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[00:00:03]

IT IS NOW.

IT'S NOW FIVE O'CLOCK.

I'D LIKE

[1. Call to Order]

TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.

BE SETTLED.

ALRIGHT.

UH, PLEASE, UH, STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, UH, FOLLOWED BY A MOMENT OF SILENCE.

FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, FOR LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

ALL.

PLEASE REMAIN STANDING FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR CAMDEN JACKSON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT FROM BUFORD HIGH, WHO WAS KILLED IN A BICYCLE ACCIDENT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE HAVE, HAS THE MEDIA BEEN NOTIFIED? MS. CUSHEN BARRY? YES, SIR.

THANK YOU.

[3. Approval of Agenda]

I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.

SO MOVED.

MOVED BY, UH, MR. NAY, SECONDED BY MR. DALLAS.

ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.

WE HAVE NOW A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.

WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT.

WE HAVE CARD.

PUT IT HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

UM, MA'AM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND BEGIN? WE HAVE YOUR, WE HAVE THE CARD.

WE JUST HAVE TO PICK IT UP.

NOW WE HAVE RULES FOR BOARD MEETINGS FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.

SPEAKERS PARTICIPATING IN PERSON SHALL READ AND FULLY COMPLETE A PUBLIC COMMENT CARD THAT WE CAN'T FIND RIGHT NOW AND SUBMIT IT TO THE BOARD'S EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE BOARD MEETING SITE BEGINNING 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE SCHEDULED BOARD MEETING.

PERSONS WILL BE HEARD IN ORDER OF THE PUBLIC CARDS THAT ARE PROVIDED TO THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT.

ISSUES INVOLVING PENDING LITIGATION ARE NOT SUBJECT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT OR PARTICIPATION.

THE USE OF PHYSICALLY THREATENING ACTIONS OR REMARKS, COMMENTS, OR CONDUCT BY PAPER, BY SPEAKERS OR PEOPLE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE ARE PROHIBITED.

AND BEHAVIOR THAT WILL, WILL THAT WILLFULLY DISRUPT THE MEETING.

TO THE EXTENT THAT ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THE MEETING IS SERIOUSLY COMPROMISED, IS PROHIBITED.

NO PRESENTATION BY A SPEAKER SHALL EXCEED THREE MIN MINUTES.

THE CHAIR WILL STRICTLY ENFORCE THIS TIME LIMIT.

A SUITABLE TIMING DEVICE SHALL BE EMPLOYED TO NOTIFY THE SPEAKER OF THE END OR HIS OR HER COMMENT.

SPEAKERS SHALL NOT YIELD THEIR TIME TO ANOTHER SPEAKER.

PERSONS APPEARING BEFORE THE BOARD.

OKAY.

STANDBY.

WELL, THEY ARE WORKING ON IT.

JUST SO THAT YOU GUYS KNOW, IF YOU CAN HEAR US, THEY'RE ALL WORKING ON IT.

READY TO TEST.

HEY, CAN YOU HEAR ME? I CAN HEAR YOU.

OKAY.

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? OKAY.

ALRIGHT.

I'M NOT GONNA START THIS OVER AGAIN BECAUSE IT'S REALLY MADE FOR THE, UH, FOR THE SPEAKER.

UH, WE ARE GIVING, UH, THE RULES FOR SPEAKING AND PUBLIC COMMENTS AT A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.

OKAY.

[4. Public Comment Period – 15 Minutes Total]

PERSONS APPEARING BEFORE THE BOARD SHALL BE AWARE THAT BOARD MEMBERS ARE WITHOUT AUTHORITY TO ACT INDEPENDENTLY AS INDIVIDUALS IN AN OFFICIAL MATTERS.

NEITHER THE BOARD NOR INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS WILL RESPOND TO SPEAKERS DURING PUBLIC COMMENT.

THE BOARD CHAIR WILL DESIGNATE

[00:05:01]

A LOCATION FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

PEOPLE SHALL REMAIN IN SUCH LOCATION DURING THEIR ALLOTTED TIME.

FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, DOCUMENTS TO BE PROVIDED TO THE BOARD BY A PUBLIC COMMENTER SHALL BE PROVIDED TO THE BOARD'S EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT FOLLOWING THE CAR.

THE COM THE COMMENTATORS, UH, APPEARANCE, PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DELIVER COMMENTS PUBLICLY MAY SUBMIT WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS TO THE BOARD'S EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT.

AND OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERSON IS ANN ANN LES BEL, AND SHE LIVES IN BUFORD.

UH, AND HER TOPIC IS SAND SHARKS 2020.

PLEASE GO AHEAD.

GOOD EVENING.

RECENTLY, THE SCHOOL BOARD PUT FORTH A REFERENDUM THAT WAS AMAZING FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.

THEY VOTED CAPITAL BONDS.

IT DIDN'T COST TAXPAYERS INVESTORS MADE PROFITS AS SIR DID.

THE DISTRICT PROJECTS WERE BEING COMPLETED ON TIME AND UNDER BUDGET.

IT'S A WIN-WIN SITUATION.

WHY AREN'T YOU DOING THAT NOW? FOR ALL REFERENDUMS? INSTEAD, WHAT'S BEING GIVEN IS A STEALTH TAX.

IT'S BEING PUSHED UPON RESIDENTS IN THE FORM OF MULTIPLE COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARKS AGREEMENT BY MISLABELING THE STATE CAMPUS AS AN MCIP, YOU INFER THAT WE DO NOT NEED A REFERENDUM.

USCB IS NOT AN INDUSTRIAL PARK, AND IT'S A STATE RUN UNIVERSITY.

YOU WANNA DIVERT SCHOOL FUNDS FOR STATE CAPITAL PROJECTS.

WHY? ADDITIONALLY, JASPER SCHOOL BOARD HAS BEEN DISSOLVED UNDER STATE CONTROL WHILE UNDERGOING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS.

JASPER CANNOT BE REPRESENTED BY ITS MEMBERS.

SO IF THE STATE REPRESENTS THEM, HAVE YOU NOW GIVEN US MULTIPLE GROUNDS TO CHALLENGE YOU IN COURT? SOMEONE ASKED ME, WHO'S SPEAKING FOR THE POOR? I AM.

I SIT HERE BEFORE YOU.

FOR THEM.

THE UPPER MIDDLE CLASS AREN'T BURDENED BY THESE INCREASES.

THOSE WHO HURT MOST ARE LOW INCOME AIR PROPERTY OWNERS.

THEY ARE MOST LIKELY, LIKELY TO HAVE THEIR PROPERTIES PUT UP ON THE SALES TAX.

THE SCHOOL BOARD CHAIRMAN ADDRESSED COUNCIL AND THE SOLO REGIONAL BOARD.

HE ADVISED THEM THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD OVERWHELMINGLY REJECTED THE PROPOSAL.

SIX HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS STATE THAT THEY WILL NOT HOLD THEIR ONCE A YEAR TO OUR GRADUATIONS FOR OPERATIONAL AND LOGISTICAL REASONS.

HE ADDED IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, 61 GRADUATIONS HAVE BEEN HELD IN THE FOOTBALL FIELDS AND ONLY ONE WAS IN A GYMNASIUM DUE TO HEAVY RAIN.

HE FURTHER TOLD THE COUNCIL AND SLOW THE SLOW LOW THAT WE NEEDED TO FOCUS ON A COUNTY REFERENDUMS TO IMPROVE OUR ROADS, TO PROTECT OVER 3000 SCHOOL EMPLOYEES AND OVER 36,000 STUDENTS WHO TRAVEL BY BUS OR CAR.

ADDITIONALLY, THIS PROJECT, WITHOUT A CLEAR AND CONCISE REFERENDUM, WILL CREATE SUCH DISTRUST THAT VOTERS MAY NOT APPROVE ANY FUTURE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.

AND I AGREE.

REMEMBER THE FAILED SALES TAXES OF 2021 AND 2024 RECENTLY, THE USC BEAUFORT CAMPUS IS ALREADY A ROCK BED OF CULTURAL EVENTS, INCLUDING CONCERTS, PLAYS, PERFORMANCES, MEETINGS, SEMINARS, AND EVEN AN ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT.

GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND COME BACK WITH BETTER IDEAS.

WE CAN SUPPORT AND BENEFIT NOT JUST SOUTH AT THE BROAD, BUT EVERYONE IN BUFORD AND JASPER EQUALLY.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

FIRST I'M ON

[5. Discussion on Multi County Industrial Park (MCIP)]

THE AGENDA IS TO ASK FOR A EXPERT ON CIPS TO COME UP AND, UH, TELL US, UH, HIS EXPERIENCE WITH THESE TYPES OF PROGRAMS. SO I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE, UH, ATTORNEY BOB KOVAL, UH, FOR MOST OF HIS PUBLIC POLICY AT TIME.

UH, HE'S BEEN IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTHCARE.

HE IS STILL MAYOR BOB FROM HIS 20 YEARS AS THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF COLUMBIA.

HE IS A LEADER WITHIN THE MAYNARD NIXON LAW FIRM, SERVING AS CHAIR OF THE FIRM'S SOUTH CAROLINA PUBLIC POLICY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS GROUPS.

AND WHILE PROVIDING KEY INSIGHT TO THE INNER WORKINGS OF SOUTH CAROLINA'S BUSINESS AND POLITICAL LANDSCAPE, HE HAS MANY HONORS, ONE OF WHICH IS THE ORDER OF THE PALMETTO.

HE'S BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED, UH, AS AN ECONOMIST AWARD FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA RESEARCH AUTHORITY.

HE'S BEEN LISTED IN BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA FOR LAWYER OF THE YEAR IN ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATORY LAW IN COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA.

HE'S GIVEN TALKS AT, UH, PUBLIC FORUMS ABOUT UNDERSTANDING INFRASTRUCTURE

[00:10:01]

CHALLENGES.

SO I THINK WE HAVE AN EXPERT HERE, ATTORNEY.

SO WOULD YOU PLEASE TELL US YOUR VIEWS ON MCI PS? UH, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.

I, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M AN EXPERT, BUT I BETTER, UH, UH, ACCEPT THE COMPLIMENT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

MY NAME IS BOB COBLE.

UM, I'M A FORMER RICHLAND COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER, FORMER MAYOR OF COLUMBIA, AND, UH, AN ATTORNEY AS THE CHAIRMAN INDICATED.

UM, I'M HERE NOT AS AN ATTORNEY FOR ANYBODY.

I'M NOT GETTING PAID BY ANYBODY.

UH, I'M HERE JUST TO GIVE, UH, SOME EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, UH, ON THE, UH, MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARKS.

UH, YOUR, UM, UH, BOND COUNSEL, FRANNY HEISER, UH, WHO SHE AND I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL TOGETHER ON CITY COUNCIL TOGETHER AND WORK ON MANY PROJECTS TOGETHER.

RECOMMENDED ME.

SO, UH, I'M DELIGHTED TO BE HERE.

SHE IS OUT OF THE COUNTRY.

UH, BUT I'M DELIGHTED TO BE HERE.

AND JUST TO GIVE YOU SORT OF THE BACKGROUND FROM MY PERSPECTIVE OF THE, UH, ISSUES WITH, UH, THE MULTI-COUNTY, UM, INDUSTRIAL PARKS AND THE FEE IN LIEU OF TAXES.

UM, AND, UH, NOT, UH, HAVING AN OPINION, NOT ADVOCATING, BUT JUST SOME OF THE FACTS THAT I THINK WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND TO COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS.

UH, THOUGH I KNOW, UH, BOTH OF YOU HAVE VERY FINE, UH, ATTORNEYS THAT, UH, WOULD GIVE YOU, UH, GOOD LEGAL ADVICE.

SO IN TERMS OF THE EDUCATION OF, UM, UH, FOLKS, I, I'M, I'M NOT A BOND ATTORNEY, UH, BUT, UH, AN ATTORNEY WITH A, A FAIR AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE AND I WOULD SAY MORE PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE AS A MAYOR.

UH, AND, UM, AS A FORMER COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER AND, UM, AN ATTORNEY WHO HAS WORKED ON THESE PROJECTS, A MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARK CAN INCLUDE ONE OR MORE GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS WITHIN A COUNTY DESIGNATED BY THE COUNTY AS AN AREA FOR INDUSTRIAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.

UH, THE LAW REQUIRES THAT EACH COUNTY HAVE A PARTNER COUNTY, UH, FOR WHICH BUFORT FOR BUFORT IS JASPER COUNTY.

NOW, THAT CAN CAUSE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, QUESTIONS AS TO WHY WE HAVE THAT, THAT'S JUST REQUIRED BY THE LAW.

AND USUALLY IT'S A 1%, UM, UH, SHARING OF REVENUE, UH, THAT YOU DON'T DO FOR ANY OTHER REASON.

UH, REALLY OTHER THAN IT'S A, A, A LEGAL REQUIREMENT.

UM, UH, THE, THE PURSUANT TO THE STATE LAW, THE REVENUE THAT WOULD'VE BEEN PAID AS TAXES IN THE AREA, UH, FOR PROPERTY WITHIN A MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARK IS CONSIDERED TO BE, FOR REVENUE PURPOSES, A FEE AND NOT A TAX.

THAT GIVES THE COUNTY, UH, UH, MORE FLEXIBILITY IN, UH, ALLOCATING WHAT THAT MONEY WOULD BE SPENT FOR A FEE IN LIEU OF TAX AGREEMENT, WHICH, UH, WOULD BE PART OF WHAT THE COUNTY WOULD APPROVE.

COVERS THE DISTRIBUTION OF REVENUE COLLECTED WITHIN A MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARK AFTER 1% NORMALLY, UH, IS GIVEN TO THE PARTNER COUNTY.

IN THIS CASE, JASPER, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL HAS LEGAL AUTHORITY TO DISTRIBUTE THE FEE TO SOME OR ALL OF THE PROJECT COST.

IN SOME COUNTIES, UH, THE FEE IN LIEU OF TAX AGREEMENTS EXEMPT SOME OR ALL OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S REVENUE FROM DISTRIBUTION TO THE PROJECT AND OTHERS.

UH, THE COUNTY, UH, UH, FEE IN LIEU REVENUE IS DEVOTED.

UH, IT TAKES ALL OF THE REVENUE TO DEVOTE IT TO PAYING THE, UM, UH, THE, UH, UH, PROJECTS WITHIN THE AREA.

UH, AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WOULD NOT GET ANYTHING IN A TYPICAL AGREEMENT.

FEES PAID BY THE PROJECT ARE GIVEN BACK TO THE PROJECT CORRECTLY OR INCORRECT, THAT SERVICE.

SO SOME PEOPLE ASK, WELL, HOW WOULD YOU, HOW IS THE MONEY SPENT? IT, IT COULD BE SPENT JUST, UH, EVERY YEAR, THE TAXES THAT ARE OTHERWISE PAID BY IN THE DISTRICT.

