* 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. OKAY, GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. UH, WELCOME. SO GLAD TO SEE ALL YOUR FACES. THANKS FOR BEING HERE TODAY. I THINK ALL OF YOU KNOW ME, BUT I AM JOCELYN STEINER, THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIRECTOR FOR THE HILTON HEAD AREA REALTORS AND THE BUFORT JASPER COUNTY REALTORS. IT'S GREAT TO SEE SUCH A COMMITTEE GROUP OF LOCAL LEADERS, STAFF MEMBERS OF THE REGIONAL CITIZENS COMMITTEE, AND OUR REALTOR LEADERS GATHER TO TALK ABOUT WHAT RESIDENTS WANT WHEN IT COMES TO GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING. TODAY'S PRESENTATION IS THE RESULT OF A TRUE COMMUNITY COLLABORATION. IF YOU'RE A MEMBER OF THE REGIONAL CITIZENS COMMITTEE, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND? THANK YOU. THIS GROUP OF CURRENT AND FORMER ELECTED OFFICIALS, CHAMBER LEADERS, AND LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS, NOT ONLY HELPED GUIDE THIS EFFORT, THEY ARE OUR COALITION PARTNERS. THE IDEA FOR THIS RESEARCH CAME FROM THEM FOLLOWING THE FAILURE OF THE PENNY TRANSPORTATION SALES TAX REFERENDUM LAST ELECTION. I AM ALSO A MEMBER OF THE REGIONAL CITIZENS COMMITTEE AND WAS ABLE TO OFFER THIS POLL THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIP OUR ASSOCIATIONS HAVE WITH THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AND REALTORS AS REALTORS, WE ARE NOT JUST IN THE BUSINESS OF BUYING AND SELLING HOMES. WE'RE INVESTED IN BUILDING HEALTHY, VIBRANT COMMUNITIES. WE CARE ABOUT STRONG SCHOOLS, THRIVING LOCAL BUSINESSES, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT KEEPS UP WITH GROWTH. THAT'S WHY WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WITH RESOURCES LIKE THIS. LET'S TAKE A MOMENT AND ASK THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF FROM OUR MUNICIPALITIES TO PLEASE STAND. I KNOW I KNOW ALL OF YOU, BUT I WANNA BE SURE OTHERS IN THE ROOM RECOGNIZE YOU. AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND BEING PART OF TODAY'S CONVERSATION. AS I SAID, THIS IS A CONVERSATION, NOT JUST A PRESENTATION. PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS WHEN THE TIME COMES AND SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS. WE HAVE ON THE TABLE PRINTED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DATA. IT IS BROKEN DOWN BY COUNTY AS A WHOLE. THEN CITY OF BUFORD, BLUFFTON, HILTON, HEAD ISLAND, AND UNINCORPORATED BEFORD COUNTY, INCLUDING PORT ROYAL. PORT ROYAL WAS NOT SEPARATED OUT BECAUSE IT WAS A SMALLER SAMPLING. AND HARVILLE, I KNOW YOU'LL FIND THIS DATA HELPFUL AS YOU GROW AND DEVELOP YOUR CITY. WHEN WE WORK WITH THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION REALTORS THROUGH THEIR GRANT PROGRAM, WHICH WAS FUNDED BY THIS STU, WHICH FUNDED THIS STUDY, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH OUR PRESENTER, JOE GOOD. JOE IS THE CHIEF RESEARCH OFFICER AT STA SOLUTIONS, GOOD CONDUCTS POLL OPINION SURVEYS, AND PROVIDES STRATEGIC ADVICE FOR TRADE ASSOCIATIONS, NONPROFIT GROUPS, AND CORPORATIONS. HE HAS WORKED FOR AND ADVISED ORGANIZATIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS AS A POLLSTER CONSULTANT AND EXECUTIVE GOOD HAS WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION REALTORS SINCE 2007, PROVIDING OPINION RESEARCH AND CONSULTING SERVICES FOR STATE AND LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS IN ALL 50 STATES AND HUNDREDS OF LOCALITIES BEFORE COMING TO TERRO IN 2007. GOOD WAS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AND SENIOR ANALYST AT THE POLLING FIRM, GREENBERG QUINNAN AND ROSNER. HE HAS ALSO WORKED AS VICE PRESIDENT OF THE POLLING FIRM AT THE POLLING FIRM, LAKE RESEARCH PARTNERS. SO PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING JOE. GOOD. ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING, YOU GUYS HEAR ME? OKAY, GREAT. UM, SORRY. UH, APOLOGIES IN ADVANCE FOR MISSING. TWO WEEKS AGO I CAME DOWN WITH COVID AND THAT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN FUN. I COULDN'T GET OUTTA THE ROOM. SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. AND, UH, UH, HOPEFULLY I CAN MAKE THIS INTERESTING AND ENGAGING FOR YOU. UM, WE'RE GONNA GO OVER [00:05:01] THIS MORNING THE RESULTS OF OUR COUNTY SURVEY, BEFORD COUNTY SURVEY THAT WE CONDUCTED IN MAY. UM, THIS IS A RANDOM SAMPLE POLL. UM, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF DETAILING ABOUT THE POLL AND HOW IT WAS, UH, CONDUCTED AND, AND JUST SOME OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, INTELLECTUAL THINGS, JUST SO YOU KNOW WHERE WE'RE COMING FROM. AND THEN WE'RE GONNA JUMP INTO THE NUMBERS. IT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF NUMBERS. I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE FOR THAT. BUT SOME OF YOU'RE GONNA FIND SOME OF VERY INTERESTING, MAYBE OTHER PARTS, UH, YOU MAY FADE OFF FOR A LITTLE BIT, BUT I'LL TRY AND KEEP THIS ENGAGING AND IN CONTEXT AS WE WALK THROUGH IT, THE POLL ITSELF IS GONNA COVER QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES. UM, WE'RE GONNA GO A LITTLE BIT INTO SOME PRIORITIES THAT, UH, LOCAL RESIDENTS HAVE. WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOUSING AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION AS WELL. SO HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE VERY ENGAGING. UM, IF I COULD ASK YOU TO HOLD OFF ON YOUR QUESTIONS TILL THE END, UM, I MAY ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS AS WE GO ALONG. UM, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A, A GOOD CONVERSATION, HOPEFULLY AFTER THE SURVEY. UM, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S JUST REALLY ISN'T CLEAR TO YOU OR YOU JUST REALLY ARE PUZZLED BY, RAISE YOUR HAND. AND, AND MAYBE WE CAN COVER IT THAT WHILE WE'RE DOING THE PRESENTATION, BUT HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE A LITTLE BIT INTERESTING AND FUN. AND, UH, THEN WE CAN HAVE, UH, A GOOD CONVERSATION ABOUT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, MOVING FORWARD. SO FIRST OF ALL, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE TECHNICAL PARTS OF THIS. UM, THIS IS WHAT WE CALL A RANDOM SAMPLE SURVEY. UM, WE INTERVIEWED 600 REGISTERED VOTERS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. UH, NOW THE WAY THAT WORKS IS, I KNOW EVERYBODY SAYS NOBODY EVER CALLS ME, RIGHT? BUT WE DO INDEED STILL ARE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO FOLKS. UM, WE DO WHAT'S NOW CALLED HYBRID SAMPLING. SO WE DO BOTH LIVE INTERVIEWS AND WE TEXT, MAYBE SOME OF YOU IN THIS ROOM GOT THE TEXT. SO YOU GET A TEXT, YOU CLICK ON THE LINK AND IT TAKES YOU TO A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN TAKE THE POLL. SO WE WERE ABLE TO DO A SAMPLE SIZE OF 600, UH, VOTERS SELECTED AT RANDOM, THE REGISTERED VOTERS, UH, IN THE COUNTY. AND THAT'S GONNA GIVE US AN OVERALL MARGIN OF ERROR ABOUT PLUS OR MINUS FOUR PERCENTAGE POINTS. UH, THE SURVEY ITSELF WAS CONDUCTED FOR RIGHT THE END OF MAY FROM MAY 27TH, 28TH TO 29TH. NOW, ONE THING TO KEEP IN MIND, THIS IS A RELATIVELY LARGER SAMPLE SIZE. USUALLY YOU'RE DOING ABOUT 400 IN A COUNTY. UH, WE DID THE LARGER SAMPLE, SO WE COULD ALSO BREAK OUT REGIONS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY. SO WE HAVE HILTON HEAD, UH, BLUFFTON, BEAUFORT, AND THEN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY. IT, IT'S GONNA SAY REST OF THE COUNTY. I APOLOGIZE, I DON'T MEAN TO, UH, UH, INSULT ANYBODY FROM HARVILLE OR ANYWHERE ELSE, BUT WE JUST HAD TO DO ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS. BUT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE, UH, SUBSAMPLES, KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE'S GONNA BE FEWER INTERVIEWERS IN THERE, AND THEREFORE THE MARGIN OF ERROR WITHIN EACH SUBSAMPLE IS A LITTLE BIT LARGER. NOW, I'M GONNA SHOW YOU WHAT'S STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. I'M GONNA SHOW YOU SOME OF THE VARIATIONS BETWEEN THE FOUR REGIONS, UH, BUT DO KEEP IN MIND THAT AS WE GET TO SMALLER SAMPLE SIZES, THE MARGIN OF ERRORS A LITTLE BIT, UH, HIGHER FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT TO GEEK OUT ON THINGS LIKE THAT. NOW, I DO USE A PROCESS CALLED WAITING TO MAKE SURE THAT ONCE WE GET ALL THE DATA IN, WE MAKE SURE THAT IT'S REPRESENTATIVE OF REGISTERED VOTERS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AS A WHOLE. UH, THE BIG VARIATION TO BEAUFORT, OF COURSE, IS WE HAVE A LOT OF SENIOR CITIZENS, UH, IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. 40% OF OUR POLL RESPONDENTS ARE SENIOR CITIZENS. IT'S GONNA BE REFLECTIVE OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE ON THE VOTER FILE. YOU ALSO HAVE A FEW MORE HOMEOWNERS THAN YOU WOULD IF YOU WERE NOT, IF YOU WERE INCLUDING ALL ADULTS, 18 PLUS AS OPPOSED TO REGISTERED VOTERS. UH, BUT OTHERWISE EVERYTHING IS PRETTY MUCH SET UP SO THAT WE'RE REPRESENTATIVE OF REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE COUNTY. SO FROM THERE, WE'RE GONNA START WITH SOME OF THE FUN STUFF. WE START WITH, UH, SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE AND, UH, ATTITUDES ON DEVELOPMENT. AND OUR FIRST QUESTION WE ASK FOLKS IS, OVERALL, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY? EXCELLENT, GOOD. JUST FAIR OR POOR. THIS IS WHAT WE CALL A CLOSE ENDED QUESTION, AND THEY CAN PICK FROM THAT, UH, THAT RESULTS. SO YOU'RE GONNA SEE HERE THAT FOLKS IN BUFORT COUNTY, LIKE BUFORT COUNTY, RIGHT? UH, OVERALL 82% CALL THE QUALITY OF LIFE EITHER EXCELLENT OR GOOD, 27% EXCELLENT, 54% GOOD, ONLY 14%, JUST FAIR AND 4% POOR. AND THIS IS REAL SIMILAR TO WHAT I WOULD SEE, UM, WHEN I ASKED THIS QUESTION. ALL OVER THE, UH, COUNTRY FOLKS TEND TO LIKE WHERE THEY LIVE. UM, SO WHEN YOU GET SOMETHING THOUGH THAT 82% AGREE ON SOMETHING IN THIS DAY AND AGE, THAT'S PRETTY GOOD, RIGHT? THERE AREN'T A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'RE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT ON. THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD NOTE ABOUT THESE NUMBERS IS THAT THE INTENSITY IS A LITTLE LOWER THAN WHAT I SEE IN SOME OTHER PLACES. UM, IN PLACES WHERE FOLKS ARE LIKE, REALLY JAZZED, REALLY FEELING GREAT ABOUT THEIR COUNTY, THIS NUMBER TENDS TO BE IN THE MID THIRTIES, A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, AND THIS NUMBER MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT LOWER. THERE'S USUALLY A LITTLE BIT OF A TRADE UP, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR AS A POLLSTER, IS INTENSITY. AND SO THE FACT THAT YOU'RE JUST A LITTLE BIT UNDER, UH, THAT 30%, IT KIND OF SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT SOME OF THE FRUSTRATIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA SEE ABOUT LATER ON IN THE POLL. NOW, IF YOU BREAK THIS OUT BY, UH, REGION, HERE'S WHAT HAPPENS. [00:10:01] LOOK AT HILTON HEAD, 36% FEEL LIKE QUALITY OF LIFE IS EXCELLENT, AND 58% FEEL THE QUALITY OF LIFE IS GOOD. SO IF YOU'RE ON HILTON HEAD, THAT'S 94% QUALITY, QUALITY OF LIFE, EXCELLENT OR GOOD. THAT'S THE KIND OF INTENSITY AND OVERALL NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE IN PLACES WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE COUNTY IS JUST REALLY JAZZED, REALLY FEELING GREAT ABOUT HOW THINGS ARE GOING. WHEN YOU GET DOWN TO BLUFF, THEN YOU SEE HOW THAT EXCELLENT NUMBER DROPS A LITTLE BIT DOWN TO 30%, BUT THAT'S STILL, AGAIN, A VERY SOLID SCORE. AGAIN, 85% EXCELLENT OR GOOD. WHEN YOU GET TO THE KIND OF UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF COUNTY, LOOK AT HOW THAT INTENSITY NUMBER DROPS OFF A LITTLE BIT DOWN TO 20%. AND THEN IN BUFORT, AGAIN, 19%. SO AGAIN, I DON'T WANT YOU WALKING OUT HERE AND SAYING, HEY, THAT POLLSTER GUY SAID THAT THE PEOPLE IN REST OF THE COUNTY IN BEAUFORT DON'T LIKE THE QUALITY OF LIFE THEY DO. RIGHT? 