.8. RIGHT. AND THAT'S WHAT'S IN THE EDA GRANT RIGHT NOW, MR. HERBERT. THE CONSENSUS SEEMS TO BE THAT WITH THE MICROPHONE THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION. YEAH. WITHOUT TAKING A VOTE WHERE THAT'S A CONSENSUS. THAT'S A CONSENSUS. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ANY, ANY LAST COMMENTS BEFORE WE MOVE ON WITH THE AGENDA? OKAY, THANK YOU. IS THAT OR IS THAT GOOD? YOU COUNSEL? ALRIGHT. THANK, THANK YOU. THANK YOU BOTH. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS THE USCB SAND SHARK 2020 ARENA PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION, UM, PRESENTED BY DICK STEWART AND DR. PNU. WELCOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT AT THIS WORKSHOP AND UPDATE COUNCIL ON, UM, THIS EXCITING INITIATIVE. BUT LET ME FIRST BEGIN BY, UM, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THIS YEAR USCB HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN CELEBRATING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY SINCE BECOMING A FOUR YEAR DEGREE GRANTING INSTITUTION. AND I BRING THIS UP BECAUSE THIS BODY'S VISION AND SUPPORT WAS ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL, CRUCIAL TO, UM, THAT PARTICULAR ANNIVERSARY, WHAT IT SIGNIFIES AND WHAT IT HAS BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH INTO ACHIEVE FOR OUR REGION. JUST BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE, USCB WAS RANKED AMONG [00:35:01] THE TOP 10 INSTITUTIONS IN THE COUNTRY AMONGST THE FASTEST GROWING INSTITUTIONS. AND, AND OF COURSE WITH THE PANDEMIC, THERE WAS A CHANGE FOR THE WHOLE LANDSCAPE OF, UH, HIGHER EDUCATION. BUT WE HAVE SINCE BEEN RECOVERED AND AGAIN, ON THE PATH TO GROWTH. AND WE ARE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT, UM, THAT HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED BY THE INSTITUTION OVER THESE YEARS. AND I'LL GET BACK TO THIS THEME BECAUSE CURRENTLY, UM, AS WE'VE BEEN CELEBRATING THIS 20TH ANNIVERSARY AND LOOKING AT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS, WE'RE REMINDED OF A PLAQUE THAT WE HAVE IN OUR FACILITY THAT ACKNOWLEDGES ACTUALLY THE WORK OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL. AND WE, UH, WE FEEL LIKE IT, IT MARKS A VERY SPECIAL OCCASION, UH, TO CONTINUE ON THAT PATHWAY. AND I AM HERE AND WE ARE HERE TO TALK AND BRIEF ON THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE WITH REGARD TO THE JOURNEY THAT WE'VE BEEN ON FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS. DEALING WITH MULTI PURPOSE FACILITY THAT WE STARTED OFF FIVE YEARS AGO AS A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN COUNTY AND THE STATE. THE WASN'T JUST TO MEET THE ATHLETIC EVENTS THAT NEEDS THAT WE HAVE AT USCB, BUT COMMENCEMENT, IT WAS FOR TOURNAMENT, IT WAS FOR CONFERENCES AND CONCERTS AND PERFORMANCE AND TRADE SHOWS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE. WE'VE HAD THOSE CONVERSATION FOR QUITE SOME TIME EVERY YEAR. WE'VE GIVEN A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE HAVE BEEN WITH REGARD TO SECURING SOME OF THE FUNDING THAT IS NEEDED. AS I INDICATED FROM THE GET GO, WE PARTNERED IN A WAY WHERE THE STATE AND THE COUNTY COULD BE CONTRIBUTORS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, SENATOR DAVIS TELLS ME THAT THE LATE SENATOR LEATHERMAN WAS EXCITED DOING AND SUPPORTIVE OF THIS INITIATIVE PRECISELY BECAUSE OF THE COMMITMENT ON A LOCAL AND STATE PARTNERSHIP, UM, OF, OF THIS INITIATIVE. OF FEW, WE SECURED A LITTLE BIT OF A COMMITMENT ALSO ON THE DESIGN WORK AS WE WERE ACCUMULATING SOME FUNDING FROM THE STATE. AND THERE WAS AN APPROPRIATION MADE AT A COUNTY LEVEL THAT WE REALLY NEVER, UM, TOOK ADVANTAGES OF FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS WITH REGARD TO STARTING THE DESIGN. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, LAST YEAR AS WE UPDATED COUNCIL, IT RESULTED IN A FORMATION OF A WORKING GROUP TO BE ABLE TO, UH, EXPLORE OUR NEXT STEPS AND FUNDING MECHANISM AS THE STATE WAS APPROACHING, UM, EVERY YEAR THE TRENCHES THAT WERE APPROPRIATED AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT WERE APPROACHING, UH, THEIR LIMITS. I WILL ALSO POINT OUT THAT ABOUT THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO, USCB WAS ABLE TO, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS HISTORY FORM A UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA BEAUFORT EDUCATION FOUNDATION. TODAY DICK STEWART IS, UH, THE VICE CHAIR FOR THE EDUCATION, UH, FOUNDATION FOR USCB. AND I'LL BE ASKING HIM AS PART OF THE WORKING GROUP THAT WAS, WAS, UH, AT WORK HERE TO GIVE US SOME UPDATE ON THE WORK THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE SINCE. AND, UM, THEN I KNOW WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT WE WOULD WANT TO ENGAGE IN. AND, UM, CHAIRMAN FROM LAST YEAR, YOU'LL RECALL, UM, THE COUNTY, THE, THE, UM, THE COUNCIL, UH, AUTHORIZING, UH, THE WORK GROUP. AND SO I'LL ASK DECK TO PLEASE COME AND PROVIDE THE UPDATE AND THEN WE'LL ENGAGE IN QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU DR. . THANK YOU FOR MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. FIRST THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND BEING HERE. I KNOW THIS IS A NICE WAY TO SPEND YOUR MORNINGS AND UH, WHEN YOU RAN [00:40:01] FOR OFFICE, YOU KNEW YOU'D BE RECEIVING NOTHING BUT THANK YOU AND ACCOLADES FROM EVERYONE AND ON BEHALF OF THOSE WHO OWE IT BUT HAVEN'T DELIVERED IT, PLEASE ALLOW ME AS A TAXPAYER AND A VOTER TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. I'M SAT IN THOSE CHAIRS AND I DON'T RECALL EVER RENTING A POPULARITY CONTEST, BUT I GOT A LOT OF THANKS IN PRIVATE. THIS IS A PUBLIC ONE. BEFORE WE GET INTO THE WHAT OF SAND CHALK 2020, LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE WHY THAT I AM HERE. I RETURNED HOME IN 1998 AFTER HAVING GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL HERE IN 1967. DURING THE PERIOD OF TIME THAT I WERE GONE, I WAS GONE. YOU, UH, COUNCILMAN GLOVER MAY REMEMBER WHEN WE TAUGHT PEOPLE TO BE BRICKLAYERS AND MASONS HERE AND A LOT OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE LEARNED THOSE SKILLS AND WENT TO BALTIMORE, PHILADELPHIA AND NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON HAD SUCCESSFUL CAREERS. AND SOME LIKE ME, WHEN THEY WERE RETIRED, CAME HOME. I WAS IN THE WIRELESS BUSINESS, WHICH DID NOT EXIST WHEN I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL. SO THERE'S NO TRAINING WHEN I GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE, NO PREPARATION FROM THAT. IN FACT, A COUNSELOR TOLD ME AS I WAS A SENIOR APPROACHING MY SENIOR, A JUNIOR, APPROACHING MY SENIOR IN COLLEGE, I SHOULD GO INTO RECREATION. AND I SAID, WHY? HE SAID, WELL, THE PRODUCTIVITY OF AMERICAN WORKERS IS SO GREAT THAT IN A FEW YEARS WE'LL ONLY BE WORKING 20 HOURS A WEEK AND WE'LL NEED A LOT OF RECREATION ACTIVITY. I THOUGHT HE WAS A LITTLE NUTS THEN. AND I'M CONFIRMED THAT I THINK HE WAS A LITTLE NUTS BECAUSE IF ANY OF YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IN 20 HOURS, I NEED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT YOU GOT TO, WHAT YOU CAN HELP US WITH IN THAT OTHER 20 HOURS. SO WHEN I RETURNED, THIS WAS THE FASTEST GROWING STATE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. WE WERE THE WEALTHIEST BY PROPERTY VALUES ON A PER CAPITA BASIS. CHARLESTON CENSUS PASSED US AND I ASKED THE QUESTION, WHY DON'T WE HAVE A FOUR YEAR COLLEGE DEGREE GRANTING INSTITUTION HERE? MY FRIENDS WHO SERVED ON THE STATE, UH, BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR USC AND ON THE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION SAID WE WERE NEXT IN LINE WHEN WE GOT A THOUSAND FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT STUDENTS, WE WOULD GET THAT HONOR. I SAID, WELL, WHERE'S THAT WRITTEN? WELL, IT'S NOT WRITTEN, BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY DID IN MYRTLE BEACH. AFTER NEARLY LOSING FRIENDSHIP WITH THOSE FOLKS, I WENT TO COLUMBIA AND CHECKED INTO A HOTEL AND READ THE STORY ABOUT HOW COASTAL CAROLINA BECAME WHAT IT IS TODAY. THAT STORY WAS PEPPERED WITH STATEMENTS TO THERE. WE'VE GOT TOO MANY FOUR YEAR COLLEGES IN THE STATE, WE DON'T NEED ANYMORE. SO I HAVE SINCE COME IN MY HUMOROUS, I HOPE, UH, WAY TO DESCRIBE THAT IS US SITTING DOWN HERE IN THE LOW COUNTRY WHERE IT WAS COMFORTABLE AND PLEASANT AND NOT DOING THE HARD WORK OF SPENDING TIME IN IN COLUMBIA, WHICH I'M HAPPY TO SAY OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION NOW SEEMS TO BE REALLY GOOD AT. BUT WE STAYED HERE AND WE HOPE THE NICE FOLKS IN FLORENCE AND GREENVILLE AND COLUMBIA AND CHARLESTON WOULD DIVERT RESOURCES AWAY FROM THEIR FAVORITE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND GIVE THEM TO US. 'CAUSE WE'RE REALLY NICE PEOPLE. THE PROBLEM WITH THAT PROGRAM IS WE HAVE NEVER FOUND A CASE WHERE THAT EXISTED. IT HAS NOT WORKED ANYWHERE AND THEY CERTAINLY DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THEY WERE IN LINE TO DO THAT. SO WE FORMED A GROUP CALLED THE CITIZENS FOR A FOUR YEAR UNIVERSITY. WE HAD WIDE SUPPORT AND WE HAD A PANEL. AND THE PANEL WAS ON THE USCB CAMPUS IN BEAUFORT BECAUSE THIS CAMPUS IN BLUFFTON THAT WE WOULD BE AT TONIGHT DID NOT EXIST. THERE WERE ABOUT 400 PEOPLE THERE ON THE DEUS WAS THE HEAD OF THE MARINE CORPS AIR STATION, MARINE CORPS, PARIS ISLAND AND THE NAVAL HOSPITAL. THEY ALL SAID WE NEED A FOUR YEAR UNIVERSITY TO KEEP THOSE BASES READY, KEEP THEM FUNCTIONED FOR THE ENLISTED PERSONNEL AND FOR THE PRIVATE PERSONNEL. AND THE HOSPITAL PERSON SAID, IF WE'RE GONNA RECRUIT SURGEONS AND DOCTORS AND HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS, WE NEED A CULTURAL RICHNESS THAT THE FOUR YEAR UNIVERSITY PROVIDES. THE HEAD OF BE MEMORIAL SAID ESSENTIALLY THE SAME THING ABOUT RECRUITING HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS. AND THE HEAD OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAID, WE'VE GOTTA HAVE SOME LOCAL TEACHERS HERE. WE CAN'T JUST KEEP IMPORTING 'EM AND PLAYING THAT ROUTINE AS THEY COME IN AND OUT. AND I'M DELIGHTED TO TELL YOU THAT TWO WEEKS AGO, THREE WEEKS AGO AT THE ROTARY CLUB, I WAS AT THE PRINCIPAL OF ONE OF THE LADIES ISLAND SCHOOLS, SAID THAT 18 OF HER TEACHERS ARE USCB PRODUCTS. SO I'M DELIGHTED TO SEE THAT. AND I THINK MR. CUNNINGHAM, YOU WENT THROUGH THE USEB PROGRAM. SO NOW WHAT DID WE DO ABOUT THAT? I'M PLEASED TO SAY THAT COUNTY COUNCIL CHAIRMAN THAT WAS ON THAT DESK AND SAID, WE'VE GOTTA HAVE THIS WITH ONE OF SEVERAL ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT SAID THAT. AND WITHIN A FEW MONTHS, THIS COUNTY COUNCIL TOOK THE LEAD AND PUT IN PLACE A TIF AGREEMENT FOR $38 MILLION, 25 MILLION TO START USCB HERE, 13 MILLION START, UH, TCL IN THE BLUFFTON CAMPUS. THAT $38 MILLION BOND WAS TO SCHEDULED PAY OFF OVER 30 YEARS. IT PAID OFF OVER NINE BECAUSE IT WAS FUNDED BY, UH, PROPERTY TAXES CREATED BY INCREMENTAL GROWTH. NOW AT THAT TIME, UH, JASPER COUNTY WAS COMPLAINING BECAUSE WE HAD ALL THESE PEOPLE MOVING INTO BLUFFTON AND USING THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE GOING BACK AND FORTH. SO THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE THAT, YOU KNOW, GOOD FENCES MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS SORT OF ARGUMENT. BUT HERE'S WHERE WE SIT TODAY. 20 YEARS AGO, WE WEREN'T SURE WE COULD RECRUIT STUDENTS TO COME. PEOPLE RAISED THAT QUESTION. WE WEREN'T SURE WE COULD RECRUIT PROFESSORS TO COME. PEOPLE RAISED THAT QUESTION. WE WEREN'T SURE THE COMMUNITY WOULD SUPPORT IT. PEOPLE RAISE THAT QUESTION. ANSWER, ANSWER TO ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS IS WE CAN RECRUIT THE STUDENTS, WE CAN RECRUIT THE PROFESSORS, WE CAN RECRUIT THE OTHER THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT. BUT WHAT'S UNDERNEATH ALL OF THIS IS THE FACT THAT WE LIVE IN A DUMBBELL ECONOMY. AND I DON'T MEAN INTELLECTUALLY, [00:45:01] I MEAN ECONOMICALLY. THERE'S A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT ARE WEALTHY, OFTEN RETIRED PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING QUITE WELL. THERE'S A RELATIVELY SMALL MIDDLE CLASS, THE BAR OF THE DUMBBELL. AND OVER HERE THERE IS SOME EXTREME POVERTY IN OUR COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES IN PLACES MOST OF US DON'T GO VERY OFTEN AND NOT BEHIND THE GATES WHERE THE ECONOMIC, UH, PROFILE OF FOLKS OFTENTIMES LOOKS AND FEELS PRETTY HOMOGENEOUS. I AM THE FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENT IN MY FAMILY. MY WIFE IS A FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENT IN HER FAMILY. NEITHER OF MY PARENTS FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL. WHEN I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, I HAD NO EXPECTATION OF WHAT THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE WAS GOING TO BE. IT TURNED OUT THAT I HAD A GOOD EXPERIENCE AND I'VE LEARNED A LOT AND I'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL 'CAUSE I'VE SURROUNDED MYSELF WITH SMART AND CAPABLE PEOPLE. WHEN I LOOK BACK AND THINK ABOUT THE EXPERIENCES I HAD, IT WASN'T WHAT I LEARNED. 'CAUSE MY UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE WAS EDUCATION. IT'S THAT I LEARNED HOW TO LEARN. I LEARNED HOW TO WORK IN GROUPS. I LEARNED HOW TO GET ALONG WITH PEOPLE AND I LEARNED HOW TO MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS TO SUCCESS. WE'RE NOW LIVING IN A TIME WHERE COMPANIES LIKE AMAZON, GOOGLE META, ALL THOSE DID NOT EXIST UNTIL THE MID 1990S. WIRELESS DIDN'T EXIST. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS JUST NOW BEING TALKED ABOUT. NONE OF US KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE'S GONNA LOOK LIKE 20, 30, 40 YEARS FROM NOW. WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT WE CAN TEACH EVERYONE WORK SKILLS. WE CAN TEACH EVERYONE TECHNICAL SKILLS. WHAT WE CAN'T TEACH PEOPLE VERY EASILY IS THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING PART OF A GROUP, BEING ABLE TO MANAGE THAT GROUP AND BEING ABLE TO GROW. I WILL TELL YOU THAT BECAUSE OF MY EXPERIENCE IN MY UNDERGRADUATE WORK, I WENT ON LATER TO DO MUCH BETTER AND PERFORM BETTER WHEN I WAS A GROWNUP IN MY GRADUATE WORK. BUT THEN WHEN I CAME HOME, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO DO WAS HELP MENTOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND GIVE THEM SOME ADVICE. AND I GOT A CALL FROM A FRIEND OF MINE WHO WANTED TO MEET WITH TWO ME, MEET ME WITH TWO YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN. I SAID, I'M HAPPY TO DO IT. SAID HAVE 'EM CALL ME. THEY CAN'T CALL YOU. SO WHY NOT? THEY'RE IN TOO, TOO INTIMIDATED TO SPEAK WITH YOU. THAT WAS MY MISTAKE. THE REASON FOR THAT IS THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE SELF-CONFIDENCE THAT I HAD GAINED BY BEING THROUGH COLLEGE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT I COULD COMPETE WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND COULD DO WELL. WE OWE THAT TO THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING HERE IN POVERTY AND DON'T HAVE THE CHANCE TO GO OFF TO COLLEGE LIKE I DID. YOU AND YOUR LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY HAVE THE CHANCE TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT THAT WILL CHANGE NOT ONLY THE LIVES OF THOSE PEOPLE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY OF THE INTELLECTUAL RESOURCES AND CULTURAL RESOURCES CHANGE. THE QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE CHANGE, THE QUALITY OF CAPITAL FORMATION AND CAPITAL FORMATION IS GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT TO CREATE BUSINESS HERE. IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR UH, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, BACK WHEN I FIRST CAME BACK AND READ IT IN 98 WHEN THEY WERE FIRST REQUIRED, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PART WAS A PAGE AND A HALF AS I RECALL, AND IT SAID WE LIKE HIGH TECH, NON-POLLUTING INDUSTRIES. WELL SHOW ME THE COMMUNITY THAT'S NOT LOOKING FOR THAT. I WAS UNABLE TO FIND ONE. SO IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY. THE REASON YOU HAVE TO HAVE INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY IS CAPITAL FOLLOWS IT. THAT'S HOW COMPANIES GET FORMED AND THAT'S HOW WHEN WE TRAIN PEOPLE TO DO THINGS, THEY CAN STAY HERE, WORK AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE ECONOMY. AND WE HAVE A LOOMING ISSUE. I'M A FIRST PART OF THE BABY BOOMERS. I WAS BORN IN 49. IT'S CALLED A BOOM BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY OF US. WE WILL BE DYING OUT AS WE DO. SOME OF THESE AGE RESTRICTED COMMUNITIES ARE GONNA HAVE MORE AGE RESTRICTIONS. THEY ARE AT AGE. DON'T REMIND US, EXCUSE ME, DON'T REMIND US . I ADMIRE THE NEED TO BE. YOU KNOW, YOU AND I LIVE IN THE WORLD OF A REALITY. THERE GO ARE THOSE FOLKS THAT LIVE IN THE WORLD WHERE IT SHOULD BE THIS WAY? YOU AND I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT, I'M SORRY. I THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT. I LOOK YOUNGER THAN I DO. I I'M SURE THAT'S, IN ANY EVENT, IF YOU DIDN'T MEAN THAT, I'LL TELL MY WIFE THAT SHE AGREES WITH YOU. SO THE POINT BEING, WHO'S GONNA LIVE IN OUR HOUSES? WHO'S GONNA CREATE JOBS? WHO'S GONNA SUSTAIN OUR ECONOMY? IT'S NOT GOING TO BE JUST RETIREES. IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE ECONOMY. NOW IF WE'RE GONNA DO THAT, LET'S LOOK AT SOME OF THE NEEDS WE HAVE LOCALLY. WE LIVE IN A PLACE AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS. ONE OF THE REASONS IT'S BEAUTIFUL IS BECAUSE OF OUR WATERWAYS AND THE ENVIRONMENT WE LIVE IN. WE HAVE MORE SALT MARSH HERE THAN ANY PLACE ELSE IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. SOUTH CAROLINA HAS MORE THAN ANY PLACE ON THE EAST COAST. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT WITH JASPER COUNTY IS THAT'S 200,000 ACRES OF SALT MARSH, WHICH QUESTERS 4 MILLION CARBON POUNDS OF CARBON EACH YEAR. BUT BECAUSE OF THE CHANGE IN DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS AND OTHER THINGS, INCLUDING STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, THE MAY RIVER IS NOT AS SALTY AS IT ONCE WAS. IF WE CONTINUE THAT PATH, THE SALT MARSH IN THE MAY RIVER WILL BE GONE. IF IT GOES SO WILL THE SPECIES IT RELIES ON. AND SO WILL THAT SALT MARSH AND SO WILL THE OTHER THINGS. CAUSE A LOT OF US TO WANT TO BE HERE. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT HAS TO HAPPEN. THAT DOES MEAN THAT'S A SCIENTIFIC ISSUE. THAT'S A RESEARCH ISSUE. THAT'S A MANAGEMENT ISSUE THAT THE USCB WATER QUALITY LABS PLAYS A ROLE IN ADDRESSING. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HEALTHCARE IS GONNA LOOK LIKE IN THE NEXT DECADE OR TWO. [00:50:01] I'M ABSOLUTELY SURE IT'S GONNA BE CHANGED A LOT. THE HUMAN GENOME, AI, LOTS OF ISSUES. WE'RE GOING TO NEED INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY. KEEP TRAINING PEOPLE FOR CHANGING. I RAN A COMPANY IN THE WIRELESS BUSINESS WHERE I WENT TO SEE A GUY AT AND T, HE HAD 23 PEOPLE IN THE ROOM AND HE SPOKE TO THEM LIKE THIS AND I WAS OFFENDED FOR THEM. HE SAID, YOU SEE THESE PEOPLE, YEAH, THEY'RE MANAGERS. NOT BECAUSE THEY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MANAGEMENT, BUT BECAUSE THEY CAME TO WORK HERE THREE YEARS AGO, IF WE'VE GROWN SO FAST THAT THEY'RE NOW IN CHARGE OF MANAGING PEOPLE AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING. AND I'M SAYING, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING EITHER, BUT I'D BE POLISHING MY RESUME IF I WORKED FOR YOU. BUT THE POINT BEING THE NEED TO LEARN, THE NEED TO KNOW HOW TO WORK IN A GROUP, THE SOCIAL ASPECTS OF BEING ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS, EXPERIENCING THOSE GROUPS AND INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE DIFFERENT THAN YOURSELF SHAPES HOW HUMANS VIEW THE WORLD. WHEN I CAME BACK FROM HAVING BENEFITED FROM WORK WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS, INCLUDING BUILDING SOME OF THE FIRST CELLULAR SYSTEMS IN AFRICA, I SAW THINGS HERE IN OPPORTUNITIES HERE THAT MEAN A LOT TO ME. THAT'S WHY I'M SPENDING MY TIME ON THIS EDUCATION FOUNDATION. THAT'S WHY I SERVED ON THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION AT TCL WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO GET THINGS MOVING BACK INTO 2002 RANGE. AND WE'RE NOW HERE TODAY AFTER YEARS OF TIME AND EFFORT NOT TO GO BACK AND ASK THE QUESTION ABOUT WILL THEY COME NOT TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER A PROGRAM WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL, BUT TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN SOMETHING GOING FORWARD. SO LET ME DESCRIBE THE WHAT TO YOU AND THEN RECOMMEND TO YOU WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE YOU CONSIDER. QUINN, WOULD YOU BRING THAT UP? YOU DIDN'T PROVIDE THIS ON THE OVERHEAD BECAUSE THEN OTHER PEOPLE WOULD LOOKING AT IT AND I'M SHOT. NOT SURE YOU WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE IT UPSIDE DOWN. UPSIDE. AND I'M GOING TO PASS THESE OUT FOR YOU. THESE BROCHURES DESCRIBE SAND SHARK 2020 AND IT ALSO HAS WHAT YOU WILL SEE US TALKING ABOUT. THANK YOU. SO REINA, WE'RE CALLING IT SAND SHARK 2020. THIS IS, SO LET ME ORIENT YOU IF, IF I COULD, DICK, WOULD YOU PUT THIS IS INSIDE YOUR BROCHURE DICK, WOULD YOU PUT THAT IN FRONT OF THE PODIUM AND BRING IT? CERTAINLY. HE CAN'T SEE IT ON THE END. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU. IT'S IN HERE EXCEPT EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. IN BROCHURE QUESTION IS WHAT DID GLCB NEED TO BE TO FULFILL THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WERE PRESENTED TO US YOUR WAY? YEAH, LET ME JUST MENTION TO YOU AS WELL THAT PART OF THAT OBJECTIVE IS TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY. WE ARE PRO, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AN ARENA AND CONVOCATION CENTER IN WHICH CULTURAL EVENTS, EDUCATIONAL EVENTS, PLAYS, CONCERT, ATHLETIC EVENTS, ALL WILL OCCUR. IF MY NUMBERS ARE RIGHT, AND THIS INCLUDES JASPER COUNTY, 32% OF THE RESIDENTS OF BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTY HAVE LIVED HERE LESS THAN FIVE YEARS. THEY DON'T KNOW THIS UNIVERSITY'S 20 YEARS OLD AND THEY'RE NOT AS ENGAGED AS THEY COULD BE. WE ALSO KNOW OUR VOLUNTEERS AND NEWCOMERS ARE OFTEN THE FOLKS ARE VERY INTERESTED IN HELPING WITH THINGS. SO WHAT THIS PROJECT DOES IS IT BRINGS ON CAMPUS COMPETITIVE ATHLETICS, CONVOCATIONS, GRADUATIONS, GRADUATIONS FROM MY HIGH SCHOOL IF YOU WOULD. IT'S A 4,500 SEAT ARENA CONVOCATION CENTER. AND ALSO IF YOU PUT SEATS ON THE FLOOR, COULD BE INCREASED TO UP TO 4,900. THAT INCLUDES, UH, THE AREA NECESSARY TO SUPPORT ITS ACTIVITIES. AND BY THAT I MEAN EVENT SPACE, UH, STORAGE SPACE. UH, I'M TRY TO STAY BACK HERE BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO HEAR WHAT WE'RE SAYING. IT ALSO INCLUDES IN THIS PHASE OF THE PROJECT, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS AREA, ATHLETIC FIELDS, WE CURRENTLY USCB PLAYS BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL AT THE PARK IN HARDY V. IT'S OKAY. WE APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE NEGOTIATED UP FRONT WHEN THERE WAS NO OTHER CHOICE, BUT IT'S NOT A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR THE ATHLETES. IT'S NOT A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR THEIR PARENTS AND IT'S NOT A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR HARDY V TO HAVE TO GIVE UP THAT TIME. WE'D LIKE TO BRING THAT ON CAMPUS, THOSE FACILITIES COMING ON CAMPUS ALONG WITH THE TRACK FACILITIES, GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY FOR USCB TO NOT ONLY COMPETE. AND QUINN IS HERE. QUINN IS THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, QUINN MOYNIHAN. AND HE CAN TELL YOU THAT WE ARE COMING OUTTA DIVISION TWO PRO, UH, PROBATION WITH THE, UH, NCAA. AND WE WOULD'VE BEEN IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT THIS YEAR IN BASKETBALL FOR MENS EXCEPT WE WERE PROVISIONAL. WE NEED THIS TO GET [00:55:01] THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED AND HAVE THE KIND OF PROGRAMS YOU WOULD EXPECT WITH THE UNIVERSITY. WE ALSO WILL TELL YOU THAT I THINK ITS EXPERIENCE WOULD TELL US THAT LAST YEAR IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, WE HAD PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO BRING TOGETHER A BIG GROUP AND HAVE FORUM. AND THERE'S NO PLACE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY OR JASPER COUNTY TO DO THIS. THIS WILL BE THE LARGEST FACILITY BETWEEN CHARLESTON AND SAVANNAH. THIS WILL BE A MECCA FOR FOLKS. NOW IF YOU LOOK AT THE REST OF THE PLAN, I WANNA POINT OUT THE TRACK FACILITY BACK HERE. AND THE REASON I WANNA P THE TRACK FACILITY IS THOSE OF US WHO ARE BABY BOOMERS, AND YOU MAY REMEMBER YOUR FORMER FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBER, HERBERT GLAZE, HAS BEEN A WOMAN'S TRACK COACH IN THE BEAUFORT COUNTY POOL SYSTEM FOR 55 YEARS. HE'S NEVER BEEN CRITICIZED OR HAD ANY, UH, QUESTION ABOUT HIS MORALS, ETHICS, OR PERFORMANCE. AND SOME OF THE FINEST YOUNG WOMEN I'VE WORKED WITH, AND THEY'RE YOUNG TO ME, THEY'RE MIDDLE AGED TO THEM, ARE PRODUCTS OF HIS TRACK PROGRAM AND SOME OF THEM IN THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL, THE BEAUFORT RELAYS WAS WITH A PREMIER TRACK EVENT IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. PEOPLE CAME FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE TO COMPETE HERE. LET'S HAVE THOSE COME BACK AND I'LL CONTRIBUTE TO YOU. I'LL COMMIT TO YOU THAT MY FAMILY WILL MAKE SOME CONTRIBUTIONS TO HAVE THE HERBERT GLAZE, BEAUFORT TRACK RELAYS COMPETING ON THIS, UH, UH, FACILITY AT THIS CAMPUS AS SOON AS IT OPENS. AND WE'LL CONTRIBUTE SOME MONEY FOR PRIZE MONEY TO BRING IN THOSE SCHOOLS FROM AROUND THE STATE. AND THE REASON I MENTION THAT IS THESE THINGS ATTRACT TRAVELERS WHO SPEND MONEY IN YOUR HOTELS, SPEND MONEY IN YOUR, UH, RESTAURANTS. AND IF YOU LOOK IN THE PROGRAM AT THE BOTTOM, WELL NEXT TO THE STADIUM, YOU'LL SEE THE ARENA ON A HOTEL ON THIS SIDE AND A HOTEL OVER IN JASPER COUNTY. THE REASON THOSE ARE SHOWN THERE IS THAT'S PART OF THE FUTURE PLAN BECAUSE PEOPLE COMING TO USCB FOR EVENTS WILL BE STAYING IN HOTELS THAT WILL PRODUCE PROPERTY TAXES, THAT WILL PRODUCE ACCOMMODATION TAXES, THAT WILL PRODUCE ECONOMIC GROWTH. USCB WILL NOT BE RUNNING THOSE HOTELS USCB PLANS. THOSE OF US IN THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION ARE HELPING TO INITIAL OUR RFP FOR A PROFESSIONAL FIRM, I THINK MARRIOTT, HILTON, ONE OF THOSE THAT WOULD RUN THE ARENA AS WELL AS THE HOTELS. AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO PUT MONEY INTO INVEST THAT. SO YOU WOULD SEE A RETURN ON THAT PROJECT. YOU WILL ALSO SEE IN HERE SOME PROPOSED BRIDGES TO CROSS 2 78. THERE'S DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER THOSE WILL BE CAR, GOLF, CART, BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN, OR ALSO WILL INCLUDE CARS. THAT'S A DECISION WE EXPECT TO BE MADE AS JASPER COUNTY COMMITS TO THEIR FUNDING TO SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE. WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO DO THAT. WE'RE ASKING YOU TO JOIN WITH THE STATE. AND THE STATE'S COMMITTED JUST ABOUT 40, UH, THREE OR 4 MILLION TO THIS PROJECT. SO UNLIKE THE FIRST TIME WHEN BEAUFORT COUNTY HAD TO FUND A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE COST FOR USCB TO BECOME A FOUR YEAR SCHOOL AND A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE COST TO GET TCLS BLUFFTON CAMPUS STARTED, WE'RE NOW IN A SITUATION WE'RE ASKING YOU TO PROVIDE TWO TO ONE MATCH TO THE STATE. AND THE REASON WE'RE DOING IT IS BECAUSE COSTS HAVE GONE UP. WE COULD EXPECT THEM TO GO UP AS MUCH AS THEY HAVE AND WE DIDN'T EXPECT THE COST OF, UH, CONSTRUCTION ESCALATE LIKE IT HAS. BUT AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE NEED $120 MILLION TO FUND THIS PROJECT. THE STATE'S PROVIDING 40, WE'RE RECOMMENDING AN MCIP, WHICH WE'VE WORKED WITH STAFF ON AND THE NUMBERS EXIST THAT SUPPORT BORROWING THEM ANY NECESSARY OUT OF AN MCIP. THOSE FUNDS, JUST LIKE THE TIFF THAT WE USED THE FIRST TIME WILL BE REPAID OUT OF PROPERTY TAXES. NOW THERE WILL BE PEOPLE WHO SAY WE SHOULDN'T DO THIS BECAUSE IT MAY TAKE A PENNY OUT OF SOMEBODY ELSE'S POCKET. I'M A PROPERTY TAX PAYER. I'M NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT THE BIGGEST, I'M NOT THE SMALLEST, BUT IT'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY IN OUR, UH, REALM. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I VIEW THIS TO BE A PROPERTY TAX BENEFIT BECAUSE THIS INTELLECTUAL COMPONENT AND ECONOMIC COMPONENT IS WHAT ALLOWS YOU TO KEEP MILLAGE RATES LOW. SO WE DON'T CARE IF YOU FUND IT THROUGH SOME OTHER MECHANISM, BUT WE FELT, UH, AN OBLIGATION TO RECOMMEND IT JUST LIKE WE DID WHEN THE, WE DID THE, UH, TIF AGREEMENT SOMETIME AGO. SO HAVING SAID THAT, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF WHY. THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT, AND I WANNA REPEAT WHAT I SAID EARLIER, WHICH IS THIS POINT IN TIME, JUST LIKE THE POINT 23 YEARS AGO BEFORE WE GOT 20 YEARS AGO, BEFORE WE STARTED WITH A FOUR YEAR DEGREE, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE QUESTIONS, WHAT'S THE FUTURE GONNA HOLD? WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE? WHAT'S THE US EDUCATION SYSTEM GONNA LOOK LIKE? THOSE ISSUES ARE REAL ISSUES, BUT THIS IS OUR UNIVERSITY IN THIS REGION. YOU ARE THE DOMINANT ECONOMIC PAYER IN THIS REGION JASPER IS CATCHING UP. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD ON THE SUCCESS THAT YOU STARTED 20 YEARS AGO AND CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 20. THIS IS A LEGACY INVESTMENT THAT IF YOU CHOOSE TO MAKE IT IN WHATEVER FORM YOU DO, AND [01:00:01] WE THINK YOU WILL, WILL CHANGE LIVES, CHANGE THE ECONOMY, AND CHANGE THE LIFESTYLE WE'VE GOT HERE 20 YEARS FROM NOW. MOST OF US, I'LL BE 76 NEXT WEEK. MOST OF US, THIS IS AN INSTITUTION THAT WE'LL GO ON FOREVER. HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. OKAY. LET'S START WITH QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. I'M SORRY, I MEANT TO TURN THIS BACK OVER TO DR. KENNEDY. OH, WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE BEFORE WE YEAH. WELL, PLENTY OF QUESTIONS. MM-HMM . AS I ALLUDED, UM, EARLIER, COUNTY COUNCIL FOR TWO DECADES OF STEADFAST PARTNERSHIP, VISIONARY LEADERSHIP, AND UNWAVERING SUPPORT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA. BUFORT. YOUR COMMITMENT HAS EMPOWERED GENERATIONS OF STUDENTS IN ENRICH OUR COMMUNITY AND HELPED SHAPE THE FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN A LOW COUNTRY WITH DEEPEST APPRECIATION FROM THE FACULTY, STAFF, STUDENT, AND ALUMNI OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I WOULD LIKE COUNCILMAN PASSMAN TO STEP FORWARD 'CAUSE HE HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH Y'ALL FOR MANY YEARS. I'D LIKE FOR YOU VERY MUCH COME MS. HANNAH. THANK YOU. SO YEAH. ARE, ARE Y'ALL READY FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS? OKAY. I THINK I HEARD, UM, MS. BROWN FIRST, UM, SO YOU WANNA BUILD AN ARENA, RIGHT? AND HOW, HOW MUCH MONEY YOU ASKING FROM, FROM US? THE ENTIRE PROJECT'S? 120 MILLION. WE'RE ASKING 80. OH, OKAY. ALRIGHT. OTHER COMMENTS? KEEP IN MIND THAT IF I COULD 20 YEARS AGO, $38 MILLION IS PROBABLY ABOUT THE SAME. I JUST DON'T DUNNO WHERE WE'RE GONNA GET THAT KIND OF MONEY. WE'VE COVERED THAT. YEAH, IT'S COVERED. OKAY. I THINK I HEARD, UM, MS TAB. SO DO YOU HAVE ANY FUNDING COMING FROM PRIVATE SOURCES OR FROM THE FOUNDATION OR, I MEAN, RIGHT NOW YOU'RE SEEING A TWO TO ONE MATCH WITH US, WITH THE STATE. WHERE'S OTHER FUNDING COMING FROM? OTHER FUNDING WILL BE COMING FROM PRIVATE SECTOR AND FROM OTHER, UH, SOURCES, JUST LIKE WE DID IN THE FIRST ROUND. THE REASON THE HARGRAVE BUILDINGS NAMED THE HARGRAVE BUILDING IS THEY GAVE $3 MILLION. HELEN BRANTLEY GAVE A MILLION AND A HALF WHEN WE WERE BUILDING OUT THEIR CAMPUS. OUR FAMILY HAS DONE SOME STUFF. WE'VE FUNDED A LITTLE OVER HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN SCHOLARSHIP IN RECENT YEARS. THIS IS THE AMOUNT WE NEED FOR THE CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION PROCESS. THE OTHER THINGS WE'LL BE COMING IN, WE WILL BE HAVING A NAMING OPPORTUNITY, BUT OPERATING THESE THINGS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME WHILE THEY'RE RAMPING UP, IS GONNA REQUIRE PRIVATE SECTOR FUNDING. SO WE HAVE TAKEN THAT INTO CONSIDERATION WITH THIS ASK. AND IT'S APPROPRIATE. I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MENTION THAT EARLIER. THAT'S OKAY. SO FOR FISCAL 26, UM, THE COUNTY APPROVED 1.1 MILLAGE AND NEXT YEAR WE INCREASE IT TO 1.3 FOR OPERATING. CORRECT. FOR THE COLLEGE IT'S WHAT THEY REQUESTED. 