* 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. PUSH THE BUTTON THERE. YOU HAVE TO HIT THE BUTTON. YOU DO? WHAT DOES YOUR, UM, APPLE WATCH SAY TWO O'CLOCK. OKAY. Y'ALL READY? . OKAY. THIS MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER. THIS IS THE, UH, AUGUST 20TH, 2025 BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS OF BUFORT COUNTY REGULAR BOARD MEETING. UH, CAN WE ALL STAND AND SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO REPUBLIC FOR, FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. MORE TIME FOR THAT? YEAH. OKAY. FIRST, UM, ON THE AGENDA, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE AN AMENDED AGENDA, UH, WITH THE FOLLOWING EDITIONS. UNDER SECTION FIVE MINUTES FROM MEETINGS, ADD ITEMS B AND C FOR THE MINUTES FROM THE AUGUST 13 AND AUGUST 14, SPECIAL CALLED BOARD MEETINGS. AND THE OTHER CHANGE IS SHOWN ON, UH, A HANDOUT THAT YOU RECEIVED THAT'S WATERMARK AMENDED. IT INCLUDES A SECOND TOPIC FOR THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, WHICH IS A DISCUSSION OF RISK MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS PERTAINING TO INSURANCE COVERAGE. SECOND, YOU MADE A MOTION CORRECT, MR. CHAIR? YES. I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE MEETING NOTES. THEY WERE RECEIVED AT 10 31 LAST NIGHT. YES. AND THERE ARE SOME CONSIDERATIONS THAT NEED TO BE DISCUSSED DURING EXECUTIVE SESSION, SOME IN, UM, IN MY OPINION, SOME INCORRECT INFORMATION. SO IF WE COULD BE, IF WE COULD JUST DELETE THOSE. I DON'T THINK WE'VE BEEN GIVEN ENOUGH TIME TO REFLECT ON THOSE. AND I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS I NEED TO ASK ABOUT THOSE. OKAY. SO YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD LIKE TO NOT AMEND TODAY'S AGENDA WITH THE DISCUSSION OF THE AUGUST 13TH AND 14TH? YES, SIR. MINUTES? YES, SIR. IS IT, CAN WE, UH, GO AHEAD. CAN'T WE DEFER DISCUSSION UNTIL EXECUTIVE SESSION AND THEN COME BACK AND, AND, AND IF EVERYTHING GOES WELL, WE CAN APPROVE IT AT THAT TIME? OR DO WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT BOARD MEETING? UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT BOARD MEETING. THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION IF WE HAVE, BUT IF WE HAD A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, CAN WE CHANGE? DO WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THAT, THAT MOTION BEFORE WE DISCUSS WHAT MS. DORE TALKED ABOUT? I THINK WE WOULD HAVE TO VOTE ON THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR FIRST. IT SEEMS TO ME AS IF I SPOKE BEFORE THE MOTION WAS MADE. DID I, UH, NO, YOU, YOU SPOKE AFTER IT WAS SECONDED, WHICH WAS TIME FOR DISCUSSION ANYWAY. OKAY. DID YOU AMEND THE MOTION OR YOU JUST MADE A SUGGESTION? I WOULD LIKE TO AMEND THE MOTION BY STATING THAT WE WOULD VOTE, UH, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF, UM, THE 17TH AND, UM, B AND C, THAT WE WAIT UNTIL AFTER WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE INCONSISTENCIES. OKAY. I'D LIKE TO FIRST VOTE ON THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR, AND IF IT'S A NO VOTE, WE CAN TALK ABOUT MAKING AN AMENDED MOTION. OKAY. SO IF WE, IF WE VOTE TO DISCUSS THE MEETING MINUTES ON THE AGENDA DURING THOSE MEETING MINUTES, IF YOU BELIEVE THERE ARE SOME CORRECTIONS THAT NEED TO BE MADE, WE, WE COULD THEN MAKE, MAKE THE AMENDMENTS THEN, OR WE COULD DECLINE TO APPROVE THAT DAY'S MEETING MINUTES, MAKE THE AMENDMENTS TO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION. UH, WE COULD MAKE A MOTION DURING THE REVIEW OF THAT DAY'S MEETING MINUTES TO DEFER APPROVAL UNTIL AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION. BUT THIS MOTION [00:05:01] AT THE MOMENT IS JUST TO ADD REVIEW OF THE MEETING MINUTES FROM THE 13TH AND 14TH TO TODAY'S AGENDA. SO, SHOULD I RESTATE THE MOTION? OKAY. SO I, I MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA TO ADD THE FOLLOWING IN SECTION FIVE ITEMS, UH, B AND C NEW ITEMS, WHICH IS MINUTES FROM MEETINGS FOR THE AUGUST 13TH AND AUGUST 14TH, SPECIAL CALL BOARD MEETINGS. AND SECONDLY, IN ADDITION TO EXECUTIVE SESSION, UM, A LEGAL DISCUSSION ABOUT RISK MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS PERTAINING TO INSURANCE COVERAGE. SO THE MOTION'S ALREADY BEEN, UH, SECONDED. SECONDED IT. OKAY. SO ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? ALL OPPOSED? NO. OKAY. ABSTENTIONS. 'CAUSE I'M CONFUSED AS TO WHAT WE'RE DOING. SO WHAT WE JUST VOTED TO DO IS TO ADD THE MEETING MINUTES TO THE AGENDA FOR THE AUGUST 13 AND 14 SPECIAL CALL BOARD MEETINGS. OKAY. SO WHEN WE GO TO THE SECTION, FIVE MINUTES ON MEETINGS, WE'LL REVIEW THE MEETING MINUTES FROM EACH OF THOSE MEETINGS. OKAY? I APPROVE. AND AT THAT TIME, COMMENTS CAN BE MADE TO AMEND THOSE MEETING MINUTES AND APPROVE THEM. OR IF, IF WE AGREE AS A BOARD THAT IT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED FURTHER IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE CAN DO THAT. OKAY? OKAY. MR. CHAIR, UH, A PART OF MY DISAGREEMENT IS THAT WE JUST RECEIVED THOSE, THE EMAIL, THE EMAIL WAS SENT LAST NIGHT AT 10 31. AND UNLESS SOMEONE WAS UP AND OPENED THEIR EMAIL THAT LATE, I OPENED IT THIS MORNING. AND I THINK THAT WE NEED MORE NOTICE WHEN WE ARE APPRO MINUTES THEN, UM, 10 31 AT NIGHT TO THE CURRENT MOMENT. OKAY. YOUR COMMENT IS NOTED. THEY WERE VERY SIMPLE MEETING MINUTES, BUT YOUR COMMENT IS NOTED. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA, UM, PUBLIC COMMENTS, SEEING NO PUBLIC PRESENT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO MINUTES FROM THE MEETING ON JULY 17. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES FROM THE JULY 17 BOARD MEETING LIEN? SO, MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THE MINUTES FROM JULY 17TH BOARD MEETING. I SECOND. OKAY. UM, DISCUSSION. I, I DO HAVE A SUGGESTED AMENDMENT OR A CHANGE, UM, THESE MEETING MINUTES, THEY HAVE, UH, SUMMARIES OF THE THREE DOCUMENTS THAT WE APPROVE FOR DISCUSSION WITH THE LEGISLATIVE COMM, UM, DELEGATION. AND I WOULD PROPOSE THAT RATHER THAN PUTTING A, A SHORT SYNOPSIS OF THOSE THREE ONE PAGE DOCUMENTS, WE SIMPLY REFER TO THEM AS ATTACHMENTS IN THE NOTES. AND ALSO UNDER NEW BUSINESS, THE VISION FOR HIGH PERFORMING BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS. UH, I BELIEVE THAT DOCUMENT SHOULD BE, UM, REFERENCED AS AN ATTACHMENT TO THE NOTES. I GUESS I'M ASKING IF, IF THE MOTION CAN BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE THOSE CHANGES, THE CHANGES BEING ATTACHMENT AND REFERENCE TO THE THREE DOCUMENTS APPROVED FOR DISCUSSION WITH THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION AND REFERENCE AND ATTACHMENT TO THE VISION FOR A HIGH PERFORMING BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS. SO, IF I UNDERSTAND IT, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT WE WILL ADD THESE TO THE MINUTES THAT WERE GIVEN TO US, THOSE DOCUMENTS? UH, YES. WE'LL ADD THOSE. AND IN THE CASE OF THE, THE THREE SUMMARIES, THE POLL WORKER PAY, THE POOLED POLLING LOCATIONS. AND WHAT'S THE OTHER ONE? THE PROCUREMENT OF VOTING EQUIPMENT. THE SUMMARIES, THE BRIEF SUMMARIES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE NOTES WILL SIMPLY BE REPLACED WITH A REFERENCE TO THE FULL PAGE DOCUMENTS RATHER THAN RISK. UM, A SUMMARY NOT BEING CONSISTENT WITH THE ATTACHMENT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UH, THE AMENDED MOTION. AMENDED MOTION? YES. OKAY. EILEEN MITCHELL, MOVE THAT, UM, WE ACCEPT THE AMENDED MOTION. SECOND. SECOND. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS, UM, MINUTES FROM THE MEETING ON AUGUST [00:10:01] 13, THE SPECIAL CALLED BOARD MEETING. THESE MINUTES ARE INCLUDED IN THE HANDOUTS FROM CHRIS. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MEETINGS FROM THE AUGUST 13TH, 2025 SPECIAL CALLED BOARD MEETING? I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT SECOND COMMENTS. MR. FORD, DO YOU HAVE A COPY? UH, DOUBLY HAD A, I HAD A COMMENT ABOUT THE AUGUST 14TH, UM, SPECIAL CALL BOARD MEETING. OKAY. WELL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE AUGUST 13TH SPECIAL CALL RIGHT NOW. YES. UM, THAT'S NOT MY, MY QUESTION. OKAY. SO THE MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OKAY. SO THE MINUTES FROM THE AUGUST 13TH BOARD MEETING, UH, ARE APPROVED. I MAY HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES FROM THE AUGUST 14TH, 2025 SPECIAL CALLED BOARD MEETING. EILEEN MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THOSE MINUTES WITH ANY NECESSARY CHANGES ARE CORRECTIONS. I SECOND COMMENTS? YES. UM, DURING A SPECIAL CALL BOARD MEETING, IT'S NOT REQUIRED TO BE, UM, TELEVISED. UH, IT'S NOT REQUIRED. ACCORDING TO OUR RULES, UH, WE ARE TO TELEVISE WHEN POSSIBLE BOARD MEETINGS. SO IN THAT CASE, THE, THE, THE COUNTY BROADCAST TEAM SHOWED UP. THEY MISUNDERSTOOD. THEY WERE PREPARED TO SET UP A ZOOM CALL NOT TO BROADCAST THE MEETING. OKAY. AND THEN DURING THAT MEETING, UM, THERE WERE MATTERS AROUSING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION. AND IT SAID THAT MR. COOPER MADE A MOTION THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION OF CANDIDATE B FOR THE DIRECT OF THE BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS WITH A SALARY TO BE DETERMINED, ET CETERA. UM, MR. SWEENEY IS AUTHORIZED TO REPRESENT THE BOARD. IN THAT PROCESS, THE RECOMMENDED CANDIDATE WOULD COMPLETE AN ACCEPTABLE BACKGROUND CHECK AND DRUG SCREEN. THE MOTION WAS SECOND AND BY MS. JOHNSON, AND THE MOTION WAS PASSED. I WAS OF THE OPINION THAT WHEN A MOTION IS, UM, MADE, THERE IS A STATEMENT ALL IN FAVOR AND ALL OPPOSED. AND I DID NOT FEEL THAT THE CHAIR CARRIED THE MOTION BY PROVIDING THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE WHO WERE IN FAVOR OF CANDIDATE B TO EXPRESS THEIR PREFERENCE. AND ALL OPPOSED, DID NOT EXPRESS THEIR PREFERENCE, NOR WAS A NUMBER TAKEN IN TERMS OF WHO VOTED HOW. AND THIS WAS IN A SPECIAL CALL MEETING. AND I THINK YOU CAN VOTE IN SPECIAL CALL MEETINGS. IN FACT, ON AUGUST 3RD, AND I THOUGHT I HAD MY EMAIL HERE FROM YOU, UM, YOU, IF ANYBODY HAS IT, UM, LOOK THROUGH YOUR NOTES. BUT I THINK IT SAID, UH, AT THAT TIME THAT A VOTE WOULD BE TAKEN. AND I DON'T RECALL A MOTION BEING SYNONYMOUS WITH A VOTE. A MOTION CAN BE A PERSON MAKES THE MOTION AND IT IS ADOPTED OR SECOND, BUT AN ACTUAL VOTE INDICATES NUMERICALLY WHO IS FOR THE PARTICULAR, UM, SITUATION AND WHO IS NOT. NOW, MR. SWEENEY, I SECONDED THAT MOTION. AND MY RECOLLECTION, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IS WE DID TAKE A VOTE AND WE HAD ONE ABSTENTION, AND EVERYBODY ELSE WAS IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, A VOTE. DO, DO YOU RECORD WHO VOTED FOR AND WHO? THERE WAS NO STATEMENT. ALL IN FAVOR. ALL OPPOSED, WE DID NOT TAKE A ROLL CALL VOTE, BUT WE DID VOTE AS A BOARD ON THE MOTION. WE VOTED DURING EXECUTIVE. WE DIDN'T VOTE DURING EXECUTIVE SESSION. NO, WE VOTED AFTER, UM, PEOPLE WENT AROUND THE ROOM AND SAID WHO THEY PREFERRED, BUT NO VOTE WAS EVER TAKEN BECAUSE A VOTE IS NUMERICAL, NUMERICAL. IT WAS A VOTE. I'M AFRAID THAT'S NOT CORRECT. WHEN WE CAME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE DID TAKE A VOTE ON THE MOTION THAT'S DESCRIBED HERE, BUT THAT MOTION WAS THE RECOMMENDED CANDIDATE WOULD COMPETE COMPLETE AND ACCEPTABLE BACKGROUND CHECK AND DRUG SCREEN. THAT WAS THE MOTION THAT WAS SECONDED BY MS. JOHNSON. AND THE MOTION, THAT MOTION PAR PASSED, BUT NOT THE ACTUAL SELECTION OF [00:15:01] THE CANDIDATE. READ THAT SENTENCE. IT DIRECTLY REFERS TO THE PREVIOUS SENTENCE. LET ME SEE IF I CAN CLARIFY MATTERS. I DON'T WANNA PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, BUT I THINK WHAT UH, COMMISSIONER DO IS SAYING THAT WE DID NOT TAKE A VOTE ON THE CANDIDATE. WE TOOK A VOTE ON THE MOTION, BUT WE DID TAKE A VOTE ON THE CANDIDATE THAT WE FELT WOULD BE BEST, UM, REPRESENTED BY THIS COMMISSION. I THINK THAT'S WHAT I THINK THAT'S A DISTINCTION BASED ON, ON MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT SHE'S SAYING. WE VOTED ON A MOTION THAT WAS MADE, BUT THERE WAS NEVER A VOTE SAYING WE VOTE FOR CANDIDATE A, CANDIDATE B, OR CANDIDATE CI THINK THAT'S WHAT'S BEING PRECISELY. SO YEAH, GO AHEAD. I I I'M LOOKING FOR A CLARIFICATION ON WHAT LEVEL OF DETAIL DO YOU NEED TO HAVE ON A MOTION. I SPECIFICALLY MADE THE MOTION THAT PARAPHRASING THE MOTION, I, I THOUGHT I HAD IT WRITTEN DOWN, BUT I DON'T. THAT CANDIDATE B WAS GONNA BE APPROVED FOR THE POSITION AND GIVING YOU THE AUTHORITY TO NEGOTIATE SALARY. AND ALL OF THIS WAS INCUMBENT UPON THE CANDIDATE FULFILLING A BACKGROUND CHECK AND A DRUG SCREEN. IF THAT'S NOT VOTING FOR A CANDIDATE, I'M NOT SURE WHAT IS, THAT'S VOTING FOR THE MOTION. THAT'S VOTING FOR THE MOTION. THAT'S NOT VOTING FOR THE 'CAUSE. EACH. YOU HAD THREE CANDIDATES. THAT'S TRUE. THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY VOTE FOR CANDIDATE A, CANDIDATE B, OR CANDIDATE C. AND I THINK WHAT SHE'S SAYING IS THAT WE WEREN'T GIVEN THAT OPTION IN THE OPEN FORUM TO VOTE FOR CANDIDATE A, CANDIDATE B OR CANDIDATE C. WE VOTE ON A MOTION THAT CAME OUT OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, WHICH IS, THERE'S A, THERE'S A SLIGHT DISTINCTION, BUT THERE'S A DISTINCTION. SO WHAT WE NEED INSIDE IS WHETHER THE MOTION, THE MOTION SUPERSEDES THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE FOR CANDIDATE A, CANDIDATE B OR CANDIDATE C. AND THAT'S, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION, BUT THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. IF YOU REFER TO THE, I DON'T KNOW WHY I DON'T HAVE IT HERE. IT WAS AN EMAIL THAT YOU SENT ON AUGUST 3RD. IT SPECIFICALLY STATED THAT WE WOULD VOTE IN AN OPEN SESSION. THE WORD VOTE WAS USED. UH, IT, IT WAS CLEAR TO ME, UH, DURING THAT MEETING THAT WHEN WE EXITED EXECUTIVE SESSION, THERE WAS A MOTION MADE TO MAKE AN OFFER TO A SPECIFIC CANDIDATE. AND THAT MOTION, UM, INCLUDED A SALARY THAT WAS DISCUSSED, AND THE OFFER TO THE CANDIDATE WAS CONTINGENT ON PASSING A DRUG TEST AND A BACKGROUND CHECK AND A VOTE WAS THEN TAKEN ON THAT MOTION, WHICH WAS TO MAKE AN OFFER TO A SPECIFIC CANDIDATE. THE VOTE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON OUR PREFERENCE FOR THE CANDIDATES THAT WE DISCUSSED, IT SHOULD BE ON. IT DOES NOT REFLECT ANYONE'S PREFERENCE FOR CANDIDATE A, B, OR C. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? DO YOU, DO YOU THINK WE NEED TO DISCUSS THIS? I'M STILL NOT UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS GETTING MM-HMM . WE ARE SPEAKING IN VERY NEBULOUS TERMS RIGHT NOW, AND I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE THE ACTION OCCURRED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. I THINK IT MIGHT BE IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO DISCUSS THIS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION INSTEAD OF TRYING TO DISCUSS IT AT THIS, IN THIS FORM. THAT'S JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION. AND THIS WAS WHAT I RECOMMENDED. I'LL REFER TO YOU AS THE HR PERSON AT FIRST, WHETHER THAT'S THE BEST THING TO DO, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE AT A, AT A CROSSROAD HERE. AND I THINK THAT'S THE SOLUTION I'M NOT GONNA TALK TO, TO YOU WHILE SOMEBODY ELSE IS TALKING. MR. CHAIR. I, I, I DON'T DISAGREE THAT WE CAN DISCUSS IT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. HOWEVER, I THINK IT'S, I THINK THE QUESTION IS DEEPER THAN THAT IS WHETHER OR NOT THE MOTION WITH A SPECIFIED CANDIDATE IDENTIFIED IS A VOTE FOR THAT CANDIDATE OR NOT. YEAH. SO I, I AGREE WE SHOULD DISCUSS THIS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. UH, WE HAVE THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY PRESENT, UH, SO WE CAN DISCUSS IT WITH HIM IN THE ROOM. ALRIGHT, SO ANY OTHER COMMENTS? SO LET'S, THERE'S A VOTE ON THE FLOOR OR THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES AS WRITTEN, SAY, AYE. WHAT IS IT FOR THE 14TH? THE MINUTES OF WHAT DATE? 14TH. I'M SORRY. THE 14TH. 14TH. SO I'LL REPEAT THE MOTION. OKAY. SO, UM, THE MOTION MADE WAS TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE AUGUST 14TH SPECIAL CALL BOARD [00:20:01] MEETING AS WRITTEN. SO ALL ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. BUT I'M CONFUSED. I'M SORRY. ALL ALL OPPOSED, BUT WE WERE GOING TO DISCUSS IT DURING THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, SO WE SHOULD VOTE THE MOTION DOWN IF WE WANT TO DISCUSS IT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. WE SHOULD NOT APPROVE THE MINUTES. RIGHT? THANK YOU. SO LET'S, LET'S DO IT AGAIN. ALL IN FAVOR OF ACCEPTING THE MINUTES AS WRITTEN, SAY, AYE. THE MINUTES OF THE 14TH, AUGUST 14TH MEETING, CORRECT? YES. THANK YOU. ALL OPPOSED SAY AYE. AYE. OKAY. ALRIGHT, WE'LL DISCUSS THIS FURTHER IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. OKAY, NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS, UH, THE COMMITTEE REPORTS, IF ANY. SO STARTING WITH BUDGET AND FINANCE, UM, NOTHING NEW TO REPORT. OUR LAST MEETING WAS ON JULY 14TH. AND THE KEY ITEMS FROM THAT MEETING, UH, WERE REPORTED DURING OUR JULY BOARD MEETING. UM, WE WILL SCHEDULE A MEETING. IT'S SEPTEMBER, PROBABLY MID-SEPTEMBER ONCE WE ARE A COUPLE OF MONTHS INTO THE YEAR. AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF MONTHS OF FINANCIAL REPORTS TO REVIEW. OKAY. THANK YOU, UH, FACILITIES. MR. FORD. YES. FACILITIES COMMITTEE. I APOLOGIZE FOR GETTING MY REPORT TO YOU, UH, VERY LATE. I THINK THANK CHRIS FOR, FOR AT LEAST PRINTING IT OUT AND PUTTING IT IN OUR PACKAGE TODAY. I TRY TO, TO SUMMARIZE IT AS BEST I CAN AND, UH, IF THERE ARE SPECIFICS WE CAN GO INTO SPECIFICS. I THINK, UM, WINDOW'S GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT IT AS WELL WHEN HE GIVES THE, UH, DIRECTOR'S, THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT. BUT BASICALLY, UM, THE STAFF HAS DONE AN, UH, A VERY GOOD JOB OF TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR COMP COMPULSORY REGULATIONS REGARDING PRECINCTS. THEY HAVE, UH, FINALIZED, UH, GARDEN OAK APARTMENTS, WATERSIDE AT PEPPER HALL AND BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL. ALL OF THE A DA REQUIREMENTS AND PARKING REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN MET WITH THOSE, UH, THREE NEW FACILITIES AND CERTIFICATE INSURANCE WERE OBTAINED AND ISSUED. UM, THIS WILL BRING US CLOSER TO BEING IN, IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR, OUR STATUTORY REGULATION REGARDING, UM, FOLKS' ABILITY TO VOTE IN THE PRECINCT THAT, UH, THAT THEY ACTUALLY ARE LIVING IN AND MOVING THEM FROM PRECINCT WHERE THEY WERE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR ACCESSIBILITY AND FACILITY STANDARDS. SO WE'RE GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO, TO OUR GOAL OF, OF, UM, BEING IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH OUR REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS FOR THOSE PARTICULAR, UM, ESTABLISHMENTS. BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK HARD ON THAT TO TRY TO GET THOSE OTHER, UM, FACILITIES ON BOARD AS WELL. THAT'S THE PLAN QUESTIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, NEXT LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS. UH, THERE IS, UH, STILL NO LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION MEETING PLANNED, HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO MR. HERB, CHAIRMAN HERB KERMAN, UM, AS OF TODAY, HE IS TRYING TO IDENTIFY A DATE BEFORE LABOR DAY TO HAVE A MEETING. UM, HE AND MS. MAXEY HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE TOPICS THAT WE'D LIKE TO COVER, INCLUDING THE, THE THREE DOCUMENTS THAT WE APPROVED AT THE LAST MEETING AND, UM, APPOINTMENT OR NOMINATION OF A CANDIDATE TO FILL THE NINTH BOARD SEAT. SO WE'LL JUST WAIT TO HEAR BACK FROM HIM. AND AS SOON AS I KNOW SOMETHING, I'LL NOTIFY ALL OF YOU. UH, MR. CHAIR, YOU SAID THE CANDIDATE FOR THE NINTH BOARD SEAT WILL BE DISCUSSED AT THAT, AT THAT LEGISLATIVE AFFAIR? THAT WAS MY REQUEST. THAT WAS YOUR REQUEST? OKAY. YES, I, I AM NOT AWARE OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED, UM, A CANDIDATE FOR THAT, BUT IT WAS MY REQUEST THAT THEY NOMINATE SOMEBODY. MR. CHAIR, UM, HOW MANY APPLICATIONS DO THEY HAVE? DO WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION? I DO NOT HAVE THAT INFORMATION, NO. OKAY. AND, UM, YOU WILL NOTIFY US AS SOON AS YOU KNOW THAT THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION WILL MEET AS SOON AS I KNOW. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT, UH, REDISTRICTING. MS. DOR, WE HAVE NO REPORT AT THIS TIME. OKAY. MR. JOHNSON RULES? NO REPORT AT THIS TIME. REPORT. OKAY. AD HOC COMMITTEE. MR. COOPER, WE'D HAVE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION. OKAY? OKAY, THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS UNFINISHED BUSINESS AND I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY. SO LET'S MOVE [00:25:01] ON TO THE NEXT SECTION, WHICH IS NEW BUSINESS. AND I HAVE TWO ITEMS LISTED FOR NEW BUSINESS. UM, FIRST IS A REPORT FROM, UH, MS. AUDRA ON THE SITUATION RELATED TO THE LETTER THAT OUR BOARD SENT TO, UH, ADMINISTRATOR MOORE REGARDING PARKING AT 15 JOHN GAULT DURING EARLY VOTING. AND THE SECOND ITEM ON MY LIST IS A DISCUSSION WITH DEPUTY COUNTY ATTORNEY DYLAN KIDD, UH, REGARDING FOIA NOTIFICATION OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND BOARD MEETING PARTICIPATION VIA ELECTRONIC MEANS. CAN, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN ADD THE GENERATOR TO THE LIST OF ITEMS THAT ARCHER WILL BE DISCUSSED, OR IS SHE PREPARED TO DISCUSS THAT TODAY? UM, I, I THOUGHT THAT, UH, DURING THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT, UH, THERE IS AN UPDATE ON CIP. SO AT THAT TIME WE COULD TALK ABOUT THE GENERATOR AND THE OTHER PROJECTS WITH MS. AUDRA. AT THE LAST MEETING, WE HAD MADE A REQUEST FOR DIRECTOR SMALLS TO REQUEST OF AUDRA TO, TO, TO COME TO THIS MEETING TODAY, PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT THE BALLISTIC RESISTANT WINDOWS AND THE GENERATOR. IF THAT'S GONNA BE COVERED BY THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT, THAT'S FINE, BUT IF NOT, I THINK OUR REQUEST STILL IS OUTSTANDING THAT THE BALLISTIC RESISTANCE WINDOWS AND THE GENERATOR, UM, BE REQUESTED OF AUDRA TO GIVE US AN UPDATE OF WHERE THAT STOOD. THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING. YEAH, I'M, I'M SORRY. BASED ON THE LAST MEETING, I'M SORRY IF I WASN'T CLEAR. UM, THAT IS OUR INTENTION, BUT THAT UPDATE ON THE BALLISTIC GLASS AND THE GENERATOR WILL BE MADE BY MS. AUDRA DURING THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT. OKAY. OKAY. SO DURING THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT, UM, MR. ROBERSON WILL GIVE AN UPDATE OF CIPS AND AT THAT TIME, MS. AUDRA CAN, CAN JUMP IN AND GIVE US AN UPDATE FROM HER PERSPECTIVE. OKAY? OKAY. SO THAT'S NOT NEW BUSINESS. OKAY. ARE THERE ANY OTHER NEW BUSINESS TOPICS? NO. OKAY. UM, DO YOU WANNA START MR. KIDD? OKAY, SURE. YOU CAN USE THE LECTERN AFTERNOON. UM, GLAD TO BE WITH YOU TODAY AT BE COUNTY. UM, I WAS SPEAK, SO THE, THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION THAT I WAS ASKED TO, UM, TO COME TO SPEAK OF A NECESSITY TO CONDUCT ALL ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN THE CASE STATUTE. UM, THESE MEANS COMPLY WITH THE PUBLIC , UM, , UM, THE COURT REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY. SO YOU'LL HAVE THE SAME PROCESS PART ABOUT THE ELECT. SORRY, UH, UH, JUST A QUESTION ABOUT THE FOIA ISSUE. SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT ALL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS, UH, MUST BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL? YES, UH, THEY MUST. AND THERE, [00:30:17] FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE HOSTING A MEETING SUCH AS TODAY, BOARD MEMBERS PARTICIPATING BY ZOOM EARLY OR RAISING A HAND ON. MAY I ASK, MAY I ASK THE QUESTION? ABSOLUTELY. IF I JOIN A BOARD MEETING FROM SEATTLE BY PHONE, I AM AUTHORIZED TO VOTE YES. SO THERE ARE, IF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINIONS AND CASE LAW INTERPRETING SOUTH PERMITTED FOLKS TO VOTE BY PREFER IT IF WE WERE ABLE TO ARRANGE VIDEO CONFERENCE. THANK YOU. YOU ARE WELCOME. UM, ANOTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO TO TOUCH ON IS ELECTRONIC. UM, SO EMAIL PARTICIPATION, SOMETHING THAT MAY CONSTITUTE EYES IN THE COUNTY THAT, UH, ANYONE REPLYING ALL ARGUABLY, THAT CAN CONSTITUTE ALL THE MEMBERS ARE ON. AND WE HAVE A REPLY OFF TO REPLY ONLY TO THE INDIVIDUAL SENDING ALL TO STAY WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF . UH, ANOTHER GUIDANCE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEE. IF YOU ARE COMMUNICATING FROM A PERSONAL COMMUNICATION, IF YOU ARE DISCUSSING PUBLIC MATTERS RELATED TO YOUR STATUS OR COMMITTEE, UM, THAT CAN BE SUBJECT TO A LAWYER REQUEST. IT NOT THE ACCOUNT OR THE PHONE NUMBER OR ANYTHING THAT MATTERS, MATTERS IN THAT ANALYSIS. IT THAT SOMEONE WOULD, A VC GOV NET ADDRESS IS SUBJECT TO. UM, IT CAN ALSO BE TRUE FOR YOUR PERSONAL ACCOUNT. NOW, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU, IF IF THERE'S A FOIA REQUEST, HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN AN INDIVIDUAL'S PERSONAL ITEMS AND THE PUBLIC RELATED ITEMS? SURE, IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE A REQUEST WOULD COME IN AND WE WOULD, UM, IT WENT INTO THE COUNTY WE SEND IT TO WHO MAY HAVE RESPONSIVE RECORDS TO THAT REQUEST, REQUEST OR ASK FOR SOMETHING LIKE ALL COMMUNICATIONS RELATED TO SUBJECT ON THIS AGENDA. WE SEND IT TO ANYONE WHO MAY, WHAT THEIR COMMUNICATIONS BY WHETHER THEY HAVE RECORDS RESPONSIVE TO THAT REQUEST. UM, IF SO, WE WILL, UH, WHAT WE DO IS DEPARTMENT AND THE MCCOY DEPARTMENT REDACT THE PORTIONS THAT ARE NOT, YOU DON'T CONFISCATE MY ENTIRE EMAIL FOLDERS. YOU JUST WANT ME TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE INFORMATION THAT DIRECTLY PERTAIN TO THAT PARTICULAR SUBJECT MATTER. YES, SIR. WE, WE, WE HAVE JUST, WE ASK THAT YOU SUBMIT RECORDS. I MEAN, THAT'S, IT HAS TO BE RESPONSE TO HER. OKAY. , TO SUBMIT ANY RECORDS THAT, THAT WAS THE, UM, THE MAIN PRACTICE POINT THAT I HAVE FOR YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, SO [00:35:08] IT TYPICALLY, THE, THE STATUTE, UM, WHEN IT WAS WRITTEN , IT WAS MAYBE POSTED ON THE, THE REGULAR. AND ONE THING THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT WAS IN, UH, YOU MAY DO SO AS LONG AS YOU ARE MAYBE THAT OTHERWISE NOTIFY THE PUBLIC, UM, COULD DO SO OUTSIDE. SO IT'S 24 HOURS THAT YOU, BY WHICH YOU MUST NOTIFY THE PUBLIC. YES, MA'AM. AS LONG AS IT IS OUTSIDE. SO FOR, WE COULD HAVE, UM, OF, UM, 1:59 PM YESTERDAY AND THAT NOTICE COULD HAVE BEEN AN AMENDMENT. SO IF THE AGENDA WAS PUT OUT LAST WEEK AND 25 HOURS AGO, WE WANTED TO MAKE A CHANGE TO THAT AGENDA, WE COULD HAVE DONE THAT. YES, SIR. THAT IS PERMITTED. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT WHEN WE HAVE THESE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS WITH FOUR MEMBERS, THAT THREE IS A QUORUM AND TWO, WE CANNOT TAKE VOTES. THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. CAN THERE BE MORE THAN THREE ON A, A, A COMMITTEE AS FAR AS COMMIT SUBCOMMITTEE NUMBERS THREE IS A QUORUM. YES, THAT IS, THAT IS. SO I MEAN IF ALL FOUR ARE PRESENT, BUT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT IF YOU'RE ON A COMMITTEE? ON A COMMITTEE, YES. THAT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE, THE NUMBERS AND MAKE UP OF YOUR SUBCOMMITTEES ARE GONNA BE SUBJECT THE RULES. OKAY. WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST PRACTICE IN A SCENARIO WHERE PUBLIC NOTICE IS MADE IN TWO PLACES? IT'S MADE IN AN E-BLAST BY THE COUNTY AND IT'S MADE BY POSTING ON OUR WEBSITE. IF THERE'S AN ERROR IN THE E-BLAST BY THE COUNTY, WHAT'S THE BEST PRACTICE ABOUT CORRECTING THAT ERROR? OR CAN WE SIMPLY RELY ON THE CORRECT POSTING THAT'S ON THE, THE, THE WEBSITE AS AN ATTORNEY, I MUST ALWAYS TELL YOU THE ANSWER IS THAT IT DEPENDS, IS I WOULD, I WOULD GENERALLY, AS THE BEST PRACTICE, ADVISE YOU TO THE E AND MAINTAIN NOT TO TAKE, UM, OUR BEST EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CORRECT, IT WOULDN'T BE TOO MUCH THE TASK TO SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A TYPO. YOU STILL RE IT IS SOMETHING AKIN TO, UH, WHAT WE CALL A PERIMETERS ERROR. THERE'S, THERE'S NO NEED TO, TO RESET FOR THAT. SO SUCH AS AN INCORRECT DATE OR AN INCORRECT LOCATION? YES, SIR. OKAY. EXAMPLE. OKAY. YES, SIR. UM, WE HAVE FIVE STANDING COMMITTEES WITH FIVE DIFFERENT CHAIRPERSONS. UM, I DON'T WANT TO PUT MORE WORK ON CHRIS, BUT IN ORDER TO GET NOTIFICATIONS TO GO OUT CORRECTLY AND IN A CONSISTENT MANNER FOR COMMITTEE MEETINGS, UM, SHOULD WE HAVE CHRIS SEND OUT OUR MEETING, UH, NOTIFICATIONS, THE MEETING NOTICES TO MAKE SURE WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE? UM, SORRY, ARE YOU ASKING IF THE SPECIFIC NOTICE NOTIFICATIONS NEED TO COME FROM THE UM, WELL, NO, I WAS ASKING MORE SINCE WE HAVE FIVE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES, FIVE DIFFERENT CHAIRMAN, AND, AND CHRIS DOES ALL OF OUR NOTIFICATIONS FOR ALL OF THE OTHER BOARD OF ELECTIONS ACTIVITIES, COULD WE RELY ON HER TO ISSUE THE MEETING NOTICE FOR COMMITTEE MEETINGS? YES, SIR. YOU COULD FOLLOW THE STANDARD PROCEDURE THAT YOU FOLLOW. UH, I MENTIONED HANDLING . UM, WE WOULD BE HAPPY FOR YOU ALL TO SEND ANY REQUESTS THAT YOU THINK, UM, COUNTY RESPONSIVE [00:40:01] TO THOSE REQUESTS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND THEM TO OUR . WE WILL. UM, ANY ASSISTANCE THAT YOU MAY NEED. I HOPE SOMETIME IT'S BEST OFF TO ASK A QUESTION, BUT I'M FOR YOUR REQUESTS JUST APPLIES TO THE GENERAL MEETING. CORRECT. DOES IT ALSO APPLY TO OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION? IT DOES NOT. IT, THE EXECUTIVE SESSION IS EXEMPT FROM FOIA REQUIREMENT. I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE REQUIREMENTS, UM, OR THE ALLOWANCES FOR ELECTRONIC PARTICIPATION FOR ELECTION CANVASSING CERTIFICATION PROTESTS AND CONTESTS UNDER CHAPTER 17 OF TITLE VII. ALRIGHT. CAN'T SAY. AS I'M AN EXPERT, I, I LIKE TO DISCUSS MAKING A MOTION, MOTION BY OUR BOARD TO UPDATE OUR HANDBOOK TO REFLECT SOME OF WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY. UM, NAMELY MAKING SUBCOMMITTEE OR COMMITTEE MEETINGS PUBLIC AND SUBJECT TO THE FOIA REQUIREMENTS. SO I'D LIKE TO ADD THAT TO THE HANDBOOK. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO ADD THAT WE MAY PARTICIPATE IN BOARD MEETINGS AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS ELECTRONICALLY. UH, WE MAY NOT VOTE BY EMAIL ON, UM, ANY ITEMS. AND WE WILL HAVE, UH, ONLY IN PERSON VOTING ON TOPICS UNDER CHAPTER 17 OF TITLE VII. SO THAT'S ELECTION CANVASSING CERTIFICATION, PROTESTS, AND CONTESTS. THOSE WILL NOT BE, UM, ALLOWED, IT WILL NOT BE PERMITTED FOR PARTICIPATION ELECTRONICALLY FOR THOSE. SO THAT WASN'T A MOTION, BUT I, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A, A GENERAL MOTION THAT WE UPDATE THE HANDBOOK TO INCLUDE THOSE TOPICS SO THAT WE CAN AVOID ANY, UH, FURTHER CONFUSION IN THE FUTURE. DOES THAT SOUND LIKE A REASONABLE THING? EXCUSE ME. JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE EVERYTHING RIGHT. UM, YOU WANTED IT UPDATED SO THAT THERE'S NO EMAIL VOTING THE HANDBOOK, UH, UM, MAKING COMMITTEE MEETINGS SUBJECT TO FOIA REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING PUBLIC NOTICES. AND WHAT WAS THE THIRD ITEM THAT YOU MENTIONED? UM, E EXCLUDING ELECTRONIC PARTICIPATION FOR ELECTION CANVASSING CERTIFICATION PROTESTS AND CONTESTS UNDER CHAPTER 17 OF TITLE VII. SO IF, IF WE THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA, I'LL CONDENSE THAT INTO ONE MOTION. UM, BUT THAT MOTION WILL REALLY JUST BE FOR THE RULES COMMITTEE TO TAKE THAT UP. I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE A MOTION FOR SPECIFIC LANGUAGE. OKAY. IT'S, IT'S JUST THE IDEA THAT THE RULES COMMITTEE WILL THEN PUT INTO THE HANDBOOK. SO THERE WOULD BE NO PARTICIPATION ELECTRONICALLY FOR ITEMS PART OF CHAPTER 17 OF TITLE CORRECT. TO GET THE SPECIFIC LIST. IT WAS CANVASSING PROTESTS AND, BUT THE LIST WOULD BE THERE. YEAH, WE COULD, AND YOU COULD DECIDE AS A RULES COMMITTEE WHETHER YOU WANT TO REPEAT THE LIST THAT'S ALREADY IN CHAPTER 17, TITLE VII, OR IF YOU JUST SIMPLY WANT TO REFER TO IT, WHICH IS WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND, . I GOT IT. OKAY. SO I, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE HAVE THE RULES COMMITTEE AMEND THE HANDBOOK TO, NUMBER ONE, DESCRIBE PARTICIPATION OF BOARD MEMBERS BY PHONE OR VIDEO CONFERENCE, UM, COUNTING TOWARDS A QUORUM AND BEING ABLE TO VOTE. UH, NUMBER TWO, THAT COMMITTEE MEETINGS ARE SUBJECT TO THE FOIA REQUIREMENTS OF TITLE 30, THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS. AND THAT WE, UM, EXPRESSLY STATE THAT ELECTRONIC PARTICIPATION IS NOT PERMITTED FOR ACTIVITIES COVERED UNDER CHAPTER 17 OF TITLE VII. [00:45:06] COMMENTS. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? WHAT'S THE TIMESTAMP ON THE VIDEO? DO WE KNOW? SO THAT WE CAN REFER TO IT IF WE NEED TO, TO MAKE SURE OUR GOT IT ALL. OKAY. I WAS JUST HOPING THAT WE COULD KIND OF REFLECT ON THE WORDING OF IT AND MAYBE COME BACK WITH IT WORDED PROPERLY SO THAT WE CAN SEE YOUR MOTION EXPRESSED AND THEN VOTE ON IT. THAT'S JUST, JUST AN OPINION. WELL, I THINK IT'S BECAUSE IT HAD SEVERAL PARTS TO IT, SO I WAS THINKING THAT IT SHOULD GO TO THE RULES COMMITTEE. WELL, THE RULES IT IS GOING, THIS IS A MOTION FOR THE RULES COMMITTEE TO AMEND THE HANDBOOK. SO THE RULES COMMITTEE WILL AMEND THE HANDBOOK AND THEN THEY WILL RECOMMEND THE FULL BOARD TO REVIEW AND APPROVE THEIR AMENDMENT. THAT'S FINE. THAT WAS MY, UM, CONTENTION. SO, UH, THE MOTIONS ON THE FLOOR, WE ALREADY VOTED, UM, BUT THEN THERE WAS DISCUSSION. SO, UH, I THINK THE MOTION PASSED SEVEN, UH, UH, YOU'RE IN FAVOR. A SO IT PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. OKAY. THANK YOU MR. KIDDEN. YOU'RE WELCOME. UM, ONE THING I DID WANNA MENTION, JUST I MISSED TO MY NOTES, IF YOU DO RECEIVE A FO REQUEST FROM THE PUBLIC, NOW, WHEN YOU SAY RESPOND WITHIN 10 DAYS, DO YOU MEAN THE PRODUCT OR JUST A RESPONSE SAYING WE RECEIVE YOUR RESPONSE AND WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU? GENERALLY THE LATTER. IT DEPENDS ON, UM, OKAY. WHAT THE REQUESTED DOCUMENTS ARE. THE AGE OF THE DOC, THAT CALENDAR DAYS OR BUSINESS DAYS, WE TREAT IT AS. AND THAT'S 10 DAYS FROM THE INITIAL RECEIPT OF THE FOIA REQUEST? YES. OKAY. OKAY. UH, NEXT, UH, MS. AUDRA, UM, ARE YOU PREPARED TO SPEAK WITH US ABOUT THE STATUS OF A RESPONSE TO OUR MAY 28TH LETTER TO ADMINISTRATOR MOORE REGARDING PARKING AT 15 JOHN GAULT FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR OR FROM THE PROPERTY OWNER? OKAY, SO YOU'VE REACHED OUT TO THE PROPERTY OWNER. OKAY. UM, SO THIS LETTER TO, TO MR. MOORE ON MAY 28TH, AND INCLUDED MORE THAN SIMPLY, UH, CONTACTING THE PROPERTY OWNER, UH, THERE WAS A REQUEST IN HERE FOR A TRAFFIC STUDY AND A PARKING STUDY. UM, SO WE, UH, UH, INITIALLY ASKED ABOUT BOTH THE PARKING LOT AT THE BLUFFTON RECREATION CENTER AND AT OUR BUFORT OFFICE. SO, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE, THE BLUFFTON RECREATION CENTER PARKING LOT IS GOING TO BE PAVED THIS YEAR. MR. MOORE WILL PROVIDE OH, HE WILL. OH, I UNDERSTAND. OKAY. OKAY. SO AS, AS UNDER, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WE WILL RECEIVE A RESPONSE FROM, UH, MR. MOORE'S OFFICE TO OUR MAY 28TH, 2025 LETTER. NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT. MR. ROBERSON. HEY, GOOD. A GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. UM, WANTED TO JUST GIVE YOU, ALL OF YOU HAVE SEEN IT, BUT WE JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME BRIEF OVERVIEW ON WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON AND MY MOUSE IS NOT WORKING. SO WE HAVE SOME ELECTION UPDATES, FACILITY UPDATES AS MR UH FORD ALLUDED TO, AND THEN A COUPLE OF MISCELLANEOUS UPDATES ABOUT A NEW, UH, DIRECTIVE THAT IS COMING DOWN FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. OKAY. FOR ELECTION UPDATES, THE REGISTRATION DEADLINES FOR THE NOVEMBER 4TH MUNICIPAL ELECTION, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, IS IN PERSON ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER THE THIRD, UH, BY EMAIL FAX ONLINE IS SUNDAY, OCTOBER THE FIFTH. AND BY MAIL, IT MUST BE POSTMARKED BY OCTOBER 6TH, 2025. AND THAT'S 12 O'CLOCK BEFORE 12 O'CLOCK THAT NIGHT. SO 1159 EARLY VOTING CENTERS FOR THE NOVEMBER 4TH ELECTION. AND, UH, MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS ARE FOR THE TOWNS OF PORT ROYAL, BLUFFTON AND YEEE. WE OPENING TWO, UH, ONE WILL BE OUR OFFICE, THE MAIN [00:50:01] OFFICE ON 15 JOHN GAULT ROAD, AND THE OTHER ONE WILL BE THE BLUFFTON RECREATION CENTER. MR. SWEENEY HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, THE BOARD ACTUALLY APPROVING THOSE SITES BEFORE WE PUT 'EM OUT, BUT WE GOT A NOTIFICATION OR REQUIREMENT FROM THE STATE AND THEY BASICALLY SENT A SPREADSHEET ASKING US TO VERIFY THE TWO, THAT THESE ARE THE TWO THAT YOU WERE USING. AND MARIE DID ANSWER THEM BECAUSE WE HAD A DEADLINE. SHE DID ANSWER THEM. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT ACTION YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE AT THIS POINT. IN REFERENCE TO THAT. YOU SAID YOU WOULD ADDRESS IT AT THE MEETING. SO I WOULD LIKE TO GO ON THE RECORD WHETHER OR NOT THE BOARD APPROVED OF THESE TWO EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS. SO, UM, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE TWO LISTED EARLY VOTING CENTERS, BUFORT COUNTY VOTER REGISTRATION, ELECTIONS MAIN OFFICE, AND THE BLUFFTON RECREATION CENTER? I SECOND, SECOND? SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. SAY AYE. YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO GET INTO THE HABIT IN THE FUTURE OF HAVING THE BOARD, UH, FORMALLY APPROVE, UM, EARLY VOTING CENTER LOCATIONS, WHICH WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST. WELL, I, I THINK IT GOES BACK TO WHAT, UH, THE ISSUE WITH MEETING. HOW, HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT, 'CAUSE YOU CANNOT DO IT BY EMAIL, LIKE YOU SAID. SO ARE, WHAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS WOULD YOU HAVE TO MEET TO DO THAT SPECIFICALLY? AND IF WE HAVE, IF WE ARE, THE STATE HAS GIVEN US A REQUIREMENT AS SOON AS WE GET IT, WE WOULD LET YOU KNOW. BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE, THE STIPULATION IS BASED ON WHETHER OR NOT Y'ALL WOULD HAVE TO MEET IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT APPROVAL. I, I BELIEVE THAT THE SEC NOTIFIES THE COUNTIES IN ADVANCE OF THE DATE THAT THEY REQUIRE THE EARLY VOTING CENTER INFORMATION. SO WITH THAT INFORMATION IN MIND, UM, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PLAN IN ADVANCE TO APPROVE THE LOCATIONS AT THE BOARD MEETING PRIOR TO THE DATE SET BY THE SEC. DID THEY GIVE US THAT EARLY? THAT EARLY? HOW EARLY DO YOU NORMALLY GIVE US MS. MITCHELL? YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION. UM, WITH THE ELECTIONS THAT ARE COMING UP IN, UH, NOVEMBER, AND IT'S ONLY TWO, UH, AREAS THAT ARE BEING AFFECTED, WHY WOULD WE NEED TO VOTE FOR JUST TWO? BECAUSE THERE ARE NO ELECTIONS BEING HELD ON HILTON HEAD. I'M JUST ASKING A QUESTION BECAUSE WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT VOTING TO APPROVE THE SITES, UM, IT'S ONLY BLUFFTON. IT'S REALLY ONLY BLUFFTON AS A SATELLITE. BUT THERE ARE TWO EARLY VOTING CENTERS. BUT WHAT I'M SAYING ABOUT HILTON HAD ARE WE HEADED, AS FOR HILTON HEAD TO MAY HAVE BEEN INCLUDED, EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE NO SEATS BEING OPEN FOR HILTON HEAD ELECTION. I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY WOULD WE HAVE TO VOTE TO SAY, OKAY, IT'S OKAY TO USE THESE TWO SITES. THAT'S ALL I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE THE TOWN OF PORT, ROYAL TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND TOWN OF YEE. YES. SO THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT. WHY WOULD WE NEED TO VOTE IF WE KNOW THAT THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO SITES? OH, IT'S REALLY A TRANSPARENCY ISSUE. THE, THE BOARD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SELECTING THE LOCATIONS AND IF, IF THE STAFF HAS A CLEAR IDEA WHERE THE EARLY VOTING CENTERS WOULD BE, UH, I BELIEVE THAT THE BOARD WOULD WANT TO AFFIRM THEIR ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THOSE LOCATIONS OR SUPPORT THEIR ASSUMPTIONS WITH A VOTE. UH, WE KNOW IN ADVANCE WHAT ELECTIONS WILL HAVE. WE KNOW IN ADVANCE THAT THE SEC WILL BE LOOKING FOR FORMAL NOTIFICATION OF THE EARLY VOTING CENTERS. SO I'M SIMPLY, UH, PROPOSING THAT WE AS A BOARD APPROVE THOSE EARLY VOTING CENTERS IN ADVANCE OF THE NOTICE TO THE SEC. AND IT'S, IT'S A CASE BY CASE BASIS BASED ON THE ELECTIONS. IN THIS CASE, THERE ARE NO ELECTIONS IN HILTON HEAD. SO IT, IT'S AN EASY DECISION. ANY ANY MORE QUESTIONS? UH, ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY. OKAY. THESE ARE THE, UH, POLLING LOCATIONS AND PEN. THIS IS PENDING BOARD APPROVAL FOR THE, THE, UH, ACTUAL ELECTION IN NOVEMBER. WHAT WE DID, BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A SMALL ELECTION AND IT'S ONLY A CERTIFIED, UM, A SMALL AREA, UH, THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, THE TOWN OF UMC IN THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL, SEVERAL OF THE PRECINCTS WE MOVED OR WELL, WE, WE ASKED, WE'RE ASKING THE BOARD TO PROVE THAT WE MOVE THE VOTERS THAT AREN'T AS, FOR INSTANCE, TO THE BIGGER PRECINCT. IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S SOME, YOU MIGHT HAVE LIKE 12 OR 13 PEOPLE INSTEAD OF OPENING UP THEIR PRECINCT, [00:55:01] JUST HAVE THEM MOVE TO THE NEXT CLOSEST PRECINCT, CONSOLIDATING PRECINCTS AND NOT HAVING US HAVE TO WORK SO MANY DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. AND, UH, ALL OF THE NEW VOTERS, I MEAN ALL OF THE NEW PRECINCTS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS 'CAUSE THEY'RE ACTUALLY VOTING AT THE SAME PLACE. SO WE WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND KEEP ALL THOSE VOTERS TOGETHER ANYWAY. THEY'RE GONNA BE TOGETHER ANYWAY, BUT THEY WILL BE REGISTERED IN THEIR CORRECT PRECINCT ON REMS WHEN THEY VOTE. IN OTHER WORDS, IF THEY WERE IN SEVEN A AND NOW THEY'RE IN SEVEN F OR SEVEN B, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH ONE IT WAS, THEY WOULD BE REGISTERED IN SEVEN B WHEN THEY GO TO VOTE, EVEN IF THEY ARE VOTING AT THE SAME PLACE, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THEY ARE, MOST OF 'EM ARE STILL VOTING AT THE SAME PLACE. SO THESE ARE THE LIST OF PRECINCTS THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO BE USED IN NOVEMBER 4TH ELECTION. CAN Y'ALL SEE THAT CLEARLY? WELL, EVERYBODY GOT A COPY THOUGH, RIGHT? YEAH. AND I HAVE A QUESTION. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. THE SHELDON LOCATION, I THINK YOU PUT IT AT THE MEDICAL CENTER, RIGHT? ARE WE RUNNING THAT ELECTION? YES. YES. OKAY. I THOUGHT IT WAS HAMPTON COUNTY THAT WAS RUNNING FOR YON SHARE WITH HAMPTON. WE SHARE WITH HAMPTON, BUT WE ARE RUNNING THAT ELECTION. THOSE WERE OUR VOTERS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. RIGHT, RIGHT. I THOUGHT PREVIOUSLY WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THE HAMPTON COUNTY WAS RUN. IF THEY NO, WE NEVER, NO, WE, WE ALWAYS DIDN'T HOLD UP IF THEY WERE HAVING, YOU KNOW, YEAH, GO AHEAD CHRIS. WE DO NOT CERTIFY THE PROGRAM. I DON'T THINK WE PRO, SO WE, WE PROVIDE A POLLING LOCATION, BUT WE DO NOT DO ANY OF THE OTHER ELECTION FUNCTIONS FOR THOSE VOTERS THAT ELECTION. WE SEND THOSE, THE CERTIFICATION, WE SEND THAT INFORMATION TO THEM AND THEY TAKE CARE OF DEBT LIKE WHEN THEY DO THEIR CERTIFICATIONS AND EVERYTHING. BUT I HOW MANY OF WHAT? EIGHT WAS IT EIGHT PEOPLE, 80 PEOPLE THAT ARE 80? 80, 80. I JUST WAS A LITTLE LIKE, I ASSUME, UH, SO MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO, UH, APPROVE THE POLLING LOCATIONS PRESENTED HERE A LIEN WHICH WILL SO APPROVE SECOND. SO MOVE SECOND BY MR. SOWICKI. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OKAY, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. THESE ARE THE MANDATORY BRIEFINGS THAT WE HAVE SCHEDULED FOR ON SEPTEMBER THE SEVENTH AT NINE 30 TO 1130. WAIT NINE 30 TO 1130 AT THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY ON SEPTEMBER THE NINTH AT THE MAIN OFFICE FROM SIX O'CLOCK TO EIGHT O'CLOCK. AND IF NEEDED THEN WE HOPE WE DON'T THINK WE SHOULD NEED, BUT UH, WE WOULD HAVE A MAKEUP IN THE OFFICE ON THAT SATURDAY, WHICH IS SEPTEMBER THE 11TH. AND THAT WOULD BE FOR NINE 30 TO 11 IN THE MORNING. WE SHOULD NOT NEED IT. YEAH, WE SHOULD NOT NEED IT ELECTION GIVEN HOW SMALL IT IS, HOW MANY POLL WORKERS DO YOU ANTICIPATE? UNDER TO 130. SO OUR THOUGHTS ARE IF THERE'S FIVE THAT CAN'T MAKE THESE BRIEFINGS, WE'LL FIND FIVE THAT CAN, YOU KNOW, IF WE NEED IT, WE WILL HAVE IT, BUT OUR GOAL IS TO NOT NEED IT. YEAH. YEAH. I THINK ANOTHER THING TOO IS, UM, ON THE BLUFFTON SIDE, WE THINK THAT THE EARLY VOTING WILL TAKE A KNOCK OUT A LOT OF THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT SO MUCH, UH, HECTIC OR, OR HIGHLY CONTESTED, BUT EARLY VOTING SHOULD TAKE CARE OF A LOT OF THAT ALSO. UM, WE HAVE ALREADY SENT OUT THE AVAILABILITY SURVEY TO ALL OF THE WORKERS IN THOSE SPECIFIC AREAS. WE DIDN'T PULL THE WHOLE COUNTY. WE, WE SPECIFIC SPECIFIED THOSE AREAS AND INCLUDE ALL NEW WORKERS AND NEW WORKERS AS WELL AND, AND AROUND THAT. SO, BUT WE ARE GETTING RESPONSES BACK ALREADY AND AS SOON NOW THAT WE CAN, NOW THAT YOU'VE, NOW THAT YOU'VE APPROVED THESE, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND START AND ASSIGN THEM TO THOSE SPECIFIC, UH, PRECINCTS. HERE ARE THE RESULTS OR THE LATEST RESULT. I DIDN'T GET TODAY'S YET, BUT THAT'S OKAY. . BUT THESE ARE THE LATEST RESULTS FOR THE POLL WORKERS TRAINING. WE ARE UP TO 160 AT THIS POINT. UM, SHE HAS ONE MORE CLASS LEFT. AND THAT IS THE 20TH. 20TH. SEPTEMBER 17TH. 17TH SEPTEMBER. AND, UM, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE FOR THAT YET COMPLETELY BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE STILL SIGNING UP FOR THAT. BUT WE ARE UP TO 160 AT THIS POINT AS OF RIGHT NOW. SEPTEMBER 17TH NOW HAS 20 AS OF THIS MORNING. HERE'S A BREAKDOWN [01:00:01] OF YOUR PARTICULAR AREAS, WHICH YOU PICKED UP THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE TODAY, BUT I HAVE THOSE NUMBERS WRITTEN DOWN. I DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO UPDATE ALL THE INFORMATION 'CAUSE THE CLASS ENDED JUST AFTER ONE. BUT IF YOU WOULD, LIKE, I CAN TELL YOU THE NUMBERS THAT EACH OF YOU GOT OUT OF THIS MORNING IF YOU'D LIKE, IF YOU WANT, IF YOU DON'T, I WE WILL JUST MOVE ON. . YEAH, I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARY TO GET THAT PERFECT. OKAY. UNDER FACILITY UPDATES AND IT IS REALLY NOT THAT MUCH. UM, WE DID HAVE THE ENGINEERS VISIT ON THE FIFTH AND BASICALLY WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT THE SPECS SO THEY CAN START TO DROP THE PLANS FOR THE STANDALONE, UH, STATIONARY GENERATOR, UM, THAT POSSIBLE JANUARY DATE. THAT WAS THE SAME DATE THAT WAS GIVEN FROM BEFORE. WE DIDN'T DO ANY UPDATING WITH THAT OR ANYTHING. THAT'S ALL WE'VE EVER HAD, ALL WE'VE EVER SAID, AND THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE TOLD WAY BACK THEN. WE CAN'T GUARANTEE ANY OF THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER ANY OF THAT. AND, UM, I'M, I'M CONFUSED ABOUT THE GENERATOR TIMELINE AND THAT, AND EVEN THE STATUS OF THAT PROJECT. AUD IN A MAY 2ND EMAIL TO MS. SMALLS, UH, SAID THAT THE GENERATOR IS OUT BID WITH A CLOSE DATE OF JUNE 30TH. SO WHY WOULD WE BE DOING, HAVE THE SPECIFICATIONS ALREADY BEEN DONE? ARE WE UPDATING THE SPECIFICATIONS? WHAT HAS CHANGED? I WOULD'VE THOUGHT IT WOULD'VE BEEN OUT BID BY NOW SINCE THE BIDS WERE CLOSED ON JUNE 30TH. UNFORTUNATELY THERE WAS A CHANGE IN PERSON. ARE WE GO AND REDO WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE. NOT REDO IT AGAIN. UH, MS. ARA, CAN YOU SHARE WITH US AN EXPECTED TIMELINE THEN? IS JANUARY, WELL, JANUARY, 2026 STILL POSSIBLE, THE GENERATOR. IS THERE A TIMELINE? CONFIRM THAT JANUARY, 2020, THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN OUT THERE FOR QUITE SOME TIME. I I CAN I MAKE A REQUEST THAT, AND PARTICULARLY FOR, I'LL SPEAK FOR MR. FORD MAYBE BECAUSE OF FACILITIES, UH, COMMITTEE, IS THERE SOME WAY THAT WE CAN GET SOME UPDATES ON TIMELINES AND STATUS OF THE PROJECT FROM ME? ROGER? I THINK WHAT WITNESSING IS FRUSTRATION BECAUSE US CAME IN MAY OF GENERATOR WAS DISCUSSED AT THAT TIME, WAS AN HAD EXPECTED IN MAY OF 23 WHEN WE CAME TWO AND A HALF YEARS IN. AND IT'S BEEN SOMEWHAT FRUSTRATING AND DIFFICULT TO GET SOME IDEA, EVEN IF IT'S A PROJECTED IDEA OF WHEN THESE ITEMS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED. AND I GUESS THE FRUSTRATION STEMS FROM THE FACT THAT AS ALL RESIDENTS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY KNOW WHEN AN ELECTION OCCURS, IF THERE IS A SEMBLANCE OF A DELAY IN FOLKS BEING ABLE TO COME IN AND VOTE, A COMPLAINT IS ISSUED. AND WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ASSURE IS THAT IF WE HAVE THE GENERATOR THAT ALLOWS US TO KEEP OUR EQUIPMENT UP AND RUNNING TO MAKE SURE THAT AFTER THE ELECTION FOLKS WON'T BE COMPLAINING THAT THEY HAVE TO STAND IN THE LINE FOR TWO HOURS AND THEN THE STAFF GETS PENALIZED BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THAT'S BEYOND THEIR CONTROL. SO I THINK THAT'S THE FRUSTRATION THAT YOU ARE, YOU ARE WITNESSING HERE NOW AMONGST US AS, AS NEW COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE MAY. THE SAME APPLIES TO, I HATE TO BRING UP THE BALLISTIC RESISTANCE RESISTANT WINDOWS AGAIN, BUT IT APPLIES TO THAT BECAUSE THAT IS A, THE [01:05:01] WINDOW IS A SECURITY ISSUE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY IDENTIFIED PRIOR TO US COMING ON BOARD IN MAY OF 2023 AS AN ITEM THAT'S NEEDED AT THAT FACILITY. AND WE ARE IN AN ENVIRONMENT NOW AS ALL OF US KNOW, WHERE OUR STAFF AT THE ELECTION BOARD IS UNDER POTENTIAL THREAT BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT'S OCCURRING NATIONWIDE. AND I THINK THE LAST THING WE AS COMMISSIONERS AND, AND AND US STAFF IN BEAUFORT COUNTY WOULD WANT IS FOR ONE OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS TO BE INJURED BECAUSE THE NECESSARY SECURITY PRECAUTIONS AREN'T IN PLACE. I UNDERSTAND A NEW CFOI UNDERSTAND A NEW FACILITY DIRECTOR, BUT I IF YOU COULD IMPART TO THEM THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SAFETY OF OUR STAFF. WE ARE, WE ARE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF OUR STAFF. WE WANT THEM TO BE IN A SITUATION WHERE AT THE END OF AN ELECTION DAY THEY CAN GO HOME TO THEIR FAMILIES. AND I THINK THAT'S THE CONCERN IS THAT WE DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO HAPPEN TO OUR STAFF WHILE THEY'RE TRYING TO DELIBERATE ON BEHALF OF THE CONSTITUENTS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO, IF, IF IT REQUIRES US HAVING A, A, A DIRECT CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO, TO ENCOURAGE, TO CAJOLE, TO, TO EMPHASIZE HOW CRITICAL THESE TWO PARTICULAR ITEMS ARE FOR US IN TERMS OF THE SAFETY OF THE STAFF AND THE ABILITY TO SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTE AN ELECTION DURING A HIGH TIME WHERE WE HAVE FOLKS TRYING TO, TO CAST THEIR VOTE, WE SHOULD BE WILLING AND ABLE TO DO WHATEVER IS POSSIBLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE VOTING PROCESS IS AS EASY AS POSSIBLE WHEN FOLKS COME TO CAST THEIR VOTE. AND IF THE POWER GOES DOWN, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO RESORT TO PAPER BALLOTS. AND THAT'S FOR THE PRESENT A PROBLEM IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES TO, TO GET THE VOTING PROCESS COMPLETED. I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT COMMENT. I UNDERSTAND AND I STATE I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT PROJECTS HAVE BEEN CARRIED AND I AGREE WITH YOU 100%, BUT WE ARE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE STAFF THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR. THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE OTHER STAFF MEMBERS. SO I CAN'T SPEAK FOR WHAT THEY ARE BEING KEPT SAFE OR NOT. OUR ONLY RESPONSIBILITY IS FOR THE STAFF WE HAVE HERE FOR THE, FOR THE BOARD OF BOARD OF REGISTRATION AND ELECTION. UH, UH, MS. AUDREY, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR RECOMMENDATION ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO ESCALATE OUR CONCERNS, EITHER DIRECTLY TO ADMINISTRATOR MOORE OR TO COUNTY COUNCIL DIRECTLY MR. MOORE? OKAY. WELL, UH, MR. FORD EXPRESSED VERY WELL THE FRUSTRATION THAT WE DO ACTUALLY HAVE. I BROUGHT MY MEETING NOTES FROM A JANUARY, 2024 MEETING WHEN A