74 AND 71%, CALLING IT EXCELLENT OR GOOD. BUT WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IS THAT INTENSITY AND HOW IT DROPS OFF AS YOU GET INTO THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS IN BEAUFORT. NOW, THERE'S ALSO SOME INTERESTING DIFFERENCES BY AGE OR OLDER RESIDENTS ARE 31% EXCELLENT, 87% OVERALL EXCELLENT OR GOOD. BUT IF YOU'RE 150, THAT INTENSITY AGAIN DROPS OFF A LITTLE BIT TO JUST 20% EXCELLENT, AND 51% GOOD. YOU'RE ALSO GONNA SEE SOME VARIANCE, UM, BY, UH, BY EDUCATION, AGE AND RACE. UM, OUR COLLEGE EDUCATED, REGISTERED VOTERS, 32%, EXCELLENT, 60% GOOD. SO THEY'RE FEELING PRETTY GREAT ABOUT EVERYTHING. BUT CONTRAST THAT WITH OUR YOUNGER NON-COLLEGE RESIDENTS, YOU SEE THE QUALITY OF LIFE THERE REALLY DROPS OFF ONLY 14% EXCELLENT, AND 15 50% GOOD. YOU ALSO SEE A GAP BETWEEN WHITE RESIDENTS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR AND BETWEEN HOMEOWNERS, WHICH IS ABOUT 80% OF THE COUNTY, AND, UH, NON HOMEOWNERS. SO AGAIN, YOU SEE SOME OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC VARIANCES. THESE ARE COUNTYWIDE NUMBERS ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE. NOW, WHAT I, WE WANTED TO DO WHEN WE WERE TALKING WITH JOCELYN IS JUST GIVEN THE HUGE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU GUYS HAVE EXPERIENCED HERE, WAS REALLY KIND OF GET A SENSE OF HOW HAS THE QUALITY OF LIFE CHANGED AND HOW DO PEOPLE SEE THE QUALITY OF LIFE THINKING MOVING FORWARD? SO WE SAID IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, DO YOU THINK THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN BUFORT COUNTY HAS GOTTEN BETTER, GOTTEN WORSE, OR STAYED ABOUT THE SAME? YOU GUYS ANSWERING THAT IN YOUR HEAD PERSONALLY? OKAY, SO HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING. IF YOU LOOK AT THIS OVERALL, 45% SAY IT'S ABOUT THE SAME, BUT 42% SAY IN THE LAST THREE YEARS OF QUALITY OF LIFE HAS GOTTEN WORSE. THAT'S A PRETTY HIGH NUMBER. USUALLY I DON'T SEE THAT NUMBER NORTH OF 30%. SO THAT'S PRETTY HIGH. ONLY 12% FEEL LIKE THE QUALITY OF LIFE HAS GOTTEN BETTER IN THE LAST THREE YEARS. NOW, AGAIN, YOU'RE GONNA SEE SOME VARIANCE HERE. UH, FOLKS IN BLUFFTON, 47% WORSE REST OF THE COUNTY, 44% BUFORT, 42% HILTON ED, THEY'RE A LITTLE MORE MAJORITY THINGS ARE STAYING ABOUT THE SAME. BUT EVEN IN HILTON ED, YOU'VE GOT 32% THAT FEEL LIKE THE QUALITY OF LIFE HAS GOTTEN A LITTLE WORSE. SO HERE'S YOUR FIRST CLUE THAT FOLKS ARE A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING, POPULATION GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTY, AND THEY REALLY FEEL LIKE THINGS HAVE GOTTEN A LITTLE WORSE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. UM, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE SAME KIND OF BREAKOUTS IF YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE COUNTY FOR 11 YEARS OR MORE. 45% FIELD OF QUALITY OF LIFE HAS GOTTEN WORSE. IF YOU'VE ONLY BEEN IN THE COUNTY FOR LESS THAN 10 YEARS OR 10 YEARS OR LESS, IT'S 37% WORSE. SO THAT'S KIND OF A DIFFERENCE IN DEGREE, NOT MAGNITUDE, RIGHT? BUT EVERYBODY'S KIND OF FEELING A LITTLE WORSE ABOUT HOW THE QUALITY OF LIFE IS GOING. AND THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF DIFFERENCE BY AGE AND GENDER, WHEREAS WOMEN OVER THE AGE OF 50, 45% WORSE COMPARED TO MEN OVER THE AGE OF 50, THEY'RE KIND OF LIKE, AH, 51% THINGS HAVE STATED ABOUT THE SAME. SO AGAIN, YOU'RE SEEING THAT, THINK YOUR TAKEAWAY FROM THIS IS HOW FOLKS ARE SEEING THINGS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. NOW, WE FOLLOWED THIS QUESTION UP WITH THINKING AHEAD OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS. DO YOU THINK THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS GONNA GET BETTER OR WORSE? YOU STAY ABOUT THE SAME. AND YOU KNOW, AMERICANS TEND TO BE ASPIRATIONAL, THEY TEND TO BE OPTIMISTIC, RIGHT? WELL, HERE YOU'VE GOT 46% OF COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE A LITTLE WORRIED THAT THINGS ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO GET WORSE IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS. AGAIN, THAT'S A PRETTY HIGH NUMBER. UH, WHEN YOU THINK IN ALMOST HALF THE COUNTY IS LOOKING OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS AND THEY SEE QUALITY OF LIFE PROBLEMS ON THE HORIZON, IT'S GONNA BE TRUE NO MATTER WHERE YOU'RE AT. BLUFFTON, 50% BUFORT, 47, WESLEY COUNTY, 43, EVEN IN HILTON HEAD, 41% IF YOU LIKE, THE QUALITY OF LIFE, IT'S GONNA BE GETTING WORSE IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS. SO AGAIN, AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, I THINK YOU NEED TO KIND OF INCORPORATE THAT IN IS PLANNING AND THINKING ABOUT THINGS. FOLKS ARE A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING IN TERMS OF QUALITY OF LIFE. YOU'RE GONNA SEE SOME OF THE SAME DIFFERENCES. WOMEN TEND TO BE A LITTLE MORE CONCERNED, UH, OLDER WOMEN ESPECIALLY AT 53% SEEING THINGS AS WORSE. UH, OLDER MEN, AGAIN, ARE KIND OF NOT REALLY VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT HOW THINGS ARE GOING. AND THEY'RE THAT KIND OF ABOUT THE SAME IS [00:15:01] TENDS TO BE THAT KIND OF A NEGATIVE FEELING. UH, OUR WHITE RESIDENTS, 48% WORSE, PEOPLE OF COLOR, 38% PEOPLE OF COLOR TEND TO BE A LITTLE MORE OPTIMISTIC COMPARED TO EVERYBODY ELSE AT 28% FEELING THINGS WILL GET BETTER. SO THAT'S THE QUALITY OF LIFE QUESTIONS, AND THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU A SENSE OF THE GENERAL MOOD. NOW, WHAT I LIKE TO DO IN THE POLLING IS THEN ASK OUR RESPONDENTS, HEY, WHAT IS ONE THING, WHAT'S ONE CHANGE THAT WOULD MOST IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY? AND WE DON'T GIVE MANY RESPONSES. THIS IS WHAT WE CALL AN OPEN-ENDED OR VERBATIM QUESTION. AND EVERYBODY EITHER TYPES IN THEIR ANSWER OR TELLS MY INTERVIEW THEIR ANSWERS. I HAVE 600 QUOTES FROM 600 RESPONDENTS. WE'LL MAKE THOSE AVAILABLE TO YOU IF YOU'D LIKE TO READ THROUGH 'EM. I'M GONNA SHOW YOU SOME EXAMPLES HERE. UM, BUT IT IS A GOOD WAY FOR US TO KIND OF LOOK AT THINGS AND KIND OF GET THAT NUANCE. LIKE REALLY HEAR FROM PEOPLE IN THEIR OWN WORDS WHAT THEY'RE THINKING, WHERE THEY'RE AT. SO I READ THROUGH 'EM, ALL MY STAFF READS THROUGH THEM ALL, AND THEN WE CODE 'EM, RIGHT? SO I WANT TO CODE 'EM SO THAT I CAN KIND OF MAKE THEM MANAGEABLE, UH, AS TO WHERE IS, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN THAT COULD IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE? SO WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GONNA HAPPEN ON THIS QUESTION WHEN WE CODE THINGS, IMPROVING TRAFFIC, ROADS AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION? 44% OF OUR RESPONDENTS SAID SOMETHING ABOUT TRAFFIC, ABOUT THE ROADS, ABOUT THE BRIDGES. THAT WOULD BE THE ONE THING THAT WOULD MOST IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE. RIGHT BEHIND THAT, THERE'S A REAL PUSHBACK ON JUST REDUCING DEVELOPMENT, GETTING DEVELOPMENT UNDER CONTROL, DOING SOMETHING TO STOP, YOU KNOW, TO, TO KIND OF BE SMARTER GROWTH ABOUT HOW WE'RE DOING DEVELOPMENT. A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. I'LL SHOW YOU SOME OF THESE QUOTES. THEN. YOU HAD 10% WHO VOLUNTEERED. AGAIN, THE ONLY THREE QUESTIONS THEY'VE HEARD AT THIS POINT WAS, QUALITY OF LIFE, GONNA GET BETTER, GONNA GET WORSE. 10% OF OUR RESPONDENTS VOLUNTARILY RAISED HOUSING COSTS, HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, AND THEN YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF REDUCING CRIME, LOWER COST OF LIVING. BUT THESE WERE THE GROUPS THAT MOST CAME OUT FROM ALL OF OUR RESPONDENTS IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY WOULD SEE TO DO TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE. SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE QUOTES, YOU KNOW, KIND OF STARTING OVER HERE. TRAFFIC CONTROL, HUGE PRIORITY ACCESS TO HILTON HEAD IS BECOMING MORE DIFFICULT. IF A SOLUTION HAS NOT STARTED SOON, IT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT THE QUALITY OF THE ISLAND. UM, I WOULD SAY REPLACING THE BRIDGE OF THE ISLAND, EXPANDING THE ROAD SYSTEM WHERE ACCESS TO THE ISLAND, THE TOWN IS GROWING, THEY'VE GOTTA HANDLE TRAFFIC BETTER. I WOULD SAY INFRASTRUCTURE, ROADWAYS, HIGHWAYS, THEY SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT HIGHWAY 46, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE. SO TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC ISSUES WITH TOURIST SEASON. UH, WE HAVE LOTS OF SPEEDERS APPARENTLY HERE IN, UH, BEFORD COUNTY, SOMEBODY WHO'S VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. SO THAT JUST KIND OF GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THE FLAVOR OF THE TYPES OF QUOTES THAT WE HAVE. AGAIN, YOU MIGHT WANNA READ THROUGH 'EM ALL AND, UH, AND, AND GET SOME OF THAT, THAT, UH, HERE'S THE FLAVOR OF THE REDUCED DEVELOPMENT MANAGING POPULATION. IT IS TO MANAGE GROWTH. IT'S GETTING TOO CROWDED. THERE'S NOT ENOUGH INFRASTRUCTURE TO HANDLE THE POPULATION TOO MUCH OVERBUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE NOT KEEPING UP AND THE OUT OF BUILDING THE POPULATION. GROWTH COUNTY IS OVERBUILT WHEN YOU'RE NOT ON THE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE. UH, UNFORTUNATELY DUE TO OVER DEVELOPMENT, THE AREA'S ALREADY DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR, JUST IS WHERE I CAME FROM. CAPE COD, STRONGLY CONSIDERING LEAVING DUE TO INCREASED CRIME, OVERDEVELOPMENT TRAFFIC ISSUES. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S SOME PENT UP STUFF. I DIDN'T HAVE ANY TROUBLE GETTING MY RESPONDENTS TO KIND OF TELL ME WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS WRONG AND WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO KIND OF IMPROVE THAT QUALITY OF LIFE. UM, WHEN IT CAME TO HOUSING, WE ALSO HAD SOME VERY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, COST OF RENTING AND HOME PRICES UNREASONABLY HIGH, UH, RENT REDUCTION. WHEN YOU RENT HERE, YOU GO BY THE INCOME YOU HAVE TO MAKE THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT OF RENT THEY HAVE. UH, AFFORDABILITY OF HOMES AND LAND, MORE AVAILABLE HOUSING, BETTER RENT CONTROL ON HOUSING, MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR SENIORS AND WORKING CLASS PEOPLE AS WELL AS PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS, BUS DRIVERS AND EDUCATION AND CHILDREN. SO AGAIN, JUST TRYING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A FLAVOR OF THOSE QUOTES. BUT IT'S REALLY ALL ABOUT TRAFFIC, DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THE ROADS, CONDITIONS, SOMETHING ABOUT GROWTH, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVING IN, THAT'S REALLY AFFECTING HOW PEOPLE SEE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE AND HOUSING ALSO REGISTERED IN DOUBLE DIGITS ON THAT QUALITY OF LIFE QUESTION. SO FROM THERE, UM, WE DID WANNA DO A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, GRADING OR HAVING, HOW MUCH TRUST DO YOU HAVE IN THE BEAUFORT COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT? AND WE ALSO ASK OVERALL, HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE JOB BEING DONE BY YOUR COUNTY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN MANAGING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY? OKAY, EVERYBODY READY? ALRIGHT, OVER HERE. TRUSTED COUNTY GOVERNMENT, 4% TRUST YOU JUST ABOUT ALWAYS 41% MOST OF THE TIME. 47% THOUGH ONLY SOME OF THE TIME, AND 7% NONE OF THE TIME. SO THIS IS WHAT WE CALL IN THE POLLING PROFESSION BEING UNDERWATER, RIGHT? YOU'RE 45% OF THE COUNTY IS ONLY TRUSTING YOU VERY FEW, BUT JUST ABOUT ALWAYS. AND 41%, MOST OF THE TIME THAT'S NOT HORRIBLE. I'VE SEEN MUCH, MUCH WORSE, TRUST ME. [00:20:01] BUT YOU REALLY WANT A MINIMUM OF THESE NUMBERS TO BE REVERSED. YOU WANT THAT 54% TO BE ON THE POSITIVE SIDE. UM, AGAIN, AGAIN, WE'RE IN A TIME IN AMERICA WHERE PEOPLE JUST DON'T HAVE A LOT OF FAITH IN INSTITUTIONS AND GOVERNMENT. I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU THAT, BUT STILL, YOU STILL WANNA SEE AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, THERE TENDS TO BE A LITTLE MORE FAITH AND YOU'D REALLY LIKE THOSE NUMBERS TO BE REVERSED. SO THERE IS SOME SENSE OUT THERE AMONG COUNTY RESIDENTS. IT'S NOT THAT KIND OF, UH, FEELING THAT THERE'S, YOU CAN TRUST YOU TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT. MOST