AND WHEN THEY'RE PAID, THEY'RE CONVERTED TO A FEE AND THEY'RE GIVEN TO THE, UH, UH, THE, UH, PART OF THE AGREEMENT, UH, TO THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT COST OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.

IN SOME CASES, YOU ISSUE A, UH, SPECIAL, UH, REVENUE BOND, UH, SPECIAL FORCE REVENUE BOND THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU TO, TO ISSUE A BOND, IN OTHER WORDS, BASED ON THE REVENUE OR THE FEES THAT THE DISTRICT WOULD COLLECT.

UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, IF YOU DO THAT, UH, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT, UH, THE COUNTY DESIGNATED, UH, HOW THAT WOULD BE REPAID SINCE IT WOULD BE ISSUING A BOND.

UH, STATE LAW GIVES CONTROL OF THE CREATION OF THE MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARK AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF FEE IN LIEU OF TAXES

[00:15:01]

TO THE COUNTY.

SO, UH, ONLY THE COUNTY, UH, MAKES A DECISION.

NOW, OUR, MY BEST, UH, EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN WHEN A SCHOOL DISTRICT AND A COUNTY WORK PROJECTS THAT BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY, AND THEY WORK OUT AN AGREEMENT.

SO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS, UH, NOT DAMAGED, UH, OR A LOSS OF REVENUE, UH, THAT WORKS SO MUCH BETTER WHEN EVERYBODY WORKS TOGETHER.

UM, UH, IF A MULTI INDUSTRIAL PARK IS LOCATED IN A MUNICIPALITY, THEN THE MU UNI, UNI, EXCUSE ME, THE MUNICIPALITY, THE CITY OR COUNTY OR TOWN, CITY OR UH, OR TOWN HAS TO CONSENT.

SO NORMALLY THAT'S, UH, THE COUNTY HAS THREE READINGS.

UH, NORMALLY MUNICIPALITIES HAVE TWO READINGS.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS DID NOT GET A SAY IN THE CREATION OF THE MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARK OR DISTRIBUTION OF THE INCOME.

HOWEVER, UH, NOTHING IN THE STATUTE PREVENTS A COUNTY AND A SCHOOL DISTRICT WORKING TOGETHER TO DETERMINE WOULD THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BE EXEMPTED AND NOT, UH, KEEP ALL THEIR REV ALL THEIR TAX REVENUE, OR WOULD THERE BE SOME MIDDLE GROUND OF, UH, A PERCENTAGE, UH, OVER A PERIOD, CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, THAT TYPE OF THING.

SO, UM, THE WAY IT NORMALLY WORKS IS THERE'S GREAT FLEXIBILITY AS TO HOW THAT WOULD BE SO THAT THE PARTIES ARE WORKING TOGETHER.

NOW, ONE THING THAT I WAS ASKED IS COMPARE A TIFF DISTRICT TO A MULTI-COUNTY, UH, UH, INDU INDUSTRIAL PARK.

AND LET ME JUST GIVE YOU SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES.

TIFFS ARE, ARE, UH, A DIFFERENT, UH, CREATION.

WHEN I WAS FIRST ELECTED, UH, AS MAYOR, UH, THE, WE USED THE TIFF IN THE, WHAT IS CALLED THE VISTA PART OF COLUMBIA.

THE LAW HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS.

UH, ORIGINALLY SCHOOL DISTRICTS DIDN'T GET A ABILITY TO OPT OUT AND UNDER A TIFF, WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM THE INDUSTRIAL REVENUE PART.

UH, FOR THE INDU, THE TIFF, UH, THE, THE SCHOOL BOARD CAN OPT OUT OF A TIF.

SO THAT GIVES YOU, UH, TOTAL CONTROL UNDER A TIFF SITUATION.

UM, IN THE MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARK, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CANNOT LEGALLY OPT OUT, BUT THEY CAN TRY TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY TO NEGOTIATE A PARTICIPATION THAT, UM, IS BETWEEN TWO, UM, UH, UH, UH, GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES.

UH, THAT IS SATISFACTORY TO BOTH.

UM, A MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARK IS TYPICALLY PRIVATELY OWNED, UM, AND BASED OTHERWISE WOULD PAY TAXES.

WHEREAS IN A TIFF, THE IMPROVEMENT HAS TO BE PUBLICLY OWNED, WOULD NOT BE PAYING TAXES.

SO THE SURROUNDING TERRITORY OR PROPERTY IN A TIF IN THE TIF DISTRICT, IT PRODUCES TAXES.

AND THOSE TAXES ARE USED TO PAY FOR THE PROFIT.

I MEAN THE, UH, NON-PROFIT OR NON-TAX PAYING PROPERTY, UH, PROJECT THAT IS WITHIN THE DISTRICT.

NOW, THE OTHER THING WITH THE TIFF IS THE TIFF DOESN'T TAKE ALL THE TAX MONEY.

THE TIFF JUST TAKES THE MONEY, UH, OF THAT, UH, OF THE PROPERTY THAT WHEN IT'S IMPROVED AND THE SURROUNDING AREA, UH, GO PROPERTY GOES UP IN VALUE, THAT ADDITIONAL REVENUE OVER AND ABOVE WHAT WAS THERE ORIGINALLY.

THAT'S WHAT IS USED IN A TEMP DISTRICT.

UM, THE INDUSTRIAL IS MUCH MORE, THE COUNTIES, UH, HAVE MUCH MORE FLEXIBILITY.

UM, BUT IT GIVES YOU THE ABILITY TO SIT DOWN WITH YOUR PARTNERS WITH THE COUNTY AND TRY TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT IS, UM, UH, PART OF THE THING IS WHAT DOES, DOES, HOW DOES IT IMPACT THE FINANCES OF THE, AND THAT'S GONNA TAKE YOUR STAFF AND THE COUNTY WORKING TOGETHER, UH, OR PERHAPS WITH THE, THE DEVELOPER OR THE PERSON, THE ENTITY PROMOTING IT, LOOKING AT ALL THE NUMBERS TO, TO HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD BE.

SINCE IT IS GOING TO INCLUDE, UH, THIS ONE MAY INCLUDE MORE PROPERTY THAN JUST THE PROJECT.

'CAUSE THE PROJECT, UH, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WOULD NOT PAY TAXES.

I THINK YOU WANT TO CAREFULLY LOOK AT THAT.

SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, YOU'RE TALKING IT FROM A POSITION OF FACTS AND KNOWING WHAT IT MEANS.

AND, UH, I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

ONE THING TO ALSO CONSIDER IS THAT IN A MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARK, THE 4% RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAX FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, THEY DON'T, YOU DON'T, UH, UNDER ACT 3 88,

[00:20:01]

UM, SCHOOL, UM, TAXES ARE NOT PAID ANYMORE.

UH, WELL, THOSE MONIES DON'T GO INTO, UM, THE MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT.

IT'S NOT, UH, COUNTED AS A FEE BECAUSE, UH, OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT PAID.

UM, AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT AS YOU ANALYZE THE IMPACT ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND, UH, HOW MUCH MONEY IS BEING BROUGHT IN FOR BOTH THE COUNTY, UM, AND THE, UH, PROJECT AS WELL AS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

WHY DON'T I STOP WITH THAT AND IF ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS, IF NOT, I KNOW Y'ALL ARE DISCUSSING THIS, AND I'LL BE HERE IF A QUESTION, QUESTION COMES UP.

ANY QUESTIONS? MR. SMITH? GOOD AFTERNOON.

THANK YOU FOR COMING AND I APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, PRESENTATION.

AND FOR ALL THE TRUE OFFICE THIS FAR.

UH, THERE, THERE IS A, UH, BUILDING IN THE, IN COLUMBIA THAT, THAT, UH, IS USED.

I, I I THINK IT'S UH, IS IT IS A, UM, I I BELIEVE IT'S BETWEEN RICHLAND ONE AND THE CITY, I THINK.

IS THAT CORRECT? UH, THAT THEY HAVE, UH, IN, IN COLUMBIA, IT IS THE, UM, IT'S THE CONFERENCE CENTER, THE CONVENTION CENTER, YES.

RIGHT.

SO WHAT WOULD BE THE DIFFERENCE IN THAT? AND THIS, UH, AND I CAN SPEAK 'CAUSE I'M THE, ONE OF THE ATTORNEYS FOR THE CON COLUMBIA CONVENTION CENTER WAS MAYOR WHEN IT WAS STARTED.

THE, THE, UH, THAT WAS FUNDED WITH TIFF FINANCING IN, IN ADDITION TO OTHER FINANCING IN TERMS OF THE, UM, THE, UH, UH, STATE, UH, HELPED, UH, WITH A, AN EARMARK THAT TYPE OF FUNDING.

BUT TIFF FUNDING WAS THE PRIMARY, UH, SOURCE THAT I THINK YOU'RE, WOULD BE REFERRING TO, NOT THE, UH, MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL TAX.

SO WITH THE TIFF FINANCING, THAT AREA WAS AN OLD ABANDONED STEEL FABRICATING PLANT.

KLINE STEEL, UM, WONDERFUL FAMILY.

UH, THEY, YOU KNOW, MOVED TO ELSEWHERE.

UM, AND THE PROPERTY AROUND IT WAS AN OLD INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT, SO IT FIT PERFECTLY FOR WHAT A TIFF WOULD DO, WHICH IS THE PROPERTY WAS PURCHASED AND THEN, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER WAS BUILT USING THOSE REVENUES IN THE TIFF DISTRICT, WHICH WOULD INCLUDED MORE THAN THE CONVENTION CENTER INCLUDED.

A LOT OF THE VISTA, UH, INCREASED IN VALUE BECAUSE OF THE, OF THE PROJECT.

NOW, IN THAT CASE, WE WORKED OUT AN AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY, EXCUSE ME, WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

RICHLAND WON.

RIGHT, RIGHT.

UM, AND, UH, BACK THEN, UH, IT CHANGED WHILE THE CONVENTION CENTER WAS BEING, UH, UH, DEVELOPED OVER TIME, UH, WHERE, UH, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAD THE RIGHT TO OPT OUT.

UH, BUT WE MADE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE DISTRICT WHERE, UM, THERE, THERE IS ACTUALLY A, UH, RICHLAND COUNTY ONE HALL OF FAME ROOM IN THE BUILDING.

UM, AND, UM, THEY ARE ABLE TO USE FOR, UH, VARIOUS, THEY DON'T, THEY DO SOME GRADUATIONS THERE, BUT THEY ARE, UH, UH, THEY CAN USE IT AS A, UH, FOR VARIOUS EVENTS AT NO COST.

SO THAT WAS AN AGREEMENT THAT WE WORKED OUT, BUT THAT WAS TIFF AND NOT, UH, THE INDUSTRIAL, UH, MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARK.

SO DOES RICHLAND ONES, DO THEY GET FINANCES FROM THAT? UH, THEY GET, UM, UH, THE TIFF IS EXPIRED.

OKAY.

IT WAS FOR 20 YEARS.

SO THEY NOW HAVE THE BENEFIT OF ALL THE VISTA, UH, TAXES THAT WOULD'VE BEEN THERE.

UH, NOW, NOW THIS WOULD BE IMPORTANT.

BACK THEN THE SCHOOL WAS NOT, THERE WAS NOBODY IN THE AREA TO BE EDUCATED AND THE AREA ONLY INCLUDED THAT.

AND IT ONLY INCLUDED THE INCREASE OF PROPERTY TAXES THROUGH THAT.

IF, SO, IF, IF THE CONVENTION CENTER HAD NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND THERE WAS NO INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE, UM, THEY WOULD STILL HAVE GOTTEN WHAT THEY ORIGINALLY HAD.

UM, I THINK THAT TIFF IS FINE TUNED FOR OUR, FOR A PROJECT THAT'S GOING TO BE A CATALYST PROJECT.

IT'S GONNA REDEVELOP AN AREA, IT'S GOING TO ALLOW FOR, UM, UH, THE VALUE THAT IS ADDED BY THE PROJECT TO HELP PAY FOR IT.

THE INDUSTRIAL, THE MULTI-COUNTY IS TAKING PROPERTY TAXES THAT ARE ALREADY SPENT.

SO YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL THAT IF YOU ARE GOING BEYOND JUST THE PROJECT, 'CAUSE IN, BECAUSE WITH THE MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PROJECT, IT CAN PAY TAXES.

IT'S A, IT SHOULD, IT IS CAN PAY TAXES.

AND A TIFF, YOU CAN'T PAY TAXES 'CAUSE IT HAS TO BE OWNED BY A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY.

[00:25:01]

UM, BUT IN THAT CASE, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE TO VERY CAREFULLY LOOK AT THE IMPACT OF THE SCHOOL, UH, DISTRICT AND WORK WITH THE COUNTY ON THAT.

AND, UH, HAS IT PAID FOR ITSELF YET, OR DO YOU, ARE YOU NOT, HAS IT PAID FOR ITSELF YET? THE CONVENTION CENTER CERTAINLY HAS THE CONVENTION CENTER NOW IN, IN FAIRNESS, THE CONVENTION CENTER, IN ADDITION TO THE TIFF FINANCING TO HELP PAY FOR THE ACQUISITION OF THE LAND, THE PRIMARY, PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE ONGOING IS A 3 CENTS, UH, SALES TAX ON HOTEL ROOMS. AND OUR ARGUMENT WAS, YOU KNOW, ONLY VISITORS PAY THAT AND NO CITIZEN IN COLUMBIA PAID THAT.

SO IT, IT, IT ALL OF THAT TOGETHER, IT'S, IT'S NEVER GOTTEN ANY MONEY FROM A, A TAXING ENTITY.

UM, UH, BUT I, I THINK THE TIFF IN THAT CASE WAS A, A, A GOOD, UH, A GOOD USE FOR PURCHASE OF THE LAND.

WE ALSO HAVE THE COLONIAL LIFE CENTER, AND, UH, YOU, UH, IF YOU'VE BEEN TO THE VISTA, IT'S, IT'S REALLY DEVELOPED.

LIKE OTHER QUESTIONS.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.

UH, SIR, WE'VE GOT, WE'VE BEEN GIVEN A SPREADSHEET WITH A COSTING, COULD YOU PUT THAT UP ON THE SCREEN, ROBIN, AND HAVE IN YOUR HANDOUTS, AND IT'S, UH, IT SHOWS THAT PEPPER HALL DEVELOPMENT IS GOING TO BE PAYING THIS FEE.

SO AM I TO UNDERSTAND THAT INSTEAD OF PAYING ON THEIR TAX FORM, INSTEAD OF HAVING, UH, COUNTY, COUNTY OPERATIONS ON THEIR TAX FORM, THEY WOULD HAVE A FEE BE THEY WOULD NOT BE PAYING COUNTY TAX.