1.3 AND WE GAVE 1.10, OKAY. SO 1.1 MIL WE GIVE YOU FOR OPERATING. AND WITH THIS TRANSITION TO NCAA DIVISION TWO MEMBERSHIP, I ASSUME YOU'RE GONNA HAVE INCREASED OPERATIONAL DEMANDS IF THE ARENA IS BUILT. WILL YOU BE COMING BACK TO US TO ASK US FOR INCREASED MILLAGE FOR OPERATIONS IN THE FUTURE? NO, JUST LIKE WE HAVE NOT IN THE PAST FOR ANYTHING RELATED, THOSE KIND OF INVESTMENTS. AND HAS THE TRANSITION TO D TWO ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED? WE, WE WE ARE AND WE ARE CONFIDENT WE WILL. AND SO DID I RESPOND TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE FOUNDATION AS WELL? THE USCB EDUCATION FOUNDATION WAS OPERATING AS AN ACCOUNTING CODE IN THE USC COLUMBIA, UH, FOUNDATION UNTIL ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO WHEN WE BOUGHT OUR OWN SOFTWARE AND MOVED AWAY FROM THAT. WE THEREFORE, WE'RE DEVELOPING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS. WE HAVE [01:05:01] 7,000 ALUMNI NOW, AND THE NUMBER'S GROWING. WE'VE JUST REACHED AN ENDOWMENT A LITTLE OVER 2.2 MILLION, WHICH IS ENOUGH TO COVER THE OPERATING EXPENSES, TO RUN THE SYSTEMS TO SUPPORT THE ENDOWMENT. SO IT'S GROWING, UH, NICELY. ONE OF THE REASONS WE'D LIKE TO SEE THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY THIS SORT OF FACILITY BRINGS, IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DONATIONS AND THE SIZE OF, DONATE THOSE DONATIONS INTO THE FOUNDATION. SO I'M KNOWING YOU MR. STEWART, I'M SURE YOU HAVE A BUSINESS PLAN FOR THIS. DO, OKAY. SO WHAT ARE THE PROJECTED REV REVENUES AND EXPENSES ANNUALLY? I KNOW YOU HAVE THIS. OKAY. WELL, THE CORRECT, UH, THE, THE QUESTION, YOU MAY BE FOCUSING ON THE ARENA, BUT LET ME GIVE YOU THE, I AM FOCUSING ON THE ARENA. WHAT WE ANTICIPATE, BECAUSE WE'LL BE ISSUING AN RFP FOR A PROFESSIONAL FIRM TO MANAGE THE ARENA MM-HMM . AND IF THEY WANT TO INVEST IN BUILDING THE HOTELS IN THE ASSOCIATED PARKING, WE EXPECT THAT TO BE A CASH GENERATOR TO THE UNIVERSITY AS OPPOSED TO A CASH COST. THE ATHLETIC FIELD SUCH AS TRACK BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL CURRENTLY, THOSE EXPENSES ARE OCCURRING AND BEING PUT OVER EXCEPT FOR MAINTENANCE. THOSE BEING PUT OVER IN HARDY, THOSE WILL NOT BE SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN THE OPERATING EXPENSES FOR THE UNIVERSITY. AND, AND WE'VE LOOKED AT WHAT'S HAPPENED ELSEWHERE AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT YOU MAY HEAR THAT AIKEN DIDN'T DO WELL WITH THEIR YEAH, LEMME TELL YOU WHY. TWO REASONS. ONE IS THEY DIDN'T HAVE YOU . WELL, I LIKE, I'D LIKE TO THINK OF IT AS US, BUT, UM, 2 78 AND THE TRAFFIC MOVING UP AND DOWN. IT IS SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT THAN THE PEOPLE GOING THROUGH AIKEN. AND THE FOLKS MOVING HERE THAT ARE LOOKING FOR CULTURAL RICHES AND OPPORTUNITIES ARE LIKE, ONE OF MY FRIENDS WHO USED TO LIVE IN NEW JERSEY SAID SHE WAS USED TO THINGS A LITTLE MORE SOPHISTICATED AND MORE LIKE COLLEGE BASKETBALL THAN WHAT SHE EXPERIENCED IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT. I WON'T NAME NAMES, BUT YOU MAY KNOW THAT PERSON. SO THE OTHER THING THEY DID IS THEY HIRED A FIRM TO MANAGE IT WHO WAS MANAGING A BIGGER FACILITY IN NEARBY AUGUSTA. AND SO THEY HAD SOMEBODY WORKING, WHICH IS TAKING ALL THE GOOD FACILITY, GOOD ACTIVITIES OVER TO AUGUSTA. WHAT WE KNOW HERE IS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF CONFERENCE THAT WOULD COME, THAT WOULD TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE. WE HAVE HOTEL ROOMS THAT ARE EMPTY MANY DAYS DURING THE WEEK. WE HAVE SEASONS WHEN WE HAVE EMPTINESS ON TILTON HEAD AND OTHER PLACES. BY BRINGING THE KIND OF EVENTS HERE THAT CAN FILL THOSE HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, IT DOESN'T REQUIRE MORE CAPITAL. IT DOES PROVIDE MORE EMPLOYMENT FOR THE PEOPLE AND WORK IN THOSE PLACES AND PROVIDES DIRECT INPUT INTO YOUR BUDGET AS WELL AS THE MUNICIPALITIES BECAUSE OF THOSE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE GOING HERE. SO, NET NET WE THINK IT'S GONNA BE SIGNIFICANTLY POSITIVE FOR THE COUNTIES AND THE CITIES FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT. IS THERE ANY HOPE TO GET MORE STATE MONEY? I'M QUITE SURE YOU'D LEVERAGE THEM. LET ME RESPOND TO THAT BY SAYING THAT, UM, USC COLUMBIA IS BUSY WITH THEIR OWN PRIORITIES AND THEY HAVE NEVER GIVEN A PENNY TO USCB. WE DON'T EXPECT THEM TO, BUT WE'D BE HAPPY IF THEY CHANGED THEIR MIND. THE STATE IS A VERY COMPETITIVE PLACE TO GET MONEY. GETTING $40 MILLION OUT OF THEM FOR THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN NO MINOR THING. WHEN WE STARTED, WE THOUGHT THE PROJECT WAS GONNA BE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS EXPENSIVE THAN NOW SOMEWHERE IN THE RANGE OF 65. SO THEY HAVE BEEN GENEROUS AND THEY'VE DONE WHAT THEY COULD DO. THEY DESCRIBE IT AS THEIR FINAL INSTALLMENT. NOW WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO WRITE A CHECK OUT OF YOUR GENERAL FUND. WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO INCREASE THE MILLAGE, WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO DO ANYTHING ELSE. WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO IS LOOK AT 20 YEARS OF PERFORMANCE AND WE'RE A 30 5-YEAR-OLD BOND, 30 YEAR BOND. THAT WAS FOR 35, UH, $8 MILLION FOR USCB AND TCL WAS PAID OFF IN NINE YEARS. THE SAME SORT OF THING CAN HAPPEN WITH AN MCIP HERE, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING TO SEE NOW. JASPER, THE STATE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY WILL ALL BE IN THIS BEFORE IT'S OVER AS WELL AS THE PRIVATE SECTOR FUND. THE PREVIOUS TIME IT WAS BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL AND BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL ALONE BECAUSE THE NEED WAS RECOGNIZED AND THE OPPORTUNITY WAS BEFORE US COME BACK TO YOU. WAS MY PASS A MINUTE? YES. NOW, UM, I KNOW SOME OF THE QUESTIONS, THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS, BUT I'D LIKE YOU TO DELVE SOME MORE INTO THE PURPOSE OF THE ARENA, HOW IT'S GOING TO BE UTILIZED IN THE FUTURE. YES. SO THE PURPOSE OF THE ARENA FROM THE GET GO, WE CALLED IT A MULTIPURPOSE FACILITY BECAUSE ASIDE FROM OUR GROWING ATHLETIC NEEDS THAT OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE ARENA EVERY YEAR. WE STRUGGLE WHEN IT'S COMMENCEMENT TIME AND WE'VE SPOKEN WITH HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE AREA AND IT'S A SIMILAR CHALLENGE AND PRAY FOR BEING ABLE TO DO IT OUTSIDE. BUT THIS PAST COMMENCEMENT, WE HAD CLOSE TO 3000 THAT JUST OUT [01:10:01] THERE AND WE COULDN'T POSSIBLY PUT THEM IN ANY FACILITY. SO SHORT OF BEING ABLE TO, UM, DO IT OUTSIDE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY OFFER OPTIONS. WE'VE ALSO, WITH THAT FACILITY BEING ABLE TO, UM, ANTICIPATE THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE FOR CONFERENCES. WE GET LOTS OF CALLS FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE IN THIS AREA AND CONDUCT CONFERENCES AND THIS FACILITY WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT. THIS FACILITY WAS ALSO FROM THE GET GO ENVISION IS BEING ABLE TO HELP US WITH EMERGENCY RESPONSES IN THIS AREA. IT ALSO FACILITATES THE ABILITY TO DO CONCERTS, TO DO OVER PERFORMANCES, TRADE SHOWS AND THINGS FOR WHICH WE HAVE TREMENDOUSLY HAVE HAD NEEDS AND DEMANDS. SO IT'S A MULTIPURPOSE FACILITY. YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE. THIS IS GOING TO BE A CAT FIVE BUILDING, WHICH MEANS IT WILL BE ABLE TO HOUSE INDIVIDUALS, UM, IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY DURING EVACUATIONS OR HURRICANE. WE DO NOT HAVE SUCH A FACILITY IN BEAUFORD COUNTY. THAT'S CORRECT. THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC. WE SAW AN INCREDIBLE ENHANCEMENT, UH, OF, OF, OF THE NEED FOR THAT TO HAVE THAT, WHETHER IT WAS FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS OR VACCINATION OR ANY OF A MASS ACTIVITIES THAT WE CONDUCTED AT THE UNIVERSITY. IT WOULD'VE BEEN TREMENDOUSLY. OKAY. OH YES. COUNCILMAN MC, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I JUST HAVE A COMMENT. I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU BOTH FOR AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONSIDER POSSIBLE AND HOW COLLEGE CAN HELP US. UH, I BELIEVE ESTABLISH THAT EDUCATION, CULTURAL IMMERSION, ATHLETICS WOULD BOTH BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY AND THE VITALITY OF PROBABLY ASSIST IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, FIGHTING TO HEAR YOUR VISION HAPPEN HERE AND THE IMPORTANT ROLE THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION AND INSTITUTION WOULD PLAY IN THE WAY THE FUTURE DEVELOPS. I HOPE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO BE IN A POSITION TO SUPPORT YOU, UM, AS BEST WE CAN. AND AS YOU HAVE REQUESTED, AS WE GO FORWARD, BECAUSE, UM, A GREAT MANY PEOPLE HERE, UH, ON THE COUNCIL HAVE, UH, BACKGROUND IN EDUCATION. I KNOW JOE DOES. AND, UM, I KNOW THAT DEB DOES. AND, UH, WHEN I STARTED WORKING AS A TEACHER IN NEW YORK CITY, UH, THEY ONLY QUIT BECAUSE THEY TOLD ME THE DEA WOULD BE LESS DANGEROUS IF I WENT THERE TO WORK . AT ANY RATE, UH, , IT'S A, UH, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING I THINK THAT WE ALL BELIEVE IN AND WOULD LIKE TO FIND A WAY TO HELP. AND I WILL CERTAINLY DO MY BEST TO DO THAT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE HERE TODAY. ANYONE WHO HASN'T ASKED? YES, MARTIN? I DON'T HAVE A A QUESTION QUESTION. JUST THAT BOTH MY WIFE AND MY DAUGHTER BOTH GRADUATED FROM USCB, SO OH, UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO THE COMMUNITY AND, UH, JUST SAID, I MEAN, IF THERE'S A WAY FOR US TO DO IT, WOULD LOVE TO FIND THAT WAY. IT IS A BIG ASK. UM, I CAN REMEMBER, UM, THIS FIRST CAME UP YEARS AGO AND IT WAS PROBABLY ONE THIRD OR ONE FOURTH OF, OF THE MONEY THAT, THAT WE ARE NOW. BUT WE KNOW HOW COSTS HAVE, HAVE, HAVE, HAVE GONE UP. SO MY SUPPORT, UM, IT WOULD, IT'S JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY THAT, THAT WE CAN, WE CAN DO THIS AND, UM, UH, NOT BE ON THE BACKS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY CITIZENS. UM, BUT AGAIN, IT'S GONNA BENEFIT US, YOU KNOW, IMMENSELY. OKAY. COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM. THANK YOU. YEAH, THE ONLY QUESTION I DID HAVE THEN I HAVE A COMMENT, I GUESS, UM, YOU PRETTY MUCH ALREADY ANSWERED. SO THIS WILL BE OPEN FOR VENUES OF CONCERTS OR TRADE SHOWS TO UTILIZE THE SPACE. SO IT'S USED YEAR ROUND AND NOT JUST FOR COLLEGE SPORTING EVENTS. CORRECT. WE EXPECT TO HAVE THE SOUTH CAROLINA BAR ASSOCIATION AND OTHER GROUP, THOSE SUSPICIOUS ATTORNEY TYPE PEOPLE COMING DOWN HERE AND DOING THINGS AS WELL. . YEAH, THAT'S FAIR ENOUGH. AS LONG AS IT GETS USED. UM, , THE ONLY THING I I WOULD WANT TO ADD IS SORTA LITTLE PIGGYBACK OFF MR. MCKELLEN A LITTLE BIT. I DID GRADUATE FROM USCB, STILL HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS THAT ARE HERE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT GRADUATED FROM USCB. I'M PRETTY SURE THE FIREFIGHTER OF THE YEAR ACTUALLY GRADUATED FROM USCB WITH YOU GUYS. UM, ONLY ONE THAT KNEW ME WHEN I WAS THAT YOUNG WAS MR. MCKELLEN AND HE ACTUALLY WROTE ME A LETTER TO GET A SCHOLARSHIP SO I COULD GO TO USCB. OH. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER THAT OR NOT LONG TIME AGO. A HUNDRED YEARS AGO. HE MIGHT REGRET IT NOW, SITTING NEXT TO ME MORE THAN TWO WEEKS AGO IT WAS. [01:15:02] SO WITH THAT SAID, THOUGH, MOST PEOPLE BACK THEN NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS WOULD'VE SAW ME HERE OR GETTING INTO TEACHING OR ANYTHING THAT I'M DOING NOW. THEY PROBABLY WOULD'VE SEEN ME ALL HONESTY IN JAIL 10 YEARS AGO. OH. UM, SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S BRUTALLY HONEST. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT I LEARNED INSIDE USCB. I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE, THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, YOU DON'T EVEN USE YOUR DEGREE. I MIGHT NOT USE MY DEGREE ITSELF, BUT THERE ARE STRATEGIES AND THINGS THAT I LEARNED IN COLLEGE THAT I DEFINITELY USE IN MY BUSINESS PRACTICE OR HERE. UM, AND ONE OF THEM IS, YOU KNOW, FIGURING OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. FIGURING OUT HOW TO MAKE THE MONEY WORK. UM, JUST 'CAUSE I GRADUATED FROM THERE DOESN'T MEAN I WOULD SAY YES TO YOU GUYS. UM, THAT'S SOMETHING YOU GUYS TAUGHT ME . UM, SO WITH THAT SAID, I, I DO LOVE THE IDEA. I'VE BEEN ON BOARD WITH THE ARENA FOR A LONG TIME. UM, MR. PASSMAN WILL TELL YOU, I CAME TO HIM WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNTY COUNCIL SAYING, IF SCB IS NOT GONNA DO IT, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT AS A COUNTY. I TALKED TO JARED ABOUT THIS TOO A LONG TIME AGO WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT FACILITIES. IS THERE A WAY WE CAN HAVE OUR OWN ARENA IF USC B'S NOT GONNA DO IT? UM, THE END MARKET HOLDS 9,500 PEOPLE. THE ECONOMIC DRIVER ON THAT END MARKET ARENA IS INSANE. UM, I KNOW THIS IS ABOUT HALF THAT SIZE, BUT EVEN STILL, WE'RE A SMALLER AREA THAN SAVANNAH. AND THAT DRAWS PEOPLE FROM ALL THE WAY DOWN FROM FLORIDA AND NORTH CAROLINA, UM, AND, AND UP THE COAST FOR THESE CONCERTS AND EVENTS. UM, SO AGAIN, LIKE MARK SAID, NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW WE GET THERE. UM, THE BRAINS OF THAT OPERATION, SHE'S SITTING RIGHT OVER THERE AT THAT TABLE. SHE'D BE THE ONE TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE THAT OUT. THAT'S ABOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR PAY GRADES. UM, BUT IF THERE IS A WAY TO DO THIS WITHOUT RAISING THE MILLAGE, LIKE YOU SAID, JUST LIKE WE TOLD THE SCHOOL BOARD, THE SCHOOL BOARD IS ABLE TO DO IT YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS, INCREASE THE SALARIES AND THEN FINALLY AT THIS POINT, WE INCREASE THE MILLAGE WHEN THEY REACHED OUR THRESHOLD. I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT. I'D SUPPORT IT IF WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THAT DONE. AND I'M GONNA GO BACK TO COUNCIL, UM, VICE CHAIR I THINK SHE HAD, UNLESS THERE'S SOMEBODY ELSE THAT COUNCILMAN GLOVER. AS QUICKLY. AS QUICKLY. YES. UM, YEAH, I I, UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE ADMINISTRATION COMING BACK WITH SOME RECOMMENDATION HOW WE MOVE THIS FORWARD. UM, THIS, THIS WANNA MAKE A QUICK COMMENT. UM, SOCCER IS BIG. UM, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING HERE. AND I, I, I VISIT, UH, FLORIDA RECENTLY AND THERE WAS A BIG CONFERENCE, I MEAN, A BIG EVENT DOWN THERE IN FLORIDA. SOCCER IS BIG. IT IS, IT IS. BASEBALL IS, I'M NOT GONNA SAY IT'S GOING OUT, BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW. WHEN YOU COMPARE THE TWO, UM, NATIONALLY, INTERNATIONALLY, SOCCER IS BIG AND, AND ABSOLUTELY. AND SO THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR DOING THAT. THE, JUST LET ME ALSO POINT OUT THAT, THAT, UH, THIS EVENING WE HAVE, UM, A, A PUBLIC FORUM TO JUST BE ABLE TO TALK, UH, AND, AND, AND DISCUSS ALL OF THE, UM, THE THINGS RELATED TO THE FACILITY, THE ATHLETICS AND, AND ALSO ABOUT USCB AND ITS IMPACT AND THE ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT, THAT IT HAS. BUT WITH REGARD TO YOUR QUESTION, WE'VE SOUGHT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. THANKFULLY WE ALREADY HAD SOCCER, UM, FIELD ON, ON, ON CAMPUS. BUT THIS, THIS WILL PLAY VERY WELL INTO THAT BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW CRITICAL THAT IS AS WELL. SO WHILE WE HAVE HAM, OUR ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. YEAH. WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS AND EXCITED WITH THE, THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO YOU. WE DO HAVE A SOCCER FIELD ON CAMPUS CURRENTLY. WE CALL IT FINLAND. UH, WHICH, WHICH GOES WELL WITH OUR SAND SHARK THEME. SO FINLAND IS A NICE HOME FOR OUR WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM. HOWEVER, THIS FACILITY WOULD GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY POSSIBLY WITH SYNTHETIC TURF. AND AS WE KNOW THAT IS KIND OF THE FUTURE OF, OF, UH, FACILITIES AND, AND FIELDS. SO US THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY EITHER AT FINLAND OR MOVE UP TO THIS FACILITY AND UPGRADE OUR, OUR PARK. OKAY. DOES THAT ANSWER? YES MA'AM. COUNCILMAN BROWN? DID YOU, I JUST HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION. HAVE YOU ALL REACHED OUT? I'M FROM, I COME FROM THE FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY. HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO LIKE CHASE CAPITAL ONE OR EVEN PARKER'S GAS STATION? 