Sep 15, 2025 Finance Administration and Economic Development Committee

[00:00:01]

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

I'D LIKE TO CALL THE FINANCE ADMINISTRATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING TO ORDER IF EVERYONE COULD PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, FIVE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REAL PUBLIC FOR WHICH THIS STANDS.

ONE, ONE NATION UNDER GOD AND INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE ALL.

AND SARAH,

[3. STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE WITH FOIA]

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SARAH.

UM, AND IF I COULD ASK SOMEONE

[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

SO MOVED.

MR. CHAIRMAN.

THANK YOU.

IS THERE A SECOND, PLEASE? I'LL SECOND IT.

THANK YOU.

UM, ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO DISCUSSION? UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PROVE THAT WITHOUT OBJECTION AND SEEING NO OBJECTION.

OUR AGENDA FOR TODAY IS APPROVED.

UM, I WOULD THEN ALSO

[5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

SO MOVED.

THANK YOU, MR. CUNNINGHAM.

MR. JOHNSON.

SECONDED.

UH, ALL RIGHT.

ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO DISCUSSION, WE APPROVE THOSE WITHOUT OBJECTION AS WELL.

SEEING NO OBJECTION.

THOSE ARE APPROVED.

I'D LIKE TO NOW OPEN IT UP FOR OUR 15 MINUTES OF PUBLIC COMMENT.

UM, SARAH, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY THAT'S SIGNED UP? NO, SIR.

WE DO NOT HAVE ANY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

ALRIGHT.

SO WE'RE GONNA CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN MOVE RIGHT ON TO NUMBER SEVEN

[7.a. Finance Report - Pinky Harriott, CGFO - Chief Financial Officer]

UM, AND I'D ASK OUR, UH, UM, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, UH, MS. PINKY HART TO COME FORWARD.

MS. HART, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

HI, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD, THANK YOU.

UM, I'M GOOD.

SO BEFORE WE START THE, THE REPORT I WANTED TO INTRODUCE, COURTNEY THI IS OUR NEW BUDGET MANAGER.

SHE'S JOINED US ON, UM, AUGUST 4TH.

SHE BRINGS OVER EIGHT YEARS OF SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE IN GOVERNMENT FINANCE WITH A STRONG TRACK RECORD OF MANAGING COMPLEX BUDGETS ACROSS K 12 EDUCATION, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND HIGHER EDUCATION.

UH, MOST RECENTLY SHE SERVED AS THE BUDGET OFFICER AT MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY.

MANKA, MANKATO.

MANKATO.

I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THAT ONE.

UH, WHERE SHE LED KEY FINANCIAL INITIATIVES AND SUPPORTED LONG-TERM STRATEGIC PLANNING.

ORIGINALLY FROM MINNESOTA.

COURTNEY HAS RELOCATED WITH HER HUSBAND AND THEIR 2-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER AND JUST CLOSED ON OUR HOUSE LAST WEEK.

UH, HER DEEP EXPERTISE, UM, LEADERSHIP AND FRESH PERSPECTIVE WILL MAKE HER A VALUABLE, VALUABLE ASSET TO OUR TEAM.

SO, WELCOME COURTNEY.

WELCOME.

WELCOME.

THANK YOU, GUARDIAN.

THANK.

ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA START WITH OUR YEAR TO DATE BUDGET PRESENTATION.

SORRY.

SO THIS IS PRELIMINARY, UM, OBVIOUSLY NOT AUDITED, BUT HOW WE ROLL CLOSED OUT THE FISCAL YEAR END.

SO WE'RE GONNA GO OVER SAME FORMAT, GENERAL FUND REVENUES.

YOU HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME.

OH, SORRY, WHERE AM I POINTING? ALL RIGHT.

THERE WE GO.

AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, WE HAVE COLLECTED A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WE HAD BUDGETED.

WE'RE A LITTLE OVER A MILLION AND, UM, WELL A LITTLE OVER 12 MILLION IN OVERALL GENERAL FUND REVENUE.

SO, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE WRAPPING UP SOME OF OUR COLLECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR.

ALRIGHT.

GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES? UH, WE WERE ABOUT 5% UNDER BUDGET FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.

PROBABLY DUE TO A VARIOUS REASONS TO INCLUDE VACANCY LAG.

SO, UM, WE HAVE, WE ONLY EXPENDED 89% IN GENERAL GOVERNMENT.

AND, UH, A LITTLE OVER IN CULTURAL AND RECREATION.

BUT OVERALL, UH, 95% FOR THE GENERAL FUND.

ALRIGHT.

QUICK OVERVIEW OF OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS.

SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING WAS AT 97%, WHICH IS PRETTY GOOD 'CAUSE THEY WERE RIGHT ON, UH, THEIR BUDGET.

AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CLOSED THE ENTERPRISE FUND FOR SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING, UH, EFFECTIVE FISCAL YEAR 26, THEY'LL BE IN A DEPARTMENT IN THE GENERAL FUND.

STORMWATER, IS IT ABOUT 70%, UM, FOR REVENUES.

A LOT OF THIS IS SOME OF THE, UH, PARTIALS THAT WE HAVE, UH, WAIVED FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM.

SORRY, FOR THE, UM, FOR THE MILITARY, FOR THE MILITARY INSTITUTIONS RIGHT DOWN.

NOT WA ESSENTIALLY FOR THAT .

SO BEAUFORT EXECUTIVE AIRPORT'S RIGHT AT 88%.

AND THEN HILTON HEAD IS AT 120%.

LOTS OF FLIGHTS GOING IN AND OUT.

UH, ENTERPRISE

[00:05:01]

UM, SAME THING.

99% FOR SOLID WASTE.

STORM WATERS AT 66.

UH, BEAUFORD EXECUTIVE IS AT 38.

HILTON HEAD AIRPORT IS AT 82%.

AND THIS IS ALL RIGHT, UH, AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

SO WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT DONE WITH THE AUDIT, BUT WE, THIS IS IN PREP FOR OUR AUDIT.

ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE? I DO HAVE A QUESTION BACK ON GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES.

SURE.

SORRY, I SHOULD'VE CALLED YOU BACK THEN.

NO WORRIES.

SO YOU HAVE, UM, PUBLIC WELFARE, 119% SPEND.

DID WE NOT BUDGET WELL ENOUGH OR WE HAD, UM, I'D HAVE TO DIG INTO THE WEEDS OF EXACTLY WHAT CAUSED IT, BUT I CAN SEND IT TO YOU 'CAUSE ITS ONLY, UH, SEPTEMBER.

OH NO, THIS IS LAST FISCAL YEAR.

THIS IS ENDING FISCAL YEAR 25.

OKAY.

BUT WE WENT OVER 119, SO I'M GUESSING WE RAISED THEIR BUDGET.

MAYBE.

I BELIEVE THEY DID ALREADY IN 26 TO ACCOUNT FOR IT.

OKAY.

BUT I CAN SEND YOU THE DETAILS ON WHAT CAUSED THAT OVER EXPENDITURE.

UM, SO THE NEXT THING COMING IS YOUR BUDGET TRANSFER REPORT.

AND AS YOU CAN TELL, IT IS EXTREMELY, HOLD ON LONG MM-HMM .

AND, UM, IT IS SIX PAGES LONG AND WE HAVE A LOT OF TRANSITION AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

PEOPLE ARE MOVING MONIES LEFT AND RIGHT TRYING TO, UH, COVER ANY NEGATIVE BALANCES IN THEIR DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET.