IS THAT, IS IT, WAS THAT PROBABLY CORRECT? I CORRECT.

I THINK THEY WOULD STILL BE PAYING COUNTY TAXES IS JUST AFTER THEY PAID IT.

UM, NOW IF, IF THE DEVELOPMENT HAS RESIDENTIAL HOMEOWNERS, RIGHT, THEY DON'T PAY SCHOOL, UH, MILLAGE SO FOR OPERATING.

AND SO THAT WOULD NOT BE, IT WOULDN'T BE INCLUDED 'CAUSE IT DOESN'T EXIST.

UM, BUT, UH, THE FEE IS PAID AND THEN ONCE THE, UM, UH, TREASURER, THE COUNTY TREASURER GETS THE MONEY, UH, THEY CONVERT IT TO A FEE LEGALLY.

AND, UH, IT IS ALLOCATED PER THE AGREEMENT THAT THE COUNTY ORDINANCE, UH, DIRECTED IT.

I SEE.

AND, AND I THINK THAT PROPERTY'S PRIMARILY RENTAL PROPERTY.

SO IF IT'S 6%, OF COURSE IT'S COVERED.

I MEAN, IT'S WOULD PAY.

AND HERE'S WHAT I WOULD SAY, I, I SAW THAT, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT ADVOCATING FOR OR AGAINST ANY PARTICULAR PROJECT, BUT, UH, CERTAINLY NOT, I'M NOT, NOT REPRESENTING ANYONE.

BUT I THINK SITTING DOWN WITH A SCHEDULE LIKE THAT, WITH THE COUNTY AND ANY OTHER APPROPRIATE PERSON AND CLEARLY UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THE THING I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR IS, ALRIGHT, IF IT'S, IF IF THERE'S CHILDREN WE HAVE TO EDUCATE OR MONIES THAT WE WERE COUNTING ON, HOW DOES THAT IMPACT US? SO YOU CLEARLY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IT.

I DON'T THINK THAT CAN BE A, A ONE QUICK MEETING OR ONE THING THAT IS A DEEP DIVE BY STAFF WORKING COLLABORATIVE COLLABORATIVELY WITH YOUR COUNTY COUNCIL.

UM, BECAUSE I'M, I'M SURE YOU, LIKE MOST COUNTIES HAVE MULTIPLE PROJECTS YOU'RE WORKING ON AND THINGS AND EVERYBODY WORKING TOGETHER.

UM, BUT UNDERSTANDING THE FINANCIAL IMPACT IS IMPORTANT.

IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT WITH A TIFF BECAUSE THE TIFF ONLY BITES IN, TAKES MONEY IF THE PROJECT PRODUCES IT WITH THE GROWTH, AND THEN AFTER X NUMBER OF YEARS, UM, UH, THE TIFF GOES AWAY AND YOU GET THE COUNT, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT GETS ALL THE MONEY, UM, AND UH, THEY, IN THE INTERIM, THEY GET THE MONEY THAT THEY WERE STILL COLLECTING.

SO THE IMPACT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

RIGHT.

UH, IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR SPREADSHEET THERE, YOU'LL SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN, IN YEAR ONE, UH, THERE'S ESTIMATED MCIP REVENUES OF, UH, 2.1 MILLION.

UH, SHARE OF THE PROPERTY TAXES IS 3.5 MILLION, ALMOST 3.6 MILLION.

SO THE ESTIMATED IMPACT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS 1.5 MILLION.

SO OBVIOUSLY THE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WOULD EAT THAT, UH, 1.5 MILLION THAT IN YEAR ONE.

CORRECT.

THAT WOULD BE A WAY THE MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PART WOULD WORK.

I, I WOULD JUST SAY, I THINK I,

[00:30:01]

I WOULD NOT TELL, I WOULD INSIST OR ASK FOR A IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS BY YOUR STAFF AND THEIR STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE NUMBERS ARE CORRECT, BUT THAT'S HOW IT WORKS.

YEAH.

OKAY.

AND NOW LET ME SAY THIS.

YES, IN SOME MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL, UM, UH, PARK AGREEMENTS, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A TAX PAYING ENTITY THAT IS BRINGING A PROJECT TO THE AREA.

AND THE DISTRICT INCLUDES THE PROPERTY, UH, OF THAT TAX PAYING ENTITY.

SO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, IF THEY WAIVED IT UNDER THAT CASE, IS, UH, VERY LIMITED.

IT'S DIRECTED TO ONE PROJECT, AND THEN YOU'RE TRYING TO ANALYZE IT, WILL THAT PROJECT PRODUCE CHILDREN THAT WE HAVE TO YOU, YOU, IT IS A DIFFERENT ANALYSIS IF IT'S GOING OUTSIDE OF A PROJECT TO AREAS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ARE BEING TAXED.

I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE TO CLOSELY ANALYZE THAT.

OKAY.

AND ANOTHER QUESTION, UM, TO BUILD THIS, UH, PROJECT, YOU SAY THAT THEY CAN DO A SPECIAL REVENUE BOND, CORRECT.

SPECIAL SOURCE REVENUE BOND.

RIGHT.

AND, UH, WHO, WHO, WELL, LEMME SAY THIS.

YES.

UNDER THE MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARK LEGISLATION, THEY CAN HAVE THE FEE LOW OR THE FEE IN LIEU OF TAXES.

AND THAT REVENUE THAT THEY, WHO THE, THAT THE ENTITY GETS, COULD BE USED FOR THE SPECIAL SOURCE REVENUE BOND.

RIGHT? WELL, IN, IN THAT, IN THAT CASE, SOMEBODY WOULD HAVE TO, UH, SELL THE BOND AND THEY WOULD TAKE THE FEES, UH, TO MAKE THE PAYMENTS ON THE, UH, ON THE BOND FEE, THE COUNTY WOULD.

OKAY, SO THIS WOULD BE DONE BY THE COUNTY.

UH, IT, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE BY, I SAY IT WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE BY THE COUNTY.

IT WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE BY SOMEONE WHO COULD ISSUE A BOND.

I CAN'T IMAGINE, OTHER THAN THE COUNTY WHO IT WOULD BE.

HOWEVER, NOT REPRESENTING THE PARTIES, THERE MAY BE CERTAINLY MORE TO THE STORY.

YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA, YOU KNOW, ADVOCATE OR APPEAR TO BE, BUT THAT WOULD, WHO ISSUES THE BOND AND HOW THEY DO IT, I THINK WOULD BE ONE OF THE ISSUES, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU WOULD NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTOOD.

OKAY.

OTHER QUESTIONS? MR. MR. DALLAS? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR HELPING, UH, UNDERSTAND HELP EXPLAINING AND HELPING UNDERSTAND THE MECHANICS OF THE MCIP.

MY QUESTION GOES MORE TO THE LONG-TERM STRATEGIC IMPACT ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

SO WHEN WE LOOK AT MCPS, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THIS NEGOTIATION HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR FIVE SOLID YEARS, AND WE, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, HAVE NOT BEEN MADE AWARE UNTIL TWO MONTHS AGO THAT THERE WAS THIS CONSIDERATION AND THERE WAS ALREADY A ROAD SHOW WHERE IT'S BEING TAKEN INTO THE PUBLIC.

SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT GOING BACK SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS, WE USED TO HAVE SOME REAL SEVERE CHALLENGES AND CREDIBILITY WITH THE PUBLIC.

SO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FAILED TO REFERENDA ITSELF, NEITHER OF WHICH, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, ACHIEVED MORE THAN 30% APPROVAL RATING FROM THE VOTERS.

THE LAST TWO FOR US HAVE BEEN 68 AND 72% APPROVAL RATING FROM THE VOTERS.

OUR PROJECTS HAVE BEEN ON SCHEDULE, THEY WERE SLIGHTLY OVER BUDGET DURING COVID BECAUSE EVERYTHING CHANGED.

THE CURRENT REFERENDUM IS ON SCHEDULE AND UNDER BUDGET.

SO WE REGAINED SOME CREDIBILITY.

AND THEN TO HEAR FROM A STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE THAT THERE'S BEEN THIS NEGOTIATION FOR THAT LONG AND WE'VE NOT BEEN INCLUDED IS REALLY SORT OF PERPLEXING AND CONCERNING.

SO A LOT OF TIMES IN THE TIF, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE TECH, THE ENTITY THAT'S COVERED BY THE TIFF GIVES UP CURRENT DAY CASH FLOW FOR FUTURE OUTCOMES.

THERE'S AN INHERENT RISK IN THAT.

SO THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE ARE FACED WITH AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT.

AT THE SAME TIME, OUR PERCENTAGE OF PUPILS IN POVERTY AND OUR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS GOES UP WHERE WE HAVE TO SPEND MORE DOLLARS PER STUDENT TO EDUCATE THOSE KIDS.

AT THE SAME TIME, THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE STATE IS RISING.

SO IT'S SORT OF A CONUNDRUM FOR US TO HEAR THAT IT MAY POTENTIALLY BE $68 MILLION.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S ACCURATE.

IT'S A PROJECTION THOUGH, UH, THAT WOULD BE TAKEN AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

SO I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE STRATEGY AND THE LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS OF IT.

SO SEEMS TO ME IT WOULD BE SORT OF A REPLAY OF A PHRASE.

WE USED TO HEAR IT.

AMERICAN HISTORY, NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.

IF WE DON'T HAVE VETO POWER OVER IT.

JUST MY PERSPECTIVE, YOUR COMMENTS.

WELL, UH, REITERATING I'M NOT ADVOCATING

[00:35:01]

OR FOR OR AGAINST ANY PROJECT, I WOULD SAY THIS.

I THINK WHEN YOU HAVE A, A CONCERN LIKE THAT, THE BEST WAY IS TO MEET WITH THE COUNTY COUNCIL.

AND IF THEY NEED TO BRING IN, YOU KNOW, THE ENTITY THAT'S ADVOCATING, MEET WITH THE PARTIES AND ASK THOSE QUESTIONS DIRECTLY TO, TO THEM, I, I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT THERE'S A COUNTY COUNCIL THAT WOULDN'T BE CERTAINLY CONCERNED ABOUT EDUCATION, BUT THEY ALSO MAY BE, YOU KNOW, CONCERNED, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

SO YOU'RE BALANCING.

SO THAT'S THE WAY I WOULD, UM, APPROACH IT.

NOW, AGAIN, I, I'M SAYING THAT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE.

THAT'S THE BEST WAY OF DOING IT.

UM, UM, NOT ADVOCATING FOR OR AGAINST ANYTHING, BUT THAT'S THE WAY I WOULD DO IT, WHICH IS SIT DOWN AND, UH, SHARE THE CONCERNS.

NOW, I THINK OBVIOUSLY SHARING CONCERNS IS WHAT YOU'RE DOING TONIGHT.

UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY WANT TO HAVE STAFF AND ALL INVOLVED.

I DON'T MEAN TO DODGE THAT QUESTION, BUT, UM, THAT'S, UH, UH, I'LL DODGE IT.

UH, HOW ABOUT THAT, ? OKAY.

WELL, LET ME CIRCLE BACK TO ONE OF THE, UH, THREE TOPICS THAT, UH, INHERIT IN THAT QUESTION.

I MOVED 19 TIMES IN MY CAREER, AND WITH THOSE MANY MOVES, YOU SORT OF LEARN WHAT MAKES APPRECIATION OCCUR FUNDAMENTALLY, GO UP IN AN AREA.

THERE ARE THREE THINGS.

SECURITY PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE IN SAFE AREAS.

NUMBER ONE, YOU'RE MOVING YOUR FAMILY.

YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEM WHILE YOU'RE TRAVELING.

THE SECOND THING, EVEN MORE IMPORTANT IS GOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BECAUSE YOUNG FAMILIES CANNOT AFFORD A LOT OF THE PRIVATE OPTIONS.

SO IF WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE, OR WE ARE GOING TO BE STRAINED ON UNDULY TO PREPARE STUDENTS, THEN THAT WILL TIE INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

THE LAST THING IS GOOD COMMUTING LANES BETWEEN RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND JOB CENTERS.

EVERY TIME WE'VE MOVED AND EVERY TIME WE'VE FOLLOWED AND MADE SURE WE GET A SECURITY REPORT, LOOK AT PUBLIC SCHOOL SCORES AND LOOK AT THE TRAFFIC PATTERNS, APPRECIATION HAS BEEN VERY BENEFICIAL.

SO THERE IS AN ECONOMIC TIE IN TO THE VALUE AND THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM EXPERIENCE, NOT JUST CONJECTURE.

THANK YOU, SIR.

SIR, YOU, YOU ALSO MENTIONED, UH, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROPERTY TAXED AT 6% AND PROPERTY TAXED AT 4%, UH, BUSINESSES AND SECOND HOMEOWNERS VERSUS, UH, PRIMARY HOMEOWNERS.

IN THIS HANDOUT WE HAVE UP THERE, THERE'S AN ASSUMPTION THERE'LL BE 121 TOWN HOMES WITH AN AVERAGE TAX VALUE OF $350,000 ASSESSED AT 6%.

WHAT'S HAPPENED IN HORRY COUNTY WAS THEY HAD THE SAME KINDS OF ASSUMPTIONS THAT SO MANY OF, OF THE PROPERTIES WOULD BE ASSESSED AT 6%, AND SO MANY WOULD BE ASSESSED AT 4%.

WHAT THEY FOUND OUT IS THAT MORE PEOPLE BROUGHT, BOUGHT THOSE PROPERTIES RATHER THAN RENTED THOSE PROPERTIES.

SO THERE WAS LESS 6% MONEY THAN ANTICIPATED.

MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, SIR, WE HAVE TWO SOURCES OF REVENUE, UH, FROM TAX, UH, WE HAVE OUR SCHOOL OPERATIONS AND OUR SCHOOL DEBT.

HOW DO, HOW DO YOU, HOW DOES THE COUNTY TAKE THAT TWO POTS OF MONEY AND TAKE SO MUCH OUT OF ONE OR, OR ALL OF IT UNDER OUTTA ONE, OR DO THEY DISPERSE IT? HOW DOES THAT, HOW DOES THAT WORK? WELL, THE, UM, ACT 3 88, AND I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON ACT, ACT 3 88, I, I KNOW IT'S IMPACTED COUNTIES PARTICULARLY AS WELL AS SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UM, REPLACED THE OPERATING MILLAGE FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH A SALES TAX.

AND SO IF, IF IT'S 4%, I BELIEVE IT'S JUST FOR OPERATING AND NOT CAPITAL, UH, I COULD STAND TO BE CORRECTED THERE.

BUT IF, IF IT'S 4%, THEY DON'T PAY THE TAX.

SO IT DOESN'T GO INTO ANY POT.

AND THAT WOULD BE DEPENDENT ON HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW IT WAS ASSESSED, UH, UH, IN TERMS OF 4% OR 6%.