'CAUSE THEY HAVE THE END MARK AS MR. CUNNINGHAM WAS TALKING ABOUT OVER IN SAVANNAH. HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO THEM TO GET, TO GET THEM TO SPONSOR THIS? SO THE TAXPAYER IS NOT ON THE HOOK? WELL, LET ME RESPOND TO BOTH PARTS OF THAT IF I MIGHT. UM, AS A TAXPAYER, I DON'T ANTICIPATE BEING ON THE HOOK. I TEND ANTICIPATE THIS GENERATING MORE THAN IT COSTS. BUT I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM 'CAUSE WE ALL LOOK AT IT FROM OUR STANDPOINT. THE SECOND PIECE IS JUST AS THE HAR GRAY BUILDING IS NAMED, AND JUST AS THE HERITAGE, UH, CONFERENCE ROOM THAT WE'LL BE MEETING IN THIS AFTERNOON FOR THIS SESSION IS NAMED FOR THE HERITAGE GOLF TOURNAMENT. THERE WILL BE [01:20:01] MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHASE WHO'S ENTERING THIS MARKET FOR MELLON, WHO'S HERE WITH OUR CR AND FOR ANY NUMBER OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. I'D BE HAPPY TO GET A LIST OF CONTACTS IF YOU CAN GIVE US SOME TO NAME THE ARENA AND TO NAME THE STADIUM AND TO NAME THE MEN'S ROOM AND TO JUST DO WHATEVER THEY NEED TO DO TO LET THEM BE AN ECONOMIC SUPPORTER THAT WILL NOT CHANGE THE CONDITIONS NECESSARY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. JUST LIKE THE HARD GRAY WAS $3 MILLION OF WIRING AND STUFF FOR THAT BUILDING. SO ALL OF THAT'S BUILT INTO THE PLAN, BUT IT'S NOT PART OF WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR. WE, WE TRULY LOOK AT THIS AS AN INVESTMENT AND, UH, THE PAYOFF IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT IS GONNA BE TREMENDOUS IN THE EARLY DAYS. UM, WHEN WE FIRST APPROACHED COUNTY ABOUT THIS, UM, WE HAD A, AN ECONOMIC IMPACT DONE VERY, UH, WE, WE THINK IT'S, IT'S NOW PROBABLY TRIPLED. OKAY. UM, ALRIGHT. I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM COUNCILMAN REESE YET, MR. REESE. MINE WILL BE VERY QUICK. FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE 20 YEARS. THAT IS JUST PHENOMENAL. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THANKS FOR THE PASSION YOU BRING HERE TODAY. I, I, I LOOK AT TCLI LOOK AT USCB AND SOMETHING AFTER LUNCH WITH OUR DR. RODRIGUEZ IN THE SCHOOL. THIS BE FOR THE COUNTY'S LUCKY TO HAVE THE GROUP OF PEOPLE HERE, AND I'M HONORED TO BE ON THIS COMMITTEE OR THIS COUNCIL TO HELP SUPPORT YOU AND ALL, AND ALL OF YOU. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. OKAY. COUNCILMAN FASMAN? YES. ONE, ONE FINAL COMMENT FROM ME, 2 78 IS THAT ROAD THAT BLOCKS THE STUDENTS FROM BEING ABLE TO GO ACROSS TO WHAT CAN BE THEIR HOME TURF FOR EVENTS AFTER TAKING OPPORTUNITIES ON THE CAMPUS TO GO SHOPPING. SO THE MCIP WILL GENERATE A LOT OF MONEY IN GROWTH ONCE THIS COMES TO FRUITION. AND WE HAVE THOSE TWO BRIDGES TO GET PEOPLE ACROSS 2 78. SO THAT'S THE GOOD ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT BECOMES THEIR DOWNTOWN YOU. YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT. BUT THAT WILL BE PAID FOR BY JASPER COUNTY OF PARTICIPATION IN THE MCIP AND IS NOT A CONDITION OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR HERE. WE EXPECT THAT TO COME TO PASS AS OUR CURRENT MCIP MATURES AND DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS OF THESE. BUT THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. AND BEST I FORGET IT. I JUST WANNA SAY ONE THING BEFORE I LEAVE THE PODIUM BUILDING WHAT COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM SAID IN MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AS A CHILD HERE, I WILL TELL YOU THAT YOU WILL HEAR FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE STRONG OPINIONS IN THE TIME TO COME TALK TO YOU AND THE EDUCATION AND CONFIDENCE TO DO THAT. WE'LL HEAR FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE PARTICULAR AGENDAS BECAUSE THEY'RE HERE NOW AND THEY DON'T WANNA SEE ANY CHANGE. YOU WILL HEAR FROM A NUMBER OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE EXPERTISE BECAUSE THEY WANNA SHARE IT WITH SOMEBODY. AND I'M CERTAINLY ONE OF THOSE HERE TODAY. WHAT YOU WON'T HEAR FROM IS THOSE POOR PEOPLE THAT NEED AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACHIEVE A BETTER FUTURE HERE LOCALLY. MANY OF WHOM ARE BRIGHT, MANY OF WHOM ARE CAPABLE, MANY OF WHOM ARE COMMITTED, BUT DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES. THERE IS NO ONE HERE TO SPEAK FOR THEM EXCEPT YOU. AND YOU ARE THE FOLKS WE'RE ASKING YOU TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDER. I'M EXCITED ABOUT CONCERTS, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE CHAMPIONSHIP QUINN AND HIS ATHLETIC PROGRAM WE'RE GONNA BRING HERE. I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE RESEARCH THEY'RE DOING ON PRITCHARDS ISLAND AND OTHER PLACES, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT CONSTITUENCY IN CHANGING THOSE LIVES AND THAT ECONOMICS IS VERY IMPORTANT AND YOU ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE ELECTED TO REPRESENT THOSE FOLKS WHO WERE NOT GONNA SHOW UP HERE AND ARE NOT GONNA SAY ANYTHING. YEP. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN DAWSON HAD A COMMENT QUESTION. OH, YEAH. UH, DR. PUE AND DICK, UH, I THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION. DR. PUE. I THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, GREAT WORK YOU'RE DOING, UH, AT THE COLLEGE. UM, I, THE PRESENTATION, UM, UH, GIVES US A, A VIEW OF YOUR INSIGHT FOR THE GROWTH OF THE COLLEGE AS WELL AS THE REGION. AND, AND I I THINK IT'S JUST SOMETHING, IT'S A PROJECT WORTHWHILE US LOOKING INTO AND FURTHERING OUR DISCUSSION. SO I'M, I'M ON BOARD. I'M, I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO TRYING TO MAKE THIS WORK. I HAD A FEW IN THE WEEDS KIND OF QUESTIONS. UM, HOW MUCH OF THIS PROPOSED AREA, IF YOU KNOW, PERCENTAGE WISE, IS IN JASPER COUNTY AND HOW MUCH IS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY OF THE, UH, CAMPUS? OF THE UH, NO, OF THE ENTIRE, OF THE NEW NEW AREA? JUST THE NEW YEAH. PR YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, JUST WHERE, WE'LL, WHERE YOU WANT DEVELOP THIS. OKAY. YEP. YEAH, SO BACK TO, OKAY. AND THE, AND THE, AND [01:25:01] THE TWO, THE HOTELS WOULD BE IN JASPER COUNTY, ONE IN JASPER, ONE IN BEAUFORT, TWO HOTELS, THE BRIDGE IN JASPER AND THE BRIDGE IN BEAUFORT. BUT JASPER'S EXPECTED TO PAY FOR THE BRIDGES AND FOR PART OF THE PARK WHEN THE FIELDS AND THE ARENA ARE BUILT. WILL THE CONSTRUCTION BE OVERSEEN BY THE STATE? UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO SPEND SOME TIME TALKING WITH YOU. OKAY. AND MR. STEWART. MRS. STEWART, I THINK WE WANT YOU TO SPEAK, WE NEED YOUR MICROPHONE. I THINK SO THE PUBLIC CAN HEAR. YEAH. WE HAVE HEARD STORIES FROM OTHER FOLKS WHO'VE EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT COST INCREASES AND DELAYS BY USING A PROGRAM THAT'S FOCUSED IN COLUMBIA. SO WE'D LIKE TO WORK WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY, AS HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST TO DO THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY POSSIBLE TO GET THESE DOLLARS DEPLOYED. SO I THINK THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS WE HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE SYSTEM THAT HAS PROVEN ITSELF 20 YEARS AGO AND WE THINK EVERYONE ELSE WILL AND TOO, INCLUDING THE STATE. I, I REMEMBER HEARING WHEN THE CULINARY INSTITUTE WAS BUILT AND THE STATE OVERSAW THAT CONSTRUCTION BECAUSE I WAS LIAISON TO TCL AT THAT TIME. SO THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT THAT UP. UM, IS DAVID BARMY STILL ON? I, I DON'T THINK SO. I DON'T THINK HE'S ON, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE HE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HE'S OFF. OKAY. HE'S OFF. SO IF HE HAD ANY QUESTIONS. UM, SO THAT, THAT WAS ONE OF MY BIG QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, AND I THINK THE FINANCING IS A, IS A BIG COMMENT OF MINE OF HOW WE GET THERE. AND I THINK YOU'LL HEAR SOME COMMENTS, UM, WHEN WE OPEN IT UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT TOO, REGARDING THE FINANCING. UM, LAST CHANCE, ANYONE LAST? UH, YES, COUNCIL, THE FEELING I'VE GOT IS, IS I, I MIGHT HAVE MISSED IT IN THE PRESENTATION, IS IN A PERFECT WORLD, IF EVERYTHING FELL TOGETHER WITH THE FINANCING AND EVERYTHING ELSE HAPPENED, WHAT'S OUR SCHEDULE? WHAT'S OUR TIMELINE? WHAT'S OUR, IN A PERFECT WORLD THAT OKAY. I, I ASPIRE TO THAT WORLD AND I APPRECIATE THE DISCLAIMER THAT GOES WITH IT. WE THINK WE HAVE THE WETLAND PERMITS, SO THE ATHLETIC FIELDS CAN BEGIN SOONER. WE WOULD EXPECT THOSE TO START WITHIN 12 MONTHS TO BE FINISHED WITH ABOUT 30 MONTHS. THE ACTUAL BUILDING ITSELF FOR THE ARENA, UH, WILL TAKE SOMEWHAT LONGER TO DESIGN. YOU'VE GOT ARCHITECTURAL ISSUES, YOU GOT ENGINEERING AND THE REST OF THAT. SO THAT'S ABOUT AN 18 MONTH PROJECT ALL IN. SO WE THINK THAT PROBABLY STARTS ABOUT TWO YEARS FROM NOW AND FINISHES ABOUT TWO YEARS AFTER THAT. SO THAT'S HOW LONG THAT COMPLETES. THE BRIDGES THEMSELVES WILL REQUIRE SOME DEFINITION AND SOME, UH, ASSOCIATED, UH, CONCERNS IN JASPER COUNTY ABOUT WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO LAND. AND THE QUESTION OF WHETHER IT'S CARS OR, UH, GOLF CARTS AND BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ONLY IS A BIT OPEN, BUT BECAUSE THE SOUTH CAROLINA DOT IS INVOLVED, UH, IT WILL HAVE TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT PERFECT WORLD THAN WHAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED. BUT I THINK THOSE WILL PROBABLY GET STARTED DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PERIOD OF THE ARENA. YEAH. SO FACING WOULD BE CRITICAL AND FOR US, GOOD QUESTION. OH, YES SIR. JUST ON FINANCE, UH, HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH BUILT IN COSTS, UH, OVERRUN ARE YOU PROJECTING IN THESE FIGURES? BECAUSE ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE, WE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU MAKE A COMMITMENT TO A PROJECT, THEN YOU'LL ASSUME ALL THE PROJECTED COSTS INCREASE THAT COMES WITH THAT, UH, AS WELL. UH, BECAUSE ONCE YOU INTO IT, YOU CAN'T REALLY TURN AROUND. WELL AS, AS YOU'LL SEE IF YOU ARE ABLE TO COME TO THE PUBLIC SESSION TONIGHT, THE ARCHITECTURE FIRM WE'RE USING ON THIS IS LS THREE P OUT OF SAVANNAH. THEY'VE DESIGNED ARENAS AND BUILT THEM IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IN STATESBORO AND A NUMBER OF OTHER PLACES, FOUR UNIVERSITIES OF SIMILAR SIZE AND CAPACITY. SO THEY HAVE GIVEN US COST ESTIMATES BASED ON WHAT WE THINK IT'S GOING TO BE IF WE GET FUNDING TO START ACTIVITIES LATER THIS YEAR. WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT TARIFFS AND THE REST OF THAT STUFF. SO WE PUT ABOUT AN EIGHT TO 10% CONTINGENCY IN THIS. AND WE ALSO HAVE MECHANISMS BY WHICH WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR SOME OF THOSE PRIVATE NAMING OPPORTUNITIES AND OTHER THINGS TO AUGMENT THAT. AND WE THINK THAT'S A CONSERVATIVE. OKAY. THANK YOU. BETTY ALSO BRINGS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE URGENCY BECAUSE WITH TIME WE'VE SEEN THIS THAT THEY INCREASE THE ADJUST THE 40 MILLION IS HAVE AN EXPIRATION DATE FROM THE STATE. UM, NO, THEY DON'T BET IT. IT CAN GET COMPLICATED, BUT LET'S HE, DR. PANNU IS VERY APPROPRIATELY, UH, UH, UH, DISCRETE. MY VIEW HAS BEEN IF YOU GOT 40 MINUTES SITTING AROUND THE STATE AND YOU'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING WITH IT, YOU'RE AT GREAT RISK AB ABSOLUTELY. ALRIGHT. WITHOUT ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS. WELL, THANK YOU. AND WE'RE GONNA OPEN IT UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAD ONE PERSON SIGN UP. IS ANYONE ELSE YOU WANNA SPEAK TO? OKAY. ARE YOU, ARE YOU DEFERRING TO HIM OR YOU BOTH WANNA SPEAK? OKAY. ANYONE FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD'S? WELCOME TO [01:30:01] COME. ANY OF YOU'RE WELCOME. THAT'S WHY WE DID. YEAH. YOU'LL JUST STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. AND MY NAME'S DICK GEIER. I AM A BOARD MEMBER OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. AND I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE MCIP THAT IS PROPOSED. WE A BROCHURE, UH, LAST FRIDAY. UH, ACTUALLY WE'D HAD IT IN THE DISTRICT FOR MORE, BUT WE DIDN'T HEAR THAT IT WAS GONNA BE BROUGHT UP UNTIL UH, THIS WEEK. WE REVIEWED IT. AND WHAT WE FOUND AND CONCERNED US WAS SOME OF THE INFORMATION IN THIS BROCHURE, AND I'M GONNA QUOTE THIS QUOTE, THE PROJECT WILL BE FUNDED BY BOTH STATE AND COUNTIES. THE FUNDING MECHANISM WILL DEFINE A REGION WHERE PROPERTY TAX PAYMENTS ARE CONVERTED TO FEES. THIS APPROACH DOES NOT INCREASE TAX PAYMENTS. IT CHANGES HOW THE REVENUE FROM A SPECIFIC AREA IS ALLOCATED. THE AMOUNT PROPERTY OWNERS PAY REMAINS THE SAME, BUT A PORTION OF THE REVENUE IS DIRECTED TO FUND THIS PROJECT. APPROVAL FROM BOTH BUFORD AND JASPER COUNTIES IS REQUIRED, AND HERE'S THE STATEMENT THAT GOT OUR ATTENTION. BUT THIS PROCESS DOES NOT NECESSITATE A PUBLIC REFERENDUM OR SCHOOL DISTRICT OPT-IN, NOT AFFECT THE COUNTY'S ABILITY TO FUND OTHER PROJECTS, UNQUOTE. THIS CONTENT CAUSED US TO CONSULT WITH OUR BOUND COUNSEL ATTORNEY FRAN HEISER, TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS PROJECT WOULD AFFECT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT. SHE CAME IN, UH, THIS WAS ON FRIDAY WHEN WE LOOKED AT THIS ON UH, TUESDAY AT OUR BOARD MEETING. WE ASKED HER TO COME IN AND ADVISE US IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. SHE EXPLAINED THAT SHE BELIEVES THIS WILL BE A MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS PARK, MCIP, AND SHE HAS EXPERIENCE WITH THIS TYPE OF PROJECT IN SOUTH CAROLINA. SPECIFIC DETAILS OF HOW THE MCIP AGREEMENT CAN VARY BETWEEN COUNTIES, INCLUDING HOW REVENUES AND EXPENSES ARE SHARED. IT SEEMED OBVIOUS THAT THE PROJECT CONSTRUCTION FUNDS WOULD BE REQUIRED UPFRONT AND BE, AND BEFORE FEES CAN BE COLLECTED FROM CUSTOMERS OR BUSINESSES USING THE PROJECT'S AMENITIES, SPECIFIC DETAILS OF HOW MUCH MONEY THE DISTRICT WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE AND WHEN IT WOULD HAVE TO BE ASSESSED WOULD