Apr 20, 2026 Finance Administration and Economic Development Committee

UH, THERE'S A MOTION.

AND WHAT'S THAT? WHAT'S THAT MOTION? I'D LIKE TO AMEND IT.

SO, TO MOVE ITEM D, UM, EIGHT D AND E TO BECOME ITEM EIGHT A AND B, JUST MOVE THE DNE UP.

IS THERE A SECOND FOR THAT? I'LL SECOND THAT.

ANY MORE DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT.

I DON'T SEE WHY WE CAN'T DO THAT.

UM, WE'LL APPROVE THAT WITHOUT OBJECTION.

THERE'S ANY OBJECTIONS TO US CHANGING THE, UM, AGENDA AND THAT IS APPROVED UNANIMOUS.

ALRIGHT, SO, UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND APPROVE THE AGENDA AS AMENDED.

IF I CAN ASK FOR A MOTION FOR THAT PLEASE.

SO MOVED.

OUR ITEM NUMBER SIX ON THE, UH, AGENDA.

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

I THINK.

MS. TABER, UH, ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? SEEING NO DISCUSSION? WE'LL ALSO APPROVE THAT WITHOUT OBJECTION.

AND I, AND AGAIN, I DON'T SEE ANYONE ONLINE, SO EVERYONE'S HERE IN THE CHAMBERS.

UM, THAT WILL BE APPROVED WITHOUT OBJECTION.

UH, LET'S MOVE ON THEN TO NUMBER,

[5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

UH, FIVE ON OUR AGENDA.

AND THAT'S APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM MARCH 16TH, 2026.

IS THERE A SECOND PLEASE? I'LL SECOND THAT.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MS. TABER.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO DISCUSSION? WE WILL APPROVE THAT WITHOUT OBJECTION.

AND AGAIN, SEEING NO OBJECTION, THE MINUTES FROM MARCH 16TH, 2026 HAS BEEN APPROVED.

UM, WE ARE NOW INTO, UM,

[6. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD]

AND THIS IS A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.

UH, WE DO HAVE TWO PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TODAY.

THE SPEAKER SHALL BE PERMITTED NO MORE THAN THREE MINUTES TO COMPLETE THEIR COMMENTS TO COUNSEL.

EVERYONE SPEAKING BEFORE COUNSEL WILL BE REQUIRED TO DO SO IN A CIVIL MANNER.

COUNSEL WILL NOT TOLERATE PERSONAL ATTACKS ON INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNTY STAFF, OR PERSON OR GROUP.

RACIAL SLURS AND PROFANITY WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.

COUNSEL WILL LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS BUT NOT RESPOND.

UM, AND OUR FIRST, UM, PERSON, UH, IS MR. PAUL TRASK.

UM, AND MR. TRASK, PLEASE COME FORWARD.

AND THE FLOOR IS YOURS FOR THREE MINUTES.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

PAUL TRASK, SIX 10 BLADEN STREET, CITY OF BEAUFORT.

I'M SPEAKING WITH RESPECT TO, UH, AGENDA ITEM A, WHICH IS THE, UH, REQUEST FOR FUNDING OF THE SPEC BUILDING.

SO WHY FUND ANOTHER FUND, ANOTHER SPEC BUILDING IN THE COMMERCE PARK WHEN THE LAST ONES DIDN'T PERFORM? LET'S TAKE NUMBER ONE.

GLASSWORKS, 84,000 SQUARE FEET.

THE PROMISE WAS JOBS INVESTMENT WAS CALLED AN ANCHOR TENANT.

WHAT'S THE RESULT? IT'S VACANT.

IT'S FOR SALE.

THERE ARE NO JOBS.

I DON'T BELIEVE IT EVER OPENED.

NUMBER TWO, MAGNUS CITED IN THE BD EDCS PRESENTATION PROMISED BIG ECONOMIC IMPACT, HIGH PAYING JOBS A RESULT.

NO VERIFIED OUTCOMES THAT I CAN SEE.

WHAT JOBS, WHAT SALARIES.

THE LIKELY OUTCOME WAS A $3 MILLION DEVELOPER PROFIT ACCORDING TO THE INVESTMENT RECORDS FROM THE B-D-E-D-C AND THE DEED WHERE THE DEVELOPER SOLD THE PROPERTY AS A GAP OF $3 MILLION.

SO THERE'S A PATTERN WITH THE B-D-E-D-C PROJECTIONS.

DON'T MATERIALIZE.

DEMAND IS UNPROVEN.

PUBLIC MONEY FILLS WHERE PRIVATE CAPITAL WILL NOT, NO ACCOUNTABILITY AFTER THE FACT.

HERE'S THE REALITY.

IF THESE DEALS MADE ECONOMIC SENSE, A BANK WOULD FUND THEM.