OF THE TIME WHEN WE ASK ABOUT THE JOB BEING DONE BY COUNTY, LOCAL GOVERNMENT MANAGING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, EXCELLENT, GOOD. JUST FAIR OR POOR? WELL, NOT SURPRISINGLY, GIVEN WHAT WE JUST SAW IN SOME OF THE GROWTH ISSUES, MOST FOLKS FEEL PLURALITY ARE JUST DOING A FAIR JOB. 37%, 28% SAY POOR, AND 10% JUST, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. SO ONLY ABOUT ONE QUARTER KIND OF FEEL LIKE, HEY, COUNTY GOVERNMENTS ARE DOING A GOOD JOB. LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE DOING A JOB HANDLING WITH THIS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND THESE ARE HARD, YOU KNOW, QUESTIONS, HARD RATINGS. UH, BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHERE FOLKS ARE IN TERMS OF, UH, GOVERNMENT. NOW, WE DO ALSO WANT, I WANTED TO QUANTIFY THIS SENSE OF RESIDENTIAL GROWTH VERSUS COMMERCIAL GROWTH. UM, YOU KNOW, WE KNEW COMING INTO THIS, THERE WAS GONNA BE SOME CONCERN ABOUT GROWTH, JUST GIVEN THE AMOUNT THAT YOU'VE HAD. SO WE ASK OUR RESPONDENTS, WOULD YOU SAY THE PACE OF RESIDENTIAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS HAVING TOO FAST, TOO SLOW AT ABOUT THE RIGHT PACE? AND WHEN YOU SAY THE PACE OF COMMERCIAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS HAPPENING AT ABOUT THE RIGHT AMOUNT OR TOO FAST HERE, OVER IN 11 IS RESIDENTIAL. WE HAD 74% OF RESPONDENTS SAY THAT RESIDENTIAL GROWTH IS HAPPENING TOO FAST. THAT IS REALLY HIGH. UM, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU SOME COMPARISON NUMBERS HERE IN A SECOND. WHEN I USED TO ASK THIS QUESTION FIVE, 10 YEARS AGO, IT NEVER WENT OVER 50%. UM, SINCE 2000, I'VE BEEN SEEING THESE NUMBERS GO UP A LOT, ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHERN COUNTIES WHERE THINGS ARE REALLY HIGH GROWTH. BUT WHEN YOU HAVE THREE QUARTERS OF PEOPLE SAYING THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH GROWTH HAPPENING, THAT'S A LOT. AND EVEN MORE INTERESTING IS COMMERCIAL GROWTH. YOU HAVE 55% WHO SAY THAT COMMERCIAL GROWTH IS HAPPENING TOO FAST. THIS IS SOUTH CAROLINA, RIGHT? WHERE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH EFFORT TO BRING IN JOBS, BRING IN, UH, THINGS BRING IN INDUSTRY. WE HAVE 55%. I SAY EVEN THAT'S HAPPENING TOO FAST. NOW, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA HOW THIS COMPARES TO SOME OTHER PLACES WHERE I'VE POLLED, I'M KIND OF LIMITING THIS TO SOUTHEASTERN, UH, POLLS THAT I'VE DONE. YOU GUYS ARE ALMOST, I MEAN, YOU'RE BASICALLY IN A STATISTICAL TIE AS THE HIGHEST I'VE EVER SEEN MM-HMM . UH, COMPARED TO FLAKE AND SUMTER COUNTIES, THOSE ARE ADJACENT TO ORLANDO COUNTY AND FLORIDA. THAT'S DISNEY WORLD. THEY SAID 75%, THAT'S THE HIGHEST YOU'RE AT. 74% TENNESSEE RUTHFORD COUNTY, THAT'S RIGHT OUTSIDE OF NASHVILLE. UH, 70%. SO AGAIN, IF YOU INCORPORATE A MARGIN ERROR, YOU GUYS ARE TIED FOR THE HIGHEST I'VE EVER SEEN ON THIS QUESTION. UH, WILLIAMSON COUNTY, THAT'S RIGHT OUTSIDE NASHVILLE AS WELL. 65%. SUFFOLK LAKE, 57%, UH, NORTH CHARLESTON, YOUR NEIGHBORS UP HERE IN NORTH, 49% SAY TOO FAST. AND MADISON COUNTY, THAT'S, UH, HUNTSVILLE, I BELIEVE IN ALABAMA, 44% TOO PASS. DOES THAT JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT OF WHERE BEFORD COUNTY, UH, RATES IN, LIKE PLACES THAT I'VE BEEN POLLING THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS? UH, THAT'S AN INCREDIBLY HIGH NUMBER. IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF JUST HOW MUCH RESIDENTS ARE STRUGGLING WITH ALL THE RESIDENTIAL GROWTH THAT YOU'VE BEEN SEEING. UM, AND IT WOULD'VE BEEN VERY SIMILAR ON, ON THE COMMERCIAL SHUTTLE, HAVE THOSE NUMBERS HERE, BUT VERY SIMPLE. UH, OKAY. SO FROM THERE WE'VE SET THE BASELINE WITH OUR RESPONDENTS. THEY'VE TALKED TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE. THEY'VE TALKED TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE THE CONCERNS ARE, WHAT YOU COULD SEE DO TO, TO IMPROVE THAT QUALITY OF LIFE. SO WE WANTED TO GET A SENSE OF PRIORITIES, UM, WHAT ARE THEIR PRIORITIES IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE. SO WE STOPPED STILL THINKING ABOUT GROWTH DEVELOPMENT, WHICH TWO OF THE FOLLOWING INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS ARE MOST NEEDED IN YOUR PART OF BEAUFORT COUNTY. AND WE GAVE THEM A COUPLE CHOICES. WE GAVE THEM ROAD AND BRIDGE IMPROVEMENTS DOWN HERE AT THE BOTTOM, STORM WATER CONTROL AND DRAINAGE SYSTEMS, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, WATER AND SEWER EXPANSION, PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE PATHS, AND BROADBAND INTERNET. AND WE ASKED 'EM TO PICK TWO OF THOSE. SO NOT SURPRISINGLY, GIVEN ALL THE TRAFFIC, 71%, AND THIS IS GONNA ADD UP TO 200%, OKAY, BECAUSE WE GET TWO 71% SAID ROAD AND BRIDGE IMPROVEMENTS JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY SAYS WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE ROADS, WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE BRIDGES BEHIND THAT STORM WATER CONTROL AND DRAINAGE SYSTEMS. 38% OF RESPONDENTS SAID STORMWATER AND DRAINAGE, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION WAS HIGH. 32%. UH, TALK ABOUT THE NEED FOR SOME KIND OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, WATER AND SEWER EXPANSION, 19%. SO IF YOU, I GUESS YOU COULD ADD THAT WATER AND SEWER WITH STORMWATER, BUT WE MADE THAT DISTINCTION. PEDESTRIAN BIKE PASS, 18% AND BROAD, BETTER BROADBAND [00:25:01] INTERNET, 16%. SO AGAIN, YOU'RE NOT, ONCE YOU, EVERYBODY'S REALLY FOCUSED ON ROAD AND BRIDGE IMPROVEMENTS IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE. AND THEN YOU GET KIND OF A MIX HERE ON STORM WATER, WATER CONTROL, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. AND THEN THE LAST TWO WERE PEDESTRIAN AND BROADBAND INTERNET. SO WE THEN WANTED TO GET A SENSE OF PRIORITIZING THINGS. AND WE GAVE FOLKS A COUPLE OF ISSUES TO PRIORITIZE. WE SAID, LOOK, I'M GONNA READ YOU SOME ISSUES THAT PEOPLE SAY SHOULD BE A PRIORITY FOR LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. FOR EACH ONE, PLEASE TELL ME HOW HIGH OF A PRIORITY YOU THINK THAT ISSUE SHOULD BE IF YOU'RE LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS. AND WE TESTED FIVE QUESTIONS, PROTECTING OPEN SPACE LIKE VACANT LAND, MARSH, FOREST AND FARMLAND FROM DEVELOPMENT, IMPROVING TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE ROADS AND BRIDGES, MANAGING POPULATION GROWTH AND CONTROLLING DEVELOPMENT, KEEPING TAXES AND FEES UNDER CONTROL AND CREATING MORE HOUSING THAT'S AFFORDABLE, LOW MIDDLE INCOME PEOPLE. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PRIORITIES THAT WE COULD HAVE PUT IN HERE, BUT THESE ARE THE FIVE THAT WE DECIDED TO TEST. AND WE SAID, RATE THAT AS EVEN BEING A VERY HIGH PRIORITY, A HIGH PRIORITY, A MEDIUM PRIORITY, A LOW PRIORITY, OR NOT A PRIORITY AT ALL. SO NUMBER ONE, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A WHOLE LOT OF DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TOP THREE HERE. 55% SAID PROTECTING OPEN SPACE IS A VERY HIGH PRIORITY. ANOTHER 28% SAID IT'S A HIGH PRIORITY. SO I KNOW AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, YOU'RE GONNA BE, OH, HOW DOES THIS HELP ME? RIGHT? BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S PRETTY MUCH SAYING THIS IS A VERY HIGH PRIORITY. WE'RE GONNA SAY THE SAME THING. IMPROVING TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE, 52%, VERY HIGH PRIORITY, 34%, FAIRLY HIGH PRIORITY. MANAGING POPULATION GROWTH, 50%, VERY HIGH PRIORITY. UH, HIGH 31% HIGH PRIORITY, KEEPING COUNTING TAXES AND FEES UNDER CONTROL. THE INTENSITY DROPS OFF A LITTLE BIT, BUT YOU STILL GOT ALMOST 80% CALLING THAT A HIGH PRIORITY. AND THEN DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, CREATING MORE HOUSING THAT'S AFFORDABLE. 31%, VERY HIGH PRIORITY, 29% HIGH PRIORITY. SO THIS IS KIND OF CONUNDRUM, RIGHT? UM, EVERYBODY'S SEEING THESE TOP FOUR AS EITHER VERY HIGH OR HIGH PRIORITY, 80%. UH, HOW DO YOU JUGGLE THOSE THINGS? BECAUSE KIND OF VOTERS WANT IT ALL RIGHT? THEY WANT TO PROTECT THINGS. THEY WANT BETTER ROADS, THEY WANT, UH, TO MANAGE THIS POPULATION GROWTH. BUT LOOK, YOU'RE STILL 60%, WE SAY WE NEED MORE HOUSING. AND, UH, FOLKS ALSO WANNA KEEP THEIR TAXES UNDER CONTROL. SO THIS IS THE CONUNDRUM, RIGHT? AND I KNOW YOU GUYS KNOW THIS, BUT THIS KIND OF QUANTIFIES IT FOR YOU IN TERMS OF WHERE PEOPLE ARE. THERE ARE SOME DEMOGRAPHIC VARIANCES HERE. WOMEN TEND TO FEEL STRONGER ABOUT PROTECTING OPEN SPACE, UH, MANAGING POPULATION GROWTH AND CREATING MORE HOUSING THAN MEN DO. BUT AGAIN, THAT'S JUST ON THE INTENSITY SIDE OF THINGS. UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CREATING MORE HOUSING THAT'S AFFORDABLE, THAT TENDS TO BE HIGHER PRIORITY FOR NON HOMEOWNERS PEOPLE OF COLOR AND OUR YOUNGER RESIDENTS. BUT AGAIN, EVERYBODY IS THESE, AGAIN, JUST KIND OF VARIATIONS WITHIN THE DEMOGRAPHICS. I'M NOT SAYING THAT OLDER PEOPLE DON'T THINK THESE THINGS ARE PRIORITIES, IT'S JUST, IT'S HIGHER AND MORE INTENSE AMONG OUR YOUNGER PEOPLE. UH, WHEN YOU GET THIS, CREATING MORE HOUSING THAT'S AFFORDABLE TO LOWER AND MIDDLE INCOME PEOPLE, OUR FOLKS OVER IN HILTON, IN OR HIGHEST, THAT'S 67%. UH, BLUFF BLUFFING, 63%. RESTON COUNTY, 56% BEAUFORT DOWN HERE AT 53%. SO A LITTLE BIT OF VARIATION THERE ON CREATING MORE HOUSING. ALTHOUGH, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF ROOM IN BUILDING HEAD TO BUILD MUCH MORE, UH, THINGS. SO I, GOING INTO THIS, I KNEW THAT THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF FOLKS RATING THESE THINGS AS VERY HIGH OR HIGH. SO I WANTED TO PUSH OUR RESPONDENTS AND SAY, OKAY, WHAT'S YOUR ONE TOP PRIORITY OF THOSE FIVE THINGS THAT ARE VERY HARD, RIGHT? UH, THESE ARE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH AS ELECTED OFFICIALS. AND TRYING TO PUSH MY RESPONDENTS AND SAY, OKAY, WHAT'S YOUR TOP PRIORITY? WELL, WE DIDN'T REALLY GET A CLEAR ROUTE HERE, WHICH AGAIN, I THINK KIND OF SPEAKS TO THE DESIRE OF PEOPLE TO HAVE IT ALL. WE HAD 28% WHOSE TOP PRIORITY WAS MANAGING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. WE HAD 23%, KILL THIS FOR ONE SECOND, WHO SAID IMPROVING TRANSPORTATION WAS THEIR SINGLE TOP PRIORITY. WE HAD AN 18%. WE SAID PROTECTING OPEN SPACE WAS THEIR SINGLE TOP PRIORITY. WE HAD 17%. WE SAID THAT CREATING MORE HOUSING WAS THEIR SINGLE TOP PRIORITY. AND FINALLY, WE HAD KEEPING TAXES UNDER CONTROL 13%. SO AGAIN, WHEN YOU FORCE THE ISSUE WITH PEOPLE, NOT ONE THING STANDS OUT. YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF LIKE TO SAY, OKAY, IT ALWAYS HAS TO BE OUR ROADS. WELL, NO, A LOT OF PEOPLE WANNA JUST MANAGE POPULATION GROWTH, BUT YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WANNA IMPROVE TRANSPORTATION. YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE, PEOPLE TALK ABOUT PROTECTING OPEN SPACE. SO IT'S KIND OF THAT HAVE IT ALL. UM, SINCE I'M DOING THIS PRIMARILY FOR MY FRIENDS AND THE REALTORS, THERE'S A LITTLE MORE DEPTH INTO THE, UH, HOUSING. I'M GONNA GET THIS IN A SECOND, BUT YOUNGER PEOPLE, PEOPLE OF COLOR AND NON HOMEOWNERS, THEY TENDED TO RATE THAT MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT THE TOP. BUT THAT JUST KIND OF GIVES YOU JUST HOW [00:30:01] CONFLICTED AND DIVIDED PEOPLE ARE WHEN YOU TRY TO FORCE THEM TO CREATE ONE, TO PICK ONE PRIORITY. UM, THERE WASN'T A WHOLE LOT OF VARIANCE BY COUNTY, I MEAN, I'M SORRY, BY, BY BY THE GEOGRAPHIC BREAKOUTS. EVERY REGION MOSTLY RANKED THESE THE SAME WAY. UH, THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS, THEY WERE A LITTLE HIGHER ON MANAGING POPULATION GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AND A LITTLE HIGHER IN THEIR RANK ORDER IN TERMS OF PROTECTING OPEN SPACE. BUT THERE WASN'T MUCH REGIONAL VARIANCE ON THAT FORCED CHOICE QUESTION. UM, I DID ALL SORTS OF DEMOGRAPHICS HERE. I DON'T WANNA GET TOO GEEKY. UM, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT, IF YOU, IF YOU ASK ME WHO'S THE PROFILE OF WHO CARES ABOUT WHAT, UM, MANAGING POPULATION GROWTH AND CONTROLLING DEVELOPMENT, THAT TENDS TO BE MOST IMPORTANT FOR SENIORS, WOMEN OVER 50 