SO THAT COULD HAVE A BIG IMPACT.

NOW, I, I THINK THAT'S ONE WHERE HAVING A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING, IF IT'S A PROJECTION, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IF THERE'S A SPECIAL SOURCE REVENUE BOND, THAT THAT'S WHEN IT COMES IN.

IF IT'S NOT, THEN THE, THE FEE WOULD JUST BE WHAT IT IS, AND YOU COULD PAY FOR IT.

HOWEVER, I MEAN, YOU, YOU WOULD GET IT, THE ENTITY WOULD GET IT, UM, UH, WHATEVER THE AMOUNT WAS.

BUT IF IT'S A BOND ISSUE, YOU GOTTA HAVE THAT TO PAY THE BONDS.

SO I, I'M, I'M

[00:40:01]

SURE THAT WOULD REQUIRE A LOT MORE, UH, DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THAT.

OKAY.

OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. SMITH? SO IF, IF, IF, IF, IF, IF I'M HEARING YOU WELL, BUT YEAH, THE QUESTION WOULD BE, SO IN THIS WAY, UH, MR THAT WAS ACTUALLY, I ASKED YOU, HE ASKED YOU A QUESTION.

SO WHAT WOULD BE, LET ME AND, AND, AND T IN THE SIMPLEST DEGREE, WHAT'S THE PROS AND WHAT'S THE CONS HERE? READY YET? I SAY, SAY THAT AGAIN.

AND TO THE SIMPLEST DEGREE, WHAT'S THE PROS AND WHAT'S THE CONS? I, I THINK THE PROS ARE, LET'S GO WITH PROS FIRST.

THE PROS ARE BOTH THE COUNTY AND PROBABLY EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, WANTS TO SEE SMART GROWTH EXPANDED, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, SERVICES FOR THE, THE COLLEGE, YOU KNOW, THE, I MEAN, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH WANTING TO BE THAT, WANTING FOR THAT.

THE CON IS YOU GOTTA MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T, ONE, YOU CERTAINLY HAVE TO MAKE SURE IT PAYS FOR ITSELF.

SO YOU HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, THE BOND ISSUE AND ALL THAT, BUT YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T LEAVE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAVING TO EDUCATE NEW CHILDREN AND YOU DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR IT.

I THINK THE BEST WAY OF DOING IT, SINCE I DON'T KNOW THE PARTICULARS OTHER THAN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE HIGHLIGHTS WE'VE HEARD TONIGHT, THE BEST WAY OF DOING IT AND KEEPING EVERYBODY ON THE SAME SHEET OF MUSIC IS A DEEP DIVE WITH YOUR COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE KNOWS THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS AS BEST THEY CAN.

AND MAYBE THE ANSWERS LEAD TO DIFFERING OPINIONS, BUT AT LEAST YOU HAVE THE FACTS, UM, THAT YOU HAVE YOUR SAY IN HOW IT IMPACTS, UH, THE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

AND I WOULD ARGUE, UH, HAVING YOUR ATTORNEYS AND THE COUNTY'S ATTORNEYS, UH, WHO ARE BOND COUNSEL, UM, TO EVEN GIVE A MORE DIRECT AND, UH, DETAILED ANSWER TO THOSE QUESTIONS.

SO I DON'T THINK ANY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, WHEN I WAS MAYOR, I DID A LOT OF THEM AND TRIED TO PROMOTE THE, THE GROWTH OF THE COUNTY DID THAT WHEN I WAS ON COUNTY COUNCIL, BUT I KNEW THAT DISTRICT ONE WAS SITTING OVER THERE SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO PAY FOR THESE, THE, THE CHILDREN, THE EDUCATION.

AND AS THE, UH, UM, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, SAID, UH, A GOOD EDUCATION SYSTEM IS CRITICAL FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

UH, HAVING A TRAINED WORKFORCE IS, IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR SOME OF THESE INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS.

SO IT'S A BALANCING ACT, BUT I THINK WORKING COLLABORATIVELY IS THE WAY TO DO IT.

AND EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE, UM, AND NOT BE, YOU MAY ULTIMATELY BE AT ODDS BECAUSE THAT'S JUST WHAT THE FACTS DETERMINE, BUT START WITH WORKING TOGETHER.

THAT'S MY EXPERIENCE, NOT MY LEGAL ADVICE.

ANY QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS OR COUNCIL MEMBERS? OTHER, UH, HOW ABOUT ONLINE? ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE ONLINE FOLKS? I'LL WEIGH IN.

WE HAVE A LOT MORE WORK TO DO TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG OF HOW THIS CAN BE FUNDED, WHAT IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE WAY TO FUND THIS.

AND SO IT'S BENEFICIAL TO BOTH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE COUNTY, AND THE UNIVERSITY.

OKAY.

IS THERE ANY, ANY COMMENTS FROM THE STAFF, UH, FROM EITHER THE COUNTY STAFF OR THE DISTRICT STAFF THAT, ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. KOVAL? OKAY, SIR.

MR. DALLAS.

UM, JUDGING THE TIMELINE, UH, THANK YOU MR. UH, MAYOR BEL FOR, FOR THAT, THAT PRESENTATION, AND SHED A LOT OF LIGHT ON IT.

I STILL HAVE THE QUESTION OF THE TIMELINE.

IF THE NEGOTIATION HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR FIVE YEARS AND 60 MONTHS, AND WE'VE ONLY BROUGHT IN AT THE 58TH MONTH, HOW LONG BEFORE THAT CONTINUUM IS COMPLETED AND WE GET A FINAL ANSWER? I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THIS.

UM, MY EXPERIENCE, AND I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ANY OF THIS.

MY EXPERIENCE IS USUALLY THE COUNTY COUNCIL HASN'T SPENT THAT MUCH TIME ON THIS PROJECT OR A SIMILAR PROJECT.

THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE TIME, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT.

SO WHAT I WOULD DO IS JUST ASSUME WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A PROJECT, WE'VE GOT SOME REPORTS AND DIMENSIONS OF IT.

NOW LET'S START A DISCUSSION AND LET'S START IT IN A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.

THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD DO.

AND NOT, UM, IF IT'S BEEN SIX YEARS, I IMAGINE,

[00:45:02]

YOU KNOW, YOUR COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE NOT SPENT SIX YEARS ANALYZING THIS.

UM, MOST COUNTY COUNCILS, UM, HAVE A PLATE FULL EVERY WEEK OR TWO WHEN THEY MEET AND JUST LIKE Y'ALL DO.

AND, UH, SO I THINK I, I WOULD START A NEW START FRESH.

UH, IT, IT REQUIRES A, YOU KNOW, THREE READINGS FROM THE COUNTY IN A PUBLIC HEARING.

AND, UH, I'M ASSUMING IT MAY BE IN, IF IT IS IN A MUNICIPALITY, UH, TWO READINGS IN A PUBLIC HEARING THERE.

UM, SO YOU'LL HAVE TIME TO, YOU KNOW, GET, YOU KNOW, WHAT NEEDS TO BE SAID AND DONE.

UM, AND I WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.

I MEAN, UM, I, I THINK TO YOUR POINT, THERE HASN'T BEEN ENOUGH HOMEWORK DONE TO THE HARM THAT THIS COULD CAUSE YOUR SCHOOL, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.

AND, UM, PERSONALLY I DO, I DO NOT WANT ANYTHING TO HARM THE REVENUE FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.

WE'VE COME TOO FAR IN A VERY SHORT TIME.

WE NEED TO CONTINUE THAT MOMENTUM.

UM, I THINK THERE JUST NEEDS TO BE A LOT MORE WORK DONE TO EVEN, I MEAN, WE HEARD SOME THINGS TODAY ABOUT A SPECIAL SOURCE BOND.

YOU KNOW, I'D, I'D LIKE TO HEAR EVEN HOW SOMETHING LIKE THAT COULD EVEN BE DONE, SO.

RIGHT.

WELL, MR. KOAL, I WANNA THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR YOUR TIME AND, UH, AND, AND YOUR EXPERTISE.

AND, UH, I'VE GOT YOUR PHONE NUMBER, , UH, I MIGHT, I MAY BE HITTING YOU UP FOR, FOR SOME MORE, UH, COLONEL, PLEASE DO.

UH, AS I SAID, UH, UH, WHEN I WAS MAYOR OF COLUMBIA, FORT JACKSON WAS IN THE CITY LIMITS.

SO DEALING WITH, I ALWAYS FOUND COLONELS MORE THAN ANY OTHER RANK WERE WHEN THEY RETIRED, WERE THE, THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY KNEW HOW TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B.

AND, UH, SO, UH, UH, I APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE AND EVERYONE'S, I WILL SAY THIS, UH, YOU HAVE A FINE BOND COUNSEL WHO KNOWS THE INS AND OUTS, UH, AND I'M SURE THE COUNTY DOES TOO.

UH, I WOULD GET THAT THEM INVOLVED.

'CAUSE YOU NEED A, AN ATTORNEY WHO ADVOCATES YOUR POSITION, UNDERSTANDS YOUR CONCERNS, THAT KIND OF THING, NOT JUST A EXPERT.

THANK, THANK YOU, SIR.

THANK YOU.

DR.

PANU.

WOULD, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT? THANK YOU, COLONEL, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT.

AND LET ME BEGIN BY THANKING OUR MAYOR KOVAL, UH, EXCELLENT PRESENTATION AND CLARIFICATION OF THINGS.

I NEED TO PUT SOME CONTEXT TO MUCH OF WHAT SURROUNDS THIS, BECAUSE I THINK IT HAS ALSO CREATED A LOT OF, UM, PERCEPTIONS OR CON, UH, CONCEPTIONS OR THINGS THAT, THAT, THAT JUST COULD USE SOME CORRECTION.

LET ME BEGIN BY TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY.

CAN YOU SPEAK UP A LITTLE? I HAVE THE MIC A LITTLE CLOSER.

OKAY.

YES.

AND ALSO, I DON'T, I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT, BUT, UH, WHO DO YOU REPRESENT AND WHAT'S YOUR DOG IN THIS FIGHT? OH, I'M SORRY.

THIS, THIS IS, THIS IS DR.

DR.

PNU, WHO IS THE PRESIDENT OF, UH, USCB.

OH, OKAY.

GOTCHA.

SORRY.

THANK YOU.

THANK, THANK YOU.

SORRY.

SO JUST FOR, FOR THE, FOR THE SAKE OF A CONTEXT, AGAIN, AND, AND A LITTLE HISTORY, THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNTY AND THE STATE REGARDING THIS INITIATIVE DATES BACK TO 4, 5, 6 YEARS ALMOST AT THIS POINT.

BUT THOSE CONVERSATION DID NOT ENGAGE THE MECHANISM FOR FUNDING THAT THE COUNTY WOULD UTILIZE.

IT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION BECAUSE THE POINT WAS MADE THAT THERE'S BEEN CONVERSATIONS OVER THE MCIP IN THE PAST FIVE TO SIX YEARS WITHOUT ANY CONVERSATIONS BEING MADE AWARE TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

AND THAT SIMPLY IS NOT THE CASE.

THE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE FIVE TO SIX YEARS OLD HAVE TO DO WITH THE PARTNERSHIP WITH REGARD TO THIS INITIATIVE THAT IT WOULD ENGAGE BOTH THE STATE FUNDING AND THE LOCAL FUNDING THROUGH THE COUNTY.

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE MCIP ARE RECENT CONVERSATIONS

[00:50:01]

AS A RESULT OF EXPLORING POTENTIAL MECHANISMS THAT COULD BE UTILIZED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO POTENTIALLY, UH, FOR COUNTY TO FUND THE PROJECT.

I ALSO WANT TO PROVIDE A LITTLE CONTEXT WITH REGARD TO WHY EVEN POTENTIALLY THIS MCIP CAME UP IN A CONVERSATION.

ONE IS OUR CAMPUS IS LOCATED ON BOTH THE BEAUFORT AND THE JASPER COUNTY.

THERE IS A PORTION OF THE, THE, THE, THE CAMPUS THAT IS BOTH ON JASPER COUNTY AND IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, IT APPEARED THAT BEING ABLE TO SHARE IN THE MECHANISM BETWEEN COUNTIES WOULD BECOME A POSSIBILITY BECAUSE MANY OF YOU MAY REMEMBER, WE'VE CELEBRATED NOW OUR 20TH YEAR OF, UH, BECOMING A FOUR YEAR DEGREE GRANTING INSTITUTION.

AND THANKS TO THE COUNTIES TIF THAT WAS CREATED 20 YEARS AGO, THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, AS AN INSTITUTION, HAVE THAT, UH, ENTITY CREATED.

AND WHILE SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT COULD BE PART OF THE MECHANISM FOR FUNDING SHOULD BE CONSIDERED, AND WE CERTAINLY SUPPORT ALL OF THE POSSIBILITIES OF ALL THE CONSIDERATIONS, I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT, THAT THE CONVERSATIONS REGARDING THE MCIP ARE RECENT.

THEY ARE NOT CONVERSATIONS THAT DATE BACK TO FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO.

AND IT WAS ALSO UNDERSTOOD THE EXPLORATORY NATURE OF THAT CONVERSATIONS.

THE NUMBERS THAT YOU'RE ALSO LOOKING AT ARE NUMBERS THAT ARE, ARE, ARE NOT NECESSARILY REFLECTING THE CURRENT REQUEST THAT IS BEFORE COUNTY.

AND THEY WERE PART OF THE EFFORTS AND THE STUDIES THAT WOULD UNDER PENN, IF YOU WILL, THIS PARTICULAR MECHANISM AS, AS, AS A FUNDING MECHANISM.

SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT, UH, THAT IT BE UNDERSTOOD, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT THE NUMBERS THAT ARE BEING LOOKED AT ARE NOT NECESSARILY AT ALL REFLECTIVE OF THE REQUEST THAT IS RIGHT NOW, UM, UH, BEFORE COUNTY.

SO, UM, I, I'M REALLY HAPPY FOR THE CONVERSATION.

I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

I ALSO WANT TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO POINT OUT THAT WE DO NOT WISH IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, UM, THAT, THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM SOMEHOW HAS TO SUFFER BECAUSE OF THE INITIATIVE THAT IS, UH, ON, ON THE, UH, THAT, THAT IS IN PLAY.

WE, WE CONSIDER OURSELVES GREAT PARTNERS TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

WE LOOK FOR EVERY OPPORTUNITY WHEN WE CAN TO BE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND TO SUPPORT AND TO PRODUCE TEACHERS OR TO GET ANY OTHER INITIATIVES THAT WE CAN IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TO ADVANCE, UH, THE STEWARDSHIP OF OUR REGION.

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO OUR MISSION.

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR MISSION.

AND, UH, SO IT, I I JUST WANT THAT, I THINK CLARIFIED AND I JUST, I, I NEED TO COMMUNICATE THAT.