INSTEAD, TAXPAYERS ARE TAKING THE RISK AND DEVELOPERS TAKE THE UPSIDE.

THERE'S A POLICY POLICY SHIFT ALREADY OCCURRING.

THE CITY OF BEAUFORT, AS YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW THIS PAST WEEK, VOTED DOWN A MILLION DOLLARS OF FUNDING, I BELIEVE, FOR THIS VERY SAME PROJECT.

SO BEFORE YOU APPROVE PROJECT BAMBOO, LET'S REQUIRE PRE-LEASE TENANTS OR REAL DEMAND PROOF OF PRIOR PROJECTS AND DELIVERED RESULTS AND SOME PRIVATE CAPITAL AT RISK IN THE PROJECT.

I'M NOT ANTI-DEVELOPMENT, I'M PRO-DEVELOPMENT.

I'VE DONE SOME DEVELOPMENT WORK.

UH, THIS IS BASIC

[00:05:01]

FISCAL DISCIPLINE THAT YOU NEED TO CONSIDER THIS AFTERNOON MY RECOMMENDATION.

VOTE NO.

THANK YOU MR. TRASH.

MAY I GIVE A COPY OF MY REMARKS FOR INCLUSION IN THE YES, ABSOLUTELY.

YES SIR.

ALRIGHT, THE SECOND UP, UM, IS, UH, MS. FELICE LAMARCA.

MS. LAMARCA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.

THANK YOU, MS. COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, COUNCIL, MR. TRASK ABSOLUTELY SAID EVERYTHING THAT, UH, I HAD PLANNED TO ALSO COME UP HERE.

SO I WILL ADD TO THAT BY SAYING THAT, UM, WE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

RIGHT NOW, FOR ME PERSONALLY, IT'S A MATTER OF TRUST.

AND, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE WHEN THEY DON'T GET THEIR WAY, THEY KIND OF FIND ANOTHER DOOR TO GO THROUGH.

AND THAT I FIND UNACCEPTABLE.

CALL IT WHAT YOU WILL.

WE CALL IT BACKDOOR.

SO WHAT HAPPENED, I WAS AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING AS WELL.

UM, AND THIS AGENDA ITEM HAS NOT BEEN, UM, MODIFIED.

IT SAYS THAT, UM, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVED THIS FEBRUARY 11TH, 2026.

THIS ITEM IS ALSO MOVING CONCURRENTLY THROUGH BEAUFORT CITY COUNCIL APPROVALS.

IT WAS, BUT IT FAILED LAST MONDAY NIGHT.

AND THAT'S NOT REFLECTED HERE.

I DON'T KNOW IF IF, UH, YOU WOULD'VE BEEN TOLD THAT.

LOOKING AT THE MARCH 30TH LETTER ON THE BACK, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MILLION DOLLAR THAT THEY'VE NEGOTIATED, THAT THE PURCHASER PROVIDES A MILLION DOLLARS TO ASSIST WITH THE B-C-E-D-C IN FUTURE PROJECTS.

I READ THE CONTRACT AND THE PORTION, AND I DO KNOW HOW TO READ CONTRACTS.

AND THE PORTION THAT PERTAINS TO THE EDC IS EXHIBIT D.

AND SO FAR I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND A MILLION DOLLAR COMMITMENT FROM THE PURCHASER.

NOW, WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT CITY COUNCIL MEETING THE OTHER NIGHT WAS THAT THEY WERE GONNA GET $2.7 MILLION FROM THE PURCHASE OF THIS PROPERTY AND AWARD A MILLION DOLLAR GRANT TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO DO THIS.

SO THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

THIS HASN'T BEEN MODIFIED.

I AM ANXIOUS TO HEAR WHAT THE DIRECTOR HAS TO SAY TO YOU TODAY ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL AND THIS REPORT.

UM, HE'LL PROBABLY FIND ANOTHER BACK DOOR TO GO THROUGH AND THAT'S WHAT CONCERNS ME.

SO HE'S NOT FINISHED GETTING TURNED DOWN BY THE CITY OR THE COUNTY.

I HOPE PLEASE VOTE TO NOT HELP THIS C COMMIT THIS CORPORATION UNTIL WE GET SOME THINGS STRAIGHTENED OUT OR NOT AT ALL.

AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU, MS. LAMARCA.

NUMBER SEVEN ON OUR AGENDA.

THAT CLOSES OUR, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS AND IF WE CAN NOW MOVE ON TO, UH,

[7.a. FY2026 Year to date Budget update (FISCAL IMPACT: N/A) - Pinky Harriott, CGFO Chief Financial Officer]

AND THESE ARE OUR REPORTS.

UM, WE HAVE THE FISCAL YEAR, 2026 YEAR UPDATE, OUR BUDGET UPDATE.