SO THERE IS A LOT OF TRANSACTIONS HERE.

AND WE DID REMOVE, REMOVE THOSE REDUNDANT COLUMNS TAB THAT YOU DIDN'T LIKE OVER TO THE RIGHT.

SO, UM, NOW YOU JUST HAVE THE DATE OF THE TRANSFER, THE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRM ACCOUNT, THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOUNT, THE AMOUNT THAT THEY MOVED, AND THE TWO ACCOUNT, AND THEN THE JUSTIFICATION OVER TO THE FAR RIGHT.

SO, UM, THERE ARE SEVERAL TRANSACTIONS ON HERE.

I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE, BUT THIS IS GENERALLY NORMAL.

UM, THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE FOR A FINANCE COMMITTEE IS ARE YOU WANTING TO SEE EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR MOVED OR DO WE WANT TO LIMIT THIS TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT? BECAUSE I HAVE $43 TRANSACTIONS ON HERE.

UM, SO, AND WHICH IS WHY THE, IT TENDS TO GET A LITTLE HEAVY.

SO WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THAT IN THE PAST.

ACTUALLY, ANYTHING OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT IS WHAT YOU'D PUT ON THERE.

BUT I THINK AT THAT TIME WE, IT WAS SO NEW 'CAUSE WE JUST STARTED THIS A YEAR AGO BASICALLY.

YEAH.

SO IS EVERYONE HAPPY WITH THE SIX PAGE, UH, REPORT? OR WOULD YOU RATHER SEE US PICK UP, IS THERE ANY DIFFERENT AMOUNT OF WORK BETWEEN, I MEAN, YOU JUST GENERATE THIS RIGHT NOW? NO.

YEAH, WE WOULD, WE WOULD GENERATE THE SAME REPORT, BUT IT'S UP TO YOU.

I JUST KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN EXTREMELY LONG WHEN YOU GET TOWARDS THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

SO IT'S A LOT TO, I KIND OF LIKE THE NUMBERS, BUT WE, WE CAN LEAVE IT JUST AS IS.

I DON'T THINK SO.

IF IT'S NOT EVEN MORE WORK FOR YOU.

UH, OBVIOUSLY IT'S, THAT WAS MY QUESTION.

YEAH, WE'RE, NO, WE CAN CONTINUE TO GENERATE, I JUST KNOW IT GETS A LITTLE HEAVY TOWARDS THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, BUT WE'LL LEAVE IT AS IS.

YEP, THAT'D BE GOOD.

ALRIGHT.

UM, OUR NEXT REPORT AFTER ALL THESE BUDGET TRANSFERS.

ALRIGHT, HERE IS A QUICK SUMMARY OF OUR ARPA REPORT.

SORRY.

UM, OUR TOTAL OPERA BUDGET, AS YOU KNOW, WAS 37, UH, MILLION AND SOME CHANGE.

UH, I WANTED TO SHOW YOU A QUICK GRAPHIC, UH, BASED ON, I KNOW THAT'S KIND OF SMALL, BUT EACH CATEGORY, UM, SOME OF CUMULATIVE EXPENDITURES AND THE REMAINING BALANCES AT THE TOP RIGHT.

UM, DID A LITTLE PIE CHART ALSO TO HELP KIND OF MAKE A, MAKE IT LOOK A LITTLE BIT EASIER.

UM, IN THE MIDDLE YOU WILL SEE WE HAVE OPEN PROJECTS CURRENTLY, UM, SOME OF THE CUMULATIVE EXPENDITURES AND THEN THE REMAINING BALANCE ON THOSE OPEN PROJECTS.

UM, DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, THE ADMINISTRATIVE REALLOCATION THAT WAS REQUIRED, UH, WE HAD PUT A LITTLE TOO MUCH, UM, FROM ADMINISTRATION AND NEEDED TO MOVE IT, UH, DOWN TO SOME PROJECTS FOR THE REQUIREMENTS FOR ARPA.

AND WE HAD 62,000 DOOR TOWARDS REVENUE REPLACEMENT AND INTO THE REMAINING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, WHICH HAS BEEN A BIG INITIATIVE FOR OUR COUNTY.

SO WE WANTED TO ADD THAT 62,000 THERE AS WELL AS THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT, UM, THAT WE DID IN ARPA.

WE WANNA ADD THE ADDITIONAL 1 29, 9 40, THE TOTAL, UM, REALLOCATION REQUIRED IS THAT 1 92 AT THE BOTTOM.

SO THESE WERE THE TWO, THE TWO HIGHLIGHTS ARE THE CATEGORIES THAT WE RECOMMEND THAT WE MOVE THIS, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE, UM, OVER EXPENDITURE TO, I MEAN, ALLOCATION TWO.

SORRY.

SO WITH THAT, THE SECOND PAGE, THERE YOU GO.

SORRY.

THAT'S EVERY PROJECT THAT WE HAD, UH, ARPA ALLOCATED FOR, UH, TOTAL BUDGET FOR THE PROJECT, CUMULATIVE EXPENDITURES, AND THEN THE REMAINING BALANCE OVER TO THE RIGHT.

WE HAVE A FEW PRO OPEN PROJECTS RIGHT NOW.

UM, WE ARE, WE'RE WORKING ON STARTING OUR FOUR, WELL, THREE BROADBAND PROJECTS.

STONY CREEK SEWER,

[00:10:01]

WE JUST HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY INVOICES JUST AS OF YET.

UM, AND THEN PREMIUM PAY HAS A BALANCE DUE TO A REFUND BY A DETENTION CENTER EMPLOYEE.

UM, AND THAT, THAT WAS THE RETENTION BONUSES.

UM, AND THEN WE DID, UH, JUST DESCRIBED TO YOU THE ADMINISTRATIVE REALLOCATION THAT WAS REQUIRED.

SO DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO, THAT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION.

ANY QUESTIONS, JOE? I SEE, I SEE YOUR HAND.

GO AHEAD.

YEAH.

CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? YES.

OKAY.

UH, IN THE ARPA FUNDS, I KNOW THERE WAS A DATE CERTAIN THAT THE MONEY HAD TO BE ENCUMBERED.

UH, I BELIEVE THAT 26 IS THE YEAR EVERYTHING HAS TO BE SPENT, CORRECT.

IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR.

UM, EVERYTHING HAD TO BE ALLOCATED BY DECEMBER 31ST, 2024, WHICH WE MET.

AND THEN EVERYTHING HAS TO BE EXPENDED BY DECEMBER 31ST, 2026.

OKAY.

ARE WE ON TARGET TO ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH THAT? UM, I FEEL LIKE WE ARE, AND I KNOW HANK IS MANAGING A LOT OF THE PROJECTS AND HE FEELS CONFIDENT THAT WE ARE.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, MS. ERIC, GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE.

ARE YOU? YES.

UM, SO JUST ONE SMALL UPDATE.

MINOR UPDATE.

WANTED TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW ABOUT THE INTEREST REFUND CHECKS.

UH, ALL CHECKS WERE PROCESSED ON FRIDAY, UH, BY FINANCE AND MAILED OUT.

UH, THANKS TO THE TREASURER'S TEAM AND THE AUDITOR'S TEAM AND THE ASSESSOR'S TEAM, WE ALL WORKED TOGETHER TO GET THESE OUT AS, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

UH, TOTAL OF 6,099 CHECKS TOTALING 1,000,400, $4,943 AND 19 CENTS.

, I'D LIKE TO GIVE A, A GREAT, UM, RECOGNITION TO THE TREASURER'S OFFICE.

THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL IN HELPING GET THIS PROCESS QUICKLY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU.

THANKS GUYS.

ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT WAS JUST DROPPED , RIGHT? IT JUST SORT OF CAME UP.

YEAH.

THAT'S A FUN WEEKEND PROJECT FOR YOU.

THANKFULLY.

WE ALREADY HAVE PROCESSES IN PLACE, MAN.

ALRIGHT.

THAT IS IT FOR THE FINANCE REPORT.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NOPE.

ANY QUESTIONS? ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? NO, SIR.

ALRIGHT.

UM, THEN LET'S MOVE ON THEN,

[7.b. Discussion of Request for Proposal (RFP) for County-Wide Printing Services. (FISCAL IMPACT: To be determined once the print vendor is selected & the contract is awarded.) - Mike Moore, County Administrator Pinky Harriott, Chief Financial Officer]

UM, AND MR. MOORE, YOU'RE GONNA BE HANDLING THIS.

THIS IS, UM, DISCUSSION OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR AN RFP FOR COUNTYWIDE PRINTING SERVICES.

THAT'S CORRECT.

I'LL, I'LL AT LEAST GET THE DISCUSSION STARTED.

SO, UM, WE, UM, ADDED THIS TO THE AGENDA.

UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE PASSED THE NEW PROCUREMENT CODE LAST YEAR.

AND AS PART OF THAT, IT DOES ALLOW FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, ELECTED OFFICIALS TO PURSUE, UM, UH, RFPS AND, AND PROCUREMENTS.

UM, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, WHAT WE'RE, UM, WHAT'S MOVING FORWARD IS THE PRINT CONTRACT WITH, UM, SOUTH DATA HAS EXPIRED.

UM, THERE'S A RFP THAT'S IN WORK.

UM, THIS, YOU KNOW, AFFECTS SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS, UH, AUDITOR, TREASURE AND ASSESSOR.

AND, UM, AS YOU WILL SEE AS PART OF THE, UM, PROCUREMENT ORDINANCE, IT DOES ALLOW THAT ELECTED APPOINT OFFICIALS PROVIDE THAT FUNDS HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY COUNTY COUNCIL AS PART OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET APPROPRIATION PROCESS.

AND ANY EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS, REGARDLESS OF THAT AMOUNT, WILL NOT RESULT IN A BUDGET DEFICIT WITHIN ANY OFFICIAL'S.

OFFICE SHALL BE EXEMPT FROM THE DOLLAR LIMITATIONS ON EXPENDITURE AUTHORITY ESTABLISHED IN SUBSECTION TWO DASH 5 0 6 E OF THIS DIVISION PROVIDED TO THE OFFICE, COMPLIES WITH ALL THE PROVISIONS AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE BUFORT COUNTY PURCHASING ORDINANCE.

COUNTY COUNSEL MAY REQUEST REPORTS AND INFORMATION AS IT DEEMS NECESSARY, IMP PRUDENT ON THE PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES OF AN OFFICIAL TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE BUFORT COUNTY PROCUREMENT CODE.

UM, THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT, UM, RFP, IT DOES AFFECT MORE THAN ONE ELECTED OFFICIAL.

YOU'VE GOT THE, THE TREASURER AND THE AUDITOR AND AS WELL AS THE ASSESSOR IS AFFECTED BY THIS PROCUREMENT.

SO WE WANTED TO BRING THIS FORWARD FOR A DISCUSSION, UH, TO SEE IF THERE, UH, THERE WERE ANY CONCERNS FROM THIS COMMITTEE.

SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHERE WE ARE.

IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF THIS, UH, JUST WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.

SO, UM, BEING THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, WHY WOULD WE BE CONCERNED KIND OF, WELL, I THINK, UM, THE MAIN CONCERN WE HAVE IS THAT, UM, THIS AFFECTS MORE THAN ONE DEPARTMENT AND WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD THE, THE CHEMO COME THROUGH LAST TIME.

AND WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF THIS PROCUREMENT GOES THROUGH THAT IT, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST CONSIDERS THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE EVENT THAT IT DOESN'T, THEN THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS MAY HAVE TO CONSIDER THEIR OWN PROCUREMENT.

AND, AND THEN THERE WOULD, THERE MIGHT BE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.

SO, YOU KNOW, ADMINISTRATION'S RECOMMENDATION

[00:15:01]

ALRIGHT.

UM, ANY QUESTIONS? I'M GETTING A VIBE , I'M GETTING A VIBE THAT THERE'S SOME UNDERLYING TONE HERE.

WELL, I'LL SAY THAT, UM, LAST WEEK THE R REACHED OUT AND EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT, WHAT'S IN THE, UM, RFP.

I DON'T KNOW THAT HE'S HERE.

WE DID NOTIFY HIM.

THIS IS GONNA BE ON FOR DISCUSSION.

SO WE AT LEAST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS ADDRESSED AND, AND, UM, CONSIDERED AS PART ANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS ARE ON BOARD, UM, THE OTHER DEPARTMENT'S ON BOARD.

I'LL LET, UM, THE ASSESSOR SPEAK TO THAT.

IF, IF THAT'S A QUESTION HERE.

EBONY IS HERE.

OKAY.

I CAN'T SEE.

OH, THERE SHE IS.

I'LL GO RIGHT BACK.

HELLO.

E HELLO.

YOU'VE BEEN VISITING THE LAST COUPLE MEETINGS.

, I TELL YOU , WE'RE ENJOYING THE TIME AT LEAST.

YES, WE ARE ON BOARD.

UM, WITH THIS, UM, TYPICALLY THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE, WE PRINT, UM, ASSESSMENT NOTICES ONCE ANNUALLY AND THAT'S WHEN WE HAVE CHANGES IN ASSESSMENTS OR WITH REGARDS TO CHANGES WITH, UM, NEW CONSTRUCTION OR THOSE TYPE OF THINGS OR LEGAL RESIDENCY.

UM, THEN AT THE QUADR REASSESSMENT WE TYPICALLY SEND OUT 130 THIS, I THINK THE NEXT ONE, LIKE 136 TO 138,000 ASSESSMENT NOTICES WITHIN THE, WITHIN THE ANNUAL MAILING FOR PRINTING SERVICES.

WE DO SEND OUT POSTCARDS TO OUR TAXPAYERS TO LET THEM KNOW TO WELCOME 'EM INTO BEAUFORT COUNTY.

SO YES, I'M ON BOARD WITH GETTING A CONSOLIDATED EFFORT WITH THE TWO OTHER, UM, ELECTED OFFICIALS TO SEE IF WE CAN BRING TOGETHER ONE KIND OF UNDER ONE PRINT VENDOR.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR DEPARTMENT, MARIA? WE MIGHT AS WELL IF WE'RE HERE.

YEAH.

MS. WALLACE, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

THANKS.

OKAY, SO NO I'M NOT, BUT I'VE ALREADY CONVEYED THIS TO MR. MOORE ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, UM, MONTHS AGO AND AS RECENTLY AS LAST WEEK.

AND I WILL EXPOUND ON WHY BECAUSE IT'S A VERY VALID QUESTION.

SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WOULD ASK MR. MOORE HOW THE AUDITOR WOULD'VE KNOWN THE CONTENTS OF THE RFP OR THAT IT EVEN EXISTED BECAUSE OTHER THAN THE PROCUREMENT DIRECTOR AND THESE PEOPLE SITTING RIGHT HERE, NO ONE ELSE WOULD'VE KNOWN THAT WE SUBMITTED AN RFP TO THE PROCUREMENT OFFICE.