PROJECT MANAGER FROM THE CIP DEPARTMENT MADE A PRESENTATION ON THE GENERATOR SPECIFICALLY FOR THE, FOR THE 2025 BUDGET YEAR. UM, MY NOTES SAY THAT THE FUNDING IS THERE AND THERE WAS A SPEC, EVEN A VERY SPECIFIC PRICE TAG FOR IT, WHICH MADE ME THINK THAT WE HAD GONE OUT FOR A BUDGETARY PRICE AT SOME POINT. SO WHEN CAN, CAN WE EXPECT, CAN WE REQUEST AN UPDATE BY OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING ? I WOULD DO MY BEST. TRY THAT. OKAY. YES. OKAY. I JUST THINK THE CHAIR SITTING ON THE, ON THE SCHOOL BOARD CLOCK COMMITTEE WHERE WE'RE PUTTING BUILDING HILTON HEAD HIGH SCHOOL, ROBERT SMALLS ACADEMY, WE'RE READY TO BUILD A HIGH SCHOOL IN LADIES ISLAND. WE'VE DONE RENOVATIONS TO, TO BUFORD HIGH AND WE DON'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY DELAYS IN GETTING ANY BUILDING MATERIALS EVEN DURING COVID. AND I'M [01:10:01] JUST SITTING HERE FOR THE, FOR THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS, IT JUST FRUSTRATES ME THAT WE CAN'T GET ONE GENERATOR, UM, ALLOCATED THERE. THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING IN THE PROCESS THAT'S NOT, THAT'S MISSING. UM, BECAUSE ALL THESE OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING WORKED ON GET DONE ON TIME, IN FACT UNDER BUDGET. AND IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WE'RE ONLY ASKING FOR ONE GENERATOR AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE ASKING FOR A, YOU KNOW, FOR A, A BUILDING TO GET BUILT. JUST JUST TO CLARIFY AND, AND I KNOW I UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION. YEAH, WE'VE BEEN FRUSTRATED IN THE OFFICE AS WELL. BUT UNDERSTAND TOO, GOING BACK TO MR. FORD'S CONCERN, WE DO GET A GENERATOR EVERY ELECTION. WE, WE, THEY, THEY BRING THE GENERATOR EVERY ELECTION, SO IT WILL NOT GO DOWN THE OFFICE AND THE ACCOUNTANT, WHEN WE START DOING ALL THAT, WE WILL NOT GO DOWN. WE DO HAVE A GENERATOR THERE. THIS REQUEST THAT WENT IN WHEN WE DID PUT IT IN, BECAUSE IT WAS, IT WAS TRYING TO SAVE BOTH US AND THE COUNTY BY SAYING IF WE JUST GET ONE AND IT'LL BE STANDARD, IT'LL BE THERE FOR US ALL THE TIME. YOU KNOW, WHENEVER WE HAVE ELECTIONS. BUT WE DO GET A GENERATOR EVERY ELECTION, AND IT IS BROUGHT IN AND IT IS CONNECTED TO THE BUILDING FOR EVERY ELECTION. AND YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A THING OF WE WILL LOSE COUNT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT ON ELECTION NIGHT. THE VALUE OF HAVING A DEDICATED GENERATOR IS THAT YOU CAN TEST IT PERIODICALLY. IF THEY BRING A GENERATOR IN FOR THE ELECTION ONLY, YOU DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEST IT TO MAKE SURE IT WORKS AND CAN SUPPORT ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT. A DEDICATED GENERATOR ALLOWS YOU TO TEST IT PERIODICALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT WILL WORK ON IT, WHEREAS YOU DON'T, YOU, YOU'RE MISSING THAT WHEN YOU DON'T, WHEN YOU'RE HAVING SOMEONE BRINGING THE GENERATOR THE MORNING OF AN ELECTION AND THERE'S THE POTENTIAL THAT THEY MAY NOT HAVE BROUGHT FUEL OR THEY MAY NOT HAVE BROUGHT THIS OR THEY MAY NOT HAVE BROUGHT THAT. THERE'S ALL KINDS OF SITUATIONS THAT POTENTIALLY OCCUR IF YOU GET THE GENERATOR DAY BEFORE OR THE DAY OF, THAT WON'T OCCUR IF YOU HAVE A DEDICATED GENERATOR ATTACHED TO THE BUILDING. I'M SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE. UM, IT IT, IT'S BEST CASE SCENARIO TO HAVE ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT RIGHT THERE FUNCTIONING AND READY TO GO IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. OKAY. WELL, I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE, UH, DRAFTING A LETTER FROM OUR BOARD TO ADMINISTRATOR MOORE, UH, ADDRESSING THE GENERATOR AND THE GLASS ISSUE. AND I THINK MS. AUDRA, THAT MAY HELP YOUR ADVOCACY FOR OUR PROJECTS. UH, WE DON'T HAVE A LETTER TO HIM RIGHT NOW SPEC SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THOSE TWO ITEMS. SO I'LL WORK ON DRAFT FOR US TO REVIEW AND APPROVE AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING. ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS SLIDE? NOW AS, UH, MR. FORD, UH, SAID IN HIS SUMMARY, AND THIS IS JUST A REITERATION OF WHAT HE SAID, WE DO HAVE THREE NEW PRECINCTS THAT ARE, OR LOCATIONS THAT ARE FINALIZED. BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL. UH, WE WILL BE USING THE MEDIA CENTER THERE. THE PARKING AND EVERYTHING HAS BEEN CLEARED. I MEAN, IT'S BEEN STRAIGHTENED OUT WITH THAT. THE PRINCIPAL, LIKE WE, SO I THINK I TOLD YOU LAST MONTH, WAS VERY HAPPY AND WANTS TO BE INVOLVED. UM, WE ALSO HAVE HAD ALL OF THE SCHOOLS THAT WE GET, WE AUTOMATICALLY HAVE A, A CER CERTIFICATE OF IN OF INSURANCE FOR ALL OF THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS THAT WE USE. THAT'S, WE USE THAT IN PLACE FOR ALL OF THEM. BUT THE OTHER TWO AT WATERSIDE, AT PEPPER HALL, THEIR CLUBHOUSE AND THE GARDEN HOPE APARTMENTS, THEIR CLUBHOUSE. WE DO HAVE CERTIFICATES OF INSURANCE THAT, UH, WE WILL GET A COPY AND THEY ARE GETTING A COPY AS WELL. SO THOSE HAVE ALREADY BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. UM, THE OTHER PLACE THAT WE WERE INTERESTED IN AND HAD CHECKED INTO WAS CLUB, THE CLUB AT SHELL HALL. AND, UM, WE HAD TALKED WITH THEM AND WE HAD TO GO, IT'S LIKE A, THERE'S A MIDDLE PERSON THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH WITH THEM. UM, BUT THEIR, THEIR BIGGEST, UH, HINDRANCE WAS THEY DID NOT WANT ANYBODY FROM OUTSIDE OF THE DEVELOPMENT TO COME IN AND VOTE. AND WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE PRECINCT THAT IT WAS DRAWN, EVERYTHING WAS INSIDE THE PRECINCT. THERE HAPPENS TO BE A STREET THAT'S IN THE PRECINCT AND THAT'S IN THE DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT'S NOT PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT. WE DID NOT KNOW THAT. AND THEY MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THIS ISN'T PART OF US, IT'S CALLED PINECREST. SO, UH, WE, THEY, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THAT, WE KNEW THAT WAS A NO-GO AS FAR AS GOING OUT THERE WOULD'VE BEEN A GOOD SITUATION. BUT BECAUSE THAT STREET, THAT ONE STREET AND IS CONNECTED TO THE STREETS THAT GO THROUGH THERE IS NOT A PART OF IT. WE HAVE TO LOOK ELSEWHERE. SO OUR NEXT LOOK, UH, [01:15:01] AFTER, OR WE'RE FOCUSING ON BEFORE THE ELECTION, EVEN THOUGH WE WILL NOT MOVE ANYBODY BEFORE THE ELECTION IS, UH, THE PINECREST GOLF CLUB. AND WE HAVE FIELDERS OUT WITH THAT TO TRY TO GET US IN THERE. AND WE WILL MOVE THOSE TWO PRECINCTS, TWO PRECINCTS INTO PINE CREST BECAUSE ONE OF THEM IS IN PINE CREST AND THE OTHER ONE WOULD'VE BEEN IN SHELL HALL, BUT THE SHELL HALL RESIDENTS WILL HAVE TO COME OUT AND VOTE AT PINE CREST IF WE DO GET IT. SO THAT'S WHERE THAT, THAT PARTICULAR SITUATION, UH, LANDED US OUT THERE IN BLUFF. THEN WENDELL? YES, SIR. IN THE DISCUSSION WITH, WITH SHELL HALL, DID YOU SHARE WITH THE POA THE DATA ABOUT THE VOTERS WHO WOULD BE COMING FROM OUTSIDE THEIR COMMUNITY? THEY DON'T EVEN THE FIRST WE'VE APPROACHED THEM, THIS IS OUR SECOND TIME APPROACHING THEM. THE FIRST TIME IT WAS A HARD, HARD NO, BECAUSE WE HAD OUTSIDE, WE DID NOT HAVE NUMBERS FOR THEM AT THAT TIME, BUT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO EVEN DISCUSS NUMBERS THIS TIME. WE TOLD THEM, HEY, IT'S ALL INCLUSIVE. YOU, YOU, IT'S JUST YOU. AND THEY WERE LIKE, OKAY, LET'S TALK. AND SO THEY, THEY LOOKED AND THEN, SO WHEN WE SHOWED THEM THE MAP, THEY SAID, HEY, THAT'S NOT OUR STREET. EVEN THOUGH IT'S CONNECTED TO EVERY STREET IN THERE. AND THEY SAID, THAT'S NOT OUR STREET. THOSE PEOPLE ARE OUTSIDE, SO WE DON'T WANNA DO IT. SO WE FOUND GOOD SUCCESS AT MULTIPLE GATED COMMUNITIES WHEN WE SPEAK WITH THE POA PREPARED WITH DATA SHOWING THAT YES, YOU HAVE A THOUSAND VOTERS WITHIN YOUR GATES, BUT THERE ARE THESE 80 VOTERS WHO ARE OUTSIDE YOUR GATES. AND WHEN THEY CAN LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS AND REALIZE THAT THE TURNOUT OF 80 REGISTERED VOTERS IS ONLY 40, THEY SAY, WELL, THAT'S NOT SO BAD. WE HAVE MORE CONTRACTORS COMING IN AND OUT EVERY DAY THAN WE WOULD HAVE VOTERS ON THAT DAY. SO I WONDER IF IT WOULD HELP BE HELPFUL TO GET THAT DATA TOGETHER AND TRY TO SPEAK WITH THEM AGAIN WITH SPECIFICS. WE'LL, WE'LL APPROACH THAT. I KNOW WE, WE DID THAT WITH, UH, BUCK WALTER AND THAT WOULD'VE BEEN FOUR, I THINK FOUR D AND IT WOULD'VE BEEN A PERFECT SITUATION FOR THEM. AND I THINK WE HAD MAYBE 230 SOME ODD VOTERS OUTSIDE AND WE TOLD THEM THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT 230 PEOPLE AREN'T COMING IN ON THAT DAY OR WHATEVER. PLUS WITH EARLY VOTING GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME, BUT THEY WERE VERY, THEY STILL WERE RESISTANT. THEY DIDN'T WANT THAT. EVEN THOUGH I KNOW PEOPLE IN THERE AND THEY HAVE FUNCTIONS ALL THE TIME WHERE OUT OUTSIDE PEOPLE COME. SO WE APPROACH THEM AGAIN AND SEE IF THEY'LL, IF WE CAN MAKE ANY HEADWAY. THEY'RE VERY DIFFICULT. I, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, THEY'RE VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY TO TALK TO THE POA. WE DON'T EVEN TALK TO THE POA, WE TALK TO THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY AND THEY RELAY IN BACK AND FORTH. SO THAT'S THE ROUTE. NOW, MR. ARE YOU ON THAT AREA? MR. BECKER? OKAY. BUT, BUT THAT APPROACH, AS MR. SWEENEY MENTIONED REALLY WAS HELPFUL WITH, UH, HAMPTON LAKE. HAMPTON LAKE, RIGHT. AND WEXFORD. YEAH. I MEAN, ONCE THEY SAW THAT OUTSIDE POT PARTICIPATION WAS, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN PROBABLY 5% OF THE TOTAL, THE BENEFITS FAR OUTWEIGHED THAT POTENTIAL RISK THAT THEY MAYBE HAD IN THEIR HEADS. ALRIGHT, WE'LL GET THOSE NUMBERS TOGETHER AND WE'LL APPROACH THEM AGAIN. OKAY. AND IF YOU THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR A BOARD MEMBER, THE BOARD MEMBER RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT PRECINCT TO JOIN YOU IN THAT MEETING TO HELP DISCUSS THE, THE PROS OF HAVING VOTING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, UH, PERHAPS A BOARD MEMBER, UH, COULD JOIN YOU FOR THAT. I THINK THE SAD PART IS IF WE HAD A MEETING, WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE CONVINCED THEM AT A MEETING, BUT WE CAN'T. IT'S LIKE YOU CAN'T TOUCH 'EM. YOU CAN'T, WE CAN'T GET TO 'EM NO MATTER HOW WE'VE TRIED , WE CAN'T GET TO 'EM. IF WE COULD GET TO 'EM, I THINK WE COULD GET IT, BUT WE CAN'T GET TO 'EM. THEY INSIST US GOING THROUGH THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY. PERHAPS A BOARD MEMBER COULD HELP. RIGHT. TO, TO NETWORK INTO THE COA FOR THAT MEETING. OKAY. I THINK, AND I THINK THAT IS THAT, IS THAT, IS THAT YOU OR MS. LENE? HILTON HEAD CHRISTIAN MINE'S? I THINK IT'S, IT'S ME. OH, MS. COOPER. OKAY. SO MR. COOPER. YEAH, SO I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU A CALL AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT. OKAY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. HERE'S OUR BIGGEST UPDATE. I THINK SOME OF YOU HAVE ALREADY SEEN, WELL YOU'VE SEEN IT IN THE NOTES. THIS CAME DOWN AT TO US AS ELECTIONS PEOPLE AT THE MIDYEAR CONFERENCE AT SCARE IN GREENVILLE. BUT THIS IS A NEW, UH, REQUIREMENT THAT THE, THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES IS INSTITUTING STARTING ON AUGUST THE 27TH, WHERE THEY WILL HAVE A CENTRAL IN ISSUANCE, UH, CENTER FOR ALL LICENSES, UM, IN THE STATE. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU CAN'T GO TO YOUR DMV AND GET A LICENSE ANYMORE, YOU HAVE TO GET A PAPER COPY. AND, UH, THEN 15 DAYS, 15 TO 7, 7 15 DAYS AFTER THAT, THEY WILL SEND YOU YOUR HARD LICENSE. SO, UH, THEY'RE NO LONGER PRINTED THERE. UH, THE PHYSICAL CARDS WILL BE PRINTED AT A THIRD PARTY LOCATION. WHEN YOU DO LEAVE, YOU WILL HAVE A PAPER COPY AND I HAVE SOME, I THINK YOU ALL HAD [01:20:01] COPIES, BUT I'M GONNA SHOW YOU WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. UM, THEY WILL ROLL OUT ALSO NEW LICENSES IS A NEW LOOK ON THE LICENSE. THEY WILL ROLL THAT OUT STARTING ON THE 27TH AS WELL. AND THEY EXPECT TO BE FULLY UP AND RUNNING WITH ALL THIS IN THE END OF SEPTEMBER. OOPS. OH GOODNESS. UM, STARTING ON THE 27TH, THE ADDITIONAL FORMS OF VALID IDS WILL BE THE ONES THAT YOU SAW GNX IS USED TO TODAY, RIGHT? YEAH. YEAH. WE STARTED TRAINING. ALL OF THE STAFF ALREADY KNOWS ABOUT IT. WE'VE HAD OUR MEETINGS ABOUT IT. THE POLL WORKERS IN THE NEW CLASS TODAY, WERE TRAINED ON IT AND IT WILL BE IN THE MANDATORY BRIEFING AS WELL. SO THEY WILL UNDERSTAND WHICH THINGS ARE STILL VALID IDS, ALL THE LICENSES THAT PEOPLE HAVE RIGHT NOW, IF THEY'RE CURRENT, THEY'RE STILL VALID. NOTHING HAS CHANGED WITH THAT. THE NEW LICENSES YOU AND YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GET A NEW LICENSE UNTIL IT'S TIME FOR YOURS TO EXPIRE AND YOU HAVE TO UPDATE IT AND THEY WILL GIVE YOU THE NEW ONE AT THAT POINT. UM, ALL THE OTHER ACCEPTABLE FORMS ARE STILL VALID THAT WE'VE BEEN USING. YOU KNOW, PASSPORT, PASSPORT CARD, MILITARY ID, ALL THAT, ALL THOSE ARE STILL, UM, VALID. THE TEMPORARY CREDENTIAL THAT COMES FROM THE DMV IS VALID WITH 30 DAYS. SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE HAVING TO TRAIN THE POLL WORKERS ON, MAKE SURE YOU LOOK AND SEE WHAT THE DATE ON THAT IS BECAUSE THEY DO EXPIRE AFTER 30 DAYS, WHICH WE DON'T, IF, IF THEIR SYSTEM WORKS THE WAY IT SHOULD, THE PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THEIR LICENSE WITHIN THAT TIMEFRAME. BUT WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT YEAH, WE ARE MAKING SURE, TELLING THEM THAT THEY HAVE TO CHECK ON THAT AND MAKE SURE IT HAS NOT EXPIRED OR GONE OUTSIDE THAT 30 DAY WINDOW. UM, I CAN'T SEE THE, WHAT DOES THAT SEE ON THE SIDE? IT'S ON YOUR SCREEN. DUH, . THIS ALSO INCLUDES THE PHOTO IDENTIFICATION CARD AS WELL. THE LICENSE AND THE PHOTO IDENTIFICATION CARD. ALRIGHT. THIS IS A EXAMPLE OF WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE. THERE IS A WATERMARK ON IT. I'M STILL WAITING ON THE ANSWER FROM THE STATE ABOUT, I THINK IN STAFF MEETING CAME UP ABOUT HAVING A COPY. UH, YOU KNOW WHAT, IF SOMEBODY TRIES TO COPY IT, BUT IT DOES HAVE A WATERMARK. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GOING TO BE PROHIBITIVE FOR COPYING OR NOT, BUT WE ARE STILL WAITING ON AN ANSWER FROM THE STATE ON THAT. BUT THIS IS WHAT IT GENERALLY LOOK LIKE. IT WILL ALSO HAVE THE, UH, THE ISSUANCE DATE SO YOU'LL KNOW WHAT THE EXPIRATION DATE IS ON IT. SO WE ARE TEACHING THEM TO LOOK FOR THIS AS AN EXAMPLE. SOMEBODY WITH A TEMPORARY CREDENTIAL FOR THE ID OVER ON THIS SIDE IS THE ID AND THIS IS THE LICENSE, THE DRIVER'S LICENSE. THIS IS WHAT THE NEW DRIVER'S LICENSE WILL LOOK LIKE. AND THIS IS WHAT THE NEW IDENTIFICATION CARD WILL LOOK LIKE. THAT BARCODE ON THE LICENSE, WELL, LET ME GO BACK THAT BARCODE, THE TOP BARCODE, UM, IS SCANNABLE LIKE WE WOULD ON THE LICENSE. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL TELL THE, MAKE SURE THE POLL WORKERS UNDERSTAND THAT AS WELL. AND OBVIOUSLY THAT BARCODE ON THE BACK OF THE LICENSE AND THE ID SHOULD BE SCANNABLE AS WELL. THIS IS WHAT THE PHOTO ID WOULD LOOK LIKE. YES, MA'AM. THAT, UM, ON ONE OF YOUR, UM, PICTURE IDS, IT SAID OVER 21 DRIVER'S LICENSE. YEAH. THERE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE, I THINK OVER OVER 21 IS VER IS, UH, HORIZONTAL. HORIZONTAL AND UNDER 21 IS VERTICAL. OKAY. LIKE, LIKE THIS? WELL THIS IS, WELL NO, NOT LIKE THIS. THIS IS THE LIMITED TERM, BUT IT'S STILL THE VERTICAL AND VERTICAL HORIZONTAL. YEAH. AND HORIZONTAL, YEAH. OR WHATEVER. OKAY. BUT THIS IS THE LIMITED TERM AND, AND THEY DO KNOW THAT THEY CANNOT VOTE WITH THIS BECAUSE THAT MEANS THE PERSON ISN'T A CITIZEN. SO OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR WORKERS KNOW THAT WHEN THEY SEE THAT LIMITED TERM LICENSE OR WHATEVER OR PHOTO ID THAT, THAT, THAT IS NOT GUARANTEED THAT PERSON'S CITIZENSHIP IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO VOTE. OH. UM, WHEN WE REGISTER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO WILL BE 18 BY THE ELECTION, IT WILL BE HORIZONTAL VERTICAL. A VERTICAL VERTICAL. RIGHT. OKAY. AND, UM, THE SEC IS TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER A, A, A ADDENDUM TO PUT INSIDE OF THE POLL WORKERS HANDBOOK THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE. SO THAT NOT OTHER, NOT ONLY THE TRAINING FROM THE CLASS, BUT IT WILL BE IN A FORM WHERE THEY CAN HAVE IT. WHEN WE DO GET IT, WE WILL PUT IT UP ON OUR POLL WORKERS WEBSITE 'CAUSE THEY CAN ACCESS THAT AT ANY TIME TO LOOK AT IT. AND, UM, IF WE, WHEN WE DO GET IT, UH, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE POLL WORKERS HAVE IT. THEY WILL GET IT IF, HOPEFULLY THEY'LL GET IT BEFORE THE NOVEMBER MANDATORY BRIEFING. SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GIVE IT OUT TO 'EM DURING THE MANDATORY BRIEFINGS. BUT ALL OF THEM WILL RECEIVE THAT. IT WILL ALSO BE PUT ON A POLL WORKERS WEBSITE SO THEY CAN SEE ALL THE CHANGES AS WELL. OKAY. [01:25:02] HERE'S SOME MORE, UH, MISCELLANEOUS UPDATES. WE AREN'T GONNA MAIL OUT THE NEW VOTER REGISTRATION CARDS TILL AFTER THE NOVEMBER ELECTION 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANNA CONFUSE THE VOTERS. SOME OF 'EM ARE GOING TO TEMPORARY PLACES TO VOTE AS WELL AND IT'S NOT GOING TO AFFECT EVERYBODY. SO WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING AT ONE TIME FOR THE NEW PRECINCTS. AND FOR THE CURRENT PRECINCTS, UH, ONCE AGAIN, THE PEOPLE ARE ALREADY IN REMS IN THEIR CORRECT PRECINCT. SO WHEN THEY, THEY COME IN TO VOTE, THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE PUT IN THEIR CORRECT PRECINCT, THE NEWER ONES THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE. BUT THEY WILL VOTE AT THE SAME PLACE UNTIL WE FIND NEW PLACES FOR THE, THE SEPARATE OR THE BRAND NEW ONES. THEY ARE STILL VOTING IN THE SAME PLACE. WENDELL, UM, WENDELL, I'M SORRY. CAN I, CAN I JUST CLARIFY SOMETHING? YES. SO FOR THE EIGHT NEW PRECINCTS THAT WERE EFFECTIVE EARLIER THIS YEAR, RIGHT? UH, YOU'RE SAYING THE PEOPLE IN THE EIGHT NEW PRECINCTS WILL NOT RECEIVE NEW VOTER REGISTRATION CARDS UNTIL AFTER BEFORE THE ELECTION. UNTIL AFTER ELECTION. RIGHT? THEY ARE IN THEIR PRECINCTS NOW. THEY ARE IN THEIR NEW PRECINCTS, BUT YOU SEND THEM A NEW CARD WHEN THEY GET A NEW LOCATION AS WELL. SO WE DIDN'T WANNA DO A DOUBLE SEND IT AND THEN TRY TO SEND IT AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE COST AND IT WOULD CONFUSE THEM BECAUSE THEY REALLY, THAT HAPPENS VERY QUICK, VERY EASILY. SO WE WANT TO DO IT ALL AT ONE TIME SO THEY'LL KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WHEN THEY SHOW UP. THEY WILL BE IN THEIR NEW PRECINCT WHEN THEY VOTE. HOW WILL WE MANAGE THE POSSIBLE CONFUSION OF A VOTER WHO SHOWS UP WITH A VOTER REGISTRATION CARD THAT SAYS BLUFFED IN FIVE A, BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY IN REMS AS BLUFFED IN FIVE F. THE, THE, WHEN, WHEN WE HAVE THE MANDATORY BRIEFINGS, WE WILL EXPLAIN ALL OF THOSE CHANGES TO THE PEOPLE. AND IT'S LIKE I SAID, THIS IS BLUFFTON IS THE MAIN ONE. SO THE BLUFFTON BRIEFING, WE WILL SPEND MORE TIME QUALIFYING THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE IN THIS, ARE IN THIS NEW PRECINCT. WHEN YOU SEE THEM SHOW UP AND I THINK, CAN WE GET A LIST? WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET A LIST. CHRIS, THEY'RE IN THE NEW PRECINCT. YEAH, THEY'RE STILL THE SAME LOCATION, BUT THEY'RE IN THE NEW PRECINCTS IN VERS. SO THEY WILL SHOW UP. THEIR NAME WILL SHOW UP IN THE RIGHT PRECINCT. I UNDERSTAND THAT. I, I'M LESS CONCERNED ABOUT THE POLL WORKERS. WE'RE IN CONTROL OF THE TRAINING FOR THE POLL WORKERS. SO THEY'LL UNDERSTAND THAT A VOTER IN FRONT OF THEM WITH A VOTER ID CARD THAT SAYS FIVE A IS ACTUALLY THE VOTER THAT'S IN REMS AS FIVE F. RIGHT. I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE VOTERS WHO WILL BE CONFUSED BECAUSE THEY, THEIR VOTER ID CARD SAYS THEY LIVE IN FIVE A, BUT THEY'RE BEING TOLD BY THE POLL WORKER THAT THEY LIVE IN FIVE F IT'S THAT CONFUSION THAT I, I'M WONDERING HOW WE'RE GOING TO MANAGE. WE'LL SIT DOWN AND FIGURE OUT BECAUSE WE CAN LET THEM KNOW. I THINK AT THOSE PARTICULAR POLLING LOCATIONS, WE CAN ACTUALLY MAYBE GET SOME, UH, SIGNAGE OR WHATEVER TO HELP EXPLAIN THAT. THE LESS OF CONFUSION, THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IS THEY'RE ACTUALLY GETTING THE VOTE IN THE RIGHT. THEY'RE IN, THEY'RE PLACED IN THE RIGHT PRECINCT TO SAME LOCATION. RIGHT? SAME LOCATION. AND THEY GET THE RIGHT BALLOT. UNDERSTAND THAT RIGHT. PRECINCT. SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL PROBABLY GET SOME SIGNAGE TO EXPLAIN, UH, YOU, WHEN YOU WOULD COME UP, YOU MAY SEE THAT YOU ARE IN ANOTHER PRECINCT. YOU WILL GET YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION CARDS AFTER THE ELECTION. 