UM, AND THIS IS FROM OUR, UM, UH, CFO.

AND THIS IS, UH, MS. PINKY HARRIET.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

DOES THIS WORK? ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA DO A QUICK UPDATE OF YOUR YEAR TO DATES.

UM, GENERAL FUND, WE ARE A LITTLE OVER A HUNDRED PERCENT IN A VALOREM TAXES, AS YOU CAN SEE.

AND WE STILL HAVE MONTH AND A HALF, TWO, TWO AND A HALF MONTHS TO GO.

UM, OVERALL WE'RE AT 83% FOR GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES ARE AT 66%.

OH, SORRY, I ALREADY THAT WOULD HELP.

HERE'S YOUR EXPENDITURES IN THE GENERAL FUND.

ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE THAT I CAN ANSWER? ALL RIGHT, HANK, IS THERE ANY, ANY ONE OF THE EXPENDITURES OR REVENUES THAT GIVE YOU PAUSE? WE WON'T MEET? UM, NOT RIGHT NOW.

AS WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR CLOSER TO THE FISCAL YEAR END, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT IT, BUT NO, NOT RIGHT NOW.

WE HAVE A LOT OF VACANCY LAG, SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE NOT SPENDING A LOT OF EXPENDITURES.

UM, ENTERPRISE FUNDS REVENUES, YOUR GARAGE IS AT 74%.

STORMWATER IS AT 37% FOR REVENUES.

UM, AND I CAN, A PORTION OF THE STORMWATER WAS A BUDGETED, UM, ABOUT $13 MILLION OF THEIR FUND BALANCE FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT COMPLETE.

SO THEY WILL LIKELY BE BUDGETING THAT AGAIN IN 27.

SO THAT'S WHY THE REVENUES AREN'T AS, UH,

[00:10:01]

HIGH AS WELL AS THE EXPENDITURES.

BEFORD EXECUTIVE IS AT 31%.

UH, SAME THERE, THEY HAVE A $1.2 MILLION ARPA ALLOCATION FOR THE HANGAR PROJECT OUT HERE AT THE EXECUTIVE AIRPORT.

UM, WILL WE'LL BE ROLLING OVER INTO FISCAL YEAR 27 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT COMPLETE THE PROJECT YET.

UM, HILTON HEAD AIRPORT IS AT 62% AND YOUR ENTERPRISE EXPENSES ARE GARAGE AT THE SAME 74%.

UH, STORM WATER IS AT 23%.

UH, BEAUFORT EXECUTIVE AIRPORT IS AT 39 AND HILTON HEAD IS AT 56.

ANY QUESTIONS ON THE YEAR TO DATE? QUESTIONS? NO.

NOPE.

DID YOU SAY 13 MILLION STORM WATER? YES, THEY BUDGETED THOSE, UM, THAT OUT OF THEIR, UH, FUND BALANCE.

BUT SOME OF THE PROJECTS ARE STILL BEING DESIGNED AND I'M SURE JERRY MAY HAVE MORE INFORMATION, BUT WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE DONE BY JUNE 30.

SO WE ARE PLANNING TO BUDGET THAT FUND BALANCE FOR NEXT YEAR.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEP.

GOOD.

MR. GLOVER AHEAD, TERRY.

THIS, MOST OF THOSE EXPENDITURES ON THE PROBABLY NEED TO DO THIS.

MOST OF THAT EXPENDITURE IS ACTUALLY ON THE, UM, OPERATIONAL SIDE AND THE REST IS BASICALLY CAPITAL THAT IS NOT TAKING PLACE.

THE PROJECTS HAVE NOT, UM, THEY'RE NOT COMPLETED YET.

SO A LOT OF THE EXPENDITURES FOR THE CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE NOT, ARE NOT EXPENDED.

UH, PROBABLY WON'T BE THROUGH JUNE 30 THIS YEAR.

SO YES, THOSE ARE OPERATIONAL EXPENSES CURRENTLY.

AND THEN, AND OUR BUDGET GOING FORWARD, UM, THAT THERE, THERE WILL BE SORT OF CARRYOVER PROJECTS GOING INTO OUR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, RIGHT? THERE WILL BE PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD INTO THE FISCAL YEAR 27 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT COMPLETE.

ANY MORE QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, THE NEXT ONE IS, SORRY, IS YOUR BUDGET TRANSFER REPORT.

UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE GETTING TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR AND PEOPLE ARE MOVING FUNDS TO COVER, UH, LINE ITEMS. IT IS KIND OF SMALL AND IT IS FOUR PAGE, WELL, THREE AND A HALF PAGES.

UM, IT'S IN YOUR BACKUP.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR SPECIFICS ABOUT ANY OF THESE CERTAIN TRANSFERS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY.