SO THAT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION.

BUT CURRENTLY THERE IS NO OTHER DEPARTMENT THAT IS USING THE SERVICES CONTAINED WITHIN OUR RFP THAN THE TREASURER'S OFFICE.

OUR OFFICE IS PAYING FOR THE ITEMS OUT OF OUR BUDGET THAT ARE LISTED IN THE RFP.

BUT THERE IS A POINT THAT MR. MOORE HAS WHEN IT COMES TO VOLUME, WE ARE THE BULK, WE ARE THE VOLUME OUT OF THE THREE DEPARTMENTS HE'S MENTIONED.

BUT I WILL ALSO MENTION THAT THE COURT CLERK OF COURT IN PARTICULAR ALSO DOES A LARGE AMOUNT OF MAILING.

SO THERE ARE MANY DEPARTMENTS IN THE COUNTY THAT DO MAILING OTHER THAN OUR OFFICE.

WHAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT AND WHAT I DID EXPRESS VERY CLEARLY LAST WEEK, I ABSOLUTELY WELCOME ANY DEPARTMENT TO UTILIZE THE CONTRACTS NEGOTIATED BY THE TREASURER'S OFFICE BECAUSE THEY'RE EXTREMELY FAVORABLE.

WE HAVE A BETTER CONTRACT WITH WELLS FARGO THAN THE STATE TREASURER'S OFFICE.

AND WE HAVE A BETTER CONTRACT FOR MY BEFORD COUNTY THAT HAS BEEN AWARDED IN NORTH CAROLINA AND IN A NATIONWIDE CO-OP THAT OUR PURCHASING DEPARTMENT HAS RECENTLY RESEARCHED.

THERE ARE MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS USING THESE SERVICES BECAUSE I SPECIFICALLY REQUIRE OUR VENDORS AND ASK THAT NOT ONLY DO THEY WORK FOR OUR OFFICE IF WE SELECT THEM AND OUR TAXPAYERS, BUT THAT THEY HONOR THE PRICING FOR ANY OTHER BEAUFORT COUNTY DEPARTMENT WISHING TO USE THEIR SERVICES.

SO LIKE MS. SANDERS SAID, THE REASSESSMENT NOTICES MAKES COMPLETE SENSE THAT SHE WOULD WANT TO USE A PRINT VENDOR FOR THAT AND NOT DO IT MANUALLY.

SO WE ASK OUR VENDOR AS PART OF OUR CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT THAT THEY HONOR THE PRICING FOR ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT THAT WISHES TO DO THAT AND THAT THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CHARGE AN ONBOARDING FEE ONE TIME SET UP FEE, NOTHING.

SO THERE IS NO OTHER ADDITIONAL FEES CHARGED TO THAT DEPARTMENT WISHING TO USE THOSE SERVICES.

THIS IS NOT JUST SLAPPING THINGS ON A PIECE OF PAPER AND MAILING IT OUT.

HALF OF BUFORT COUNTY TREASURER.COM AND THE ENTIRE SERVICES OUR TAXPAYERS USE ON AVERAGE 20,000 TO 25,000 HITS A WEEK, 25,000 HITS A WEEK ARE TAXPAYERS LOOKING UP THEIR TAX BILLS.

THAT IS DRIVEN BY THE SERVICES IN THIS RFP AND IT DRIVES MANY, MANY OTHER THINGS.

I EXPRESSED THIS ALREADY TO ADMINISTRATION.

[00:20:01]

I'M NOT ACCOUNTABLE TO HIM AND I DON'T HAVE TO EXPLAIN MYSELF, BUT I'M HAPPY TO EXPLAIN IT TO YOU.

SO DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? BECAUSE THIS IS A SERVICE USED BY THE TREASURER'S OFFICE, A SERVICE PAID FOR THROUGH THE BUDGET OF THE TREASURER'S OFFICE.

AND WE WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE AN RFP FOR SERVICE SERVICES FOR THE TREASURER'S OFFICE.

AND WE'D REALLY LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR JOB.

JUST, IT DOESN'T SAY JUST THE PRINT.

IT'S NOT JUST THE PRINT.

THANK YOU.

IT'S ALSO PRINT AND DATA, NOT JUST THE PRINT.

RFP.

THANK YOU.

I HAVE A QUESTION.

MR. GO AHEAD.

IS SO THE CON CONTRACT THAT'S CURRENTLY EXPIRED, IT'S NOT EXPIRED.

OH, WELL IT'S COMING UP.

THE ONE YOU'RE TRYING TO, OKAY.

YES.

SO DID YOUR OFFICE NEGOTIATE THAT? YES.

AND UM, I GUESS I'D ASK MS. SANDERS IF SHE'S HAD ANY PROBLEM WITH THAT CURRENT CONTRACT.

DOES IT MEET YOUR NEEDS? I'M SORRY.

WE USE, UM, THE CURRENT VENDOR, I'M ASSUMING THE TREASURER IS USING, UM, MS. SMITH THE SOUTH DATA.

WE USE THEM FOR THE REASSESSMENT.

I'LL BE PERFECTLY HONEST WITH YOU, I WOULD NOT USE THEM AGAIN.

UM, WE DO HAVE ANOTHER VENDOR THAT WE DO USE.

THE VENDOR DID, UM, MAILED OUT OUR NOTICES EARLIER THAN EXPECTED.

UM, AND THEY WEREN'T, WE WEREN'T READY TO, IT WAS JUST THEY DIDN'T FOLLOW THROUGH.

THERE WERE SOME ISSUES WITH THE VENDOR.

SO THAT PARTICULAR VENDOR IN THE PAST, WE'VE USED THEM AS I WOULD SAY OVER 10 YEARS AGO IT WAS NOT AN ISSUE.

UM, WE WERE, WE WERE THE FIRST OFFICE THAT BROUGHT THAT PARTICULAR VENDOR TO BUFORT COUNTY UNDER MY PREDECESSOR AT HUGHES.

MM-HMM .

SO, UM, I'M, I MEAN FOR WHAT WE USE THE PRINT VENDOR THAT WE CURRENTLY USE TODAY, SERVICES ARE NEEDED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

BUT AT THE QUADRENNIAL REASSESSMENT, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO HANDLE IT.

UM, WE DO GET DATA FILES FROM THEM SO WE CAN UPLOAD OUR INFORMATION ON OUR SYSTEM SO TAXPAYERS CAN SEARCH AS WELL.

AND THAT IS IN THE INFORMATION THAT WE PROVIDED TO, UM, PROCUREMENT.

SO, I MEAN, WE'RE INTERESTED IN THE FACT THAT IF WE HAVE TO, I WOULD LIKE TO PARTNER WITH ONE OF THE OTHER TWO DEPARTMENTS TO HELP.

'CAUSE WE ARE, WE'RE ONLY THE ANNUAL AT THE AL REASSESSMENT TO, YOU KNOW, HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.

I KIND OF YEAH, IT DOES.

SO, SO I GUESS THE QUESTION IS WHETHER MS. WALLS DOES OUR OWN RFP FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT? YOUR, YOUR YOUR THE TREASURER'S DEPARTMENT OR WHETHER IT'S NOT FOR THE NEEDS SERVICES COUNTYWIDE? FOR, FOR FOR, FOR ALL OF 'EM.

THAT'S WHAT, AGAIN, IT'S ON HERE AS A DISCUSSION ITEM FOR US TO DISCUSS THAT.