POSTGRADUATES AND COLLEGE EDUCATED WOMEN, THAT THEY'RE THE ONES WHO REALLY PRIORITIZE THAT. UH, IMPROVING TRANSPORTATION THAT TENDED TO BE HIGHER AMONG MEN WITH COLLEGE DEGREES, OLDER MEN AND NEWER RESIDENTS. PEOPLE WHO KIND OF GOT HERE MANY TIMES IN THE NORTHEAST, AND THEY'RE LIKE, WHERE'S THE MORE ROADS? WHERE'S THEIR BRIDGES? RIGHT? PROTECTING OPEN SPACE THAT TENDS TO BE HIGHER AMONG YOUNGER RESIDENTS, COLLEGE WOMEN, YOUNGER COLLEGE GRADUATES. THEY KIND OF ARE MORE INTO THE GREEN SPACE, PROTECTING GREEN SPACE AND CREATING MORE HOUSING. WE JUST, I JUST SHOWED YOU THAT THAT TENDS TO BE HIGHER AMONG NON HOMEOWNERS, NOT SURPRISING YOUNGER VOTERS. AND THOSE WHO, UH, JUST HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL OR LESS, OH, I'M SORRY, KEEPING TAXES. UH, PEOPLE OF COLOR IN MEN WITH COLLEGE DEGREES, UH, ARE THE ONES WHO TEND TO RATE, UH, KEEPING TAXES LOW UP, UP HIGH. OKAY, YOU STILL WITH ME? LOT OF NUMBERS GETTING HIT OF WATER HERE REAL QUICK. OKAY. SO FROM HERE WE ARE GONNA GO INTO A LITTLE MORE HOUSING, DEEPER DEPTH. SO AGAIN, KEEP IN MIND WE'VE KIND OF GONE THROUGH QUALITY OF LIFE. WE'VE GONE THROUGH PRIORITIES. UM, AND SO NOW WE WANTED TO ASK SOME HOUSING SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, UH, OF OUR REGISTERED VOTERS. AND WE WANTED TO START WITH JUST QUANTIFYING THE PROBLEM. HOW MUCH OF A PROBLEM IS THE AVAILABILITY OF HOUSING THAT'S AFFORDABLE TO MIDDLE AND LOWER INCOME PEOPLE IN YOUR PART OF BEAUFORT COUNTY? THAT IS TO SAY THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSES, CONDOMINIUMS, OR APARTMENTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO BUY OR RENT. NOW I KNOW THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF SUBJECTIVENESS GOING ON HERE, BUT IT'S HARD FOR ME TO LIKE REALLY START THROWING NUMBERS AT PEOPLE HOUSES. OVER 200,000 HOUSES, OVER 400,000. UH, WE WANT THIS TO KIND OF BE TO YOUR EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S AFFORDABLE TO YOU, WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA TRY AND ENFORCE THINGS ON PEOPLE. WE JUST SAY, HOW DO YOU SEE THE AVAILABILITY OF HOUSING THAT'S AFFORDABLE TO MIDDLE AND LOWER INCOME PEOPLE? SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS, IT'S A BIG PROBLEM, RIGHT? UH, 63% CALL IT A VERY, VERY BIG 42% OR A FAIRLY BIG PROBLEM IN THEIR PART OF BEAUFORT COUNTY. AND THEN ANOTHER 20% SAY IT'S A MODERATE PROBLEM. SO PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTY ACKNOWLEDGES AND RECOGNIZES THE PROBLEM OF HOUSING THAT'S AVAILABLE TO EITHER BUY OR RENT IN THE COUNTY. NO SURPRISE HERE, I DON'T THINK. BUT AGAIN, JUST TO QUANTIFY AND SHOW YOU HOW MUCH PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THIS AS AN ISSUE, UH, HILTON HEAD IS A VERY BIG PROBLEM. 51% OF THAT, ANOTHER 24% FAIRLY BIG. SO 76% ON HILTON HEAD SAY IT'S A VERY FAIRLY BIG PROBLEM. BUT EVEN YOU GET OUT HERE TO THE REST OF THE COUNTY, 45%, VERY BIG PROBLEM. BEAUFORT 37 BLUFF AND 37. SO AGAIN, COUNTYWIDE, IF YOU LOOK OVER HERE, IT'S ALMOST, YOU KNOW, SIX OUT OF 10 WHO CALL THE AVAILABILITY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. BE IT RENTING OR BUYING A VERY OR FAIRLY BIG PROBLEM. UH, THERE'S GONNA BE VARIATIONS WITHIN THAT BY, UH, BY DEMOGRAPHICS ARE NON HOMEOWNERS, YOUNGER WOMEN, NON-COLLEGE UNDER 50. THEY'RE ESPECIALLY PRESSED BY THESE HOUSING COSTS. YOU SEE, IT'S 70% CALLING IT A VERY BIG OR FAIRLY BIG PROBLEM. IF YOU'RE KIND OF IN THAT YOUNGER GETTING STARTED, NON-COLLEGE FOLKS, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THAT, THAT SQUEEZE REALLY IS. BUT AGAIN, EVEN IF YOU'RE A COLLEGE GRADUATE OVER THE AGE OF 50, YOU'RE VERY AWARE OF 61% THAT THE AVAILABILITY OF HOUSING IS A PROBLEM IN THE COUNTY. SO FROM THERE, WE WANTED TO DRILL DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND KIND OF PUT A FACE ON THINGS AND ASK SPECIFIC, ASK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOUSING FOR SPECIFIC KINDS OF GROUPS, UM, AND ASK WHETHER THERE WAS TOO MUCH, TOO LITTLE OR THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF THE FOLLOWING FOR THIS KIND OF HOUSING, FOR THESE KINDS OF PEOPLE, FOR CERTAIN GROUPS OF PEOPLE. AND WE ASKED ABOUT HOUSING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST GETTING STARTED IN THEIR CAREERS. HOUSING FOR HOSPITALITY AND SERVICE EMPLOYEES, HOUSING FOR PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEES, LIKE FIRE POLICE, HOUSING FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS, NURSE ASSISTANCE AND HOUSING FOR OLDER PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING TO DOWNSIZE OR HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS. IS THERE TOO MUCH, TOO LITTLE OR ABOUT THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF THAT? WELL, YOUNG PEOPLE, 69% TOO LITTLE HOUSING [00:35:01] AVAILABLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED IN THEIR CAREERS. 62% TOO LITTLE HOUSING AVAILABLE FOR HOSPITALITY WORKERS. 54% TOO LITTLE HOUSING AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEES LIKE FIRE TEACHERS, 54%. TOO LITTLE HOUSING AVAILABLE FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS LIKE TEACHERS, NURSING ASSISTANTS. AND THEN FINALLY AT THE BOTTOM, 41% HOUSING FOR OLDER PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING AT OR HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS. SO AGAIN, THIS KIND OF PUTS A NUMBER AND A FACE, UH, ONCE YOU KIND OF SAY, OKAY, HERE'S THIS KIND OF HOUSE. YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S A REAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THE HOSPITALITY AND SERVICE JUST DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH HOUSING. UM, AND ALSO FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE, WE'RE KIND OF JUST GETTING STARTED. BUT AGAIN, MAJORITIES HERE, PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEES AND HEALTHCARE WORKERS ALSO, PEOPLE ARE SEEING A REAL SHORTAGE FOR THAT KIND OF HOUSING AS WELL. SO AGAIN, THIS IS KIND OF WAY, KIND OF QUANTIFY THAT EARLIER, UH, PROBLEM. AND TO KIND OF SHOW WHERE PEOPLE SEE SOME OF THIS HOUSING IS, UM, AGAIN, WOMEN ARE GONNA BE MORE AWARE OR, OR OR MORE LIKELY TO PERCEIVE A PROBLEM THAN MEN. UH, ON IN ALMOST EVERY CATEGORY WE'RE SEE WOMEN ARE GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER. AND WE'RE, AND WE'LL MAKE THESE SLIDES AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY. WE'RE GONNA POST THIS UP. UM, YOUNGER PEOPLE. UH, THIS IS WHAT WAS ONE THING INTERESTING ABOUT BUFORT. NORMALLY WHEN I ASK THESE BATTERIES, IT'S PEOPLE UNDER 50 WHO ARE REALLY AWARE AND REALLY FEELING PINCHED BY HOUSING. UM, AND THOSE NUMBERS TEND TO BE HIGHER. AND BEAUFORT, THERE REALLY WASN'T AS MUCH VARIANCE AS I WOULD EXPECT. IN FACT, OLDER PEOPLE TENDED TO BE MORE AWARE OF SOME OF THE OR OR MORE READY TO IDENTIFY THIS HOUSING SHORTAGE THAN UNDER PEOPLE. SO THAT WAS KIND OF AN INTERESTING THING. I THINK THAT PROBABLY SPEAKS TO SOME OF OUR OLDER RESIDENTS WHO MAY BE HAVING TROUBLE FINDING SERVICE EMPLOYEES OR FINDING THOSE HEALTHCARE WORKERS. AGAIN, KIND OF WHEN YOU PUT A FACE ON IT, YOU SEE HOW THAT UH, REALLY POPS OUT WHEN YOU ASK PEOPLE, DO YOU THINK THERE'S ENOUGH HOUSING FOR THESE KINDS OF WORKERS? WHOOPS, WHAT I JUST SAID. THANK YOU. UM, ALSO HAVE THIS BROKEN UP BY, UH, REGION HILTON HEAD. THIS IS HOSPITALITY AND SERVICE EMPLOYEES, 72% TOO LITTLE HOUSING FOR THAT. BUT AGAIN, IT'S, THE AWARENESS IS EVERYWHERE. IT DROPS DOWN AS YOU GO DOWN TO BUTFOR, THE LACK OF HOUSING, THOSE KINDS OF FOLKS. PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEES, AGAIN, HILTON, THAT'S GONNA LEAD THE WAY, BUT MAJORITIES OF EVERYWHERE ELSE. SEE TOO HOUSING THERE. UH, HEALTHCARE WORKERS, AGAIN, HILTON HEAD'S GONNA LEAD THE WAY IN SAYING THERE'S TOOL THAT KIND OF HOUSING. BUT AGAIN, IT'S PRE PRONOUNCED EVERYWHERE. UH, OLDER PEOPLE. THAT'S THE ONE PLACE WHERE HILTON HEAD KIND OF FALLS BACK. THEY 54% SAY THERE'S ABOUT THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF THAT KIND OF HOUSING, BUT THE REST OF THE COUNTY AND IN BUFORT, UH, SAYING THERE'S TOO LITTLE HOUSING FOR OLDER PEOPLE, FOLKS LOOKING TO DOWNSIZE. SO, UH, HOUSING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. SO WHAT I LIKE TO DO WITH THE POLLS, AND NOW REMEMBER WE'VE KIND OF ALREADY GONE THROUGH, OUR RESPONDENTS HAVE TALKED ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE. WE'VE HAVE THOSE QUESTIONS. WE'VE ASKED 'EM QUESTIONS ABOUT PRIORITIES. WE'VE ASKED 'EM QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT KIND OF HOUSING WE DIDN'T HAD THEM RATE THE PROBLEM OF HOUSING, RIGHT? SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF ORDER EFFECT BIAS HERE GOING ON. SO I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, 'CAUSE SOME OF THESE SUBSEQUENT NUMBERS ARE REALLY GONNA UNDERSCORE THE CONUNDRUM THAT YOU FACE. BUT I'D LIKE TO DO IS SAY, OKAY, I'M GONNA READ YOU SOME STATEMENTS AND I JUST WANT YOU TO TELL ME IF YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH EACH ONE. OKAY? AND THE STATEMENTS THAT WE READ WERE BEAUFORT COUNTY'S POPULATION KEEPS GROWING. WE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR ROADS AND BRIDGES TO ACCOMMODATE FOR INCREASED TRAFFIC AND USAGE. WE NEED MORE HOUSING. OOPS, SORRY, I BACK THAT UP FOR ONE SECOND. WE NEED MORE HOUSING THAT'S AFFORDABLE TO BE BUILT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. THAT'S THE, THE RUB, RIGHT? WE SHOULD CHANGE COUNTIES ZONING LAWS TO MAKE IT EASIER TO BUILD MULTI-FAMILY HOMES LIKE TOWN HOMES, DUPLEXES AND TRIPES. AND THE BENEFITS OF NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT OUTWEIGH THE DRAWBACKS. WE SAID, DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT? AND THEN WE FOLLOW THAT UP. DO YOU STRONGLY AGREE OR SOMEWHAT AGREE? SO I THINK WE ALL KNOW HOW THIS FIRST ONE'S GONNA TURN OUT. BEAVERT COUNTY POPULATION KEEPS GROWING. WE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR ROADS AND BRIDGES TO ACCOMMODATE FOR INCREASED TRAFFIC AND USAGE. 72% STRONGLY AGREE TO THAT STATEMENT. 21% SOMEWHAT AGREED WITH IT. THAT'S BASICALLY 93% OF PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY. YOU'RE IN TOTAL AGREEMENT. BUT THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. WE NEED MORE HOUSING THAT'S AFFORDABLE TO BE BUILT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. WELL, LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENS. NOW. WE DROP BY 48% AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT. ONLY 29% STRONGLY AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT. I'VE DONE A LOT OF HOUSING AND REZONING WORK IN MY LIFE. DON'T TRUSTLESS 19%. UH, WE SHOULD CHANGE COUNTY ZONING LAWS TO MAKE IT EASIER TO BUILD MULTI-FAMILY HOMES LIKE TOWN HOMES AND DUPLEXES. LOOK AT STRONGLY AGREE NUMBERS SUDDENLY DROPS [00:40:01] TO 12%, ONLY 26% SOMEWHAT AGREE. AND THEN THE BENEFITS OF NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT OUTWEIGH THE DRAWBACKS. ONLY 37% AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT. SO I THINK THIS REALLY, AGAIN, QUANTIFIES JUST THE, UH, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE UP AGAINST HERE. YES, EVERYBODY WANTS SOMETHING DONE ABOUT ROADS. I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. PRIORITY NUMBER ONE, EVEN AFTER WE HAVE HAD THEM RATE HOUSING PROBLEMS, HOUSING AVAILABILITY, HOW MUCH TO HOUSING IS THERE? WE ONLY HAVE 48% WHO AGREE THAT WE NEED MORE HOUSING. IT'S AFFORDABLE TO BE BUILT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. WE ONLY HAVE 39% WHO WANT TO CHANGE ZONING LAWS TO MAKE IT EASIER TO BUILD MORE DENSE HOUSING. AND ONLY 12% STRONGLY AGREED WITH THAT. AND THEN DOWN HERE AND THE BENEFITS TO NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT OUTWEIGH THE DRAWBACKS. THAT'S YOUR EDUCATION PROBLEM RIGHT THERE, RIGHT? WE HAVE 58% ACTUALLY DISAGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT RIGHT NOW. UM, SO THERE'S, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I THINK THIS PROBABLY QUANTIFIES EVERY HOUSING CONVERSATION YOU'VE HAD, UH, INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY, BUT IT DOES KIND OF SHOW YOU HOW PEOPLE REALLY START TO PULL BACK WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT THINGS BEING BUILT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD REZONING AND, UH, THE BENEFITS. SO JUST TO GIVE YOU, UH, SOME OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS BEHIND THIS. WE NEED MORE HOUSING SUPPORT US SHOULD BE BUILT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. IF YOU ARE A NON HOMEOWNER, AND REMEMBER, THAT'S ONLY 20% OF MY SAMPLE, 72% AGREE WITH THE STATEMENT, RIGHT? BUT IF YOU WERE A HOMEOWNER, 56% DISAGREE. UH, THERE'S GONNA BE, IF YOU'RE A WOMAN UNDER 50, 66% AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT. BUT IF YOU ARE OLDER 50 PLUS, YOU START TO SEE A LOT OF DISAGREEMENT WITH THAT STATEMENT. UH, WE NEED MORE HOUSING THAT'S AFFORDABLY BUILT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. INTERESTINGLY, 57% OF HILTON HEAD AGREES WITH THAT STATEMENT. 