BUT YOU HAVE JUSTIFICATION OVER TO THE RIGHT FOR WHAT THE TRANSFER WAS.

ACTUALLY FOR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ON THESE QUESTIONS? NOPE.

SO IF, IF YOU ARE, UM, GOOD WITH THIS PRESENTATION, I WOULD LIKE TO BRING FORTH AN ORDINANCE BECAUSE JEREMY NEEDS 30 DAYS TO, UH, NOTIFY BOND HOLDERS.

SO THE NEXT THING I WANTED TO DISCUSS, UM, AS YOU RECALL, BACK IN NOVEMBER AT THE BUDGET RETREAT, I HAD MADE MENTION THAT I WAS GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT ANY OF OUR OUTSTANDING, UH, BOND SERIES TO SEE IF ANY WERE CALLABLE AND, UH, IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE SOME OF OUR DEBT, WE WERE GONNA LOOK AT WHAT WE COULD CALL AND GO AHEAD AND PAY OFF IN, IN FISCAL YEAR 26.

UM, CURRENTLY THESE THREE SERIES 2013 B, 2014 A, AND 2014 B, UM, ALL THREE TOTAL, 24,000,170.

UM, THOSE THREE ARE CALLABLE AT THIS TIME.

AND, UM, DID HE EVER JOIN SARAH? DID BON KELSEY SEE HIM? OKAY, I'M ON PICKY.

OH, THANK YOU.

JEREMY.

J YOU ALL KNOW JEREMY COOK IS OUR BOND COUNCIL.

SO IN WORKING WITH JEREMY, WE HAVE TAKEN A LOOK AT THESE.

UM, THESE ARE THE THREE SERIES THAT ARE, WE CAN CALL AT THIS MOMENT AND THE TOTAL IS 24 1 70 AS I MENTIONED.

AND THEN WE HAVE THREE DEBT SERVICE FUNDS RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE FUND BALANCE THAT IS ACCRUED DUE TO THE VALUE OF A MILL COMING IN A LITTLE HIGHER EVERY YEAR.

SO, AND GENERALLY IT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA TO KEEP A LARGE FUND BALANCE IN A DEBT SERVICE FUND.

SO, UM, WITH THE THREE DEBT SERVICE FUNDS, WE COULD PULL TOGETHER $12.6 MILLION TO BE ABLE TO PAY DOWN TOWARDS THIS 24.

BUT I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST FROM COMMITTEE TO, UH, PULL AN ADDITIONAL 11.57 TO PAY DOWN ALL THREE SERIES AT ONE TIME.

AND THE REASON THAT WE WANNA GO AHEAD AND, AND DO THIS, THERE'S SOME BENEFITS.

IT REDUCES OUR DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE AND OUR INTEREST COST GOING INTO FISCAL YEAR 27.

UM, IT INCREASES OUR 8% BOND CAPACITY IN THE CASE THAT YOU NEED THAT IN THE PASSING OF THE REFERENDUM AND YOU NEED TO START PROJECTS KIND OF QUICKLY.

AND THEN, UH, IT WILL ALSO HELP STRENGTHEN OUR BOND RATINGS.

SO, AND JEREMY, YOU GOT ANYTHING TO ADD? NOPE, BUT I'M GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

[00:15:01]

UM, SO WE WOULD ASK, ASK THIS, BE TIME SENSITIVE AND WE BRING A A OR BOND ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING FOR THE $11 MILLION.

YES, JIM, GO AHEAD.

UM, JUST WHAT, WHAT'S THE REMAINING FUND BALANCE AFTER THAT? APPROXIMATE? APPROXIMATE IS FINE.

WELL, DEPENDING ON ONE OF YOUR TOPICS TODAY, WE'LL, UM, I CAN PROBABLY LET YOU KNOW, BUT IT'LL BE CLOSER TO 40, $40 MILLION OF UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.

ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, AS A, UM, BOND COUNSELOR.

UM, BOND COUNCIL IS JEREMY, HE'S ONLINE.

UM, I'D JUST LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU, UM, YOU, YOU THINK THIS IS A, A SOUND MOVE IN OUR DIRECTION AND TELL ME WHY YOU THINK IT'S A SOUND MOVE.

SURE.

UM, YEAH, SO PINKY AND I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS FOR, FOR A WHILE.

YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY BONDS ARE CALLABLE, UM, AT PAR, WHICH MEANS THAT NO, NO PREMIUM, SO NOT, THERE'S NO PREPAYMENT PENALTY.

UM, AFTER, AFTER ABOUT 10 YEARS OF THEIR ISSUANCE, WHICH WHY WE'RE LOOKING AT THE 13 AND THE 14 BONDS.

'CAUSE NOW WE'VE HIT THAT 10 YEAR MARK.