WHETHER MS. WALLS CAN GO AHEAD AND, AND GO ON HER OWN TO DO THE RFP, AGAIN, IT CAN BE USED BY THE REST OF THE COUNTY OR WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING COUNTY-WIDE.

IS THAT KIND OF CORRECT MR. MOORE? THAT'S CORRECT.

THE FUNDING COMES FROM YOUR BUDGET ANYWAYS.

RIGHT? RIGHT.

YES.

THESE DEPARTMENTS ARE WELCOME TO DO AN RFP IF THEY DO NOT LIKE THE VENDOR WE SELECT.

BUT IF YOU DO AN RFP AND YOU PICK A VENDOR, YOU'RE OKAY WITH THEM USING YOUR VENDOR IF YOU HAVE A BETTER CONTRACT? A HUNDRED PERCENT.

ABSOLUTELY.

WHICH I DON'T SEE ANYTHING I HAVE ABSOLUTELY SHOWN ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION.

I WELCOME, WE HAVE WALKED THROUGH WHAT, NINE DEPARTMENTS TO USE MY BEAUFORT COUNTY.

YOU CAN GO THERE RIGHT NOW AND SEE ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE HAVE ASSISTED.

MY STAFF HAS TAKEN TIME TO ONBOARD THEM AND WALK THEM THROUGH, UH, THE, THE BEAUFORT COUNTY AUDITOR, HIS CURRENT WEBSITE AND HIS USE OF ZENDESK.

OUR TEAM WALKED HIM THROUGH USING HIS VENDOR.

OUR TEAM HELPED HIM SET UP HIS CUSTOMER SERVICE SYSTEM.

AND I WOULD'VE ASKED MR. CAD THE EXACT SAME QUESTION I ASKED MS. SANDERS, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES HE PRINT? WHAT SERVICE CAN'T HE GET CURRENTLY THAT HE WOULD WANT IN THE FUTURE? BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME IF EVERYONE CAN USE THE VENDOR FOR REDUCED OR VOLUME PRICING, I'M GONNA SAY THEN I DON'T SEE ANY PROBLEM WITH IT.

IT'S IN HER BUDGET.

AND GENERALLY I DON'T LIKE TO INTERFERE WITH AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.

IS THERE ANY REASON WHY WE, WE SHE CAN'T HAVE HER OWN, UH, VENDOR AND THEN, AND THEN EVERYONE ELSE GOT THE OTHER ORDER.

HOW, HOW DOES THAT, HOW DOES THAT PLAY REGARDLESS OF WHICH DEPARTMENT OR ELECTED OFFICIAL, UH, DOES THE RFP AND ENTERS INTO THIS CONTRACT? IT'S A COUNTY CONTRACT AND ANY DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE COUNTY SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS THAT.

AND IF THE TREASURER'S OFFICE IS THE LEAD AGENCY, THEN IT SHOULD BE OPENED UP TO THE REST OF THE COUNTY DEPARTMENTS.

AND IF THEY WANT TO UTILIZE A DIFFERENT CONTRACT THAN WHAT UH, IS ENTERED INTO WITH THE LEAD OF THE TREASURER'S OFFICE, THEY SHOULD HAVE TO JUSTIFY TO THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT AND THEN THE ADMINISTRATOR AS TO WHY THEY'RE GONNA DEVIATE FROM THAT STANDARD COUNTY CONTRACT.

THERE'S A LOT OF BENEFIT TO, UM, ECONOMY OF SCALE, UM, AND COUNTYWIDE CONTRACT TO THE BENEFIT OF ALL THE COUNTY TAXPAYERS WHERE YOU GET THAT ECONOMY SCALE.

ALRIGHT, SO AGAIN, THIS IS UP FOR DISCUSSION.

WE'RE DISCUSSING THIS, IT SOUNDS LIKE TAB THAT, THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WITH, UH, MS. WALLS HAVING HER OWN RFP.

AND THEN IF WE NEED TO GET A SECOND, MR. THOMAS, MAY I HAVE A COMMENT? I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T SEE THAT.

[00:25:01]

THIS IS THE NOTHING AGAINST MARIA.

MARIA AND HER STAFF DO A GREAT JOB AND Y'ALL PUT TOGETHER A, A REALLY NICE RFP FOR WHAT SHE'S ASKING FOR BUT GET A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY.

THE REASON WHY WE'VE DONE THIS IN THE PAST IS ONE BIG RFP OR ONE BIG BID.

WE ACTUALLY DID IFB LAST TIME AND OF COURSE THE, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY WE DIDN'T IFB? WELL, BECAUSE WE KNEW WHAT WE WANTED.

NO, WHY DID WE DO AN IFB? UH, DON'T PUT ME ON THE SPOT RIGHT NOW.

LET ME FINISH MY COMMENTS.

BUT YOU CAME UP HERE, WHY DID WE DO AN IFB? BECAUSE WE HAD A NEED FOR PRINTING AND MAILING SERVICES.

'CAUSE I SUGGESTED IT AND I GOT ED HUGHES AND SHARON BUR ON BOARD AND ALL THREE DEPARTMENTS AGREED AT THAT TIME AND IT MADE SENSE.

OKAY, GOOD.

GOOD FOR YOU.

LEMME FINISH PLEASE.

ANYWAY, SHOULD BE DIRECTED.

WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS GET THE BEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK.

SO IN THIS CASE, AND WE CAN DO AN RFP GIVE YOU, IT IS NOT BASICALLY MADE BASED ON PRICE, BUT IT'S ALSO BASED ON WHAT THE VENDOR IS BRINGING TO THE TABLE.

'CAUSE WHAT SHE HAS TO, TO GET AS FAR AS INFORMATION IS VERY DATABASE, VERY SOFTWARE BASED.

SO THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF VENDORS, MAYBE THREE OR FOUR THAT ACTUALLY CAN PROVIDE THE PRODUCT SERVICES THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR.

SO MY POINT IS, IT'S BETTER OFF SINCE WE'RE GONNA DO THIS FOR THE WHOLE COUNTY AND SINCE IT'S GONNA BE A COUNTY CONTRACT, NOT A TREASURER'S CONTRACT, BUT IT'S A CONTRACT THAT THE TREASURER CAN USE AS A WHOLE, INSTEAD OF ME DOING THREE CONTRACTS OR THREE UH, SOLICITATIONS.

WE DO ONE SAVES A LOT OF TIME AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET BETTER DISCOUNTS SINCE WE'RE DOING IT FOR THE TREASURER, THE AUDITOR, THE ASSESSOR, AND ANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT NEED PRINTING SERVICES.

SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PRINTING AND MAILING SERVICES AND DATA SERVICES.

SO SUCH TO YOUR QUESTIONS, THAT'S THE, THAT'S WHAT WE, THAT'S WHAT I RECOMMEND IS YOUR CHIEF PROCUREMENT OFFICER.

DOES EVERY DEPARTMENT NEED DIFFERENT DATA? YES.

YES.

DOES EVERY DIFFERENT TYPE OF COMPANY GIVE DIFFERENT TYPE OF DATA? I WOULD SAY SO.

IS THERE ONE SHOE? IS THERE A ONE SIZE SHOE THAT IS ABLE TO FIT ALL SEVEN DEPARTMENTS? NO.

NO.

SO THEN A WHOLE COUNTYWIDE CONTRACT WOULD BE OPEN UP FOR NEGOTIATION ANYWAYS.