53% OF THE REST OF THE COUNTY AGREES WITH THAT STATEMENT. BUT YOU GET OUT TO VIEW PRINT AND BLUFF AND YOU START TO GET A LITTLE MORE PUSHBACK. YOU SEE HOW THAT INTENSITY STARTS TO COME OUT. UH, THE BENEFITS OF NEW HOUSING OUTWEIGHED DRAWBACKS. AGAIN, HILTON HEAD, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE KIND OF SPLIT ON THAT. YOU GOT A LOT OF PHDS, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE RETIRED AND THEY'RE GONNA INTELLECTUALLY SAY, OKAY, YES, RIGHT? BUT WHEN YOU GET OUTSIDE THE HILTON ME 60% ARE DISAGREEING WITH THAT STATEMENT. AND THOSE ARE THE FOLKS WHO ARE TRYING TO GET OVER THE BRIDGE, TRYING TO GET TO WORK, TRYING TO GET TO PLACES. UM, CHANGE COUNTY ZONE LAWS MAKE IT EASIER TO BUILD MULTI PHONE, MULTI-FAMILY HOMES. AGAIN, IT'S ONLY GONNA BE HOMEOWNERS AND YOUR YOUNGEST PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT. ONCE YOU GET OVER IT, IT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF DISAGREEMENT WITH THAT STATEMENT. UM, CHANGING ZONING LAWS AGAIN, HILTON HEADSS KIND OF SPLIT ON THAT. YOU GET OUTSIDE THE HILTON LEAD AND YOU'RE HAVING 60% OR HIGHER DISAGREEING WITH THAT SPACE. STILL OPTIMISTIC. UH, ROADS AND BRIDGES. LAST SECTION. UH, SWITCHING GEARS AGAIN. IN GENERAL, HOW WOULD RATE CONDITION OF ROADS AND BRIDGES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY? ONLY 3% SAY THEY'RE EXCELLENT. 34% SAY THEY'RE GOOD, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE DOWN HERE AT 46% JUST FAIR. AND 18% SAYING THAT THERE ARE POOR. SO THAT'S 64% RATED QUALITY OF ROADS AND BRIDGES ONLY. JUST FAIR RAPPORT. UH, I THEN ASK, WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE ROADS AND BRIDGES AND SEWER SYSTEMS, HOW MUCH OF A NEED IS THERE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AND NEW PROJECTS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY? NOW I'M REALLY JUST KIND OF SETTING THE TABLE HERE. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY GIVEN EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE'VE SEEN, THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN A REDUNDANT QUESTION, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW THAT GOING INTO THE POLL, RIGHT? UH, BUT BASICALLY EVERYBODY, 52% SAY THERE IS A GREAT NEED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. 39% SAY THERE'S SOMEWHAT OF A NEED, AGAIN, ALMOST UNIVERSAL AGREEMENT THAT WE NEED INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COUNTY. THERE'S NO REASON TO BREAK THAT OUT. NOW, THE HARD PART, YEAH, I JUST ASKED THEM, DO WE NEED THIS THING? HOW MUCH OF A NEED IS THERE FOR THIS THING? AND WE SAID, OKAY, WELL, COUNTY LEADERS ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO FUND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS LIKE ROAD BRIDGES AND SEWERS. I'M GONNA READ YOU SOME POSSIBLE WAYS TO INCREASE COUNTY REVENUES TO PAY FOR THESE PROJECTS. FOR EACH ONE, PLEASE TELL ME YOU THINK THIS IS AN ACCEPTABLE OR UNACCEPTABLE WAY TO INCREASE REVENUE TO PAY FOR COUNTY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS LIKE ROADS, BRIDGES, AND SEWERS. AND OUR SCALE WAS, THAT'S COMPLETELY ACCEPTABLE, SOMEWHAT ACCEPTABLE, DON'T KNOW, SOMEWHAT UNACCEPTABLE OR COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. OKAY? WE TESTED IMPACT FEES PAID BY DEVELOPERS AND HOUSING CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES. EVERYBODY'S OKAY WITH THAT, RIGHT? 59% SAY THAT'S COMPLETELY ACCEPTABLE. I'M NOT PAYING IT. THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE BUILDING ALL THIS STUFF. THEY NEED TO PONY UP. 24% SAID THAT'S SOMEWHAT ACCEPTABLE. NOW, WE DIDN'T SAY, OH, AND BY THE WAY, THAT MAKES A HOUSE COST $5,000 MORE, 10,000 MORE. WE JUST TESTED THE CONCEPT OF [00:45:01] AN IMPACT FEE, WHICH SOUNDS GREAT TO EVERYBODY. IN THEORY, A COUNTY SALES TAX INCREASE, NOT SO MUCH, ONLY 12% CALL THAT COMPLETELY ACCEPTABLE. 33% SOMEWHAT ACCEPTABLE, 22% SOMEWHAT UNACCEPTABLE, 31% COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. AND PROPERTY TAX INCREASE, PROBABLY DON'T WANT TO GO THERE. ONLY 28% SAY THAT'S AN ACCEPTABLE WAY. 46%. COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. SO AGAIN, I THINK IT, IT UNDERSCORES, I KNOW YOU'VE TRIED OR THINKING ABOUT PERHAPS PUTTING SOME OF THESE, UH, A SALES TAX REFERENDUM. YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW VOTERS ARE SPLIT ON THAT. BUT I'VE DONE A COUPLE OF THESE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. IT IS REALLY HARD TO MAKE THESE WORK. UH, I'LL SHOW YOU SOME DEMOGRAPHICS HERE IN A SECOND. BUT IMPACT FEES FOLKS ARE COMFORTABLE WITH, BECAUSE IT'S NOT COMING OUT OF THEIR POCKET. THEY SAY THEY'RE OKAY WITH THE COUNTY SALES TAX INCREASE. I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED LAST NIGHT WHEN I WENT AND BOUGHT SOMETHING AND REALIZED I WAS PAYING 9% MORE FOR WHAT I, BECAUSE I, WE DON'T HAVE THAT IN VIRGINIA. THOSE HIGH. SO THOSE ARE ALREADY PRETTY HIGH. UH, A PROPERTY TAX INCREASED, 70% RECHECKED THAT OUTRIGHT. NOW YOU ARE GONNA SEE, I BROKE THIS COUNTY SALES TAX A LITTLE BIT, JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A SENSE. REMEMBER, THESE ARE ALL REGISTERED VOTERS. THESE AREN'T NECESSARILY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA SHOW UP TO VOTE. BUT OLDER FOLKS ARE A LITTLE MORE SPLIT ON THIS. BUT YOUNGER PEOPLE, NON-COLLEGE WOMEN, FOLKS WHO ARE KIND A LITTLE MORE STRESSED ON THEIR BUDGET, 63% REJECT THAT. THE ONLY FOLKS WHO ACCEPTED IT WERE COLLEGE MEN, 56%. UH, BUT EVERYBODY ELSE IS MAJORITY OPPOSED. AND THAT'S BEFORE YOU PUT SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT AND SOMEBODY'S GONNA BE FOR. BUT YOU KNOW, WE, THIS ISN'T A BALLOT QUESTION. I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS A POLITICAL QUESTION, BUT THERE IS SOME OPENNESS TO IT DEPENDING ON HOW YOU DO. WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE DISCUSSION SECTION. NOW. I THEN JUST WANT TO KIND OF PUSH PEOPLE INSTEAD OF ONE COUNTY TAX HAD TO BE INCREASED TO PAY FOR ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT. BUFORD, THINGS LIKE ROADS AND BRIDGES, WHICH ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TAXES WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO RAISE? AND I JUST ASKED ABOUT COUNTY SALES TAX OR THE COUNTY PROPERTY TAX. WELL, 58% SAID IF YOU HAD TO RAISE ONE, AND I DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE, THEY SAID IT'S SALES TAX. 25% OF MY RESPONSE SAID, I DON'T WANT EITHER ONE. I DIDN'T GIVE THEM THAT OPTION. THEY JUST SAID, I REFUSE TO HAVE ANY OF MY TAXES RAISED. SO THAT'S KIND YOUR AND ONLY 15%. SO THEY'D RATHER SEE, UH, THE PROPERTY TAX RAISED. SO THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU A SENSE OF, OF, UH, YOU KNOW, IF PUSH CAME TO SHOVE, SALES TAX IS SOMETHING THAT FOLKS WERE A LITTLE MORE OPEN TO. BUT AGAIN, THINK OF THAT EARLIER QUESTION WHERE, UH, YOU DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO SAID THAT WAS COMPLETELY ACCEPTABLE. MOST OF 'EM WERE IN THE SOMEWHAT ACCEPTABLE. SO THAT IS A TON OF NUMBERS. UM, I APPRECIATE YOU GOING THROUGH IT ALL WITH ME. UM, I'M JUST GONNA SUMMARIZE REAL QUICKLY WHAT WE JUST DID AND THEN OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS OR MAYBE JOT SOMETHING. I WANNA SAY A WORD OR TWO AGAIN. I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, THERE'S GREAT CONCERNS ABOUT RECENT POPULATION GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. AND THAT REALLY ADVERSELY AFFECTS PURDUE HOUSING. UM, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY PEOPLE ARE VERY HAPPY WITH THE QUALITY OF LIFE. AND AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO UNDERSCORE, I DON'T WANNA UNDERPLAY JUST HOW GOOD THAT QUALITY OF LIFE NUMBER IS. I KNOW I TALKED ABOUT THE INTENSITY BEING UP, BUT PEOPLE LIKE LIVING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, IT'S A GREAT QUALITY OF LIFE. AND THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE FOCUSED ON RIGHT NOW. UH, THE RECENT SHIFTS TO ME IS UPHOLSTER. SORRY ABOUT THAT. UM, THAT SO HIGH. SAY IT'S GOTTEN WORSE IN THE LAST THREE YEARS. AND LOOKING FORWARD, THEY THINK IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO GET WORSE. THAT'S A REAL RED FLAG FOR ME. THAT'S WHY I'M LOOKING AT THIS DATA. UM, THE THING THAT WOULD MOST IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE, TRAFFIC OF ROADS, LIMITING DEVELOPMENT. UH, WE SAW THAT FOLKS ARE REALLY PLACING A VERY HIGH PRIORITY ON MOST OF THE THINGS THAT WE TESTED IN THE POLL. UH, WE SAW THAT THE SHORTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS VERY APPARENT TO MOST OF OUR RESPONDENTS. THE LACK OF HOUSING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND SERVICE EMPLOYEES REALLY STOOD OUT. BUT EVEN WITH THAT, DESPITE ACKNOWLEDGING THE HOUSING PROBLEM, VOTERS ARE HESITANT TO EMBRACE NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE OF ALL THE PROBLEMS THEY'RE SEEING WITH TRAFFIC AND SEWER AND ALL THE REST. UH, TWO THIRDS FEEL THE ROADS AND BRIDGES OR EITHER JUST FAIR OR POOR. THERE'S A GREAT NEED TO IMPROVE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE. THERE ARE OPEN IMPACT FEES, BUT THEY REALLY PUSH BACK AGAINST SALES AND COUNTY TAXES. SO, UH, JOSH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO SAY ANYTHING OR I'M OPEN TO REACTIONS, QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION. HOWEVER YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO, UH, LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'D LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING ON MIC TOO. I'M KIND OF CONFUSED. YOUR POLL [00:50:01] SHOWED THAT PEOPLE, THEY WANNA SLOW DOWN GROWTH. MM-HMM . BUT THEN THEY, IN TURN THEY SAY THEY WANT THE DEVELOPERS TO PAY FOR THE GROWTH. CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS. I SAID, UH, I I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, RIGHT? YES. YEAH. SO WELCOME TO YOUR WORLD, RIGHT? I MEAN, I, I, IT'S, IT'S A, UM, A TOUGH PROBLEM. AND, BUT THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE ARE JUST KIND OF CONFLICTED ON IT. AND, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT. UH, I HAVE SOME IDEAS, BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT IS THE PROBLEM OF, UM, WHAT VOTERS SEE, UH, EVERY DAY AS THEY'RE TRYING TO GET TO WORK OR THEY'RE TRYING TO RUN THEIR ERRANDS. UH, BUT ALSO UNDERSTANDING THAT MY KID CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE. MY KID CAN'T RENT HERE, MY KID CAN'T GET TO THE JOB. YOU KNOW? AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING ON THAT, UH, AGE BREAKOUT ON, I SHOWED THAT OLDER FOLKS UNDERSTAND THIS. AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I DO FOCUS GROUPS AND THINGS IN AREA, I, I DIDN'T DO ONE HERE. THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I GET BACK. 