UM, SO, UH, LIKE THE, YOU'LL HAVE OTHER BONDS, UM, BE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION OVER THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS, BUT THESE ARE THE THREE SERIES RIGHT NOW.

SO, I MEAN, ALL, ALL OF THESE BONDS, UM, ARE CALLABLE AT PAR.

YOU KNOW, THE INTEREST RATES ARE, ARE IN THE, IN THE THREE.

SO THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT BAD INTEREST RATES.

THEY'RE NOT AT WHAT THE LOWEST INTEREST RATES WERE, BUT THEY'RE NOT AT THE HIGH EITHER.

BUT IT, IT DOES ALLOW YOU FLEXIBILITY WHEN YOU'RE DETERMINING MILLAGE NEEDS FOR THE YEARS FORWARD.

UM, 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY WITH LOWER INTEREST COSTS AND ON, UM, PAYING OFF THE, THE PRINCIPAL, UH, IT ALLEVIATES PRESSURE ON THE DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE.

SO THEN YOU HAVE THE ABILITY, UM, IF NEEDED IN FUTURE BUDGETS TO, TO, UH, HAVE ADDITIONAL MILLAGE FOR OPERATING NEEDS, UH, BUT HAVE A REDUCED MILLAGE ON DEBT SERVICE SO THAT IT COULD BE MILLAGE NEUTRAL, BUT HAVE ADDITIONAL OPERATING, UM, DOLLARS FOR THE COUNTY GOING FORWARD IF NEEDED.

UM, AS PINKY ALLUDED TO, YOU KNOW, RATING AGENCIES, YOU KNOW, MONITOR DEBT.

SO, UM, AND SO THIS IS A, A POSITIVE FROM A RATING PERSPECTIVE AND, AND TO THE EXTENT YOU NEED FUTURE DEBT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY NOW TO HAVE NEW DEBT BECAUSE YOU'VE PAID OFF OLD DEBT, BUT STILL KIND OF BE IN A SIMILAR POSITION FROM A LEVERAGE PERSPECTIVE.

SO THERE'S, THERE'S STRENGTH TO THAT AS WELL.

BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THESE DOLLARS ARE IN DEBT SERVICE FUNDS, WHICH IS ABOUT HALF PINKY, I, I BELIEVE.

AND THEN THE REGULAR SCHEDULE THAT WOULD PAY OFF BETWEEN NOW AND, AND AND MARCH.

SO THEY'RE, THEY CAN ONLY BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE.

SO HALF OF THAT'S ALREADY, YOU KNOW, FUNDS YOU HAVE SET ASIDE SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF PAYING DEBT.

SO YOU'RE JUST MAKING THE DECIS DECISION TO PAY THAT DEBT OFF SOONER, UM, WITH THE OTHER HALF COMING FROM, FROM GENERAL FUND.

UM, AND AGAIN, RATING AGENCIES, YOU KNOW, WANNA SEE ONE TIME USE OF, UM, FUND BALANCE, YOU KNOW, TO, THEY'RE NOT RECURRING COST.

SO THIS CLEARLY FITS IN THAT BUCKET OF, UM, UH, UH, POSITIVELY VIEWED USAGE OF FUND BALANCE.

BUT, UH, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, SIR.

SO I HOPE THAT'S HELPFUL, RIGHT.

I'VE, I'VE GOT ONE QUESTION, AND NOT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT'S COMING UP LATER ON OUR AGENDA.

SO IF THIS COMMITTEE CHOSE TO MOVE THIS FORWARD TO THAT, WHAT'S COMING UP IN OUR AGENDA, HOW DOES THAT AFFECT WHAT YOU'D RECOMMEND NOW TO US? RIGHT.

UM, AFTER THAT PRESENTATION AND WHATEVER YOU MAY DECIDE, I WILL CONSOLIDATE THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 26.

THERE'S NO NEED FOR US TO BRING YOU MULTIPLE ORDINANCES WHEN WE'RE PULLING FROM FUND BALANCE.

WHAT'S THE, THE CURRENT, UH, END PAYOFF FOR THESE SERIES, THE BONDS THAT WE HAVE? DO YOU KNOW WHEN THEY'RE I DON'T HAVE MY LAPTOP IN FRONT OF ME.

NO, I'M SURE JEREMY DOES.

YEAH, I JUST, I CAN, I HAVE 'EM PULLED UP HERE.

SO, UH, THEY, THEY VARY PER SERIES.

THE 14 A GOES OUT TO 34.

UM, SORRY, I HAVE TO PULL UP THE, UM, 13 B GOES OUT TO 33.

UH, AND THEN, UH, SORRY, LET ME PULL UP THE LAST ONE HERE.

UM, AT THE 14 B IS SHORTER.

UH, 14 B IS JUST, UH, 29.