IF SOMEBODY ELSE NEEDED ANOTHER SERVICE, WE'D HAVE TO GO GET ANOTHER CONTRACT ANYWAYS.

SO SPECIFICALLY SHE WANTED TO GO OUT TO BID FOR AN RFP FOR SOMETHING THAT SPECIALIZES IN HER DEPARTMENT.

AND IF IT WORKS FOR FOUR OF THE SEVEN, I'M JUST USING A NUMBER SURE.

THEN GREAT.

AND WE HAVE TO GO FIND SOMETHING FOR THE OTHER TWO OR THREE BECAUSE, BUT YOU COULD PUT IT IN YOUR SOLICITATION THAT YOU WANT A SMORGASBORD THAT'S THAT, UH, PROVIDES THOSE SERVICES FOR THE TREASURER, BUT AN ADDITIONAL PROVIDES PRINTING AND MAILING SERVICES.

FOLLOW ME.

SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ONE FOR EACH COMPANY CAN ALSO BE A LESS QUALIFIED SERVICE IF THAT PERSON DOES ALL 10 THINGS INSTEAD OF JUST THE FIVE THINGS.

AND THE GOOD THING IS, SINCE WE RAISE THE THRESHOLD, A LOT OF OUR PRINTING THAT WE NEED IT IS WE JUST GO OUT AND GET QUOTES.

'CAUSE IT'S UNDER $50,000.

I HAD A QUESTION.

SO IN THIS CASE, THIS, THIS IS REALLY, THIS IS BIG BUCKS.

WE'RE TALKING, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY THREE OR 4,000, $400,000 FOR THIS PROJECT FOR THE YEAR TO, TO HANDLE THE ANNUAL SERVICES FOR PRINTING.

I HAD A QUESTION.

UM, WE CAN DO IT EITHER WAY.

I'M SORRY.

WE CAN DO IT EITHER WAY.

IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, REASON WHY WE'RE BRINGING IT FORWARD IS WE WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY GETS ALONG SO YOU'RE ABLE TO MAKE A DECISION ON HOW YOU WANT US TO PROCEED.

WE CAN EITHER DO ONE BID OR WE CAN DO THREE DIFFERENT BIDS FOR PRINTING.

BUT YOU MENTIONED THE CLERK OF COURT.

WHAT DOES SHE DO NOW FOR HER MAILINGS? ANYBODY KNOW? YEAH, THEY HANDLE IT MANUALLY AND THEY DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT.

SHE PRINTS IN THE OFFICE.

SHE PRINTS IN THE OFFICE.

YEAH.

I WONDER HOW MANY PIECES OF MAIL THAT 400 TO 500 EVERY OTHER WEEK.

EVERY OTHER.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

YEAH.

BUT REGARDLESS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER.

'CAUSE EACH EACH OFFICE HAS THEIR OWN TEMPLATES.

MAY I EXPLAIN THE RAMIFICATIONS OF WHAT YOU'RE DISCUSSING? COULD YOU TALK YEAH, GO AHEAD.

SO PEOPLE HEAR IT, PLEASE.

I FULLY SUPPORT AN EFFICIENT USE OF OUR TIME.

NO ONE MORE THAN ME, ESPECIALLY STANDING HERE IN THIS MEETING.

I FULLY SUPPORT GETTING THE BIGGEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK, OUR TAXPAYERS, OUR ONE, WE'RE HERE BECAUSE THE AUDITOR BROUGHT UP SOMETHING AND THEN DIDN'T SHOW UP.

TODAY.

OUR TAXPAYERS ARE RELYING ON THE SUCCESS OF THESE COMMUNICATIONS.

WE AS A TEAM ARE RELYING ON THESE COMMUNICATIONS AND THIS DATA TO FUNCTION SO WE CAN COLLECT.

SO PINKY CAN REPORT TO YOU AN OVER A HUNDRED PERCENT TAX REVENUE BUDGET.

WE CANNOT COMPROMISE THE NEEDS IN THAT RFP TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEEDS OF ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.

WE ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT WILLING.

WE ARE THE VOLUME.

WE ARE MAILING OVER 500 TO 600,000 PIECES OF MAIL EVERY YEAR.

[00:30:02]

WE ARE USING THE DATA FROM THE VENDOR IN OUR INVESTMENTS AND OUR CASH FLOWS WITHIN THE PAST 12 MONTHS HAS YIELDED OVER $30 MILLION IN INVESTMENT RETURNS.

I AM NOT, IT IS NOT WISE TO JEOPARDIZE THOSE SERVICES WHICH ARE STIPULATED IN THAT RFP SO THAT ANOTHER DEPARTMENT CAN GET WHAT THEY NEED.

WHEN THE GOAL THAT IS BEING COMMUNICATED IS COST EFFECTIVENESS.

WE ARE THE BULK MAILER.

ANY DEPARTMENT WILL BENEFIT FROM THAT PRICING.

OUR FOCUS IS THE DATA SERVICES.

THIS VEN OUR CURRENT VENDOR.

IT, THIS IS A COSTLY CONTRACT, BUT IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF THE MAILING.

IT IS BECAUSE OF THE POSTAGE AND THE DATA SERVICES, NOT THE MAILING.

THAT IS NOT OUR FOCUS.

BUT IT KEEPS BEING BROUGHT UP THAT THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS KEEP MAILING THINGS.

OUR TAXPAYERS ARE RELYING ON THIS.

I CANNOT EXPRESS TO YOU THE GRAVITY OF THESE SERVICES.

YOU WILL JEOPARDIZE IT WILL JEOPARDIZE POTENTIALLY THE EFFORTS OF THESE PEOPLE BEHIND ME AND THE REVENUES YOU'RE RELYING ON.

I CANNOT, I CANNOT REDUCE THE NEEDS OF OUR OFFICE AND WHAT YOU NEED ME TO BE DOING FOR ANOTHER TEAM THAT NEEDS MAILING SERVICES.

ALL RIGHT.

LET ME, UM, JUST KIND OF SUMMARIZE THEN WHERE WE ARE.

UM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT ACTION WE NEED TO TAKE ONE, BUT, UM, NOT EVERYONE HAS SPOKEN HERE, BUT LET ME SPEAK AND THEN IF THEY, SOMEONE ELSE NEEDS TO SPEAK.

I, I THINK JUST FEELING WHAT EVERYONE IS, IS HERE AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL IS SAYING THAT THERE'S NO REASON WHY YOU COULDN'T HAVE YOU IN RFP.

AND IF WE NEED TO GET A SECOND ONE, WE THEN CAN NEGOTIATE THE SECOND ONE.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

IS THERE ANYONE THAT THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK REGARDING THAT? AGAIN, WE WANNA MOVE ON HERE AND NOT SPEND A WHOLE BUNCH OF TIME ON THIS.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF MR. PASSER WANTS SPEAK.

HE'S ON MINE.

YEP.

JOE, GO AHEAD.

YES.

UM, IF YOU GO ON OUR WEBSITE UNDER THE COUNTY COUNCIL PORTION, IT SPECIFICALLY SAYS WE'RE AN ELECTED BODY AND WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR CERTAIN THINGS.

PASSING ORDINANCES, SETTING COUNTY POLICIES, AND DEVELOPING A BUDGET.

DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.

THAT'S UNDER THE POLICIES THAT WE'VE ALREADY CREATED.

AS I UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.

WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT, OUR TREASURER'S DEPARTMENT HAS PREPARED AN RFP FOR THE SERVICES THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THEIR DEPARTMENT.

YES.

