[00:00:01]
KNOW, MAYBE YOU CAN KIND OF BRIEF THE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF KIND OF WHAT YOU SEE AS THE CURRENT ISSUES.AND, AND SOME OF YOUR INITIATIVES RELATED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND MAYBE WE DO, UM, WE COULD FOCUS ON ONE, WE COULD START WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO GO THROUGH THAT CHAPTER.
WE CERTAINLY, ALL OF US CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THAT DISCUSSION.
UM, AND THEN AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND I, I TRY, I TRY TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW PRETTY QUICK, BUT I THINK IT'LL BE HELPFUL TO GET A, UH, AN OVERVIEW.
JUST TO GIVE YOU A BACKGROUND, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COURT WAS OFFICIALLY FORMED IN 2016.
UH, I HAVE, UH, OUR SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER, KELLY BRUNSON WITH ME TODAY AS WELL.
SO, ALONG THE WAY, UH, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, BUFORD IS BLESSED ME AND US, UH, WITH GREAT TALENT.
KELLY'S THE LATEST EXAMPLE OF THAT OVER 20 YEARS, UH, WELL OVER MANY YEARS, REALLY SINCE, UH, UH, GOVERNOR SANFORD THROUGH, UH, UH, UH, GOVERNOR, UH, HALEY AND SO ON.
SOUTH CAROLINA HAS REALLY DISTINGUISHED ITSELF AS A GREAT STATE FOR GROWTH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND, UH, I WAS AT SOMETHING, UH, RECENTLY, UH, UH, WHERE, UH, ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES FROM, UH, DORCHESTER SAID THAT THE PAIN OF GROWING HURTS, BUT THE PAIN OF DYING HURTS EVEN MORE.
AND SO, UH, UH, GROWTH, GROWTH HAS ITS PAIN, UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UH, BEING ACCEPTING THE ASSIGNMENT HE DID ON THIS COMMITTEE.
SO WE, OVER EIGHT YEARS, WE'VE DONE 102 PROJECTS.
AND TO DATE, WE HAVEN'T BEEN OPPOSED, UH, ON ONE OF THOSE BY AN ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP, OR, UH, NOT IN MY BACKYARD GROUP.
AND I THINK THERE'S A WAY WE APPROACH OUR WORK THAT HAS KEPT US IN GOOD STEAD.
UH, UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, UH, UH, WE'VE KIND OF ENVISIONED A, UM, A BALANCE WHEEL, IF YOU WILL, FOR, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND, UH, THE KEY COMPONENTS ARE THE ENVIRONMENT.
NUMBER ONE IS A, UH, A SPOKE, UH, UH, UH, EDUCATION AND IMPORTANT SPOKE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TRANSPORTATION SKILL DEVELOPMENT, UH, UH, TRANSPORTATION AND WORKFORCE HOUSING.
AND, UH, I, AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPER, I HOPE WE, UH, GIVE GREAT FOCUS TO, UH, UH, WORKFORCE HOUSING.
AND ANY KIND OF UPDATE YOU DO.
UH, A LITTLE KNOCK I HAVE IS, IS THAT IF IT COMES TO HELPING A, A, A LOGGERHEAD TURTLE, THIS COUNTY DOES REMARKABLE THINGS IF IT COMES TO SAVING THE LIFE OF A PIN OAK.
UH, THIS COUNTY DOES REMARKABLE THINGS IN TERMS OF POLICY.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE, WE HAVE TO DO JUST AS MUCH, UH, IN THE WAY OF REMARKABLE THINGS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S MY LITTLE PREACH ON WORKFORCE HOUSING.
ON, ON FEBRUARY, UH, 18TH, UH, WE HAVE, UH, WE DO THIS THING CALLED CONVERGE, UH, WHERE WE, WE BASICALLY BRING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT THING, UH, THINGS AND ISSUES.
AND WORKFORCE IS GONNA BE OUR FOCUS.
SO IF YOU'RE ABLE TO ATTEND THAT, WE TEND TO GET A LOT OF LEADERS, UH, ACROSS ALL OF THE MUNICIPALITIES IN THE COUNTY.
AND SO, UM, UH, JUST A AN INTERESTING STORY.
WE HAD A, AN INVESTOR COME UP AND, UH, INVEST IN A, UH, AN 80,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING OR COME DOWN FROM CHARLESTON.
IT REMINDS ME OF CHARLESTON 30 YEARS AGO,
AND, AND, UH, I SAY, WELL, THAT'S KIND OF FLATTERING, RIGHT? CHARLESTON'S KNOWN WELL, UH, AROUND THE WORLD, AND, UH, IS HIGHLY RESPECTED, BUT IT'S ALSO A CAUTIONARY TALE.
AND AS PEOPLE WHO ARE ON, ON, ON PLANNING, UH, UH, YOU WANT TO BE REALLY COGNIZANT OF, OF SORT OF THE, HOW GROWTH OUTPACES THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN CHARLESTON.
AND TODAY, IF YOU GET TO WEST ASHLEY AT THE WRONG TIME, IT COULD TAKE YOU AN HOUR AND A HALF TO GET TO MOUNT PLEASANT.
SO, UH, WE, I, I BELIEVE THAT'S WHY WE HAVE DONE OVER A HUNDRED PROJECTS WITHOUT, UH, ANTAGONIZING OUR RESIDENTS, UH, IS BECAUSE, OR QUICKLY ON, WE SAID, INSTEAD OF HUNTING FOR ELEPHANTS, I THINK PREVIOUS GROUPS IN BEAUFORD COUNTY, WERE LOOKING FOR THE NEXT BOEING, THE NEXT BMW.
UH, WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF PLUGIN PROJECTS AND WIPED THE COUNTY FORM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO DIVERSIFY THE ECONOMY AND HOPEFULLY LET RESIDENTS GET OUT OF THE CYCLE, UH, OUT OF THE CYCLE OF POVERTY.
AND SO, UH, UH, BY HUNTING FOR RABBIT AND DEER INSTEAD OF ELEPHANTS, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UH, UH, UH, KELLY JUST GRAFT IT.
BUT IN, UH, 2021 KELLY, MM-HMM
UH, THE AVERAGE WAGE, UH, OF JOB WE WERE RECRUITING WAS, UH, 48,000 IN THE, IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, WE'RE AT 68,000.
SO WE'RE SEEING A BUMP UP IN THE AVERAGE, UH, WAGE.
UH, AND SO IF YOU PUT THAT INTO A HOUSEHOLD, YOU'VE HAD
[00:05:01]
TWO WAGE EARNERS, PEOPLE COULD LIVE, UH, UH, WELL IN BEAUFORT.UM, UH, THINGS TO REMEMBER THOUGH, AND I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE FLYOVER ON PROJECTS WE'RE WORKING ON, SO HOPEFULLY IT'LL INFORM YOUR POLICY.
UH, BUT, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IS PART OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, SKILLS DEVELOPMENT.
SO WHEN YOU THINK OF, UH, UH, THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AT THE K THROUGH 12 PROGRAM, TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF THE LOW COUNTRY, AND USCB, YOU, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT AS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
AND, AND I SHOULD, I'LL WIND IT BACK, AND THIS IS WHERE KELLY REMINDS ME.
I MEANDER A LITTLE AS A SPEAKER.
BUT, UH, WHILE ALL, ALL SPOKES ON YOUR BIKE ARE IMPORTANT, UH, WE BELIEVE THAT THERE'S ONE SPOKE ON, ON THAT BALANCE WHEEL I DESCRIBED.
IF SOMEBODY COMES TO A PROJECT THAT'S GONNA, UH, UPSET, UH, OR, YOU KNOW, A, A $2.5 BILLION HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY, OR WHAT RESIDENTS LOVE ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITY, WE, WE REFER THEM TO A COUNTY WHERE THEY WOULD BE BETTER SUITED THAN BEAUFORT.
UH, AND, UH, I, I THINK, UH, IF, IF I COULD, IS HONORING THE ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNICATING, REALLY COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC, UM, UH, UH, UH, THAT IS, UH, IT KIND OF CREATES A COMMON LEXICON AS YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE BATTLES.
AND, UH, I STAYED UP, UH, IN THE LAST, UH, TWO AND A HALF MONTHS TILL LIKE TWO IN THE MORNING WATCHING, WATCHING A MEETING FROM ON MY NIGHTSTAND.
AND MY WIFE GOES, IS THAT A LIVE MEETING? AND, UH, IT WAS A LIVE MEETING.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GET OUTTA STEP WITH WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS LOOKING FOR, IT'S PAINFUL.
AND WE JOKE THAT WE WANT LIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UH, SO I'LL GIVE YOU A QUICK FLYOVER JUST TO GIVE YOU A, A, AN IDEA OF PROJECTS WE WORKED ON UP IN GARDENS CORNER.
I'M GONNA START UP IN GARDENS CORNER.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, UH, A LITTLE AEROSPACE DEFENSE, UH, BUSINESS THAT'S GONNA, UH, POP OUT OF THAT, UH, UH, BUILDING THERE, UH, 1212, UH, SOMETHING TRUST PARKWAY.
BUT RIGHT AT THE END, BEFORE YOU GET TO, UH, 17, AND THAT, THAT LITTLE PROJECT, 15,000, WHEN THEY WERE LOOKING TO COME INTO TOWN, WE HAD A MEET, UH, UH, PREEMPTIVELY WITH, UH, HILLARY AUSTIN TO SEE IF THEIR FUTURE PLANS COULD BE ACCOMMODATED AT THAT SITE.
SO THAT'S THE KIND OF, UH, WHERE PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CAN MEET THE, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, PROJECT WILL CREATE ABOUT 35 JOBS, AVERAGE COMP 125,000, FLYING DOWN, UH, UH, COMING DOWN THE, UH, TRUST PARKWAY IN LIKO.
UH, WHAT WE, UH, WE HAVE PURCHASED 117 ACRES ACROSS FROM THE CHEMICAL PLANT.
AND WE'RE GOING TO, WE ENTERED A, A VOLUNTARY CLEANUP CONTRACT WITH DEC, AND WE'RE GONNA, UH, MONITOR THE SITE CLEANUP, UH, A CERTAIN PARTS OF THE SITE.
OUR DREAM IS TO HAVE A MEAT PROCESSING PLANT THERE.
UH, WHETHER OR THAT'S OUR CONCEPT, MAYBE NOT OUR DREAM, BUT OUR CONCEPT WOULD TO BE, WOULD TO, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH, UH, A COUNCILMAN DAWSON, TRY TO HAVE SOME JOB CREATION BACK UP IN THE LEKO AREA AS IT ONCE WAS.
AND SO WE SEE MAYBE A MEAT PROCESSING OPERATION AND A FISHERY, AND THAT'S MODELED AFTER A FISHERY, UH, THAT WE WITNESSED IN THE NETHERLANDS.
UH, SO IT WOULD BE, UH, THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR, 200,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY PUMPS OUT 8,500 METRIC TONS OF, UH, OF, UH, SUSHI GRAY, YELLOW FIN TUNA INDOOR OPERATION.
'CAUSE THE, UH, F 35 PILOTS DON'T WANT BIRDS HITTING ON, UH, EXPOSED TUNA.
UH, SO IT WOULD BE AN INDOOR OPERATION.
WE'RE TRYING TO LEARN FROM, UH, UH, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAR, NORTH CAROLINA AT WILMINGTON ON, UH, REC, UH, UH, RECIRCULATED, UH, AQUATIC SYSTEMS. AND, AND LOOKING AT THAT COMING DOWN, UH, INTO BUFORD, WE, WE JUST HAD A MEETING WITH THE CITY OF BUFORD, UH, CONTINUING TO BUILD OUT A LITTLE BIT OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE PARK.
WE HAVE LIKE A, A CERAMICS COMPANY, UH, OUT OF NEW YORK, UH, LOOKING AT A, UH, A PARCEL THERE.
WE HAVE A, UH, A, A A BOAT BUILDER OF SORTS, LOOKING AT ANOTHER LOT IN THE, UH, PARK.
AND WE HAVE A, A COMMERCIAL LAUNDRY SERVICE MAKING A $35 MILLION INVESTMENT IN THAT PARK TODAY.
I'LL TRY TO MOVE QUICKLY, 'CAUSE MAYBE I'M BORING YOU, BUT, UH, OUT, UH, OUT ON ST.
HELENA, A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT THAT, UH, UH, THE COUNCIL HAD ASKED US TO LOOK INTO.
AND SOON WE'LL BE PRESENTING THAT TO COUNCIL, THAT THE COUNCILMAN GLOVER'S, UH, UH, IDEA, UH, IS
[00:10:01]
TO HAVE A CULTURAL CENTER THERE.UH, WE KIND OF ENVISION IT BEING, UH, WRAPPED BY AN ENTREPRENEURIAL MARKET, UH, THAT WOULD FEATURE GULLAH GEECHEE PRODUCTS.
UH, SO, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL ROLL THAT FORWARD AND SEE IF IT HAS LEGS, BUT WE'VE DONE ALL OF, ALL OF THE RECONNAISSANCE AND RESEARCH THAT WE CAN COMING INTO PORT ROYAL, COMING BACK THIS WAY.
HOPEFULLY, I'M NOT SKIPPING ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON, BUT YOU CAN ASK THEM.
UH, YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK AT PORT ROYAL COOL COASTAL, AND FAR FROM ORDINARY, UH, THEY, UH, THEY WANT TO, UH, UH, REALLY FOCUS ON RETAIL.
SO WE'RE WORKING ON, UH, UH, WITH THEM WITH A GROUP CALLED RETAIL STRATEGIES TO LOOK AT THEIR BUSINESS MIX AND KIND OF, UH, UH, BRING TO LIFE, UH, THAT AREA ON REBO ROAD AND DOWN PARIS AVENUE.
UH, THINGS TO WATCH IN, UH, UH, THROUGHOUT BEAUFORT, PORT ROYAL, UH, THERE WAS A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ON THREE SITES FOR A VETERANS CLINIC SOMEWHERE TO BE, UH, IN TWO OF THE LOCATIONS WHERE CITY OF BUFORD AND ONE IN PORT ROYAL, THAT COULD BE THE FIRST DOMINO.
SO, AS PLANNERS, KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE'LL BE POSSIBILITIES FOR THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL AT SOME POINT TO LOOK AT REDEVELOPMENT OF THE, UH, UH, NAVAL HOSPITAL SITE, UH, COMING INTO, UH, BLUFFTON.
UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, KIND OF WHAT WE SEE, UH, AND WE KEEP OFFICES IN BOTH BEAU CITY OF BEAUFORT AND BLUFFTON, BUT WITHIN ABOUT, I WOULD SAY A QUARTER MILE OF WHERE OUR OFFICE SITS ON BUCK WALTER, THERE'S, UH, $450 MILLION BEING INVESTED IN HEALTHCARE.
SO, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING TO LOOK AT.
UH, WE, UH, WE WERE WORKING WITH A COMPANY THAT WANTED TO HAVE A HEADQUARTERS, UH, UH, UH, IN BLUFFTON, UH, SMALL COMPANY.
AGAIN, RABBIT AND DEER IS WHAT WE HUNT FOR.
SO, SMALL COMPANY, BUT, UH, THE TARIFFS MADE THEM JUST PULL THE PLUG ON THE PROJECT AND MAYBE GO OUT OF BUSINESS.
SO, UH, TARIFFS, UH, UH, ARE, ARE AFFECTING OUR ECONOMY.
UH, WE HAD A LITTLE GERMAN COMPANY, UH, KELLY, YOU'LL REFRESH ME, BUT ABOUT 30 JOBS.
UH, IF YOU REVERSE THE NUMBERS, I'M RIGHT.
UH, BUT, OKAY, SO 13 JOBS AVERAGING $68,000 A YEAR.
UH, SHE MIGHT JUST BE YESSING ME.
DID YOU SEE HER BODY LANGUAGE? I GUESS I DIDN'T SEE IT.
SO, UM, BUT, UH, YEAH, SO THAT'S THE KIND OF LITTLE PROJECT THAT WE CAN ATTRACT, AND THAT'S A, A GERMAN COMPANY.
AND WE THINK YOU GET 'EM IN, WE COULD GROW THEM, BUT THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE, IT'S NOT GONNA BE LIKE, UH, IBM'S HEADQUARTERS OR, UH, COCA-COLA'S HEADQUARTERS IN ATLANTA.
SMALL STUFF IS WHAT WE'RE TARGETING.
THEN WE'LL FLY OUT TO HILTON HEAD PROJECTS.
WE'RE WORKING ON, UH, SOME HEALTHCARE PROJECTS, UH, LOCATING THEM ON SOME SITES.
THE MAYOR OUT THERE HAS US REALLY FOCUSING ON REDEVELOPMENT OF SITES THAT ARE UNDERUTILIZED.
UH, PROBABLY OUR LARGEST PROJECT OUT THERE WILL BE A, UH, UH, ABOUT 99,000 SQUARE FEET OF HANGAR SPACE ON THE, UH, UH, UH, UH, UH, PRIVATE AVIATION SIDE OF THE AIRPORT WITH A 5,000 SQUARE FOOT.
UH, UH, THEY CALL IT A FIXED BASE OPERATION FOR PILOTS TO CHECK IN.
UH, BUT THAT'LL BE ABOUT A, UH, USING 20, UH, 23 NUMBERS, ABOUT A $24 MILLION INVESTMENT, CREATE 50 JOBS AVERAGING, UH, $81,000 A YEAR.
SO, UH, THESE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS WE'RE WORKING ON.
I HOPE, UH, YOU KNOW, MY DESCRIPTION OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, UH, UH, HELPS YOU.
BUT I, I DO THINK IF, IF I WAS TO INFORM GOOD POLICY, AND IF, IF YOU CAN SPURRED ON, AGAIN, MAKING SURE WE HONOR THE ENVIRONMENT, MAKE SURE WHAT WE EMBRACE IS SCALABLE TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE WE HAVE, UH, AND REALLY MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ENGINE OF OUR ECONOMY ARE WORKERS, AND IF WORKERS CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE, CAN OPT TO LIVE IN POOL AND WORK AT A HYUNDAI HYUNDAI PLANT WHEN THE, WHEN THE REALITIES PUSH THE ENGINE OUT OF OUR, OUT OF OUR REGION, UH, YOU DON'T WANT TO LOOK BACK AND SAY, I, I COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING POLICY WIDE, UH, TO CREATE, UH, HOUSING.
AND, AND, AND MAYBE THIS RESONATES WITH YOU, IT DOES WITH ME.
BUT YOU KNOW, THAT EXPRESSION WHATSOEVER, YOU DO FOR THE LEAST OF YOUR BROTHERS, AS YOU DO ON ME.
UH, I DO THINK HOUSING WOULD BE A GREAT WAY FOR POLICY TO RESPOND TO THAT KIND OF CALL TO ORDER.
