* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:01]
          CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY. 
          GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          OH, I GOTTA SIT NEXT TO EVERYBODY. 
          YEAH, YOU HAVE TO SIT NEXT TO ME. 
          IT'S, YOU GOT THE SHORT STRAW. 
          SENATOR DAVIS. 
          REPRESENTATIVE HAGER, WE HAVE SPECIAL SEATS FOR YOU RIGHT UP FRONT, RIGHT IN THE SUN. 
          RIGHT UP THERE. 
          NO, YOU MISS LOCAL BOARD. 
          NO SOUP, NO SPITBALLS TODAY, GUYS. 
          HAVE WHAT I'M GONNA SAY. 
          GOOD MORNING EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY. 
          AND A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR GUEST, SENATOR TOM DAVIS, AND REPRESENTATIVE BILL HAGER FROM JASPER. 
          UH, WE ARE ALSO EXPECTING, UH, SENATOR MARGIE BRIGHT MATTHEWS, BUT, UH, SHE'S COMING DOWN FROM CHARLESTON, SO SHE MAY BE A LITTLE DELAYED. 
          UM, AS WE DISCUSSED IT LAST MEETING, WE WANTED TO INVITE OUR LEGISLATORS TO COME HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE KEY LEGISLATION THAT, THAT PARTICULARLY AFFECTS THE LOW COUNTRY. 
          UM, ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES WAS TO NOT ONLY HEAR FROM OUR REPRESENTATIVES, BUT ALSO TO FIND WAYS THAT WE MAY HELP COLLABORATE AND, UM, HELP THEM PASS THEIR, UM, THEIR LEGISLATION THAT'S IMPORTANT TO US HERE IN THE LOW COUNTRY. 
          WE'RE GONNA START TODAY WITH SENATOR TOM DAVIS. 
          SENATOR DAVIS, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR, THE MIC, THE PODIUM'S RIGHT UP FRONT HERE. 
          UM, THERE, YOU'RE, WE HAVE TILL 11 O'CLOCK, SO YOU'RE NOT ON THE CLOCK. 
          I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T TELL YOU THAT. 
          . 
          SO, SO THE, FOR THE FORMAT IS FOR ME TO TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT I'M WORKING ON IN COLUMBIA AND WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN ASSIST IN MAKING THOSE THINGS HAPPEN. 
          AND THEN IS THERE A Q AND A THAT, THAT YOU WANNA HAVE OR? WE'LL, UH, WE'LL DO A Q AND A. 
          UM, WE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME IF, UH, EACH OF THE THREE OF YOU TAKE A HALF HOUR. 
          WE HAVE THE ROOM TILL 11. 
          UM, SO, UM, ALLOW SOME TIME FOR Q AND A AND IF SENATOR MATTHEWS DOESN'T SHOW UP, YOU'LL HAVE EVEN MORE TIME. 
          FANTASTIC. 
          . 
          OKAY. 
          UM, WELL, LET ME TALK ABOUT THREE SEPARATE THINGS, OR THREE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I'M WORKING ON RIGHT NOW THAT I THINK TOUCH ON WHAT ALL OF YOU GUYS DO. 
          UM, THE FIRST IS THIS SO-CALLED CONCURRENCY LEGISLATION THAT'S NOW, NOW PENDING. 
          AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S SORT OF A NEW, NEW WORD HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, BUT IT'S NOT A NEW CONCEPT. 
          UM, IN THE COUNTRY. 
          FLORIDA AND MARYLAND HAVE WORKED ON CONCURRENCY BILLS IN THE PAST TO TRY TO GET THEIR HANDLE ON, ON GROWTH. 
          UH, NOT TO KILL GROWTH, NOT TO IMPOSE MORATORIUMS, BUT BUT TO ALLOW FOR GROWTH TO OCCUR IN A REASONABLE, SUSTAINABLE WAY. 
          AND SO, WHAT CONCURRENCY IS, IS THIS, AND THIS IS THE WAY I FOUND TO BEST DESCRIBE IT TO MY COLLEAGUES. 
          THERE ARE TRADITIONALLY TWO WAYS IN WHICH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CAN SORT OF REGULATE OR CONTROL GROWTH OR, OR KIND OF DICTATE WHAT KIND OF GROWTH YOU WANT TO HAVE IN YOUR JURISDICTIONS. 
          YOU'VE GOT CAMP COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLANS THAT YOU ADOPT. 
          AND THEN PURSUANT TO THAT, YOU HAVE ZONING ORDINANCES. 
          SO THAT'S WHY YOU, YOU DESIGNATE WHERE YOU WANT DENSITIES, DIFFERENT KINDS OF USES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. 
          AND OF COURSE, THAT POLICE POWER HAS BEEN AROUND, UM, YOU KNOW, SINCE 1973 ANYWAY, WITH HOME RULE. 
          AND SO THAT'S BEEN A PRIMARY VEHICLE THROUGH WHICH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ADDRESSED THIS PROBLEM. 
          UM, SUBSEQUENT TO HOME RULE, WE THEN ADOPTED IMPACT FEE AUTHORIZATIONS WHERE YOU CAN, AS A CONDITION TO ISSUING PERMITS TO A DEVELOPER OR TO A LANDOWNER, YOU CAN SAY, OKAY, BUT WE WANT YOU TO PAY X NUMBER OF DOLLARS FOR, FOR ROADS OR WATER AND SEWER OR SCHOOLS OR FIRE OR LAW ENFORCEMENT OR, OR EVEN THINGS LIKE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES. 
          I MEAN, SO IMPACT FEES, UM, ARE ANOTHER WAY IN WHICH YOU CAN ALIGN, UM, GROWTH WITH THE COSTS OF THAT GROWTH. 
          SO THOSE HAVE BEEN THE TWO VEHICLES HISTORICALLY YOU'VE HAD AS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. 
          UM, WHAT YOU HAVEN'T HAD AND, AND WHAT'S NOW BEING TALKED ABOUT PROVIDING TO YOU IS THE ABILITY TO SAY TO A DEVELOPER, UM, WHEN THEY COME UP TO YOU AND SAY, WE WANT TO BUILD IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA. 
          UM, AND THEY SAY TO YOU, WE HAVE THIS DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. 
          WE HAVE THESE DENSITIES LOCKED IN AS A MATTER OF RIGHT, OR BY RIGHT ZONING. 
          THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO. 
          AND OH, BY THE WAY, WE SEE WHAT WE HAVE TO PAY IN REGARD TO IMPACT FEES. 
          AND WE'RE WILLING TO CUT YOU A CHECK FOR THAT AS WELL. 
          [00:05:01]
UM, YOU PRETTY MUCH HAVE TO ISSUE THEM A PERMIT AT THAT POINT IN TIME. 
          OTHERWISE YOU'RE GOING TO, UM, BE CHARGED WITH A REGULATORY TAKING OR INVERSE CONDEMNATION OR EXCEEDING YOUR, YOUR, YOUR HOME RULE AUTHORITY. 
          SO WHAT CONCURRENCY WOULD DO WOULD BE ALLOW YOU AS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THAT CONTEXT, EVEN THOUGH A DEVELOPER COMES IN AND SAYS, WE'VE GOT THESE DENSITIES BY A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT OR BY, RIGHT. 
          AND WE'RE WILLING TO PAY THESE IMPACT FEES, CONCURRENCY AUTHORIZATION WOULD ALLOW YOU TO SAY, WE STILL CAN'T GIVE YOU A BUILDING PERMIT, OR WE CAN'T GIVE YOU ALL YOU'RE ASKING FOR BECAUSE WE SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE GROUND RIGHT NOW TO SUPPORT IT. 
          YOU KNOW, OUR ROADS CAN'T SUPPORT IT. 
          THE WATER AND SEWER CAPACITY CAN'T SUPPORT IT. 
          OUR, OUR, OUR SCHOOLS LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE. 
          SO CONCURRENCY IS A WAY THAT YOU CAN SAY, NO, NOT NO ENTIRELY AND FOREVER, LIKE A MORATORIUM WOULD BE, BUT NO, NOT NOW, OR NO, NOT TO THAT DEGREE. 
          AND YOU CAN LOOK AT WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN MARYLAND AND FLORIDA. 
          THERE'S A FAIRLY ROBUST, UH, CASE LAW THAT HAS DEVELOPED, UH, FROM LEGISLATION THEY'VE PASSED THERE. 
          AND SO I'VE LOOKED AT THAT AS GUIDANCE AS TO HOW CAN WE GO ABOUT COMING UP WITH A CONCURRENCY PROGRAM THAT WORKS AND SUSTAIN, SUSTAIN ANY CHALLENGES. 
          'CAUSE THERE'RE GONNA BE, THERE WERE CHALLENGES TO THIS BY DEVELOPERS, RIGHT? BECAUSE IF YOU'RE A PROPERTY OWNER, I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT CAPITAL COSTS, YOU'VE GOT EXPECTATIONS, YOU'VE GOT MARKETING PROGRAMS, AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO FIGHT ANY UNREASONABLE REGULATION. 
          BUT, BUT IF YOU DO CERTAIN THINGS, CONCURRENCY AND SAYING NO OR NO, NOT NOW, OR NO, NOT TO THAT DEGREE CAN BE SUSTAINED IF YOU DO CERTAIN BASIC THINGS. 
          AND, AND THE FIRST IS THIS. 
          I MEAN, LET'S ASSUME WE GIVE YOU THIS AUTHORIZATION. 
          WE, WE, WE PASS LEGISLATION AND GIVE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CONCURRENCY, UH, THE AUTHORITY TO DO CONCURRENCY PROGRAMS. THESE ARE SOME BASIC THINGS YOU HAVE TO DO. 
          FIRST OF ALL, YOU HAVE TO IDENTIFY THE LEVEL OF SERVICE FOR THE VARIOUS INFRASTRUCTURE COMPONENTS BY WHICH YOU'RE DENYING THE DEVELOPER'S REQUEST. 
          YOU GOTTA HAVE A LEVEL OF SERVICE BASELINE FOR ROADS AND BRIDGES AND FOR WATER AND SEWER AND FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE PROTECTION AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE SO THAT YOU HAVE A BENCHMARK BY WHICH YOU WOULD SAY, OKAY, THESE ARE OUR DEFICIENCIES. 
          YOU THEN HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME TO ADDRESS THOSE DEFICIENCIES. 
          I MEAN, OTHERWISE, IT'S JUST A DEFACTO MORATORIUM. 
          I MEAN, IF, IF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS NO, NOT NOW, AND YOU'RE NOT UNDERGOING, UH, EFFORTS TO GO AHEAD AND ADDRESS THOSE DEFICIENCIES AND LEVEL OF SERVICE, YOU'RE GONNA BE SUCCESSFULLY CHALLENGED, UH, FOR TAKING. 
          SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE THOSE BENCHMARKS. 
          UM, IT'S GOTTA BE BASED ON OBJECTIVE CRITERIA. 
          YOU, YOU, YOU'VE GOT TO, YOU, YOU'VE GOT TO TREAT EVERYBODY, UH, THE SAME. 
          YOU CAN'T PICK FAVORITES. 
          UM, THERE'S GOTTA BE, UH, AN ORDERLY QUEUE WHEREBY IF A DEVELOPER COMES ALONG AND SAYS THEY WANT TO BUILD, AND YOU SAY, NO, NOT NOW, THEY GET IN LINE. 
          UM, AND SO THERE HAVE TO BE A, A, A RATIONAL BASIS FOR YOUR DECISION. 
          UM, AND SO WHAT I'VE FOUND, AND WE'VE HAD THREE HEARINGS ON SUBCOMMITTEE HEARINGS ON THE LEGISLATION I DRAFTED SO FAR, IS THAT A LOT OF COUNTIES OUT OF SHEER DESPERATION ARE DOING THIS ALREADY ON THEIR OWN. 
          UM, BERKELEY COUNTY, DORCHESTER COUNTY, AND MOST RECENTLY LEXINGTON COUNTY HAS DONE IT. 
          AND, AND LEXINGTON COUNTY IS DENYING THE ISSUANCE OF BUILDING PERMITS BY POINTING, POINTING TO SCHOOLS AND SAYING, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH CAPACITY IN OUR SCHOOLS, THEREFORE, WE'RE NOT GONNA GIVE YOU A BUILDING PERMIT EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. 
          AND EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE WILLING TO PAY IMPACT FEES. 
          UM, I, I THINK THAT QUITE FRANKLY IS PROBABLY RIPE FOR A CHALLENGE. 
          BUT, BUT NOBODY IN THIS SPACE WANTS TO UNDERGO A LEGAL CHALLENGE. 
          NOBODY WANTS TO HAVE THREE OR FOUR YEARS WORTH OF LITIGATION AND LEGAL FEES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. 
          I THINK BOTH SIDES, PROPERTY OWNERS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WANT CLEAR GUIDELINES, RULES, BENCHMARKS. 
          THESE ARE THE RULES OF THE GAME. 
          THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN DO. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO COME UP WITH. 
          NOT SOMETHING THAT IS GONNA BE SLANTED TOWARD A DEVELOPER OR SLANTED TOWARD, TOWARD LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, BUT GOOD CLEAR RULES THAT ARE IN PLACE THAT ALLOW FOR SMART GROWTH AND SMART PLANNING. 
          SO WHAT YOU ALL CAN DO, I MEAN, TO HARRY'S QUESTION ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO, WHAT CAN YOU ALL DO TO HELP US? IS, IS SHARE WITH, UM, WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE, SHARE WITH YOUR LOCAL LAWMAKERS, THAT'S ME. 
          UH, OR SHARE WITH BILL OR SHARE WITH OTHERS. 
          YOU KNOW, WHAT CHALLENGES YOU FACE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. 
          'CAUSE YOU'RE WHERE THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD. 
          YOU'RE, YOU'RE THE ONES THAT ARE BEING GIVEN APPLICATIONS AND YOU'RE THE ONES THAT ARE HEARING FROM CONSTITUENTS BY SAYING, WE CAN'T SUPPORT THIS. 
          YOU'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THOSE THINGS. 
          SHARE THOSE FRUSTRATIONS OR, OR CONCERNS WITH LAWMAKERS AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO ASSIST WITH, WITH THIS CONCURRENCY LEGISLATION. 
          I I, THERE'S A CROSSOVER DEADLINE, UM, IN ABOUT A MONTH, WHICH MEANS THAT IF, IF BILL'S GONNA PASS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT PASSED ONE CHAMBER AND OVER TO THE OTHER CHAMBER BY A CERTAIN POINT. 
          I THINK WE'RE GONNA GET THIS CONCURRENCY LEGISLATION OUT OF THE SENATE AND OVER TO THE HOUSE IN TIME. 
          OR CONVERSELY, THERE IS A HOUSE CONCURRENCY BILL THAT MAY CROSS OVER, UH, ONTO THE 
          [00:10:01]
SENATE, WHICH EVERYONE MOVES FIRST. 
          WE'LL USE THAT AS A VEHICLE. 
          I MEAN, THERE'S NO PRIDE OF AUTHORSHIP OR OWNERSHIP HERE. 
          WE JUST NEED TO GET SOMETHING DONE. 
          UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE FIRST THING I WILL SAY. 
          THE, THE SECOND THING IS, UM, UH, A BUDGETARY PROVISO THAT I'M WORKING ON RIGHT NOW FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY, BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTIES, TO BE A PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO COME UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE, UH, SYSTEM OF WATERBORNE TRANSPORTATION, WHETHER IT'S FOR WORKFORCE PURPOSES, RECREATIONAL PURPOSES, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST, WE, WE'VE NEVER REALLY LOOKED AT IT IN BUFORD AND JASPER COUNTIES COLLECTIVELY AS A WHOLE. 