I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, TO DO THAT.

I ALSO WANTED TO SAY THAT WHEN THE T UH, WAS DONE 20 YEARS AGO, AND A PORTION OF IT WAS FOR USCB, ANOTHER PORTION WAS FOR, UM, TCL AND A 30 YEAR PROJECTED PAYMENT WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN NINE YEARS.

AND IN LOOKING AT NUMBERS AND, AND JUST EXPLORING THE VARIOUS MECHANISM, IT WAS VERY CLEAR THAT THAT, THAT THE POTENTIAL INVESTMENTS THAT WOULD COME ABOUT THAT HAS NOW LED TO USCB ECONOMIC IMPACT OF 141 MILLION AT THE LEAST.

OKAY.

THIS IS SOME OF THE LATEST STUDY, UM, GAVE A POSITIVE SENSE OF WHAT INVESTMENT IS POSSIBLE WITH REGARD TO THIS AND WHAT COULD BE PROJECTED, UH, FOR THE, FOR

[00:55:01]

THE REGION.

SO I JUST WANTED TO AT LEAST ADDRESS A COUPLE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WERE, UH, WERE THERE JUST FOR THE PURPOSE OF CLARIFICATION AND CONTEXT AND BE HAPPY TO, UM, TO DO, TO DO SO FOR AS, AS, AS, AS CONVERSATIONS CONTINUE.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

ANY QUESTIONS? UH, FOR DR.

PNU? HELLO, DR.

PNU.

UM, FOR THE PUBLIC THAT'S LISTENING AND THE PUBLIC THAT'S HERE, COULD YOU REITERATE THE STATE'S CONTRIBUTION AND WHAT YOU'RE ASKING OF THE COUNTY? OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THE STATE IN TRANCHES HAS NOW ACCUMULATED FOR US TOWARD THIS INITIATIVE, A TOTAL OF $47 MILLION.

AND WE ARE ASKING THE COUNTY TO MATCH THAT.

AND THAT WAS FROM THE DAY ONE, UM, KIND OF THE, THE, THE PREMISE OF, OF, OF SOME OF OUR PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE STATE.

AND I MIGHT ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT WHEN THE TIFF WAS DONE, THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO CONTRIBUTION FROM THE STATE.

OKAY.

OTHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MR. DALLAS? THANK YOU, CHANCELLOR PANNU AND, UM, CHANCELLOR PANNU AND I FIRST WORKED TOGETHER, I GUESS ABOUT 12 YEARS AGO ON A TRIP TO ISRAEL IN PURSUIT OF, UM, TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES.

SO THANKS FOR THE PARTNERSHIP BACK THEN.

AND NOW, UM, I JUST HAVE SOME QUESTIONS THAT I THINK AS THE CONVERSATION GOES FORWARD SHOULD BE ANSWERED.

ONE, WOULD THE PROPONENTS OF THIS BE WILLING TO CAPTURE MORE THAN 1% FROM JASPER COUNTY? WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE GROWTH OF JASPER COUNTY, IT IS GOING TO BE PROBABLY WITHIN 10 OR 15 YEARS MORE POPULATED THAN BEAUFORT COUNTY.

SO HOPEFULLY ANY PROJECTIONS, ANY ANALYSIS IS NOT JUST GONNA LOOK AT CURRENT STATE.

IT'S GONNA LOOK AT THE PROJECTION, HARD LINE PROJECTIONS SO THAT MORE OF THE PERCENTAGE CAN BE SHARED.

SO ONE TO 99 DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME FOR A SCHOOL DISTRICT.

THE SECOND IS, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE MCIP CONVERSATIONS MORE RECENT.

HOW RECENT IS THAT? HAS IT BEEN JUST A FEW MONTHS AND, AND WHATEVER THE, AND I, I LIKE TO GET OUT THE OTHER ONES, IF I MAY.

WHAT IS THE ALUMNI PERCENTAGE IN TERMS OF HELPING FUND THIS AND, UH, DO YOU PLAN TO PUT UP MECHANISMS TO HELP ENSURE THAT, THAT THAT IS A PROMINENT PART? MOST UNIVERSITIES GET A, A SIZABLE AMOUNT OF INPUT AND SUPPORT FROM THEIR, UH, ALUMNI GIVING AND THE GRAD, THE HIGHER THE GRADUATION RATE IS, THE MORE ALUMNI YOU PRODUCE WHO GET GOOD JOBS AND CAN HELP FUND THIS AS WELL.

SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ANSWERED NOW, BUT IN TERMS OF THE CONVERSATION GOING FORWARD, I THINK THOSE ARE LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU.

SO YOU HAVE THREE QUESTIONS? YEP.

IN FACT, MIKE MIGHT JUST KIND OF ADDRESS THEM AND PLEASE REMIND ME, THE FIRST QUESTION WAS, THE FIRST ONE IS, I THINK WHAT I HEARD WAS THE MINIMUM FROM MAYOR KOAL IS THAT THE SECOND COUNTY HAS TO HAVE 1%, RIGHT? THAT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE TO BEING EQUITABLE IN TERMS OF CON CONTRIBUTORY PERCENTAGES.

SO WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHTS? THAT'S CORRECT.

NOW, THE 1% IS A STATE REQUIREMENT OR A MON A MANDATORY REQUIREMENT OF YES.

AND I DON'T THINK JASPER IS CONTRIBUTING.

THAT'S WHAT THEY GET.

UH, AND, AND THEY GET IT BECAUSE STATE LAW REQUIRES IT.

I, I THINK, AGAIN, A BOND COUNCIL COULD GIVE THE DEFINITIVE, BUT I THINK 1% IS AS LOW AS IT CAN BE.

AND THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE ANY SENSE.

IT'S JUST THAT'S WHAT THE STATE LAW REQUIRES.

SO I WOULD PUT THAT ON THE LIST OF WORKING TOGETHER AND EXPLAINING, UH, WHY THAT IS.

BUT THEY'RE NOT CONTRIBUTING.

THEY ARE JUST AS IF JASPER DID ONE OF THESE MULTI-COUNTY, THEY WOULD CONTRIBUTE 1% BACK TO BEAUFORT COUNTY.

EXACTLY.

AND, AND THAT'S THE POINT I WAS GONNA GET TO IT.

SO WE HAVE THE, THE 1% REGULATIONS THAT'S TOTALLY OUT OF OUR CONTROLS, BUT WHEN, WHEN VIEW, WHEN JASPER COUNTY DOES THE MCIP, THEY TOO ALSO ARE GOING TO CONTRIBUTE TO 1%.

AND YES, IT WAS ENVISIONED AS PART OF THIS MULTI-PHASE PROJECT THAT, THAT, THAT WE WOULD GET JASPER COUNTY MCIP ENGAGEMENT AS WELL.

OKAY.

AND YOUR SECOND QUESTION, I BELIEVE THE RECENCY OF THE MC AND THAT IT HAD BEEN NOT FIVE YEARS, BUT RECENT.

THAT'S CORRECT.

RECENT HOW MANY MONTHS? YEAH, SO WE STARTED THE CONVERSATION, UM, WHEN THE COUNTY PUT TOGETHER A RECOMMENDATION OF A GROUP TO LOOK INTO THE MECHANISM.

AND WE, UH, IF I REMEMBER

[01:00:01]

CORRECTLY, IT'S PROBABLY SINCE, UH, AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER OF, OF JUST BEFORE THIS, THIS, THIS PAST ELECTIONS.

SO, SO WE GOING BACK TO, UM, TO ABOUT EITHER AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER WHEN, WHEN WE STARTED HAVING CONVERSATIONS.

WHAT YEAR, WHAT YEAR, SIR? WHAT YEAR WERE THOSE ELECTIONS REFERRING TO? UM, THIS LAST ELECTIONS WERE, SO THAT WAS LIKE AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER 24TH.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

OKAY.

AND YOUR LAST QUESTION HAD TO DO WITH OVERFUNDING IN PARTICULAR TALKING ABOUT PRIVATE FUNDING.

UH, I'M ASSUMING, BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DEVELOPMENTAL EFFORT THAT WOULD COME FROM ALUMNI? YES, SIR.

OKAY.

YEAH.

OBVIOUSLY WE ARE ENGAGED WITH ALUMNI, BUT I DO WANT YOU TO PLEASE REMEMBER THAT WE ARE A VERY YOUNG INSTITUTION AND 20 YEARS AS A FOUR YEAR DEGREE GRANTING INSTITUTION IS NOT VERY, VERY LONG FOR, UM, AS INSTITUTIONS GO.

AND, UM, WHILE WE DO GET FUNDING AND DEVELOPMENT EFFORT, ALSO COMING FROM ALUMNI AND WHY WE DO PLAN OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR THIS PARTICULAR INITIATIVE, I, I JUST WANNA PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE.

YES.

UH, DR.

PERU.

YES.

I I'D LIKE TO, UH, READ YOU, I ASKED THE STAFF TO PROVIDE INFORMATION.

SO YOU MENTIONED ABOUT WHAT THE DISTRICT HAS SUPPORTED YOU AND TCL.

I'D LIKE TO READ, UH, WHAT THE STAFF GAVE ME.

IN 2002, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PROUDLY SUPPORTED USCB, BUFORT AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF THE LOW COUNTRY, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW FACILITIES AT THE BLUFFTON CAMPUS THROUGH THE NEW RIVER TIFF.

THE PLAN INCLUDED 26.5 MILLION IN INSTITUTION INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITIES FOR USCB AND 7 MILLION FOR TCL.

THE GOAL OF THIS TIF WAS TO INCREASE POST-SECONDARY OPPORTUNITIES, OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS IN BUFORT AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES, WHILE ALSO PROVIDING DUAL ENROLLMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.

BUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT PARTICIPATED AT 60% OF THE REVENUES FOR THIS $35 MILLION PROJECT.

OUR SUPPORT WAS FURTHER ENHANCED BY PARTICIPATION IN THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND TIFF EXTENSION IN 24 20 14, WHICH INCLUDED CONSTRUCTION OF THE HILTON HEAD CAMPUS OF USC BUFORT.

IN 2017, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPPORTED THE TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF THE LOW COUNTRY'S CULINARY INSTITUTE.

THESE INVESTMENTS WERE NOT JUST IN INFRASTRUCTURE, THEY WERE ALSO INVESTMENTS IN THE COMMUNITY.

BUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS A LONGSTANDING PARTNERSHIP OF DUAL ENROLLMENT WITH USCB AND TCL THAT GREATLY BENEFITS THE STUDENTS IN BUFORT COUNTY AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES.

THE EXP EXPANSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION FACILITIES HAS BRA BROADENED THE OPPORTUNITIES OF OUR STUDENTS.

IT ALLOWS THEM TO GRADUATE EARLY, MINIMIZE STUDENT LOANS, AND STRENGTHENS OUR LOCAL WORKFORCE PIPELINE.

THAT'S ALL GOOD NEWS, BUT I WANNA POINT SOMETHING OUT.

IN 2019, WE HAD A REFERENDUM, AND IT'S THE FIRST REFERENDUM IN 11 YEARS AFTER HAVING TWO REFERENDUMS FAIL, WE STRUCTURED THAT RECOGNI, UH, REFERENDUM IN WITH TWO QUESTIONS.

QUESTION ONE WAS FOR ACADEMIC INFRASTRUCTURE, SCHOOLS, RENOVATIONS, AND SO ON.

AND QUESTION TWO WAS FOR ATHLETIC FIELDS, THE FOOTBALL FIELDS, IT WAS FOR THE PLAYGROUNDS, IT WAS ATHLETICALLY ORIENTED QUESTION, AND THE REFERENDUM WAS PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC, UH, SAYING, OKAY, WE HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.

IF YOU DON'T FEEL THAT THE ACADEMIC PIECE IS, UH, SHOULD BE PAID FOR BY TAXPAYERS, SAY, VOTE NO ON THAT, IF YOU VOTE NO ON THE, THE BIG, UH, FIRST QUESTION, WELL, THEN THE SECOND QUESTION WON'T BE FUNDED AT ALL EITHER.

SO WE HAVE ALREADY DONE AND SHOWN THAT WE ARE, WE ARE WILLING TO SUPPORT ACADEMIC INFRASTRUCTURE.

WE HAVE NOT, WITHOUT GOING THROUGH A SEPARATE QUESTION, A SEPARATE QUESTION TO TAXPAYERS SUPPORTED ACADE OR ATHLETIC.

AND THIS IS AN ATHLETIC PIECE.

SO THAT'S PART OF THE

[01:05:01]

PROBLEM THAT SOME OF US HAVE IS WE AREN'T GOING TO GET ANYTHING OUT OF THIS.

OUR STUDENTS WILL NOT USE THE FIELD.

OUR STUDENTS WILL NOT USE, UH, THE FIELD HOUSE OR THE, UH, THE ARENA.

AND I'VE TALKED TO, WE'VE TALKED TO ALL THE PRINCIPALS, AND THE PRINCIPALS SAY IT'S NOT BIG ENOUGH TO ALLOW US TO DO THE GRADUATIONS THE WAY WE HAVE DONE 'EM IN THE PAST.

OUR PARENTS WANT GRADUATIONS ON THEIR FOOTBALL FIELD.

WHEN WE HAD TO STOP GRADUATIONS ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD, BECAUSE THE STATE SAID WE COULDN'T HAVE THAT BIG A, A ASSEMBLY IN ANY ONE PLACE, AND WE DID INDIVIDUAL GRADUATIONS IN THE, IN THE AUDITORIUMS OF EACH OF THE SCHOOLS, WE TOOK GREAT HEAT BECAUSE WE WEREN'T FOLLOWING WHAT'S BEEN A GENERATIONAL PRACTICE OF HAVING, UH, GRADUATIONS OUT ON A FOOTBALL FIELD.

IT'S ALSO, WHEN I LOOK AT THE SCHEMATIC OF THIS, UH, FACILITY THAT'S BEING PROPOSED, IT'S, IT'S NOT LIKE I WENT TO, UH, CLEMSON'S GRADUATION AND THEY DID IT IN THE FIELD HOUSE, AND IT WAS NICE, BUT IT'S ALSO HUGE BIG, AND THERE'S ROOM TO LINE THE STUDENTS UP AND GET 'EM OUT THERE.

I, I HAD JUST COME THROUGH SITTING THROUGH SIX GRADUATIONS AND OF OUR GRADUATIONS OUT GETTING IN THE HEAT IN THE AFTERNOON.

I SAID, BOY, I WISH WE COULD DO OUR GRADUATIONS, UH, LIKE THAT.

BUT THIS FACILITY'S NOT BIG ENOUGH TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO LINE THE KIDS UP.

WE HAVE TO DO THE GRADUATION, MARCH IN AND PLAY THE MUSIC.

WE HAVE HAND OUT THE FOLDER FOR THEIR DIPLOMA.