BUT, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
[00:15:01]
JOHN, I HAD ONE QUESTION.IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU WERE, UH, TOUCHING ON ALL THE CORE VALUES THAT WE LIST IN THEIR COMP PLAN UNDER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THE, THE ONE THAT I STILL WAS CURIOUS ABOUT, AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT IN SEVERAL OF OUR CASES THAT HAVE COME BEFORE, UH, THIS COMMISSION IS THE REGIONAL COOPERATION OUTSIDE OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WHEN WE SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING, FOR EXAMPLE, IN JASPER AND THE CONTRASTS, UM, WITH WHAT'S GOING ON THERE VERSUS THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IN, IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
CAN YOU TOUCH ON THAT A LITTLE BIT? YES.
THE, WE WORK, UH, IN PARTICULAR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, OBVIOUSLY WITH, UH, UH, WE INTERFACE WITH THE, UH, LOW COG AND THEN THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BOARD MEMBERS AND I BELIEVE, UH, ALICE HOWARD IS GONNA APPOINT HERSELF, UH, TO, UH, TO THE, UH, SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCES, UH, EXECUTIVE.
SO I THINK IN TERMS OF GIVING IT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF PRIORITY WITH OUR CHAIRPERSON BEING ON THERE, UH, THAT, UH, WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED IN EIGHT YEARS CAN BE IMPROVED UPON, UH, GOING FORWARD, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A CHANGE AT THE TOP, WHICH WILL GIVE A, A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, UH, KIND OF, KIND OF, UH, UH, CONTINUE TO IMPROVE ON WHAT WE HAVE TODAY WITH THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA LINES.
BUT IT IS THE SOUTH CAROLINA MODEL FOR DELIVERY.
'CAUSE THEY KNOW AT DIFFERENT TIMES PEOPLE SAY, OH, WELL, WE SHOULDN'T BELONG TO THAT, OR, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD DO OUR OWN THING.
THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA, UH, APPROACH TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS, A A A A NATIONAL LEADER BEST PRACTICE.
SO WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, WITH THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE DOWN TO THE LOCAL LEVEL, IT'S, IT IS A GREAT MODEL.
UH, YOU KNOW, AS ALL, ALL HUMAN INTERACTIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, REQUIRE A LOT OF COMMUNICATION.
UH, AND, UH, I THINK WITH ALICE HOWARD THERE AND OUR BOARD AND OUR BOARD MEMBERS, UH, IT CONTINUES TO GET BETTER AND BETTER.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES.
KELLY WILL CRITICIZE ME FOR LONG ANSWERS TOO, WHICH IS ACCURATE.
I JUST GOT ONE QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU.
MOST OF THE PROJECTS THAT YOU'VE DESCRIBED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY ARE LIKE COMMERCIAL TYPES, ENTERPRISES THAT MIGHT, WOULD GO INTO PLACE.
AND I'M THINKING YOU WERE THINKING THAT BY DOING THAT, THAT WOULD CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
BUT YOU DIDN'T TALK ABOUT ANY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY THAT WAS GOING ON? UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS? YEAH.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE HELPED DIFFERENT PEOPLE LOOKING TO DO IT.
FOR INSTANCE, LIKE HILTON HITS NORTH POINT, UH, WE HAVE, UH, WE PROVIDED THEIR BANKER, UH, AND, AND KELLY ACTUALLY DID ALL THIS, UH, UH, BUT SHE WAS ABLE TO, UH, CONTACT HER CONTACTS AT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND GET REAL, UH, GREAT DATA TO SUPPORT THE BANK'S COMFORT WITH THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT THAT'S BEEN LINGERING SINCE 21.
SO IT'S BEEN OUT THERE A WHILE.
UH, WE HAVE DONE A LOT, AND I THINK IT CAME UP IN CONVERSATIONS AS RECENTLY AS YESTERDAY.
WE'VE DONE A LOT WITH FEE LIEU OF TAX AGREEMENTS ON INDUSTRY, NOT JUST COMMERCIAL, BUT FEE LUU OF TAX AGREEMENTS FOR, UH, INDUSTRY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UH, AND ALSO, UH, UH, SPECIAL SOURCE REVENUE CREDITS.
ANOTHER WAY OF MANIPULATING TAXES LOWER TO MOVE DEALS FORWARD.
AND WE'VE, UH, MADE OUR COUNCIL AND, AND OUR EXPERTISE, UH, MADE THAT AVAILABLE TO CLAUDE AND HIS STAFF, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO IT.
'CAUSE WE, THE PROBLEM WITH, UH, OF, UH, WORKFORCE HOUSING, AND I SHOULDN'T SPEAK TOO MUCH, BUT INVESTORS, THINGS HAVE TO PENCIL OUT, AND IF THEY DON'T PENCIL OUT, YOU'RE AT A NO START POSITION THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA BREAK GROUND.
SO, WE'RE KIND OF HOPEFUL WHAT WE'VE LEARNED WORKING WITH INDUSTRY, NOT NOT JUST COMMERCIAL, BUT WORKING WITH INDUSTRY AND BRING TAX RATE DOWN FROM, UH, A, A 10 TO, UH, 6%.
UH, SIMILARLY, IF IT'S NOT YOUR PRIMARY RESIDENCE, YOU'RE TAXED AT A HIGHER RATE.
SO THERE MIGHT BE WAYS THAT WE CAN USE WHAT WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT TAX CODE TO HELP THESE PROJECTS.
SO, BUT WE REALLY LEAVE THE WORKFORCE HOUSING TO EXPERTS.
BUT ANYTIME I GET A CHANCE TO SPEAK, AND, AND WE DID IT AS RECENTLY AS SEPTEMBER 30TH TO A CROWD OF ABOUT 200, UH, TO REMIND PEOPLE IT'S GONNA HAVE, IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME POLITICAL WILL, BUT WORKFORCE HOUSING REALLY HAS TO BE A FOCUS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO
[00:20:01]
BE SUCCESSFUL OR FOR OUR COMMUNITIES TO BE HEALTHY.I, I HAVE JUST A, WHAT I'M KNOWN FOR IS STUPID QUESTIONS.
NO,
WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE RABBIT OF DEER.
AND THE THING THAT I'VE HEARD OF MOST THROUGHOUT, PARTICULARLY THIS PART, MAYBE NORTHERN BEFORD COUNTY, NOT SO MUCH SOUTHERN BE COUNTY, IS THERE IS NOTHING AROUND HERE, OTHER GO TO THE BEACH AND GO TO EAT.
WHAT DO YOU DO AS FAR AS PROMOTING YOUR FOLKS TO BRING SOME OF THE SIMPLER THINGS, LIKE PEOPLE HAVE A NEED FOR MOVIE THEATERS.
THERE'S BEEN TALK ABOUT WATER PARKS.
WE LOST THE ONE BOWLING ALLEY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAD.
BUT THINGS OF THAT NATURE, AND I'M NOT REALLY THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX, BUT IS THAT GONNA BE WITHIN YOUR WHEELHOUSE TO TRY AND RECRUIT EVEN SOME OF THOSE MICE? MAYBE INSTEAD OF MY, MY BOARD WOULD WAMP ON ME IF I GO TO THAT, YOU KNOW, I GET PEOPLE, OH, WHERE'S THE TRAINER? JOE'S, WHERE'S THE COSTCO? WHERE, YOU KNOW, NO, THEY, OUR OUR JOB IS TO DIVERSIFY THE ECONOMY.
I'M, I'M COMFORTABLE WHEN YOU SEE THAT THE HOUSING THAT IS BEING DEVELOPED AROUND HERE.
NOW, UH, UH, I KNOW SOMEBODY WHO LIVES AT MARGARET 4,000, AND IT'S LIKE, NOT FULL, IT'S NOT REALLY POPULATED RIGHT NOW, BUT, UH, HOPEFULLY WITH THOSE BEDS YOU WOULD SEE, UH, SOME OF THOSE THINGS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, OUT ON THE SAME HENA WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING A PROJECT, WE'RE LOOKING AT A, A 10 ACRE PIECE OF LAND TO GET AN OPTION ON IT.
AND WE'VE GOT, LIKE, FOOD LION, LIKE, MAYBE I SHOULDN'T SAY THAT, BUT, UH, WE HAVE A GROCERY STORE.
UH, UH, WORSE HAS BEEN SAID ON VIDEO, BUT, UM, UH, UH, WE HAVE A GROCERY STORE THAT IF WE LEAVE THAT SITE, A GROCERY STORE IS GONNA TAKE THAT SITE.
UH, BUT OUR, OUR BOARD REALLY WANTS US TO FOCUS ON DIVERSIFYING THE ECONOMY.
AND, AND, UH, WE EVEN JUST HAVING LEFT THE CITY OF BUFORT, THE MAYOR, AND, UH, UH, THE ADMINISTRATOR, LIKE, WE NEED HIGH PAYING JOBS.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THOSE SERVICES WILL FOLLOW THE BEDS.
WELL, AND, AND I AGREE WITH YOU AND, AND THANK FOR THAT EXPLANATION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A TALK ABOUT DRAWING SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT HAVE LIVED HERE IN ME LIFE, SOME OF THESE YOUNG KIDS OR GO TO HIGH SCHOOL, GO TO COLLEGE, AND THEY NEVER COME BACK.
'CAUSE THERE AREN'T OPPORTUNITIES THERE FOR THEM, OR THERE WASN'T OPPORTUNITIES HERE FOR THEM, AND THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANY OPPORTUNITIES HERE FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
YOU GOTTA START OUT SMALL WITH SOME OF THESE THINGS.
BUT I, I DO UNDERSTAND WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IN THE DIVERSITY OF, OF TRYING TO CREATE JOBS THAT SOMETIMES MAYBE EVEN THE SMALLEST JOBS MIGHT HELP AND GROW AND EXPAND UPON THAT.
BUT YEAH, IF, IF I COULD ADD TO THAT, UH, WE HAVE, UH, CREATED SOMETHING WITH THE CITY OF BUFORD AND THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE, UH, CALLED THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA LANDING PAD.
IT'S ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF, UH, UH, 500 CARTER RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE CHOCOLATE TREE.
UH, AND, UM, WE HAVE TWO, UM, UH, ENGINEERS THERE THAT WENT THROUGH THE BEAUFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THEIR AEROSPACE ENGINEERS WORKING FOR A CALIFORNIA AEROSPACE COMPANY, WE'RE, WE'RE COVERED UNDER A NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT.
BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE BEAUFORT YOUNG MEN WHO, UH, WERE WORKING AT, UH, UH, BOEING, AND, UH, THEY GOT HIRED BY THIS CALIFORNIA COMPANY, COULD WORK REMOTELY.
WE ALSO HAVE IN OUR BLUFFTON LANDING PAD, WE'LL HAVE THE SALES ORGANIZATION FOR THAT CALIFORNIA AEROSPACE COMPANY WORKING OUT AT THE LANDING PAD THERE.
AND SO, UH, WE'RE KIND OF HOPEFUL THAT, AGAIN, BY STARTING SMALL, WE'LL, SOMEDAY THAT COMPANY WILL WAKE UP AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT 14 EMPLOYEES ALREADY IN BEAUFORT.
WHY DON'T WE HAVE A HEADQUARTERS THERE? YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE KIND OF WORKING AT SMALL, WE THINK IT'LL BEAR FRUIT.
I I'VE BEEN TO, UH, SEVERAL OF YOUR CONVERGE SESSIONS.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING TO THE NEXT ONE.
UM, I THINK THE OPPORTUNITIES YOU PRESENT ARE, ARE WONDERFUL, AND I, I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THEM.
UH, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO POLICYMAKERS GETS IN THE WAY OF YOU BEING ABLE TO BRING THIS DIVERSIFICATION GOAL BILL TO FRUITION? WHAT ARE THE, ARE WE EASY TO DO BUSINESS WITH? DO WE, ARE THERE ORDINANCES THAT DEFY OPPORTUNITY? UH, I'D BE INTERESTED, I'D BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT GET IN THE WAY YOU SAY, TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT IT, OR MAYBE COME AT IT A DIFFERENT WAY.
I WAS JUST TELLING CLUB MY FATHER LIVED TO 94.
WAIT AND SEE ME PUT MY FOOT IN MY MOUTH.
UH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, ED
UM, BUT, UH, NO, I, I, I WOULD SAY, I WOULD SAY
[00:25:01]
YES, IT DOES GET COMPLICATED AT TIMES.UH, SOMETIMES THE DEALS ARE COMPLICATED.
THIS AEROSPACE PROJECT WE'RE WORKING ON, OR, OR HANGAR SPACE AND FBO ON HILTON HEAD, WE'VE BEEN WORKING IT FOR EIGHT YEARS.
IT WAS GIVEN TO US ON OCTOBER 21ST IN 2017, THE PROJECT.
AND SOME OF IT INVOLVED, UH, FAA, SOME OF IT, UH, INVOLVED, UH, THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.
UH, AND YEAH, THERE, THERE ARE TIMES WITH JUST THE NATURE OF PEOPLE, LIKE NOT HAVING EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS REALLY VALUABLE TO HAVE EVERYONE IN THE ROOM.
BUT I, I WILL TELL YOU, UH, BACK TO THIS COMPANY, TL AND CO THAT EVENTUALLY BOUGHT THE BUILDING UP, UP IN GUARD'S CORNER, UH, UH, HANK EDMONDSON AND, AND HILLARY AUSTIN SAT DOWN WITH THE COMPANY.
UH, THEY WERE ABLE TO TALK TO, UH, UH, UH, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
UH, THERE'S ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WE'RE WORKING ON CURRENTLY.
IT'S A LITTLE, LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLEX.
I WON'T, I WON'T GIVE THE ADDRESS OF IT, BUT, UH, I, I MAY, I MAY GIVE, UH, YOU, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO FIGURE IT OUT, BUT I HAVE TO SAY, IT NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED BY THE REGIONAL PLANNING ORGANIZATION.
IT NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED BY THE, UH, UH, PLANNING OFFICE.
AND I, I, THE THING WE TRY TO LIVE BY WHEN WE WORK WITH THE COMPANY IS, UH, UH, UH, SWIFT, SIMPLE, SWIFT, AND CERTAIN IS WHAT I THINK WE COULD PROVIDE PEOPLE WHEN THEY COME TO BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND THAT COULD BE A, A, A QUICK NOTE, BUT I THINK TO, TO BRING THEM THROUGH A COMPLICATED PROCESS, UH, WHERE I WAS IN A MEETING AND I WAS TOLD, YOU KNOW, THEIR LAWYER WILL FIGURE THAT OUT.
YOU SHOULDN'T NEED A LAWYER TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROCESS IS.
SO THAT WOULD BE A, A CURRENT EXAMPLE OF WHERE I THINK WE COULD MAKE IT EASIER.
THERE, THERE WAS A CASE, UH, I, I THINK BACK IN THE DAY, UM, THE FORMER ADMINISTRATOR WAS IN CHARGE OF PLANNING AT THE TIME, AND, AND IT WAS A COMPANY, UH, A GENTLEMAN CAME DOWN FROM ATLANTA AND WANTED TO DO A JELLY BALL OPERATION AT, AT THE LACO PLANT.
I KNOW THIS SOUNDS LIKE A, A NETFLIX, UH, ORIGINAL, BUT NO.
SO HE, AND, AND HE KNEW THE MAYOR OF, UH, BLUFF AT THE TIME AND SAID, OH, MEET WITH JOHN AND THE PLANNER, AND THEY'LL HELP YOU.
AND THE PLANNER AT THE TIME, FORMER ADMINISTRATOR.
AND I TOLD HIM, YOU'RE DEAD ON ARRIVAL.
YOU KNOW, AND SO THE GUY DROPPED HIM BACK TO ATLANTA, AND HE CALLS HIS MAYOR A FRIEND IN BOSTON AND SAYS, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE BUSINESS ATTRACTION UNIT.
WHY DID THEY TELL ME TO DO IT ANYWHERE BUT HERE? AND THE REASON WE TELL HIM, GIVE IT TO HIM, FRANK, LIKE THAT, IS 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT HIM TO WASTE HIS TIME.
YOU KNOW, YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY WITH LAWYERS AND ENGINEERS JUST WHEN HE, YOU CAN, YOU CAN TELL HIM THE ANSWER IS NO TODAY.
SO, UH, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON ONE PROJECT WHERE I, I THINK THE, UH, PATH BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, IT, IT INVOLVES, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, ARE THEY GONNA INCORPORATE INTO THE CITY? ARE THEY GONNA BE REVIEWED BY THE, THE COUNTY? AND THEN, UH, JUST LIKE PROCEDURALLY, SOME OF THOSE THINGS SHOULD BE SPELLED OUT, YOU KNOW, ON THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT.
THE QUICKER YOU CAN GET SOMEBODY TO DO A YES OR A NO, YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU STILL HAVE TO VET IT.
I'M NOT SAYING YOU HAVE TO PROVE EVERYTHING THAT COMES IN, BUT SIMPLE, SWIFT IS CERTAIN WOULD BE, I WOULD THINK, A GOOD MANTRA TO HAVE WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO, UH, CREATE PLANNING, PLANNING PROCESSES.
IS THAT HELPFUL OR? WELL, I, I WAS LOOKING FOR MORE SPECIFICITY IN TERMS OF, UH, I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY TO SIT AT A TABLE, SAY, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WOULD HELP IF YOU WOULDN'T DO THEM, OR WE DO 'EM IN A DIFFERENT WAY, BUT SOMETIMES WE GET IN OUR OWN WAY OF MAKING THINGS HAPPEN EFFICIENTLY, EFFECTIVELY.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE, WE ARE NOT REALLY ENCOUNTERING IT.
IT'S, IT'S, YOU WANT TO GIVE YOU, IT'S PROBABLY MORE OF A HOUSING PROJECT WITH A SLIGHT, UH, INDUSTRIAL PIECE BAKED INTO IT.
BUT, UH, AGAIN, UH, WE, WE'VE FOUND THE WEDNESDAY REVIEW MEETINGS, WHEN WE HAVE A PROJECT, IF PEOPLE GET THEIR INFORMATION, WE HAD A, A GENTLEMAN, UH, OVER IN BLUFFTON, HE WANTED TO BUY A PIECE OF LAND ON BLUFFTON ROAD RECENTLY.
WE SAID, BEFORE YOU BUY IT, GO RUN IT BY THE, UH, COUNTY.
SO IT'S LIKE A, A, A COUNTY SITE ON BLUFFTON ROAD.
AND, UH, HE CAME OVER AND, AND HILLARY, 'CAUSE I, I SAW HIM THIS
[00:30:01]
WEEK.I SAID, HOW'D IT GO? HE GOES, HILLARY GAVE ME A VERY CLEAR ANSWER.
SO HE, HE, HE GOT A CLEAR ANSWER, AND HE'S GONNA LIVE WITH THAT.
SO I, I, I DON'T THINK OUR PROJECTS HAVE HAD ANY, ANY ISSUES WITH THE PLANNING OFFICE.
UH, IT, IT, THIS ONE THAT INVOLVES RESIDENTIAL.
BUT I'VE WATCHED A LOT OF THESE, UH, YOU KNOW, UP ZONING KIND OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, ARE GETTING A LOT OF SCRUTINY AND, UH, UH, A LOT OF CONCERN FOR UP ZONE.
SO I HAVE ONE FURTHER, UH, COMMENT TO OFFER.