'CAUSE WE DID NOT WANT TO CAUSE MORE CONFUSION. YOU STILL VOTING IN THE SAME PLACE AT THIS TIME. SO YOU'RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE. OKAY, THANK YOU. UH, SO MY SCREEN, OKAY, NEXT WE WILL HAVE AN UPDATED PRECINCT COMPLIANCE REPORT NEXT MONTH AT THE NEXT MONTH'S MEETING. UM, WE ARE ALSO SENDING, WE, THE STATE IS, IS HAVING IS UH, BEGINNING WHAT WE CALL A STATE CERTIFIED CLERK PROGRAM. AND UH, JEAN AND I HAVE IDENTIFIED THREE PERSONS TO ATTEND THE FIRST CLASS, WHICH IS SET SEPTEMBER THE THIRD THROUGH THE FIFTH. WE WILL KNOW DEFINITIVELY FRIDAY. THEY SH I MEAN I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA BE A PROBLEM THEM GETTING IN THERE, BUT WE WILL KNOW DEFINITIVELY FRIDAY THAT THEY WILL BE GOING OR THEY CAN GO. UM, THERE'S SHAQUILA BROWN, WE PICKED ONE FROM THE BEAUFORT SIDE, WE PICKED ONE FROM BLUFFTON AND WE PICKED ONE FROM HILTON HEAD OR HAD ONE FROM HILTON HEAD. SO WE HAD ALL THREE AREAS COVERED. AND THOSE ARE OUR INITIAL, UH, INITIAL CLASS OF 2025 FOR THE STATE CERTIFIED CLERK PROGRAM. UM, AND WHAT THIS IS, THIS IS WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO, IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE USED TO DO SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WE WOULD HAVE A HANDS-ON CLASS AND WE SPENT, IT WAS LIKE REALLY QUALIFIED. WE HAD 10 PEOPLE IN AND THEY GOT TO ASK EVERY KIND OF QUESTION THEY COULD POSSIBLY ASK TO, UH, DO BETTER THEIR SITUATION AS FAR AS BEING A POLL WORKER OR A CLERK. AND UM, THIS IS THE STATE I GUESS TRYING TO DO THAT AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT. STATEWIDE, WHAT I HAVE ASKED, AND I MENTIONED THIS TO UH, SOME TO YOU EARLIER, IS ME AND JEAN WERE TALKING ABOUT IT AND WE WOULD LIKE, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE JEAN AUDIT THE CLASS, LIKE THIS FIRST CLASS TO ACTUALLY SIT IN THERE AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE TEACHING THEM OR TRAINING THEM ON BECAUSE WE FEEL THAT WE WANNA [01:30:01] MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME SHEET OF MUSIC WHEN THEY COME BACK HOME. SO, UM, THEIR RESPONSE, INITIAL RESPONSE HAS BEEN, WELL, WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY DO A CLASS FOR STAFF AND THAT LIKE, WE DON'T REALLY WANT THAT. WE WANT, IF JEAN COULD JUST GO AND SIT IN THE CLASS, WE ARE NOT ASKING HER TO TRAIN HER OR ANYTHING, JUST SIT BACK IN THE CORNER AND OBSERVE. SO WE ARE WAITING RIGHT NOW. I I PUT IN A PLEA A BAG OR WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT FOR LIKE, HEY, JUST LET JEAN SIT IN THE CORNER. SHE'S NOT GONNA BOTHER ANYBODY. JUST LET HER SIT IN THE BACK CORNER WHILE Y'ALL ARE TEACHING THE CLASS. SO WE SHOULD KNOW. I I I DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT ANSWER WILL COME. UM, I PUT THAT IN ON YES. I MEAN MONDAY. SO HOPEFULLY THAT WHEN NOT MONDAY. WELL, WHENEVER THEY TOLD US THAT THESE THREE WERE, THEY GOT THESE APPLICATIONS, I ACTUALLY ASKED AGAIN. UH, SO HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF. 'CAUSE WE REALLY DO WANT TO KNOW WHAT OUR PEOPLE ARE BEING TAUGHT AT THE STATE LEVEL WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO THAT. UM, OUR NEWEST HIRE XAVIER, HE'S ONLY TWO MORE CLASSES AND HE WILL BE FULLY STATE CERTIFIED. SO, UH, ONE OF THEM HE CAN'T GET UNTIL NEXT YEAR, RIGHT CHRIS? YEP. OFFICE PROCEDURES I THINK, BUT DOUG ACTUALLY I THINK THAT'S THE ONLY CLASS HE NO, HE, I YOU SURE? MM-HMM . ALRIGHT, SO MAYBE HE ONLY HAS ONE. OKAY. BUT HE WILL BE FULLY STATE CERTIFIED. AND WE DO HAVE SOMEONE WE NEED TO CONGRATULATE TODAY. , MR. SUKI, CONGRATULATIONS ON BE FULLY CERTIFIED FROM THE STATE AND THE CHAIR HAS YOUR SUR CERTIFICATE. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU . SO WE'RE MOVING RIGHT ALONG. MOVING RIGHT ALONG. UM, LET'S SEE. OKAY, AND THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE. DO, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING WE MIGHT HAVE HAD SO FAR? OKAY, THAT'S ONE QUICK QUESTION. YES MA'AM. UH, IS THE STATE OFFERING THAT, UH, CLERK TRAINING AT THE COUNTY LEVEL OR DO, DO YOU HAVE TO GO TO COLUMBIA FOR A CLERK? NO, YOU HAVE TO GO TO COLUMBIA. SEE, THAT'S WHY NOW, I DON'T KNOW. AT SOME POINT THEY MAY DO IT LIKE THEY DO THE OTHER TRAINING WHERE THEY DO REGIONAL REGIONALLY, BUT I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE SURE ON IT YET, ON EVERYTHING THEY'RE DOING WITH IT. THAT'S WHY I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE OUR, ONE OF US SITTING IN THERE. SO, UH, RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE TO GO TO COLUMBIA. THAT'S IT. OKAY. I NO OTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU MR. ROBERSON. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. AT THIS POINT, UH, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO COVER? OH, I STILL MOVE. OH, SEE WHAT IT'S FIRST? YEAH, I, I'LL I'LL NEED TO READ, READ IT OFF THOUGH FIRST. OKAY, WELL WE'RE COMING BACK IN SESSION. UH, PUBLIC SESSION. IT IS NOW. WHAT TIME IS IT? ANYBODY HAVE A CLOCK? 5 0 4. 5 0 4. THANK YOU. UM, THERE WERE NO VOTES TAKEN DURING EXECUTIVE SESSION. UH, NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS MATTERS RISING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION AND UH, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IF I HAVE, MAY HAVE A MOTION, UM, TO AUTHORIZE THE BAR, THE BOARD CHAIR OR HIS APPOINTEES TO WORK WITH STAFF AND THE DIRECTOR OF RISK MANAGEMENT TO OBTAIN APPROPRIATE LIABILITY INSURANCE AND DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS INSURANCE AND THEN IN AND IDENTIFY INDEMNITIES THAT APPLY UNDER THE LAW TO THE BOARD TO BE COMPLETED AS SOON AS REASONABLY POSSIBLE. AND, AND I'LL SEND IT TO YOU, JEAN. THANK YOU. I SO MOVE THERE A SECOND. SECOND. ANY COMMENTS? ALL IN FAVOR. AYE. THANK YOU. OH, AND FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE NOTE THAT MS. MITCHELL, UH, DEPARTED DURING EXECUTIVE SESSION. SO THERE'S ONLY SEVEN OF US HERE NOW. UM, MAY I HAVE A, UH, MOTION ON AN ITEM THAT WAS ON THE AGENDA EARLIER AND THAT IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE MEETING ON AUGUST 14TH, 2025 FOR THE SPECIAL CALLED BOARD MEETING. UH, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES AS WRITTEN, MR. SOWICKI? SECOND. SECOND. SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OKAY, SO SIX ALL OPPOSED? ONE OPPOSED. OKAY, THANK YOU. MOTION PASSES. OKAY, UH, NEXT ON THE LIST HERE IS CLOSING COMMENTS. UH, SO FIRST I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, MIKE WICKE FOR GETTING YOUR [01:35:01] SEC CERTIFICATION. UH, NEXT AS WE GO THROUGH A TRANSITION PROCESS TO FILL THE BIG SHOES THAT WERE LEFT BY, UH, DIRECTOR SMALLS, I'D LIKE LIKE TO THANK THE STAFF FOR ALL YOUR PATIENCE WITH THIS TRANSITION. UM, I'D LIKE YOU TO KNOW THAT THE BOARD IS TAKING THIS MATTER VERY SERIOUSLY. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS APPRECIATION FOR THE ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE AND, AND THEIR STAFF AND THANK MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS HERE TODAY, UH, FOR WORKING THROUGH ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE. THE NEXT BOARD MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 24TH, TWO O'CLOCK AT OUR OFFICE, UH, AT 15 JOHN GALT ROAD. AND DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS THEY'D LIKE TO MAKE BEFORE WE ADJOURN? CHAIR THIS? I'M NOT, I SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS EARLIER, I SUPPOSE. UH, WOULD LIKE THE SEPTEMBER BOARD MEETING THAT WE HAVE A REVIEW OF THE NOVEMBER MEETING DATE? YES. GOOD. A SO WE'LL ADD THAT TO THE AGENDA FOR SEPTEMBER. MAY I ALSO SUGGEST IN THE MIDDLE OF EARLY VOTING, THAT'LL BE IN THE MIDDLE OF EARLY VOTING. OKAY. UM, YOU CAN DO THAT NOW. WE'LL REVIEW THE BOARD MEETING DATES. YEAH. UNLESS EVERYBODY CAN DO IT NOW WITH YOUR CALENDARS. HEY, WHAT'S THAT? IT? WELL, THE OCTOBER DATE IS UH, 22ND. 22ND. 22ND. THAT'S UH, OKAY. WEDNESDAY THE 22ND. SO WE CAN DO IT THE WEEK BEFORE THE 15TH. IS THAT GOOD FOR YOU? NO, I HAD A MEETING AT SIX SECOND UNTIL THE 15TH IF THAT'S GOOD FOR MOST PEOPLE TO THE 15TH. IT'S OKAY. WE COULD START AT ONE O'CLOCK RATHER THAN TWO IF THAT HELPS. YEAH, BE FINE. THE SIX 15TH AFTERNOON. WHAT QUESTION? THE 15TH OR THE 16TH IS FINE. THE 22ND OR THE 23RD IS FINE. LET'S GO WITH THE 15TH. STARTING AT ONE O'CLOCK. UM, AT OR? YES. OKAY. AND THEN CAN WE LOOK AT THE NOVEMBER MEETING AS WELL? WHAT TIME ARE WE GONNA START? CAN, CAN I MAKE ONE O'CLOCK? YES. JEAN, HISTORICALLY ON NON-GENERAL ELECTION YEARS, , UM, BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW HOW LONG THE CANVAS HEARINGS ARE GONNA BE ON GENERAL ELECTION YEARS, BUT USUALLY UM, THE BOARD HAS OPTED TO GO AHEAD AND DO THE NOVEMBER MEETING DIRECTLY FOLLOWING THE CANVAS HEARING FOR MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. 'CAUSE IT TENDS TO BE SHORT. THE CANVAS HEARING TENDS TO BE SHORT. WHAT'S THE DATE OF THE CANVAS MEETING? NOVEMBER 6TH. FIRST ONE IS BLUFFTON MEETS AT COURT ROLL IS AT 10 30. SO YOU GUYS WILL NEED TO BE AT THE MEET WHERE? CHANGING WHAT WAS THAT, CHRIS? NOVEMBER 6TH. OKAY. IT WAS COURT ROYAL OFFICE TO CERTIFY THE PORT ROYAL ELECTION AT 10 30 TIME. 10 30 IN THE MORNING. OKAY. UM, BL DOES THEIRS AT 10:00 AM THEY CERTIFY THEIR OWN STUFF. OKAY. SO THE BOARD MEETING WOULD BE SCHEDULED AT WHAT TIME? I THINK BOTH MEETINGS TO THE PUBLIC, CORRECT THE CAN MM-HMM . SO FOR 15 MINUTES [01:40:04] YOU JUST HAVE TO PEOPLE TELL PEOPLE GENERALLY WHAT TIME IT'S SCHEDULED TO START. OKAY. SO LET'S GO WITH . THE CANVAS HEARING AT NOVEMBER 6TH. ABOUT 1130. YEP. 11:30 AM OH YEAH. 1130. OKAY. THANK YOU MR. COOPER. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? VOTE MR. COOPER. SECOND. SECOND. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNMENT. AYE. AYE. AYE. BEVERLY. AYE. ADJOURN. OKAY. MEETINGS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. YOU ARE WATCHING BEAUFORT COUNTY TV LIVE, WORK, PLAY. I AM EM CAMPBELL. AND THIS IS YOUR BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT. THE MARSH TACKY IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSETS IN THE GULLAH CULTURE. THE MARSH TACKY WAS USED FOR PLOWING, FOR CARRYING PEOPLE TO CHURCH, AS WELL AS TO PULL WAGONS. IT'S A BREED OF HORSE THAT WAS LEFT BY THE SPANISH IN THE 15 HUNDREDS AND SINCE THAT TIME IT HAS BEEN INNER BRED. MARSHACK HAS A NARROW CHEST AND SLENDER LEGS, BUT IT'S VERY TOUGH HORSE. AND BEFORE MODERN DEVELOPMENT, EVERY FAMILY HAD AT LEAST ONE MOSH TACKY. IT WAS LIKE A CAR OR A TRUCK TODAY. AND SO WE HAVE ALWAYS ADMIRED THE MOSH TACKY. IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE ENTERTAINERS OF THE AREA BECAUSE WE HAD RACES WITH MARSH TACKERS AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR. TODAY THE MARSH TACKY HAS BEEN PRESERVED BY CERTAIN PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, THROUGHOUT THE LOW COUNTRY AREA. THIS IS EMERY CAMPBELL AND THAT HAS BEEN YOUR BEAUFORD COUNTY MOMENTS. 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.