WE DON'T HAND OUT THE DIPLOMAS.

THE, THE STUDENT GIVES A, UH, NAME PIECE OF PAPER ON HOW IT'S PRONOUNCED PHONETICALLY, AND THEIR NAME IS ANNOUNCED AS THEY WALK ACROSS THE STAGE.

THEN THEY GO BACK AND THEY GET THEIR DIPLOMAS TO PUT IN THE FOLDERS.

THAT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE IN THE SIZE OF THE FACILITY THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.

SO THE PRINCIPALS DO NOT FEEL THAT THAT IS A VIABLE, UH, ALTERNATIVE TO USE THAT.

SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A PROBLEM, AND THAT'S A PROBLEM TO GET SUPPORT FROM BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF AND FACULTY IN, IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

SO I, I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT'S KIND OF IN THE BACKGROUND.

OKAY.

CARL, JUST, JUST FOR INFORMATION, JUST WHAT SIZE ARE YOU LOOKING AT? WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE SIZE OF THE FACILITY THAT WOULD BE ADEQUATE FOR, FOR THE FIELD PURPOSES? FOR, FOR WHAT, WHAT THEY DO NOW IS THEY, UH, SAY STUDENTS THAT'S NAME STARTS WITH A THROUGH D MEETING, CLASSROOM 1D THROUGH X IN C, 1, 2, 3, 4.

THEY MEET IN CLASSROOMS. THEY GET AN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.

A LOT OF STUDENTS DON'T ATTEND, UH, GRADUATION, AND YOU DON'T KNOW UNTIL, THEY DON'T SHOW UP, BUT YOU HAVE TO GET 'EM LINED UP IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER, CHECKED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR ROBES AND CAPS AND EVERYTHING ARE OKAY.

AND THEN THEY FORM IN THE HALLWAYS OF THE SCHOOL, AND THEN THEY MARCH TO THE FOOTBALL FIELD.

AND THEN THEY, THEN THE BAND PLAYS, PARENTS SCREAM AND SHOUT AS THEY SEE THEIR CHILD COMING DOWN, UH, DOING THE MARCH AND INTO THEIR SEATS.

AND THEN WHEN THE GRADUATION IS OVER WITH, THEY GENERALLY GAGGLE A BIT, BUT THEN THEY GO BACK TO THAT CLASSROOM AND THERE THEY GET THE DIPLOMA TO PUT IN THEIR FOLDER.

NOW, IN THAT FACILITY, WE'D HAVE TO HAVE A PLACE TO LINE THEM UP, GET THEM ORGANIZED, HAND OUT THE DIPLOMAS, AND LOOKING AT THE SCHEMATIC, I HAVEN'T SEEN THE FULL FOOTPRINT, BUT I DON'T SEE HOW THAT'S POSSIBLE.

AND THAT'S WHAT THEY, THEY DO THAT AT THE FIELD HOUSE AT CLEMSON BECAUSE IT'S A BIG FACILITY AND THERE'S AN UNDER, UNDER THE, UH, CONCOURSE AREA THAT THEY CAN GET ALL THAT DONE.

I DON'T SEE THAT IN THIS BUILDING.

I, I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN JUST THE CAPACITY, JUST FOR NOTHING ELSE BUT TO BE INFORMED, BECAUSE THEN WE CAN AT LEAST KNOW WHAT THE GAP IS.

BUT LET ME, LET ME ALSO PARTLY RESPOND TO, UM, THE CONCERNS, ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU WENT BACK TO TALK ABOUT THE, THE APPROVAL OF THE ACADEMICS AND, AND NOT NECESSARILY OF THE ATHLETICS.

AND LET ME INDICATE THAT FROM THE FIRST, VERY FIRST CONCEPTION, THIS

[01:10:01]

HAS BEEN ENVISIONED A MULTI-PURPOSE FACILITY.

ATHLETICS IS ONLY A PORTION OF IT, BUT THERE ARE MANY, MANY OF THE UTILIZATIONS AND INCLUDING AT ONE POINT EMERGENCY RESPONSES THAT WERE CONSIDERED FOR A MULTIPURPOSE FACILITY.

SO I, I WOULDN'T JUST SQUARELY PUT IT INTO JUST ONE BUCKET.

UH, IN THERE WE, WE'D ENVISION A MULTIPURPOSE FACILITY THAT WOULD SERVE THE NEEDS, NOT ONLY OF THE INSTITUTIONS, BUT OF THE COMMUNITY BEYOND JUST THE POTENTIAL ATHLETIC FACILITIES.

BUT TO YOUR POINT, I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY BENEFICIAL TO UNDERSTAND THE SIZE THAT WOULD BE IDEAL, JUST SO IN, IN THE CONVERSATION, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT, UH, SUCH A CONFIGURATION COULD BE ATTAINED WHAT WE DO.

NOW, EARLY ON WHEN WE WERE HAVING CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS MULTIPURPOSE FACILITY, AND AS OFTEN IS THE CASE, WE DO HAVE PRINCIPLES ON CAMPUS FOR RECRUITING PURPOSES AND FOR INFORMING PURPOSES.

AND THE INTEREST WAS INDICATED, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY YOU'LL SEE GRADUATIONS BEING PUT IN THERE.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A CHANGE OF MIND AND THAT THAT'S NOT AN INTEREST ON THAT PART, AND THAT'S UNDER UNDERSTOOD.

I NO PROBLEM.

BUT I JUST WANT IT BE CLARIFIED, THE GENESIS THEREOF AND, AND, UM, AND THE CONTEXT.

OKAY, SIR.

THANK YOU, MR. SMITH.

UM, FIRST OF ALL, LEMME START BY SAYING NOW, THANK YOU DR.

PERU FOR, UH, COMING UP HERE AND, UM, AND, UM, AND, AND, UH, AND BASICALLY COMING UP HERE AND SHARING, SHARING YOUR OPINIONS ON, ON THIS MEETING.

UH, FIRST LEMME START OFF BY SAYING THIS.

I, I THINK THAT IN ORDER TO GET DOWN TO THE REAL HEARTBEAT OF WHAT'S GOING ON, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.

AND HOW DO WE ADDRESS ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM? IS IS THE, AS AS MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID ABOUT, IT'S ABOUT THE WHO, WHERE, WHAT, WHEN, WHY, AND HOW.

AND YOU GAVE, AND YOU GAVE PART OF THAT WHEN YOU SAID, YOU SAID ABOUT AUGUST OR HOWEVER, AND THEN ALSO THAT THEY HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF, UH, BUILDING THIS FACILITY AND IN, AND, AND IN THE POINT, IN THE CONTEXT OF BUILDING THIS FACILITY, WHAT'S BEEN, WHAT'S, WHAT NEEDS TO BE SAID IS THAT WHEN YOU COME INTO SOMEONE'S HOUSE AND SAY THAT, GIVE ME YOUR CHECKBOOK, I'M GOING TO PAY FOR IT OUT OF YOUR CHECKBOOK, AND YOU STROKE A CHECK, THAT MAY NOT BE THE CORRECT FORM OF HOW, OF THE WAY IT SHOULD BE DONE.

THERE NEEDS TO BE A CONVERSATION OF A POINT OF INTEREST.

AND WHAT I, WHAT I'M HONESTLY SITTING HERE AND I'M LETTING, I'M LETTING EVERYONE TALK AND I'M WAITING FOR TO HEAR WAS WHO, WHERE, WHAT, WITH, WHY, AND HOW, AND WHO HAD THE, UH, THE PARTNERSHIP OF HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AND, AND WHO BIRTHED THIS BABY WHEN, WHEN A BABY GIVES, GIVES GIVE BIRTH OR BORN, THERE'S A, THERE, THERE'S A, THERE'S A, A PROCESS THAT TAKES PLACE.

SO IF, IF THIS BABY IS GETTING BIRTHED, THEN, AND, AND, AND TWO PEOPLE HAVE MADE A DECISION, OR SOME PEOPLE HAVE MADE A DECISION, SOMEONE HAVE MADE A DECISION TO BIRTH THIS BABY.

AND SO NOW IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE GETTING TOLD THAT, HEY, THERE, THERE'S A BABY THAT'S GONNA BE BIRTHED AND WE ARE GONNA COME IN YOUR HOUSE AND STROKE YOUR CHECK.

AND, AND, AND, AND, AND WE'RE GOING TO, UH, PAY FOR IT THAT WAY.

NOW, THE ISSUE AT, AT HAND HERE IS I, I, I, I BELIEVE THAT I'M THE ONLY ONE PERSON I'M SPEAKING ON ME NOW.

I'M HEARING, BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN WAITING AND, AND I HAVE BEEN KIND OF, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND IT.

AND THEN IT REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT OF THIS AND HOW THIS GOT, GOT, GOT STARTED.

AND I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, THAT THIS IS AN EXTENSION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, AND THEY HAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ALONG WITH THE GO.

THEY HAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WHEREVER YOU MAY, MAY SHAKE YOUR HEAD OR NOT.

THAT THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S, THAT'S MY PERCEPTION FROM, FROM WHERE I SIT AND UNDERSTANDING ALL THE STUDENT ACTIVITIES AND THINGS THAT THEY HAVE, AND THAT THEY ALSO HAVE, UH, THEY HAVE A COUPLE OTHER UNIVERSITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

AND SO WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT MY MINDSET TELLS ME IS THAT IF WE ARE PREPARING AS THE HEAD UNIVERSITY AND, AND, AND THE, THE PRESIDENT SITS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN COLUMBIA, AND, AND THIS IS AN EXTENSION OF THAT SAME UNIVERSITY, THEN WE, THEN WE, THE SAME WAY HOW THE SCHOOL BOARD, HOW WE GO BACK AND WE ALLOCATE OUR FINANCES AND WE TALK ABOUT, UM, ABOUT OUR BUDGETING.

IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY REALLY

[01:15:01]

HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR FIVE OR SIX YEARS, THEN THE QUESTION COMES TO ME IS, WHAT IN THE HECK HAVE THEY BEEN BUDGETING FOR THIS PROCESS, FOR THIS PROJECT? NOT JUST WHAT THE SOUTH CAROLINA, NOT, NOT JUST THE 47 MILLION THAT WHO THAT, THAT, THAT WE'RE BEING GIVEN, BUT ALSO WHAT SKIN IN THE GAME HAVE I, ARE THEY BRINGING DOWN HERE? BECAUSE THIS SITE ALSO ENTITLES THEM TO A WHOLE MORE LOT AND IN TERMS OF A HELL OF A MORE LOT TO THEM THAN WHAT IT DOES TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

AND, AND, AND THAT'S WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.

AND AT THE SAME, AND AT THE SAME TIME, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INVITE, INVITE TO THE TABLE.

WHEN SOMEONE COME IN MY HOUSE, I DON'T SAY, HEY, I'M GONNA TALK TO YOU OUTSIDE.

I INVITE THEM IN THE HOUSE AND, AND, AND I INVITE 'EM TO THE TABLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION.

SO THEREFORE I CAN SEE WHAT THEIR DUES AND WHAT THEY, WHAT THEIR WANTS ARE.

AND THAT'S JUST A, THAT'S JUST THE REALISTIC OF BEING GOOD PARTNERS OR BEING GOOD NEIGHBORS.

AND IN THIS PROJECT, PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY TALKING AROUND ABOUT, AROUND THIS TABLE NOT SAYING, LISTEN, STRAIGHT OUT, I'M GONNA KEEP CUT OUT DRY, THIS BOY OR THIS BODY DOESN'T SEEM AS THOUGH THAT THERE, THERE HAS BEEN THE WORK AND THE, THE LABORS OF GOOD NEIGHBORING, IT WAS A STRONG ARM, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY REALLY WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN.

WE DO KNOW THAT THE CLIMATE IN THIS COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW IN THIS COUNTY IS THAT THEY'RE NOT REALLY PUSHING, UH, UH, DEVELOPMENT.

SO THEREFORE, I THINK IF THIS IS SOMETHING THEY REALLY WANT, THEY WANT PEOPLE TO BUY INTO IT, THEN THAT THEN, AND, AND THEY NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD BECAUSE THAT'S WHO, THAT'S WHO'S GOING BE WE GONNA BE PART OF THE CHECK.

AND THE SCHOOL BOARD JUST WENT AND TOLD PEOPLE THAT THEIR TAXES ARE GONNA GO UP, BUT WHAT THIS, WHAT THIS PROJECT FROM THE, FROM THE NUMBERS THAT YOU, THAT YOU'RE GIVING ME THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD NOT BE TRUE.

SO THEREFORE THAT'S PUTTING US IN A SPOT, BECAUSE NOW YOU'RE PUTTING US IN A SPOT TO SAY, LOOK HERE.

THE, THE STATEMENT THAT YOU MADE IS UNTRUE.

SO COLONEL UH, COLONEL GUYER JUST WENT IN WHEN WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT THE HELL WE WENT TO TO GET THOSE TWO, UH, THOSE TWO REFERENDUMS PASSED.

AND SO THEREFORE, NICE, NOT, AND WHY AM I, WHY AM I BRINGING THAT UP? BECAUSE I'M TALKING ABOUT THE TRUST THAT WE HAD TO GO THROUGH, THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE COMMUNITY TO GET THOSE THINGS PASSED.

AND WE JUST TOLD THE COMMUNITY THAT THE TAXES AREN'T GONNA GO UP, BUT WITH THIS, WITH THIS INITIATIVE OF THIS PROJECT, IT WILL GO UP.

SO I, I JUST THINK THAT IS MORE OF A MEANING OF A MIND WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY, AND HOW THIS CONVERSATION TAKE PLACE.

YOU JUST CAN'T GO INTO PEOPLE'S HOUSE AND ASK THEM FOR THEIR CHECKBOOK AND WRITE CHECKS BECAUSE THE CHECKS HA HAVE TO BE PAYABLE, AND THE CHECK HAS TO HAVE TO CASH.

SO THE CON THE CONVERSATION AT SOME POINT IN TIME MUST BRING ALL THE PEOPLE INTO IT.

BUT I, I BELIEVE THAT IT'S BEEN CRITICALLY IN TERMS OF, IT'S KIND OF BEEN SAID THAT, THAT THERE'S, THEY SEEM LIKE THIS IS NOT APPETITE RIGHT NOW.

BUT I'M NOT.

I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I'M NOT A, NO, BUT I, I DON'T THINK THAT, THAT EVERYONE HAS SAID THAT BECAUSE EVERYONE, I BELIEVE EVERYONE IS A, EVERYONE IS A, UM, A COMPONENT OF EDUCATING OUR KIDS AND DOING, DOING, DOING RIGHT WHEN IT COMES TO KID.