UM, BUILDING ON DENNIS'S COMMENT ABOUT KEEPING, YOU KNOW, BUILDING THE LOCAL ECONOMY AND A LOT OF THE COMMERCIAL BUSINESS, BIG BUSINESSES, THEY NEED SUPPLIERS.
THEY NEED SMALLER BUSINESS TO COME IN.
UM, ARE THERE ANY INITIATIVES UNDERWAY AS THESE COMPANIES COME FORWARD TO BUILD A, UM, EXPANDING THEIR OPPORTUNITIES WITH SUPPLIERS OR PEOPLE THAT THEY NEED TO CONDUCT THEIR BUSINESS? DO YOU FOLLOW THROUGH ON ATTRACTING ADDITIONAL BUSINESSES THAT SUPPORT THEM OR SEEK LOCAL BUSINESSES ALREADY THAT ARE, THAT COULD EXPAND THEIR OPERATION WITHIN BUFORD COUNTY RATHER THAN LEAVE AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE? UH, I, IF I UNDERSTAND, LIKE WHEN WE FINISH A PROJECT AND, UH, UH, WE TOOK ONE PROJECT OUT TO LUNCH WITH ONE OF THE COUNCIL.
THE GUY GOES, BEAUFORT COUNTY'S BEEN GREAT TO ME.
IT'S GOTTEN REALLY WELL, WHAT CAN I DO? WE ASKED THEM TO REFER US TO, UH, SUPPLIERS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE, OR I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
AND, AND MAYBE ONE THING, WE WERE A LITTLE UNCLEAR WITH LAKE PORT ROYAL AND WORKING WITH THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE, WE WERE ABLE THROUGH A-U-S-D-A GRANT ABLE TO, UH, GET THEM, UH, SOME SUPPORT TO LOOK AT THEIR RETAIL STRATEGY.
SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT, IF THAT'S SUCCESSFUL IN PORT ROYAL, WE COULD PROBABLY REPLICATE THAT MIGHT GET TO SOME OF THE BUSINESS MIX THAT YOU WERE MENTIONING, BUT WE KIND OF, UH, YOU KNOW, GOT RECEIVED A GRANT AND THEN ARE BRINGING IN A CONSULTANT TO WORK WITH THE, UH, MUNICIPALITY.
WE CAN DO THAT IF WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES.
I'M NOT SURE IF I CAN ASK THIS QUESTION CORRECTLY OR NOT, BUT I'LL, I'LL GIVE A SHOT.
UM, DOES YOUR OFFICE TEND TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH BUSINESSES RATHER THAN DEVELOPERS? AND I'M, I'M MAKING THAT DISTINCTION BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE, PARTICULARLY WITH THE DIRECTION OUR DEVELOPMENT CODE HAS GONE, UM, THAT RATHER THAN KIND OF SINGLE USE PROJECTS, UM, THERE'S MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS TO FIT WITHIN SOME OF THE LAND USE PATTERNS IN THE COMMUNITY BUILDING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IN THIS AREA.
BUT, BUT I KNOW IN OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT I'VE WORKED IN, EVEN WITH THE, WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, IT'S OFTEN HARD TO FIND SOMEONE THAT HAS A SKILLSET FOR MIXED USE PROJECTS.
THEY TEND TO FOCUS ON, YOU KNOW, I'M A SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPER, OR I'M A INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPER, OR I'M AN APARTMENT DEVELOPER.
UM, SO I, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU KIND OF TRY TO TRACK DOWN AND, UM, E ENCOURAGE, UM, THOSE UNIQUE SKILL SETS.
AND THEN YOU'RE NOT DEALING WITH A SPECIFIC BUSINESS, BUT YOU'RE DEALING, DEALING WITH A DEVELOPER THAT HAS A PARTICULAR SET OF SKILLS THAT MAY FIT MORE WITH WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO FROM A COMMUNITY BUILDING PERSPECTIVE THAN YOU'VE HEARD.
DOES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE? YEAH.
I, I CAN ONLY TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE DOING.
I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE ASKING.
UH, WE TEND TO WORK WITH BUSINESSES AND OFTENTIMES THE BUSINESS, 'CAUSE THEY'RE CLOSELY HELD AGAIN, UH, REVIT AND DEER, UH, SMALL COMPANIES, THE BUSINESS OWNER ENDS UP BECOMING THE DEVELOPMENT OF, OF, OF WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO.
SOMETIMES WE MAKE REFERRALS AND THEN, AND THEN WITHIN, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME DEVELOPMENTS LIKE, UH, WASHINGTON SQUARE WOULD BE A PRETTY GOOD EXAMPLE ON BUCKWALTER.
UH, WE'LL HAVE SMALLER COMMERCIAL TYPE BUSINESSES CONTACT US, AND WE DON'T, EVEN THOUGH OUR BOARD WANTS US TO FOCUS ON INDUSTRY AND DIVERSIFYING THE ECONOMY WHEN, UH, UH, UH, UH, A A PRESCHOOL COMES IN AND IS LOOKING FOR A SITE, WE'LL SIT DOWN WITH THEM AND TELL THEM ABOUT A FEW SITES.
WHEN A, A, YOU KNOW, A WINE SHOP IS LOOKING FOR A SITE OR A, A GROCERY STORE IS LOOKING FOR A SITE, WE'LL SIT DOWN AND, AND WORK WITH THEM AND THEN PLUG THEM IN WITH THE DEVELOPERS.
BUT WE DON'T REALLY WORK ON, UH, MIXED USE SITES.
I WAS THINKING ABOUT, UM, LOKO HAVING BEEN TO MANY
[00:35:01]
OF THOSE JELLY BALL PUBLIC HEARINGS, BUT ONE OF THE REASONS THEY WERE, UM, TURNED DOWN WAS BECAUSE OF THE LEFTOVER EFFLUENT IN SOME OF THE OLD, UM, WHAT WE CO PRINTING, WHATEVER IT WAS.SO THAT LED ME TO MY, WHEN YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT THE, THE LAND OUT THERE, DO YOU SOLICIT MONEY FROM, SAY, I DON'T KNOW, BROWNFIELDS RESTORATION FUNDS OR EPA FUNDS TO HELP WITH THAT KIND OF INDUSTRIAL CLEANUP? YES.
AND THE OTHER WOULD BE, ARE YOU ON THE LOOKOUT ALL THE TIME? AND I, I ASSUME THE ANSWER IS YES FOR LOTS OF PROPERTY.
IT COULD BE 15 ACRES, IT COULD BE 150 ACRES.
I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE LIKE A SORT OF A RUNNING TABLE OF, OF WHAT IS OUT THERE, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY? YES.
AND I, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS GROUP KNOWS, UM, BUT WE WERE GIVEN IN THE PRIOR FISCAL YEAR, THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO, AND, AND THE PLAN WAS TO GIVE US THAT FOR FIVE YEARS TO ACQUIRE LAND.
THE LARGEST TRACK WE COULD FIND, UH, WAS KNOWN AS THE BUCKFIELD SITE.
IT'S UP IN, UH, UH, ESY, ALSO OWNED BY RICHARD CHILTON, ALSO CALLED THE CHILTON SITE.
SO WE HAD 14, UH, JUST UNDER 1500 ACRES TO EXPLORE TO TRY TO CARVE OUT 500 ACRES.
SO WE HAD, WE HAD, UH, UH, CARTE BLANCHE TO GO UP THERE AND BUY 500 ACRES.
THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, UH, CONTRIBUTED, UH, UH, PROBABLY ABOUT 90,000, UH, NO, FOUR 48,000, UH, I MIGHT FACT CHECK
AT 90,000, WE REALIZED WE COULDN'T FIND MORE THAN 58 ACRES THAT WERE CONTIGUOUS AND DRY WITHIN THAT 1400 ACRES.
UH, WE WORKED ON THAT PROJECT, AND WE, WE WERE TOLD, AGAIN, BY, UH, ONE OF THE FORMER ADMINISTRATORS, WE WERE NUTS TO WORK WITH THESE FOLKS.
UH, BUT WE WORKED HAND IN GLOVE WITH THE, UH, UH, UH, UH, COASTAL CONSERVATION AND, AND THE OPEN LAND TRUST.
AND SO WE WALKED EVERY STEP OF THE WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS WITH THEM, BECAUSE IF YOU, IF YOU WIND IT BACK TO 2014, BEFORE I WAS HERE, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A, A BIT OF A WAR BETWEEN DEVELOPMENT AND, UH, UH, THE OPEN LAND TRUST AND ACE BASIN ENTHUSIAST CALL.
AND, UH, SO WE FIGURED IF, IF WE'RE GOING DOWN THE WRONG TRACK, WE SHOULD KNOW SOON.
AND, UH, AS IT TURNED OUT, THE LAND DID NOT WORK, UH, FOR DEVELOPMENT.
AND I BELIEVE, UH, THEY MAY HAVE CLOSED ON IT YESTERDAY AT A DISCOUNTED PRICE BECAUSE WE WORKED TOGETHER ON IT.
SO, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE KEEP AN ONGOING, UH, UH, PRODUCT LIST.
UH, WE MET WITH THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON THAT'S GOT A, A 98, A 90 ACRE, OR 107, UH, 117 OR 20.
BUT, UH, THERE'S A LARGE TRACK INVOLVED AND WE'RE ALWAYS WATCHING IT.
BUT, UH, I, I, I BELIEVE PROBABLY THE BEST MODEL THAT TO HAVE IN YOUR PLAN ARE THESE LIKE 1430 ACRE CARVE OUTS THAT, UH, WE'RE NOT CHANGING ZONING.
AND, UH, UH, THEY'LL TALK IN NICELY.
THAT'S ACTUALLY, UM, THE UPSELLING HAS MORE RECENTLY, IT SEEMS TO HAVE BECOME MORE OF AN ISSUE, UM, AND ASKING FOR TEXT AMENDMENTS TO ACCOMMODATE IT WITHOUT BEING A NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THAT'S REALLY THE STICKING POINT FOR US.
SO YOU'RE, YOU MENTIONED THIS A COUPLE TIMES.
SO THE BOARD IS ALWAYS LOOKING TO IMPROVE, ALWAYS LOOKING TO MAKE MORE PROFIT, SO FORTH AND SO ON.
HOW DO YOU RECONCILE THAT WITH THE OPEN LAND TRUST AND ALL THESE OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY GROUPS? 'CAUSE IT SEEMS YOU WOULD, LIKE YOU SAID, BE AT WAR OR AT LEAST BE AT LOGGERHEADS.
NO, AND, AND SOMETHING I, I LEARNED, I WAS, I WAS A MAYOR OF A SMALL TOWN IN CONNECTICUT WHEN I WAS YOUNGER.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I DID A LOT OF DUMB THINGS AND, UH, THAT I THOUGHT WERE LIKE RUNNING GOVERNMENT, LIKE A BUSINESS.
AND, UH, I THINK WHEN YOU DO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR EVEN LEAVE A COMMUNITY, WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS SEE THE FABRIC COMMUNITY GET STRONGER AND NOT TEAR APART.
SO THE WAY WE APPROACH, UH, THINGS, UH, YOU KNOW, AND WE'LL GO, WE'LL GET REAL EXCITED ABOUT A PROJECT WHERE YOU'RE GONNA SEE IT IN THE NEXT MONTH, WHERE WE'RE REAL EXCITED ABOUT A PROJECT AND COUNCIL MAY TELL US NO.
AND THE ONLY THING WE CAN KNOW IS THAT WE PUT OUR BEST INTO IT AND, UH, UH, IT, IT WASN'T WELL RECEIVED.
SO, UH, WE CAN PUT IDEAS OUT THERE AND THEN
[00:40:01]
WE JUST HAVE TO ACCEPT THE OUTCOMES.AND WE'VE DONE OVER A HUNDRED PROJECTS AND HAVE NOT BEEN OUTTA SYNC WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S OUR GOAL IS TO, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA LEAD, WE WANT TO PUSH, UH, FORWARD, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO TEAR AT THE FABRICAL COMMUNITY.
THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS DRIVING AT.
WELL, UM, WITH RESPECT FOR EVERYONE'S TIME, I WANTED TO MAYBE SEE IF WE COULD SHIFT OVER TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
DISCUSS KIND OF SOME OF THE TRENDS AND OVERVIEW OF OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING EFFORTS.
AND THEN I THINK AT THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, I, WE HAD TWO HOURS, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TILL FOUR
UM, LOOKING AT INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS VERSUS BIG CATACLYSMIC CHANGES, UM, AND UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND, AND, UM, UH, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN AFFORD TO LIVE HERE.
YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE NOT ONLY APPROVED THE ECONOMY, BUT WE HAVE JOBS THAT PEOPLE CAN MOVE TO OTHER AREAS OR WITHIN THE AREA.
AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SO I THINK WITH THAT SUMMARY AND WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DISCUSSED, THAT COULD BECOME A FRAMEWORK FOR EACH OF THE PLANNING COMMISSIONERS TO LOOK THROUGH THE RECOMMENDATIONS, KIND OF LOOKING AT THAT OVERALL APPROACH TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER ANY OF THESE NEED TO BE UPDATED OR, UM, YOU KNOW, CHANGES TO BE MADE.
AND THEN I GUESS WHAT WE COULD DO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO SHIFT GEARS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND THEN WHATEVER TI REMAINING TIME THAT WE HAVE LEFT, WE CAN KIND OF GO THROUGH SOME OF THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN USE THAT AS A LAUNCHING POINT FOR PLANNING COMMISSIONERS TO WEIGH IN.
AND WE'RE NOT IN THE PROCESS OF A COMPLETE REDO, AS YOU KNOW, WITH COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO UPDATE WHAT WE'VE GOT AND MAKE SURE WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE THINGS THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT.
UM, I'M ALWAYS INTERESTED IF THINGS ARE GETTING IN THE WAY OF DOING THAT.
SO, I MEAN, IF YOU'VE GOT THEM, DON'T BE BASHFUL AND JUST GIVE US A HINT.
YEAH, I WAS JUST CURIOUS, HAVE YOU ALREADY HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH JOHN'S ORGANIZATION? 'CAUSE I, I THINK STAFF AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP ARE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE A BETTER KNOWLEDGE OF LIKE, IF THERE'S DATA THAT'S CHANGED OR IF THERE ARE STUDIES THAT ARE NO LONGER, UM, CURRENT OR WHAT HAVE YOU, THAN WHAT YEAH.
WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, AND, AND KRISTEN'S BEEN REALLY SPEARHEADING THIS IS WITH EACH OF THE CHAPTERS, WHICH DEPARTMENTS ARE RELEVANT TO KIND OF WEIGH IN ON THAT INITIAL BITE AT THE APPLE.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN TREATING THE, YOU KNOW, WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO JOHN O'TOOLE AND, AND, UH, CLAUDE HICKS WITH THE CHAPTER AND, AND, AND REQUESTED INPUT.
SO, UM, AND WE DO HAVE SOME, YOU HAVE COMMENTS, DON'T YOU? YEAH.
I WANTED HAVE ENOUGH TIME AT THE END TO GO THROUGH THESE ACTIONS.
IF WE COULD AROUND THREE 30, JUST GO THROUGH ALL THE ACTIONS WHILE YOU'RE HERE, WHILE EVERYONE'S IN THE ROOM, AND JUST KIND OF GO QUICKLY THROUGH THEM.
UM, SEND WHAT YOU JUST NEED TO REEL US IN.
YOU ASK QUESTIONS ALL DAY, IF YOU WOULD.
WELL, IT'S, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY I THINK THIS HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GREAT FORUM.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION IS, DO WE TRY TO GET EVERYTHING DONE IN THE NEXT TWO HOURS OR, YOU KNOW, OR DO WE USE THIS AS A LAUNCHING POINT FOR MAYBE A FUTURE DISCUSSION? SO I THINK THAT THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE, UH, BUT I DON'T, I WANT TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF BOTH JOHN AND CLAUDE'S TIME BECAUSE YOU'VE, UH, GIVEN YOUR TIME TO COME HERE, SO, WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
WE'LL, I WANT TO ALSO INTRODUCE JENNIFER
UM, SHE'S THE PERSON THAT MAKES EVERYTHING GO.
UH, SHE'S TELLS ME WHERE TO GO ON A DAILY BASIS.
UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR, THE VIEW FOR JASPER HOUSING TRUST, UH, IS TRULY A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN EIGHT MUNICIPALITIES AND KO.
[00:45:01]
STARTED AND BECAME A CONVERSATION AMONG THESE MUNICIPALITIES WITH RESPECT TO THE FACT THAT NONE OF THEM HAD THE CAPACITY, THE KNOWLEDGE, OR THE EXPERIENCE TO REALLY TACKLE HOUSING.SO IT WAS A, WE'RE BETTER TOGETHER THAN WE ARE APART PHILOSOPHY.
UH, WHEN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WAS WRITTEN, UH, IT WAS AN IDEA, UH, A CONCEPT THAT WAS BEING PROMOTED.
UH, THAT IDEA THEN WENT FROM A TRUST, WHICH IS, UH, A WAY THAT THE STATE RECOGNIZES THE ABILITY, UH, TO WORK IN THE HOUSING FIELD, UH, INTO A 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT.
UH, AND THE REASON THAT WE DID THAT WAS BECAUSE WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO, UH, PARTICIPATE IN GRANTS IN SOME SOFT FUNDING.
UH, AND THOSE ARE WAY BETTER COMING TO A 5 0 1 C3 THAN THEY ARE TO COMING TO A TRUST.
UM, SO WE, I HAVE ONLY BEEN HERE FOR 18 MONTHS, AND WHEN I GOT HERE, JENNIFER HAD ONLY BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS.
UH, AND THE BOARD LOOKED AT US AND SAID, UM, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO.
UH, CAN YOU PUSH THIS AS FAST AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN? SO WE REALLY DECIDED ON THREE PLATFORMS, CREATING WORKFORCE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, DOING HOME REPAIRS FOR LOW INCOME RESIDENTS, UH, AND DOING FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS.
WHAT WE KNEW WAS WE COULDN'T DO THOSE OURSELVES.
SO WE PARTNERED WITH NONPROFITS THROUGHOUT BUFORT COUNTY, AND WE COVERED JASPER COUNTY AS WELL, BUT TOTALLY DIFFERENT MARKET, TOTALLY DIFFERENT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WITH RESPECT TO HOUSING.
UH, AND WE GAVE GRANTS TO EIGHT MUNICIPALITIES, OR EIGHT, UH, NONPROFITS, RATHER FOR THEM TO DO ONE OF THOSE THREE PLATFORMS. UH, OUR FIRST YEAR WE HANDED OUT $1.9 MILLION IN FUNDS.
UM, WE HAVE THE NEXT WEEK, UH, A SECOND TRANCHE OF FUNDING THAT WE ARE GOING TO REPORT WITH TO SEE IF THEY WILL APPROVE, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE.
UH, WE DECIDED THAT WE WERE KIND OF TIRED OF HEARING EVERYBODY YELL, SCREAM FROM THEIR VANTAGE POINT ABOUT HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS, AND WHAT IF WE GOT SOME OF THE MAJOR PLAYERS IN THE AREA TOGETHER IN ONE ROOM, 50 OF THEM, UH, AND SAID, WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE THE ABILITY TO CREATE WORKFORCE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING? WE'VE GOT SOME TERRIFIC ANSWERS.