          AND SO WHAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT WITH SECRETARY POWELL, THE DOT IS A $2 MILLION APPROPRIATION TO THE DOT TO WORK WITH MUNICIPALITIES AND THE COUNTIES DOWN HERE ON WHAT WOULD A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN LOOK LIKE? NOT, NOT, NOT IN TERMS OF, OF JUST THEORETICALLY, BUT A BLUEPRINT OF, OF WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE TO DO IN TERMS OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, IN TERMS OF, UH, UH, LANDING SPOTS, UH, LAST, YOU KNOW, MILE DELIVERY. 
          NOT LAST MILE DELIVERY, BUT IT'S LIKE LAST MILE DELIVERY. 
          ONCE YOU GET SOMEBODY ON SHORE, THEY GOTTA GET TO WHERE THEY'RE GONNA GO. 
          UM, AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT THAT WILL GET PASSED. 
          I'M PRETTY SURE THAT IT WILL. 
          AND THEN YOU ALL WILL HAVE INPUT WORKING WITH THE DOT DIRECTLY ON, ON GIVING FEEDBACK TO THE DOTI GIVE A ONE YEAR PERIOD FOR THEM TO DO THIS STUDY. 
          'CAUSE I WANT THAT TO BE A BLUEPRINT FOR CAPITAL INVESTMENTS. 
          UM, AND ALSO FOR WATERBORNE COMMERCE. 
          AND, AND, AND HOW YOU GET THERE. 
          THE, THE ACTUAL, THE ACTUAL VESSELS THEMSELVES. 
          AND SO THAT REALLY ISN'T, UM, SOMETHING THAT I NEED YOUR HELP WITH IN PARTICULAR RIGHT NOW. 
          'CAUSE I CAN GET THE APPROPRIATION AND THEN THE ACCOMPANYING PROVISO. 
          BUT WHERE I WILL NEED YOUR HELP IS WHEN THAT STUDY IS BEING DONE. 
          AND WHEN THEY COME DOWN HERE AND SOLICIT INFORMATION FROM YOU ALL, AND YOU GIVE THEM FEEDBACK IN REGARD TO WHAT YOU THINK THAT SYSTEM LOOKS LIKE, I THINK THAT'D BE CRITICAL. 
          I MEAN, WHAT I, WHAT I ENVISION IS, IS ALL PARTS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, AND JASPER COUNTY BEING SORT OF KNIT TOGETHER BY A PREDICTABLE WAY OF WATERBORNE COMMERCE. 
          AND I, I DO THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS, THAT IS LONG, THAT IS LONG OVERDUE. 
          AND THEN THE LAST THING I'LL POINT OUT IS, IS IN REGARD TO THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS IN COLUMBIA RIGHT NOW, SOUTH CAROLINA IS DOING INCREDIBLY WELL IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH. 
          I MEAN, WE GOT ABOUT $2 BILLION IN, IN, IN REVENUES THIS YEAR, COMBINED NON-RECURRING AND RECURRING OVER LAST YEARS. 
          I MEAN THAT, THAT'S THE KIND OF GROWTH WE'RE SEEING IN SOUTH CAROLINA. 
          AND I'M NOT SURE YET WHAT'S GONNA BE AVAILABLE TO BE APPROPRIATED, UH, FOR PROJECTS OR FOR LOCAL, FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, BECAUSE THERE ARE THREE OR FOUR HUGE, UM, APPROPRIATION ITEMS THAT MAY SUCK UP THAT MONEY. 
          UM, THE FIRST PROBABLY IS GONNA BE, UH, AN A A PROPERTY TAX CUT. 
          AND THE WAY THAT WOULD WORK IS THIS IS, IS, AND, AND THIS PASSED THE SENATE LAST WEEK, IT WOULD RAISE THE $50,000 HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FOR THOSE WHO ARE 65 AND OLDER TO 150,000. 
          SO IN OTHER WORDS, YOU WOULD, YOU, YOU WOULD HAVE THAT EXEMPTED, UH, FROM YOUR PROPERTY TAX AND THERE WOULD BE A RECURRING REVENUE STREAM COMING FROM THE STATE DOWN TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO HOLD THEM HARMLESS FOR THE REVENUES THAT YOU WOULD LOSE, OR YOU'D BE FOREGOING BECAUSE THAT HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION WAS INCREASED. 
          AND AND IMPORTANTLY, UNLIKE WITH ACT 3 88, THIS LEGISLATION CONTEMPLATES THAT REIMBURSEMENT STREAM COMING TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND BEING ADJUSTED ANNUALLY AS THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE YOU ARE FOREGOING INCREASES, RIGHT? BECAUSE OVER TIME YOU HAVE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE COMING INTO THE AREA, MORE AND MORE INDIVIDUALS, UH, WHO ARE OWNING PROPERTY, AND MORE AND MORE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE GONNA ENJOY THAT 150,000 EXEMPTION AS OPPOSED TO 50. 
          SO THAT THE REIMBURSEMENT STREAM IS GONNA HAVE TO INCREASE OVER TIME, RIGHT? 'CAUSE THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE YOU'RE FOREGOING WILL INCREASE OVER TIME. 
          SO I, I THINK THAT IS GOING TO PASS IN SOME FORM. 
          SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT $230 MILLION INITIALLY IN A RECURRING REVENUE STREAM FROM THE GENERAL FUND DOWN TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT. 
          SO THAT, THAT'S ONE WHACK AT THAT $2 BILLION THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT THIS WEEK IN COLUMBIA. 
          WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING UP THE HOUSE INCOME TAX, UM, BILL, UM, WHICH WILL TAKE THE, THE BASE UPON WHICH WE CALCULATE THE INCOME TAX AWAY FROM FEDERAL TAXABLE INCOME DOWN TO ADJUSTABLE GROSS INCOME. 
          AND WE'LL, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND ADJUST THE, UM, THE, UM, PERCENTAGE ON THAT A GI DOWNWARD TOO. 
          SO THAT'LL BE ABOUT A $250 MILLION, UH, TAX CUT. 
          THERE'S GOING TO, SO THAT'S ON TOP OF THE PROPERTY TAX WE TALKED ABOUT. 
          SO YOU, WE WILL, YOU WILL SEE THAT, YOU WILL SEE BOTH THE PROPERTY TAX CUT AND AN INCOME TAX CUT. 
          THEN YOU'VE GOT JUSTIN POWELL AND THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION AND GOVERNMENT MASTER WHO WANT A BILLION DOLLARS OF THAT MONEY THAT I TALKED ABOUT, THE RECURRING, NON-RECURRING, THIS WOULD BE NON-RECURRING MONEY, A BILLION DOLLARS TO GO TOWARD, 
          [00:15:01]
UM, TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS TO BE PUT ON TOP OF THE RECURRING REVENUES THAT DOT GETS FROM THE GAS TAX. 
          THIS WOULD BE MONEY LAYERED ON TOP OF THAT. 
          UM, THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US BECAUSE SOME OF THAT MONEY REQUESTED BY SECRETARY POWELL, UM, WOULD, UH, ACCELERATE THE TIMELINE FOR THE I 95 IMPROVEMENTS WE'RE DOING. 
          I MEAN, WE'VE GOT LOCKED IN RIGHT NOW, UM, FROM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UH, FROM THE GEORGIA SOUTH CAROLINA LINE, THAT BRIDGE, UH, BEING THREE LANE IN EACH DIRECTION ALL THE WAY UP TO EXIT EIGHT THAT'S BEEN FUNDED, PERMITTED CONTRACTS, LET EVERYTHING'S UNDER, UH, UNDERWAY. 
          WE'VE ALSO GOT FUNDING LINED UP FOR THE REST OF THE WAY, ALL THE WAY UP TO WALTERBORO. 
          BUT IF WE CAN GET MORE MONEY PUT INTO, AND, AND THAT MONEY IS CONTEMPLATING RECURRING REVENUES COMING ONLINE IN THE FUTURE, SO THEY'VE GOT TIMELINES BASED ON WHEN THOSE REVENUES ARE AVAILABLE. 
          IF WE CAN GET MORE OF THE MONEY THAT, THAT WE HAVE IN THE GENERAL FUND THIS YEAR FOR THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET ALLOCATED TO THE DOT THAT WILL ACCELERATE THE TIMELINES FOR, UM, THE REMAINDER OF, OF THE I 95 IMPROVEMENTS, NOT, NOT THE ONES TO EXIT EIGHT THAT'S LOCKED DOWN. 
          I'M TALKING ABOUT TAKING IT THE REST AWAY, UH, TO WALTERBORO. 
          SO, SO THAT IS A, UM, A, A BIG PRIORITY. 
          AND WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT I 95, I GUESS I SHOULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EXIT THREE AND, AND THE HICCUP THAT WE'VE RECENTLY ENCOUNTERED AND THAT WE'RE NOW WORKING TO OVERCOME. 
          UM, I, I THINK MOST OF YOU, HARRY, ARE PROBABLY AWARE OF THE EXIT THREE PARAMETERS, BUT I'LL JUST TALK ABOUT THEM GENERALLY. 
          UM, IT WOULD BE A NEW, UM, EXIT. 
          AND THEN YOU HAVE OFF OF THAT EXIT TWO SPOKES OR TWO PARKWAYS, ONE TO THE NORTH AND ONE TO THE SOUTH. 
          AND LIKE MOST HIGHWAY PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, IT HAS SUFFERED FROM COST IS SKYROCKETING. 
          UM, AND, AND, AND YOU ALL AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, YOU KNOW, LED BY, YOU KNOW, MAYOR WILLIAMS AND OTHERS HAVE DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB IN HAVING THE STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK INCREASE THE AMOUNT THAT THEY'VE ALLOCATED FOR THIS PROJECT TO KEEP UP WITH THOSE COST OVERRUNS. 
          AND THEY'RE AT A POINT NOW WHERE I THINK THEY'VE COMMITTED $91 MILLION, I THINK A LITTLE OVER $91 MILLION FOR THIS. 
          UM, AND SO THAT'S BEEN LOCKED DOWN. 
          BUT WHAT THE SIB HAS SAID IS, OKAY, WE'RE WILLING TO HAVE THAT $91 MILLION ALLOCATED TO EXIT THREE, AND THAT COVERS JUST THE EXIT ITSELF. 
          WHO'S GONNA PAY FOR THIS 70, $80 MILLION FOR THE PARKWAYS TO THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH? WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THIS ISN'T AN INTERCHANGE TO NOWHERE. 
          WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT GETS BUILT. 
          AND SO WHAT'S BEEN PUT TOGETHER IS, UM, THE CITY AND, AND THE COUNTY PARTICIPATE TO SOME DEGREE IN REGARD TO THOSE PARKWAYS, BUT THE LION'S SHARE AND THE BULK OF IT IS BEING PAID FOR BY THE LANDOWNER, THE OWNER OF THE 4,000 ACRES THAT'S GONNA BE BENEFITED BY THIS EXIT AND BENEFITED BY THESE PARKWAYS NORTH AND SOUTH. 
          THEY'RE, AND THAT'S EQUITABLE, RIGHT? YOU SHOULD, I MEAN, IF YOU'VE GOT A, A NEW EXIT AND IT'S BENEFITING A PARTICULAR LANDOWNER, IT'S GOOD, IT'S GOOD PUBLIC POLICY TO MAKE THEM PAY FOR IT, AND THEY'RE WILLING TO COMMIT THEMSELVES TO PAY FOR IT. 
          BUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE SIB HAS BEEN THIS, ALRIGHT, YOU SAY YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR IT. 
          HOW CAN YOU ASSURE US, HOW, HOW DO WE KNOW FOR SURE IT'S GONNA HAPPEN? WHAT SORT OF SECURITY CAN YOU GIVE US? AND WHAT THE LANDOWNER HAS SAID SO FAR IS WE'LL GIVE YOU A FIRST MORTGAGE LIEN ON THE 4,000 ACRES THAT WE OWN, UM, THAT WILL BE BENEFITED BY THESE PARKWAYS. 
          AND THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING AN APPRAISAL OF THAT 4,000 ACRES IN AS IS CONDITION. 
          IN OTHER WORDS, NOT ASSUMING THE PARKWAYS ARE THERE, JUST ASSUMING WHAT IS THAT 4,000 ACRES WORTH? AND THAT APPRAISAL SHOULD COME IN SOMETIME THIS WEEK, AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE AROUND 125, $130 MILLION IS WHAT THEY'RE ANTICIPATING, WHICH WOULD BE ABOUT DOUBLE THE PROPERTY OWNER'S OBLIGATION. 
          SO YOU WOULD THINK THAT'S GOOD SECURITY IF YOU'RE A BANKER. 
          BUT THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SIB, JOHN WHITE, WHO'S A, WHO'S A FRIEND OF MINE, UM, HAS SAID, WELL, WE'RE REALLY NOT INTERESTED IN JUST A MORTGAGE. 
          I MEAN, IF, IF, IF WE HAVE TO FORECLOSE AND WE HAVE TO GO TO COURT AND WE HAVE TO FILE A SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT, OR IT CAN BE TIED UP IN COURT, WE REALLY DON'T LIKE THAT. 
          SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO NOW IS, AND I'M WORKING WITH THE LANDOWNERS, IS HAVING THEM GET A LETTER OF CREDIT FROM A COMMERCIAL INSTITUTION, A COMMERCIAL BANK FOR THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF WHAT IT'S GONNA COST TO BUILD THOSE PARKWAYS AND THEN HAVE THAT LETTER OF CREDIT WITH THE BENEFICIARIES BEING, UM, I GUESS IT WOULD BE THE DOT AND THE SIB AND PROBABLY JASPER COUNTY AND HARVILLE WOULD ALSO BE BENEFICIARIES IN THIS LETTER OF CREDIT AS WELL, AND HAVE THAT LETTER OF CREDIT SECURED BY THAT 4,000 ACRES OF LAND. 
          OKAY? BECAUSE, BECAUSE THEN IF THE COMMERCIAL BANK, THAT WOULD HAVE TO FORECLOSE IN THE EVENT THAT WAS A DEFAULT, AND THE SIB WOULD HAVE A LETTER OF CREDIT. 
          I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S AS GOOD AS IT GETS SO THAT IF THERE'S A FINANCIAL OBLIGATION THAT'S NOT BEING MET, THEY JUST MAKE A CALL TO THE LETTER OF CREDIT, THEY GET CASH. 
          SO I THINK THIS IS GONNA COME TOGETHER. 
          I I THINK THIS WILL, THIS WILL COME TO FRUITION. 
          IT MAKES TOO MUCH SENSE ECONOMICALLY FOR IT TO FAIL. 
          AND, AND, AND ONE OF 
          [00:20:01]
THE THINGS THAT I'M STARTING TO EMPHASIZE IN, IN TALKING TO THE MEMBERS OF THE SIB AND TALKING TO THE DOT AND MY COLLEAGUES IS WE HAVE A SITUATION RIGHT NOW WHERE YOU GOT TWO EXIT, EXIT FIVE AND EXIT EIGHT THAT ARE, ARE OVERWHELMED TO A DEGREE NOW, BUT WILL BE EVEN MORE OVERWHELMED WHEN THE I 95 IMPROVEMENTS ARE MADE. 
          AND, AND MORE AND MORE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT COMES INTO THOSE EXITS, WE'RE CREATING CHOKE POINTS FOR PEOPLE. 
          IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S A NEED FOR AN EVACUATION OR A NEED FOR PEOPLE TO GET OUT OF HERE FAST, WE NEED THAT EXIT THREE FOR A, UH, JUST FOR THOSE PURPOSES ALONE. 