SO THAT'S THE SHORTEST.

AND THEN THERE IS ANOTHER SERIES THAT HAS A FINAL MATURITY THAT WE'RE NOT PROPOSING TO DO ANYTHING WITH THAT, UM, MATURES IN MARCH OF 27.

SO IF Y'ALL WERE TO PROCEED ON THESE, UM, REFUNDINGS, YOU'D HAVE FOUR SERIES OF BONDS BETWEEN THESE THREE REDEMPTIONS

[00:20:01]

THEN I, I GUESS MY OTHER QUESTION FOLLOWING UP ON THAT IS, UH, WHAT'S THE INTEREST SAVINGS BY PAYING IT OFF EARLY ALL IN? BUT WE CAN GET YOU AN EXACT NUMBER.

NO, THAT'S FINE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY YOU HEARD WHAT THE END DATES ARE.

YOU'D BE PAYING INTEREST EVERY, RIGHT, I UNDERSTAND.

YEAR FROM HERE UNTIL THEN, I JUST WANNA KNOW THE, THE FISCAL SAVINGS.

OH YEAH, FOR SURE.

WE WOULDN'T RECOMMEND IT ANY OTHER WAY BECAUSE NO, I GOTCHA.

IT'S SAVING US PRINCIPLE AND INTEREST, WELL INTEREST OVER THE COURSE OF THE LONGEVITY OF THOSE BONDS.

SO YOU WERE LOOKING FOR US TO MAKE A, A MOTION TO LOOK AT, RIGHT? 'CAUSE I PRESENTED THIS, THIS AS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE GONNA WORK ON IN FINANCE FOR AT THE WORKSHOP.

SO HAVING WORKED WITH JEREMY, WE'VE COME UP WITH THIS PLAN AND ALL THREE OF THESE ARE CALLABLE.

SO IN ORDER FOR US TO, AND PLUS THE OTHER ITEM, IF WE'RE GONNA AMEND THE 26 BUDGET, WE MIGHT AS WELL DO IT AT ONE POINT AND BRING IT BACK TO YOU.

AND HE NEEDS 30 DAYS TO NOTIFY BOND HOLDERS.

AND, AND THEN THE, IF I COULD JUMP IN, THE, THE END GOAL WOULD BE TO HAVE THESE REDEMPTIONS OCCUR PRIOR TO THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR SO THAT WHEN YOU'RE APPROVING THE FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGET, YOU'RE ALREADY NOT FACTORING IN THE, THE INTEREST AND PRINCIPAL PAYMENTS ON THESE BONDS AND YOU WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE TO MAKE IN FISCAL YEAR 27.

SO THE, THE GOAL THAT'S GONNA REDUCE GOAL WOULD BE TO AFFECT THESE REDEMPTIONS PRIOR TO JUNE 30TH OF THIS YEAR.

SO JUST A QUESTION, MIKE OR, OR BRIAN.

SO IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT NOW, OR WAIT UNTIL WE GO THROUGH THE REST OF OUR AGENDA ITEMS? UH, WHEN IT COMES TO OTHER DOLLARS THAT MIGHT BE SPENT BY THIS REQUESTED BY THIS COMMITTEE TO COUNSEL? YES.

SO THE ITEM THAT GOT PULLED FORWARD, I BELIEVE TO, UH, RIGHT EIGHT, I BELIEVE IT'S EIGHT B NOW.

THAT WOULD BE THE TIME TO POTENTIALLY DISCUSS THIS BECAUSE WE DO HAVE, UH, DRAFT ORDINANCE FOR COMMITTEE'S CONSIDERATION.

SO, UM, SO THEN WE SHOULD WAIT UNTIL AFTER WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE MOVED UP THE HELICOPTER.

WE'LL JUST ADD, ADD THAT TO THE DISCUSSION.

UH, ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU HAVE FOR US MS. HARRIET, ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WANTED TO? I DO NOT, UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.

YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, UH, APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.

APPRECIATE IT.

ALRIGHT, LET'S MOVE ON THEN TO, UH, OTHER

[7.b. Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation Update (FISCAL IMPACT: ) - John O'Toole Executive Director, BCEDC]

REPORTS.

AND, UM, WE HAVE MR. O'TOOLE, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BUFORT COUNTY EDC, UM, AND, UH, HE'S GONNA GIVE US AN UPDATE ON, AGAIN, UH, WE'VE HAD COUNCIL MEMBERS ASK THAT WE, WE DO A QUARTERLY UPDATE.

SO WE WE'RE TRYING TO GET MR. O'TOOLE, IT SEEMS LIKE WE ALWAYS FORGET, BUT, SO AGAIN, THIS IS A, AN UPDATE WE'VE ASKED HIM TO DO FROM, UM, UM, COUNCIL, UM, COMMITTEE, PEOPLE THAT WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE EDC ON A REGULAR BASIS.