MOST OF THEM WE KIND OF PREDICTED WE WOULD HEAR.
ONE OF THE OFFSHOOTS OF THAT WAS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE END OF THAT MEETING, UH, ONE OF THE LOCAL POLITICIANS SAID, ELECTED OFFICIALS SHOULD HEAR THIS PRESENTATION.
SO NEXT WEEK, LESS THAN THREE WEEKS AFTER OUR PRESENTATION, WE'LL BE GIVING TO ELECTED OFFICIALS, ESSENTIALLY THE SAME INFORMATION, THE SAME, UM, IDEAS.
UM, WE WILL ALSO HONORED TO HAVE, UH, DR.
UH, SHE USED TO BE WITH FEDERAL PRESERVE IN RICHMOND.
SHE'S NOW THE ECONOMIC STRATEGIST FOR INDEED.
UH, SHE CAME IN AND GAVE HER PERSPECTIVE ON JOBS, ON WHERE THE MARKET WAS GOING HERE, WHICH IS STRAIGHT UP, UH, WITH RESPECT TO JOBS AND THE NEED FOR PEOPLE, THE NEED, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE TO COME IN, HIGHER EDUCATION, BETTER JOBS.
UH, SO THAT WAS A BIG WIN FOR US.
UH, GOT A LOT OF ATTENTION AMONGST THE PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF GRIPING AND A LOT OF EVERYBODY PUT IT OUT ON THE TABLE.
UH, SO WE WERE HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT MUNICIPALITIES AND ASKING THEM, WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHERE DO YOU WANT US TO FOCUS? WHAT IS IT THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY OF BUFORD SAID WAS, WE WANT A HOME REPAIR FUND.
THEY HAD SET ASIDE MONEY, WE MATCHED THOSE FUNDS.
UH, AND WITHIN THE NEXT 90 DAYS, WE'LL BEGIN REPAIRING THE FIRST HOUSE THAT WILL COME OUT OF THAT PROGRAM.
UM, WE GOT, UH, 21 APPLICATIONS, GREAT, 23 APPLICATIONS.
I THINK HALF OF THEM WERE ON THE SAME STREET, UH, IN TOWN.
UH, SO IF THEY ALL, BUT ALL BUT TWO, ALL BUT TWO CAME FROM THE NORTHWEST.
NORTHWEST WATER, WHAT? DUKE STREET? YES, DUKE STREET, DUKE.
WE DROVE UP AND DOWN DUKE STREET.
UH, SO HILTON HAD BLUFF AND ALSO HAD SIMILAR FUNDS.
SO HILTON HEAD HAS REACHED OUT TO US AND SAID, CAN YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING? HELP US, GIVE US SOME SUGGESTIONS.
MAYBE PARTNER WITH US ON THIS.
WE EXPECT THAT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES ARE GONNA ADOPT THE SAME THING.
HOME REPAIR IS THE NUMBER ONE REQUESTED ITEM TO DO FOR JASPER HOUSING TRUST.
THE PHONE RINGS ALL DAY LONG WITH PEOPLE SAYING, I LIVE IN
[00:50:03]
Y EMBASSY AND NOBODY WILL COME REPAIR MY HOUSE.UH, DURING THIS LAST 18 MONTHS, WE ALSO BECAME THE ONLY ENTITY IN BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTY TO BE QUALIFIED UNDER THE STATE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, UH, TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK, NO MATTER HOW OLD THE HOUSE IS.
SO WE WENT DOWN TO CHARLESTON, GOT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL ACCREDITATIONS, UH, TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT ANY HOUSE BECAUSE WE KNEW SPECIFICALLY IN BEAUFORT, YOU HAVE SUCH A PLETHORA OF HOUSES THAT ARE OVER A HUNDRED YEARS OLD THAT ARE IN BED REPAIR, UH, THAT NEED DOLLARS, THAT NEED WORK.
WHO ARE THE PEOPLE IN THIS PROGRAM? MOSTLY WOMEN, UH, WIDOWS LIVING ON VERY FIXED INCOMES, HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO FIX THE HOUSE, NEVER HAD A REASON TO KNOW, UH, BUT ARE NOW IN DIRE STRAITS.
THAT'S ONE OF THE PREMIER THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS.
IT REALLY HAS AN IMPACT ON PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY LIVING IN HOUSES THAT ARE SUBSTANDARD.
UM, DEVELOPERS CONTINUE TO LOOK AT SITES IN THE COUNTY.
UH, WE HAVE AT LEAST TWO DEVELOPERS A WEEK CALL AND SAY, IF YOU GOT SOME LAND, YOU KNOW, NOW I'LL BE PERFECTLY CANDID WITH YOU AND TELL YOU THAT ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THAT IS THAT I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 30 YEARS AND I'VE DONE OVER $3 BILLION IN DEALS LIKE THIS, UH, 250 PROJECTS.
SO ALL THOSE INVESTORS KNOW IF I GO SOMEWHERE, THEY WANT TO KNOW WHY.
THAT WAS THE FIRST QUESTION WHEN I GOT HERE.
ONE OF THE INVESTORS FROM NEW JERSEY CALLED AND SAID, WHY'D YOU GO TO BUFORT? I SAID, WELL, MY PARENTS ARE FROM CHARLESTON.
I HAVEN'T BEEN BACK HERE SINCE HIGH SCHOOL IN COLUMBIA.
AND I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A NICE EASY JOB.
UH, BUT SO THE INVESTORS ARE LOOKING AT BEAVER.
THEY'RE NOT NOT USING THEIR OWN TOOLS.
SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT THEIR OWN TOOLS AND THEY SEE SOUTH CAROLINA AS THE NUMBER THREE FASTEST GROWING STATE IN THE COUNTRY.
THIS PARTICULAR AREA, UH, SECOND ONLY TO MERTLE BEACH IN TERMS OF THE FASTEST GROWING IN THE STATE.
THERE'S NO MULTI-FAMILY, THERE'S NOTHING FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
SO THEY SEE THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY, AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE LOOKING FOR LAND.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR ANY OPPORTUNITIES THEY CAN FIND TO TRY AND DEVELOP.
UH, AS I SAID BEFORE, WE PUT ALMOST $2 MILLION IN WORKFORCE HOUSING RELATED GRANTS AND LOANS.
ONLY A COUPLE OF THOSE WERE LOANS.
SO WE LOOKED AT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND WHAT IT SAID ABOUT OVERBURDENED HOUSEHOLDS WHEN IT WAS WRITTEN.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE NUMBER OF OVERBURDENED HOUSEHOLDS HAS RISEN.
UH, AND WHAT IS, WHAT REALLY ROSE WAS 50% OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE COST BURDENED ARE NOW IN THE CATEGORY OF SEVERELY COST BURDEN, WHICH MEANS THEY, THEY SPEND MORE THAN 50% OF THEIR INCOME ON HOUSING.
THE STANDARD ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS 30%.
IF YOU'RE 30% OR BELOW, YOU'RE EXPECTED TO BE LIVING A KIND OF REASONABLE LIFE, GETTING FOOD SOURCES, GOT A CAR THAT, THAT DRIVES HAVE A DECENT JOB.
IF YOU GO OVER 30, THEN YOU BEGIN TO MAKE CHOICES, MAKE CHOICES WITH RESPECT TO HEALTHCARE, YOU MAKE CHOICES WITH RESPECT TO TRANSPORTATION, YOU MAKE FOOD CHOICES.
IF YOU'RE, THE MORE YOU'RE SPENDING ON HOUSING, THE LESS MONEY YOU HAVE TO PUT INTO THOSE CATEGORIES.
IS THAT A FACTOR OF THE COST OF HOUSING HERE OR IS THAT A FACTOR OF THE INCOME LEVEL OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LOOKING FOR THE HOUSING? BOTH.
SO YOU HAVE HERE, AND THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL, BUT IT IS UNUSUAL IN SOUTH CAROLINA WHERE BEAUFORT HAS AN EXTRAORDINARILY HIGH NUMBER OF WEALTHY PEOPLE, WEALTHY FAMILIES, AND AN EXTRAORDINARILY HIGH NUMBER OF EXTRAORDINARILY POOR FAMILIES.
AND YOU HAVE THE MISSING MIDDLE.
THOSE FAMILIES IN THE MIDDLE LITERALLY ARE STUCK.
THEY CAN'T AFFORD THE $500,000 HOUSE, BUT THEY MAKE TOO MUCH TO QUALIFY FOR ANY KIND OF HELP OR SUBSIDY.
SO WHERE DO THEY GO? THEY USUALLY END UP GOING INTO HIGHER PRICE APARTMENTS.
AGAIN, THEY'RE GOING OVER 30%, OR THEY BUY SUBSTANDARD HOMES IF THEY CAN AFFORD THEM AND KIND OF FIX THEM UP AS THEY GO ALONG.
BUT IT'S AN EXTREMELY STRESSFUL ENVIRONMENT.
SO I TELL PEOPLE ALL THE TIME, I DON'T ARGUE WITH ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN EXTRAORDINARILY SUCCESSFUL AND HAS ACCUMULATED WEALTH AND LIVES WHEREVER THEY WANT TO LIVE.
WHAT I WANT THEM TO UNDERSTAND
[00:55:01]
IS WHEN THEY GO IN THE HOSPITAL AND THERE'S NO ONE THERE TO TREAT THEM, 'CAUSE THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF NURSES OR TECHNICAL STAFF, THAT'S WHERE THEY NEED TO HAVE AT LEAST AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THIS WORKS.AND THE, AS JOHN HAD SAID, UH, WORKFORCE HOUSING, HOUSING IN PARTICULAR HERE IS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ISSUE.
WITHOUT WORKERS, WITHOUT FAMILIES, WITHOUT YOUNG PEOPLE COMING HERE AND STAYING HERE, THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A PLACE THAT SURVIVES WELL INTO THE FUTURE.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT THE POLITICAL WILL TO ALLOW REASONABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING COULD BE DEVELOPED HERE.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAD TWO PROJECTS, UM, THAT THEY ARE WORKING ON.
MARSH POINT HERE IN BUFORT, UH, AND SANDALWOOD AND HILTON HAD, ARE BOTH SCHEDULED UNDER, UH, HUD PROGRAM TO BE DEMOLISHED AND NEW CONSTRUCTION BILL, BUT PROBABLY MORE UNITS FOR THE VERY LOW INCOME.
HOWEVER, WITH HUD, UH, AND WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION, UM, IT IS LIKELY THAT THOSE PROJECTS WILL BE PUT ON PROBABLY TWO OR THREE YEARS BEYOND WHEN THEY WERE SCHEDULED TO BE STARTED.
UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO, UH, ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE SUBJECT, IT DOES NOT HELP THAT THE DIRECTOR JUST LEFT.
UM, BUT THE NEW DIRECTOR COMING IN, WHOEVER THAT'S GOING TO BE, WE WILL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THOSE BACK ON TRACK.
UM, OUR NUMBER ONE ISSUE, WHEN YOU ASKED WHAT STOPS YOU, UH, I WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE SITTING, UH, AT THE PINE ISLAND, UH, DISCUSSION UNTIL TWO 30 IN THE MORNING.
UH, AND THEY, THAT WAS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF NIMBY, NOT IN MY BACKYARD.
EVERYBODY UNDERSTOOD THE NEED FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
THEY UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE DEAL WAS, BUT THEY DIDN'T WANT THE PROJECT AND THEY REALLY DIDN'T WANT THE PROJECT.
WE'RE SEEING THAT, UH, NOT JUST THERE, BUT IN OTHER AREAS WITHIN THE COUNTY WHERE THE LOCAL COMMUNITY MAKES A DECISION.
I DON'T WANT THE PRESSURE ON THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
I DON'T WANT THE DECREASE IN MY PROPERTY VALUES.
THEREFORE, THEY COME OUT AND FORCE VERY WELL ORGANIZED AND THEY MAKE A GREAT POINT.
UH, AND THEY'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS IN FORCING THE COUNTY TO LOOK AND SAY NO.
UH, AND SEVERAL TIMES MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL HAVE SAID, I KNOW WE NEED THIS, BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SAY NO.
OR YOU, YOU GET DOWN TO THE POINT OF WHAT AREA IS THERE.
HALF OF THE AREA HERE YOU CAN'T BUILD BECAUSE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.
THE OTHER HALF, THERE ARE OTHER STRUCTURAL ISSUES.
SO IT LEAVES THIS VERY, VERY SMALL NUMBER OF SITES WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY BUILD.
ONE OF THE THINGS THE COUNTY IS DOING IS THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE 400 PIECES OF PROPERTY THEY OWN TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY THAT COULD BE DEVELOPED FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT NOW, I DUNNO HOW FAR THEY'VE GOTTEN.
THE LAST THING THAT I HEARD WAS THEY HAD LOCATED 12 OUT OF THE 400 THAT THEY THOUGHT MIGHT BE BILLABLE, BUT THEY'RE STORED WHAT STOPS.
WORKFORCE HOUSING HERE COSTS REGULATION, DENSITY ISSUES, SONY, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE USED TO HEARING FOREVER AND EVER, UH, SINCE YOU'VE BEEN ON PLANNING ON SINCE YOU'VE BEEN WORKING.
THOSE ARE THE ISSUES THAT CONFRONT EVERYONE IN PRACTICALLY EVERY CITY.
IN SOUTH CAROLINA, THERE ARE SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THINGS THAT YOU COULD DO.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, ONE CITY GREENVILLE EXPEDITES PLANS AND EXPEDITES ZONING APPROVAL.
UH, IF YOU'RE GONNA BUILD WORKFORCE HOUSING, UH, SPARTANBURG IS TOYING WITH THE IDEA OF PUTTING IN A PILOT PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES PROGRAM OR WHAT WE DID IN PENNSYLVANIA, WHICH IS AN ACCRUED TAX OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD, START OUT IN YEAR ONE AT ZERO, NEXT YEAR'S 10%, NEXT YEAR'S 20, NEXT YEAR'S 30, UH, UNTIL YOU GET TO YEAR 10 AND YOU'RE EXTENDED A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE TAX BILL, BILL, HOW'S THE DEVELOPER TO STABILIZE THE PROJECT WITHOUT THAT BURDEN? UM, ALSO THERE'S LOTS OF DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW CAN YOU, EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS TAX FEES.
THERE'S AN ARGUMENT ABOUT WHY THEY'RE SO HIGH.
[01:00:01]
IF YOU FOUND A WAY TO STRETCH THOSE OUT INSTEAD OF IT ALL BEING AT THE FRONT END OF THE PROJECT, THAT WOULD BE POTENTIALLY A HELPFUL THING TO DO.UH, I THINK ALSO I, THERE HAS TO BE BETTER COORDINATION BETWEEN DEVELOPERS AND STAFF AND THE CITY WITH RESPECT TO EXPECTATIONS.
UM, A LOT OF TIMES THE CITY HAS AN EXPECTATION, THIS IS WHAT I WANT THIS TO LOOK LIKE, OR THE COUNTY DRIVE.
THIS IS WHAT I WANT THIS TO BE LIKE.
THIS IS HOW THE DESIGN THAT I WANT.
THE DEVELOPER TAKES THAT DESIGN, IT'S 20% OVER COST AND THEY COME BACK AND SAY, CAN I START SUBSTITUTING, CUTTING, MODIFYING? AND MANY TIMES THE ANSWER IS NO.
WE GAVE THAT TO YOU, BUT IT COMES WITH A PRICE.
SO THAT IS ANOTHER ISSUE HERE THAT'S BEING TALKED ABOUT ALL THE TIME.
SO WE ARE GONNA REPORT, AS I SAID, ON, UM, THE BLUEPRINT FOR CHANGE.
AND WE'RE GONNA COME AWAY WITH SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, THAT WE WILL REPORT BACK TO THE COUNTY AND THE MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
WE WANT TO ALSO NOT JUST REPORT WHAT EVERYBODY HAS SAID, BUT WE WANT TO LOOK AT SOME OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO MAKE SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR CHANGE SPECIFIC TO WORKFORCE HOUSING.
UM, AS I SAID, THE COUNTY'S LOOKING AT DEVELOPABLE SITES.
UH, WE CURRENTLY HAVE, AS I SAID TO YOU BEFORE, WE GAVE UP IN OUR FIRST YEAR, JUST A LITTLE LESS THAN $2 MILLION.
OUR ASK NEXT WEEK WE'RE GOING FOR, UH, OUR BOARD AND ASK FOR ANOTHER MILLION DOLLARS IN DISBURSEMENTS BUT WE HAVE $6 MILLION IN REQUEST SITTING RIGHT NOW.
AND MOST OF THOSE ARE TO SUPPORT MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPERS WHO HAVE A GAP.
SO I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH ONE STORY THAT KIND OF DEMONSTRATES WHAT JOHN HAS BEEN SAYING WITH RESPECT TO WORKFORCE DEMAND.
SO, ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, I GOT LEGIONNAIRE'S DISEASE, A TERRIBLE THING, BUT IT CAUSES ME TO, ANYTIME I HAVE A RESPIRATORY ISSUE, I GO TO THE HOSPITAL.
MY WIFE IS PRETTY DILIGENT ABOUT SAYING, GET YOUR BUTT TO THE HOSPITAL.
SO I GO INTO BEAUTIFUL MEMORIAL MIDNIGHT.
I HAD ON MY BASKETBALL SHORTS, MY T-SHIRT AND MY FLIP FLOPS.
AND I SAID, SOMETHING'S WRONG.
AND THEY SAID, OKAY, SOMETHING IS WRONG.
SO THEY PUT ME IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM.
IT TOOK ALMOST EIGHT HOURS TO GET A ROOM.
BUT I'M LAYING THERE AND THIS TECHNICIAN WALKS BY AND SAYS, ARE YOU THE HOUSING MAN? AND SHE HAD RECOGNIZED ME FROM A PICTURE.
JENNIFER AND I HAD SPOKEN BEFORE 150 GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS.
OVER THE LAST YEAR, SHE, AFTER THAT, ABOUT 15 OF HER FELLOW EMPLOYEES CAME IN TO TELL ME THEY HAVE NO HOUSING.
ONE TECHNICIAN LIVES IN ORANGEBURG, LEAVES HER KIDS WITH HER MOM ON MONDAY, DRIVES DOWN HERE, LIVES WITH A FRIEND ON HER, THEIR COUCH UNTIL THURSDAY NIGHT, AND THEN GOES BACK HOME.
'CAUSE SHE CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE ONE AFTER ANOTHER.
THEY WERE SAYING, WE HAVE NO, WE'D LIKE TO LIVE HERE, BUT WE CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING WITH BEAUTIFUL MEMORIAL IS LOOKING AT SOME SITES THAT THE ONE SITE THAT THE COUNTY OWNS TO CONVERT IT INTO HOUSING FOR HOSPITAL STAFF.
UH, WE'RE DOING THE SAME WITH TEACHERS.