          AND, AND THIS IS ONE THING THAT I LEARNED IN, IN SPEAKING WITH, UM, DAVID TEDDER WHO'S, WHO'S, WHO'S WITH OUR FIRM NOW OF COUNCIL. 
          AND OF COURSE, DAVID TEDDER HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THESE THINGS FOREVER. 
          BUT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW BLUFFTON PARKWAY, WHICH AT ONE POINT WAS ENVISIONED AS A WAY PARALLEL TO 2 78 TO GO OUT TO, TO EXIT EIGHT, WHICH ISN'T, ISN'T POSSIBLE NOW FOR VARIOUS REASONS. 
          BUT THAT THERE, THERE WERE, THERE WAS A WAY OR PLANS MAYBE TO HAVE BLUFFTON PARKWAY ACTUALLY GO DOWN TO WHERE EXIT THREE WOULD BE. 
          AND THAT MIGHT BE A WAY FOR THAT PARALLEL ROUTE COMING OUT ON 2 78 TO GET INTO I 95. 
          NOW, I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF WHERE THE WETLANDS ARE OR WHERE DEVELOPMENTS ARE, BUT, BUT, BUT AGAIN, THIS WHOLE NOTION THAT EXIT THREE RELIEVES SOME OF THAT PRESSURE FOR PURPOSES OF GETTING OUT ON AN EVACUATION BASIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'M GONNA HAMMER HOME ON BECAUSE THAT'S A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. 
          AND SO I'M OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THIS THING COMING TOGETHER. 
          UM, AND SO NOTWITHSTANDING WHAT YOU MAY HAVE READ IN THE PAPER ABOUT THIS, THERE ARE SOME CONSTRUCTIVE STEPS BEING TAKEN, UH, TO, TO ADDRESS THAT SITUATION. 
          SO THOSE ARE THE THING THINGS THAT I WOULD KINDA LIKE DRAW ATTENTION TO JUST AT LEAST INITIALLY. 
          UM, I'LL LET MY MY FRIEND, UH, BILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT ON THE HOUSE SIDE HE'S LOOKING AT. 
          AND THEN HARRY, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE BACK AND FORTH, OR I CAN COME UP AND TALK ABOUT SOME OTHER THINGS THAT I'M WORKING ON. 
          UM, SENATOR, WHILE YOU'RE UP THERE AND WHAT YOU JUST SAID IS FRESH IN EVERYONE'S MIND, UH, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONING NOW. 
          SURE. 
          FIRST BY THE, UH, SO LOCAL BOARD MEMBERS WHO, AND THEN BY, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM THE PUBLIC HERE TODAY. 
          SO LET'S, LET'S START WITH THE, SO LOCO BOARD, ANYONE FROM THE BOARD HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING ANY OF THE THINGS THAT SENATOR DAVIS HAS PRESENTED HERE? YES, VALERIE. 
          UM, IT'S FINE. 
          MY QUESTION TO YOU, SENATOR, IS WHEN WHEN THE CONCURRENCY BILL PASSES, WILL IT BE, CAN YOU APPLY IT RE RETROACTIVELY TO THE ONES THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE PIPELINE THAT HAVE ALREADY HAVE SOME DEVELOPERS WHERE THERE ARE ABOUT ALMOST 20 YEARS OLD? CAN IT BE APPLIED RE RETROACTIVELY TO THOSE? I THINK WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS NOT, NOT SITUATIONS WHERE PERMITS HAVE BEEN ISSUED, BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IN REGARD TO DEVELOPMENTS THAT WERE APPROVED 20 YEARS AGO, DENSITY IS LOCKED IN. 
          YES. 
          AND, AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TENSION THERE OF COURSE IS, UM, A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT CREATES VESTED RIGHTS. 
          AND, AND WHENEVER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IMPACTING VESTED RIGHTS, ARE YOU SAYING THEY NEED TO BE PHASED IN OR WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO BUILD A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THOSE VESTED RIGHTS? YOU'RE FACED WITH A REGULATORY TAKINGS ISSUE? I MEAN, 'CAUSE, 'CAUSE AND, AND, AND, AND FAIR ENOUGH. 
          I MEAN, IF YOU'RE A LANDOWNER THAT'S GOT A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, THOSE ARE VESTED RIGHTS. 
          AND SO THE TENSION IS HOW DO YOU GO AHEAD AND APPLY THESE CONCURRENCY PROGRAMS TO A DEVELOPER THAT'S GOT THESE VESTED RIGHTS? AND THERE IS A WAY TO DO IT. 
          OKAY. 
          I GUESS WHAT I WOULD EMPHASIZE IS THIS, IT CAN'T BE A PERMANENT MORATORIUM. 
          OKAY. 
          'CAUSE THAT, THAT WOULD BE A TAKINGS. 
          YOU WOULD, SO IF, SO FIRST OF ALL, YOU WOULD HAVE TO SAY, UM, NOT JUST SIMPLY NO, BUT NO, NOT NOW, OR NO, NOT TO THAT EXTENT. 
          THAT'S THE FIRST THING. 
          THE SECOND THING IS YOU WOULD HAVE TO CLEARLY IDENTIFY WITH THAT LANDOWNER WHAT THE DEFICIENCIES AND LEVEL OF SERVICE ARE, WHAT, WHAT THE DEFICIENCIES ARE, WHETHER IT'S ROADS OR WHETHER IT'S LAW ENFORCEMENT OR WATER AND SEWER OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE. 
          AND THEN HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE AS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS THAT DEFICIENCY OVER TIME. 
          I MEAN, OTHERWISE, IT'S GONNA BE SEEN AS A DEFACTO MORATORIUM AND YOU'RE GONNA BE SUBJECTING YOURSELF TO A LAWSUIT. 
          SO, SO I'M TRYING TO COME UP WITH AND LEARN AGAIN, THIS, THE BEAUTY ABOUT LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES IS AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE, THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WE HAVE WITH 50 STATES, YOU'VE GOT 50 LABORATORIES OF DEMOCRACY OUT THERE. 
          YOU, YOU CAN SEE WHAT THEY'VE DONE, YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S WORKED, YOU CAN SEE WHAT HASN'T WORKED. 
          AND IN THIS CASE, YOU CAN LOOK AT WHAT FLORIDA AND AND MARYLAND HAVE DONE, AND YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, THE, WHAT THEY PUT IN PLACE, YOU CAN SEE WHETHER IT WORKED OR NOT. 
          YOU CAN SEE THE LEGAL CHALLENGES THAT 
          [00:25:01]
LANDOWNERS HAVE BROUGHT. 
          YOU CAN READ THE COURT DECISIONS THAT, THAT ANALYZE THIS ISSUE. 
          AND THEN YOU CAN LEARN FROM THAT AND TRY TO DRAFT SOMETHING THAT RESPECTS, BOTH RESPECTS, BOTH THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER'S RIGHTS AND ALSO RESPECTS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S, YOU KNOW, CHARGE TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL. 
          SO, UM, BUT YES, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THE IDEA BEHIND CONCURRENCY IS TO HAVE IT APPLY TO PREVIOUSLY APPROVED DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS, BUT IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T SUBJECT YOU TO LEGAL CHALLENGES. 
          UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS IN TALKING ABOUT CONCURRENCY THAT I LEARNED IS A LOT OF TIMES LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DON'T ACT IN THIS SPACE BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID OF BEING SUED. 
          THEY'RE AFRAID OF ILLEGAL CHALLENGES. 
          SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE LEGISLATION I'M WORKING ON IS, IS SOMEWHAT OF A SAFE HARBOR THAT IF YOU, THAT IF YOU DO SOMETHING, CERTAIN THINGS AS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT, IF YOU APPROACH THIS IN A RATIONAL WAY, YOU ESTABLISH A LEVEL OF SERVICES, STANDARDS, YOU HAVE A PLAN TO ADDRESS THAT. 
          THAT IF YOU DO ALL THOSE THINGS, THAT THERE BECOMES A STRONG PRESUMPTION IN FAVOR OF THE LEGALITY OF WHAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DID. 
          AND THAT THE DEVELOPER HAS WHAT'S CALLED A CLEAR AND CONVINCING PROOF STANDARD IN OVERCOMING THAT. 
          SO IT'S MEANT TO ENCOURAGE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO ACT IN THIS SPACE WITHOUT THAT FEAR. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          ANYONE ELSE FROM THE BOARD? MAYOR, I HAVE A QUESTION. 
          PATSY. 
          HEY, PATSY, GO. 
          ALL THIS LAND USE PLANTING STUFF IS, IS SCRATCHING YOUR ITCH, ISN'T IT? THAT'S RIGHT. 
          EXACTLY. 
          IT'S, IT'S VERY INTERESTING. 
          I APPRECIATE YOUR BRINGING THAT IDEA TO OUR STATE. 
          I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL, BUT MY QUESTION IS ABOUT TRANSPORTATION. 
          UM, I'M FASCINATED BY WATERBORNE TRANSPORTATION HAVING LIVED IN NORTH CAROLINA  FOR MOST OF MY LIFE UNTIL I MOVED DOWN HERE. 
          UM, SO, UM, BUT MY QUESTION IS ABOUT LAND TRANSPORTATION. 
          UM, I SERVE ON A, A TOWN OF HILTON HEAD'S FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE, AND WE WERE LOOKING AT, UH, SUPPLEMENTAL REQUESTS FROM PALMETTO BREEZE, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO COMMUTE TO THE ISLAND AND USE THE, THE, THAT KIND OF LAND TRANSPORTATION. 
          AND, AND WHAT MARY LOU FRAN TOLD US IS THAT, UH, IN SOUTH CAROLINA THE MATCHING FUNDS ARE ABOUT 10%. 
          IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS, OTHER STATES IT'S CLOSER TO 25%. 
          SO IT SEEMS AS THOUGH WE NEED SOME STATE HELP WITH THAT TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION. 
          AND BECAUSE OF ALL THE TRAFFIC THAT WE'RE NOW SEEING AND ALL THE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS WE HAVE AND LAND TRANSPORTATION, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU CAN DO TO HELP US OUT WITH THAT KIND OF TRANSPORTATION IN SOUTH CAROLINA? YEAH. 
          AND PAM BREEZE, I GUESS IS THE, IS THE ENTITY CHARGE WITH THAT, WITH THAT RESPONSIBILITY HERE? YES. 
          UM, AND, AND, AND YOU'RE RIGHT. 
          AS WE LOOK AT WAYS TO EFFICIENTLY GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B, I MEAN, THAT WAS THE IMPETUS BEHIND THE WATERBORNE TRANSPORTATION THING I TALKED ABOUT. 
          BUT, BUT TO, TO YOUR POINT, HAVING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OR HAVING THAT MEANS OF GETTING AROUND TO, HAS GOT TO BE BROUGHT INTO THE MIX. 
          AND, AND HISTORICALLY IT JUST HASN'T, AND IT HASN'T BEEN TO THE DEGREE IT NEEDS TO BE. 
          THEY HAVEN'T HAD RECURRING FUNDS, THEY HAVEN'T HAD THE ABILITY TO PLAN. 
          UM, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I NEED TO SIT DOWN WITH PALMETTO BREEZE AND I NEED TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT IF, IF THEY HAD THEIR, YOU KNOW, UM, DRUTHERS, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE AND WHAT WOULD THE RECURRING APPROPRIATION NEED TO BE. 
          NOW YOU SAY ON A MATCH BASIS, IS THAT IN TERMS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT PICKING UP A SHARE OF IT AND THEN HOW MUCH OF IT THE STATE PAYS? IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF A MATCH? YEAH, SHE WOULD BE, UH, BEST THE ONE TO TALK ABOUT THE TYPE OF MATCH HE'S TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE THERE'S MATCH FROM FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THEN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AS WELL. 
          UH, AND WHERE THE STATE FITS IN, I'M NOT, UH, I JUST DON'T KNOW THE INFORMATION. 
          WELL, AND THAT'S A GREAT POINT BECAUSE, UM, THAT TRANSPORTATION BILL THAT WAS PASSED, UM, THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAT WAS PASSED DURING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, UM, OBVIOUSLY A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY. 
          AND THEN THEY HAD VARIOUS TRANCHES THAT IT WENT TO AND ROADS AND BRIDGES, WATERBORNE COMMERCE. 
          BUT ONE, ONE OF THOSE TRANCHES WAS MASS TRANSIT OR, OR, OR WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TOO. 
          AND THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES, AND I KNOW THAT IS ON A MATCH BASIS, THEY DRAW THAT DOWN. 
          THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE FOREGONE SO FAR IN TERMS OF APPLYING FOR THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS AND HAVING LOCAL AND STATE DOLLARS USED TO DRAW THEM DOWN. 
          UM, I, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THOSE WOULD BE, BUT YOU'RE, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT. 
          YEAH. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          I DON'T KNOW A BETTER ANSWER FOR THAT, BUT SHE CAN TELL YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WHAT I'M LEARNING ABOUT A LOT OF THE, AND I'VE LEARNED THIS IN THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL IN REGARD TO WATERBORNE DOLLARS OR THAT, THAT SORT OF A TRANCHE, WE'VE GOTTEN LIKE VERY, VERY LITTLE OF IT. 
          I MEAN, MOSTLY IT'S GOING TO WASHINGTON STATE AND, AND, AND LOUISIANA, UM, AND PLACES THAT HAVE THESE ROBUST, I MEAN, SO THEY'RE DRAWING DOWN TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN, IN FEDERAL FUNDS BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT A COHERENT PROGRAM IN PLACE. 
          'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A, A SYSTEM AND A COHERENT PROJECT PROGRAM IN PLACE, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO HAVE LOCAL AND STATE WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT. 
          THEN THAT'S A PREDICATE FOR GETTING THIS FEDERAL DOLLARS. 
          WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT WITH WATERBORNE COMMERCE AND WE HAVEN'T DONE IT WITH MASS TRANSIT EITHER. 
          [00:30:04]
MR. TO MAYOR TOM, I LOVE WHAT YOU WERE SAYING ABOUT LOWERING TAXES. 
          MM-HMM . 
          YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A GOAL OF MINE. 
          ANYTIME I CAN, JUST TRYING TO GET STRAIGHT IN MY HEAD, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE ENOUGH, WE HAVE MONEY TO DO THAT. 
          RIGHT. 
          BUT WE ARE AT THE SAME TIME ASKING OUR RESIDENTS TO PAY MORE MONEY SO THAT WE CAN GET OUR ROADS FIXED, TALKING ABOUT BILLION DOLLARS, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF MONEY JUST FOR OUR LOCAL ROADS. 
          SO I'M TRYING TO GET IN MY HEAD HOW COME WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OR EXTRA MONEY, SO TO SPEAK, TO GO ON THESE NEW, STILL ASKING OUR RESIDENTS TO PAY FOR THE ROAD SET SHOULD ALREADY BE FIXED, IN MY OPINION. 
          MM-HMM . 
          SO HOW DOES THAT TIE TOGETHER, I GUESS? AND I, I TAKE YOUR PO I TAKE YOUR POINT. 
          I GUESS THE POINT IS, WE HAVE THESE REVENUES, WHETHER THEY'RE RECURRING OR NON-RECURRING. 
          UM, WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT TAX CUTS WHEN WE HAVE THESE DEMONSTRABLE NEEDS THAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO PAY BY OTHER MEANS, RIGHT? IS I GUESS THAT'S THE, THE QUESTION. 
          AND SO I GUESS FROM MY STANDPOINT, I, I WOULD SAY THIS, IT'S NOT A MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE KIND OF THING. 