THANK YOU MR. OUL.

AND YOU MIGHT SAY, OH, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT A SPEC BUILDING.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.

THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS.

GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.

IT SEEMS LIKE WE WERE JUST TOGETHER LAST WEEK ON BUDGET.

SO, UH, I'LL TRY TO COVER NEW MATERIAL AND THEN WE WILL BE TOGETHER, UH, SHORTLY FOR A WORK SESSION ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN.

SO, UH, I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST, UH, USE THIS TIME HERE.

I KNOW YOU HAVE, UH, A LONG DAY, SO I'LL TRY TO GET THROUGH THIS.

BUT, UH, JUST BRING YOU UP TO SPEED ON PROJECTS AROUND THE COUNTY.

UH, SOME, UH, WERE MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY BY THE PUBLIC.

WE'LL TRY TO TOUCH ON THOSE AS WELL.

FIRST UP, THE, UH, BEAUFORT COMMERCE PARK.

WE HAVE A DEVELOPMENT GROUP, UH, UH, HAS PUT A, A LETTER OF INTENT IN, AND THEY'RE WORKING ON A PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT OF LOT B.

THIS SHOULD AMOUNT TO A, UM, A 7.6, UH, MILLION DOLLARS INVESTMENT, 48,000 SQUARE FEET, UH, RIGHT THERE AT THE ENTRANCE, ENTRANCE OF THE COMMERCE PARK.

SO WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING SOME, UH, UH, GOOD DEVELOPMENT THERE.

UH, THIS WOULD BE SPACE SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU SAW DEVELOPED AT, UM, UH, MYRTLE BUSINESS PARK THERE BEHIND THE COUNTY BUILDING IN BLUFFTON.

SO IT'D BE, UH, A NEEDED SPACE HERE, UH, NORTH OF THE BROAD, UH, PROJECT CERAMIC.

THIS IS A NEW YORK STATE COMPANY, HAS A LETTER OF, UH, UH, A LETTER OF, UH, INTENT AND, UH, IS MOVING TO A PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT WITH THE BEAUFORD CITY COUNCIL.

THEY'RE LOOKING TO INVEST 6.6, UH, A MILLION AND CREATE SEVEN JOBS, AS WELL AS RETAIN, UH, SOME JOBS HERE IN THE COUNTY.

UH, THE, UH, VALUE OF THOSE JOBS ARE GOING UP SIGNIFICANTLY.

I BELIEVE THEY'LL BE IN THE SIXTIES, SO MORE TO COME ON THAT.

BUT, UH, UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN OTHER STATES, IN NEW YORK STATE, THEY USE, UH, NATURAL GAS FOR THE CREATION OF, UH, THESE CERAMIC PARTS IN

[00:25:01]

THEIR KILNS.

AND THE GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK IS, UH, TRYING TO, UH, BAN NATURAL GAS.

SO, UH, THEY'RE LOOKING TO, UM, AND THIS COMPANY HAS, UH, MORE THAN A HUNDRED EMPLOYEES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

SO, UH, UH, THEY'RE EXCITED TO MOVE DOWN HERE.

UH, THE SPEC BUILDING, WE'LL COVER THAT LATER.

BUT THIS IS, UH, PROJECT BAMBOO.

JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, THE MAGNUS BUILDING, WHICH, UM, UH, WAS BUILT, UH, RIGHT AROUND, UH, 2020, UH, PAYS ABOUT $140,000 A YEAR IN TAXES.

AND IS THE, UH, UH, PLACE OF OPERATION FOR TWO BUSINESSES, ONE'S NORMAN BLIND AND WINDOW COVERINGS.

AND THE OTHER ONE IS CALLED CRITICAL ROLE, JUST AS A BACKDROP, I'M SURE WE'LL TOUCH ON IT LATER ON IN THE AGENDA.

UH, BUT THAT BUILDING, UH, LEASED, UH, BEFORE THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, UH, WAS, UH, ISSUED ON THAT BUILDING.

BUT, UH, WE DO HAVE A, A, AN INTEREST INVESTOR.

JUST TO KEEP IN MIND.

THIS IS THE A, UH, THIS IS, UH, THE SIXTH DEVELOPER THAT WE'VE DEALT WITH ON, ON THIS PARCEL K WHERE THE SPEC BUILDING IS PROJECTED TO GO, UH, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.

UH, MASTERS CORP, UH, PUT UP THIS, UH, 50,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING ON A, A PAD SITE THAT WAS PAID FOR BY, UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP AND COUNCIL HERE, UH, AS WELL AS 50% OF IT WAS PAID FOR BY, UH, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.