'CAUSE THERE'S, THERE IS THAT CONFLICT OF I CAME DOWN HERE FOR A REASON. I LOVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE. I WANT, YOU KNOW, , I WANT THE GOLF OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, THAT PEOPLE ARE COMING HERE FOR. UM, BUT HOW DO YOU MAKE THAT WORK WITH, UH, THE AMOUNT OF SPACE THAT WE HAVE? DID YOU TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THE TWO THINGS, THE COUNTY POPULATION IS PROBABLY 40, 50% NON-RESIDENTS AND SECOND ROADS AND BRIDGES WAS TYPICALLY PAID FOR BY THE STATE. UM, THE FORMER QUESTION, YOU SAY 40% ARE NON-RESIDENTS. I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND THAT. SECOND HOME, SECOND HOME, SECOND HOME, UM, WE ONLY TALK TO PEOPLE WHO ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE IN BUFORD COUNTY. HAVE YOU DONE ANY OTHER SURVEYS IN THE AREAS WHERE YOU HAVE THAT TYPE OF NON-RESIDENT RESIDENT? NOTHING COMES TO MIND. UM, SECOND PART OF THE QUESTION WAS, YOU MENTIONED ROADS AND BRIDGES, BUT ERIC, ROADS AND BRIDGES ARE REALLY A RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STATE, NOT THE COUNTY IN MOST SITUATIONS. I THINK THAT YOUR AVERAGE VOTER, IT'S THE DISTINCTION WITHOUT A DIFFERENCE QUESTION. YOU, UH, SEE, YOU, YOU'VE SHOWED US THAT THEY ESTABLISHED A PRIORITY FOR THANK YOU FOR, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE. HMM. YET, AND THEIR CHOICE FOR FUNDING INFRASTRUCTURE WOULD BE A SALES TAX AS OPPOSED TO A PROPERTY TAX. YET WE HAD A SALES TAX REFERENDUM THAT FAILED. SO WHAT WOULD YOU ATTRIBUTE THAT FAILURE TO SINCE THAT'S THE THING THAT THEY WOULD PREFER. THEY'VE ALL AGREED WE SHOULD DO IT, YET THEY DIDN'T PASS THE REFERENDUM. WAS IT A FAILURE TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT WHO'S PAYING WHEN THE SALES TAX IS IMPLEMENTED? YOU KNOW, THEY SAY 40 TO 50% OF MONEY COLLECTED COMES FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE VISITING MM. AS OPPOSED TO PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE AND THE PEOPLE WHO PAY THE SALES TAX ARE BEING TAXED ON THINGS THAT, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE EXEMPTED FROM SALES TAX. SO YOU HAVE TO BUY SOMETHING THAT'S TAXABLE. SO WHERE DID, WHAT WENT WRONG WITH US? SURE. WHEN WAS THAT REFERENDUM RECENTLY? LIKE 20, 21, 23. LAST YEAR. LAST YEAR. YEAH. OKAY. SO I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS GOING ON. UM, UH, I'VE DONE REFERENDUMS IN GREENSBORO AND GREENVILLE, UH, GREENSBORO AND SOMEWHERE ELSE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, SO I DIDN'T PULL THAT SPECIFIC ONE. I MEAN, INFLATION, I MEAN, THAT IS JUST ONE THING. YOU'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO GO IN THE BALLOT BOX AND INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF TAXES THEY'RE PAYING AT A TIME WHEN THE, YOU KNOW, INFLATION NUMBERS WERE STILL FRESH IN THEIR BRAINS. UM, THAT'S DEFINITELY KILLED US IN TWO THAT I WAS INVOLVED IN IN 2024. UM, THE TRUST NUMBER THAT WE SHOWED, JUST THE LACK OF TRUST IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT. UM, ONE QUESTION I ALWAYS ASK WHEN I'M IN THESE REFERENDUMS IS, UH, WHETHER YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE, COUNTY ALREADY HAS ENOUGH MONEY, THEY JUST NEED TO SPEND IT BETTER. ARE THEY GONNA TO SPEND IT WISER? AND PEOPLE TEND TO BELIEVE THAT. THEY THINK THERE'S ENOUGH MONEY ALREADY IN THERE. THEY'RE PAYING THESE SALES TAXES, THEY'RE PAYING THEIR PROPERTY TAXES, AND THEY JUST THINK THERE'S THAT KIND WASTING FRAUD. AND SO WHEN YOU GET INTO THE BALLOT BOX AND YOU'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO RAISE THEIR OWN TAXES, UM, IT, IT ALWAYS HAS. IF I PULL AT 53, 50 4% YES. TWO WEEKS BEFORE A SALES TAX OR ANY PROPERTY TAX REFERENDUM, I KNOW I'M GONNA LOSE BECAUSE I KNOW I'M ELECTION DAY. THAT NUMBER'S GONNA BE ABOUT FIVE POINTS LOWER THAN WHAT I PULLED MY LAST POLL WAS. IN ALL THOSE THINGS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW THAT WOULD DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM VOTING, WHAT'S THE ANSWER ON HOW TO, IS IT A LOBBYING EFFORT AND EDUCATIONAL EFFORT? WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE, WHAT DO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE TO DO TO TRY AND DEVELOP MORE INTEREST AND A LOGICAL APPROACH, REASONABLE APPROACH TO [00:55:01] FIXING THE THINGS NEED TO BE FIXED. YEAH. SOMEONE HAS TO PAY FOR IT, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S A COMMUNITY WIDE EFFORT. UM, YOU GOTTA GET BUSINESSES BEHIND AND HAVE BUSINESSES AND HOSPITALS, MEDICAL, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY KIND OF REALLY UNDERSCORING THE NUMBERS AND THE PROBLEMS. I THINK SOME OF THOSE, UH, PROBLEM THAT PEOPLE SEE WITH SERVICE EMPLOYEES, WITH MEDICAL FOLKS JUST BEING, YOU KNOW, FINDING HOUSING FOR 'EM IS GONNA BE A BUSINESS COMPONENT TO IT. UM, CAMPAIGNS I'VE SEEN HAVE WORKED, HAVE A LOT OF THE KIND OF, AND I THINK YOU DO THIS HERE, MAYBE YOU DO THIS IN THE PAST, WHERE YOU ACTUALLY ITEMIZE EXACTLY HOW THE MONEY'S GONNA BE USED AND WHAT THE SUNSET, UM, IS. THAT HELPS A LOT WHERE PEOPLE CAN KIND OF SEE EXACTLY WHERE THE MONEY'S GONNA BE SPENT. BUT, YOU KNOW, 23, 20 22, 20 23, 20 24 WERE BAD TIMES TO ASK PEOPLE TO RAISE THEIR TAXES. UM, BUT THESE ARE ALWAYS HARD TO DO. I I KNOW I, IT, IT TAKES A FULL FLEDGED CAMPAIGN AND IT REALLY TAKES, UM, NOT JUST YOU ELECTED OFFICIALS TELLING FOLKS IT REALLY TAKES THE COMMUNITY, NONPROFITS, BUSINESSES, EVERYBODY BEYOND WHY, WHAT THE NEED IS. I'M PRETTY CONFUSED BY YOUR HOUSING, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WISE. YOU SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE OR THE PERCENTAGE THAT WANTED THAT, THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO THEM. BUT THEN ONE OF THE FIRST SLIDES SAID IT WAS ONLY 10% PERCENT OF THE ANSWER TO QUALITY OF LIFE. AND THEN 80% OF THE PEOPLE ARE HOMEOWNERS. SO IT SEEMS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE PERSONALLY ANSWERING THAT QUESTION. SURE. OKAY. SO I REMEMBER THE FIRST SLIDE WAS WHAT I CALLED AN OPEN-ENDED QUESTION, WHERE I ASKED THEM TO KIND OF VOLUNTEER WHAT THE SINGLE THING WAS MOST IMPORTANT TO 'EM IN TERMS OF QUALITY OF LIFE THAT COULD IMPROVE. UM, SO THEY ONLY GOT ONE CHOICE, BUT THEY KINDA SAID TWO THINGS, BUT, BUT THEIR FOCUS THERE WAS ON TRAFFIC AND GROWTH. 10% OF THE PEOPLE IN THAT INITIAL SLIDE SAID THEY BROUGHT UP HOUSING COSTS. NOW, LATER ON IN THE POLL, I WAS JUST, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY YOU CAN SAY, OKAY, WELL HOUSING A PROBLEM, BUT I ALSO WANTED THEM TO QUANTIFY HOW MUCH OF A PROBLEM HOUSING COSTS WERE AS WELL, OR ACTUALLY GAVE THEM THE SCALES TO CHOOSE FROM. BUT IF 80% OF HOMEOWNERS, YOU'RE LITTLE TALKING ABOUT THE 20% OR THEY'RE HEARING THAT IT'S A PROBLEM, OR THEY'RE, HOW, HOW ARE THEY, WHY IS IT, WHY DO YOU THINK IT'S, OH, OKAY. WELL, I THINK BECAUSE I ASSUME THERE IS SOME EFFORTS GOING ON IN TERMS OF, UM, I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE PUT THE FACE ON THE, UH, THE TOO LITTLE, TOO MUCH. I THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IN OUR READING AND LEARNING, AND AGAIN, I THINK IT'S, IT'S FOR, UH, PARENTS A LOT OF TIMES WHEN THEIR KIDS ARE TRYING TO AFFORD HOUSING, BUT IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AROUND TO IF YOUR KID'S TRYING TO BUY A HOME OR IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO A MOVE DOWN HOME, OR IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO A MOVE UP HOME, YOU STILL SEE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE MARKET, RIGHT? YOU'RE GOING TO GET HEALTHCARE. YOU MAY HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR NURSE OR YOUR PHYSICAL THERAPIST WHO'S EXPLAINING TO YOU, MAN, I CAN'T RUN HERE. I'M SORRY I'M LATE FOR MY APPOINTMENT. BUT IT TOOK ME AN HOUR TO GET ACROSS THE BRIDGE. RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT A PROBLEM THAT IS BEHIND THE SCENES. PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM. THE RUB IS WHEN YOU PUSH THEM TO SAY, WELL, WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THE PROBLEM? PERFECT. THERE. HI. GOOD MORNING, PATSY BRYSON HILTON, HEAD TOWN COUNCIL. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK THE REALTORS ASSOCIATION FOR THIS INFORMATION AND THE DATA, AND I APPRECIATE THAT WE'RE GONNA GET THE MORE DETAILED SLIDES. I'M MADLY MAKING NOTES, BUT BE HELPFUL. THANK YOU. SURE. UM, AND IT DOES GIVE ME A LOT OF COMFORT WITH REGARD TO OUR RECENTLY ADOPTED STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE FOCUS ON THE STRATEGIES THAT WE HAVE. SO, UH, IT DOES TELL ME THAT WE ARE RIGHT ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE THINKING AND WHERE STRATEGIES OUGHT TO BE. IT DOESN'T HELP US TO SOLVE 'EM, BUT IT CERTAINLY HELPS US TO KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT YOUR SURVEY IS SHOWING. UM, AND THEN I FOLLOWED IT UP WITH, UM, THE QUESTION ABOUT THE SAMPLING SIZE OF 600 THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, BECAUSE I THINK FOLKS ARE GONNA THEN SAY, WELL, GREAT, GREAT DATA, BUT IS THAT TOO SMALL OF A SAMPLING SIZE? SO CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? SURE. I MEAN, IT IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY LARGE SAMPLE SIZE. UM, NORMALLY WHEN YOU'RE DOING A SURVEY, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, UM, AGAIN, A COUNTY SURVEY. UH, YOU CAN DO 400, YOU DO 600, YOU CAN DO 800, YOU CAN DO A THOUSAND. THE PAYOFF IS REALLY IN THE SUBGROUP ANALYSIS. SO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MARGIN OF ERROR FOR A SAMPLE SIZE OF 400 IS PLUS OR MINUS. THINK, DON'T QUOTE ME, 4.9 PERCENTAGE POINTS. THE DIFFERENCE ON A SAMPLE SIZE OF A THOUSAND IS PLUS OR MINUS 2.9 PERCENTAGE POINTS. SO THE DIFFERENCE ISN'T THAT MUCH ON THE, UM, BASE SAMPLE SIZE. IT'S ON THE SUBSAMPLE SIZE. SO IF I HAVE A LARGER SAMPLE, THAT [01:00:01] MEANS I HAVE MORE MEN, I HAVE MORE WOMEN, I HAVE MORE PEOPLE OF COLOR, I HAVE MORE WHITE. SO I CAN LOOK AT MY SUBGROUPS A LITTLE BIT MORE. SO THAT'S WHY WE WENT WITH THE 600 JOCELYN, ACTUALLY. AND, AND THE LOCAL REALTOR ASSOCIATION, UH, NAR USUALLY ONLY PAYS FOR OUR 400 SAMPLE REVIEW, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE COULD LOOK AT THE SUBGROUPS A LITTLE BIT MORE. SO WE DID THOSE EXTRA 200 INTERVIEWS. UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA LOOK AT, AT 600 AND SAY, OH, THAT'S TOO SMALL. BUT ALL I CAN SAY THERE IS, YOU'D RATHER BELIEVE IN THE MIRACLE OF THE RANDOM SAMPLE, OR YOU DON'T. AND I'D HAVE TO WALK FOLKS THROUGH A STATISTICS CLASS TO KIND OF LIKE REALLY UNDERSCORE THAT. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS, IT'S A LONG CONVERSATION AS TO WHERE YOU GET THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR BELL CURVES, YOU REMEMBER YOUR STATISTICS CLASSES BACK IN THINGS. SO IT'S ACTUALLY A REALLY GOOD SAMPLE SIZE FOR PULL LICENSE. YEAH. WE LOVE THAN A THOUSAND. UM, BUT A THOUSAND COSTS MORE. MY TAKEAWAY IS, I, I'VE LOOKED AT THIS, IS THAT, UH, YOU TAKE THE TWO BIG ITEMS, ROADS AND GROWTH, THERE'S VERY LIMITED THINGS WE CAN DO WITH THE GROWTH. THAT HORSE IS SOMEWHAT OUT OF THE BARN ALREADY. MM-HMM . AND TO SOME EXTENT, PEOPLE'S UPSET WITH GROWTH MAY BE OF SOMEWHAT A FUNCTION OF THE TRANSPORTATION OF THE RIVERS. SO WHAT, AND, AND THE OTHER ONES TO OTHER EXTENTS MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE SAME OR MAY BE SOMETHING THAT THE PUBLIC SECTOR OR THE PRIVATE SECTOR SHOULD TAKE CARE OF. SO MY TAKEAWAY FROM ALL THIS IS THAT ROADS ARE JOB ONE BY A GIGANTIC MARGIN AND EVERYTHING ELSE ONLY TO BE ABLE TO, BY COMPARISON. I, I THINK THAT'S CORRECT. UM, BUT AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY TO JUST DO THE ONE THING. RIGHT. AND SO I, YOU KNOW THAT, I THINK THAT, THAT YOUR TAKEAWAY IS CORRECT. UM, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE HOUSING PROBLEM AND THE OTHER THINGS ARE GONNA GO AWAY. KIND OF DO THE OTHER POLICY. YEAH. YOU MUST HAVE A QUESTION. YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING AND WRITING AND THINGS ARE OUR REACTIONS. WELL, IT'S, THERE WAS ONE LINE IN THERE AND I SAW YOU HAD SOME DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN FOLKS THAT HAVE LIVED HERE FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS. MM-HMM . FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR LESS THAN 10 YEARS. IT'D BE INTERESTING TO SEE THAT APPLIED TO A LOT MORE OF THE QUESTIONS. OKAY. TO SEE, BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF THE ASSUMPTION IS PEOPLE WHO HAVE RELOCATED HERE WITHIN THE LAST 3, 5, 7 YEARS. IT'S GREAT THAT I HATE IT HERE, BUT NOW THAT I'M HERE, I DON'T WANT ANYBODY ELSE TO COME HERE, PULL UP THE DRAW BRIDGE, THAT'S IT. AND SO AGAIN, KIND OF JUST HIGHLIGHTING WHAT WE ASSUME AND LETTING THE NUMBERS KIND OF BEAR THAT OUT. UH, I CAN, I'LL DO A LITTLE TO GET THAT TO JOCELYN. IT'S A GREAT POINT. IT ALSO GOES TO ONE OF YOUR QUESTIONS AS WELL. A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE ARE COMING HERE FROM JERSEY, CONNECTICUT, NORTHEAST, WHERE THEY'VE SEEN THIS STORY BEFORE. AND WHEN YOU PUT A TAX INCREASE ON THE BALLOT, THEY'RE LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I JUST LEFT NEW JERSEY 'CAUSE MY PROPERTY TAXES WERE SO HIGH, YOU KNOW, OR I JUST LEFT CONNECTICUT BECAUSE THE SALES TAXES WERE SO HIGH. UM, AND SO THAT RECENT ARRIVAL THING, THEY'RE STILL KIND OF GIDDY AT HOW LOW THE TAXES ARE HERE, BUT THEY DON'T WANNA OPEN THE DOOR. AND, AND THEN YOU DO, YOU CAN'T HAVE A HARD TIME, UH, CONVINCING SOME OF THOSE MORE RECENT ARRIVALS TO BACK A TAX INCREASE BECAUSE THEY'RE WORRIED IT'S GONNA HAPPEN HERE. WHAT HAPPENED TO 'EM, UH, FROM WINS, THEY CAME, YOU USED THE WORD, UH, CONUNDRUM AND THERE'S THIS WHOLE SURVEY. IT'S LOADED WITH MM-HMM . YOU KNOW, UH, DON'T DEVELOP, BUT I NEED A PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER. I NEED, I NEED A FIREARM, I NEED A, UH, A NURSE. IF YOU DON'T DEVELOP, THEY'RE NOT GONNA COME. 