BUT IT WILL AFFECT OTHER MEMBERS OF DEPARTMENTS SHOULD THEY WISH TO USE IT, THAT SHE IS WILLING TO HAVE WORK WITH HER OFFICE TO GET THE BENEFIT OF THAT.

I THINK THAT'S A FAIR SUMMARY OF THAT.

AS I UNDERSTAND SHE HAS FOLLOWED OUR PROTOCOLS, OUR POLICIES OF PROCUREMENT.

WHY ARE WE WASTING TIME WITH THIS NOW? THIS IS BETWEEN ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT WE DON'T CONTROL.

IT'S A BUDGETARY ITEM THAT SHE HAS.

I SUGGEST WE MOVE ON.

VERY WELL SPOKEN JOE.

UM, ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO ADD TO THAT? SO OBVIOUSLY AGAIN, THIS WAS A, A DISCUSSION AND, UH, MR. UH, PASSMAN, UH, SAID IT VERY CLEARLY.

UM, ANY OTHER, ANYONE ELSE BEFORE WE MOVE ON? ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? OKAY, LET'S, UH, LET'S MOVE ON THEN.

UM, AND OUR, WE'VE GOT OUR FIRST

[8.a. Approval of a Resolution repealing resolution 2024/20 and replacing with resolution 2025/____ committing funds to Technical College of the Lowcountry and Beaufort Memorial Hospital for capital projects. - Pinky Harriott, CGFO - Chief Financial Officer]

COMMITTING FUNDS TO TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF LOW COUNTRY AND BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.

UM, MS. UH, PINKY HARRIET, OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER IS BACK UP WITH US AGAIN.

YES, THANK, GO AHEAD.

WE NEED A MOTION.

SECOND.

A MOTION ALSO MOVE MS. I'LL SECOND.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

UM, ALRIGHT, OPEN FOR DISCUSSION MS. MS. HARRIET? YES.

SO IF YOU RECALL BACK DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025, BUDGET PLANNING PROCESS, THERE WAS A, UM, PROPOSED FUNDING FROM THE 2025, UH, SERIES GEO BONDS TO MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS TO BMH AS WELL AS TCL.

UM, BACK THEN YOU PASSED A RE RESOLUTION 20 24 20 TO FUND THE

[00:35:01]

TCLS WORKFORCE, REGIONAL WORKFORCE, UH, CENTER, TRAINING CENTER ANYWAY, YEAH.

UM, FOR OVER A COURSE OF THREE YEARS, $1.5 MILLION AND THEN $6 MILLION FROM YOUR 2025 BOND.

SO, UM, AFTER HAVING DISCUSSIONS WITH BOTH ENTITIES, BMH AND TCL, IT WAS UNCOVERED THAT DURING THAT PROCESS WITH THE, UM, PREVIOUS CFO THEY HAD DISCUSSED THIS BEING COUNTY'S CONTRIBUTION AND NO DEBT SERVICE WAS GOING TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CONTRIBUTION.

SO AFTER, UM, AFTER RIGHT HERE WE WERE SETTING UP, UM, MOUS, THAT'S WHEN THIS AROSE.

NEITHER AGENCY WAS WILLING TO SIGN UP FOR DEBT SERVICE 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY THEY'D HAVE TO BOOK THAT LIABILITY AND THAT WOULD IMPACT THEIR BOOKS AS WELL.

UM, AFTER REGROUPING AND TALKING WITH BOND COUNSEL, IT IS OUR RECOMMENDATION SINCE WE MOST RECENTLY PULLED, UH, I REQUESTED $15 MILLION OUT OF FUND BALANCE FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO FUND YOUR CIP FUND.

UH, IF WE COULD TAKE THE CONTRIBUTIONS, BOTH TCL AND BMH HAS REDUCED THEIR UH, REQUEST.

UH, BMH HAS GONE DOWN TO $8 MILLION.

TCL HAS GONE, GONE DOWN TO SEVEN.

SO I'M REQUESTING THAT WE APPROVE A RESOLUTION TO TAKE THE $15 MILLION FROM THE CIP UH, FUND AND APPROPRIATE IT TO BMH AND TCL FOR THOSE AMOUNTS.

BMH 8 MILLION, TCL 7 MILLION.

AND THEN WE TAKE THE $15 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS FROM THE CIP FUND AND PUT THEM TOWARDS OUR BONDS.

THAT WAY WE CAN MANAGE OUR, OUR PROJECTS AND USE, USE OUR OWN DEBT SERVICE FOR THE SAN FOR OUR COUNTYWIDE PROJECTS.

THE BOND ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN, UH, VAGUELY ENOUGH TO WHERE YOU DO NOT HAVE TO AMEND YOUR BOND ORDINANCE.

UM, AND BOND COUNSEL ALSO AGREES WITH THAT BEING A BETTER WAY TO FUND BOTH AGENCIES THAT YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY COMMITTED TO FUND.

BOTH AGENCIES ARE HERE TODAY.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR PROJECTS, UM, FEEL FREE.

ALRIGHT, UH, OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.

ANYONE LIKE TO, UH, SORRY, ONE MORE PIECE.

YES, MA'AM.

UM, BACK IN 2025, WHENEVER THIS WAS BEING DISCUSSED IN FRONT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL, EACH AGENCY RECEIVED A SLIGHT MILLAGE INCREASE.

UM, BMH RECEIVED 0.2 ADDITIONAL MILLS AND TCL RECEIVED 0.1 ADDITIONAL, UH, MILLS, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'RE GONNA PULL THAT MILLAGE BACK.

SO WE WILL SUBSEQUENTLY HAVE TO DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO AMEND THE BUDGET ORDINANCE THAT WILL GET REAPPROPRIATED TO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND SINCE THE COUNTY WILL RESUME ITS DEBT, NOT FARM IT OUT TO TCL OR RBMH.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH.

ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYBODY? ANY QUESTIONS FOR OUR AGENCIES? THEY HERE GO AHEAD.

GO AHEAD.

IS THE MATH, NOT MATH.

I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN ABOUT THIS PREVIOUSLY.

UM, SO I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD OTHER THAN WE REALLY NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF THE FUNDING THAT WE GIVE TO OTHER AGENCIES.

YOU KNOW, I'VE SAID IT A HUNDRED TIMES, MY GOAL IS TO REDUCE MILLAGE NEXT YEAR.

AND SO WE NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF HOW WE'RE SPENDING MONEY.

I'M JUST PUTTING THAT ON THE TABLE ONE MORE TIME.

CAN I SAY SOMETHING MR. CHAIRMAN? YES, GO AHEAD ALICE.

UM, THIS, THANK GOODNESS MS. HARRIET WAS HERE TO, UH, LOOK AT THIS WHEN WE HAD THE MOU ALONG WITH OUR ADMINISTRATOR, UM, TO MAKE THIS WELL MAKE AND STRAIGHTEN IT OUT FOR, UH, TWO VERY IMPORTANT ENTITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT, UM, WILL GET THESE THINGS DONE, BUT WE WON'T DO IT THIS WAY.

AGAIN, IT'S THE BOTTOM LINE.

UM, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY NOW.

THANK YOU.

MM-HMM .

RIGHT? AND I, YEAH, I AND I GO AHEAD.

LIZ.

SOMETHING WAS, HAS, HAS, UM, AT THE TIME, I THINK, UH, MISS CHRISTMAS WAS OUR CFO AT THAT TIME.

UM, AND, AND IT WAS, UH, ADDING THE MILL AND THEN IT WAS SET UP AS, AS A LOAN.