WE'VE HAD THE SUPERINTENDENT CAME IN AND SAID, WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU BUILD HOUSING SPECIFICALLY FOR TEACHERS? WELL, IT HAS TO BE TEACHERS THAT FIT A CERTAIN INCOME LEVEL.
UH, AND HIS RESPONSE WAS, WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO BUILD HOUSING FOR TEACHERS, BECAUSE WE DESPERATELY NEED IT.
WE DESPERATELY NEED HOUSING FOR NURSES, FOR SERVICE WORKERS.
WHEN WHOLE FOODS SAID, WE'RE CLOSING BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SERVICE WORKERS.
FOLLOWED BY AN AIR BREAD, FOLLOWED BY BURGER KING, FOLLOWED BY MCDONALD'S.
PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO COME UP WITH THE BRIDGE.
WHERE WOULD YOU RATHER WORK? 'CAUSE THERE'S NO PLACE TO LIVE ON TON HILTON HEADS DOING SOME REMARKABLE THINGS.
THEY'RE DOING SOME DIFFERENT THINGS TO TRY AND KEEP PEOPLE LIVING ON THE ISLAND.
UM, BUT THAT'S GONNA BE AN ISSUE THEY'RE GONNA FACE FOREVER, UH, TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO, HOW TO COMBAT IT ALONG WITH THE BRIDGE.
SO JENNIFER AND I ATTENDED THEIR HOUSING ACTION SUMMIT, AND ONE OF THE POLITICIANS ACTUALLY SAID, LET'S EXPAND THE PARKING LOTS ON
[01:05:01]
THIS SIDE OF THE BRIDGE.AND THEN WHEN PEOPLE COME TO WORK, WE'LL PICK 'EM UP ON THE TROLLEY AND WE'LL TAKE 'EM OVER THE BRIDGE AND THEN WE'LL TROLLEY THEM BACK OVER.
SO WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE CARS, IT'S JUST TROLLEY PEOPLE COMING BACK AND FORTH.
I WAS LIKE, THE MONEY THAT WOULD COST YOU PROBABLY BUILD ANOTHER BRIDGE FOR THE MONEY THAT WOULD COST.
UH, BUT WE ARE, UM, TRYING TO MAKE AN IMPACT HERE.
WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD SOMETHING THAT REALLY HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.
UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A LONG TIME, YOU KNOW THAT TRYING TO GET TWO MUNICIPALITIES TO AGREE ON SOMETHING IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE.
WE HAD A MINOR ADJUSTMENT MADE TO OUR LEGAL DOCUMENT, OUR CHARTER, IT TOOK, WAS IT A YEAR TO GO? IT WAS A LONG TIME BECAUSE RIDICULOUS.
IT TOOK A LONG TIME, UH, FOR US TO GET EVERYBODY TO GO, OH, OH, IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED? OH, OKAY.
UM, BUT I WANT TO SEE WHAT SHE SAYS.
AND HE SAYS, AND EVERYBODY ELSE SAYS FIRST.
UH, SO IT IS REALLY REMARKABLE THAT THEY HAVE TRUSTED IN EACH OTHER TO PUT THEIR MONEY IN.
AND THEN FOR US TO, TO FIGURE OUT WHERE'S THE BEST PLACE THAT IT SHOULD GO? WHERE WILL IT MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACT? WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE OF EACH MUNICIPALITY ON OUR BOARD.
SO THEY GO BACK AND THEY REPORT TO THEIR MUNICIPALITY, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR OUR PARTICULAR AREA.
SO WITH THAT, THAT'S THE QUICK SUMMARY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE COULD STAY HERE FOR DAYS,
DID I GET THERE BEFORE THREE? I DID.
THAT WAS PRETTY, THAT'S PRETTY
ANYONE HAVE ANY S OR DO Y'ALL WANNA JUMP INTO IT? I WANT ASK WHERE THE MEN'S ROOM IS.
I HAVE, I JUST LIKE TO MAKE JUST ONE COMMENT.
UM, IT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE IN THE YEARS I'VE BEEN ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
UH, INCREASINGLY WE'RE SEEING, UM, MORE AND MORE DEVELOPERS COME UP AND SAY, WE'RE GONNA DO THE WORKFORCE HOUSING.
AND YOU SAY, EVERYBODY GOES, GREAT, LET'S GO.
AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, THE REAL DETAILS, IT MIGHT BE WAREHOUSES OUT OF 280 AND IT, AND IT'S JUST, IT, IT, IT DOESN'T SOLVE ANYTHING.
UH, AND THE PERCENTAGES OF THE 80 TO 120 OF THE, YOU KNOW, AVERAGE MEDIAN INCOME, WHICH IS PRETTY HIGH IN
FOLKS SAY, OKAY, IT'S FOR WORK HORSE HOUSING.
ANOTHER ONE THAT'S THAT'S BOTHERED ME IS SHORT TERM RENTALS.
THEY SEEM TO BE STEALING THE MARKET AWAY FROM AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IT SEEMS THAT THE SHORT TERM RENTAL COMMUNITY INVESTORS WANTED TO RAISE THOSE RENTS TO GET AS MUCH AS THEY CAN.
AND IT TAKES AWAY THE SUPPLY THAT'S AVAILABLE TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND LIVABLE HOUSING FOR OTHERS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT THOSE EXCEPT SET SOME POLICIES AND SAY, YOU CANNOT DO THAT AND OR CUT BACK THE POLICY THAT PERMITS SHORT TERM RENTALS EVERYWHERE BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING SHORT TERM RENTAL.
IT'S EXTRA INCOME, BUT IT TAKES, IT PUSHES, RENTS UP FOR EVERYBODY.
I I THINK THE BIGGEST EXAMPLE OF THAT IS HILTON HEAD.
AND THERE IS DISCUSSION NOW ABOUT WHAT WE DO, BUT THE 7,000 SHORT TERM RENTALS ON HILTON HEAD, THAT IN AND OF, IN AND OF ITSELF IS A POLITICAL BLOCK.
AND THEY ARE NOT GONNA GIVE UP THE DOLLARS THAT THEY ARE GETTING.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT BEAUFORD, BEAUFORD HAS A CAP PER NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT HAS WORKED PRETTY WELL.
THEY ARE LOOKING AT, DO WE MAKE THAT CAP EVEN TIGHTER AND STRICTER? MM-HMM
I THINK FORT ROYAL IS ENTERTAINING WHETHER THEY SHOULD CONTINUE WITH THEIR CAP.
THEY HAVE A, THEY HAVE OPPOSED A CAP THIS YEAR.
THERE ARE WAYS TO LOOK AT IT, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT.
SHORT TERM RENTALS PER THE MARKET, TWO WAYS.
NUMBER ONE, IT TAKES RENTAL PRODUCT OFF THE MARKET THAT'S THERE AND MAYBE FILLED TWO THIRDS OF THE YEAR, MAYBE HALF A YEAR.
BUT THE OTHER THING THAT IT DOES IS WHEN PEOPLE BUY SHORT TERM RENTALS, WHEN THEY GO TO SELL THEM, THEY SELL 'EM AT MARKET.
[01:10:01]
SO THAT WIPES OUT THE AFFORDABLE PART OF THE SELL OF THE BUYER'S MARKET.THEY CAN'T, THEY CAN'T AFFORD A 700,000 TOWNHOUSE.
UH, SO YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THINGS ABOUT IT, BUT IT IS SO STRONG AND HAS BEEN FOR SUCH A LONG TIME.
THE ONLY THING THAT'S GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE, I THINK JENNIFER AND I LISTENED TO HILTON'S BUDGET.
UH, THEIR BUDGET PRESENTATION.
AND MR. ORLANDO STARTED OUT BY SAYING, THIS YEAR WE WILL HAVE, UH, REDUCED TAX REVENUE AND REDUCED TOURISM DOLLARS WHEN THEY REALIZE THAT THE SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE GONNA ALSO BE IMPACTED.
IT'S GONNA BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT THEY DO AND WHAT THE MARKET DOES.
UH, BUT I THINK AS LONG AS PEOPLE ARE GETTING $2,500 A WEEK FOR THEIR, YOU KNOW, SHORT TERM RENTAL, THEY'RE GONNA DO IT.
THE ONLY THING THAT'S GONNA IMPACT IS WHEN PEOPLE SAY, I'M TIRED OF GOING TO HILTON HEAD NOT BEING ABLE TO GET IN THE RESTAURANT.
I'M TIRED OF, I GOT SICK AND I HAD TO WAIT THREE HOURS TO GET IN THE HOSPITAL.
THEN MARKETS, WHEN THEY BEGIN TO CHANGE AND SHIFT AWAY AND THEY GO TO SOMEPLACE ELSE, ANOTHER BEACH IN NORTH CAROLINA OR MYRTLE BEACH OR SOMEWHERE ELSE, THEN IS WHEN THE MARKET'S GONNA BEGIN.
PEOPLE ARE GONNA LOOK AS THOSE, THE VALUE OF THEIR SHORT TERM RENTALS BEGINS TO COME DOWN.
UM, THERE'S AN ARTICLE THAT WAS WRITTEN TWO MONTHS AGO THAT SAID MOST SHORT TERM RENTALS DO NOT EVEN BREAK EVEN.
UH, SO IT'S GONNA, IT'S, YOU'RE, YOU'RE RIGHT, IT HAS AN IMPACT.
IT'S A PIECE OF THE PUZZLE, A PIECE PUZZLE.
AND I THINK IT'S JUST EASY TO POINT A FINGER AT SHORT-TERM RENTALS AS A LOW HANGING FRUIT, BUT IT'S JUST A PIECE OF IT.
UM, BUT I THINK PEOPLE GET BOGGED DOWN AND REALLY FOCUSING ON IT.
BUT AGAIN, IF THOSE HOUSES SELL AND FLIP, THEY'RE NOT AFFORDABLE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE WELL OUT OF, OUTSIDE OF THAT MARKET.
SO TO REALLY LOOK AT IT AS A CHANGE NOW, YOU CAN'T REALLY FLIP IT AND UNDO IT.
SO YOU'D HAVE, YOU'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH A WHOLE GENERATION OF HOMEOWNERS BEFORE YOU COULD GET TO ANYTHING REASONABLE.
OH, YOU GO, YOU TALKED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO REPAIR HOUSES THAT ARE OLDER AND, YOU KNOW, MOST OTHER PROGRAMS CAN DO.
WHAT ABOUT THOSE HOUSES? 'CAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT, MY MOM LIVED THERE, MY GRANDMA LIVED THERE, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE IT IN THEIR NAME.
AND THEY'RE USUALLY NOT ABLE TO GET ANY TYPE OF REPAIRS DONE.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOUR AGENCY CAN DO TO ASSIST WITH THAT? OR IS THERE, I MEAN, SO YES AND NO.
THE STATE WILL NOT ALLOW US TO PUT MONEY INTO PROPERTIES THAT CANNOT GIVE US A CLEAN TITLE.
AND THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT.
THEY DON'T WANT RENTERS TO BE IN A HOUSE AND THEY SIGN, YES.
COME IN AND PREPARE THE HOUSE, AND THEN THE OWNER GOES, THANK YOU.
BUILDS THE RENTER OUT AND THEN SELLS THE, SOME OF THOSE HOUSES ON DUKE STREET.
IF YOU PUT 'EM ON THE MARKET AS IS, THEY WOULD BE EXTRAORDINARILY EXPENSIVE.
SO WHAT WE DID WAS THREE THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, UH, WE WENT TO FEDERAL AND LOAN BANK AND ASKED FOR MONEY, UH, TO HELP TO, TO SOLVE THESE ISSUES, SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS. THEY SAID, YOUR, YOUR COMPANY'S TOO YOUNG.
SO, BUT THEY DID GIVE, UH, $200,000 TO LOW COUNTRY LEGAL TO DO THE WILLS PART OF THAT AIRS PREVENTION, AIRS PROCESSING PART.
WHAT WE ARE SAYING, UH, IS THERE HAS TO BE A PARTNER WHO'S WILLING TO GO IN WITH US TO ESTABLISH AN AIR CENTER HERE.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HERE AND CHARLESTON IS IF YOU GO TO CHARLESTON FOR HELP AND YOUR HOUSE, AND THEY, THEY SOLVE YOUR ISSUE, YOU CAN'T SELL YOUR HOUSE.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE A COMMITMENT THAT YOU'RE STAYING IN THE HOUSE.
HERE, OUR BOARD HAS SAID, NO, PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO SELL THEIR HOUSE IF THEY WANT TO.
BUT WE HAVE SEEN SOME EXTRAORDINARY STORIES ABOUT HOW THINGS HAPPEN.
UH, WE HAD ONE LADY, THEY DID A FANTASTIC JOB.
HELENA, ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT WHEN SHE SAID, THIS IS MY MOTHER'S HOUSE, WHAT THEY FOUND OUT LATER WAS HER MOTHER WAS A WOMAN WHO WOULD TAKE IN CHILDREN BORN TO UNWED MOTHERS.
AND SO THIS LADY SAID, WAIT, MY SIX BROTHERS AND SISTERS
[01:15:01]
WERE, NONE OF THEM WERE RELATED TO ME.NEITHER WAS I RELATED TO THE WOMAN WHO I THOUGHT WAS MY MOTHER.
IT IS EXPENSIVE AND SOMETIMES IT JUST CAN'T BE DONE.
THERE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE A LEGISLATIVE.
AND WE'VE TALKED TO SENATOR DAVIS ABOUT THIS.
THERE HAS TO BE A LEGISLATIVE WAY TO SAY, AND TO GET ALL THE BANKS TO AGREE AND ALL THE FINANCING COMPANIES TO AGREE THAT THIS WOULD BE, YEAH.
BECAUSE I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT.
EVEN IF THEY WANTED TO BORROW MONEY, THEY COULD.
UH, SO WE, THAT IS A MAJOR PART OF OUR DISCOVERY.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT TODAY ABOUT HOW MANY OF THE APPLICATIONS WERE DENIED BECAUSE OF HEIRS POPULATIONS.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THOSE SAME PEOPLE THERE.
AND I'M SAYING THIS BECAUSE I WORK OR WE HELP WITH ELECTRIC BILLS AND PROPANE.
THEIR MONTHLY UTILITY COSTS ARE THROUGH THE ROOFS BECAUSE THEIR HOUSES ARE SO, THEY'RE SO DILAPIDATED.
AND SO IT'S LIKE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THE ELECTRIC BILL, OR THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO DO THIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WITH LIMITED FUNDS, WE CAN ONLY HELP.
SO IT'S, AND THEN WE HAVE A, WE ALSO HAVE A RESTRICTION ON MOBILE HOMES WITH THE STATE.
SO THERE'S A, AND IF YOU LOOK AROUND THERE, WE HAVE A HUGE, UM, HUGE NUMBER OF MOBILE HOMES WITHIN BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTY.
SO AGAIN, WE ARE TRYING TO WORK WITH THE STATE TO SEE HOW WE CAN WORK AROUND IT.
WHAT CAN WE DO? IS THERE A POINT AT WHICH WE CAN SAY, OKAY, WE'RE TAKING THAT OFF THE TABLE, BUT CAN WE USE DOLLARS TO PUT TOWARDS A NEWER, A NEWER STRUCTURE OR SOMETHING? WELL, WE EVEN TALKED, OR A STRUCTURE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT GOING TO THE MOBILE MANUFACTURERS AND SAYING, DO YOU TAKE, WELL, YOUR TRADE-INS WHEN THEY COME IN, COULD WE BUY SOME OF THOSE AT A DISCOUNTED PRICE? YEAH.
CAN YOU BUILD, CAN YOU BUILD A MOBILE HOME AT A DISCOUNTED PRICE? UM, WE, WE TALK ALL THE TIME ABOUT MOBILE HOMES.
SOUTH CAROLINA IS THE THIRD FASTEST GROWING MOBILE HOME.
FOR A MOBILE HOME, UH, LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND IT'S NOT GONNA STOP BECAUSE THE LAND IS SO EXPENSIVE THAT YOU CAN'T BUILD A HOUSE ON IT.
SO YOU PUT A MOBILE HOME ON IT, AND THEN THE LAND BECOMES THE THING THAT EVERYBODY IS ATTACHED TO.
SO THEY WANT TO KEEP THE MOBILE HOME ON THE LAND, NOT MOVE IT.
'CAUSE IT'S THE ONLY THING I'VE GOT, YOU KNOW? IT IS, THIS IS IT.
AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S A PROBLEM.
I'M HAVE THERE, YOU TALKED ABOUT WHAT I WAS QUESTIONING TOO.
'CAUSE PARTICULARLY I WAS SAYING ELEMENT SEMINAR LIAISON, IT IS MOBILE.
UM, IS THERE WITHIN BEAVER CHEST OR HOUSING TRUST FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING? LET'S FACE IT, SOME FOLKS DON'T MEET THE INCOME REQUIREMENTS.
THEY ARE EITHER ABOVE OR BELOW.
THEY DON'T FIT INTO THAT TIGHT BREATH.
IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PERHAPS A LEASE TO OWN? OBVIOUSLY WOULD TAKE A VERY, VERY LONG VETTING PROCESS OR VERY DETAILED VETTING PROCESS FOR SOMEONE TO DO THAT.
BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY LOVE GETTING HOME, BUT THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT TO BEGIN WITH.
BUT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY TO DO SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES? SO THE ANSWER IS YES.
UH, OUR APPROACH IS WE WOULD GO TO DEVELOPERS, BIG DEVELOPERS AND SAY, WHEN YOU ARE DOING YOUR SUBDIVISION, WOULD YOU SET ASIDE 20 UNITS FOR LEASE TIME? MM-HMM.
NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE, I CAN TELL YOU WHAT THEY'RE GONNA SAY, BUT THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO MANAGE 'EM.
BUT IF YOU PUT A PREMIUM AT THE CONVERSION THAT KIND OF PAYS FOR THAT RIGHT.
THEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE REALLY HAVING SOMEBODY BUILD EQUITY AND MAYBE IN A FIVE YEAR PERIOD OF TIME, THEY ARE A PLACE WHERE THEY'RE GONNA ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT.
AND WOULD THERE BE A WAY TO TIE INTO THAT PERHAPS A TAX BREAK IN SOME SENSE FOR THE DEVELOPER TO GET A MORE INCENTIVE TO DO THAT? YES.
THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE THAT WE HAD.
WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, WITH RESPECT TO HELPING DEVELOP, PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO HELP DEVELOPERS BECAUSE OF THE IMAGE OF WHAT DEVELOPERS ARE.
BUT YOU HAVE A LOT OF GOOD DEVELOPERS OUT THERE.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO STAY IN FOR A LONG TIME.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY HERE WE DON'T HAVE FAIR, MANY AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPERS WHO ARE FROM HERE.
AND MOST OF THOSE WORK IN CHARLESTON.
UH, SO, BUT THE ANSWER IS YES.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD LOOK AT AND SOMETHING WE COULD DISCUSS.