'CAUSE THEY HAVE NO PLACE TO LIVE. AND WE'RE FACING THAT THROUGHOUT. SO, UM, MANY PEOPLE, THEY DON'T WANT TO, THEY DON'T WANT TO GROW, BUT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THE MONEY MUST COME FROM THEM. 'CAUSE THE STATE IS NOT GONNA FIX THE ROADS IT, BUT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND IT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF CONUNDRUM IN THERE. SO MY TAKEAWAY OF THIS IS THAT AS A BODY OF ELECTED OFFICIALS, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE IS TO CONTROL THE NARRATIVE AND, AND LET PEOPLE UNDERST UNDERSTAND SOMEHOW WE HAVE TO EDUCATE THE CONSUMER AS TO WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IF, AND, UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE DOING THE BEST JOB THERE. [01:05:01] AND THAT TRUST THING CAME UP AND IT'S CONSTANTLY COMING UP. SO WE, I THINK WE HAVE TO CONTROL THE NARRATIVE BETTER AS A, AN ELECTED BODY. AND I THINK MY TAKEAWAY IS THAT, UM, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE HAVE TO BAND TOGETHER AS A REGION EVEN MORE THAN WHAT WE'VE DONE. AND I THINK THIS REGION'S DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF THAT. BUT WE HAVE TO BAND TOGETHER NOT ONLY AS THE GROUPS OF ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUT ALSO, UH, AND IT'S BROUGHT THE PARTNERSHIPS WITH, WITH OUR, OUR HOSPITALS AND, AND OTHER KEY ESSENTIAL, UM, SERVICES THAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR. YEAH. I THINK THAT'S ALL. ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT I'VE SEEN IN OTHER PLACES IS I REMEMBER TOOK PEOPLE 15 MINUTES TO GET THROUGH THAT SURVEY, EITHER ON THE PHONE OR ON THEIR, YOU KNOW, UH, OR TAKING IT ON THEIR, UH, PHONE OR IPAD OR WHEREVER THEY TOOK IT. UM, WE'RE REALLY KIND OF FORCING PEOPLE TO ANSWER ALL THESE QUESTIONS, RIGHT? THEY PROBABLY SPENT, THAT'S 15 MORE MINUTES THAN THEY USUALLY SPEND THINKING ABOUT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT ISSUES. UM, BUT IT DOES SHOW YOU THAT CONUNDRUM. BUT MOSTLY THEY WANNA BE OUT GOLFING, THEY WANNA BE OUT BIKING, THEY WANNA BE OUT, YOU KNOW, WORKING. THEY WANNA BE OUT DOING WHAT THEY NORMALLY DO. SO I CAN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE THAT YOU JUST HAVE TO DO THAT EDUCATION AND POINT THINGS TO PEOPLE. AND TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE ARE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE IDEAL OR THAT YOU FEEL LIKE ARE WORKING AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, OR IF YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU FEEL LIKE THIS, UH, DENSE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT IN THIS AREA. PEOPLE NEED EXAMPLES. LIKE YOU NEED TO SHOW THEM WHERE THIS HAS WORKED, WHERE WE'VE DONE DENSE DEVELOPMENT. GO LOOK AT IT. YOU CAN DO THIS WITHOUT AFFECTING YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE. UM, THAT'S WHERE WE'VE HAD SOME SUCCESS IN SOME OTHER CAMPAIGNS THAT WE'VE RUN, BUT IT'S REALLY THAT COMMUNITY EFFORT, I THINK IS, IS THE BIG THING IN TERMS OF THE EDUCATION AND GETTING, YOU KNOW, LIKE, JUST TO REITERATE, GETTING THE HOSPITALS INVOLVED, GETTING DOC MEDICAL COMMUNITY INVOLVED, GETTING THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY INVOLVED, UM, JUST TO KIND OF UNDERSCORING HOW BAD THE PROBLEM IS. JOE, I'M RELUCTANT TO ASK ANOTHER QUESTION BECAUSE EVERYONE NOW IN THE, IS LOOKING AT YOU SAYING HE'S GONNA ASK ANOTHER QUESTION. I'M REALLY FOCUSED ON THIS EDUCATIONAL LOBBYING PORTION OF IT. IN YOUR SURVEYS, HAVE YOU EVER ASKED THE QUESTION, DO YOU FAVOR A SUNSET PROVISION IN A REFERENDUM? AND WHAT'S THE REACTION OF PEOPLE? IF YOU'VE ASKED THAT QUESTION, DOES THAT CONVINCE THEM THAT MAYBE THAT MORE FAVORABLY DISPOSE TO VOTING? YES. THE PROBLEM WITH IT IS, IS THAT PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE IT'LL EVER GO AWAY. WELL, YOU HAVE TO SET IT UP, IF YOU WOULD. YEAH. AND IT HELPS, CERTAINLY HELPS. BUT THERE IS THIS KIND OF SENSE WHERE I'VE DONE THAT, UM, THAT PEOPLE KIND OF FEEL, WELL, ONCE IT'S ON THE BOOK, THEY'RE JUST GONNA RE-UP IT WHEN THE SUNSET TIME COMES. UH, BECAUSE WE RAISED A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS COUPLE YEARS AGO WITH THE SUNSET, WE'RE USING THAT FOR GREEN SPACE HAPPENS. YEAH. IT DOESN'T, IT WASN'T OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORTED, BUT IT CERTAINLY, YEAH, IT DOES NOT HURT. I'M NOT SAYING IT HURTS, BUT I'M JUST SAYING THERE'S JUST THAT, IT'S THAT DISTRUST THING COMES IN TOGETHER. OKAY. NOW, NOW THAT LARRY'S ASKING ANOTHER QUESTION, I FEEL LIKE I CAN . UM, SO YOU ALSO MENTIONED THAT, UH, QUESTION ABOUT STORMWATER, UM, AND STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE BEING IDENTIFIED, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL OR FOLKS INTERESTED IN, UM, WITH, WITH, UH, A LOT OF THE RAIN THAT WE HAVE HERE AND ARE CHALLENGING WITH WATER RISING. UH, DID FOLKS, UH, TELL ME WHAT THE COMMENTS WERE ABOUT STORMWATER? DID THEY TALK ANYTHING ABOUT HAVING A RESILIENCE PLAN OR WHAT ELSE TO DO ABOUT STORMWATER? UM, NOTHING COMES TO MIND THAT I CAN REMEMBER ON THAT. UH, I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK ON THE, ON THE VERBATIM QUESTION. I MEAN, YOU START TALKING ABOUT RESILIENCE PLANS, RIGHT? UH, PEOPLE JUST KNOW THEY DRIVE THEIR CAR AND THEY PUT WATER THEY GOTTA GET THROUGH. SO, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T, I DON'T RECALL ANYTHING. UM, I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT. YOU READY FOR ME, JUSTIN, ON BEHALF OF THE REGIONAL COMMITTEE AND A LOT OF OUR MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE TODAY, JO, THANK YOU, JEAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION PUT A THIS ON FOR US TODAY. AND I, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID IN 2018. APPRECIATE THAT EFFORT AS WELL, JOE. GREAT PRESENTATION. IT WAS WELL WORTH A TWO WEEK WAIT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. QUESTIONS, [01:10:03] DON'T SHY. AND I'M SURE, UH, BLUFFTON, EVERY COMMUNITY IN, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS THE, THE SAME ISSUE WITH PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS. SOME OF THESE HAVE BEEN MADE 20 YEARS AGO, PLUS NOW THE DEVELOPERS ARE STARTING TO DEVELOP THESE. AND THE EDUCATION PORTION IS, IS MOST OF THE RESIDENTS DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE A LEGAL CONTRACT THAT THE CITY MUST GO AHEAD AND APPROVE. NOW, WE, THE MASTER PLANS, WE DO HAVE SOME SAY SO IN, BUT THE RIGHT TO BUILD IN THESE AREAS WERE LONG BEFORE MOST OF US, OR AT LEAST ME, WERE EVEN IN THE LOW COUNTRY. AND THE EDUCATION IS GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT TO LET THESE PEOPLE KNOW. BUT WE AS A GROUP, UH, OF ELECTED OFFICIALS DO HAVE SOME SAY SO ON HOW THAT DEVELOPMENT WILL COME OUT. BASICALLY WITH THEIR ACCESS, WITH THEIR ROADS, HOW THIS ALL GOES. 2 78 OUT HERE IS THE MAIN CORRIDOR FOR THE MAJORITY OF BEAUFORT COUNTY. IT RUNS RIGHT THROUGH HARDY. WE'RE CONNECTED. WE MAY BE IN TWO DIFFERENT COUNTIES, BUT WE ARE CONNECTED. YOUR PROBLEMS BECOME OUR PROBLEMS TOO. SO THE REGIONAL GROWTH HAS GOT TO, WE GOTTA GET A HANDLE ON THIS. UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS. WE CAN'T TURN TO THE STATE. WE'VE SEEN HOW THAT'S WORKED OUT. SO WE HAVE TO WORK AS A, AS A GROUP TO, TO FIND THAT ANSWER. I'M ALICE HOWARD BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL. UM, WE KNEW THAT THE TRUST LEVEL WAS VERY LOW. I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS THAT LOW. SO HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO OTHER PLACES? IS ARE WE, IT LOOKED PRETTY BAD. IT, IT'S NOT AS BAD AS I'VE SEEN IN SOME OTHER PLACES. UM, I'D SAY YOU ARE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF WHERE THAT QUESTION USUALLY COMES BACK. UM, BUT LIKE I SAID, YOU, YOU REALLY WANT IT TO BE THAT MOST OF THE TIME, NUMBER TO BE A LITTLE HIGHER THAN WHERE IT WAS. AND I THINK THAT WAS A FACTOR IN THE LAST, UH, SALES TAX WAS A LACK OF TRUST. HAVE YOU SEEN THAT IN OTHER SALES? FAILED SALES TAX? OH, YES. OH, DEFINITELY. YEAH. NO, THE, THE TRUST IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS A HUGE FACTOR IN ANY OF THESE THINGS. UM, AND IF THERE'S BEEN SOME RECENT SCANDAL OR IF THERE'S BEEN SOME, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, FILL IN THE BLANK ON THE SCANDAL, THAT NEVER HELPS. AND YEAH, YEAH, THERE'S JUST PEOPLE KIND OF GO, I DON'T REALLY TRUST THOSE FOLKS WITH MY MONEY. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO IF I CAN FOLLOW UP ON THAT, UM, WITHIN THAT QUESTION OF TRUST, WERE THERE ANY COMMENTS GOING BACK TO THE MUNICIPALITIES ABOUT THE TRUST LEVELS THERE? BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE VERY INTERESTING TO SEE. DIDN'T SEE THAT. UM, I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT ONE TOO. I DIDN'T SEE THAT IN THE VERBATIM THING, BUT WE HADN'T REALLY KIND OF GOTTEN INTO THAT QUESTION YET. SO WITH THE CONUNDRUM THAT I HAVE PROBABLY ASKED EVERY ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THIS ROOM, IN SOME MEETING, THEY OFTEN HEAR ME SAY, HOW CAN YOU PROFESS TO BE FOR AFFORDABLE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, BUT ANTI-GROWTH AT THE SAME TIME? AND HOW, I MEAN, I'VE ASKED THIS QUESTION FOR YEARS. SO IN LOOKING AT THIS, WHAT I'M STARTING TO WONDER, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WE NEED THE HOUSING AND THEY WOULDN'T MIND THE HOUSING IF THE ROADS OF BRIDGES WERE ALREADY, SO IF WE TOOK CARE OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE PUSHBACK AGAINST GROWTH IS BECAUSE WE ARE ALL HAVING TROUBLE GETTING AROUND? YOU WANNA, ONE COMMENT EARLIER SAID THAT AS A REGION, WE HAVE TO GROW TOGETHER OR WE HAVE TO, UM, DO OUR HOMEWORK TOGETHER. WELL, THAT, THAT, THAT DEFINES US GROWING SMARTER TOGETHER. SO WHEN WE GET TO A POINT NOW THAT OUR GROWTH MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT HAS TO BE VERY STRATEGIC AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE LEFT HAND IS DOING, SO THE RIGHT HAND CAN BE IN THE SAME, IN THE SAME SEQUENCE. WE, WE, WE DEFINITELY HAVE, UM, SOME MISTRUST IN THE, IN THE HOUSING, UM, PLAYS A, A MAJOR ROLE IN THAT AS WELL AS INFRASTRUCTURE. BUT WHEN WE, WHEN WE GROW TOGETHER, WHEN WE UNDERSTAND TOGETHER HOW WE CAN HEAR OUR CONSTITUENTS AND THAT, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'VE, WE ARE IN THIS PLACE OF