          UM, I FUNDAMENTALLY BELIEVE, AND, AND I'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED THIS, UM, IN, IN, IN ECONOMICS, YOU GOT A FINITE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES OUT THERE. 
          UM, AND, AND GOVERNMENT EXISTS WHEN IT TAKES TAXES AWAY, IT TAKES MONEY FROM THOSE FINITE RESOURCES AND SPENDS IT ON CERTAIN THINGS, PUBLIC GOODS, THINGS THAT ARE ESSENTIAL. 
          UM, BUT BY DEFINITION, MONEY THAT YOU TAKE OUT OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND MOVE TO THE PUBLIC SECTOR, I THINK IS LESS EFFICIENT. 
          I THINK YOU'RE NEVER GONNA GET THE RETURN, ECONOMIC RETURN ON, ON DOLLARS SPENDING IT AT THE GOVERNMENT LEVEL THAN YOU WOULD IF IT'S IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR FOR, FOR THIS REASON. 
          BECAUSE IF SOMETHING IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR ISN'T SPENT IN AN EFFICIENT WAY OR IN A WAY THAT BENEFITS THE PUBLIC, THE COMPANY GOES OUTTA BUSINESS, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S JUST SO, SO YOU'VE GOT A BUILT IN MARKET DISCIPLINE THERE. 
          SO, SO THAT'S WHY I THINK TAX CUTS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT, IT LEAVES CAPITAL IN A MORE PRODUCTIVE SECTOR. 
          BUT, BUT TO YOUR POINT, THERE, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE EXPECT GOVERNMENT TO DO. 
          I DON'T HAVE. 
          SO, SO THAT'S WHY, I MEAN, AND I AGREE WITH YOU, WE OUGHT TO HAVE DOLLARS ALLOCATED FROM THAT, THOSE, THOSE REVENUES WE HAVE FOR ROADS AND BRIDGES. 
          SO I'M NOT ADVOCATING FOR NOT TAKING ANY OF THAT, OF THAT $2 BILLION. 
          UM, AND, AND I'M NOT SAYING SEND IT ALL BACK TO PEOPLE. 
          I, BECAUSE I RECOGNIZE THAT WE DO, TO YOUR POINT, WE DO HAVE THESE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS. 
          AND SO I'M TRYING TO STRIKE A BALANCE AS I, AS I CAST VOTES FOR THESE THINGS, UM, I TRY TO STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN, OKAY, HOW CAN I LEAVE MONEY IN A MORE PRODUCTIVE SECTOR? BUT AT THE SAME TIME, HAVING THE STATE HAVE SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THE THINGS THAT YOU POINT OUT. 
          BECAUSE IF WE DON'T, THEN YOU TURN TO OTHER MECHANISMS LIKE A LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX TO PAY FOR IT. 
          SO I, I GET IT. 
          IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S A BALANCING ACT THERE. 
          BUT, BUT SINCE WE'RE YOU, YOU RAISED THIS ISSUE OF THE, THE, THE, THE LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX GOING FORWARD. 
          UM, I'LL TELL YOU, ONE OF THE PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THAT IS THAT IF, IF A LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR A LOCAL AREA HAS LOCAL REVENUES THAT THEY'RE GENERATING, YOU MOVE TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO GET MONEY FROM THE DOT. 
          UM, AND ALSO WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO GET MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, 'CAUSE BOTH OF THEM ARE GONNA BE INCLINED TO SUPPORT PROJECTS MORE READILY IF THERE'S LOCAL SKIN IN THE GAME. 
          SO, SO THE TAXES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, AND THAT'S JUST THE WAY THE GAME WORKS. 
          I'M NOT MAKING A A COMMENTARY ON WHETHER THAT'S RIGHT OR WRONG. 
          I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S THE WAY THAT IT WORKS. 
          SO THAT IF YOU'VE GOT A PROJECT IN, UM, IN, IN THE GRAND STRAND, UM, THAT'S VYING FOR DOLLARS AND YOU GOT ONE DOWN HERE IN THE LOW COUNTRY THAT'S VYING FOR DOLLARS, THE LOCALITY OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAT'S GONNA HAVE LOCAL DOLLARS ARE GONNA BE MOVED UP IN THE TERMS OF DOT PRIORITIES. 
          SO THAT'S A LONG-WINDED WAY OF KIND OF ADDRESSING YOUR, YOUR QUESTION, MAYOR. 
          BUT I, BUT I'M TRYING, I'M TRYING TO SAY THAT I TRY TO BALANCE BETWEEN LEAVING MONEY IN A, WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE A MORE PRODUCTIVE SECTOR, MORE EFFICIENT SECTOR, BUT AT THE SAME TIME RETAINING ENOUGH MONEY TO WHERE WE DO ADDRESS THE NEEDS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. 
          'CAUSE I RECOGNIZE THAT TO THE EXTENT THE STATE DOESN'T, THEN IT FALLS ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO HAVE TO DO IT IN TAX BY THE WAYS. 
          YES, SIR. 
          MAYOR PRIORITY. 
          YEAH. 
          I'VE GOT A QUICK QUESTION. 
          UM, HEY MAYOR, GOOD MORNING. 
          HOW ARE YOU? GOOD, GOOD. 
          UM, I THINK THAT THERE'S SOME BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW MUNICIPALITIES CAN CREATE THEIR OWN LOST OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY. 
          UM, CAN YOU TALK TO THAT AND WHERE THAT MIGHT BE AT THIS POINT IN TIME? I IS THAT THE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD AFFECT GREENVILLE AND, AND BEAUFORT COUNTY AND WOULD ALLOW LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO, UM, IMPOSE A A A PAY OF SALE TAX ON THEIR OWN? UM, THAT BILL IS IN SENATE FINANCE. 
          UM, 
          [00:35:01]
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO THE PRIMARY SPONSOR OF THAT IS. 
          IT MIGHT BE, MIGHT BE ED SUTTON, IT MIGHT BE ED SUTTON, OR IT MIGHT BE REX RICE. 
          UM, THAT BILL HAS NOT RECEIVED A SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING. 
          IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MUNICIPALITIES FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT, UM, I CAN PUSH THE FINANCE CHAIRMAN TO ACTUALLY HAVE A SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING ON IT, WHICH HE'LL GIVE. 
          NOW HE WON'T COMMIT TO WHETHER OR NOT IT'S GONNA MOVE OR NOT, BUT HE'LL COMMIT TO GIVE INTO A SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING AND THAT WOULD GO TO THE COMMITTEE THAT I SERVE ON WITH ROSS TURNER. 
          BUT IS THAT SOMETHING THAT MUNICIPALITIES HAVE MADE A PRIORITY? 'CAUSE I KNEW THAT WAS OUT THERE, BUT I HAD NOT HEARD THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT MUNICIPALITIES REALLY WANTED AS AN OPTION. 
          I, I THINK THAT IT'S, IT, IT OFFERS AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES TO OPERATE WITHOUT RELIANCE UPON THE COUNTY, UH, GOVERNMENT. 
          UM, AND IT ALLOWS US TO PROTECT THE PROJECTS THAT WE WANT TO DO. 
          AND IT, IT PROVIDES THAT ADDITIONAL TRUST. 
          SO I THINK IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT SO LOCO WOULD, WOULD NEED TO HAVE FOR US TO HAVE A, A FORMAL STANCE ON THAT. 
          UM, BUT I THINK IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE INTERESTED IN THAT WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ON THE ISLAND. 
          AND I THINK THE LEGISLATION IS DRAFTED IN A WAY, AND I, I'M REMEMBERING BACK FROM A MONTH OR SO WHEN I LOOKED AT IT, IS THAT ONLY MUNICIPALITIES THAT ARE WITHIN COUNTIES THAT DON'T HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF LOCAL OPTIONS, SALES TAXES ALREADY WOULD QUALIFY. 
          SO BY DEFINITION IT WOULD LIMIT IT TO THOSE AREAS THAT DON'T ALREADY HAVE. 
          'CAUSE SOME HAVE LAYERED ON TOP OF IT, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL PENNIES. 
          IS IS, IS THAT THE ONE I'M THINKING OF? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          IT, IT, IT'S ONLY FOR COUNTIES THAT HAVE NONE, HAVE NO PENNIES ON THE BOOKS, AND IT'S ONLY THREE COUNTIES IN THE ENTIRE STATE. 
          WE CURRENTLY DO NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE, BECAUSE BEAUFORT, GREENVILLE, AND OCONEE COUNTY ARE THE ONLY THREE THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE ELIGIBLE RIGHT NOW, UNLESS SOME OF THE OTHERS ACTUALLY ROLL OFF. 
          SO YEAH, THE LAST ONE WE HAD, I GUESS WAS THE GREEN PENNY THAT ROLLED OFF. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO THAT WAS THE LAST PENNY. 
          SO WE HAVE NONE RIGHT NOW IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. 
          CORRECT. 
          BUT LIKE IF THE ONE PASSED THIS YEAR THAT THE COUNTY'S LOOKING TO PUT, THEN WE WOULD BE REMOVED FROM THAT LIST UNTIL IT EXPIRED. 
          BUT RIGHT NOW THERE'S ONLY THREE IN THE STATE THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO THREE COUNTIES IN THE STATE. 
          AND WOULD THAT BE, IT WOULD AUTHORIZE A MUNICIPALITY TO HAVE A REFERENDUM TO HAVE THE PENNY APPROVED. 
          OKAY. 
          YES. 
          A REFERENDUM TO, IF, IF THE COUNTY, IF THE ENTIRE COUNTY HAS NONE, THEN THE MUNICIPALITIES WOULD HAVE AN OPTION TO BE ABLE TO PUT A REFERENDUM ON JUST FOR PROJECTS WITHIN THEIR REGION, THEIR AREA. 
          IT WOULD BE FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS OR CAPITAL PROJECTS OR WHAT. 
          I MEAN, I NEED TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE LEGISLATION. 
          I THINK IT'S JUST TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS. 
          WELL, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE MUNICIPALITIES IN THIS ROOM FEEL LIKE THEY REALLY NEED, I'LL, I'LL PUT SOME WEIGHT BEHIND IT AND TRY TO GIVE, GIVE IT A HEARING AND SEE IF WE CAN MOVE IT. 
          YEAH, I, I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A VALUABLE TOOL TO HAVE IN THE TOOLBOX. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH THE, THE REFERENDUM THIS FALL, BUT IF IT DOESN'T PASS, IT DOES GIVE THE MUNICIPALITIES AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO ADDRESS THEIR, THEIR ISSUES IN THE WAY THAT THEY SEE THEY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. 
          SO IN HILTON HEAD IN PARTICULAR, THE, THE GATEWAY COMING ONTO HILTON HEAD, YOU GOT THE SEA PINES CIRCLE, MAIN STREET, YOU GOT VARIOUS THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          SO THEN I CAN SAY INSTEAD OF THAT, WHEN THEY CALL ME UP, I CAN SAY, CALL MAYOR PERRY AND ASK HIM WHY HE IS NOT HOLDING THIS, UH, REFERENDUM FOR A PENNY SALES TAX. 
          OKAY. 
          GOTCHA. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, SO THAT WE STAY ON, ON TARGET. 
          EVERYBODY MAKE A NOTE OF YOUR QUESTIONS. 
          UM, I'M GOING TO, UH, GIVE THE SENATOR A CHANCE TO CATCH HIS BREATH AND BRING UP, UH, REPRESENTATIVE BILL HAGER FROM JASPER. 
          AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK TO THE QUESTIONINGS WHEN BILL'S DONE. 
          AND, UM, I'LL OPEN IT ALSO UP TO FURTHER BOARD QUESTIONS OF EITHER ONE AND ALSO TO THE PUBLIC. 
          SO, REPRESENTATIVE BILL HAGER FROM JASPER COUNTY, SENATOR AVIS HAS COVERED A LOT OF THINGS. 
          AND, UH, TALKING ABOUT EXIT EIGHT, OUR LOW COUNTRY DELEGATION. 
          I CALL IT THE LOW COUNTRY DELEGATION, UH, BECAUSE, UH, JASPER COUNTY DELEGATION, BEAUFORT DELEGATION, HAMPTON DELEGATION, IT'S ALL BASICALLY THE SAME PEOPLE WE'RE, WE ALL CROSS OVER COUNTY LINES. 
          AND SO I'M PROUD TO BE IN ALL THREE DELEGATIONS. 
          AND I'M ACTUALLY ALSO IN COLLEGE, SO I'M IN FOUR DELEGATIONS. 
          SO WE HAVE A LOW COUNTRY DELEGATION. 
          WE ALL WORK TOGETHER. 
          WE'RE ALL WORKING ON EXIT THREE AS A DELEGATION TO TRY TO GET THIS STRAIGHTENED OUT. 
          SO APPRECIATE SENATOR DAVIS TALKING ABOUT THAT. 
          I, UH, I HAVE, I HAVE BEEN BACK IN THE HOUSE FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS NOW. 
          I HAD A VERY SERIOUS VIRAL INFECTION THAT HAD ME, UH, IN THE HOSPITAL A GOOD BIT OVER CHRISTMAS AND INTO THE NEW YEAR. 
          LUCKILY, IT'S, IT'S GONE. 
          I'M BACK TO FEELING A HUNDRED PERCENT. 
          I ACTUALLY FEEL BETTER NOW THAN I FELT IN SEVERAL YEARS. 
          SO THEY CLEANED A WHOLE LOT OF STUFF OUT OF ME WHILE THEY WERE GETTING RID OF THE VIRUS. 
          UH, BUT ANYWAY, SINCE I'VE BEEN BACK IN THE HOUSE, UH, WE'VE TAKEN UP SOME BIG THINGS. 
          WE'VE TAKEN UP SOME LITTLE THINGS. 
          ONE THAT, ONE LITTLE BILL THAT HAS PASSED THAT'S KIND OF NEAT 
          [00:40:01]
IS WE HAVE DECLARED THE, UH, PARENTED WOBBLER AS THE STATE MIGRATORY BIRD. 
          I KNOW I DIDN'T SAY THE THE NAME RIGHT, BUT IT'S A WOBBLER THAT'S IN THE, IN THE STATE THAT HAS THIS, UH, ABOUT 400,000 OF THEM MIGRATE TO OUR STATE EACH YEAR. 
          MY MY WIFE IS A BIOLOGIST AND AMATEUR ORNITHOLOGIST. 
          SHE GOES IN THE WOODS WITH THIS APP AND ACTUALLY CALLS THESE LITTLE YELLOW BIRDS DOWN OUT OF THE TREES. 
          THEY'LL COME DOWN AND LAND RIGHT ABOVE HER HEAD AND SING TO HER. 
          SO THAT'S WHEN WE PASSED, AND THAT'S WHEN SHE WAS PROUD THAT I WAS PART OF PASSING BECAUSE SHE, SHE GETS OUT THERE AND DOES THAT. 
          WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON, UH, A HEMP BILL, UH, THAT'S, UH, GONNA DEAL WITH, UH, MEDICAL HEMP. 
          UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW HOW FAR IT'S GONNA GO. 
          WE'RE WORKING ON THAT NOW. 
          WE, UH, APPARENTLY I DIDN'T MISS A WHOLE LOT WHILE I WAS OUT FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. 
          UH, OUR, I'M ON THE LCI COMMITTEE, UH, LABOR COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY COMMITTEE WITH MY BACKGROUND. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S THE PERFECT PLACE FOR ME TO BE. 
          THEY HAD NOT HAD A FULL COMMITTEE. 
          I GOT BACK, UH, FROM BEING OUT AND, UH, I MANAGED TO MAKE THE VERY FIRST COMMITTEE MEETING. 