SO WE'RE GONNA CLAW BACK THE, THE MILLAGE, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE MILLAGE THAT, THAT WE APPROVED IN THIS, THE NEW RESOLUTION.

UM, AND THEN IT WILL NOT BE A LOAN, IT WILL BE A, A, UM, A, A COUNTY'S CONTRIBUTION.

YES.

CORRECT.

RIGHT.

WOULDN'T SAY SOMETHING.

IT'S A FANCY WAY TO PUT IT.

YEAH.

RIGHT.

I, I GUESS MY CONFUSION IS JUST, I REMEMBER WHEN WE ORIGINALLY DISCUSSED THIS AND RACKING MY BRAIN THAT WHAT WAS PRE WAS PRESENTED TO US WAS IT WAS A LOAN THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO RECEIVE BACK AFTER PUTTING THE MONEY FORWARD.

SO I GUESS MAYBE MAKE ME FEEL BETTER AND CLEAR MY HEAD UP WHERE MY CONFUSION IS.

WELL, THAT'S A TOUGH THING TO DO.

I APOLOGIZE.

I KNOW , THAT'S VERY TOUGH.

NO, UM, WE, UH, BOTH AGENCIES WERE NOT OF THE UNDERSTANDING AND THEY WERE HERE DURING THAT, THAT TIMEFRAME.

I WAS NOT, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND FROM TALKING WITH BOTH OF THEM, THEY THOUGHT THAT WHEN THEY WERE, UH, PRESENTING TO YOU, THEY WERE ASKING FOR THE FUNDS AS THEY ONE TIME CONTRIBUTION.

UM, I CAN, I CAN UNDERSTAND WHERE, WHEN I SHOW UP WITH AN MOU TO DO THEIR DEBT SERVICE, THEY'RE LIKE, WHOA, I GOTTA, I GOTTA BOOK THIS ON MY BALANCE SHEET.

THEY WERE NOT PREPARED TO ASSUME DEBT OVER IT AND PAY THE DEBT SERVICE

[00:40:01]

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT REALLY WAS CONFUSING TO THEM BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THE COUNTY WAS JUST MAKING A ONE-TIME CONTRIBUTION.

SO WHEN WE VOTED ON THAT THOUGH, HOW WAS IT WRITTEN FOR US WHEN WE VOTED? WAS IT VOTED AS A LOAN? IT WAS, IT WAS VOTED AS A, UH, CONTRIBUTION FROM YOUR 2025 BOND, WHICH IS ASSOCIATED WITH DEBT SERVICE.

SO BASICALLY THAT VOTE IS COMPLETELY WORTHLESS THEN, RIGHT? SO, WELL, IT WAS INTERPRETED DIFFERENTLY.

IT WAS, I THINK THE UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE AGENCIES AND WHAT YOU GUYS WERE VOTING ON WERE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.

CORRECT.

BUT THAT PUTS US ON THE HOLD FOR STILL WHAT WE VOTED FOR.

RIGHT? YOU ARE, WE'RE GONNA FUND THOSE PROJECTS THAT OUR COUNTY PROJECTS, THAT'S WHERE OUR DEBT SERVICE IS GONNA GO, AND WE'RE GONNA MAINTAIN THAT ON OUR BOOKS.

SO DO WE NEED TO BRING THAT ORIGINAL VOTE BACK AND AMEND IT? YOU'VE ALREADY DONE THAT BY RESCINDING AND GOING THIS ROUTE AT A PREVIOUS, UH, COUNCIL MEETING, YOU RESCINDED THAT VOTE AND CHANGED COURSE AND GRANTED THEM THIS AS A GRANT IF YOU'LL AS OPPOSED TO A, THAT'S WHY YOUR RESOLUTION IS REPEALING THE ORIGINAL ONE.

WELL, THAT'S WHAT THIS RESOLUTION WILL BE FOR.

THAT'S CORRECT.

BUT IT WASN'T A WORTHLESS VOTE.

IT'S JUST BEEN REGARDED, ADJUSTED.

WE HAVE TO PASS THE RESOLUTION.

WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING .

THAT'S WHY IT'S ON THE, I MEAN, THAT'S THE DISCUSSION.

BUT I I'M JUST SAYING LIKE, AND I UNDERSTAND BEING CREATIVE TO FIGURE IT OUT THAT I LOVE, I'M ALL FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR BETTER LACK OF TERM, PLAYING THE GAME TO MAKE IT WORK.

I I GET THAT.

EVERYBODY DOES THAT IN BUSINESS.

I GUARANTEE THEY DO IT IN THEIR OFFICE.

THEY DO IT IN THEIR OFFICE.

YOU, YOU HAVE TO DO IT.

UM, SO I, I DO APPRECIATE THAT.

AND YOU FIGURING IT OUT BEFORE IT EVEN CAME TO US TO, TO MAKE IT CLEAN.

UM, I JUST, THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS TO BE ALL THIS IS DOING IS FORWARDING THE RESOLUTION TO COUNCIL FOR ACTION.

YOU'RE JUST MAKING A RECOMMENDATION UP OR DOWN.

YEAH.

TO BE CLEAR, IT WOULDN'T BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO, TO GRANT OUT OF BOND FUNDS.

IT WOULD NOT LOOK GOOD ON YOUR ACCOUNTING BOOKS.

AND I JUST DON'T HAVE EASE DOING THAT.

SO I THINK THE BETTER OPTION IS I ALREADY ASKED YOU FOR $15 MILLION FROM YOUR C GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE.

I CAN REALLOCATE THAT $15 MILLION AND TAKE THE $15 MILLION OF PROJECTS AND PUT 'EM TO OUR BONDS.

AND I MEAN, THOSE ARE ASSETS THAT WE WILL MAINTAIN.

THE PROJECTS THAT WE CAN SEE OCCUR.

I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA BE ON DIFFERENT TIMELINES ONCE A STATE AGENCY AND, UM, THEY'VE GOT DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON.

SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE IT AS A ONE TIME CONTRIBUTION, THIS IS PROBABLY THE CLEANER WAY TO DO IT.

MR. CHAIRMAN, YOU SAID THIS HAS TO GO TO COUNCIL STILL? YEAH, TH THIS IS, UM, IT IS A GOES TO COUNCIL FOR A RESOLUTION.

UM, AND AGAIN, WE ARE ACTUALLY NOT, UM, WE'RE NOT, UH, REPEALING THE OLD, UM, UM, RESOLUTION.

WE'RE ACTUALLY AMENDING IT TO, TO RE BUT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, SO, SO CAN WE JUST REQUEST THAT THAT'S IN THE BACKUP DATA FOR THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING SO WE CAN SEE HOW IT WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN? RIGHT? YOU WANT THE OLD RESOLUTION IN AS WELL AS THE NEW OKAY.

YES, WE CAN DO THAT.

WE CAN DO THAT.

THEN THEY COULD ALSO GIVE YOU THE DATE AND TIME OF THE, UH, THAT'D BE GREAT.

SO WE CAN GO BACK IN.

GOOD.

COULD YOU REMIND THE PUBLIC HOW MUCH IS IN OUR FUND BALANCE? SO THE REST ASSURED WE'RE NOT EMPTYING IT.

OH, NO, NO, NO.

THIS IS 15 MILLION WE ALREADY PULLED FROM FUND BALANCE FOR CIP.

OKAY.

SO YEAH, YOU'RE NOT PULLING ANY MORE OUT FUNDING FUND BALANCE.