HAVE TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS AGREEMENT. A QUICK DIVE INTO THE HISTORY OF M UHM CS IN SOUTH CAROLINA BECAUSE WHEN I WAS WRITING THIS UP, I COULDN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE MCIP STOOD FOR. SO I GOOGLED MCIP, SOUTH CAROLINA AND I SAW THERE'S SOME ISSUES THAT GOOGLE SEARCH DISCOVERED CONCERNS OF HOW THESE PROGRAMS NEGATIVELY AFFECTED SCHOOL DISTRICTS. FOR EXAMPLE, BUFORT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS LOST $84 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 2019 BECAUSE OF MASSIVE PROPERTY TAX BREAKS GIVEN IN AN M-P-R-M-C-I-P. OTHER REPORTS FOUND THAT MCI PS HAD A HISTORY OF A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND POOR SUBSIDY OVERSIGHT. THIS RAISED ALARMS TO THE BOARD. WE ALSO DISCUSSED HOW THIS PROJECT WOULD BENEFIT THE DISTRICT. THE ONLY LIKELY USE THE DISTRICT WOULD HAVE WOULD BE CONDUCTING ONE OR MORE OF THE SIX ANNUAL THREE HOUR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION CEREMONIES ONCE A YEAR. IN MY SEVEN YEARS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, ONLY TWO GRADUATIONS HAVE BEEN INVERSELY AFFECTED BY WEATHER AND SOME PRINCIPALS DO NOT WANT TO TRAVEL ALL THAT WAY FOR GRADUATIONS. SO THE DISTRICT COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT THERE WOULD BE SIX GRADUATION CEREMONIES IN THE MAY OF EVERY YEAR. [01:35:01] THE DISCUSSION WITH ATTORNEY HEISER OCCURRED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION IN SUBSEQUENT OPEN SESSION. THE FOLLOWING MOTION WAS MADE I MOVE THAT THE BUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION NOT SUPPORT THE USE OF ANY SCHOOL OPERATIONS OR DEBT SERVICE FUNDS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF ANY NON-DISTRICT FACILITIES. THAT MOTION PASSED OVERWHELMINGLY WITH NO NO VOTES AND ONE ABSTENTION. THE BROCHURE STATES THAT THE REFERENDUM IS NOT NECESSARY, HOWEVER, PUBLIC REFERENDUM IS HOW THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT RAISED THE MONEY FOR CONSTRUCTIONS OF PROJECTS TOTALING OVER $800 MILLION BY GAINING THE PUBLIC'S TRUST AND BRINGING THESE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN ON TIME AND ON BUDGET. SO WHY CAN'T WE DO THE SAME WITH THE CITIZENS OF TWO COUNTIES THAT COULD VOTE ON THIS ON A REFERENDUM? OKAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. UH, CHAIRMAN, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT HAS PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME? SURE. IF YOU'LL JUST SAY YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. UH, MY NAME IS INGRID BOATWRIGHT. I AM THE DISTRICT 11, UH, REPRESENTATIVE ON THE BRIEFER COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. AND I JUST HAVE TO SAY, Y'ALL, THE COLDEST WINTER I'VE EVER SPENT IS SUMMER IN THE BLUFFTON COUNTY LIBRARY. Y'ALL ARE FREEZING US OUT HERE. . UM, I AM ALSO GONNA ECHO WHAT MY COLLEAGUE SAID I AM. UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK YOU, UH, THE COUNTY COUNCIL BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN REALLY COLLABORATIVE WITH US ON THE SCHOOL BOARD AND YOU'VE REALLY ENABLED US TO DO A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE, UM, AND REALLY APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP THAT YOU GUYS SHOW WITH US. I AM ALSO A TAXPAYER, UM, NOT THE LARGEST, NOT THE SMALLEST. UM, AND AS A TAXPAYER, I WANT YOU GUYS INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND CAPITAL PROJECTS. I AM LEAVING THIS MEETING, I'M GOING TO USCB WHERE THE STRATEGIC, UH, PARTNER OR THE THE DEVELOPER FOR OPENAI IS GONNA BE SPEAKING. SO I VALUE USCB, SO I TRUST YOU GUYS TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THE CAPITAL PROJECTS YOU WANNA INVEST IN. THE PROBLEM WE HAVE HERE IS HOW WE'RE GONNA FUND IT $80 MILLION. THE MCIP IS A PROBLEM FOR THE BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD BECAUSE IT ALLOWS YOU GUYS TO ESSENTIALLY TAKE THE REVENUE THAT COMES FROM THE, UH, FEE LOT, THE FEE IN LIEU OF TAXES, AND DIRECT ALL OF IT TO THIS PROJECT INSTEAD OF DIRECTING THE SCHOOL BOARD SHARE AND TAKING THE COUNTY SHARE. THIS WAS A, A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT THAT WAS PUT IN 1988, THIS MCIP. AND WHEN THEY DID IT, CONCERN WAS RAISED ABOUT HOW IT WOULD AFFECT TAXING ENTITIES SUCH AS SCHOOL DISTRICTS. AND THE STATE WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS TO SAY, NO, NO, THIS WILL NOT AFFECT SCHOOL DISTRICT, UM, MONIES. IN FACT, THERE WAS ACTUALLY AN ARTICLE WRITTEN IN OCTOBER OF 1988 WHERE ED BURGESS, WHO AT THE TIME WAS IN CHARGE OF THIS, SAID, NO, THE TAXING ENTITIES WILL GET THEIR SHARE AND THAT WILL BE ARRANGED BY CONTRACT. OVER THE YEARS, THAT HAS CHANGED, AND RECENTLY SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN SEEKING RELIEF FROM THE COURTS AND FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO SAY, WE'RE LOSING A LOT OF FUNDING THROUGH THESE MCIP ARRANGEMENTS. AND THERE REALLY IS NO LEGAL, UH, WAY TO, UH, GET RELIEF FOR THAT FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. SO WHAT I'LL SAY IS WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING IS COMPLETELY LEGAL. I UNDERSTAND WHY THEY ARE LOOKING TO RAISE THIS MONEY, BUT IT WILL DIRECTLY IMPACT SUBSTANTIALLY THE MONEY THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS. AND I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN NOVEMBER HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, WE HAD GONE 12 YEARS WITHOUT PASSING A REFERENDUM. AND WE'VE NOW PASSED TWO OF THE LARGEST REFERENDUMS IN HISTORY. AND FORTUNATELY, WE ARE REBUILDING OUR SCHOOLS AND INVESTING IN SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURES. THE COUNTY, UNFORTUNATELY WAS NOT ABLE TO PASS ITS REFERENDUM. AND AS A TAXPAYER, I WANT YOU GUYS TO HAVE THAT MONEY. I LIVE ON HILTON HEAD. WE WANT A BRIDGE, WE WANT GOOD ROADS, WE WANT ALL THIS INFRASTRUCTURE. BUT I THINK THERE'S SOME WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE WITH THE COUNTY COUNCIL AND YOU GUYS ARE WELL ON YOUR WAY. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THINGS ARE GOING VERY SMOOTHLY TO RESTORE THAT TRUST WITH VOTERS SO THAT WE CAN GET THESE REFERENDUMS PASSED. WE'RE A FAST GROWING COUNTY AND WE NEED THIS MONEY. BUT WHAT THAT REFERENDUM TOLD ME IN NOVEMBER IS THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY VOTERS VALUE K THROUGH 12 EDUCATION. THEY TRUST OUR SUPERINTENDENT AND OUR BOARD IN TERMS OF HANDLING THAT MONEY AND THE COUNTY COUNCIL NEEDS TO DO THAT WORK. I THINK TAKING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BYPASS THAT PROCESS AND NOT DOING A REFERENDUM AND A GENERAL BOND OBLIGATION WILL HARM THE PATH WE'RE ON TO RESTORE THAT TRUST WITH VOTERS. SO I'M HERE TO REPRESENT, NOT THAT WE SHOULDN'T DO THIS PROJECT, BUT WE SHOULDN'T USE, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT MONEY AS PART OF THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT DIDN'T SIGN UP? YES. UM, FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. BRADLEY, UH, JESSE WHITE WITH THE COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE. I JUST WANTED TO BRIEFLY, UM, SPEAK TO THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PASSED OUT AT THE CHAT FOR COUNT CHAT WITH COUNCIL ON, UM, TUESDAY AT THE ST. HELENA LIBRARY. UM, I DIDN'T SEE WHAT WAS PASSED OUT, BUT UM, [01:40:01] I'M ASSUMING IT'S THE PROTECT ST. HELENA, UM, INFORMATION THAT WAS A FLYER. UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT THAT PROTECTS. ST. HELENA IS A COALITION OF ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING THE CONSERVATION LEAGUE AND THE PENN CENTER AND INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVE ON, UM, ST. HELENA ISLAND OR A RESIDENCE OF ST. HELENA ISLAND OR LANDOWNERS. AND, UM, ALL OF THE INFORMATION IN THERE IS FACTUAL. THE ADDRESSES WERE PULLED DIRECTLY FROM THE, UM, COUNTY WEBSITE. UNDER EACH COUNCIL, UM, PAGE, THE INFORMATION IS LISTED. AND SO THAT WAS PROVIDED IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE WHO WANT TO REACH OUT TO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT CONTEXT SINCE IT WAS BROUGHT UP EARLIER TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. WHITE. ANYONE ELSE? ALRIGHT AT THIS, UM, TIME? WE'RE, ARE WE GONNA BREAK NOW OR ARE WE GONNA KEEP GOING FOR THE WORKSHOP BREAK FOR LUNCH. OKAY. UM, ANYONE IS WELCOME TO SAY FOR THE REST OF THE WORKSHOP. UM, THERE'S ONE SUBJECT LEFT, BUT WE ARE GONNA TAKE A BREAK. HOW LONG IS A BREAK? DO WE BREAK FOR LUNCH? YEAH, BREAK FOR LUNCH. HOW MR. MOORE? HOW LONG YOU WANT EVERYBODY, IF THEY'RE COMING BACK TO COME BACK 20 MINUTES, I WOULD SAY LITTLE BIT TOO. THAT'S TOO LONG. 1215. 1215. GOOD WITH EVERYBODY. YEAH. OKAY. 1215. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. WE ARE, UM, TEMPORARILY TAKING, WE'RE READY TO START BACK. MR. FRA? YES. IS YOU READY? OTHERWISE, I WOULD'VE BEEN, HE'D BE LIKE, WHY DID, DO YOU WANT US TO LET YOU BRIEF IT AND, UM, NOT INTERRUPT WITH QUESTIONS? OR INTERRUPT WITH QUESTIONS? NO. UH, WELCOME THE INTERRUPTIONS. YOU WELCOME INTERRUPTIONS? YES. OKAY. WELCOME THE QUESTIONS. I MOVED IT OVER. THAT'S RIGHT. LET ME BACK UP. THEY'RE NOT INTERRUPTIONS. THEY'RE WELCOME. THE QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS AND JUST IN CASE NO ONE SAW IT. I DID, UM, MR. S DID A GREAT JOB ON WTOC THIS WEEK, BRIEFING THE BRIDGE PROJECT. OKAY. VERY GOOD PUBLICITY FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY. THAT WAS A GOOD, GOOD WEEK FOR SURE. AND WE'RE GONNA PULL UP THIS PRESENTATION. UM, SO THERE'S ONE SINGLE GOAL TODAY FOR US TO TALK ABOUT AND ASIDE. AND THAT GOAL IS TO DISCUSS THESE UPDATED PROJECTS. WE WANNA TALK ABOUT OUR 2018 SALES TAX. UM, AND WE WANT TO, AT THE END OF THE DAY OUT OF THIS DISCUSSION, HAVE A PLAN WHICH WILL CODIFY AN UPCOMING COUNCIL MEETING WITH A, UM, APPROPRIATE DOCUMENT THAT WE, THAT STAFF CAN EXECUTE. WE CAN COMPLETE THE PROJECTS AND BRING FINALITY TO THE 2018 SALES TAX PROGRAM. THAT IS THE OVERALL ARCHING GOAL OF TODAY. MM-HMM . UH, THERE'S THREE DISCUSSION POINTS I WANT US TO TALK ABOUT. UH, FIRST IS REMEMBER WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN MARCH. SO MARCH WE CAME TO YOU GUYS AND SAID, OKAY, WE'VE GOT, WE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN NOVEMBER. UM, WE'VE GOT MORE PROJECTS THAN WE HAVE FUNDING. WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A PATH TO RIGHT SIZE THE PROJECTS TO THE, TO THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT WE HAVE. UH, SO I WANT US TO TALK ABOUT THAT. UH, SECONDLY, I WANT US, I WANT TO EXPLAIN WHAT WE'VE DONE SINCE MARCH OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS. WHAT STAFF HAS LOOKED AT. UM, THERE'S BASICALLY THREE THINGS. THERE'S, WE'VE, IN MARCH, WE GAVE SOME PROPOSED PROJECTS AND SCOPES, UM, BUT THEY WERE ESTIMATED VALUES. SO WE'VE REFINED THOSE SCOPES AND REFINED THE PROJECT COSTS ON ALL OF THE PROJECTS, THE REFINED PROJECTS, AND ALL OF THE PATHWAY PROJECTS. SO WE HAVE REALLY GOOD DATA AND COST NUMBERS, UM, BETTER THAN WE'VE HAD THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE PROGRAM JUST BECAUSE OF THE HISTORY THAT WE HAVE AND HISTORICAL, UM, VALUES, COST, VALUES THAT WE HAVE. NOW, WE ALSO MET WITH SHELL POINT NEIGHBORHOOD. THAT WAS ONE, UH, OF THE PATHWAYS THAT WE SAID WE WANTED SOME MORE FEEDBACK. SO WE MET WITH AND HAD GOOD DISCUSSIONS WITH THOSE, WITH THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. AND THEN WE ALSO HAD A, A CONSTITUENT APPROACH US ABOUT, UH, SALEM ROADS PATHWAY. AND SO STAFF HAS DONE SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THAT AND PREPARED INFORMATION FOR YOU ALL TO SEE, UH, THERE WAS FOUR. AND THEN LASTLY, THE THIRD THING I WANT US TO DISCUSS IS JUST THE, THE PROJECT. UM, TO TALK THROUGH THE PROPOSED SOLUTIONS AND, UM, KIND OF PACKAGE THESE PROJECTS AND BRING IT FORWARD IN UPCOMING COUNCIL. THERE WAS FOUR DOCUMENTS IN THE AGENDA. WE'RE GONNA SPEND OUR TIME ON THE PRESENTATION, BUT [01:45:01] JUST SO YOU KNOW WHAT'S THERE, UM, THERE'S THIS PRESENTATION. UM, SOME OF IT YOU MAY HAVE QUESTIONS IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT YOURSELF, AND I'M GONNA EXPLAIN SOME OF THE NUMBERS AND WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE AND HOW WE GOT THERE. UM, THERE WAS A PROPOSED RESOLUTION THAT IS THE GOAL. UH, SO YOU, WE PUT TOGETHER OUR DRAFT OF THAT. UM, OUR, BUT OUR GOAL IS COME JULY 14TH, I THINK IS THE COUNCIL MEETING THAT WE WOULD TAKE THE, THE VOICES HEARD TODAY, CONSOLIDATE THAT AND TAKE THAT RESOLUTION. AND THAT'S WHAT GETS VOTED ON TO FINALIZE THE PROJECT LIST. AND THEN THERE WAS A PROJECT DESCRIPTION THAT WAS VERY THOROUGH, UH, HAD PROJECT COSTS. IT HAD PROJECT SCOPES. AND THEN LASTLY, THERE WAS A, LIKE I SAID, ON SALEM ROAD, WE HAD, UM, A DEEP DIVE ON THAT, ON THE PROS AND CONS OF WHETHER WE KEEP IT ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROAD OR THE OTHER. SO WITH THAT IS THIS, NO, THAT'S NOT GONNA CONTROL. ALL RIGHT. THIS ONLY GOT ONE BATTERY GOT DROPPED. OTHER ONE'S THERE. YEAH, IT GOT DROPPED. IT'S, YEAH, IT GOT DROPPED. I'M SORRY. SOMEONE THEY'RE IN PUBLIC COMMENT. PUBLIC COMMENT. I'M THE PROBLEM ENGINEER. ALL RIGHT, WE GOT IT. . ALL RIGHT. SO, UM, A PART OF THIS, WE DIDN'T CHANGE A LOT FROM OUR LAST, UH, PRESENTATION IN MARCH BECAUSE I WANTED TO SHOW YOU WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT AND THEN, UM, WHERE WE ARE NOW. SO THIS WAS INFORMATION ON THREE OR FOUR SLIDES. I'VE CONSOLIDATED TO THIS ONE SLIDE SO WE CAN GET THROUGH IT. ORIGINALLY WE HAD $120 MILLION. THAT WAS OUR SALES TAX. THE REVISED FUNDING THERE IS, WE HAD AN OVER COLLECTION. SO WE ACTUALLY COLLECTED $146.5 MILLION IN THE PROGRAM. PREVIOUSLY, WE COUNCIL HAD ALREADY ALLOCATED 15.5 OUT OF THAT OVER COLLECTION TO THE PATHWAYS. AND THEN ALSO WE HAVE $5 MILLION IN GRANTS THAT WE'VE ALREADY OBTAINED FOR PATHWAYS. SO THAT'S WHY THAT ONE NUMBER IS DIFFERENT AT 30.5 FOR PATHWAYS. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? ALL RIGHT. UH, THE NEXT ONE WE'VE, WE JUST REVISED, UH, WITH ACCURATE NUMBERS LATEST TO DATE. SO THE AMOUNT SPENT AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY THE AMOUNT REMAINING, WE'RE NOT GONNA FOCUS ON 2 78. EVERYBODY'S AWARE WHERE THAT IS. THAT PROJECT'S MOVING FORWARD. WE HAD THE GOOD NEWS EARLIER THIS WEEK, SO WE'RE REALLY GONNA FOCUS ON LADIES ISLAND CORRIDOR AND THE PATHWAY. SO AT THE VERY RIGHT COLUMN, YOU SEE LADIES ISLAND HAS 23.3, OR ACTUALLY IF YOU DROP DOWN, UH, LADIES ISLAND HAS 23.3 AND THEN THE PATHWAYS HAS 21.74. AS I MENTIONED, WE HAD THE OVER COLLECTION. SO $120 MILLION WAS THE PROGRAM WE COLLECTED. 146.5. WE'VE ALREADY ALLOCATED 15.5. SO THERE'S 11 MILLION THAT HAS NEVER BEEN ALLOCATED. UH, SO WHEN YOU ADD ALL THOSE UP, THE 23.3 TO 21.74 AND 11, THERE IS $56.07 MILLION, UM, FOR US TO EXPEND ON THE NEW PROJECT LIST. ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, GOOD. SO THIS IS WHAT WE STARTED WITH IN MARCH. STAFF SAID, OKAY, WE KNOW THAT IT'S GONNA TAKE $70 MILLION BY ITSELF JUST TO DO ALL THE PROJECTS ON LADIES ISLAND. WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THAT. WHAT DO WE THINK THE HEART OF THE PROJECTS? ALL THE, THE, THE, UM, MAIN PROJECTS THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE WITH SOME DIFFERENCE, AMOUNT OF FUNDING. AND UM, SO THE HEART PROJECT, THAT'S THE INTERSECTION AT 8 0 2 AND 21. THESE ARE UPDATED NUMBERS. SO THE NUMBERS THAT WE PROVIDED IN MARCH WERE, UH, GUESSTIMATES. WE WERE COMING UP WITH NEW SCOPES, BUT WE HADN'T PRICED THOSE OUT YET. SO THESE ARE REFINED SCOPES BASED OFF WHAT WE SAID. AND THEN REFINED COSTS. SO WE ARE VERY CONFIDENT IN THESE COSTS. SO THE HEART PROJECT, THAT'S THE INTERSECTION. THE NEXT ONE IS WIDENING, STILL ON 21 RIGHT IN FRONT OF WALMART. SO ABOUT, UH, 4,000 FEET OF WIDENING. IT'S, IT GOES FROM FOUR LANES TO TWO LANES THROUGH THAT SECTION. UH, IT'S $9 MILLION, 9.16 LADIES, ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHICH IS THE NEW ROUTE, UH, FROM GAY DRIVE AT 21 UP TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. IT REMOVES THE EXISTING COUGAR ACCESS AND THEN INSTALLS THE SIDEWALK ALONG ROBIN. UM, UP TO SAM'S POINT WAY THAT TOTAL COST, UH, IS 9.06 MILLION, THE SCALED DOWN HAZEL FARM GATE. SO HAZEL FARM IS DIRT ROAD MAKING THAT, UH, PAVED. THERE'S A INTERSECTION THAT NEEDS SOME IMPROVEMENT, SO MAKING THAT THE ROUNDABOUT, ADDING THE SIGNAL AT 21 AND GATE DRIVE, WHICH ALIGNS WITH THE LADY AS LADIES ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND THEN WE'RE GONNA DESIGN THE, UH, PEDESTRIAN ACCOMMODATIONS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO NOT INSTALL THOSE [01:50:01] AT THIS TIME IN THIS PROJECT. THAT COST THERE, 7.69, UH, SCALED DOWN SUNSET TED MILLER DRIVE. SO THIS IS INSTEAD OF THE ROUNDABOUT AT THAT INTERSECTION, THIS IS A SCALED DOWN VERSION. THIS IS THE T INTERSECTION WITH A RAISED CROSSWALK. UM, SOME TRAFFIC CALMING ON MILLER AND THEN RESURFACED BOTH ROADS 1.83. AND LASTLY, AIRPORT FRONTAGE ROAD. UH, PHASE TWO. SO WE'VE ALREADY CONSTRUCTED THE FIRST PORTION. UH, THIS WOULD BE CONTINUING BEHIND TACO BELL. AND WHAT WE SAID IS TO SCALE IT DOWN, WE'RE JUST GONNA, WE'VE ALREADY DONE A LOT OF THE DESIGN. WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DESIGN, UM, DO THE PERMITTING AND RIGHT OF WAY ACQUISITION AND THE MITIGATION. AND SO THOSE TOTAL, UM, 760,000 JUST BECAUSE DAVID'S NOT ON REMIND, I'D LIKE TO REMIND THE COUNCIL THAT THE SUNSET DRIVE AND MILLER ROAD, WE HAD A, A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SHOW UP FOR OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS, UM, THAT SAID THEY DID NOT WANT THE ROUNDABOUT. YES. SO THEY, THEY DID SAY THEY DID NOT WANT THE ROUNDABOUT AT ONE TIME. THEY SAID THEY DON'T WANT ANY OF THE PROJECTS, GIVE THE MONEY BACK. UM, WE'VE, STAFF HAS HAD A LOT OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY DO WANT SAFETY AND SLOW SPEEDS. AND SO THIS IS, UH, PROPOSED. WHAT WE HAVE, THE 1.83 IN THIS SCOPE IS SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, COMFORTABLE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WE'VE GOT THEIR PERMISSION IS COMFORTABLE WITH DOT AND WE THINK IT KIND OF THREADS THE NEEDLE FOR THOSE IMPROVEMENTS. ERIC, YOU'RE TAKING QUESTIONS. GO AHEAD. OH, GO AHEAD. THIS, LET ME LET FINISH REAL QUICK AND THEN I'LL TAKE QUESTIONS. SO WHEN YOU ADD ALL THAT TOGETHER, UM, THE FIRST PAGE AND THE SECOND PAGE ON LADIES ISLAND, UH, YOU GET $32.8 MILLION. THAT IS MORE THAN THE $23.3 MILLION. SO WHAT WE'RE SAYING HERE, WE WOULD GRAB SOME OF THAT $11 MILLION TO FUND. OUR GOAL WAS TO FIND THE RIGHT PROJECTS THAT MAKE SENSE AND BUILD THOSE RATHER THAN TAKE A PROJECT AND PEEL OFF THE, PEEL THE LAYERS OF THE ONION AND THEN YOU'RE LEFT WITH A PROJECT. IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE SENSE, BUT IT FIT IN YOUR BUDGET. SO THIS WAS OUR DRAFT AND IT'LL LINE UP WITH THE PATHWAY DISCUSSION IN JUST A SECOND, BUT THAT'S A GOOD POINT. SO YES SIR. MR. DAWSON, I'M JUST CURIOUS, WHAT, WHAT DOES DIRT ROAD IMPROVEMENT ENTAIL? WHAT ALL I MEAN PAVING IT. PAVING IT. YES SIR. JUST THIS ONE ROAD. THIS IS PAIL FARM RIGHT NOW IS A COUNTY DIRT ROAD I TOOK AT IT JUST TRYING TO IMPROVE THE DIRT ROAD, BUT THIS IS PAVING THE ROAD. THAT WAS MY CONCERN. Y'ALL YORK, I THINK WAS, YEAH, GO BACK UP TO, UM, WIDENING US 21 FROM LOST ISLAND TO UM, WALMART ENTRANCE. YOU HAVE A A, A, A LAYOUT OF THAT. HOW, HOW'S THAT GONNA LOOK? BECAUSE IF YOU'RE BRINGING IN FOUR LANES CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW IT'S BOTTLENECKED. YES. YEAH. THERE'S ONLY ONE LANE COMING INTO WALMART. YOU'RE GONNA PUT TWO LANES THERE. BUT WHERE, SO WE WOULD KEEP THAT MEDIAN A LITTLE BIT. IT'D PROBABLY GET REDUCED A LITTLE BIT TO THE INSIDE. AND SO A LITTLE BIT OF WIDEN TO THE INSIDE AND WIDENING TO THE OUTSIDE. SO AS YOU'RE COMING FROM BEAUFORT TOWARDS ST. HELENA, RIGHT, UM, YOU'VE GOT FOUR LANES ON THE CAUSEWAY AND THEN IT STARTS PINCHING DOWN AS YOU GET TO THE INTERSECTION, YOU WOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT SAME FOUR LANE FEELING ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. ONCE YOU GET PAST THE SECOND DRIVEWAY AT WALMART, THE LAST WALMART ENTRANCE, THEN IT WOULD NECK BACK DOWN TO THE, IT'S A THREE LANE SECTION BEF TILL YOU GET PAST CHOW AND CREEK. UH, CAN YOU GO, CAN YOU EXTEND IT A LITTLE FURTHER? JUST ALLOW THAT TRAFFIC TO KIND OF, SO YEAH, OUR MERGE BACK TOGETHER. 'CAUSE HE IS GONNA BOTTLENECK THERE. IT'S GONNA BOTTLENECK AT SOME POINT, AT SOME POINT. SO IT'S JUST WHETHER, SO WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO GET AT IS TO MOVE THE BOTTLENECK BEYOND THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT. SO ONCE IT GETS PAST WALMART, THAT WAS OUR REASONING FOR DRAWING IT BACK. UM, I MEAN WE CAN EXTEND IT ALL THE WAY TO CHOW AND CREEK, BUT THAT MAY LEAD UP ALL YOUR NO, ALL YOUR MONEY DON'T DO THAT. NO, BUT I WOULD GO UP TO THE, UM, PRETTY CLOSE TO THE, UH, AIRPORT CIRCLE, UM, CONSIDERATION. I MEAN WE, WE CAN LOOK AT THAT. UH, I DON'T HAVE A COUGH RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE WOULD AT BE SOME EXTRA COST IN THAT. LET LOOK AT, YEAH. OKAY. OKAY. YEAH. OKAY. YEP. I THINK ALL IN ALL IT'S ABOUT 4,000 FEET IS WHAT WE HAVE FROM LOST ISLAND TO PAST WALMART AS THAT SECTION. I'M JUST, I'M JUST TRYING TO DEAL WITH THAT BOTTLENECK IS GOING TO HAPPEN. THE QUESTION IS WHERE, YEAH, THE OTHER THING TO ADD TO THAT IS IN WALMART, SO YOU WON'T HAVE AS MUCH, UH, BACKUP ONCE WE GET PAST THE WALMART AND THE COMMERCIAL SECTION WHICH JARED WAS TALKING ABOUT. SO YEAH, I DRIVE IT EVERY DAY. I DON'T NECESSARILY SEE THAT MEANT MANY TRAFFIC, MUCH TRAFFIC GOING INTO WALMART. YOU'RE A PART OF THE BOTTLENECK. YES, I AM. , [01:55:01] WE HEAR YOU ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU. HEY TOM, I WANNA BRING YOU BACK TO THE FIRST SLIDE, BUT DO YOU WANNA WAIT TILL THE END OF THAT, UM, BILLY TOWARD JUST NO, THE CORRIDOR ONE BACK? YEAH, RIGHT THERE. JI KNOW YOU PROBABLY TOUCHED UPON IT, BUT WITH THE BRIDGE MOVING FORWARD, LIKE WE'VE UH, HEARD AND WENT THROUGH, YOU HAD, UM, 80 MILLION ASSIGNED FOR THE CORRIDOR. NOW THAT THAT SHIFTED TO THE BRIDGE, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITH THROUGHOUT 2018 PROJECTS HERE TO MAYBE COMPENSATE FOR THAT MONEY JUST BEING USED ON THE BRIDGE NOW? YEAH, SO THIS IS JUST A SALES TAX MONEY. WE HAVE SOME IMPACT FEE FUNDING. UM, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY STATE FUNDING, ALL OF OUR PROJECT MONEY ARE $101 MILLION ALONG WITH THE 120 FROM THE SIB AND THE 90 FROM THE STATE ARE SIMPLY FOR THE THREE LANE BRIDGE. YES SIR. AND IT ENDS. UM, SO IF WE WANT TO DO ANYTHING BEYOND THAT, WE COULD, WE HAVE $11 MILLION THAT'S UNOBLIGATED INSIDE SALES TAX AND THAT'S THE ONLY UNOBLIGATED FUNDS THAT COULD GO SOMEWHERE FOR HILTON HEAD IN THAT WHOLE 12 MILES. YOU GOTTA LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE THAT 80 MILLION WAS GONNA BE DISPERSED THROUGHOUT THAT BEFORE THIS NEW PLAN FOR THE BRIDGE. RIGHT. SO AGAIN, WE GOTTA KEEP A GOOD EYE ON THAT AND WELL, I THINK THE GOOD GUY IS GOTTA HELP US OUT IN ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AFTER WE GO THROUGH ALL THIS. THIS IS THE PLACE FOR THAT DISCUSSION AND OUR GOAL IS COME JULY 14TH, THAT THAT IS A SETTLED ISSUE. SO, UM, THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS THE DISCUSSIONS TODAY, WHETHER YOU WANT TO TAKE SOME OF THAT 11 AND PUT IT ON THE REMAINDER OF US 2 78, WHETHER YOU WANNA PUT IT ON LADIES ISLAND OR WHETHER YOU WANT TO PUT IT ON THE PATHWAYS. AND THEN WE CODIFY THAT IN JULY AND THAT WAY STAFF HAS A EXECUTABLE PLAN THAT WE CAN GO AND DELIVER. GOOD MAN. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M ARTICULATE ENOUGH TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT 80 MILLION WAS FOR THE CORRIDOR. IT, IT, IT WAS A LOT. IT WAS NOT FOR THE BRIDGE. IT, UH, IF YOU GO BACK IN TIME, YOU GO THROUGH ALL THOSE NUMBERS AND ITERATIONS. UM, I I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET SOME HELP WITH THAT. OKAY. LET'S GO ON LET, OKAY, I DON'T KNOW. I THINK MR. WARN WANTED TO SPEAK. I WAS JUST GONNA SAY COUNCIL COMMITTED THE 80 MILLION THROUGH THAT RESOLUTION. SO THAT MONEY FOR THE CORRIDOR WENT TO THE BRIDGE PROJECT THAT'S GO CORRECT. RIGHT. THANK YOU. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. COUNCIL MEMBER MCALLEN, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? I JUST HAVE TALKING ABOUT THE MONEY BEING COMMITTED TO THE BRIDGE. WILL THAT BRIDGE WORK EXTEND ON THE ROADWAYS TO JENKINS ISLAND ROAD, WHICH IS THE BEGINNING OF THE MUNICIPALITY AND ALSO INCLUDE THAT PARALLEL TRACK THAT'S GOING AROUND CHARLOTTE HENRIK CIRCLE. SO IT'S NOT JUST THE BRIDGE STOPPING ONCE YOU CROSS THE WATERWAY, THAT HIGHWAY SYSTEM THERE IN FRONT OF WINDMILL HARBOR TO JENKINS ISLAND ROAD WILL BE PART OF THAT PLAN. YES. YEAH. SO IT WON'T GO TO JENKINS ISLAND, BUT IT'LL GO TO WINDMILL HARBOR TO THE INTERSECTION. UM, SO AS YOU COME OFF THE BRIDGE, THE ASPHALT WILL BE THE FULL WIDTH OF THE BRIDGE AND WILL NARROW DOWN. UM, AND THE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS WILL STOP AT THE INTERSECTION. THE PARALLEL ROAD, UM, WILL GO FROM SEA HUNDRED CIRCLE AND GO BACK TO HOG ISLAND. THAT WILL BE ALL THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE 80 MILLION IN THE BRIDGE AS IT'S WHAT ABOUT THAT ROAD THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GO TO JENKINS ISLAND ROAD SO THAT THE ENTRANCE AND EXIT? YEAH, SO THAT IS NOT IN THE CURRENT PLAN, UM, TO JUST DO THE BRIDGE. SO RIGHT NOW THE JENKINS ISLAND WOULD REMAIN, IF WE WANTED TO MAKE THAT IMPROVEMENT, THAT WOULD BE ADDITIONAL COST BEYOND WHAT IS CODIFIED IN THAT BRIDGE PROJECT. THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON, ON BLUE HERON AND IN MARIUS COVE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GO UNDER THE BRIDGE AND COME UP THAT LITTLE EXTENSION AROUND THAT TRAFFIC CIRCLE AND OUT AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. YES. YEP. OKAY. GO AHEAD. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT'S LADIES ISLAND. NOW, UM, AND THIS IS IN A DIFFERENT FORMAT, SAME INFORMATION OF THIS RIGHT HERE, BUT JUST IN A SPREADSHEET FORMAT AND I KNOW IT'S SMALL. UM, ANYHOW, IT, IT GOES THROUGH, SAYS WE'VE EXPENDED $2.3 MILLION OUT OF THE ORIGINAL 30. AND THOSE PROJECTS IN THE SCOPES I JUST DESCRIBED, THEY TOTAL $32.8 MILLION, WHICH IS THE SAME NUMBER I SAID RIGHT HERE REALLY IS IS MILLON DRIVE. DAVID BAROLO, YOU SENT A UM, EMAIL THAT'S ON THE PATHWAY. YEP. GOT IT. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT IS LADIES ISLAND. I'M GONNA SHIFT GEARS TO THE PATHWAYS UNLESS WE NEED TO AND OKAY. I CAN GET THROUGH ALL THIS INFORMATION AND WE CAN CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION. [02:00:01] UM, THE GOAL IS FOR US TO HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS 'CAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY WE WANT TO PUT A BOAT ON. LET ME ASK A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT MILLER DRIVE. YES SIR. UM, ON MILLER DRIVE AND SAN SANDS POINT ROAD, UM, THERE WAS A TALK ABOUT A TRAFFIC LIGHT BEING THERE. IS THAT STILL IN THE CONSIDERATION THERE IT IS, IT IS PLANNED. THAT'S WHERE IT WOULD GO IF THERE IS A SIGNAL WARRANT. BUT IN THE PLANS THAT WE'RE PRESENTING HERE IN THE SCOPE, THERE IS NO SIGNAL INSTALLED BECAUSE PRESENTLY IT DOES NOT MEET THE WARRANT. OKAY. AND THE ONLY COMMENT I'M, I WANNA MAKE REALLY IS THAT I THINK IT WARRANTS A SINGLE LIGHT AT SHORT LANDING ROAD VERSUS MILLER ROAD. I, I'M GONNA LEAVE THAT LIKE THAT, BUT YES. SO YEAH, I THINK, ARE WE DOING A, ARE WE LOOKING AT S SO WE, WE HAVE DONE SOME STUDY UP ALONG SAM'S POINT, AND IT DOES SOUND LIKE THERE IS SOME WARRANTS AT SHORTS. YEAH. SO, UM, THAT IS NOT PRO SALES TAX. RIGHT. BUT IT MAY BE SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT OTHER FUNDING IMPACT FEE OR, OR SOME OTHER SOURCE OF FUNDING. BUT IF YOU WERE GONNA PUT ONE AT MILLER ROAD AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA DO IT, JUST PUT ON WELL, AND WE COULD JUST, JUST NOT WITH THIS BUCKET OF MONEY, UM, BECAUSE OF THE TERMINI IS UP TO MILLER ROAD. UM, AND SO WE CAN'T GO BEYOND THE TERMINI. OKAY. BUT THANK YOU. WITH THAT INFORMATION, WE CAN TALK FURTHER AS FAR AS A FUTURE PROJECT THERE. ALRIGHT. PATHWAYS, SO PATHWAYS THERE WAS 24 PATHWAYS. WHAT WE DID AS STAFF BEFORE THE MARCH MEETING WAS JUST TO SAY, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF PUT 'EM IN WHAT WE'RE CALLED PRIORITY ORDER WAS JUST BASED OFF READY TO GO TO CONSTRUCTION OR A LEVEL OF DESIGN OR INTEREST THAT WE HAVE. SO, UM, BEYOND THAT, THERE WAS, THAT WAS JUST A NOMENCLATURE THAT WE MADE UP THE PRIORITIES. SO THESE WERE THE, THERE WAS FIVE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES THAT WE ESTABLISHED. THIS WAS THE FIRST GROUP, THE SECOND GROUP, UH, THE THIRD GROUP. AND IN THE DISCUSSION IN MARCH, WE SAID THE MONEY THAT WE HAD, WE THOUGHT WE COULD MAKE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE, THE TOP THREE PRIORITIES AND THEN THE LAST PRIORITY FOUR AND PRIORITY FIVE, WE WOULD RUN OUT OF FUNDING BEFORE WE GET TO THOSE. SO WITH THE UPDATED, UM, SCOPES AND THE UPDATED COSTS, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE, THIS NEXT SLIDE. SO THE MONEY DID NOT QUITE STRETCH AS FAR AS WE ANTICIPATED. UM, SO BACK TO THE BEGINNING SPREADSHEET, WE, OUT OF THE 30.5 THAT WE HAD FOR SALES TAX FOR PATHWAYS, UM, WE HAVE 21.74 REMAINING. AND SO, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE, THIS GETS US, BROAD RIVER BOULEVARD WAS THE END OF, UM, PHASE TWO. MIDDLE ROAD, I BELIEVE WAS THE FIRST ONE IN PRIORITY THREE. AND SO IT GETS US JUST INTO THE TOP OF THAT. UM, AND THAT'S A LITTLE BIT BEYOND THE 21.74. AND I KNOW THERE'LL PROBABLY BE SOME QUESTIONS, BUT LET ME GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND, AND ANSWER ONE OR TWO MORE THINGS. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE HAD, THE TOP IS AVAILABLE THAT I TALKED ABOUT AT THE BEGINNING. UM, WELL, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WE HAD AND WHAT WE SPENT IS THE 23.33 TO 21.74, AND THE 11 MILLION UNOBLIGATED THAT GETS US 56.07. THE FULL SCOPES THAT I'VE DESCRIBED ALREADY FOR LADIES ISLAND, AND THEN THE PATHWAYS THAT I JUST SHOWED AND HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW, WHEN YOU ADD THOSE TWO TOGETHER, IT GETS US JUST SHY OF $56 MILLION. SO THIS IS IN ESSENCE A BALANCED BUDGET, A BALANCED RECOMMENDATION OF PROJECTS AND SCOPES THAT COULD BE COMPLETED WITH THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE LEFT AVAILABLE. AND I THINK THAT IS THE LAST, UM, YEAH. SO THAT'S, THAT'S IT. AND NOW IT'S REALLY DISCUSSION. AND WHAT WE HAVE, UM, ON THESE, THIS IS A SPREADSHEET. BRIAN HAS CONTROL OF A SPREADSHEET. IF THERE'S DISCUSSION AROUND THIS AND WE WANT TO MOVE MONEY AROUND, WHETHER IT'S TO 2 78 OR TO A DIFFERENT PATHWAY OR TO SOMETHING ELSE ON LADIES ISLAND, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES AND THE TOOLS TO DO THAT LIVE AND WE CAN ADJUST MONEY, UM, IN THE RESOLUTION THAT WE HAVE AS PART OF THE BACKUP MATERIAL. CAN WE GO TO THAT REAL QUICK? THE RESOLUTION, SORRY. SO THE RESOLUTION, UM, [02:05:01] THE, WHEREAS IS JUST KIND OF THE HISTORY OF HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE. THE NEXT SLIDE, NEXT PAGE, UM, JUST STARTS LISTING OUT THESE ROAD PROJECTS. SO LIST OUT ALL THE LADIES ISLAND ONES THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, AND IT GOES THROUGH THE PATHWAYS, THE NEXT PAGE, AND IT GOES ALL THE WAY TO MIDDLE ROAD. SO THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD TAKE TO COUNTY COUNCIL. UH, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO, SINCE WE'RE AT WORK SHOPPING GOES STRAIGHT TO COUNCIL, WE WOULD TAKE IN JULY FOR YOU GUYS TO VOTE ON, UM, AND HOPEFULLY APPROVE WHATEVER THIS LIST IS, WHETHER WE NEED TO MODIFY IT OR NOT. UM, READY FOR, YES. SO THAT IS, THAT IS ALL OF MY TALKING. LET'S START AT THIS END. UM, ANY COMMENT? THANK YOU. THE POWER DAWSON? I'M GOOD. START DOWN TOM. GOOD. COUNCILMAN GLOVER. UM, JUST QUICKLY, UM, DAVE, DAVE WITH WAS TALKING ABOUT MIDDLE ROAD. YES. UM, HE, YES. SO TAKING IT OFF, UH, ARE WE CONSIDERING THAT AT THIS TIME OR BECAUSE I, I WANT YOU GUYS TO CONSIDER THAT AT THIS TIME. SO I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT, I'LL GET BACK TO THAT SCREEN. JUST A SECOND. UM, SO ON THE PATHWAYS RIGHT HERE, UM, SO WE SHOWED THAT THE MONEY MIDDLE ROAD WAS JUST THE ONE THAT WE HAD LISTED AS THE TOP END PRIORITY THREE. THEY'RE ALL THE SAME. TO US, IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY DIFFERENCE. AND THE END OF PRIORITY THREE WAS BROAD RIVER DRIVE, PRIORITY FOUR STARTED MERIDIAN ROAD AND BELOW. SO STAFF, IT DOESN'T MATTER TO US, UM, WHAT WE'VE HAD AT LEAST ONE COMMENT COME IN, UM, SOMEBODY RECENTLY HAD SAID THEY DIDN'T WANT MIDDLE ROAD. WE HAD A PUBLIC MEETING OF, THERE WAS, THERE WAS POSITIVE, UM, POSITIVE FEEDBACK ABOUT WANTING MIDDLE ROAD. AND SO WE LEFT IT. AND THEN IF, IF IT THE DESIRE IS TO BE SWITCHED, UM, WE'D RATHER ALL 11 OF YOU TELL US THAT THAN JUST REACT TO COUNCILMAN BARTHOLOMEW. SO, UM, WHEN I LOOK AT MIDDLE ROAD, I, I SAID MIDDLE, I'M SORRY, I THOUGHT I SAID MIDDLE. MIDDLE. YEAH. WHEN I LOOK AT MIDDLE ROAD, UM, AND I SAW SEGMENTED MIDDLE ROAD, UH, IT WAS NOT CONNECTED. I WAS WONDERING IN MY MIND, WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? BECAUSE IT IS NOT, UH, A CONTINUOUS PATHWAY, BUT IT'S SE SEGMENTED IN THREE SEGMENTS. YEAH, YEAH. SO WHAT THIS COST THAT'S IN THIS, THIS IS, IS FOR THE FULL LENGTH IS WHAT'S REPRESENTED IS $3 MILLION THERE. SO, UM, OKAY. IF WE WANTED TO SEGMENT IT, WE CAN'T, WE HAVE THOSE COSTS. IF WE WANT IT TO LEAVE IT AS WHOLE, THEN WE HAVE THE WHOLE COST REPRESENTED HERE. OKAY. AND IT IS ALL ON ONE SIDE, OR IS IT SHIFTING FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER? IT'S ONE, ONE SIDE. YES, SIR. SAYS IT'S ANYONE ELSE, COUNCILMAN? YEAH, THAT'S, I'M, THAT'S, THAT'S IT. UM, I, I HAVE A QUESTION. I'M, I'M FINE. I'M PUTTING MY DISTRICT HAT ON, NOT MY CHAIRMAN'S HAT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE MET WITH THE PUBLIC ON BROAD RIVER DRIVE AND THAT'S JUST A, THAT'S JUST HALF OF IT, CORRECT. BUT IT, YEAH. SO THIS IS, IT DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT. IT DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT, BUT WHAT'S REPRESENTED, THE WHOLE COST WAS $4 MILLION. AND WHAT'S REPRESENTED THERE IS THE, THE WESTERN HALF THAT WAS DESIRED BY THE PUBLIC. OH. SO IF ANYONE DECIDES LIKE MIDDLE ROAD IT YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO, BECAUSE IT DOES GO TO A SCHOOL AND A PARK. UM, EVEN DOING HALF OF IT AND SALEM ROAD, WE KEPT THE ORIGINAL DESIGN. YEAH. SO ON SALEM, UM, THANK YOU FOR POINTING US OUT. SO ON SALEM IN THE BACKUP MATERIAL, UM, WE LOOKED AT, LIKE I SAID, WE HAD SOME FEEDBACK ABOUT IT BEING ON ONE SIDE VERSUS THE OTHER. SO STAFF LOOKED AT IT AND MADE A PRESENTATION OF THAT IN SHORT, UM, WE'RE ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THEIR, WE'RE ON THE MARSH SIDE OF THE ROAD AND, AND, UH, WE'RE 65% DESIGNED AND WE HAVE A PROJECT COST OF $2.6 MILLION WHEN YOU ADD THOSE TOGETHER, UM, ON THE OTHER SIDE, TO MOVE TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD, WE HAVE SOME UTILITY AND SOME WETLAND MITIGATION COSTS. AND THE TOTAL PROJECT IS THREE POINT SOMETHING, THREE, UH, MILLION DOLLARS MORE IN TOTAL. IT'S, UH, I'LL GET THE COST IN JUST A SECOND. IT'S ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS VERSUS THE $2.6 MILLION AND NINE, 3.9 MILLION VERSUS 2.6. OKAY. AND WE HAVEN'T STARTED ANY DESIGN. SO IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE DESIGN THAT WE HAVE, IT WAS ABOUT TWO YEARS TO COMPLETE THE CHANGE DIRECTIONS ON DIFFERENT SIDE, WE'D BE FULLY COMPLETE IN FOUR YEARS. OH. ALRIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT, SO [02:10:01] I HAVE A QUESTION ON ALL JOY, BECAUSE TWO OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS BROUGHT UP AJOY. IS THIS, I, I CAN'T READ THAT ONE, BUT IS THIS FOR THEIR PATHWAY? YEAH. SO THIS IS THE PATHWAY THAT IS DESIGNED AND BID THAT WILL BE COMING TO COUNCIL IN AUGUST. SO IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THAT, THIS IS, SO IF THEY, WELL, THEIR, THEIR CONVERSATION WAS TO CHANGE IT TO PERVIOUS. CORRECT. HOW DOES THAT CHANGE THE VALUE AMOUNT HERE? SO, UM, IT WOULD GO UP SOMEBODY ELSE. UH, WE DON'T HAVE, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE A COST ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IMPERVIOUS THAT WE HAVE BID TODAY AND PERVIOUS. WE'D NEED TO PUT THAT BACK OUT TO BID. WE'D HAVE TO REDESIGN A LITTLE BIT, PUT IT BACK OUT TO BID. UM, I WOULD ASSUME IT'S A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS BASED OFF THE LENGTH OF THE ROAD AND THE DIFFERENCE WE WOULD THEN HAVE TO MAINTAIN IT LONG TERM. RIGHT NOW THE PROPOSAL IS, IT'S BACK IN DOT'S MAINTENANCE. AND THEN ONE THING ALSO TO NOTE IS WE HAVE GRANT FUNDING ON THIS PROJECT WITH DOT TAP FUNDING. SO WE'VE GOT THE RED, THE GREEN LIGHT NOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. AND WE HAD TWO BIDS. WE HAD A BID AT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH WAS AROUND OUR ENGINEER'S ESTIMATE. AND THE SECOND BID WAS THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. SO IF WE PUT IT OUT THE BID, WE ALSO HAVE TO, UM, TALK WITH DOT, OUR GRANT GRANTOR, AND THEN DEPENDING ON WHAT KIND OF BIDS WE GET BACK, AND I WOULD JUST, THAT WOULD PUSH IT, PUSH THE NEXT ONE DOWN OUT. IT WOULD, IT WOULD PUT PRESSURE ON THE NEXT ONE. YEAH, THE ONE ON THE BOTTOM. I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, RIGHT NOW IT'S, EVEN IF YOU ADD SOMETHING THEN, AND IF THAT'S CHANGED, WE KNOW THERE WILL BE AN ADDITION. UH, WE DON'T HAVE FINAL AMOUNT HOW MUCH THE ADDITION WOULD BE MM-HMM . UM, BUT IT WOULD, SOMETHING WOULD NEED TO COME OFF IF WE MAKE A CHANGE LIKE THAT. COUNCILMAN PASS? YES. HERE, HERE'S GOING TO BE MY SUGGESTION. WE'RE GONNA DO THIS AT A PUBLIC MEETING IN JULY. PEOPLE CAN'T QUITE VISUALIZE WHAT IS HERE. WE'RE DOING THINGS IN MR. GLOVER'S DISTRICT. HE UNDERSTANDS THAT HE LIVES IT EVERY DAY. BUT THIS IS THE PUBLIC THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY UNDERSTANDING. MY SUGGESTION IS I LIKE THE WAY THE RESOLUTION IS DONE, BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE A VISUAL OF EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS. A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS AS THEY SAY. THEN THE PUBLIC CAN TRULY SEE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH THE PUBLIC DOLLARS FOR THIS REFERENDUM. OKAY. YEAH. WE'LL, WE CAN HAVE A VISUAL, WE WON'T HAVE THE SHOWN IMPROVEMENTS ON THE VISUAL, BUT A LOCATION MAP WHERE THIS IS AND LIMITS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, WE CAN HAVE THAT. DIDN'T YOU INCLUDE THAT THE LAST TIME WE TALKED? THIS? WE DID ON THE PATHWAYS, UH, IN A LITTLE BIT ON, ON LADIES ISLAND. UM, BUT WE CAN REFINE THAT AND HAVE THAT AVAILABLE. OKAY. GREAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES. COUNCILOR GLOVER? MM-HMM . UM, MRS. MR. FAIR JUST RAISED, UH, A CONCERN OF MINE. UM, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING AND, UM, YOU, YOU TALK ABOUT MAINTENANCE AND DOT MAINTAINING. UM, I'VE HAD A LOT OF, UM, COMMENTS ABOUT PATHWAYS BEING BUILT AND NOT REALLY BEING MAINTAINED. AND I SAID, WELL, THE DO T'S SUPPOSED TO BE MAINTAINING IT. THEY HAVE A SCHEDULE THAT'S DOESN'T KEEP UP WITH THE GRASS. UM, IS THERE ANY BUDGET COST, NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PROJECT, BUT FUTURE, UH, CONSIDERATION FOR, UH, THE COUNTY ACTUALLY DOING SOME MAINTAINING THOSE, THOSE, NO. SO RIGHT NOW WHERE WE ARE, WE'VE BEEN HAVING THE, UM, SOME PARTNERSHIP WITH FOLKS. UM, I KNOW THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ON LADIES ISLAND SORT OF COME IN AND DO SOME MAINTENANCE YEAH. IN THAT AREA AND STUFF. BUT, SO RIGHT NOW, THE WAY ALL THESE ARE BEING DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED IS THAT THEY WOULD MEET DOT'S STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS. SO AT THE END OF IT, WE CAN TURN THEM OVER TO DOT FOR MAINTENANCE. THEIR MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE IS MAYBE NOT THE SAME AS WHAT OTHER PEOPLE'S PREFERENCE MIGHT BE. THEY HAVE A WHOLE STATE OF GRASS TO MOW. SO, UM, IF, IF YOU WANTED TO SUBSIDIZE THAT, YOU CAN DO THAT EITHER THROUGH AGREEMENTS, FOR INSTANCE, SPANISH MOSS TRAIL. WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF BEAUFORT AND TOWN OF PORT ROYAL INSIDE THEIR AREAS. THEY MAINTAIN THE TRAIL AND UNINCORPORATED, WE MAINTAIN THE TRAIL AS FAR AS THE GRASS, UM, POSSIBLY WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS. THAT MIGHT COULD WORK. THE OTHER WAY TO MAINTAIN IT IS TO ADD ADDITIONAL, UH, GENERAL FUND FUNDS FOR OPERATIONS AND ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT DOT DOES. THAT'S NOT CONTEMPLATED IN ANY OF THE SALES TAX. THIS IS JUST FOR CONSTRUCTION. BUT THAT WOULD BE FUTURE BUDGETS AND WE COULD PREPARE [02:15:01] WHATEVER WE NEEDED TO FOR THE LEVEL OF MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE DESIRED. I THINK, I THINK WE SHOULD, UM, LOOK AT THO ALL OF THOSE OPTIONS AND, AND, AND MAKE SOME CONSIDERATION BECAUSE THERE'S NO SENSE PUTTING THE PATHWAYS AND THEN, UM, NOBODY'S WALKING THEM BECAUSE IT'S UNKEPT. UM, SO YEAH. SO WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT THAT AND WE'LL PUT THAT AS A NOTE FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? UM, COUNCILMAN BROWN. UM, HOW DO WE GET THE, CHANGE THE STATE TO CHANGE THE, THE MATERIAL THAT THEY, THEY WANNA TO SUBMIT NOW? RIGHT? AND THEY, UH, PEOPLE IN THE AREA WANT OUS NUMBER OF HIS WHATEVER. YEAH. SO HOW DON'T GET TO THEM TO CHANGE THAT. THEY HAVE A VERY, VERY EXTENSIVE QUALIFIED PRODUCTS LISTING IN LAB AND MATERIALS. AND IT GOES THROUGH, IF YOU SUBMIT A LAB AND MATERIALS REPORT AND, UM, THEY HAVE TO QUALIFY IT AND THEN APPROVE IT AND THEN PUT IT ON THEIR QPL QUALIFIED PRODUCTS. WELL, WHAT'S GOING IN NOW? I MEAN, I DON'T CONCRETE UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU JUST SAID. SO IF YOU WANT TO SUBSTITUTE IT. YES. UM, THEY DO NOT HAVE PERVIOUS PAVEMENT AS A STANDARD. YOU WOULD HAVE TO GET THEM TO UPDATE THEIR STANDARD. THAT'S THE MAKE A LAB TO THEIR, SO HOW DO WE DO THAT? I THINK I'LL JUST MAKE A COMMENT. OKAY. CONTACT YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE. IT'LL BE A LONG BATTLE, I THINK. OH. BECAUSE OUR STATE SENATOR LIVES JUST IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD ACROSS THE STREET. SO COULD WE GET HIM OUT? I MEAN, I THINK IT'D BE A LONG BATTLE. AND THIS KIND OF GETTING OFF, OFF SUBJECT, WE'RE KIND OFF JARED'S SUBJECT AND NON PERVIOUS. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. I APOLOGIZE. AND JUST TO, TO TALK ABOUT IT. I MEAN, WHY DON'T WE DO ALL SIDEWALKS PERVIOUS? IT'S BECAUSE, HEY, I'M BECOME AN EXPERT ON THIS NOW SINCE I'VE LOOKED INTO THIS AND FOUND OUT IS THE FACT THAT PERVIOUS SIDEWALKS HAVE A, HAVE A LIFE LIMIT. THEY ACTUALLY ONLY LAST 20, 25 YEARS WHEN CONCRETE LASTS FOREVER. THEY HAVE TO BE MAINTAINED THAT IF YOU DON'T VACUUM IN THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS, THEY ACTUALLY FILL UP WITH SAND ANYHOW AND JUST RUNS OFF THE EXACT SAME WAY. WOW. UM, THEY RUMBLE, ESPECIALLY GOING OVER TOP. ALL THESE DRIVEWAYS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE GOING OVER, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF CRUMBLING THAT HAPPENS. UM, THEY'RE ALSO NOT AS FRIENDLY FOR A DA PEOPLE IN WHEELCHAIRS AND STROLLERS BECAUSE AGAIN, IT, IT IS THEIR ROUGHER SURFACE. UM, THAT, THAT YOU'VE GOT. SO THERE'S THERE, THERE, THERE'S A, A GOOD SIDE, BUT THERE'S ALSO THE, THE BAD SIDE TO GO INTO PER, AND THEN IT COSTS MORE TO BEGIN WITH AND THE STATE WILL MAINTAIN IT. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, IF, IF PERUS SETS A GREAT THING WOULD DO IT EVERYWHERE WOULD BUILD THE BRIDGE IT HILTON HAD OUT OF PERVIOUS CONCRETE, WHICH AGAIN, WHY DON'T WE ASK FOR THAT SAY. RIGHT. OKAY. . BUT THERE'S A REASON WHY, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER WHOLE SUBJECT AND WE'LL HAVE TO PROCESS THAT LATER. BUT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS MORE AT THE JULY COUNTY COUNCIL, OR AUGUST. WE'RE TAKING THIS LIST FOR FINAL APPROVAL TO JULY THE OKAY. OKAY. THE ALL JOY BIDS FOR THAT PATHWAY PROJECT ARE COME TO AUGUST PFC AND SUBSEQUENTLY SEPTEMBER COUNCIL MEETING. OH, OKAY. NOT UNTIL SEPTEMBER. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY LAST QUESTIONS? NO. UM, WE'RE DONE. WELL, UNLESS YOU, YOU CAN DO SOME, HE'S GOT MORE. YEAH. I, I WANT TO WALK OUTTA HERE WITH, AND MIKE, WALK OUTTA HERE. THAT IS THIS, ARE THERE ANY DESIRED CHANGES TO WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US? UM, BECAUSE IF NOT THE RESOLUTION THAT'S ATTACHED IN THE BACKUP WOULD BE WHAT WE WOULD BRING TO, SHOULD WE BRING THE RESOLUTION UP? YEAH. BECAUSE I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT IT'S SPECIFIC ABOUT SURFACES IN THE RESOLUTION. SO THERE'S A LOT OF SPECIFICITY THERE THAT I THINK WOULD BE YES. SECOND PAGE. I THINK IT'S GOOD JUST THE WAY IT IS. YEAH. WELL, I, I DO HAVE A COMMENT. I MEAN, I'D, IF MIDDLE ROAD'S NOT AN OPTION, I'D LIKE TO SEE BROAD RIVER MOVING. UH, UH, I, THAT'S JUST A PERSONAL, THAT'S MY DISTRICT. SO I'M BEING VERY, AND IF YOU WANNA SWAP MIDDLE ROAD FOR, FOR, UM, BROAD RIVER, THAT'S, THIS IS JUST A, SOMETHING FOR YOU GUYS TO, UH, JUMPING OFF POINT TO HAVE DISCUSSION IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE STUFF, WE ARE WELCOME. WHATEVER THOSE THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS ARE. YEAH. SO TO YOUR, TO MIKE'S POINT, YOU CAN SEE LIKE ALL JOY RIGHT THERE, GO UP. IT IS A SIX FOOT CONCRETE SIDEWALK ON THE EAST SIDE, AND THEN IT SHIFTS TO THE WEST SIDE ONCE YOU GET THE SHADOW, OR, UM, THOMAS LAWTON. JARED, DO YOU WANT TO MAYBE BRIEFLY MENTION SALEM ROAD SINCE WE HAD SOME CITIZEN QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? YEAH, SO SALEM, CAN YOU GO TO THE, THERE'S ANOTHER DOCUMENT. SALEM ROAD. I WANNA SHOW Y'ALL HOW EXTENSIVE THIS DOCUMENT IS. SO THIS DOCUMENT, UM, IT'S, I DON'T KNOW, 10 PAGES OR SO. SO JENNIFER BRAGG DID A REALLY GOOD JOB PUTTING TOGETHER ALL THE BACKUP INFORMATION, BUT THIS IS WHAT I WAS ALLUDING TO IS WE LOOKED AT BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD. UM, PRESENTLY [02:20:01] IT'S ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WE'RE 65% DESIGNED, AND YOU CAN SEE THE COST 2.6 MILLION, AND WE'LL BE CONSTRUCTED WITH THIS IN TWO YEARS. THE WEST SIDE OF THE ROAD IS THE $3.9 MILLION. UM, NOW SCROLL DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT. I WANT YOU GUYS, MS. HOWARD KNOWS THIS. YEAH, WELL AS I THINK CHAIRMAN PASSMAN OR MS. PASSMAN, YOU WERE ALLUDING TO IT. UM, NOT EVERYBODY KNOWS IT AS WELL, BUT YOU SCROLL DOWN, THERE'S A, THERE'S LIKE A AERIAL, I WANT Y'ALL TO SEE SALEM ROAD IS BEHIND LOWE'S WHEN THERE'S A LOT OF APARTMENTS ON SALEM ROAD THAT YEAH. AND NEW APARTMENTS COMING IN, AND THAT'S THE BIG PART. KEEP GOING A LITTLE BIT FURTHER. ALL RIGHT. RIGHT THERE. I KNOW IT'S REALLY HARD. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ZOOM IN JUST THE, THE GRAPHIC, THE, UM, PICTURE. OKAY. WELL, SO JUST TAKE MY WORD FOR IT. UM, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF APARTMENTS COMING IN RIGHT BEHIND LOWE'S, MS. HOWARD WAS MENTIONING, AND THE REQUEST WAS FOR THE, THE ROAD, THE SIDEWALK TO MOVE TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHICH IS THE BACK END OF THOSE APARTMENTS. UM, THE FRONT END HAS PRESENTLY IN THEIR DESIGN, THEY'RE BUILDING THE APARTMENTS WITH ACCESS TO ONE 70. SALEM IS KIND OF ON THE BACK END OF THOSE APARTMENTS. THERE IS, UH, ONE OR TWO SMALLER DEPARTMENT APARTMENTS ALREADY ON THAT ROAD. SO IN THE SCOPE, WE ARE PROVIDING A, A SMALL SIDEWALK TO COLLECT THOSE TWO APARTMENTS AND THEN A CROSSOVER TO GET TO OUR MAJOR, UH, PATHWAY. THAT'S WHAT'S IN THE SPECIFIC PLAN THAT WE HAVE TODAY. UM, IF WE MOVE IT, THAT WAS THE REQUEST, MOVE IT TO THE OTHER SIDE BECAUSE OF ALL THE APARTMENTS AND YOU GUYS, I JUST POINTED OUT WHAT THE IMPACTS ARE. SO IF THERE'S A DESIRE TO ENTERTAIN THAT, UH, WE CAN DO THAT. BUT AGAIN, THAT WOULD COST EXTRA MONEY AND WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT OTHER PROJECTS TO TRADE FOR. I APPRECIATE COST ESTIMATES. TO ME, THAT IS A VERY DECIDING FACTOR, HOW MUCH MORE IT WOULD COST, LEAVE IT LIKE IT IS FOR NOW RESOLUTION BACK TO THE RESOLUTION. YOU ALSO DISCUSSED THAT WITH THE CITY AS WELL. THAT'S PROBABLY A GOOD POINT TO BRING UP. YES, YES. SO WE, WE DID, AFTER HAVING A DISCUSSION WITH PROPERTY OWNER, UM, WE WENT TO THE CITY AND THE CITY SAID THEY WERE INDIFFERENT. SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE A PREFERENCE, WHETHER IT'S ON THE EAST SIDE OR THE WEST SIDE. SO AGAIN, AS THIS PREPARED, IT'S A EIGHT FOOT CONCRETE PATHWAY ON THE EAST SIDE, WHICH IS THE CLOSEST TO THE MARSH, ALL THE WAY FROM ONE 70 TO OLD SALEM. AND THEN IT HAS THAT FIVE FOOT CROSSOVER, UM, TO THE ONE SET OF APARTMENTS AND THEN A BOARDWALK OVER THE CREEK. A QUESTION. MM-HMM . WHAT WOULD BE THE TIMELINE TO GET THESE COMPLETED? I KNOW WE ASK YOU ALL THE TIME, BUT YES. SO THE GOOD THING IS WITH THE SET OF PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE PROPOSED, IT'S A MUCH SMALLER SCALE. SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, JERRY, YOU MAY WANNA BRING UP THE SPREADSHEET THAT'S GOT THE STATUS OF EACH OF THEM. YEP. SORRY, WE'RE SWITCHING BACK. FRANK'S, WE GOT A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION, SO THANK YOU. UM, AS SHE'S BRINGING IT UP, I, I'LL DESCRIBE IT THOUGH. SO, UM, IN SHORT, A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE, WE'RE CLOSE TO RIGHT OF AWAY ON 60, 70% DESIGN. SO IF YOU GO UP THERE IN THE YELLOW, UM, YOU CAN SEE ALL JOY IS BEING BID RIGHT NOW OR 65%. THE ONLY ONE THAT'S KIND OF NOT TOO FAR ALONG IS BURNT CHURCH BECAUSE WE WERE RE POSITIONING THAT WE WERE DOING THE ROAD WIDENING ALONG WITH THE PATHWAY. NOW WE'RE JUST DOING THE PATHWAY. UM, AND THE REST OF 'EM ARE IN BIDDING OR CLOSE TO DESIGN. UM, YOU CAN SEE AS YOU GET FURTHER DOWN, THERE'S LESS WORK DONE. JOE FRAZIER DIDN'T HAVE ANY WORK DONE, SO THAT WOULD'VE BEEN STARTING OVER. AND THEN, UM, ON ALL THE ROADS ON LADIES ISLAND, WE'VE GOT SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DESIGN EITHER GOING TO RIGHT AWAY, SOME OF THOSE WILL BE UP FOR CONSTRUCTION VERY SOON. ALL IN ALL, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO GET THESE DONE? UM, AS A FRAME OF REFERENCE BEING NOVEMBER, 2026, THERE WILL BE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF THESE COMPLETED. NOT ALL OF THEM WILL BE COMPLETED, UH, BUT A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THEM WILL BE COMPLETED OR EITHER UNDER CONSTRUCTION TWO YEARS. THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR, RIGHT? THE ONES IN YELLOW, CORRECT. ONLY THE ONES IN YELLOW. OH, OH, OKAY. ALL RIGHT. BY 2020. [02:25:02] SO TO HEAR THAT JENNIFER BRAGG, OUR CONSULTANT, UM, MIDDLE ROAD THERE AT THE BOTTOM IS IN 70%. DESIGN IS ACTUALLY IN RIGHT OF WAY ACQUISITION AS WELL. SO, UM, THAT WAS, WE HAD FOUR, WE HAD BROUGHT TO YOU GUYS PREVIOUSLY ABOUT, UM, STARTING THEIR RIGHT OF WAY ACQUISITION. AND SO THAT ONE'S GOTTA STEP UP. SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT FURTHER THAN THE 70% DESIGN AND I THINK OLD SALEM ROAD IS IN, UM, YOUR DISTRICT. COUNCILMAN DAWSON. YEAH. AND THAT'S OKAY. OKAY. WHEN I HAD A COMMENT ON WAS, WAS BROAD RIVER DRIVE WEST OH, WHAT DID, IF, IF THERE WAS, BUT I, YOU KNOW, IF NOTHING FALLS OUT THE TOP IT, IT WOULDN'T ENOUGH MONEY FOR IT. SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, ANYTHING ELSE YOU NEED FROM US TODAY? I HAVE A COUPLE, JUST TWO QUICK ONES. MM-HMM . ONE, IS THERE GONNA BE A PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION COMING UP BEFORE WE CONCLUDE? AND I'LL TELL YOU THE REASON WHY. WE GOT TWO FOLKS HERE FROM BREEZE, BRIAN AND JOHN. I THINK THEY MAY WANNA SAY SOMETHING TO US AS A RESULT OF A BOARD MEETING WE HAD THE OTHER DAY. THAT'S ONE IN, THE OTHER THING IS YOU TALKED ABOUT A BUCKET OF MONEY THAT MAY BE LEFT OVER THAT WE CAN, UM, APPROPRIATE. DOES THAT HAVE TO BE DONE TODAY OR IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN DO DOWN THE ROAD? UH, OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE, UH, A GOOD DEFINITION SO WE CAN DELIVER AND EXECUTE ALL THE PROJECTS. SO OUR GOAL IS TO DO THAT DONE. WE DON'T HAVE TO, I MEAN, WE CAN TAKE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS OFF THE LIST AND STILL HAVE THE $11 MILLION UNALLOCATED. RIGHT. BUT IT IS PUBLICLY LOCAL SALES TASKS THAT NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED ON THESE PROJECT LISTS. 2018 IS A LONG TIME TO DO WE GET THAT? UM, IS IT POSSIBLE, AND I'M GONNA THROW IT OUT THERE AND I'LL DEFER TO MY COLLEAGUE DOWN ON THE FAR LEFT. UM, IS THERE ANY MONEY THAT COULD BE, UH, APPROPRIATED FOR THE SEA PINE CIRCLE OUT OF THAT 11? NO. NO. YEAH, SO THE TERMIN I FOR 2018 WAS FROM MOSS CREEK TO SQUIRE. UNDERSTOOD. YEAH. THANK YOU. OKAY. JUST, JUST SO EVERYTHING I'VE HEARD YOU SAY IS THERE WAS 11 MILLION, BUT YOU'RE RECOMMENDING WE USE 8 MILLION FOR THE LADIES ISLAND. SO THAT THEN IN THAT BUCKET OF MONEY, THERE'S ONLY YES, SIR. WELL, SO OUT OUTTA THIS, UH, IF I CAN, IF YOU CAN GET OUT OF THE ZOOM. UM, SO IN WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING AND SHOWING, UM, IT IS USING ALL OF THE 11. SO THERE WAS 9 MILLION ISH, EIGHT, EIGHT AND A HALF, $9 MILLION FROM LADIES ISLAND. AND THEN, UM, TWO AND A HALF, UM, GOING TOWARDS ADDITIONAL PATHWAYS. GOOD POINT. UH, MARK, THANK YOU. UM, COUNSEL, WE DID HAVE, HE, I THINK HE WAS HERE DURING OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD EARLIER, AND WE DID NOT, WE'D HAVE TO AMEND THE AGENDA. WE ONLY, WE HAD TWO PUBLIC COMMENT PERIODS TODAY. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE IF WE'RE GOOD. YEAH, GOOD. THANK YOU. OKAY. LAST ROUNDS. ANYBODY, ANYTHING FROM MR. MOORE? ANY, MR. MOORE, ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO SAY? UH, NOT ON THIS TOPIC. I THINK WE HAVE ONE MORE TOPIC TO, TO COVER. OKAY. ALRIGHT. I THINK WE HAVE DIRECTION. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE ALL THE DISCUSSION. OKAY. YOU READY FOR THE NEXT ONE? YES. 2 78 UPDATE. SO I WANTED TO, UM, BRING TO YOU TO EVERYONE'S ATTENTION. WE, WE KNOW WE GOT THE SIB GRANT FUNDING, UM, EARLIER THIS WEEK, WHICH WAS GOOD NEWS. UM, SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, UM, SECRETARY POWELL FROM THE DOT REACHED OUT TO US TO, TO LET US KNOW THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FUNDING FOR THE LARGE BRIDGE PROJECT, UH, THE BRIDGE INVESTMENT PROGRAM, BIP. IT WAS PUBLISHED IN, UH, JUNE, 2025. AND THERE'S SOME DETAILS, BUT WHAT HE IS ASKED IS THAT THIS WOULD NOW BE THE STATE'S PROJECT TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS, UM, BRIDGE INVESTMENT PROGRAM. UM, THE ISSUE IS THAT THE GRANT APPLICATION IS DUE ON AUGUST 1ST AND THE COUNTY WOULD BE AN APPLICANT, BUT WE ADMINISTRATION INTENDED TO WORK WITH THE SECRETARY TO BRING A GRANT AGREEMENT OR A GRANT, UH, APPLICATION, UH, TO COUNT TO COUNSEL IF WE CAN GET THERE BY JULY 14TH. IF NOT, WE MAY HAVE TO DO A SPECIAL CALL CALL MEETING TO MEET THE DEADLINE. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT JUST WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT COULD BE INVOLVED IN THIS, BUT IT, IT COULD ACTUALLY ALLOW FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE WESTBOUND STRUCTURE AS WELL AS OTHER IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN THE 2 78 CORRIDOR. SO THIS COULD BE QUITE A BIT OF, UM, ADDITIONAL [02:30:01] FUNDS TO COME IN THAT WE WOULD LEVERAGE FROM THE, UH, 2018 SALES TAX, 80 MILLION ALONG WITH THE 120 MILLION FROM THE SIP SECRETARY POWELL HAS ALREADY KIND OF WORKED THIS IN THE BEHIND THE SCENES IN COLUMBIA. SO OUR, ALL THE RIGHT FOLKS ARE NOW AWARE WE'RE GONNA BE PUTTING IN FOR THIS, UH, THIS GRANT. BUT I WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW SO THAT YOU CAN EXPECT THAT, UH, TO COME LATER THIS MONTH. SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS POPPED UP. SHE'S GOT, SHE'S GOT A, SHE'S GOT A QUESTION. WAIT, WAIT. I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHY IT POPPED UP. I, I KNOW THAT I, I WANT TO KNOW IF WE, IF WE CONTINUE WITH BOTH IN EAST AND WESTBOUND, WILL THERE BE TWO SEPARATE BRIDGES AS OPPOSED TO ONE BIG WIDE BRIDGE ANSWERS ON THAT? YEAH, I MEAN, I'LL TELL YOU MY, MY PREFERENCE IS TWO SEPARATE ONES. I DON'T WANT TO TO CLOUD YOUR JUDGMENT ON THAT, BUT I DID WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA. . NO, I UNDERSTAND. UM, WE HAVE TO WORK WITH ENGINEERING DOT ON THAT. UM, WHAT'S, WHAT'S ALSO A CONSTRICTING, IT'S, WE'RE KIND OF THREADING THE NEEDLE HERE, UM, BETWEEN BEING ABLE TO APPLY AND THEN ALSO TIMELINES. AND WHERE OUR, OUR SBA GRANT THAT WE JUST GOT APPROVED, OUR, UM, WE HAD A 2031 COMPLETION SCHEDULE. SO THIS WOULD BE STILL WITHIN THAT TIMEFRAME. IN ORDER TO FIT IT, WE HAVE ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL WORK AND DESIGN WORK COMPLETED ON THE ONE SINGLE LANE STRUCTURE THAT WAS AGREED UPON AS OUR PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE. UM, THAT WOULD BE THE QUICKEST AVENUE. UM, IT, THAT STRUCTURE AS PREVIOUSLY THAT WE'VE BASICALLY SET ON THE SHELF IN DECEMBER, UM, IS THE ONE LABEL, ONE LAW WIDE BRIDGE INSTEAD OF TWO SEPARATE BRIDGES? YES. THAT'S, THAT'S THE DOCUMENTS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW THAT ARE READY AND AVAILABLE, UM, FOR CONSIDERATION TO BREAK 'EM APART. WE'D HAVE TO EVALUATE THAT WITH DOT AND FEDERAL HIGHWAY TO SEE WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE AS FAR AS TIME IS. SO THEY'RE ENCOURAGING US TO GO BACK IN WITH THE ORIGINAL DESIGN. IS THAT IT? THAT WOULD BE THE ROUTE THAT IS EASIEST TO EXECUTE. YES. SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY ALL OF A SUDDEN THIS CAME UP WITHIN AUGUST 1ST, WE'VE SPENT MONTHS AGONIZING OVER THE SIB, THE STATE SENATOR DAVIS, AND NOW HERE WE ARE JUNE 26TH AND THIS COMES OUT. WHAT'S, PLEASE EXPLAIN THAT. YEAH, AND I I COULD TELL YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS CAME ABOUT ON JUNE 2ND, THIS, UH, THIS PUBLICATION AND THEN, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, SECRETARY POWELL IS WAITING TO SEE HOW THE SIB WAS GONNA PROCEED ON THIS IF WE HAD NOT GOTTEN THE CIB FUNDING. NOW THAT WE GOT THE C FUNDING, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD BRING THIS BACK TO YOU ALL AND IT WOULD TAKE A COUNTY COUNCIL VOTE TO SUBMIT THE APPLICATION. SO YOU ALL WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN ON THAT. OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCIL, RICH, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP? I, I THINK MR. MOORE, YOU ANSWERED IT. YOU'RE GONNA GET US UPFRONT WHAT THIS MEANS SO WE'RE NOT CONFUSED. CORRECT. BECAUSE THIS IS TOTALLY NEW AND IT'S GOING BACK TO SOMETHING THAT WAS, UM, RAILED AGAINST FOR A WHILE BY A NUMBER OF PEOPLE. SO WE GOTTA REALLY FOCUS ON COMMUNICATION. UNDERSTOOD. AND, AND JUST BEAR IN MIND, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, FEDERAL PROGRAM, SO THERE'S NO ASSURANCE EVEN IF WE PUT IN FOR IT, WE'LL GET IT, BUT IS IT WE'RE COMPETING AGAINST 50 STATES, STATES. IT'S, IT'S A NATIONAL THANK YOU PROJECT. THIS IS SO, I MEAN, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY. IT'S PRESENTED ITSELF. I WOULD BE REMISS WOULD I NOT BRING IT TO YOU ALL, BUT IT'LL ULTIMATELY BE COUNSEL'S DECISION ON HOW TO PROCEED ON THIS. OKAY. I MEAN, THIS ASKS QUICKLY, MADAM CHAIRMAN, UM, I, I SAY PURSUE IT. UM, BUT I ALSO KNOW YOU MAY NEED MANPOWER AND OTHER RESOURCES IN ORDER TO GET THE APPLICATION IN ON A TIMELY FASHION. AND I, TO YOUR QUESTION, DOTI BELIEVE IS, IS WORKING MOST OF THAT. YEAH, WE HAD A MEETING TOMORROW TO DISCUSS, JUST WE WANTED TO PRESENT IT TO YOU GUYS AS HIGH LEVEL, LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY, THE MECHANICS AND THE MANPOWER TO GET IT DONE. WE'D WORK THAT OUT WITH DOT BETWEEN OUR STAFF AND THEIR STAFF. OKAY. OKAY. I'M GONNA SLOW DOWN THE EASTBOUND BRIDGE BECAUSE OF THE TIME SCHEDULING. AND SO, AND THIS IS WHY, BACK TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE ONE BRIDGE. UM, SO THE ONE BRIDGE, UH, WE WERE MOVING IT FORWARD. WE HAD SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DESIGN AND WE SAT IT WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE THE SALES TAX PASS, WE SAT IT OFF TO THE SIDE. WE'VE COME UP WITH THE CONCEPT WITH THE THREE LANE BRIDGE, AND THAT'S THE PROJECT TODAY THAT JUST GOT APPROVED. THAT'S 10% DESIGN RIGHT NOW CONCEPTUAL. SO OVER THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MOVE THAT PROJECT FORWARD. SO JUST TIME SCHEDULE IF WE APPLIED IN AUGUST, AND TYPICALLY THEY KIND OF GIVE YOU AN INDICATION WHETHER YOU MAKE IT THROUGH THE FIRST PART OF THE PROCESS BY THE END OF THE YEAR. AND THEN IN THE SPRING IS USUALLY WHEN THE AWARDS ARE MADE AND ANNOUNCED. SO SIX OR NINE MONTHS FROM NOW, UM, THAT'S THE TIME THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO THE ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION AND THE UPDATED [02:35:01] DESIGN ON THIS THREE LANE PROJECT. SO IN ESSENCE, THEY WOULD BE ONE SITTING STILL, THE NEW THREE LANE WOULD CATCH UP. AND THEN IF WE GET A DECISION, IF WE APPLIED AND GOT A DECISION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, WE HAVEN'T LOST ANY TIME IN OUR OVERALL PROJECT DELIVERY SCHEDULE. AND BASICALLY WHICHEVER HORSE IS SELECTED, WE WOULD CARRY OUT. THAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY. SO STAY TUNED, STAY TUNED TO WHAT YOU FIND OUT AND YOU'LL LET US KNOW. YEAH, WE WILL SPEAK WITH SECRETARY POWELL TOMORROW FOLLOWING THIS DISCUSSION AND THEN WE'LL KEEP YOU ALL INFORMED. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. OKAY. THIS IS, THANK YOU. NEW NEWS, . THANK YOU. YES IT IS. ALRIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE? LETS ADJOURN. OKAY. YES, ADUR, WE ARE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. YOU ARE WATCHING BEAUFORT COUNTY TV. I'M NATALIE HEFTER AND THIS IS YOUR BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT. ORIGINALLY CALLED KIRK'S BLUFF. BLUFFTON WAS CHARTERED IN 1852. WHEN YOU VISIT BLUFFTON, BE SURE TO STOP AT THE HAYWARD HOUSE HISTORIC CENTER OPERATED BY THE BLUFFTON HISTORICAL PRESERVATION SOCIETY. THERE YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT ALL OF THE ANTEBELLUM STRUCTURES IN BLUFFTON IN THE NATIONAL HISTORIC DISTRICT. YOU CAN SEE CHURCH OF THE CROSS AS WELL AS THE CAMPBELL CHAPEL. THESE BUILDINGS SURVIVED THE BURNING OF BLUFFTON BY UNION FORCES IN 1863. ORIGINALLY, PLANTERS VISITED BLUFFTON IN THE SUMMER MONTHS TO ESCAPE THE MALARIA AND THE HEAT OF THEIR PLANTATIONS ON THE OUTLYING AREAS OF BLUFFTON. BE SURE TO STROLL DOWN CALHOUN STREET VISITING GALLERIES AND SEEING THE ARCHITECTURE. AND ENJOY YOUR VISIT TO BLUFFTON, I'M NATALIE HEFTER, AND THIS HAS BEEN YOUR BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT. TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.