          SO WE, WE'VE BEEN MOVING ON SOME STUFF, UH, NOT REAL FAST APPARENTLY. 
          'CAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A COMMITTEE MEETING UNTIL LAST WEEK. 
          UH, BUT WE'RE TAKING UP A HEMP BILL. 
          UH, WE'RE ALSO TAKING UP, UM, WORKING ON SOME OTHER THINGS, UM, THAT, UH, PRETTY INTERESTING STUFF. 
          UM, TRYING TO REMEMBER SOME OF IT. 
          UM, WE ALSO TAKING UP A BILL TO ALLOW PHARMACISTS TO PRESCRIBE, UH, BIRTH CONTROL WITHOUT HAVING TO HAVE A, A DOCTOR PRESCRIBE IT. 
          THAT THE, THAT IT CAN COME THROUGH A PHARMACIST INSTEAD MAKE IT EASIER FOR OUR LADIES TO HAVE BIRTH CONTROL. 
          THAT'S, UH, PASSED THE HOUSE, I THINK HEADED TO THE SENATE. 
          THE, UH, AND THE, AND THE THOUGHT IS WE MAKE IT EASIER. 
          IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT IF WE CAN STOP A PREGNANCY BEFORE IT HAPPENS, WE'RE BETTER OFF THAN HAVING, UH, THESE WOMEN LADIES HAVE ABORTIONS AFTER THE FACT. 
          SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR, FOR BIRTH CONTROL FOR LADIES. 
          SO THAT'S ANOTHER BIG ONE THAT'S GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW. 
          AND, UM, SO IF ANYBODY'S GOT ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL, I'LL TAKE 'EM. 
          UH, I DON'T, I DIDN'T HAVE NEAR AS MUCH TO SAY AS SENATOR DAVIS. 
          UH, WE ARE, UH, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD ON A LOT OF THINGS, BUT IT'S, IT SEEMS TO BE KIND OF SLOW THIS YEAR, GETTING THINGS MOVING. 
          BUT WE'VE GOT, GOT SEVERAL BIG THINGS COMING, WORKING ON THE ENERGY BILL. 
          THE ENERGY BILL'S GOING THROUGH. 
          UH, WE'VE GOT TO GET THIS PIPELINE AND CANADA'S PLANT BUILT. 
          IT'S, OF COURSE, MY BACKGROUND IS ENERGY. 
          UH, THIS, THE REGION, THIS REGION OF SOUTH CAROLINA IS VERY SHORT OF ENERGY NEEDS. 
          UH, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH KINDER MORGAN, THE PIPELINE FOLKS, EVEN OFF SESSION TRYING TO GET THE ROUTES PICKED AND TRYING TO WORK WITH THE STATE TO TRY TO USE AS MUCH STATE PROPERTY SO WE CAN STAY SO WE DON'T ENCUMBER PRIVATE PROPERTY. 
          SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON MOVING THE PIPELINE TO AS MUCH STATE RELATED PROPERTY AS WE CAN TO HELP, UH, MINIMIZE IMPACT ON PRIVATE CITIZENS. 
          ONCE THE PIPELINE'S IN PLACE, IT'S REALLY, IS REALLY NOTHING YOU CAN'T DO ON THE LINE EXCEPT PLANT PINE TREES OR BUILD A HOUSE ON IT. 
          YOU CAN EVEN, I JUST FOUND THIS OUT RECENTLY. 
          YOU CAN EVEN PLANT A, A, UH, ORCHARD, UH, ON THE PROPERTY, ON THE PIPELINE. 
          THEY DON'T MINE FRUIT TREES ON THE PIPELINE. 
          SO YOU CAN HAVE A GREAT SHOOTING LANE OR A GREAT ORCHARD. 
          SO THERE'S THINGS YOU CAN STILL DO WITH THE LAND. 
          WE GOT A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T REALIZE THAT. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A BIG CONTROVERSY ABOUT A DATA CENTER IN CARLETON COUNTY. 
          I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM ON THAT SITUATION IN CARLETON COUNTY. 
          BUT IT AFFECTS ALL OF US AS WE WORK, UH, TO DEVELOP PROCESSES OF HOW WE'RE GONNA HANDLE DATA CENTERS BECAUSE THEY'RE COMING AND WE'VE GOTTA BE READY FOR IT. 
          SO THANKS FOR, THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND A LOT OF YOU KNEW I WAS SICK AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT WHILE I WAS OUT. 
          GLAD TO BE BACK, GLAD TO BE HEALTHY AGAIN AND DOING WELL. 
          SO THANKS FOR ALL THAT SUPPORT. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS OPEN IT UP FOR BOARD QUESTIONS AND THEN, UM, BEFORE I GO TO THE PUBLIC, I'LL, UH, WE'LL GO TO THE PUBLIC FOR BOTH OF YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          FOR ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, UH, 
          [00:45:01]
I'LL START OFF SINCE I'M ON THE BOARD. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THE, SO LOKO GROUP HERE, ALL SIGNED RESOLUTIONS, WHICH WE SENT TO ALL THE DELEGATES, UM, ASKING FOR AN APPROPRIATION FOR A PILOT PROGRAM CALLED TRI SHARE, IS A WAY TO FUND OR HELP FAMILIES FUND CHILDCARE. 
          UM, I, WE'VE ASKED FOR AT LEAST A COUPLE OF MILLION DOLLARS TO, TO UH, GIVE TO JASPER AND BEAUFORT COUNTY SO THAT WE COULD TRY THIS. 
          IT IS A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM FOR ANY BUSINESS. 
          UH, THERE'S A NUMBER OF BUSINESSES IN MICHIGAN WHERE WE FIRST LEARNED OF THIS, UM, AND WHAT IT DOES, WHICH I'M SURE YOU PROBABLY KNOW, BUT, UM, ONE THIRD OF THE COST WOULD BE, UM, TAKEN BY THE EMPLOYER. 
          ONE THIRD OF THE COST WOULD BE BY THE PARENT AND ONE THIRD WOULD BE BY THE STATE FUNDING. 
          AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE ASKING FOR MONEY, UM, PERHAPS THROUGH DSS TO GET A CHANCE TO TRY THIS OUT IN BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTY IS THERE, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS THAT YOU COULD SHARE WITH US, BILL ON THAT? THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT PROGRAM. 
          I, UH, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN, SO LET'S GET IT DONE. 
          OKAY. 
          I, UH, I KNOW THE OTHER THING, NOT TO GET OFF THAT SUBJECT, BUT IT REMINDED ME, THE OTHER THING WE'RE WORKING ON IS, UH, DOING A PILOT PROGRAM DOWN HERE, UH, WITH THE CHARTER SCHOOLS AND HOW THEY'RE FUNDED. 
          AND WE'VE ALSO PASSING A BILL TO ALLOW CHAPLAINS BACK INTO OUR SCHOOLS AND, UH, AND IF THE SCHOOL VOLUNTARILY WANTS TO, THEY CAN IF POST ATTEND COMMANDMENTS AND THAT SORT OF THING. 
          SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET CHAPLAINS BACK INTO OUR SCHOOLS. 
          SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING WE'RE WORKING ON. 
          BUT YEAH, I I WOULD LOVE TO BE PART OF THAT PROCESS. 
          OKAY. 
          WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO LEAN ON YOU AS MUCH AS WE CAN. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UH, WE HAD EIGHT JURISDICTIONS, BOTH COUNTIES AND SIX MUNICIPALITIES, UH, SIGNED A, A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THAT, UH, PROGRAM IT UP TO US. 
          WE'LL, WE'LL RUN IT THROUGH. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          NOW, UH, FOR REPRESENTATIVE HAGER, ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS? ALRIGHT, WELL THEY LET YOU OFF EASY, BILL. 
          I THINK SENATOR DAVIS COVERED A LOT OF IT. 
          . 
          OKAY. 
          SO IF YOU AND SENATOR DAVIS GRAB A MICROPHONE HERE AND NOW WE'LL OPEN UP FOR EITHER, UM, SENATOR DAVIS OR REPRESENTATIVE HAGER FROM THE PUBLIC. 
          THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO ASK EITHER ONE OF THEM A QUESTION. 
          ALL WE HAVE, UH, CHAIRMAN JOEY RA FROM JASPER COUNTY. 
          UH, SENATOR DAVIS, I DO HAVE A QUESTION AS IT PERTAINS TO THE CONCURRENCY BILL. 
          HOW WILL THIS AFFECT THE, UNDERSTANDABLY WE KNOW HOW THIS IS WORKING WITH THE EXPLOSIVE URBAN DEVELOPMENT, HOW WILL THIS AFFECT THE RURAL AREAS AND HOW WILL THIS AFFECT OR IMPACT SOME OF THE WORKFORCE OR ATTAINABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE? YEAH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THE LEGISLATION I'M WORKING ON, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE HOUSE VERSION OF CONCURRENCY, BUT, UM, I, I WOULD CREATE, UM, EITHER SOME CARVE OUTS OR SOME SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS, UH, FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. 
          AND, AND ALSO IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO, TO BUILD OR DEVELOP IN URBAN AREAS WHERE WE WANT GROWTH TO OCCUR. 
          I THINK THOSE TWO PARTICULAR CLASSES OF, OF PROPERTY, AND I THINK THERE'S A RATIONAL BASIS FOR DISTINGUISHING YOU, YOU'VE ALWAYS GOTTA HAVE A REASON AFTER A LEGISLATURE, IF YOU'RE TREATING CLASSES OF PROPERTY DIFFERENTLY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A RATIONAL BASIS FOR THAT, OR YOU SUBJECT YOURSELF TO EQUAL PROTECTION CHALLENGES. 
          BUT I, BUT I DO THINK THAT WHEN IT TALKS, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT WANTING TO PROMOTE OR, OR FACILITATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING POCKETS OR DONOR HOLES IN URBAN AREAS FILLED IN, I DO THINK THERE'S A RATIONAL REASON TO TREAT THEM DIFFERENTLY. 
          SO, SO I DO, MY LEGISLATION WILL HAVE, UM, EXCEPTIONS FOR THOSE AREAS. 
          AND, AND WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CONCURRENCY AND, AND, AND THIS TOUCHES ON IT, THE LA THE WHOLE LAND USE QUESTION, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED IS A BILL THAT I FILED THAT IS MOVING THROUGH THE, THE SENATE SIDE, UM, IS TO GET OUR HANDLE ON DATA CENTERS AND, AND, AND HOW THEY'RE GONNA IMPACT, UM, SOUTH CAROLINA IN GENERAL BECAUSE, 'CAUSE WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE FINDING WITH DATA CENTERS, AND YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW THIS, IS THAT THEY CONSUME A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ENERGY. 
          I MEAN, THEY ARE THE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR AI TECHNOLOGIES. 
          AND AS MORE AND MORE INDUSTRY SECTORS ARE INCORPORATING AI INTO THEIR BUSINESS MODEL, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE DATA CENTERS TO AS INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT, WHICH IN TURN RELIES UPON A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF POWER FROM THE GRID. 
          [00:50:01]
AND SO, SO AS A MATTER OF POLICY, AT LEAST WITH THE LEGISLATION THAT I FILED, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF A DATA CENTER COMES INTO AN AREA, ANY GENERATION NEEDS THAT, THAT CREATES, OR ANY UPGRADES TO THE GRID, THAT THAT NECESSITATES THAT THOSE CAPITAL COSTS ARE ALLOCATED ENTIRELY TO THE DATA CENTER SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THE EXISTING RATE BASE SUBSIDIZING THOSE PARTICULAR OPERATIONS. 
          BUT YOU'VE ALSO GOT OTHER EXTERNALITIES ASSOCIATED WITH DATA CENTERS THAT I THINK PUBLIC POLICY WE NEED TO ADDRESS AS A LEGISLATURE. 
          UM, THE AMOUNT OF WATER, SURFACE WATER AND GROUNDWATER AND SURFACE WATER THAT IT NEEDS TO COOL THEIR CHIPS. 
          AND COOL. 
          UM, THERE ARE BEST PRACTICES NOW THAT, THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED TO WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE TO RELY UPON MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF SURFACE WATER ARE GROUNDWATER. 
          YOU, YOU CAN HAVE THESE CLOSED SYSTEMS, UM, WHERE YOU, WHERE YOU, YOU, THE WATER IS TAKEN IN, IT COOLS AND DIRECT TO CHIP, AND THEN YOU USE THAT EVAPORATIVE WATER OVER AGAIN. 
          SO, SO, SO THERE ISN'T A NEED TO CONTINUALLY REPLENISH. 
          NOW IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPENSIVE, UM, BUT THE GOOD DATA CENTER OPERATORS ARE ALREADY INCORPORATING THIS INTO THEIR DESIGNS. 
          AND SO THE LEGISLATION THAT I HAVE WOULD REQUIRE THESE DATA CENTERS TO INCORPORATE THESE, THESE BEST PRACTICE MODELS IN, IN THEIR CONSTRUCTION. 
          UM, THE OTHER EXTERNALITIES ASSOCIATED WITH DATA CENTERS WOULD BE NOISE AND VIBRATION. 
          UH, AND AGAIN, TECHNOLOGY IS THAT DEVELOP NOW WHERE YOU CAN MITIGATE THOSE EXTERNALITIES. 
          AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS YOU WANNA DO WITH LEGISLATION, UM, AND, AND I'M A SUBSCRIBER TO, UM, YOU KNOW, JOHN STEWART MILL BACK WITH ON LIBERTY. 
          I READ THAT IN COLLEGE. 
          AND, UM, HIS PHILOSOPHY IS THAT MY FREEDOM TO SWING MY ARM ENDS WHERE YOUR NOSE BEGINS. 
          SO THAT IF WHAT I DO AFFECTS ONLY MYSELF, THEN YOU LEAVE ME ALONE. 
          BUT IF MY ACTIVITIES AFFECT THE PUBLIC OR THE GENERAL PUBLIC AT LARGE, THEN THAT IS A CONDITION PRECEDENT FOR GOVERNMENT ACTION. 
          DATA CENTERS ARE HAVING AN IMPACT ON THE PUBLIC. 
          AND SO I THINK THAT'S A LEGITIMATE PRETEXT FOR US TO ACT. 
          THE LAST THING I WILL SAY IS, UM, THERE ARE CERTAIN AREAS WHERE DATA CENTERS SHOULD NOT GO. 
          AND BILL JUST INDICATED, YOU KNOW, THEY SHOULD NOT GO NEAR THE ACE BASIN, FOR INSTANCE, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PLACES IN SOUTH CAROLINA, WE HAVE 400 BROWNFIELD SITES IN SOUTH CAROLINA, YOU KNOW, OLD INDUSTRIAL SITES THAT THAT, THAT ARE NOW DORMANT AND, AND NEED CLEANUP AND MITIGATION. 
          THE BILL THAT I HAVE FILED INCENTIVIZES DATA CENTER OPERATORS TO LOOK AT THOSE BROWNFIELD SITES AND TO LOOK AT REHABILITATING THOSE SITES BECAUSE THEY'RE OFTEN PROXIMATE TO EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          THEY'RE, THEY'RE NON-PRODUCTIVE USES. 
          AND SO THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO. 
          AND AGAIN, YOUR QUESTION ABOUT CONCURRENCY REMINDED ME OF, OF THAT ASPECT OF LAND USE AS WELL. 
          SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO GET, I KIND OF TOOK YOUR QUESTION AND LEVERAGED THAT TO ANSWER TALK ABOUT DATA CENTERS, BUT IT IS RELATED TO LAND USE REGULATION. 
          IF I CAN ADD A LITTLE BIT TO THAT. 