BUT I BELIEVE THAT U-S-C-K-U-S-C COLUMBIA DEFINITELY DOES HAVE TO CHECKBOOK AND APPETITE TO, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY REALLY WANT, WANT FOR OUR KIDS, THAT THEM AND THEM AND THE GOVERNOR MCMASTER, THEY CAN, THEY CAN FIND THE MONEY AND THE LEGISLATORS, THEY CAN FIND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY WANT DOWN HERE.

THEY CAN FIND THE MONEY AND THEY CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN JUST LIKE THAT.

I WATCHED THAT COUNTY COUNCIL, UH, JUST THE OTHER DAY, UM, SENATOR, UH, SENATOR, SENATOR, SENATOR, UM, UH, TOM DAVIS, HE WENT AND HE FOUND MONEY FOR A PROJECT.

WHAT'S THE, BETWEEN THIS PROJECT AND THAT PROJECT? LET'S LET THEM FIND THE MONEY.

JUST DON'T, DON'T COME STRONG.

ALMOST APPRECIATE YOU AND THAT I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I JUST THINK THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE MORE CIVIL CONVERSATIONS AND WE, WE CAN'T BE BROUGHT ON THE BACK END OF IT.

THANK YOU.

I'M OPEN TO WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.

YOU HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING TO SAY NO, THANK YOU.

AND, AND, UH, YOU BROUGHT A LOT OF ISSUES THAT I THINK WARRANT A WHOLE LOT OF, OF OUR CONVERSATIONS IN THERE.

BUT, BUT I APPRECIATE, UM, APPRECIATE YOU.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, DR.

THANK YOU, DR.

PANNU.

THANK YOU.

UH, WE'D LIKE TO MAKE SOME A STATEMENT, UH, ABOUT FOR, FOR THE COUNTY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER, UH, SAN SHARP 2020 IS NEITHER A NEED OR A WANT FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

UH, WE'RE NOT GONNA USE THE FACILITY.

WE DON'T NEED THE FACILITY.

UM, BUT THERE IS AN IMPACT AND A BIG IMPACT THAT WE HAVE A NEED AND WANT IS WE NEED YOUR REFERENDUM TO PASS.

UH, WE GOT 3000 EMPLOYEES AND 21,000 STUDENTS THAT USE THE ROAD NETWORK FIVE DAYS A WEEK FOR NINE MONTHS OF THE YEAR, AND GETTING, GETTING TO AND FROM THEIR HOMES TO THEIR PLACE OF BUSINESS OR SCHOOL IS CRITICAL FOR US.

I WOULD HATE TO HAVE THIS PROJECT PUT THAT REFERENDUM IN JEOPARDY.

WE NEED THIS REFERENDUM TO PASS.

[01:20:01]

I ALSO WANT THE COUNTY TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING.

WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON OUR BUDGET AND, AND, AND YOU DO TOO.

BUT OUR OPERATING BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR IS 376,000,980, UH, HUNDRED DOLLARS, 30, 36, OR 377 MILLION.

OUR DEBT SERVICE BUDGET IS $108 MILLION.

COULD YOU PUT THE, UH, THIS SLIDE UP? OUR DEBT SERVICE WE HAVE KEPT AT 36.3 MILS SINCE 2019.

AND IF YOU GET TO THIS CHART UP, THIS CHART SAYS WE'RE GONNA KEEP IT AT 36.3 MILS UNTIL 20 28, 20 29, OR NO, 2028.

THAT'S HOW WE GOT PUBLIC TO, TO, UH, APPROVE OUR REFERENDUM BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO MANAGE OUR DEBT.

WE SPEND ONE DAY A YEAR AS A BOARD, CALL IT DEBT DAY.

AND THIS CHART AMONGST MANY OTHER CHARTS THAT WE GET, IS EXACTLY HOW WE STRUCTURE OUR DEBT SERVICE.

NOW, OUR OPERATING BUDGET, WE HAVE REALLY A LOT OF CHALLENGES.

WE HAVE INFLATION, AND YOU HAVE THAT SAME CHALLENGE WITH INFLATION.

WE HAVE ALSO A LABOR MARKET, A TEACHER LABOR MARKET THAT WE MUST BE COMPETITIVE IN, AND WE'VE HAD TO RAISE THE MILLAGE TO RAISE THE SALARIES CONSIDERABLY.

AND THAT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

SAL, THE BENEFITS, SALARIES AND BENEFITS ARE 80% OF OUR BUDGET.

AND SO WE REALLY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF FLUFF OR FLEXIBILITY IN THIS AT ALL.

AND SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A BIG CHALLENGE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING THAT I DON'T BELIEVE WE WILL EVER SEE CONSISTENCY IN THE FEES THAT WE GET AND WHAT WE HAVE TO PAY.

I DON'T KNOW WHO'S GOING TO MANAGE THIS BOND.

YOU, YOU'RE GONNA NEED A BOND.

YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO BORROW THE MONEY TO START THE PROJECT.

WHO'S GONNA, WHO'S GONNA GET THAT? WHO'S GOING TO, WHO'S GOT THE, UH, CREDIT RATING TO GET A GOOD BOND? WE DO.

DO WE WANNA DO THAT? NO.

WE ARE ALREADY MANAGING MORE DEBT.

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT MANAGES MORE DEBT THAN ALL THE DEBT OF ALL THE OTHER LOCAL, UH, TAXES FROM THE COUNTY.

ALL THE CITIES, THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND EVERYBODY ELSE THAT BORROWS MONEY.

WE MANAGE MORE THAN MORE THAN THAT.

AND JUST IN THE SCHOOL, AND VARIABLES CAUSE US PROBLEMS AND VARIABLES OF P OF FEES VARIABLES IN WHAT THE STATE DECIDES.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO RAISE SALARIES OR RAISE BENEFITS OR RAISE RETIREMENT THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH.

AND HERE IS ANOTHER VARIABLE, AND THAT'S A PROBLEM.

AND SO WE'RE, WE, ARE, WE ARE REALLY, WE WANT TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE MONEY.

WE WANT TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS.

WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO HELP THE USCB AND TCL, AND WE'VE SHOWN THAT WE HAVE DONE THAT, BUT THERE'S GOTTA BE A POINT WHERE WE SAY, THIS IS TOO HARD OR IT'S TOO HARD.

RIGHT NOW, ONE OF, ONE OF THE THINGS IT SEEMS TO ME IS, IS GET THIS REFERENDUM PASSED, AND IF WE GET THE REFERENDUM PASSED, THEN LET'S SIT DOWN AND SERIOUSLY NEGOTIATE ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, HOW WE'RE GOING TO STRUCTURE THIS, OR SHOULD WE STRUCTURE THIS, OR IS THERE ANOTHER WAY TO DO IT? IS THERE ANOTHER WAY WE CAN MAKE ANOTHER, A SECOND QUESTION ON ANOTHER REFERENDUM SO THAT THE TAXPAYERS CAN VOTE ON IT.

IF IT'S THAT IMPORTANT, TAXPAYERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON IT.

AND I HAVE A COMMENT IF YOU'RE DONE, SIR.

YES, I'M FINISHED.

.

I REALLY LIKE ALL THAT YOU SAID.

UM, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL'S STRUGGLING WITH WHAT TO DO ABOUT

[01:25:01]

A POSSIBLE REFERENDUM.

I DO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR TEACHERS, ALL OF YOUR STUDENTS RIDE OUR ROADS.

JASPER COUNTY RIDES OUR ROADS.

UM, THE LAST REFERENDUM DID NOT PASS.

AS WE KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF CAPITAL PROJECTS IN THE COUNTY THAT NEED TO BE DONE.

WE HAVE A LOT OF RENOVATIONS THAT NEED TO BE DONE, OBVIOUSLY.

UH, WE HAVE BUILDINGS IN NEED OF REPAIR, AND WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH WHAT TO DO WITH OUR ROADS BECAUSE THE GAS TAX DOESN'T CUT IT.

I MEAN, CTC RE YOU KNOW, RESERVICES IF YOU ROADS, THAT'S IT.

SO WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH THIS AS WELL, SO I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT ON THAT.

I HEAR IT.

UM, I ALSO HEARD MISS ELLAS TALK ABOUT ROADS.

ROADS ARE THE ESSENCE OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.

YOU CAN'T COME FROM, AND EVERYONE THAT LIVES IN BEAUFORT, WHEN YOU COME DOWN AND I CALL DOWN TO THE SOUTHERN END, YOU'RE STUCK ON ONE 70 AT INFINITUM.

WHEN I COME UP AT, YOU KNOW, I'M STUCK ON ONE 70.

SO SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.

WE'RE IN HURRICANE SEASON.

LORD KNOWS WHAT THAT'S GONNA DO.

SO WE ARE STRUGGLING WITH THE REFERENDUM AS WELL.

YOU HAVE BEEN VERY AGGRESSIVE IN GATHERING PUBLIC TRUST FOR YOUR REFERENDUMS, AND CONGRATS TO YOU AND CONGRATS TO THE SUPERINTENDENT WELL DESERVED.

SO WE ARE WORKING TO REGAIN TRUST.

THAT'S OUR GOAL AS A COUNTY COUNCIL.

BUT EVENTUALLY THE ROADS HAVE TO HIT US IN THE FACE.

THAT'S IT.

I MEAN, EITHER THAT IF WE, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T GO FOR A REFERENDUM IN 26, IT PUSHES TO 28 AND LORD KNOWS WHAT THE ROADS ARE GONNA YEAH.

SO I'M LOOKING AT YOUR FACE.

SO I THINK THAT'S PART OF OUR DISCUSSION, BUT I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT IN THAT.

UM, I THINK IT MEANS A LOT TO US.

COMMENTS.

DID MR. MR. BARIO, UH, WELL, COLONEL GARNER APPRECIATED.

UM, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THIS IS NOT YOUR, YOUR BURDEN TO BEAR ON THIS.

I, I CAN SEE THE BENEFIT TO HAVING THIS, THIS, UH, STADIUM OR WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT, BUILT.

I CAN SEE THE BENEFIT HERE, BUT I, I'M JUST STARTING TO SCRATCH THE SURFACE AND, AND KIND OF DOING THE DEEPER DIVE INTO THIS.

BUT WHERE, WHERE IS U-S-U-S-C ON THIS? DON'T THEY HAVE THE BONDING CAPACITY AND COULDN'T THEY BE THE BOND ENTITY THAT DOES IT? I MEAN, IT IS A STATE INSTITUTION.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ANSWER THAT? UH, THAT, THAT'S THE ONE THING THAT'S KIND OF CONFUSED ME, IS WHY IS USC NOT LEADING THE CHARGE ON THIS AND US COMING TO THE TABLE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO PAY THAT DEBT, UH, SERVICE BACK AS A PUBLIC INSTITUTION IN A FOUR YEAR SECTOR WITHIN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA? OUR FUNDING DOES NOT COME FROM U-S-C-U-S-C COLUMBIA IS THE HEAD OF A USC SYSTEM WITH MULTIPLE INSTITUTIONS THERE.

BUT THESE ARE SEPARATELY ACCREDITED INDEPENDENT INSTITUTIONS, AND THEY DRAW THEIR FUNDING FROM THE STATE, FROM TUITION, FROM DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS THAT, UH, ARE THERE.

THEY DON'T DRAW THE FUNDING FROM USC COLUMBIA AS AN INSTITUTION THAT WOULD GIVE ITS FUNDING TO ANOTHER.

OKAY.

WITH REGARD TO BONDING ENTITIES, THAT'S A, A SEPARATE CONVERSATION THAT I THINK THAT THEIR POTENTIALS THERE THAT ARE MORE, UM, MANAGED THROUGH THE STATE, I WOULD THINK, THAN JUST THE FACT THAT, THAT THIS IS A-A-A-U-S-C INSTITUTION, AN AFFILIATED ONE.

THANK YOU, MR. NA.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

UH, I, I PREPARED SOME COMMENTS.

UM, I STARTED DOING PRE-READ ON THIS ON FRIDAY, UH, AND THEN SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON SATURDAY UNTIL, UH, BASICALLY UNTIL ONE O'CLOCK THIS MORNING, REALIZING THAT THIS IS A HUGE RABBIT HOLE TO GO DOWN.

I HAVE SOME DEEP CONCERNS OVER THE PROPOSAL FOR THIS MCIP, UH, MR. COBEL, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HIP POCKET CLASS.

I RECOGNIZE YOUR VIEWPOINT ON COLONELS, BUT I WOULD ARGUE YOU HAVEN'T MET ENOUGH MARINE CORPS MASTER SERGEANTS , UH, BASED ON YOUR COMMENTS AND MY OWN RESEARCH THAT UNFORTUNATELY JUST STARTED ON FRIDAY, UH, THIS IS WHAT I UNDERSTAND ABOUT MCI PS, IT DIVERTS PROPERTY TAX REVENUE AWAY FROM OUR SCHOOLS AND OTHER LOCAL SERVICES AND FUNNELS IT TO A SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.

IN THIS CASE, IT'D BE PULLING DOLLARS OUT OF OUR CLASSROOMS TO SUBSIDIZE $120 MILLION.

WHAT, WHAT IS PROPOSED TO BE $120 MILLION SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX? UH, I, I WOULD SAY AT THE HEART OF THIS MATTER, IT'S LOST TAX REVENUE FOR EDUCATION.

OUR TEACHERS, OUR STUDENTS FAMILIES DEPEND ON THOSE FUNDS AND TAKING THEM AWAY WOULD EITHER FORCE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO RAISE

[01:30:01]

ITS OWN MILLAGE, UH, OF WHICH MR. GEIER HAS ALREADY TALKED ABOUT.

UH, AND BREAK A PROMISE, BREAK, A PROMISE THAT WE MADE TO THE TAXPAYERS THAT WE WOULD NOT RAISE MILLAGE.

UM, AND WHICH OR THE OTHER, THE OPTION WHICH IS NOT AN OPTION, IS TO CUT SERVICES TO OUR KIDS.

AND I'M, I'M NOT WILLING TO DO THAT.

UH, THIS IS NOT JUST A FINANCIAL CONCERN, THOUGH.

IT'S ALSO QUESTION PRIORITIES.

OUR SCHOOLS ARE THE FOUNDATION OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

STRONG CLASSROOMS BUILD STRONG COMMUNITIES.

DIVERTING EDUCATION DOLLARS AWAY TOWARDS THIS ARENA IS TURNING THOSE PRIORITIES UPSIDE DOWN.

I ALSO WANNA BE HONEST ABOUT THIS.

UH, THIS IS A CORPORATE GIVEAWAY DRESSED UP AS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

UH, THE LOCAL COUNTRY'S EXPLODING.

WE ALL KNOW THIS.

WE ALL KNOW THIS.

UH, INVESTORS DEVELOPMENTS OR DEVELOPERS, CONTRACTORS ARE PRACTICALLY SALIVATING AT THE MOUTH TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY CAN MAKE MONEY ON IT.

AND OF COURSE, UH, INVESTORS AND CORPORATIONS DON'T SPEND THEIR OWN MONEY.