IN YOUR, UM, MEETINGS WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, I MEAN AWAY FROM YOU, KIND OF LIKE UP WITH CHARLESTON, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, HAVE YOU HAD DISCUSSIONS
[01:20:01]
ABOUT HOW TO RAISE THE PERCENTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS ARE IN ANY DEVELOPMENT? I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING I I THINK WE'RE ALL GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE IT CAME, IT'S COME UP TWICE VERY RECENTLY.SO, UM, JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON ED'S QUESTION, I MEAN YES.
WHAT ARE SOME BRAINSTORMING IDEAS OR FEEDBACK? IS IT STATED? YOU TALKING ABOUT PULTE? I MEAN, THAT'S FINE.
PULTE STARTED OUT WHEN THEY CAME TO US OFFERING 10 UNITS, THEN THEY RAISED IT TO 20 UNITS.
THEY GOT JUST BLASTED BY THE COUNTY.
I MEAN, THEY JUST DIDN'T, IT JUST WASN'T EVEN A STARTER.
AND PRIMARILY BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO SHOWED UP TO SPEAK AGAINST REALLY WEREN'T SPEAKING AGAINST THE PROJECT.
THEY WERE SAYING, YOU'RE NOT HELPING ME.
MY HOUSE IS ABOUT TO FALL DOWN, OR MY SEWER SYSTEM WON'T WORK.
AND THAT'S WHERE KIND OF THE, I THINK THE COUNTY LOOKED AT IT AND SAID, GEEZ, LET'S GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD ALTOGETHER.
AND I THINK THEY WILL, WHEN WE HAVE TAUGHT THERE, THERE IS SUCH A THING IN SOME STATES CALLED INCLUSIONARY ZONING INCLUSION.
INCLUSIONARY ZONING SAYS IF YOU WILL PUT X PERCENT OF YOUR PRODUCT AS AFFORDABLE, WE WILL GIVE YOU CERTAIN TAX BREAKS.
WE WILL GIVE YOU CERTAIN INCENTIVES.
UNFORTUNATELY, IN SOUTH CAROLINA, INCLUSIONARY ZONING IS NOT LEGAL.
UH, SO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO IS DO IT, LIKE WE WERE THINKING PULTE WAS GONNA DO IT AS A VOLUNTARY SYSTEM, UM, WHICH THEY WERE WILLING TO DO.
I MEAN, THEY, BUT PEOPLE ALSO LOOK AT PULTE AND GO, YOU'RE A BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY AND YOU CAN'T DO MORE THAN 20 UNITS.
COUNCILMAN SAID, IF THIS IS DISCUSSED AGAIN, I'M GONNA ASK FOR 50 UNITS.
SO THAT ONE WASN'T CAPTURED ON THE HOT MIC.
NO, IT WASN'T, IT WAS NOT CAPTURED ON THE HOT MIC.
UM, LET'S SEE, I ANOTHER TALK JUST ANYWAY, FORGET WE FLEW AWAY, BUT THEY'RE ALSO NOT GONNA PROPOSE DEVELOPMENT THAT DOESN'T MAKE MONEY.
AND SO, I MEAN, THAT'S THE INSURANCE.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE LONG AND SHORT OUT AND THEY HAVE TO MAKE MONEY.
BUT THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE TO, AND WE HAVE TO READ, WE DO.
AND THERE'S, AND THERE ARE WAYS TO DO IT.
SAY, DON'T KNOW THE WAYS I'M PUTTING HIM IN THE HOT SEAT.
YOU READY? YOU READY FOR YOUR TO START? YEAH.
WELL, SO I GUESS WE JUST GO OVER THIS REAL QUICK.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA JUMP BACK TO ECONOMY AND THEN I'LL GO HOW, UM, SO THIS IS JUST OUR BASIC, UM, STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS.
SO I ALREADY HAVE SOME COMMENTS ON SOME OF THESE ALONG WITH JULIANA.
UM, SO THIS FIRST ONE IS SUPPORT AND EXISTING ECONOMIC DRIVERS WE HAVE FOR OIL, SOUND SUPPLY CHAIN FOR TOURISM, GROWTH OF TOURISM, THAT NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
AND THEN, THEN OUR ACTION IS SEEK PARTNERSHIP WITH FORT GROVE SOUND FOUNDATION.
UM, I THINK THAT ONE CAN KIND OF REMAIN THAT ONE'S.
THIS IS BASICALLY KIND OF REFLECTING THAT, YOU KNOW, WHY DO PEOPLE WANT TO MOVE HERE? UH, WHAT ARE OUR CURRENT STRENGTHS, YOU KNOW, HOSPITALITY, TOURISM, THE MILITARY OR ECONOMIC DRIVERS AND HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE DIVERSIFY, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WHAT, WHAT IT IS THAT DRIVES THE ECONOMY.
SO THE FIRST ONE REALLY FOCUSES A LOT ON THE HOSPITALITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
THE SECOND ONE JUMPS INTO SPECIFICALLY THE MILITARY.
AND SO WHAT THAT DOES IS REALLY, IT'S TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MILITARY, ESPECIALLY WELL FOR ALL OF BEAUFORD COUNTY, BUT ESPECIALLY NORTHERN BEAUFORD COUNTY.
AND SO THAT ANYTHING THAT WE DO AS A COUNTY TO SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN THE BASES, YOU KNOW, FIGHTING, MAKING SURE THAT WE, UM, DON'T PERMIT ENCROACHMENTS ON THE AIR STATION.
UM, I THINK ALL OF THESE THINGS LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAY IN.
BUT, UM, THAT'S WHAT THESE FIRST TWO, UH, POLICIES HAVE TO DO WITH, AND WITH EACH POLICY, NOT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, BUT THEY HAVE, THEY THEN HAVE AN ACTIONABLE ITEM.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S IN OUR ACTION PLAYBOOK AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION.
SO THE ONLY THING I MIGHT ADD THERE IS I, I'VE NOT INTERACTED WITH THE PORT ROYAL SOUND GROUP FOUNDATION THAT MUCH, BUT I'VE INTERACTED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS.
SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO, UH, MAKE THAT MORE NEUTRAL.
TO, THIS SEEMS TO HAVE A BIAS TOWARDS ONE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP VERSUS ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS.
AND I, I ACTUALLY AGREE
[01:25:01]
SOUND FOUNDATION, THEY WERE VERY, I IMAGINE I CAN ONLY, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT VOICE WAS.BUT IT WOULD BE, WHICH I AGREE.
I THINK THEY'RE A GREAT ORGANIZATION, BUT I AGREE THAT WE SHOULDN'T JUST CALL OUT ONE.
AND SO I THINK WHAT THAT, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD COMMENT.
WITH THE MILITARY, I MEAN, EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, THE, UM, AIRPORT OVERLAY, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENTING THE, THOSE RESTRICTIONS, THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH THE AIR STATION ON LAND PURCHASES IN THE AREA OF INTEREST AROUND THE AIR STATION, ALL OF THESE THINGS KIND OF PLAY INTO STRENGTHENING.
AND I THINK THERE'S ALSO RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT, UM, WORKING ON ENVIRONMENTAL, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE, UH, WORKED WITH THEM ON SEA LEVEL RISE AND PARTNERING PROJECTS WITH LIVING SHORELINES.
SO ALL OF THESE THINGS KIND OF FALL UNDER THAT UMBRELLA, UM, FOR THE AIR STATION.
THE O ONLY THING I MIGHT ADD HERE IS, IS THAT YOU MAY WANT TO REALLY FLOWER IT UP A LOT TO SAY THAT, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY WANTS TO DISTINGUISH ITSELF AS ONE OF THE BEST COMMUNITIES IN THE US FOR THE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE REALLY WANNA BE THEIR PARTNER AT SOME POINT.
YOU MAY POINT TO THIS DOCUMENT TO SAY THAT IT IS, IT IS UNDERSTOOD BY ALL MEMBERS OF THE BEAUFORT COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE SUPPORTIVE.
SO IF YOU EVER GO THROUGH A BRACKET AGAIN WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING AT BASE REALIGNMENT AND CLOSING, UH, CLOSURE THAT THIS DOCUMENT, UH, UNDERSCORES HOW IMPORTANT, UH, AND, AND THE HIGH REGARD THAT WE ALL HOLD THE, UH, UH, DEFENSE DEPARTMENT OR WAR DEPARTMENT IN.
AND I'M GONNA, IT'S, I'M NOT SURE HOW THIS REALLY TIES IN.
THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO, BUT, BUT DO, DO WE KNOW WITHIN THE COUNTY AT ALL, IF WE DO ANY, THIS IS PROBABLY A BAD WORD TO USE, DO WE DO ANY RECRUITING AT THESE FACILITIES FOR MEMBERS, MILITARY MEMBERS THAT ARE GETTING READY TO SEPARATE? 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE A LARGE SKILLSET SET IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS, BUT DO WE DO ANYTHING TO GO AFTER THESE FOLKS TO KEEP 'EM HERE? YES.
UM, SO MY COLLEAGUE AND I ARE AT THE MILITARY BASE, UM, TWICE A MONTH.
UM, AT THEIR BOTH OR JUST, UH, JUST, WE JUST GO TO THE AIR STATION.
UM, WE'VE HAD PARTNERS, BUT AT THE DON RYAN CENTER WHO HAVE, UM, WITH THE TOWN OF LUPTON WHO HAVE GONE TO PARIS ISLAND, UM, AND EVERYTHING THAT MC A S ONE SEEMS TO BE LARGELY ATTENDED OF HIGHER ATTENDANCE NUMBERS.
SO WE'VE BEEN AT THOSE, OKAY? MM-HMM
WE WANT TO DISTINGUISH OURSELVES AS THE MARINE CORPS, AS ALUMNI CLUB THAT LOOKS TO PLACE THEM IN JOBS.
AND IF YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE, WE FEATURE THE MARINES AS, UH, THE SKILLED WORKFORCE, A UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND I THINK AS YOU, YOU'VE PROBABLY ALREADY FOUND THERE ARE A LOT OF GUYS, NOT JUST AT
THERE ARE SOME GUYS THERE THAT HAVE PHENOMENAL EXPERIENCE, THAT HAVE RETIRED E EIGHT E NINES THAT A VERY YOUNG AGE, THAT HAVE SUPERIOR ADMINISTRATIVE AND BUSINESS SKILLS ON HOW TO RUN A COMPANY AND ORGANIZATION OR WHATEVER.
IT JUST HASN'T BEEN PUT INTO THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
COULD WE PUT THE MILITARY GUYS ON REPAIRING HOUSES? THEY WRECKED HOUSES, WANTS IT HAS
THE, UM, WE COULD, A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, ELKCOCK SPONSORED THE MILITARY INSTALLATION RESILIENCE REVIEW AND THERE WAS A NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT THEY IDENTIFIED ON A PRIORITIZATION BASIS IN THE CASE OF CLIMATE AND EMERGENCIES AND SO ON, THAT NEEDED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE OF THEIR ELEVATION LEVELS OR THE ROAD STRUCTURE.
THEY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ROUTING AND SO ON.
AND THEY IDENTIFY THESE DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE, WHAT WE'VE DONE OR HOW WE'VE INDICATED WE WOULD, WE WOULD SUPPORT THEM GOING FORWARD WITH THIS.
I NOT, THERE'S NOT BEEN THAT I'M AWARE OF MUCH POPULAR DIALOGUE ABOUT THOSE DIFFERENT, UH, INITIATIVES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED.
IT WAS A, IT'S ABOUT EIGHT OF THEM THAT WERE REALLY, UH, VERY WELL THOUGHT THROUGH BY ENGINEERS THAT WERE BROUGHT IN.
AND I THOUGHT THAT WE DID HAVE A, AN ACTION ITEM THAT DEALT WITH THAT.
THERE WAS ONE IN SHELL POINT, I THINK.
AND WE, WE HAVE, HAVE PARTNERED WITH THEM, UM, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY, THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL IN PROMOTING THOSE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE PROVIDED LOCAL SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, SO THERE IS AN ONGOING COOPERATION WITH THEM.
WE ALSO WORK WITH, UM, THE MILITARY ON A LOT OF RESILIENCE PLANNING ISSUES.
UM, I, I THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT REFERRED TO THAT IN HERE OVER HERE.
[01:30:01]
UM, WELL THAT'S OPEN SPACE.WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO HEAR MORE FROM THE MILITARY.
AND A LOT OF TIMES IT'S A, THEY DID A, UH, RESILIENCE STUDY FOR THE AIR STATION AND HAVE LIKE CERTAIN PROJECTS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT.
IS IT NOT THIS ONE? MILITARY INSTALLATION,
WELL, THIS ONE WAS COMPLETED IN 2022.
SO THIS MAY BE EXPANDED TO TALK ABOUT ASSISTING WITH IMPLEMENTATION.
THIS MIGHT BE AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THOSE REVISIONS REMOVING OBSTACLES TO IMPLEMENTATION AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
UM, I SHOULD PROBABLY KNOW WHAT THIS IS, BUT I DON'T.
THE 2015 LOWCOUNTRY JOINT LAND USE STUDY, IS THAT STILL RELEVANT? WHERE, WHERE IS IT? UM, YES, IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTATION, WHAT THAT, IT'S SUCH A FANCY WORD, BUT REALLY WHAT IT WAS, WAS LOOKING AT, THEY DID A, UM, KIND OF A SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS BASED ON THE F 35 B COMING IN OF THE NOISE CONTOURS, THE BASED ON THEIR FLIGHT PATTERNS, THE CRASH ZONES, ACCIDENT POTENTIAL ZONES.
AND THIS IS ALL THE PROCESS OF GETTING THAT IMPLEMENTED INTO A LOCAL, UH, OVERLAY DISTRICT.
AND SO THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE F 18.
SO IN SUPPORTING THAT JOINT LAND USE STUDY, UM, IT, IT'S HAPPENING THROUGH THAT IMPLEMENTING THE AIRPORT OVERLAY, WHICH MEANS RESTRICTING DEBT DENSITY AND THE HIGHEST NOISE ZONES, ACCIDENT POTENTIAL ZONES.
THERE'S SOME RESTRICTIONS ON USE.
THERE'S REQUIREMENTS FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL, UH, NOISE ATTENUATION IN HOUSES.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE HAVE THAT IN ADDITION TO THE AIR STATION HAS A LARGER AREA OF INTEREST AROUND IT THAT WE WORK, WORK MORE WITH THEM ON LAND PURCHASES THROUGH LIKE THE GREEN SPACE PROGRAM, UM, PARTNERING WITH SOME OF THE, THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UH, GRANT PROGRAMS. SO WE'RE STILL IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATION.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S SORT OF LIKE UNTIL THEY INTRODUCE A NEW AIRCRAFT, WE'RE KIND OF, WE'RE IN THAT THE SAME NOISE CONTOURS AND THEN THE E TWO TWO.
UM, I KNOW IN THE DOCUMENT THEY, YOU KNOW, WENT OVER A COUPLE OF TIME CONDITIONS AGO IN TERMS OF THE ACTION ITEMS. UM, IT DIDN'T LIST THAT THE STATUS WAS ABOVE.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S JUST STILL OUT THERE WAITING TO
JUST, YOU KNOW, LOWERED PEOPLE'S EXPECTATIONS.
IT'S BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TO IMPLEMENT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
ONE OF THEM HAD TO DO WITH WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME MARKET FOR HIGH DENSITY AND IS PLACES SUCH AS MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND, WHERE, WHERE THESE KIND OF PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
AND ALSO IN ANY KIND OF TRANSFER DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS PROGRAM, YOU'RE BASICALLY, YOU'RE TRYING TO CREATE A DEMAND IN AREAS WHERE WE WANT HIGH DENSITY FOR THEM TO BUY DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS IN ORDER TO PRESERVE AREAS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO PRESERVE.
A LOT OF THE HIGH DENSITY AREAS ARE IN THE MUNICIPALITIES THAT THEY'VE NEVER REALLY BOUGHT INTO THE PROGRAM AS WELL.
AND SO WE'VE, THAT'S BEEN KIND OF ON HOLD.
IT'S STILL IN THERE AS LANGUAGE
IT'S BEEN AN IDEA THAT'S BEEN OUT THERE FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS NOW.
AND WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON STUDIES ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT IT.
BUT I THINK IT, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT GROWTH DYNAMIC HERE TO SUPPORT IT.
UM, SO I THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
WE WANT TO CONTINUALLY KEEP THAT IDEA ALIVE AND THEN MAYBE SOME, SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE IT MIGHT BE WORKABLE.
UM, E THREE TARGET RECRUITMENT INDUSTRIES.
I DID HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU, JOHN, IF YOU THOUGHT THIS ONE WAS STILL APPROPRIATE.
[01:35:01]
I'M GONNA KEEP THAT UP.YOU, IN THE LAST YEAR WE, UH, OR THE LAST SIX MONTHS, WE'VE PURCHASED 117 ACRES IN LIKO, UH, UH, 14.77 ACRES ON PARKER DRIVE IN BEAUFORT.
YOU, I, I GET, I'LL PUT THIS OUT THERE.
YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SHOULDN'T OCCUR IN BEAUFORT COUNTY WHERE IT'S BEST PLACED.
UH, THAT MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR HILTON HEAD OR EVEN BLUFFTON.
UH, AND I THINK IT KIND OF DIVIDES UP OUR PURPOSES TO THINK THAT WE REALLY CAN SPRINKLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN EACH COMMUNITY.
SO IF WE FOSTER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT COMMERCE PARK, SOMEBODY FROM PORT ROYAL SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET THERE TO WORK.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT REALLY SPRINKLING THIS AROUND.
THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING IN THERE ABOUT, UH, UH, UH, CONTINUE AND IDENTIFY, UH, SITES FOR PURCHASE MM-HMM
THAT FIT WITH THE PLAN OF DEVELOPMENT.
WHY, WHY PUT A GOAL IN THERE? THE IDEA IS TO CONTINUE TO DO IT, BUT HERE'S OUR GOAL.
SO SOMETHING LIKE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO I, I WOULD SAY, UH, 30 ACRES ANNUALLY MIGHT BE A TARGET GOING FORWARD.
THAT'S GOAL, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
COUNTY COUNTYWIDE, NOT NECESSARILY IN EACH JURISDICTION, NOT IN A JU JURISDICTION BECAUSE I, I THINK IT'S, UH, THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES THINK LIKE THEIR KIDS COMMUNICATE, UH, UH, UH, COMPETING FOR SOMETHING VERSUS REALLY THE BEST THAT ARE OUT THERE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PRESSURES ON WORKFORCE HOUSING AND LOCATIONS.
YOU THE GREEN PENN'S ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE TAKING LAND OFF THE MARKETPLACE, NOW YOU'RE DRIVING UP YOUR COST TOO.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE THESE, AND THEN YOU'VE GOT THE ES AND THE, UH, AND EVERYONE ELSE.
SO YOU'VE GOTTA LOOK AT ALL THESE COMPETING INTERESTS AS MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT TO HAVE A BALANCED COMMUNITY IN THE FUTURE.
WELL, WHEN YOU HAD TALKED ABOUT EARLIER THAT AEROSPACE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THE GARDEN CORNERS OR ON OTHER SIDE OF 21, WHICH BY GREEN SPACE.