DISTRUST THAT THEY DON'T BELIEVE WE LISTEN. [01:15:01] UM, THERE'S TIMES THAT I'VE SAID THIS MANY TIMES, WE GET ELECTED AND THEN WE USE OUR OWN JUDGMENT. WE DON'T LISTEN TO OUR CONSTITUENTS. SO THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S THE NEW, THAT HAS TO BE THE NEW CALL OF THE DAY, IS THAT THEY THINK WE HEAR THEM AND THEN RESPOND FOR AN EXAMPLE OF THE SURVEY TODAY AND THAT EDUCATION PIECE, WE NEED TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE HEARD THEIR CRY. THANK YOU. YEAH, I MEAN, IF I JUST ON BOTH THOSE COMMENTS, I MEAN IT'S, AND UH, THIS GENTLEMAN'S EARLIER, UH, IF GROWTH IS GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE IT'S ON THE BOOKS AND IT'S THERE AND PEOPLE SEE IT, BUT THEN YOU, YOU GO AND YOU SEE THEY BUILT 50 HOUSES HERE AND THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY OUT AND THERE'S ONLY A STOP SIGN, YOU KNOW, AND PEOPLE NOTICE THAT. PEOPLE SEE THAT KIND OF STUFF AND THAT'S WHAT DRIVES 'EM NUTS. I THINK TO YOUR POINT TOO, IT'S LIKE, IS ANYBODY TALKING TO EACH OTHER? YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THE FIRE, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THE AMBULANCE GET INTO THAT DEVELOPMENT? HOW DOES, YOU KNOW, LIKE THERE IS THAT KIND OF THING THAT PEOPLE SEE. LIKE ONCE YOU GET TO YOUR POINT, TELL SOMEONE, OKAY, YEAH, IMPROVING THE ROADS WOULD GO A LOT TOWARDS, I THINK, UH, BE PEOPLE BEING MORE RECEPTIVE TO GROWTH, BUT THEN THAT GROWTH HAPPENS. THEY HAVE TO LOOK AT SOME OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS AND SAY, WAS ANYBODY THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW IS IT GONNA BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF HERE? YOU KNOW? OR IS ANYBODY THINKING ABOUT HOW WE WERE GONNA BE ABLE TO GET FROM THIS PART OF TOWN TO THAT PART OF TOWN? LIKE, THAT'S THE THINGS I HEAR WHEN WE DO FOCUS GROUPS ON THIS. IT'S LIKE NOBODY THOUGHT, I THINK TO YOUR POINT OR SAY POINT HOW ALL THIS WORKED TOGETHER, RIGHT. OR THAT YOU WERE MAKING THAT POINT EARLIER. THANK YOU. I, I I BELIEVE THAT PROBABLY EVERYBODY SITTING IN THE ROOM KIND OF EXPECTED THE OUTCOME THAT WE, YOU PRESENTED, UH, THE NUMBER ONE ITEM BEING TRANSPORTATION, WHICH IS CORRELATED TO GROWTH. UM, THE PART OF THE CON IS THE WORD YOU KEPT USING IS THE FACT THAT EVEN IF YOU STOP GROWTH TODAY, WE'RE ALREADY IN A TRANSPORTATION CRISIS. SO I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT NAILS IT ON THE HEAD FOR ME. AND WE ALL KNOW THAT WE HAVE A TRANSPORTATION ISSUE. BOTH THE STATE, THE COUNTY, AND THE MUNICIPALITIES HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT AND, AND, UH, AND WE'LL SEE WHERE IT TAKES US IN THE FUTURE. I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION, STEVE. THAT'S THE LAST THING. OKAY. WE VERY RARELY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A REGIONAL CONFERENCE LIKE THIS. AND THIS IS REALLY GREAT. THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE THAT I, THAT THAT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AND WE VERY RARELY GET PEOPLE WHO WILL BUILD AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT. AND WHEN THEY COME IN WITH PURELY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME POLITICAL PUSHBACK AND THEY MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT, PLAN TO DEVELOP AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT. AND I'M UNCLEAR WHY THAT HAPPENS. IT'S NOT ADDRESSED IN YOUR, IN YOUR, I'M JUST MAKING A STATEMENT THAT WHEN PEOPLE COME IN AND WANNA DO THAT, THEY JUST CAN'T SEEM TO GET TO THE GOAL LINE. AND IT'S VERY TROUBLING TO FIND OUT. BUT THAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO SEE, WELL, MOST PEOPLE WANT SEE THIS HAPPEN. YET WHEN PEOPLE COME IN WITH AN IDEA, DOESN'T EVER SEEM TO BE JURY LIFE. ALL QUESTION, WRAP IT UP QUESTION. SO LET ME ASK YOU, SINCE YOU'VE DONE SO MANY OF THESE POLLS, WHEN YOU SEE THAT PEOPLE HAVE A VERY CLEAR UNDERSTANDING, LET'S SAY THAT HOUSING IS NEEDED, UM, BUT THEY ABSOLUTELY DON'T WANT IT WHERE THEY ARE, RIGHT? MM-HMM . UM, IS IT A MESSAGE TO ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT, HEY, WHEN YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN, YOU ARE ALL JUST GONNA HAVE TO FACE WHOEVER YOU HAVE TO FACE. 'CAUSE INDIA'S GOING TO BE THERE AND WE JUST GOTTA HELP EMPOWER OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO MOVE ALONG WITH THEIR PROJECTS DESPITE PUBLIC OPINION? OR DO ELECTED OFFICIALS NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THIS LIKE, OH MY GOSH, WE NOT, I MEAN, I I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION. UM, IT'S THE BOTTOM LINE. I MEAN, I DON'T THINK ELECTED OFFICIALS, THEY'RE LISTENING TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS. AND I THINK, AGAIN, YOU'VE GOTTA GET BACK TO THE ORIGINAL QUALITY OF LIFE QUESTION THAT PEOPLE WANT TO PROTECT THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. THEY'VE MADE AN INVESTMENT IN IT, THEY LIKE WHAT THEY HAVE HERE. UM, [01:20:01] THAT'S TOUGH. BUT QUALITY OF LIFE INCLUDES THINGS LIKE GOOD SERVICES, QUALITY OF LIFE INCLUDES THINGS LIKE BEING ABLE TO GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. AND YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND TELL THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE ELECTED TO OFFICE WITH HOW YOU COME UP WITH THAT. UM, IT IS, YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S AN EASY ANSWER TO THAT, THAT THAT QUESTION. SO WHEN YOU DO A SURVEY LIKE THIS, UM, WOULDN'T A GREAT QUESTION BE WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INFORMATION? YES. 'CAUSE AND I BRING THAT UP BECAUSE THERE'S A, THERE'S A PROJECT HOSPITAL PROJECT COMING FORWARD AND PEOPLE ARE NOW PUTTING THEIR HOUSES ON THE MARKET BECAUSE THEY THINK, THEY THINK THAT IT'S GONNA BE FOR SECTION EIGHT. THEY THINK PEOPLE ARE GONNA JUMP OVER THEIR FENCE AND GO DESTROY THEIR YARD. UM, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND 'CAUSE THEY'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THE SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTORS TELLING A STORY THAT ISN'T REALITY. YEAH. AND, AND WHEN WE COME TO A SURVEY LIKE THIS, WHERE ARE YOU GETTING YOUR INFORMATION? HOW ARE YOU LEARNING ABOUT THESE THINGS? WE TALKED ABOUT EDUCATION, BUT THE EDUCATION IS COMING FROM THE BIG MOUTHS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT AREN'T TELLING THE TRUTH. THEY'RE DIRECTING A STORY. YEAH. I MEAN, UNFORTUNATELY WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO REALLY GET INTO THAT AND A HOLE, BUT IT'S, IT'S HARDER THAN EVER. I MEAN, JUST PEOPLE ARE GETTING INFORMATION FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT SOURCES NOW AND IT'S NOT LIKE YOU JUST GO INTO CHANNEL THREE LIKE YOU USED TO AND YOU KNOW, SAY SOMETHING. YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE A MULTIFACETED COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN, I THINK FROM ANYBODY ELSE. ONE, ONE QUICK QUESTION. FROM A REAL ESTATE PERSPECTIVE, I FEEL THAT WE HEAR THAT THERE'S A HIGHER DEMAND FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT WE'VE ALSO GOT INCREASE THE INVENTORY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I THINK A LOT OF THE ISSUES AND QUESTIONS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP, LIKE TO YOUR POINT, EDUCATION IS A BIG ONE. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, EVIDENCE OF VALUE OF THESE DECISIONS, HOW IT'S GOING TO AFFECT THE RESIDENTS, PERHAPS LESS, UM, THAT MORE SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT. I DID NOTICE THAT A LOT OF THE HIGHER STATISTICS ARE ALSO, UM, HIGHER STATISTICS IN SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT, UM, BETWEEN THE DEMOGRAPHICS. UM, I THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE TODAY ARE BELIEVING EVERYTHING THAT THEY SEE ONLINE. UM, AND NOT REALIZING WHAT THE VALUE OF THAT IS. I MEAN, YOU DO HAVE A REAL SUPPLY AND DEMAND PROBLEM WHERE YOU WOULD THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, INCREASING SUPPLY, MOST PEOPLE WOULD SAY, OKAY, MORE HOUSING MEANS PRICES SHOULD GO DOWN. THAT'S NOT THE WAY MOST PEOPLE PERCEIVE IT. UM, WHEN I DO FOCUS GROUPS ON THIS, PEOPLE ARE LIKE, OH YEAH, THEY'RE BUILDING THOSE HOUSES, BUT THEY'RE ALL $600,000 CONDOMINIUMS, $800,000 TOWN HOMES. I CAN'T AFFORD THAT. YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T AFFORD THAT. SO I THINK THAT MAYBE GETS A LITTLE BIT TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. IT IS LIKE, YOU DO HAVE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE SEE THE DEVELOPMENT GOING ON, THEY THINK IT'S, OH, IT'S JUST STUFF THAT WE CAN'T AFFORD. AND THEN YOU GET THE PROBLEM WITH, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY SAYING, OH, IT'S JUST SECTION EIGHT HOUSING. YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S LIKE, IT'S ONE OR THE OTHER AND NOBODY BELIEVES THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, GOOD MIDDLE CLASS HOUSING THAT'S BEING BUILT. UM, SO THIS, THIS COMMENT I THINK IS FOR FRED'S AT BEAUFORT COUNTY. SO YOU, YOU ARE LOOKING AT DOING A SALES TAX REFERENDUM AT SOME POINT IN TIME IN THE FUTURE. I THINK THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE SOME OF THIS DATA TO HELP GUIDE SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS. AND SO AT LEAST WHAT I'M SEEING IS INFRASTRUCTURE IS A VERY HIGH PRIORITY FOR A LOT OF FOLKS, BUT THEY'RE ONLY WILLING TO PAY FOR IT THROUGH A SALES TAX REFERENDUM IF THERE'S NO OTHER OPTION. IF SOMEBODY ELSE CAN PAY FOR IT, GREAT. WE'D LOVE TO SEE IT HAPPEN. WE REALLY DON'T WANT TO DO IT, BUT IF WE'RE GONNA DO IT, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY THAT WE'RE EVEN REMOTELY WILLING TO CONSIDER IT. AND SO YOU'RE TRYING TO THREAD A VERY SMALL HOLE, UH, WITH A NEEDLE IN TERMS OF GETTING THE INFORMATION TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO MOVE FOR IT. IT'S 25%, NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, WE'RE GONNA VOTE AGAINST IT. SO THAT NUMBER JUST BECOMES SMALLER AND SMALLER AND SMALLER THAT YOU'RE REALLY TRYING TO TARGET TO EDUCATE THEM ON THIS IS A NEED OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE. IT'S NOT GONNA GO AWAY AND THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO PAY FOR IT. AND SO I, I GO BACK TO SAYING, I, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER, IF IT'S POSSIBLE LOOKING AT TRYING TO BREAK OUT SOME OF THE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS TO BE SEPARATE FROM CAPITAL PROJECTS BECAUSE WHILE THEY'RE BOTH CRITICALLY NEEDED, ONE CAN NEGATIVELY INFLUENCE THE OTHER AND VICE VERSA. AND SO IF YOU GIVE THE VOTERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE DIRECTLY ON IT, [01:25:01] IF IT FAILS, THEN YOU KNOW THAT, THAT YOU'VE GIVEN IT THE BEST CHANCE YOU CAN. I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT IF YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING LIKE 140, $150 MILLION REGIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT COMPLEX WITH THE SHERIFF OUT THERE UPSETTING HALF THE POPULATION BY SIGNING A CONTRACT WITH ICE IS NOW THE TIME TO ATTACH $150 MILLION WORTH OF ROAD PROJECTS TO THAT SAME PROPOSAL. AND SO, UH, AGAIN, I I JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO USE THIS STRATEGICALLY TO HELP GUIDE YOU MOVING FORWARD. . WELL, UM, JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON WHAT HE JUST SAID, 'CAUSE I ALWAYS LIKE TO PLUG THE REGIONAL CITIZENS COMMITTEE AND OUR REALTOR ASSOCIATIONS. UM, GOING FORWARD, SHOULD THE COUNTY DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE REFERENDUM, OUR GROUPS WILL OBVIOUSLY NEED AND DISCUSS THINGS AND SEE IF THERE WAS SOMETHING THERE THAT WE COULD SUPPORT OR NOT. BUT UM, AND THEN WE HAVE OTHER RESOURCES AND OTHER TYPES OF POLLING THAT COULD REALLY ASSIST IN TARGET MARKETING THE WAY YOU NEED TO TO GET SOMETHING PASSED. WE'RE ALWAYS READY TO BE A PARTNER. GREAT. THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. GOOD LUCK. * 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.