THEY USE OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY.

IN THIS CASE, THEY'RE TRYING TO USE TAXPAYER'S MONEY, OUR TAXPAYER'S MONEY, OUR FAMILY'S MONEY, ALRIGHT? UH, I BELIEVE THAT'S SHIFTING THE BURDEN ONTO PEOPLE THAT IS LEAST ABLE TO CARRY IT.

BUT FOR ME, THE CONCERN GOES EVEN A LITTLE DEEPER.

UH, ONCE A PROPERTY IS PLACED IN MCIP REVENUE SHARING RULES LOCK, IT, LOCK ALL OF US IN FOR DECADES.

DECADES, THAT'S LONG-TERM RIGIDITY.

AND AS I, AS I MENTIONED, THE, THE EXPLOSION, WE NEED FLEXIBILITY NOW MORE THAN EVER TO BE ABLE TO, TO, TO LEVERAGE, UH, THE ECONOMY, OUR LOCAL ECONOMY TOWARDS, UH, CHANGES THAT WE MAY NOT SEE COMING YET.

UH, GROWING ENROLLMENT FACILITY NEEDS CURRICULUM INVESTMENT.

UH, AND IF WE DO THIS, THE REVENUE'S JUST NOT GONNA BE THERE.

WE WILL HAVE SIGNED AWAY OUR FLEXIBILITY.

THERE'S ALSO THE INFRASTRUCTURE BURDEN.

BIG PROJECTS REQUIRE NEW ROADS, UTILITY SERVICES, TAXPAYERS FUNDED THOSE, WILL, WILL, WILL FUND THOSE UPFRONT IF THE ARENA, UH, OR IT'S ASSOCIATED DEVELOPMENTS, I BELIEVE THERE'S A HOTEL SLATE TO GO ON THERE.

IF ANY OF THESE UNDERPERFORMED, THEN WE'RE LEFT WITH MAINTAINING OVERSIZED INFRASTRUCTURE WHERE OUR SCHOOLS SCRAMBLE FOR RESOURCES.

UH, AND IF, UH, THERE ARE PROPOSAL LOCATIONS TO PLAN OUT THERE, UH, I, I MEAN, I, I BASICALLY, ONCE YOU'VE MENTIONED THEM, COLONEL, I SAID, I, I WENT LOOKING FOR 'EM LAST NIGHT AND I COULDN'T FIND THEM.

UH, BUT YOU SET 'EM AND, OKAY, HERE IT IS.

SO, BUT, UH, I'D BE INTERESTED TO SEE SOME OF THESE PLANS ALSO.

UH, AND YOU CAN OF COURSE, UH, UM, IGNORE THE MISSION DRIFT AND OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGES ASKED TO TAILOR ITSELF TOO CLOSELY TO THE, TO THE INDUSTRY, OR IN THIS CASE, THE ARENA'S NEEDS AT RISK, LOSING THE BROADER PURPOSE OF SERVING ALL LEARNERS.

AND THOSE INDUSTRIES ARE, ARE, ARE PARTNERS, PULL OUT, THEN WE'RE LEFT WITH EXPANDING, UH, EXPENSIVE PROGRAMS AND FACIL FACILITIES THAT NO LONGER SERVE THE COMMUNITY.

UM, AND AS EVERYBODY HAS ALLUDED TO ALREADY, THERE'S THE PUBLIC TRUST ISSUE.

UM, THE MCIP AGREEMENTS ARE USUALLY NEGOTIATED BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AND INVOLVE COMPLEX FORMULAS THAT THE AVERAGE TAXPAYER CANNOT EASILY UNDERSTAND.

THE LACKS OF THIS TRANSPARENCY MAKES IT HARD FOR VOTERS TO HOLD OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHETHER THESE DEALS ACTUALLY BENEFIT THE PUBLIC IN THE LONG RUN.

VOTERS HAVE ALREADY, AS, AS WE'VE ALREADY NOTED, HAVE ALREADY SAID NO TO THE INCREASED SALES TAX INFRASTRUCTURE TO TURN AROUND AND USE THE MCIP, WHICH BYPASSES DIRECT VOTER APPROVAL, WHICH COLONEL JUST ALLUDED TO FUND, UH, TO FUND A CONTROVERSIAL PROJECT.

NOT, NOT ONLY DEEPENS THE SENSE THAT OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT ISN'T LISTENING, BUT IT ALSO FUELS THE ARGUMENT THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CAN'T BE TRUSTED.

AND WE NEED THIS INFRASTRUCTURE REFERENDUM TO PASS.

WE NEED THE TRUST.

WE MUST HAVE THIS INFRASTRUCTURE.

UH, SO I, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IF WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET THIS INFRASTRUCTURE PASS OR THE, THE REFERENDUM PASS THAT WE NOT SUPPORT THIS MCIP.

NOW, I WANNA BE CLEAR, I DO NOT OPPOSE THE, THE UNIVERSITY.

I DON'T, MY, MY DAUGHTER, UH, UTILIZED THE DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM AND SHE LOVED IT.

I DO NOT OPPOSE THE GROWTH.

UH, AND, UH, AND I DON'T OPPOSE THE DREAM OF THE ARENA, BUT I AM TOTALLY OPPOSED TO RATING SCHOOL FUNDS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

IF THIS PROJECT IS WORTHY AND CAN STAND ON ITS OWN MERIT, LET IT BE FUNDED THROUGH PRIVATE INVESTED STATE APPROPRIATIONS OR THE THEIR OWN REFERENDUM, WHICH, UH, CITIZENS CAN DECIDE, UH, BUT DO NOT TAKE OUR CHILDREN'S CLASSROOMS, UH, TO BUILD HOTELS, GOLF COURSES, WHATEVER IS PLANNED TO GO ON THAT THING.

UM, IF, IF, IF WE CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD, UM, THERE, I THINK A COUPLE THINGS NEED TO HAPPEN.

FIRST, WE, UH, I, THE, THE FULL PROJECT NEEDS TO BE PUBLISHED, UM, AND TRANSPARENT, UM, UH, THE, THE MCIC AGREEMENT WHEN ALL THE PERCENTAGES AND DISTRIBUTIONS LANGUAGE AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, I THINK I REMEMBER SEEING IN THE POSTING COURIER THAT, UH, JASPER COUNTER WAS GOING TO BE ASKED TO SUPPORT 20%.

SO I'M, I'M NOT SURE IF, IF THAT HAS CHANGED.

UH, SO IF, IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN UH, I I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHERE ALL THESE PERCENTAGES LAY OUT.

I DON'T THINK IT'S UNREASONABLE TO EXPECT AN INDEPENDENT, INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL MODELING SHOWN THE IMPACT ON OUR SCHOOL'S, MUNICIPALITIES AND THE BOND OBLIGATIONS, WHICH EVERYBODY'S ALREADY ALLUDED TO ALREADY.

UH, AND I, I THINK WE NEED TO, UH, THE INSIST THAT THE PRE-EXISTING, IF THERE ARE ANY PRE-EXISTING, UH, FEE LOTS OUT THERE, THE PRIORITIES STAY OUT OF THE PARK OF THEIR INCLUSION BECAUSE IT COULD HARM SCHOOL FUNDING OR VIOLATE THE BOND ASSUMPTIONS.

UH, AND, UH, EVERYTHING ABOUT IT NEEDS TO BE TRANSPARENT.

UH, PUBLIC HEARINGS, I THINK, I DON'T THINK IT'S, UH, UNREALISTIC FOR THE, THE, UH, PUBLIC TO EXPECT PUBLIC HEARINGS ON ALL THIS STUFF.

IN SHORT, UH, THE UNDER-DISCUSSED CRITIQUE IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE ABOVE LOSS OF REVENUE, BUT HOW THE MCPS

[01:35:01]

DISTORT MARKETS LIMIT FLEXIBILITY, BURDEN INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, CONCENTRATE RISK, AND REDUCE COMMUNITY CHOICE FOR POTENTIALLY DECADES.

OUR CHILDREN MUST COME FIRST.

STRONG SCHOOLS ARE THE TRUST, ARE THE TRUEST FORM OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

IF WE SACRIFICE THEM FOR A SPECULATIVE ARENA, THEN WE MAY HAVE LOST SIGHT OF WHAT REALLY BUILDS A THRIVING COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

I'VE HEARD A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION AND I, I, I AGREE WITH MANY OF THE STATEMENTS THAT WERE MADE.

UH, PARTICULARLY WE, WE CAN'T DO THIS AT THE RISK OF HURTING OUR OWN, HURTING OUR OWN YOUTH.

UM, AND THESE NUMBERS ARE, ARE JUST NUMBERS RIGHT NOW, AND THEY HAVEN'T HAD A MORE STUDY DONE.

UM, WOULDN'T I, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE 47 MILLION.

DR.

PERU, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.

THE MONEY FROM THE STATE, IS THAT A PROMISE FROM OUR STATE LEGISLATORS, OR IS THAT MONEY SET ASIDE BECAUSE THEY, THAT'S MONEY, THAT'S MONEY ALREADY ACCUMULATED MADAM CHAIR.

AND SO, BECAUSE THEY'VE MADE SUCH A BIG DEAL ABOUT NO EARMARKS, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST YEAR, SO NO, THAT OVER, OVER THE, THE PAST FIVE, SIX YEARS OF GETTING TRANCHES THAT WE, WE HAVE THAT, THAT DOCUMENTATION, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES OF OTHER SOURCES OF MONEY TO MATCH THAT 47 MILLION BESIDES WHAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED, MR. SMITH.

WELL, YOU KNOW, UM, I'M LISTENING TO YOU, UH, EVERYONE IN THIS CONVERSATION AND TALK ABOUT BONDS AND TALK ABOUT THE STUDENTS.

I JUST HOPE THAT THESE, BOTH OF THESE BODIES IN TERMS OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THAT WE, SINCE WE'RE ALL ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THIS CONVERSATION, THAT WE'RE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN WATCHING WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH OUR YOUTH TODAY, AND THE EXPRESSING ON, WELL, REALLY ON BOTH SIDES OF TOWN IN TERMS OF WHERE OUR YOUTH HAVE OUR YOUTH HAVE TO GO AND HAVE SAFE HAVEN IN TERMS OF BEING KIDS.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GREAT CON, THIS IS A GOOD CONVERSATION.

BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO, UM, START ALSO, UH, MAKING SURE THAT IN TERMS OF EVEN THE ROAD AND REFERENDUM, THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS IN TERMS, IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT OUR YOUTH HAVE SAFE PLACES TO GO.

AND THAT WE ARE STRATEGICALLY ALSO LOOKING FOR PLACES, UH, THAT WILL WELCOME MY YOUTH SO THAT THEY CAN FIND THINGS TO DO.

BECAUSE SOMEONE, EXCUSE ME, MR. SMITH, YOU'RE GETTING OFF THE TOPIC OF, OF THE MCIP AND I THINK WE SHOULD STAY ON THE MCIP.

WELL, WELL, ACTUALLY I AM, I'M BEING IN TERMS OF, WE, WE, WE MENTIONED A REFERENDUM, UH, AND THEN, THEN DIFFERENT THINGS OF THE ROAD AND ALL THAT.

SO I'M JUST SAYING IN TERMS OF, AND WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE TODAY HAVE MENTIONED YOUTH.

SO IN THE TERMS OF OUR YOUTH, I'M JUST SAYING THAT I HOPE THAT WE ALL STAY DISENGAGED UPON WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE IN OUR COMMUNITY, THERE, THERE WAS SOME YOUTH, THERE WAS SOME PEOPLE KILLED LAST, JUST LAST NIGHT.

SO I'M SAYING THAT, THAT WE JUST DON'T BE ENGAGED TODAY UPON THIS PROJECT ABOUT THE YOUTH OR ABOUT OUR, OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR KIDS THAT WE STAY ENGAGED IN, THAT WE STAY WITH THE SAME PULSE AND THIS SAME ENERGY MOVING FORWARD FROM HERE ON OUT.

THAT'S WHAT I AM SAYING.

SO I, I JUST DON'T WANT TODAY TO BE, UH, ABOUT THE YOUTH TODAY AND THEN TOMORROW IT'S, IT IS ANOTHER TOUCHING ISSUE.

THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S MY POINT.

ALRIGHT, SIR.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

DO WE HAVE, IF WE HAVE NO, NOTHING ELSE TO BE SHARED.

I'M SORRY.

DID I SHARE SOMETHING? YES, SIR.

PASTOR GORDON.

YEAH.

AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, I'M REMINDED OF MY PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY, AND THAT'S TO PROVIDE THE BEST EDUCATION AND RESOURCES FOR OUR CHILDREN IN THIS DISTRICT.

AND EVERY DECISION THAT WE MAKE, UM, AS A SCHOOL BOARD SHOULD BE JUDGED ON THIS STANDARD.

DOES IT, DOES WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE TALKING ABOUT HERE, DOES IT DIRECTLY BENEFIT THE SCHOOL, THE KIDS IN THE CLASSROOM? UH, EVERY DIVERTED DOLLAR FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD IS A LOST DOLLAR FOR THE STUDENTS' NEEDS, SUCH AS TEXTBOOKS, TEACHER'S, SALARY AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, TECHNOLOGY, SAFE FACILITY FACILITIES.

I BELIEVE THAT IF THE SCHOOL BOARD AGREES TO THIS, TO FUNDING THIS ARENA, IT OPENS THE DOOR TO OTHER NON-EDUCATIONAL, UH, REQUEST.

IF THE SCHOOL BOARD FUNDS THIS PROJECT, IT'LL BE TAKING MONEY AWAY FROM THE DISTRICT'S CORE MISSION, WHICH IS AS EDUCATION.

AND I DO UNDERSTAND THE EXCITEMENT IN THIS BECAUSE I, WHEN I FIRST HEARD IT, I, I GOT EXCITED ABOUT IT.

AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S A VERY GOOD IDEA.

AND, UM, I JUST THINK THAT I GOTTA BE CLEAR ABOUT IT.

I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S THE SCHOOL BOARD'S MISSION, UM, TO DO THIS KIND OF FUNDING.

AND OUR TAX DOLLARS, OUR TAX PAYERS DOLLARS ARE MEANT TO PREPARE OUR STUDENTS FOR LIFE THROUGH EDUCATION AND OUR COMMUNITY LOOK FOR US TO HOLD THIS, THIS MISSION.

SO WE CANNOT AFFORD TO JUST OPEN THE DOOR.

MY THOUGHT TO NON-EDUCATIONAL FUNDING.

THANK

[01:40:01]

YOU.

THANK YOU, SIR.

I THINK WE'VE COVERED EVERYTHING.

AND BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT, LET'S CLOSE THIS OFF.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU.

THANKS EVERYBODY.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.

THANK OH, THANK YOU FOR COMING.

YEAH.

THANKS FOR BEING HERE.