          UM, WE JUST, WE NEED, AND THE DATA CENTERS NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE AT ATTACHMENT TO THE GRID DOES NOT COST OUR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS AN INCREASE IN POWER, AN INCREASING COST. 
          THEY NEED TO PAY FOR THEIR PAY, FOR THEIR POWER THAT THEY USE. 
          NOW, IT'S REALLY INTERESTING, UH, WE JUST, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF Y'ALL HAVE SEEN THE NEWS. 
          THE, UH, THEY JUST DELIVERED A NUCLEAR REACTOR TO HILL AIR FORCE BASE IN UTAH. 
          I ACTUALLY HAVE A SON THAT IS BASED, IS, IS ON THAT BASE RIGHT NOW AS A, HIS WIFE IS IN THE AIR FORCE. 
          THEY JUST JUST DROPPED A NUCLEAR REACTOR OFF HIS FIVE MEGAWATTS, WHICH WOULD BE A PERFECT SIZE FOR A DATA CENTER. 
          IT'S BASICALLY IN A CONEX. 
          IT'S UNBELIEVABLE. 
          THEY FLEW IT IN TO HILL AIR FORCE BASE AND SET IT UP WITHIN A FEW DAYS AND ARE GENERATING POWER WITH FIVE MEGAWATT NUCLEAR UNIT. 
          AND IT'S JUST, IT'S AMAZING. 
          IT'S ABSOLUTELY AMAZING SELF-CONTAINED UNIT THAT, THAT WOULD BE PERFECT FOR A DATA CENTER. 
          IF WE CAN MAKE IT TO WHERE IT'S, YOU KNOW, SAFE FOR THE PUBLIC, THAT WOULD BE PERFECT. 
          BUT IT JUST DID THAT THIS WEEK THAT I WAS AMAZED. 
          I HAD NO IDEA THAT TECHNOLOGY WAS BEING DEVELOPED, BUT THAT WOULD BE IDEAL. 
          SO THAT LOOKS LIKE THAT MIGHT BE THE FUTURE, THE SMALL NUKES OR OUR FUTURE, UH, IF WE CAN GET 'EM, GET 'EM OUT THERE AND GET 'EM SAFE, IT'S, UH, IT'S A GREAT THING. 
          SO I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS INTERESTING. 
          THAT WOULD BE IDEAL FOR THESE SITES TO GENERATE THEIR OWN POWER. 
          SO THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW THAT, THAT TECHNOLOGY APPARENTLY IS, IS GETTING CLOSER THAN WE THOUGHT AND, UH, IT'S COMING. 
          SO IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT, OKAY, I SEE. 
          UH, WE ALREADY HAVE ONE PERSON IN LINE, SO, UM, MR. PASSMAN. 
          YES. 
          UM, FOR OUR TWO LEGISLATORS AND SPEAKING TO AFFORDABLE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING, SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES IS ASKING LEGISLATION TO BE ENACTED THAT WOULD ALLOW COUNTIES TO EITHER WAIVE OR REDUCE IMPACT OR 
          [00:55:01]
TAP FEES. 
          COULD THIS BE SOMETHING AS PART OF YOUR CONCURRENCY BILL, OR SHOULD THIS BE SOMETHING THAT IS STANDALONE? I, I THINK, UM, IT'S LOGICAL TO BE A PART OF THE CONCURRENCY BILL. 
          I MEAN, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CONDITIONS PRECEDENT AND WHAT YOU WANT REQUIRE DEVELOPER IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR PLAN. 
          SO I THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE, AND YOU ALWAYS WANNA HAVE IT BE PART OF A BILL THAT'S ALREADY MOVING, A VEHICLE THAT'S MOVING. 
          'CAUSE IF YOU FILE SOMETHING, A STANDALONE, I MEAN, YOU GOTTA GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF GETTING A SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING. 
          I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S AN ONEROUS THING. 
          SO IF YOU'VE GOT LEGISLATION THAT IS ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING FORWARD, UM, THAT, THAT WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE PLACE TO, TO ADD THAT, JOE. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND IN REGARD TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, I MEAN THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE, I'VE DONE SOME THINGS AND LEGISLATORS HAVE DONE SOME THINGS. 
          WE, WE TRIED TO FREE UP A TRANCHE OF THE AT TAX DOLLARS, UH, TO BE AVAILABLE. 
          I KNOW I THINK HILTON HAD, IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF, OF THAT AS WELL. 
          UM, AND, AND IT'S THE ONE THING THAT'S NOT WIDELY KNOWN, UM, IS THAT THE SOUTH HANA HOUSING, UM, AND FINANCE AUTHORITY HAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IT GETS FROM DOCUMENTARY STAMPS ON A RECURRING BASIS. 
          IT GETS DOCK STAMPS AND, AND SO, AND THEY HAVE PROGRAMS THAT YOU CAN APPLY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. 
          SO TO THE EXTENT THAT MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES, UM, WANT TO APPLY FOR THOSE FUNDS, I WILL, I WILL HELP AND WRITE LETTERS FOR SUPPORT AS I KNOW A BILL WILL AND THE REST OF THE DELEGATION WILL. 
          BUT THE ACKLAND HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS A, A LARGE CORPUS OF MONEY AVAILABLE FOR THIS. 
          SO, UM, NOT ONLY NEW THINGS WE CAN DO, LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT THE EXISTING RESOURCES ARE THERE AS WELL. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IF ANYONE ELSE FROM THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE QUESTION, PLEASE GO TO THIS MICROPHONE SO WE COULD GET YOU ON TAPE. 
          JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP, NOT CLEAR THAT I UNDERSTOOD THE COMMENTS ABOUT THE GREAT BIG INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAT TOOK PLACE DURING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. 
          AND YOU MENTIONED THAT A FEW STATES HAVE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND SOUTH CAROLINA HAS NOT HAVE UNDERSTOOD CORRECTLY. 
          SO IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT DOWN SOUTH HERE IN, IN PART SOUTHERN PART OF THE STATE TO RAISE FUNDS TO FIX STATE ROADS THAT YOU'RE WELL FAMILIAR WITH, WITH US LOOKING AT TRANSPORTATION TAX. 
          SO IS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITIES THERE TO TAP INTO ANYTHING LIKE THAT? NOT WITH ROADS AND BRIDGES. 
          'CAUSE WE HAVE AVAILED OURSELVES OF THAT VERY AGGRESSIVELY, AS HAVE MOST STATES. 
          I GUESS THE POINT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE IS THAT THERE WERE OTHER TRANCHES OF MONEY IN THAT, IN REGARD TO MASS TRANSIT AND IN REGARD TO WATERBORNE COMMERCE, THAT WE'VE NOT TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THOSE TRANCHES, BUT WE HAVE VERY AGGRESSIVELY AND SUCCESSFULLY GOING AFTER THE ROAD AND BRIDGE MONEY. 
          SO I WANNA BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT. 
          I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE SITTING BACK AND NOT DOING ANYTHING WITH ROADS AND BRIDGES, BUT THERE ARE OTHER TRANSPORTATION TRANCHES THAT WE'VE NOT GONE AFTER WAS THE POINT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          JODY, WOULD YOU PLEASE, UH, STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR AFFILIATION, PLEASE? I FORGOT TO ASK DAN TO DO THAT, BUT MY NAME'S JODY LEVIT. 
          I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT THE CHILDREN'S CENTER ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND. 
          AND MY QUESTION IS SORT OF A FOLLOW UP FROM MAYOR HARRY REGARDING TRI SHARE. 
          UM, AS WE KNOW HERE IN BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTY, BETWEEN 40 AND AND 45% OF OUR CITIZENS NEED SOME HELP TO CONTINUE TO BE SUSTAINABLE. 
          UM, WE ALSO KNOW FOR A FACT THAT CHILDCARE IS AN ECONOMIC DRIVER. 
          IT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO BE EMPLOYED. 
          UM, TRI SHARE IS, IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HELP SOME OF THOSE FOLKS. 
          AND I WANNA PUT SORT OF AN EXCLAMATION POINT ON THE NECESSITY FOR THAT. 
          THE 1ST OF DECEMBER, THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES PUT A STOP TO, UM, A BC SCHOLARSHIP DOLLARS. 
          AND THOSE ARE SCHOLARSHIP DOLLARS FOR NEEDY FAMILIES TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR CHILDCARE. 
          AND AT THIS POINT, ALMOST INTO MARCH, WE HAVE HEARD NOTHING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES REGARDING THE RE-IMPLEMENTATION OF THOSE REGARDING, UH, THOSE FAMILIES WHO WILL COME OFF OF THOSE CHILDCARE SUBSIDIES VERY SOON, UM, 46% OF THE FAMILIES AT THE CHILDREN'S CENTER ALL HAVE, UM, THOSE SUBSIDIES. 
          SO A THOSE FAMILIES ARE GONNA BE MAKING VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR. 
          DO I CONTINUE TO WORK OR DO I DROP OUT OF WORK BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD CHILDCARE? ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT, YOU HAVE THE PROVIDERS WHO HAVE COUNTED ON THIS MONEY, WHO HAVE BUDGETED FOR 
          [01:00:01]
THIS MONEY, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S BEEN CUT OFF WITH NO NOTICE OR VERY LITTLE NOTICE. 
          SO WE'RE ALL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE AFFORD TO STAY IN BUSINESS, PROVIDE THIS VALUABLE ECONOMIC DRIVER WITHOUT RAISING THE COST OF CHILDCARE ON THOSE FAMILIES THAT CAN BARELY AFFORD IT AS IT IS. 
          SO THAT'S JUST AN EXCLAMATION POINT ON THE NECESSITY FOR US TO LOOK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX ON HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAKE, AND, AND I GOTTA PUT ON MY SOAPBOX, NOT JUST CHILDCARE, BUT EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, BIRTH TO FIVE AVAILABLE FOR EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY, NOT JUST THOSE THAT CAN AFFORD IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          JODI. 
          CAN I ASK A QUESTION? CAN I ASK A QUESTION? OH, PLEASE. 
          OF THE PRESENTER THERE REAL QUICK, IF YOU WOULD, THESE DOLLARS THAT, THAT ARE NO LONGER BEING MADE AVAILABLE, WERE THOSE FEDERAL PASS THROUGH DOLLARS OR THOSE DOLLARS? I BELIEVE SOME OF THEM WERE, YES. 
          UM, BUT WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY REAL TRUE INFORMATION DOWN, UM, ON WHO IS NOW GONNA BE ELIGIBLE, WHO ISN'T GONNA BE ELIGIBLE. 
          UM, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE THAT YES, THOSE WERE OUR PER DOLLARS, I THINK, NOT ONLY IN REGARD TO CHILDCARE, UM, BUT IN REGARD TO, TO, TO OTHER THINGS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, MEDICAID. 
          I MEAN, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA SEE INCREASINGLY IN THE FUTURE, LESS AND LESS FEDERAL DOLLARS COMING DOWN. 
          AND SO TO YOUR POINT, WE NEED TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES AND ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF ADDRESSING THE THINGS THAT THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS WERE PAYING FOR, I THINK IS YOUR POINT. 
          AND, AND TRUST SHARE IS, IS A, IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF A CREATIVE WAY TO DO THAT. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, AGAIN, THIS YEAR, UM, A LIMITED OPPORTUNITY FOR EARMARKS. 
          YOU KNOW, UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE IT LAST YEAR, WHICH IS FOR LOCAL PROJECTS LIKE TRI SHARE, THE TRI SHARE, THE REQUEST YOU ALL MADE ARE IS ONE OF THE CAPITAL APPROPRIATION REQUESTS I'M GONNA MAKE ON THE SENATE SIDE. 
          THE, THE BUDGET OF COURSE STARTS IN THE HOUSE AND IT'S OVER IN THE HOUSE RIGHT NOW. 
          BUT, UH, AND, AND BILL AND HIS COLLEAGUES ARE BUSY GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS, BUT WHEN IT CROSSES OVER TO THE SENATE, UM, THE TRI SHARE PIECE IS GONNA BE ONE OF MY CAPITAL REQUESTS. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. 
          WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE CREATIVE IN THE FUTURE AS THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS. 
          INCREASINGLY, I THINK THE REALITY IS IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT 10, 15, 20 YEARS, THE ABILITY OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO SUSTAIN THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IT'S BEEN PUSHING BACK DOWN IS GOING TO BE CONTRACTING. 
          I MEAN, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST THE AMOUNT OF INTEREST THAT GOES INTO OUR ANNUAL BUDGET, THE AMOUNT OF OUR DEBT. 
          I MEAN, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE MORE CREATIVE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, SIR, ACROSS THE BOARD. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          YES, SIR. 
          AND, AND I THINK WE NEED TO WORK WITH OUR EMPLOYERS TOO, BECAUSE WE HAVE A SHORTAGE OF PEOPLE TO WORK HERE. 
          I MEAN, WE'VE GOT JOBS OPEN THAT WE CAN'T FILL. 
          SO THESE EMPLOYERS ARE GONNA HAVE TO WORK HARD TO MAIN RE RETAIN THEIR EMPLOYEES. 
          SO WE'VE GOTTA WORK WITH THEM TO SAY, HEY, YOU'VE GOT TO HELP WITH THIS DAYCARE ISSUE. 
          AND JUST IN FYI, UM, I'VE BEEN PART OF THE GROUNDWORK WORKING ON THIS TRI SHARE, UM, PROGRAM FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS NOW. 
          I WAS PART OF A SMALL GROUP THAT STARTED IT, AND WE DO HAVE THE SOUTH CAROLINA CHAMBER ALSO WORKING WITH US IN, IN MOVING THIS FORWARD. 
          SO IT'S NOT JUST A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE, IT'S SO LOCO, IT'S THE SOUTH CAROLINA CHAMBER. 
          IT'S, UM, THERE ARE SELF-SUFFICIENCY, UM, GROUPS THAT ARE WORKING TOWARDS ALL OF THIS. 
          SO IT'S A GROUNDSWELL. 
          THANK YOU, JODI. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MR. KEMP? SENATOR DAVIS, WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE HOMESTEAD REBATE, YOU ALSO SAID THE STATE WAS GONNA MAKE US WHOLE WHEN WE HAVE THE CHANGE IS ONE, DEPENDING ON THE OTHER, MEANING THAT IF YOU PASS THE HOMESTEAD REBATE PASSES, WE'LL GUARANTEE THE MONEY. 
          YEAH, I MEAN, UM, WHAT I MEANT BY THAT IS, AND, AND SOME IN THIS ROOM, REMEMBER, ACT 3 88 BEING PASSED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WHERE YOU TOOK, UH, SCHOOL OPERATION COSTS OFF OF THE PROPERTY TAXES FOR 4% PROPERTY. 
          SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DID BACK THEN, AND I WASN'T IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY THEN, UM, IS WE RAISED THE SALES TAX BY ABOUT, UH, BY ONE BY 1% TO GENERATE ABOUT A BILLION DOLLARS. 
          AND THEN WE TOOK AWAY LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S ABILITY TO HAVE 4% PROPERTIES PAID FOR SCHOOL OPERATIONS. 
          THAT BILLION DOLLARS WAS MEANT TO REIMBURSE THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FOR THE REVENUES THEY HAD TO FOREGO BY NOT BEING ABLE TO TAX 4% PROPERTIES. 
          THE ERROR OR THE, OR THE STRUCTURAL DEFECT IN THAT MODEL WAS THAT REVENUE REIMBURSEMENT STREAM CONTINUES TO GO DOWN, BUT BASED ON THE 
          [01:05:01]
UNIVERSE OF PROPERTIES THAT EXISTED BACK IN 2008 WHEN THE LAW WAS PASSED, I MEAN, AS, AS AS 4% PROPERTIES THE UNIVERSE GROWS, THEN YOUR REIMBURSEMENT NEEDS SHOULD GROW, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO TAX THEM. 
          BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT. 
          IT'S STATIC WITH ACT ACT 3 88. 
          WHAT I WAS TRYING TO EMPHASIZE WAS IN REGARD TO THIS HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FROM 50 TO 150,000, IT'S NOT STATIC. 
          AND THAT AS YOUR UNIVERSE OF PROPERTIES OF INDIVIDUALS WHO QUALIFY FOR THAT EXEMPTION GROWS, THEN THAT REIMBURSEMENT STREAM FROM THE STATE GOVERNMENT TO THE LOCALS HAS TO GROW. 
          SO, SO THAT'S A PART OF THIS BILL SO THAT WE DON'T REPEAT THE STRUCTURAL ERROR THAT ACT 3 88 HAD. 
          DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER. 
          THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          SAY AGAIN. 
          WHAT HAPPENS IF THE REVENUE STREAM DOESN'T COME THROUGH? THEN WE'RE STUCK WITH, UH, A BIG DEFICIT REALLY IN JASPER, BECAUSE MOST OF THE JASPER IS BUT THE STATE. 
          BUT THE POINT IS THE STATE IS OBLIGATING ITSELF IN STATUTE TO, TO PROVIDE THAT REIMBURSEMENT STREAM. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, IN THE EVENT THERE'S A CONTRACTION IN THE ECONOMY, THEN, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO DIVERT MONEY FROM OTHER PLACES THAT DON'T HAVE THOSE DEDICATED STREAMS. BUT, BUT THIS WOULD BE A DEDICATED STREAM TO THE LOCALS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES, SIR. 
          UH, SENATOR IKE AND, AND REPRESENTATIVE, THERE'S, UM, SINCE WE'RE TALKING OUT OF THE BOX, UM, SOME OF THE LOCAL MAYORS, PARTICULARLY MAYOR TUBER AND MAYOR, UH, PERRY AND I ARE TALKING ABOUT THE ROADS. 
          AND IT WAS BROUGHT UP EARLIER THAT WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING SOURCES TO FIX WHAT ARE STATE ROADS. 
          WE HAVE TO DEPEND ON REFERENDUMS. THEY DON'T PASS, THE ROADS DON'T GET FIXED. 
          UM, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONSORTIUM OF MUNICIPALITIES AND OR, UH, COUNTIES TO APPLY TO THE STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK, UH, AND MY FRIEND MR. WHITE, UM, THE, UH, TO INSTEAD OF GETTING REFERENDUM MONEY, OR IN ADDITION TO REFERENDUM MONEY APPLY TO THE STATE BANK TO SUPPLEMENT OR AUGMENT, UH, SOME OF THOSE FUNDS, I DON'T SEE WHY NOT. 
          I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD POSSIBILITY OF, I KNOW WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH EXIT THREE, TRYING TO GET SOME MORE MONEY OUTTA THE STATE, BUT BANK, BUT IT'S, UH, SEE WHY THAT WOULDN'T BE A GOOD IDEA. 
          MEAN IT'S, WELL, WE'RE REALLY NOT ASKING, AS SENATOR DAVIS SAID, WE'RE NOT ASKING TO STAY FOR MORE MONEY FOR EXIT THREE. 
          RIGHT? ALL WE'RE ASKING THEM IS TO TRUST THE MONEY THAT THE, UH, LANDOWNER HAS. 
          RIGHT? UM, SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO FUND THE EXIT. 
          SO, UM, IF WE GO BEYOND THAT, THE, THE IDEA IS IF WE COLLECTIVELY COME TOGETHER AND WE SAY WE PASS A REFERENDUM FOR HALF A BILLION DOLLARS, OKAY, SAID, CAN YOU GIVE US, CAN YOU MATCH THAT AND HAVE A BILLION DOLLARS FOR THE ROADS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO FIX THAT ARE STATE ROADS IS, I, I THINK, I MEAN, AND I THINK TO ANSWER, UH, RESPOND THE WAY BILL DID, YES. 
          BUT, BUT TWO THINGS I GUESS. 
          ONE IS YOU'VE GOT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE ALSO SEEKING A LIMITED AMOUNT OF MONEY. 
          SO, SO YOU, YOU, YOU'VE, YOU'VE GOT TO POSITION YOURSELF IN A WAY THAT MAKES IT ADVANTAGEOUS. 
          I GUESS A QUESTION I WOULD ASK FOR YOU ALL IS, AND MAYBE JOSH WOULD KNOW THIS, UNDER THE CURRENT LAW, DOES IT HAVE TO BE THE COUNTY THAT IS THE APPLICANT FOR THE MONEY TO THE SIB? OR CAN A CONSORTIUM OF MUNICIPALITIES BE THAT APPLICANT? I I, I DON'T KNOW. 
          I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE AUTHORIZING STATUTE, WHETHER OR NOT IT NEEDS TO BE A COUNTY. 
          I MEAN, HISTORICALLY IT'S BEEN A COUNTY, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT MEANS THAT MUNICIPALITIES CAN'T, AS HARRY SAID, HAVE AS A CONSORTIUM, MAKE AN APPLICATION. 
          UM, AND THEN THE, THE, THE ADVANTAGE TO THAT, IF YOU CAN DO THAT, I MEAN, IF YOU HAVE THE MUNICIPALITIES, YOU KNOW, SAY, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA DO A TIF DISTRICT OR WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, UH, FROM OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE AND PUT TOGETHER A PACKAGE THAT'S ATTRACTIVE. 
          BECAUSE IF YOU'RE TELLING THE SIB THESE ARE OUR CAPITAL NEEDS AND THIS IS THE PERCENTAGE WE'RE WILLING TO COME UP WITH ON A LOCAL BASIS, THAT THAT DOES MOVE YOU TO THE, TO THE TOP OF CONSIDERATION. 
          I JUST DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT A MUNICIPALITIES CAN GET TOGETHER AS A CONSORTIUM AND BE A COLLECTIVE APPLICANT. 
          AND I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT. 
          MAYBE JOSH, JOSH HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS GAME IN A WHILE NOW. 
          SO, YEAH, SIR, I, I CAN'T THINK OF ANY CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE A MUNICIPALITY ALONE HAS BEEN THE APPLICANT, BUT THERE'S CERTAINLY BEEN A NUMBER OF JOINT APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD. 
          BUT, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD NEED TO LOOK INTO. 
          'CAUSE I CAN ALSO CAN'T THINK OF ANY PROHIBITION LANGUAGE THAT NECESSARILY WOULD EXCLUDE IT. 
          BUT THEN AGAIN, I CAN'T THINK OF A SINGLE INSTANCE WHERE IT'S JUST BEEN A MUNICIPALITY THAT'S BEEN THE APPLICANT. 
          BUT IF YOU'VE GOT, IF YOU'VE GOT BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTY, AND THEN ALL THE SUBSIDIARY MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN IT JOINING 
          [01:10:01]
AS AN APPLICANT IN REGARD TO THESE, THIS IS OUR KAPLAN IMPROVEMENT PLAN, THIS IS WHERE THE MONEY WOULD GO TO, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE WILLING TO PUT UP ON A LOCAL BASIS. 
          I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE EXTREMELY POWERFUL. 
          I MEAN, ESPECIALLY IF YOU WERE TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY AS A REGION TO ADDRESS YOUR NEEDS, I THINK THAT WOULD REALLY KIND OF GET, GET THE SIB'S DETENTION, HARRY. 
          WELL, THAT'S WHAT SO LOCAL IS, AND IT'S NOT JUST THE MUNICIPALITIES, IT IS THE TWO COUNTIES. 
          JASPER ALREADY HAS MONEY AND ASSIGNED TO PROJECTS, $376 MILLION WORTH OF ROAD PROJECTS ASSIGNED BUFORD'S LOOKING AT ANOTHER ONE. 
          AND LET'S SAY HYPOTHETICALLY A PASSED COULD BE ANOTHER, WHATEVER NUMBER THAT IS, LET'S SAY IT'S A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS, JUST, UH, AND THEN NOW YOU HAVE THIS POT OF MONEY, LOCAL MONEY, AND IF WE HAVE A JOINT APPLICATION COUNTY AND THE MUNICIPALITIES, WE HAVE SIX MUNICIPALITIES AND TWO COUNTIES, AND WE, THAT'S THE CONSORT CONSORTIUM THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. 
          WELL, LEMME DO YOU ONE BETTER ON THAT. 
          AND THIS EXIT THREE PROJECTS AS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT, HAVING THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND THE LANDOWNER THAT WOULD BE BENEFITED, HAVE THEM HAVE SOME SKIN IN THE GAME TOO. 
          SO THEN YOU NOT ONLY HAVE MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES, BUT YOU HAVE THE LANDOWNERS THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, LIKE BY GRAMBLING IS DOING WITH EXIT THREE, HAVING THEM PART OF THAT APPLICATION. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THE EXIT THREE THAT I THINK IS PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE IS THAT YOU'VE GOT THE PRIVATE LANDOWNER CONTRIBUTING TO THE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE COST BECAUSE THEY BENEFIT. 
          I THINK THINKING OUTTA THE BOX LIKE THAT AND HAVING ALL MUNICIPALITIES, THE COUNTIES AND LARGE LANDOWNERS WOULD REALLY DISTINGUISH YOUR APPLICATION. 
          SO I THINK FOR, FOR US AS A SO LOCO GROUP AND AS A REGION OF, UM, OF GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, THAT'S SOMETHING WE MAY WANNA THINK ABOUT, PARTICULARLY IF WE, UH, IF BEAUFORT PASSES A REFERENDUM THIS FALL AND WE SHOULD MAYBE ALL THINK ABOUT, OKAY, WHICH LANDOWNERS WE HAVE THE PRO, UH, LIST OF PROJECTS, WHICH LANDOWNERS WOULD BENEFIT FROM THAT. 
          AND DO I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA IF WE COULD GET SOME LANDOWNERS ALONG THOSE ROUTE TO PARTICIPATE AS WELL. 
          UM, I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA AND PERHAPS THIS COULD BE AN AGENDA FOR A FUTURE, UH, SO LOCO MEETING, PARTICULARLY AS WE APPROACH A POTENTIAL REFERENDUM, IF THERE IS A REFERENDUM PUT FORTH BY BEAUFORT COUNTY, AND IF WE COULD FORMULATE THIS IDEA, IT MAY BE A GREAT SELLING POINT TO THE PUBLIC AND SAY, HEY, IF THIS PASSES, WE CAN ALSO APPLY FOR STATE MONEY TO, TO POTENTIALLY MATCH THAT. 
          AND, AND THAT MIGHT BE AN INCENTIVE FOR, FOR VOTERS AS WELL. 
          SO THAT'S SOMETHING FOR US AS A, AS A REGION TO THINK ABOUT AND HOW WE COULD GET OUTTA THAT BOX AND SEE IF THERE'S ANOTHER WAY BESIDES SALES TAX REFERENDUMS TO FUND OUR, OUR, OUR FUTURE ROAD NEEDS. 
          ARE YOU, HARRY, A COMMENT ABOUT THAT KIND OF A SIDE. 
          GO INTO THE MICROPHONE PLEASE. 
          SAYS I'M ON. 
          HOW'S THAT? AH, MUCH BETTER, THANK YOU. 
          GOOD. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          UM, SO A PARALLEL COMMENT. 
          UM, IF THE STATUTE DOES NOT ALLOW MUNICIPALITIES TO APPLY TO THE SIB, THEN PERHAPS THROUGH THAT LOCAL SALES OPTION BILL THAT'S MOVING FORWARD FOR THOSE MUNICIPALITIES WHERE THE COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE A SALES TAX, PERHAPS THAT BILL COULD ADD A PROVISO THAT WE COULD THEN APPLY TO THE SIB SO THAT THERE WOULD BE THAT STATUTORY AUTHORITY. 
          IF THERE IS NOT SATURATED AUTHORITY. 
          THAT WOULD CERTAINLY BE GERMANE TO THAT. 
          'CAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT EMPOWERING MUNICIPALITIES TO ADDRESS THEIR CAPITAL NEEDS. 
          AND SO THAT WOULD BE A, I MEAN, AND AGAIN, I WAS JUST WONDERING 'CAUSE I'VE NEVER SEEN AN APPLICATION WHERE IT'S BEEN A MUNICIPALITY. 
          I I'M NOT SURE THAT YOU'RE DISQUALIFIED, I JUST HAVEN'T SEEN IT, RIGHT. 
          SURE, SURE. 
          AND THEN THE, UH, A QUESTION ON A DIFFERENT ROUTE, BUT ALSO ABOUT TRANSPORTATION. 
          THAT IS AT THE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION LEGISLATIVE DAY IN JANUARY, WE LEARNED ABOUT, UH, BILLS COMING THROUGH BOTH HOUSES, WHICH WOULD ALLOW S-E-D-O-T TO PASS DOWN STATE ON ROADS. 
          UM, AND WHERE, WHERE DOES THAT LEGISLATION STAND? BECAUSE I KNOW THERE ARE JUST CERTAIN ROADS THAT THEY WOULD PASS ON DOWN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, BUT THERE'S NEEDS TO BE PARALLEL FUNDING TO PROVIDE, UM, FAMILIAR FOR LOOKING AFTER THOSE ROADS THAT, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, WHETHER THEY BE COUNTIES OR MUNICIPALITIES GET. 
          AND THEN SECONDLY, THE OTHER, UH, AND I THINK AN AMENDMENT HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE BILL TO ALLOW MUNICIPALITY REPRESENTATION ON THOSE COUNTY AUTHORITIES SET UP WHEN THE STATE ROADS ARE PASSED DOWN. 
          SO WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THOSE BILLS? YEAH, THEY'RE TWO, THEY'RE TWO SEPARATE BILLS. 
          YOU'VE GOT ONE THAT, UM, REPRESENTATIVE ERICKSON AND HER STUDY COMMITTEE, UM, YOU KNOW, OVER, THEY HELD HEARINGS THROUGHOUT 
          [01:15:01]
THE, UM, ALL SEASON. 
          THEY FILED THEIR BILL I THINK A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, UM, IN THE HOUSE. 
          UH, LARRY GROOMS THE, UH, CHAIRMAN OF SENATE TRANSPORTATION HAS A SEPARATE BILL THAT IS, IS MOVING IN THE SENATE AND A COMPONENT OF BOTH BILLS. 
          TO YOUR POINT, PATSY IS, AND, AND THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT IS, UM, IT COULD EITHER BE A MANDATORY SAYING HERE, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TAKE THESE ROAD, YOU'RE GONNA TAKE THESE ROADS, OR IT CAN BE AN OPTION FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO TAKE THE ROADS AS LONG AS IT'S A CORRESPONDING REVENUE STREAM THAT GOES WITH IT SO THAT YOU CAN MAINTAIN THEM. 
          UM, I WOULD FAVOR THE, THE, THE LATTER, UM, IN THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO, IF YOU'RE GO, AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO DEVOLVE THEM DOWNWARD BECAUSE I THINK THEN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CAN DECIDE BASED ON THE REVENUE STREAMS WHERE THEY WANNA ALLOCATE IT. 
          UM, BUT WHAT THE WORST CASE SCENARIO FOR YOU GUYS WOULD BE IS, OR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WOULD BE IF THE DOT SAYS YOU'RE TAKING THESE ROADS, AND TO HARRY'S POINT, WE'RE NOT GIVING YOU REVENUE STREAM. 