SO YOU'VE GOT THAT BIG AREA THAT COULD HAVE BEEN USED FOR ECONOMIC
WELL, NO, THAT'S THE ONE WE LOOKED AT THAT WE COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING.
BUT 58 ACRES DRY, SO, WELL, THERE YOU GO.
THAT WAS, WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM ON THAT.
AND THE 58 ACRES WAS SERVED BY, IT WAS NOT SERVED BY ANY INFRASTRUCTURE, SO IT WAS NOT ATTRACTIVE STUDY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THEM, UH, HAVE TO DO WITH THE COUNTY'S PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RATE, REGISTERED COUNTY BASED AIRCRAFT.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM OR WHO THAT WOULD BE RELATED TO.
WHAT IS IT? IT SAYS, UM, REDUCED COUNTY'S PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RATES FOR REGISTERED COUNTY BASED AIRCRAFT.
WHICH ONE? TAXING THE COUNTY THEY OWN.
OWN AND WELL, THOSE PARTS ARE NO, THEY, THEY'RE OWN LOAN FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF DENVER.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT THE MOSQUITO PATROL.
SO IT, IT WOULD MEAN PEOPLE WHO LICENSE, LICENSE THEIR PLANE SET, YOU KNOW,
THAT IT, THAT SEEMS LIKE SOMEBODY'S PET PEEVE.
SEEMS LIKE YOU BETTER LOOK AT WHICH COUNCIL MEMBER LIES.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER IT CAME FROM JOHN REBEL OR CLARIFY.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE ATTRACTIVE THINGS ABOUT THE PROJECT WE'RE DOING ON HILTON IS TAX REVENUE THAT YOU COULD EXPECT.
UM, WE ARE THINKING ABOUT GETTING RID OF THIS ONE JUST BECAUSE WE CAN'T WITH THE, UH, THE UTILITY COMPANY WORRIES ABOUT LEADING ENERGY STAR.
I BUILDING PERMIT ANYTHING IN SPEAKING WITH OUR BUILDING DEPARTMENT, THEY SAID THAT THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE REALLY CAN'T.
UM, NOW WHAT DOES THAT READ? UH, ACCELERATED BUILDING PERMIT PROCESS.
THERE'S SOME SOMETHING IN THIS RECOMMENDATION THAT'S NOT QUITE WORKABLE.
I MEAN, I KNOW THAT WE WANT TO PROMOTE LEAD AND ENERGY STAR, BUT THIS INCENTIVE AND IT BEING IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SECTION, WE'D NEVER GET THAT THROUGH THIS COUNCIL.
IF I BROUGHT A A, AN INCENTIVE TO THE COUNCIL BASED ON ENERGY CONSUMPTION, IT WOULD, THEY WOULD BOOM ME OUT OF THE ROOM.
BUT, UH, ON THE OTHER SIDE, UH, YOU HAVE, UH, JUST ACROSS FROM E FOUR THERE, YOU HAVE SUPPORT AND THE SPEC BUILDINGS.
[01:40:01]
THAT WE CAN, WE CAN, IF WE PURSUE THE SET SPEC BUILDINGS, WHICH WE DO MM-HMMWE'RE GONNA REMIND COUNSEL OF THIS ON MONDAY.
UM, UH, WE CAN INCENTIVIZE THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
SO YOU CAN DEDUCT THIS, THE PURPLE, UM, TARGET LAND S AND THEN I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANYTHING LEFT ON HERE THAT HAS ANY ACTIONS, WHICH I FOUND A LITTLE.
THESE ARE, SO WE HAVE POLICIES AND ACTIONS.
POLICIES ARE KIND OF POSITIONS OF COUNSEL OR GUIDES IN ON HOW TO MAKE DECISIONS.
ACTIONS ARE ACTUAL THINGS THAT THEY COULD DO.
SO THESE NOT LESS THREE OR MORE LIKE POLICY POSITIONS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE COUNCIL'S NOT REALLY, IT DOESN'T HAVE A DIRECT ROLE IN LIKE DEVELOPING A HIGHLY SKILLED, WELL-TRAINED WORKFORCE.
BUT THEY COULD WORK WITH OTHER ENTITIES THAT DO, THAT COULD DRIVE THEM ON A PROJECT COMING FORWARD THROUGH TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF THE LOW COUNTRY FOR, UH, ARTHUR BROWN TRAINING SUBJECT.
WE HAVE SOME STUFF FOR, YEAH, THERE.
YOU MAY HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THIS CAME FROM.
A SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD AMEND A CURRENT SOUTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT QUALIFYING CRITERIA FROM A PER CAPITA INCOME BASE TO AN AVERAGE REGIONAL WAGE BASE.
I THINK THAT THAT'S BASED ON OUR, THE WEALTH OF BEFORD COUNTY IS SKEWED WHEN YOU GO PER CAPITA INCOME.
BUT IF YOU ACTUALLY LOOK AT AVERAGE WAGES, WE'RE MUCH LOWER.
UM, WE DO SPEAK OUT ON THIS TOO, BECAUSE YOU CAN BE A TIER ONE COUNTY, SO YOU'RE EXCLUDED FROM ALL SORTS OF BENEFITS.
BUT WHEN YOU GET TO BEST DESCRIBED BEAUFORT TO ME WAS ISLANDS OF OPULENCE WITH THE SEA OF POVERTY.
AND SO YOU GET TO THESE OTHER, YOU GET TO JURISDICTIONS WITHIN BEAUFORT AND THEY COULD BE AS NEEDY AS A, AS A, AS A NEIGHBORHOOD NOW IN DALE COUNTY OR SOMETHING.
SO, UH, WE, I, I KEEP THAT IN THERE JUST SO THAT, UH, WE CAN CONTINUE TO VOICE, UH, A CONCERN WHEN WE'RE WITH POLICY MAKERS ABOUT HOW THEY DETERMINE IT COULD, THE LANGUAGE COULD BE CLEARER TO SAY THAT YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE BLANKET POLICY, UH, FOR A WHOLE COUNTY WHEN WITHIN IT YOU HAVE CERTAIN ZIP CODES THAT ARE AS POOR AS ANY OTHER AREA.
OR CHALLENGE OR SUPPORT GREEN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT MEET ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS, BUT STREAMLINE THE REVIEW PROCESS AS WELL AS CREATING FEE REDUCTIONS AND WAIVERS AND BUILDING SEQUENCE.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE THROUGH THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CODE.
SO THAT'S NOT TIED TO BUILDING OKAY.
UM, I THINK, UNLESS YOU KNOW OF ANYTHING ELSE ON WITHIN THE ECONOMY SECTION, YOU E FIVE ONE MARKET LAND, THERE'S BEEN, WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED A LOT AT BUCK BOULDER PLACE AND, AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN EXCUSE DEVELOPMENT.
I THINK WHAT THIS IS POINTING OUT IS PROMOTING OTHER COMMUNITIES LIKE PUCK BOULDER, WHERE WE HAVE, UM, A MIX OF LAND USES AND PROMOTING WALKABILITY.
IT'D BE INTERESTING THIS GETS RATIFIED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL.
AND WHAT WE'RE GETTING FROM COUNTY COUNCIL AND, AND WE CAN RESPECT THAT.
SO YOU GET INTO THE BUCKWALTER AREA, THE MARKET WILL PAY THAT $900, UH, PER ACRE, $900,000 PER ACRE.
WHEREAS WE DON'T HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL TO BUY IT.
AND WHAT WE GET FROM COUNTY COUNCIL IS THAT THEY THINK THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE INTERFERING WITH THE FREE MARKET WHEN IT COMES TO PLACES LIKE THAT.
SO IT'S KIND OF INTEREST, AND YOU MAY WANT TO, I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE DENSITY AND LESS RELIANCE ON CARS, BUT YOU MIGHT DO THAT SOMEWHERE ELSE IN, IN THIS THROUGH YOUR APPROVAL PROCESSES.
BUT WE, WE, WE DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET TO BUY THAT KIND OF LAND.
I'M JUST GONNA, IT, IT COULD MAYBE THE, I THINK IT'S STILL A GOOD, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS AN EFFORT MAYBE 10 YEARS AGO WITH THE, THE, UM, BUCKINGHAM AREA OF BLUFFTON WHERE YOU HAVE A LOT OF WAREHOUSES AND TRYING TO DEVELOP THAT AS AN INNOVATION DISTRICT.
SO I THINK THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE KIND OF MIXED USE DISTRICTS THAT MIGHT PROMOTE, UH, BUSINESS INC.
INCUBATORS OR, YOU KNOW, TO REFLECT THE COUNCIL THOUGH YOU WOULD SAY WORK WITH DEVELOPERS YEAH.
TO MAYBE TAKE THE EMPHASIS OFF THE
[01:45:01]
LAND, THE BUYING.SO YOU CAN STILL IN SOME WAY, BUT NOT TO BEING PURCHASE.
BOB, IS THERE MORE WE CAN DO TO, UH, IDENTIFY AND PROMOTE, UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SKILLS OR MISMATCHES IN THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SKILLS? I READ SOMEWHERE THERE WAS A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN 20 TO 2023.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THAT? NO, I'M NOT.
ANYWAY, THERE'S A QUESTION OF, OF THE MISMATCH OF WORKFORCE SKILLS, MISMATCH AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT AND MODERATE WAGE GROWTH IN DO COUNTY.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S SOMETHING MORE THAT WE CAN DO TO PROMOTE OR INCENTIVIZE OR WORK WITH ORGANIZATIONS TO REDUCE WORKFORCE, TO IMPROVE WORKFORCE SKILLS AND REDUCE ANY MISMATCHES.
UM, I MEAN I CAN, IT JUST SEEMED TO ME SOMETHING UNDER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WE VERY MUCH LOVE TO COME AND HAS BEEN TO BE OUR MEETINGS THERE, THERE WAS A STUDY, I THINK BY THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE ON, ON THAT, YOU KNOW, DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME MM-HMM
AND, AND THAT PROBABLY COMES THROUGH WORK AND WITH OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE KIND OF, UH, APPROACH THAT.
I'M JUST LOOKING FOR SOME DATA I HAVE ON WAGE GROWTH IN, IN THIS MSA.
SO THAT STUDY WAS DONE BY THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA, SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE.
WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT AND LOOK AT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THAT REPORT.
I KNOW WHAT I, YEAH, I THINK, I THINK WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS IN WHAT WAYS IS S BEAUFORT COUNTY, EITHER THROUGH ITS POLICY OR THROUGH ACTIONS ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT THAT.
AND SO I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, WE DO LIST THESE THREE BULLET ITEMS AND WE'LL LOOK THROUGH THAT TO SEE IF THAT SHEDS ADDITIONAL LIGHT ON THIS FOR SIX.
DO WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE FOR AUTONOMY BEFORE WE MOVE ON? CLA ARE YOU GOOD WITH ANOTHER 15 MINUTES NOTES? SURE.
IS EVERYONE ELSE GOOD WITH THAT? I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T HEAR WHAT YOU SAID.
OH, 15 MORE MINUTES YOU THINK.
THIS, THIS IS A STEPPING STONE.
A BUILDING STONE
NO, THIS ONE'S A LITTLE SHORTER.
UM, I DID GET YOUR UPDATES TO PERCENTAGES, SO WE'LL IMPLEMENT THAT.
UM, AND MAYBE GET RID OF THIS PART ABOUT THE WAIT LIST FOR THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS.
YOU CAN'T OPEN IT BECAUSE THERE'S TOO MANY.
DO YOU KNOW, LIKE DO YOU KNOW WHEN IT MAY OPEN? YEAH.
SO IT WAS CLOSED FOR THREE YEARS.
YEAH, THEY OPENED IT FOR A WEEK.
THEY ADDED 3000 PEOPLE TO THE LIST.
AND IT'S CLOSED AGAIN IMMEDIATELY.
THAT'S T YEAH, BECAUSE THERE'S A THOUSAND I THINK VOUCHERS THAT ARE UNUSED BECAUSE THERE'S NO, NOBODY THAT WILL TAKE THEM.
SO FIRST ONE WAS DEVELOP POLICY FOR APPROPRIATE LOCATION AND QUALITY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, AND OUR ACTION WAS CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING LOCATION CRITERIA AND FOR YOU TO REFINE AFFORDABLE HOUSING LOCATION MAPPING INCLUDED WITH
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD DO.
DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD ALSO USE THE WORD WORKFORCE IN HERE AS WELL? WORKFORCE AND AFFORDABLE? YES.
I FEEL LIKE, I FEEL LIKE IT'S MORE INCLUSIVE AND IT'S NOT MARKET, BUT IT'S STILL, I, I FEEL LIKE IF YOU'RE TALKING YOU, AND WE'VE SAID SO MUCH ABOUT WORKFORCE, I THINK YOU NEED TO INCLUDE WORKFORCE AND AFFORDABLE.
'CAUSE IT'S OUT OF THE REALM OF A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE.
THE LOCAL RESPONSE TO THE TERM AFFORDABLE IS NOT NOT GOOD DEAL.
IT'S ANOMA IF THEY'RE SYNONYMOUS.
SHOULD WE THEY'RE NOT SYNONYMOUS THOUGH.
UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DIFFERENT.
A MI KIND OF RESTRICTION ON WORKFORCE AND AFFORDABLE.
I MEAN, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING PEOPLE STILL HAVE TO BE WORKING.
YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING AND LIVING IN PENAL POINT IN CARRINGTON MANOR.
THOSE RENTS ARE STILL 15 AND $1,600 A MONTH FOR A ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT.
SO THERE'S, THEY'VE GOT TO HAVE SOME KIND OF OTHER INCOME.
THEY'RE NOT JUST A SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENT.
THEY'VE GOTTA HAVE SOMETHING ELSE.
HOW WOULD YOU WANT US TO PUT THAT IN THE COMP? WOULD YOU WANT THAT TO SAY? I WOULD JUST, WHEREVER YOU HAVE AFFORDABLE, SAY WORKFORCE UN AFFORDABLE.
[01:50:01]
REPLACE, I I WOULD DO IT EVERY TIME.YOU KNOW WHAT I RECOMMEND THAT WE DO, BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, IS THAT WE DEFINE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WORKFORCE HOUSING.
IT COULD EVEN BE A POLICY THAT, FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS, BECAUSE I CAN ASK THAT QUESTION A LOT AND I KNOW THAT IT'S IN OTHER STUDIES THAT WE HAVE.
BASED ON WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, IT SHOULD BE WORDED WORKFORCE AND AFFORDABLE, NOT AFFORDABLE.
AND WORKFORCE PUT WORKFORCE FIRST.
IT JUST SOFTENS IT A LITTLE BIT.
AND WE JUST TRY TO MAKE IT AS, AS APPEALING AS IT CAN BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, UM, THE REACTION.
WE WANT IT TO BE HERE, NOT HERE.
AND WORKFORCE, IF YOU PUT IT FIRST JUST, AND IT FLOWS A LITTLE BETTER ACTUALLY WORKFORCE AND AFFORDABLE IS AFFORDABLE AND WORKFORCE, I THINK YOU VIOLATE THE, UH, ALPHABET DEFENSE.
I DO, I DO VIOLATE THE ALPHABET.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA ASK YOU KIND OF ANOTHER STUPID QUESTION I GAVE JOHN IS HAVE TO GIVE YOU MOST QUESTION.
WHAT, WHAT TYPE OF PROMOTING ARE YOU FOLKS DOING TO MAKE THE SERVICES THAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE? AND I, I HAVE TO USE THIS AS AN EXAMPLE 'CAUSE I GIGGLE AT IT EVERY OTHER MONTH.
STORM WATER ACTUALLY HAS SOMETHING CALLED LIKE A, A POOP PROGRAM TO PICK UP YOUR DOG POOP.
AND IT'S THAT ALL THE, THE COUNTY AND CITY FUNCTIONS ARE YOU MAKING YOUR PRESENCE KNOW NOT ONLY THESE FUNCTIONS, BUT PROMOTING YOURSELF IN OTHER VENUES SO THAT FOLKS KNOW THAT THIS IS OUT THERE AND THAT THEY NEED TO REACH OUT TO YOU.
I MEAN WE, IN SOME AREAS IT IS, BUT IN, WE HAVE A, A VERY, UM, NOT A REALLY COMPLICATED WEBSITE, BUT A ONE THAT IS COMPREHENSIVE THAT ANYONE CAN GO ON.
OUR PARTNERS ALSO WHEN THEY ARE WORKING WITH DIRECTLY, LET'S SAY DO A HOME REPAIR.
THEY'RE TELLING THAT PERSON, WE GOT OUR MONEY FROM YOU FOR JASPER HOUSING TRUST.
AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S GOOD FOR WORD OF MOUTH, BUT I, I MEAN JUST HAD A ROUGH IDEA HERE AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU DO THIS TO A LOT OF FOLKS THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET OR CAN'T BE ON THERE, WHAT THEY DO IS THEY GO TO THE LIBRARY.
IS THERE SOMETHING THERE IN THE LIBRARY THAT PERHAPS COULD BE HANDED OUT OR DISTRIBUTED TO SAY AS LONG AS YOU'RE HERE? SO THE BE FOR, JUST FOR HOUSING TRUST IS STILL JUST US TWO.
SO, UM, WE CAN'T REALLY HAVE ALL EIGHT JURISDICTIONS DECIDE TO CALL US AT ONE TIME TO ASK FOR HELP.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD ON HOW WE INTAKE PEOPLE AND HOW WE, BECAUSE ALL OF THAT BUILDS FOR FUTURE PROGRAMMING THAT WE CAN SLIDE THEM INTO, WHETHER IT BEING A CITY OF BEAUFORT REPAIR PROGRAM, A STATE REPAIR PROGRAM.
SO WE ARE TRYING TO BUILD SOME SYSTEMS TO INTAKE, BUT WE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A BRAND NEW ORGANIZATION.
ONE OF THINGS IN DECEMBER 23, 1 OF THE THINGS THAT A BLUFFTON COUNCILMAN HAS ASKED US TO DO, AND WE ARE WORKING ON IT NOW, HAS NOT, IS TO CREATE A, A CENTRAL WAREHOUSE THAT A PERSON COULD GO TO TO FIND ALL OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN BEFORD, JASPER COUNTY.
WHERE IT IS, WHAT THE RENTS ARE, THERE ARE CERTAIN SOME THINGS WE CAN'T PUT IN THERE, BUT THAT DOESN'T EXIST RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'RE CREATING THAT ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, WE ARE PRACTICALLY EVERYBODY WE'VE TALKED TO IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF SAYS, WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE COUPLE HOUSING AND TELL US WHAT IT IS YOU DO.
UH, IT'S A PRETTY SKEWED ORGANIZATIONS, SOME VERY, YOU KNOW, PRO HOUSING ORGANIZATIONS AND SOME THAT ARE NOT SO
BUT JENNIFER'S RIGHT, AS WE GET BIGGER, WE'LL HAVE MORE
BUT WE TRY, I MEAN THERE'S NOT A LOT WE CAN DO RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO, WE WE HAVE, WE CAN AT LEAST TAKE THEM, SHOW THEM OTHER PLACES, PARTNERS TRYING TO RIGHT NOW.
WELL AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING OF, YOU KNOW, WITH THE ACTIONS ON HERE, YOU CAN CREATE THAT, THE SORT HOUSING LOCATIONS AND CRITERIA, BLAH BLAH BLAH.
BUT WE MAY WANT TO ADD SOMETHING INTO THAT THAT SAYS, HERE'S WHERE YOU CAN ACCESS OR LET'S YOU KNOW, LOWER MEDIUM PARTY SOMEPLACE TO BETTER ACCESS SINCE YOU WOULD SAY YES WE, THAT IS VERY COMPREHENSIVE WEBSITE.
LET'S MAKE SURE WE GET IT OUT THERE AND GET IT ACCESSIBLE.
WE'RE ALSO LAUNCHING A COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH COMMITTEE IN JANUARY, WHICH WILL HELP US WITH SOME OF THAT MESSAGING AND, AND HOW TO PUT IT OUT THERE A LITTLE MORE OPENLY AND FREELY.
WE WORK WITH, BUT WE WORK WITH SEVERAL NONPROFIT PARTNERS AND ALL ACROSS THE TWO COUNTY AREA THAT HAVE OUR INFORMATION THAT ARE GIVING THAT OUT TO PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE THAT ACCESS.
BUT WE ARE LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS TO GET THE WORK OUT.
I UNDERSTAND YOU, YOU DO HAVE A SIGN FOR THE HOSPITAL TO WORK WHEN YOU CHECK, UH, BEAUFORT, JASPER COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CLINICS WOULD BE AN OBVIOUS GOOD PLACE TO UM, PUT LITERATURE.
[01:55:01]
MEAN THE ONE OUT ON ST HE IS LITERALLY NEXT DOOR TO THE LIBRARY AND THEY'RE VERY PROACTIVE AT BOTH OF THOSE INSTITUTIONS.I'M SURE THEY REALLY, ALRIGHT.
UM, I WANTED TO SEE IF Y'ALL STILL AGREE WITH THIS, UM, ON OUR END TO CONSIDER EXPANDING THE REQUIRED AFFORDABILITY PERIOD TO 25 YEARS.
DO Y'ALL STILL, IS THAT STILL AN APPROPRIATE THAT THAT REFERS TO ONE SPECIFIC DENSITY BONUS IN OUR CODES? YEAH, I THINK THE BIGGER QUESTION WOULD BE EXPANDING THE DENSITY BONUS AND THEN WE COULD OPEN UP A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW LONG THE, THE PERIOD OF AFFORDABILITY WOULD BE.
SO IF, IF A DEVELOPER IS USING LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS, HE'S ALREADY SIGNED OR SHE'S ALREADY SIGNED ON FOR 30 YEAR.
SO MAYBE ADJUST THAT ON OUR END TO REFLECT THAT.
BECAUSE I THINK IN SOME CASES WE WOULD BE USING THEM IN CONJUNCTION WITH SEVERAL HOUSING TAX CREDITS.
SO WHERE THIS WOULD APPLY IS TO THE PULTE DEAL BECAUSE THAT IS, THEY ARE SETTING ASIDE THE UNITS BUT THEY'RE NOT USING ANY FEDERAL FUNDING.
SO IF YOU WANT TO SAY THESE UNITS HAVE TO STAY AFFORDABLE TO 80% A MI FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS, UH, THAT WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD PLACE TO APPLY THAT.
SO THEN I UNDERSTAND THAT THEN YOU ARE PUTTING A RESTRICTION ON THE FUTURE SALE AS TO WHAT THEY CAN SELL IT FOR.
'CAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WOULD TRY TO TAKE YES.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE ANTI FLIPPING LANGUAGE IN ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO.
'CAUSE WE KNOW, I MEAN IT'S, YEAH, IT'S A NO NO-BRAINER.
YOU'D GIVE ME A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN AN APPRECIATION ON MY HOUSE AND I WANT FLIP IT TOMORROW.
SO WOULD IT REALLY BE BEYOND, OR WOULD IT BE TWO 30 YEARS? TWO, WELL RIGHT NOW WE'RE SAYING BEYOND 25 YEARS I THINK.
AND RIGHT NOW OUR DENSITY BONUS IS ONLY APPLIED TO ONE.
I THINK THAT'S DURING DISTRICT.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE KIND OF TWO, TWO CONVERSATIONS.
ONE IS EXPANDING IT, MAKING IT SOMETHING THAT'S MORE USABLE IN OUR CODE OR MAYBE IT'S APPLICABLE TO, IN A CASE LIKE RAMSEY FARMS, MAYBE IF THEY APPLY THOSE DENSITY BONUSES, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY HAVING TO DO, YOU KNOW, THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET THEIR PRODUCT A LITTLE MORE
I STRUGGLE BETWEEN WANTING TO CREATE QUALITY COMMUNITIES, YOU KNOW, THOSE TYPE OF THING.
BUT YOU KNOW, SO THAT THE QUESTION IS EXPANDING IT THEN NEXT IS WHAT IS IT? YEAH.
AND I THINK WE HAD SOMETHING BEFORE WHERE 20 YEAR, IF YOU DO 20% OR SOMETHING LIKE 25% IT'S 20 YEARS, 20%, 25 YEARS, YOU KNOW.
YOU KNOW, SO YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET MORE UNITS FOR LOWER PERIOD OR LESS UNITS FOR A LONGER PERIOD.
BUT UM, I HAVE THIS REFERENCE OF THE 2018 HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT HAS BEEN UPDATED, IF Y'ALL KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
IF WHO DID THAT, IT'S, IT WAS DONE BY BOW AND THAT WAS THAT BEFORE ASURA ROBINSON I THINK.
THAT WAS THE PRECURSOR TO AURAURA ROBINSON.
AND ASURA ROBINSON IS WHAT CAME OUT AND FORMED BASICALLY GAVE THE IDEA FORM US ASURA ROBINSON GAVE US ALL OF OUR KIND OF OPERATING OVERSIGHT 2018.
I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE THAT THAT'S, I MEAN NO, I MEAN I WOULD SAY, I MEAN WE ARE NOT LOOKING AT IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL ARE LOOKING AT IT.
DOES CORP ROBINSON, DOES THAT ACTUALLY TALK, DOES IT BREAK DOWN? 'CAUSE THE ONE THING, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT DATA IS IT BROKE DOWN DIFFERENT HOUSING TYPES AND THE NEED LIKE FOR HOUSING OR IN THIS INCOME RANGE VERSUS THIS ONE, WE PROBABLY NEED TO DO IT ANOTHER ONE.
AND THAT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT BECAUSE IT'S WHAT URA ROBINSON WAS PRIMARILY A AND WE'VE BEEN THROUGH HERE'S YOUR OPERATING PLAN SHEET.
I THINK WHAT THIS SHOULD BE IS UPDATE THAT THE HOUSING NEEDS.
I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A MM-HMM
THE REALITY TODAY IS PROBABLY JUST START APRIL, 2018 A AND THERE WAS COVID IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THAT, WHICH CHANGED.
UM, A LOT OF THESE ARE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE TO BE CHANGED SINCE Y'ALL HAVE NOW BEEN CREATED MM-HMM
AND THAT WAS A BIG PART OF THE COMP PLAN WITHIN THIS HOUSING SECTION.
SO DEFINITELY GONNA HAVE TO CHANGE THE WORDING ON THAT.
UM, SO LIKE ESTABLISHING, UM, ESTABLISHING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, TASK FORCE, ALL THAT,
[02:00:01]
I GUESS SPEAK UP.SO I'M GONNA WORK ON THAT ONE.
I DID WANNA ASK Y'ALL, I WAS TALKING WITH I GUESS FROM ELK CO.
AND SHE HAD SAID THAT WITHIN THE PAST YEAR, CDBG ACTUALLY DOESN'T DO MUCH WITH HOUSING ANYMORE.
SO DO YOU THINK MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD LEAVE THE HOUSING? YES.
PART OF THE COMPANY, THEY, THEY USE CDBG FUNDS HERE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE, IF Y'ALL GOOD WITH THAT, TOSSING THAT PART UP AND SHOULD 3.3 EITHER GO AWAY OR BE UPDATED AS WELL.
I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE COUNTING ON YOUR YEAH.
AND THAT I'M GONNA DEFINITELY LOOK AT HH THREE.
DO THEY USE THE HOME PHONES FOR THE REPAIR ROOM? LEAVE LEAVE THE HOME FUNDS IN LEAVE.
THAT'S THE REPAIR MONEY I THINK THAT THEY USE.
UM, AND DEVELOPERS WILL, CAN ACTUALLY GET SOME HOME MONEY IS GAP FILLERS.
SO THERE'S, I I REMEMBER LIKE SOMEONE WHO WAS DEDICATED TO HOUSING REHAB AND SOME WAS FOR LARGER.
THEY WENT TO LOCO AND THEY GAVE THE MONEY OUT OF HOME FUNDS.
AND THAT WAS IT THAT I HAD FOR HOUSING.
SO MOVING FORWARD, I REALIZE THAT THIS IS A BIT LIKE DRINKING FROM A FIRE HOSE.
IT IT'S KIND OF, YEAH, IT'S A GREAT MATTER.
DO WE, UM, DO, AND I'M, I'M KIND OF OFFERING THIS BECAUSE THIS IS KIND OF OUR PILOT WORKSHOP AND, AND WE DID, WE WENT THROUGH TWO REALLY TOUGH SECTIONS.
I THINK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ARE SOME OF THE DEFINITELY ISSUES THAT ARE VERY, REQUIRE A LOT OF BROAD DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO, TO REACH AN OBJECTIVE RATHER THAN JUST IF YOU DO THIS, THIS WILL HAPPEN.
UM, SO I THINK WE DID A GREAT, GREAT JOB IN OVERVIEW.
DO WE, WOULD YOU LIKE MAYBE EACH OF THE PLANNING COMMISSIONERS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO OVER THIS CHAPTER, PUT TOGETHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR SUGGESTIONS, AND THEN MAYBE WE REVISIT IT PRIOR TO OUR DECEMBER MEETING? YEAH.
IS THAT A, UM, THAT WAY WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVISIT THESE QUESTIONS AND SURE.
YOU MEAN FOR JUST THESE TWO CHAPTERS? YES.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A, WHEN IS OUR NEXT WORKSHOP? NEXT THURSDAY.
SO
WE'LL, WE'LL JUST, YOU KNOW, KNOCK OFF THESE TWO CHAPTERS AT THIS MEETING, BUT I THINK WE'RE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, IT'S THAT EASY.
I, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF WORDS, BUT THERE'S A LOT COVERED IN THAT.
SPEAKING OF NEXT WEEK, CAN YOU GUYS SEND OUT AN ACTUAL ADDRESS OF WHERE THIS IS? YES.
SO WE WILL HAVE, SO THE HOMEWORK FOR US, THE NEXT BUILDING SUGGEST TODAY AND HERE YOU GUYS WILL PRESENT DIFFERENT BUILDING.
IS THAT WHAT I'M LOOKING AT? NO, I THINK WE'RE, WELL WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, IS THAT BECAUSE I'M RUNNING THAT MEETING, I NEED TO KNOW I DON'T RUN IT PROPERLY.
THE NEXT WORKSHOP SUPPOSED TO BE ON THIS CAMPUS.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE INSTRUC, SIR.
WE'LL SEND INTO THANK, YOU'LL HAVE A GOOD AFTERNOON.
BUT I THINK WHAT MIGHT BE EASIER IS WE, WE USE THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF YOU BASED ON EVERYTHING YOU'VE SEEN HERE, OUR DISCUSSION, READING THROUGH THE DOCUMENT.
WE'LL THEN HAVE THAT BE A FOLLOW UP AND THEN, OKAY.
WHAT WE COULD DO IS THEN TAKE ALL THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE GOT TODAY IN ADDITION TO THAT, AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH, UH, RECOMMENDED, YOU KNOW, BASED ON YOUR COMMENTS, IS THIS WHAT WE'RE RECOMMEND MOVING FORWARD.
IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR ADDENDUM YOU WANT US TO USE? YOU WANT US TO USE ONE OF THE ONES THAT WERE HANDED OUT? OR DO YOU WANT US TO GO BACK TO THE, I THINK WHAT WOULD BE THE FULL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS SIMPLY TO TAKE THE TWO CHAPTERS.
AND I THINK WHAT WE COULD DO
AND THEN EACH OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE DOWN ANY QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS THAT WE COULD THEN, YOU KNOW, ADD TO THIS CONVERSATION AND THEN THE STAFF'S REVIEW OF THIS.
AND THEN WHAT WE COULD DO IS THEN TAKE ALL THAT AND THEN FORMULATE A DRAFT DOCUMENT OF WHAT WE THINK IS BASICALLY ENCOMPASSING
[02:05:01]
ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND COMMENTS THAT ARE HAVE BEEN MADE.WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, ARE WE LOOKING AT THE FULL ACTION PLAN AGAINST THIS RECOMMENDATION, OR WE'RE LOOKING JUST AT THE RECOMMENDATION? WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CHAPTER.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE LIST OF STRATEGY, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THERE'S A COMBINATION OF POLICY STATEMENTS, THOSE AND THEN ACTION ITEMS. SO I WAS THINKING IN ACTION ITEMS, THE ACTION PLAYBOOK WHERE IDENTIFY FUNDING, PRIORITIZATION, WHO'S GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT? ET YEAH.
WE CAN, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT REALLY THERE YET.
I THINK THAT, I THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO, WITH EACH CHAPTER, IF WE'RE SAYING THESE ARE THE REVISIONS THAT WE RECOMMEND, THEN ONCE THAT'S DONE, WE, WE COULD REVISE THE ACTION PLACE AND THEN LOOK AT THAT.
DO WE NEED TO CHANGE THE PRIORITIES AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE CHANGE, WE CHANGE THE, THE PLANS OR THE DESCRIPTORS.
IT'S GONNA CHANGE POTENTIALLY THE ACTION PLAN.
AND IF WE DON'T UPDATE ONE OR THE OTHER, WE JUST, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO REALLY GO FORWARD WITH.
WE, WE DELIBERATE THROUGH EACH OF THE CHAPTERS.
AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE THAT FINALIZED, THEN WE WILL BE ABLE TO PLUG ALL THAT INTO THE ACTION PLAYBOOK.
AND THEN MAYBE THAT'S ANOTHER MEETING JUST TO GO THROUGH AND SAY, DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE PRIORITY OF SOME OF THESE? I, I THINK AS A PILOT, THIS IS EXCELLENT.
I MEAN, I, I'VE PARTICIPATED, IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION AND THESE ARE TWO TOUGH CHAPTERS.
WELL, YEAH, I, I PARTICIPATED IN A LOT OF A NUMBER OF THE MEETINGS AND NEVER DID WE HAVE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ESSENTIALLY RESPONSIBLE, THE LEAD PEOPLE HERE TO TALK WITH US, TO GET THEIR INSIGHTS AND THEY'RE DOING SOME GREAT THINGS.
THE FACT IT'S A LOT MORE COMPLEX THAN REVEALED.
IT KIND OF GETS TO ANSWER THE TOUGH QUESTIONS.
IT KIND OF, KIND OF SOUNDS TO ME LIKE TAKING A DOC AND YOU'RE GONNA EDIT IT AND SOMETIMES THE RATIONALE IS RIGHT IN THE EDIT.
IT'S PRETTY EASY TO UNDERSTAND.
WHAT WOULD REALLY BE HELPFUL WOULD BE TO HAVE SOMETHING AND THEN HERE'S THE RATIONALE THAT SUPPORTS THAT.
YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? YOU KNOW, HERE ARE THE STATISTICS, DA DA DA, THIS IS WHAT WE RECOMMEND DOING.
BUT THE RATIONALE BEHIND WHY WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT IS KIND OF HIT, MAYBE EVEN AS A CLARIFICATION ONCE IT GOES TO COUNSEL, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALMOST, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
IT IS LIKE AN ADDENDUM SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT OUR THOUGHT PROCESS AS WE WENT THROUGH THESE WORKSHOPS OF WHY WE CAME TO THE DECISIONS OF THE CHANGES THAT WE RECOMMEND.
AND I THINK YEAH, THAT, THAT, THAT'S THE EXACTLY THE POINT.
IT'S GONNA SAY WHY THEY DO THIS.
AND WE HAVE RATIONAL, ONE RATIONAL AT THE END.
EITHER THAT OR YOU HAVE A, UM, A FEW PARAGRAPHS FOR EACH OF THE CHAPTERS THAT MAY BE, PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE SAW, THE REASONS THAT WE'RE MAKING THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COULD, THAT COULD WORK TOO.
YOU KNOW, THEY, SO THEY, THEY COULD PROVIDE, READ THAT, SEE AN OVERVIEW AND THEN YOU SEE THE LIST OF EDITS THAT, UM, YEAH.
AND ROB, I REALLY APPRECIATED YOUR OPENING COMMENTS ABOUT HOW A FIVE YEAR UPDATE IS DIFFERENT THAN A REWRITE REWRITE.
IT'S SO EASY TO GET DOWN INTO THE WEEDS WHEN WE OH YEAH.
DON'T NEED TO BE AT THIS POINT IN THE PROCESS FOR MOST OF THIS STUFF.
SO, SO FOR NEXT THURSDAY, YOU WANT US TO LOOK AT THESE TWO CHAPTERS AND COME UP WITH POINTS? OR DO YOU WANT US TO LOOK AT TRANSPORTATION IN ADDITION TO THAT? I THINK, I THINK WHAT I'M, NEXT THURSDAY WE'LL FOCUS ON TRANSPORTATION.
I THINK WHAT I WAS THINKING 'CAUSE OF THIS MEETING AND WE REALLY LOOKED AT TWO CHAPTERS AND CONSOLIDATED IN THE TWO HOURS THAT WE NEED MORE DELIBERATION AMONG THE PLANNING COMMISSIONERS.
SO WE WILL, THAT WE WILL REACH OUT TO ALL OF YOU WITH THE TWO CHAPTERS AND THEN KIND OF ASK YOU TO PROVIDE COMMENTS.
AND OUR THOUGHT IS THE WORKSHOP PERIOD BEFORE DECEMBER MEETING TO GIVE YOU SOME TIME.
MAYBE WE CAN USE THAT HOUR PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
TO RE YOU KNOW, REVISIT THESE
WELL WE HAVE ALL OF, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WE HAVE ALL OF 2026 TO PULL THIS TOGETHER, RIGHT? YES.
SO I MEAN, YOU'RE COMING INTO THE HOLIDAYS AND ALL THAT AND YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, THANKSGIVING COME UP AND ALL THAT.
UM, WE DON'T WANT, YOU CAN'T CRAM TOO MUCH.
I CAN'T CRAM TOO MUCH IN, BUT I THINK IT'S THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS IN SINCE IT CAN SEEN AS, CAN BE A MODEL FOR HOW WE WANT TO GO FORWARD ON THE OTHER CHAPTERS.
[02:10:03]
BUT I THINK I ALWAYS, ANY OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THE GET OURSELVES, GET OUR MINDS WRAPPED AROUND.THANKS FOR WATCHING BEAUFORT COUNTY TV.