          YOU GO OUT THERE AND DO THE BEST YOU CAN WITH LOCAL OPTIONS, SALES TAXES, OR FROM YOUR EXISTING, UH, FUND REVENUES. 
          I WOULD NOT BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT. 
          THERE'S, THERE'S GOTTA BE A PORTION OF THOSE GAS TAX REVENUES THAT ARE RECURRING FOR DOT THAT WOULD THEN GO AND FOLLOW THE ROAD, SO TO SPEAK. 
          UH, WHAT THE OWNERSHIP OF THOSE ROADS, UM, I THINK YOU'RE LIKELY TO SEE ONE OF THOSE TWO BILLS BECOME THE VEHICLE AND MOVE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT ENDS UP LOOKING LIKE. 
          UM, I DON'T KNOW. 
          ANOTHER IMPORTANT PART OF, OF BOTH BILLS IS TAKING NEPA AUTHORITY THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS AT THE DC LEVEL AND DEVOLVING THAT NEPA AUTHORITY DOWNWARD TO THE DOT. 
          SO ESSENTIALLY THEY ACT AS AN AGENT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN, IN ADDRESSING THE NEPA ASPECTS OF ANY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. 
          AND, AND THAT WOULD GREATLY EXPEDITE THINGS THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD MOVE THINGS THROUGH. 
          'CAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S, IT'S, IT'S SO, AND YOU KNOW THIS WITH THE HILTON HEAD BRIDGE PROJECT, IT'S SO LONG. 
          SO I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF EITHER BILL IS GONNA HAVE THAT PIECE OF IT WHERE NEPA AUTHORITY GOES DOWN TO THE STATE LEVEL. 
          WELL, I WAS ON THAT COMMITTEE THAT MET ALL SUMMER AND MOST OF OUR F FOCUS WAS ON REGULATIONS WITHIN, UH, THAT LIMIT DOT AND COST US MONEY BECAUSE OF ONEROUS REGULATIONS. 
          UH, WE DIDN'T SPEND A WHOLE LOT OF TIME ON TALKING ABOUT PUSHING IT DOWN TO THE, TO THE COUNTY LEVEL OR CITY LEVEL. 
          UH, SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S A LOT OF THAT IN THE HOUSE BILL, UH, MOST OF IT'S REGULATIONS AND ELIMINATING REGULATIONS AND, AND TRYING TO STREAMLINE STUFF AT DOT TO MAKE THEM MORE EFFICIENT. 
          EXCUSE ME. 
          THAT'S A GOOD POINT BECAUSE PART OF THE DELAYS OF EXIT THREE AND, AND GETTING WITH THE NEPA AND THE 4 0 4 PERMITS, UH, REALLY PUT US, THEY TOOK A LONG TIME TO THEN SENATOR DAVIS KNOW SENATOR THAT WAS A PART OF THE PROBLEM. 
          UM, JUST ONE OTHER TOPIC BE BEFORE WE LET YOU GO. 
          WOULD EITHER ONE OF YOU LIKE TO ADDRESS, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN, UH, SOME TALK ABOUT NUCLEAR ENERGY FOR THE STATE. 
          IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US REGARDING THAT? I GUESS THAT'S MY FIELD OF EXPERTISE. 
           THE, UH, SANTI COOPER IS WORKING WITH A CONTRACTOR TO FINISH THE TWO FAILED REACTORS THAT, UH, DOMINION AND SANTI COOPER TRIED TO BUILD IN COLUMBIA. 
          UH, I THINK I NEVER THOUGHT IN MY LIFETIME I WOULD SEE THOSE UNITS RE COMPLETED, BUT ONCE GEORGIA POWER FINISHED THE TWO UNITS THEY HAD, IT SHOWED US SOME STREAMLINE. 
          UH, IT SHOWED WHERE MISTAKES WERE MADE. 
          UH, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE BEHIND THOSE UNITS ANYWAY. 
          THEY GOT DELAYED OVER THERE. 
          UH, SCE AND G DOMINION SAN COOPER GOT AHEAD AND WE WERE HAVING TO DO SOME OF THE, UH, REVISING OF PLANS BASED ON STUFF THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN GEORGIA. 
          BUT ANYWAY, SO THAT'S PART OF THE FAILURE, UH, OF THE PLANTS. 
          UH, I THINK WE'RE GONNA GET THOSE REACTORS BUILT. 
          BUT, AND WE ALSO MOVING FORWARD WITH THE, UH, MODULAR REACTORS, UM, WHICH ARE SMALLER AND THEY'RE IDEAL FOR THE OLD COAL-FIRED PLANT SITES THAT WE'VE, UH, GOTTEN RID OF BECAUSE THEY DON'T TAKE NEAR AS MUCH WATER. 
          THEY DON'T TAKE, UH, NEAR AS MUCH SPACE AS A THOUSAND MEGAWATT UNIT LIKE WE'RE BUILDING IN COLUMBIA. 
          AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY, THOSE TWO UNITS ARE 2000 MEGAWATTS, WHICH IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF ENERGY THAT WE'LL BE BRINGING IN THE STATE IF WE CAN COMPLETE THOSE SITES. 
          AND WE HAVE A CONTRACTOR ON SITE NOW, I BELIEVE'S ALREADY BEGINNING TO WORK. 
          UH, WE'VE, SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF LOT OF NUCLEAR STUFF MOVING. 
          AND OF COURSE, SAVANNAH RIVERSIDE 
          [01:20:01]
IS IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALWAYS DOING RESEARCH ON DOING, UH, NUCLEAR STUFF. 
          UH, SO THEY'RE, UH, A GREAT RESOURCE FOR NUCLEAR POWER. 
          AND SO I, WE'RE GONNA SEE A REVOLUTION IN, IN, IN NUCLEAR POWER, I THINK IN THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS. 
          WE JUST GOTTA GET THROUGH THE NEXT FIVE OR SIX YEARS, UH, TO FINALLY FINISH THOSE DESIGNS AND GET, GET SOMETHING STARTED. 
          UH, WE'VE GOT ONE UNIT THAT'S BEING BUILT OUT WEST SOMEWHERE. 
          I REMEMBER THAT NOW. 
          AND SO THAT PILOT PROGRAM IS UNDERWAY AND, UH, THAT'LL MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE REST OF US. 
          ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT, UM, NUCLEAR IS, IS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS PLACED AN ENORMOUS BET ON, ON NUCLEAR MEETING OUR ENERGY NEEDS INTO THE, INTO THE FUTURE. 
          UM, AND, AND TO BILL'S POINT, UM, THE CENTERPIECE OF THAT ARE BUILDING THESE, THESE AP 1000 WESTINGHOUSE REACTORS THAT, THAT, UM, THAT WERE STALLED UP IN FAIRFIELD COUNTY. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, ALSO WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY DID LAST, LAST MONTH, THEY ISSUED A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO STATES, UM, TO HOUSE OR FACILITATE OR TO CONSTRUCT THESE NUCLEAR LIFECYCLE INNOVATION CAMPUSES. 
          UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF FEDERAL MONEY COMING DOWN FOR, UM, NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES, UH, NUCLEAR, UM, UH, GENERATION WASTE REPROCESSING. 
          UM, AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING FORWARD AN EXTREMELY POWERFUL AND APPLICATION FOR THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. 
          THEY'RE, THEY'RE DUE THE END OF NEXT MONTH. 
          AND TO BILL'S POINT, SAVANNAH RIVERSIDE, I MEAN, WE GOT THOUSANDS OF ACRES THAT THAT, THAT THIS PARTICULAR CAMPUS COULD GO ON. 
          UM, 50% OF OUR POWER IN SOUTH CAROLINA COMES FROM NUCLEAR MORE THAN ANY OTHER STATE. 
          UM, NUCLEAR, UH, FUEL MORE THAN ANY OTHER STATE COMES FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, SAVANNAH RIVER LAB. 
          WE'VE GOT THE TECHNOLOGY WE'RE BUILDING NOW, AS BILL SAID, TWO AP 1000 REACTORS IN THE PROCESS. 
          SO NO OTHER STATE CAN PUT FORWARD THE SORT OF APPLICATION THAT WE CAN. 
          SO WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY IN SOUTH CLAW TO BE THE TIP OF THAT SPEAR TO, TO BE THIS NUCLEAR, UM, REVOLUTION. 
          SO I'M, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES FOR US IN SOUTH CAROLINA. 
          AND A LOT, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT ALL THE NUCLEAR PELLETS THAT GO INTO THE FUEL RODS THAT GO INTO COMMERCIAL REACTORS ARE MADE IN SOUTH CAROLINA AT A PLANT IN COLUMBIA. 
          PEOPLE DON'T EVEN DON'T EVEN REALIZE THAT THERE IS A NUCLEAR FUEL PLANT IN COLUMBIA THAT MAKES ALL THE FUEL PELLETS FOR ALL OF COMMERCIAL REACTORS ACROSS THE US. 
          AND SO THAT'S A GREAT THING TO HAVE. 
          AND, UH, SO NUCLEAR IS THE FUTURE AND, AND WE'RE, WE'RE POSED WE'RE POSED TO BE A LEADER IN THAT, IN THAT FIELD. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, THANK YOU BOTH, UM, VERY MUCH. 
          UM, JUST TO RECAP AS UH, SENATOR DAVIS, UH, SUGGESTED, PLEASE, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THIS CONCURRENCY, UH, BILL, PLEASE TALK TO ALL THE LEGISLATORS THAT YOU KNOW, UH, TELL 'EM THAT YOU SUPPORTED IT, ASSUMING YOU DO. 
          I KNOW FROM, UH, HARDY BUILT PERSPECTIVE WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF GROWTH AND WE'RE TRYING TO PUT SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE, LIKE THE ROAD MONEY WE HAVE, UH, AND HAVE THAT DONE FIRST, CONCURRENCY WOULD GIVE US AN OPTION. 
          THIS DOESN'T FORCE ANYBODY, IT GIVES US AN ANOTHER OPTION IN WHICH TO NEGOTIATE HOW, UH, DEVELOPMENT IS, IS PUT OFF. 
          SO, UM, AS SENATOR DAVIS REQUESTED, PLEASE TALK TO WHO EVER YOU CAN IF YOU DO SUPPORT THAT BILL. 
          UM, NOW THERE'S ONE OTHER, UM, ITEM THAT WE HAVE TO DISCUSS, AND THAT IS THE AGENDA FOR MARCH. 
          WE'LL BE BACK TO THE FOURTH TUESDAY OF THE MONTH. 
          IT WILL BE CHAIRED BY MAYOR PERRY, OUR, OUR CO-CHAIR. 
          UM, AND WHAT WE HAD PUT OFF THIS MONTH TO HAVE THIS EVENT WAS A PRESENTATION BY JASPER COUNTY AND I BELIEVE ERIC LARSON, YOU'RE READY TO GO, RIGHT? OH, I'M READY. 
          AND, AND BUFORT COUNTY, UH, TAB, UH, AND YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR TOPICS. 
          UM, IF YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE PROGRESS OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE SALES TAX, UH, REFERENDUM THAT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE, WHATEVER YOU FEEL IS, UH, BENEFICIAL FOR THE REGION TO HEAR ABOUT IN BOTH COUNTIES, THAT WILL BE THE AGENDA FOR MARCH. 
          OKAY. 
          MAYOR PERRY? YES. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          I'LL, UH, I'LL GET IT ALL SET UP BEFORE I 
          [01:25:01]
LEAVE FOR VACATION. 
          OKAY. 
          I'LL, I'LL ALSO FORWARD YOU AN EMAIL ON CANDELA, UM, 'CAUSE THEY WOULD LIKE TO COME SPEAK TO SO LOCO AS WELL, PROBABLY IN APRIL OR MAY. 
          UM, I THINK THERE WILL BE AN ANNOUNCEMENT IN APRIL. 
          UH, MR. DAVIS, YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG ON THAT, BUT I THINK THEY'LL MAKE THEIR DECISION AS TO WHERE THEY'LL PUT THEIR MANUFACTURING PLANT. 
          BUT, UM, I THINK HAVING THEM COME IN AND SPEAK TO US FOR THE, FOR THE WATERBORNE UH, SERVICES IS, IS, IS GOOD FOR US ALL TO HEAR ABOUT. 
          SO I'LL FORWARD THAT EMAIL TO YOU AND WE CAN GET THAT SET UP FOR APRIL, MAY. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, WE ALSO HAVE, THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED FOR, UH, LAST WEEK. 
          UH, DAN WOODS, UH, SUBCOMMITTEE MET FOR THE FIRST TIME, UM, STUDYING THE, UH, E-BIKE ISSUE. 
          SO THANK YOU DAN. 
          AND HE'LL BE COMING FORWARD IN FUTURE MONTHS. 
          WE DO HAVE TO, UM, IF YOU RECALL, THERE WAS A SUBCOMMITTEE STUDYING A 20 YEAR PLAN. 
          WE WANNA PUT THEM UP FOR THEIR FINAL REPORT AND HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY. 
          UM, THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE ASKED FOR AGENDA ITEMS. SO, UH, MAYOR PER WILL TALK, YOU SEND ME THAT EMAIL AND, AND THEN, UH, NEXT MONTH TALK ABOUT HOW WE WANNA LINE UP APRIL, MAY, AND JUNE. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, THANK YOU EVERYONE. 
          I, THIS WAS WONDERFUL AND I CAN'T THANK YOU BOTH ENOUGH. 
          UH, WE'VE LEARNED A LOT AND, UH, ANY WAY WE CAN HELP, PLEASE LET US KNOW. 
          WE HAVE A GOOD GROUP. 
          JUST, WE HAVE BOTH COUNTIES AND YOUR COUNCILS REPRESENTED AND, UH, THINK JUST ABOUT EVERY MUNICIPALITY. 
          SO, UM, IF WE CAN HELP, PLEASE LET US KNOW. 
          THANKS. 
          VERY, THANK YOU FOR COMING. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU EVERYONE. 
          YOU ARE WATCHING BC TV LIVE, WORK, PLAY. 
          I'M MARY CAMPBELL AND THIS IS BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS. 
          I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FOOD TODAY. 
          THE FOOD HAS BEEN A GREAT PART OF OUR LIFE IN TERMS OF GATHERING FOOD AND PREPARING THEM. 
          OUR FOOD IS BASED ON THE LAND AND THE SEA. 
          THE LAND FOOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN RICE. 
          WE DON'T FEEL WE HAVE EATEN DINNER UNLESS WE'VE HAD RICE. 
          RICE WAS MIXED WITH VARIOUS ITEMS FROM THE SEA, LIKE OYSTERS OR SHRIMP. 
          AND WHEN THEY COOKED WITH RICE IN ONE POT, WE CALL IT A RICE OR SHRIMP OR AN OYSTER PERLOW. 
          AND THEN WE HAVE THE WATERMELONS AND THE SWEET POTATOES. 
          SWEET POTATOES WAS ALWAYS EATEN WITH FISH AND FRESH FISH WITH GRAVY AND A SWEET POTATO. 
          THERE IS NOTHING BETTER. 
          OKRA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR FOOD WAYS. 
          WE, WE, WE RAISE THEM AS WELL AS WE PREPARE THEM WITH SHRIMP AND TOMATOES. 
          AND SOME PEOPLE WOULD CALL THAT A GUMBO. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT EXACTLY WHAT IT IS. 
          OKRA, GUMBO. 
          AND SO ENJOY THE FOOD OF THE LOW COUNTRY BECAUSE IT'S BEEN VERY MUCH A PART OF OUR HISTORY. 
          THIS IS EMERY CAMPBELL. 
          THIS HAS BEEN YOUR BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT. 
          TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.