BUT TODAY THERE'S A $35 MILLION INVESTMENT SITTING ON THAT, UH, UH, PAD.

AND, UH, 164 JOBS.

A RIBBON CUTTING SHOULD BE SCHEDULED, UH, SHORTLY.

UH, THEY'RE TRYING TO, UH, GET A DATE THAT WORKS.

PROJECT CLOUD, UH, A PROJECT THAT'S, UH, BEEN BUBBLING AROUND FOR A LONG TIME.

UH, WE'RE WAITING FOR A LETTER OF INTENT.

WE'VE DEALT WITH ERRORS ISSUES.

WE'VE DEALT WITH THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

WE'VE DEALT WITH THE FAA, UH, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT A LETTER OF INTENT IS IMMINENT.

UM, AND, UH, UH, UH, COUNTY STAFF HAS BEEN HELPFUL IN GIVEN CLEAR DIRECTION TO, UH, THIS DEVELOPMENT.

UH, UH, THIS GETS INTO, UH, UH, UH, UH, OUR NEXT PROJECT, WHICH IS PROJECT HELICOPTER.

THIS IS A GROUP RELOCATING OUTTA PHILADELPHIA.

THEY ALSO HAVE OPERATIONS IN FLORIDA.

UH, BUT THEY'RE LOOKING TO, UH, UH, OCCUPY SOME OF THE SPACE THAT, UH, TIM DOLNIK DEVELOPED AT, UH, UH, BUCKWALTER PLACE, 15 JOBS, UH, 70,000.

THIS GIVES ME A GOOD POINT, A A BREAK OFF POINT, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

WHY DO YOU HAVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? YOU HAVE IT WHEN THINGS ARE GOING UP AND THINGS ARE GOING DOWN, UH, UH, CURRENTLY.

AND, UH, SOME OF IT WILL COME UP, WHETHER IT'S GLASSWORKS OR OTHER COMPANIES THAT WE WORK WITH.

UH, OFTENTIMES THEY'RE DISPLACED WORKERS AND MAKING SURE THOSE WORKERS CAN STAY IN THE AREA.

UH, BRIAN WARNER, MY, UH, COLLEAGUE WHO'S WITH ME TODAY, IS WORKING WITH PROJECT HELICOPTER.

NOT ONLY WAS BRIAN ON THE MARINE CORPS AIR STATION LAST WEEK, TAKING THE RESUMES OF, UH, OF, OF PEOPLE WHOSE TIME WITH THE MARINE CORPS IS COMING TO AN END INTERESTED IN THIS PROJECT IN PARTICULAR.

BUT WE HAVE AN EMERGING, UH, UH, STORY ON HILTON, HEAD OF A SMALL MANUFACTURER GOING OUT AND, UH, THEIR EMPLOYEES MIGHT BE A GOOD FIT.

UH, BRIAN'S WRITING A WHITE PAPER RIGHT NOW ON THE WHOLE WHOLE POINT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHEN THE CYCLE'S GOING UP AND WHEN THE CYCLE'S GOING DOWN.

THERE'S A LOT OF WORK, UH, FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS TO DO.

AND I, I'D VENTURE TO SAY THAT WHEN THINGS ARE LOOKING BLEAK, THAT'S WHEN, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS ARE DOING THEIR BEST WORK MOVING AHEAD.

UH, THE LANDING PADS, WE NOW HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, ACT, ACTUALLY, IT'S A PRETTY GOOD CASE OF BEAUFORT, UH, UH, KIND OF LEADING THE STATE.

UH, UH, BUT OUR LANDING PADS ARE DOING PRETTY WELL.

WE HAVE JET ZERO THERE, WHICH, UH, THAT'S AN IMAGE OF, UH, THE CRAFT THEY'RE TRYING TO BRING TO MARKET, BOTH FOR, UH, PASSENGER AND MILITARY APPLICATIONS.

UM, BUT WHAT THEY FOUND IS, IS THAT HIRING PEOPLE FROM BOEING, OR HIRING PEOPLE FROM GULFSTREAM MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.

AND SO THE LANDING PAD IN BLUFFTON AND THE LANDING PAD, UH, ON THE SECOND FLOOR ABOVE THE DIGITAL CORRIDOR, UH, THEY NOW LEASE SPACE IN BOTH OF THOSE, UH, UH, BUILDINGS.

JP MORGAN CHASE, ANOTHER COMPANY, UH, SKYDRIVE CONTINUES TO HAVE, UH, SPACE IN THE, IN THE, UH, BEAUFORT DIGITAL CORRIDOR.

AND THEN NIETZSCHE BAY, WHICH IS WORKING WITH SEA, UH, TO RECRUIT JAPANESE COMPANIES, IS ALSO USING, UH, THE LANDING PAD.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT GLASSWORKS

[00:30:01]

GLASSWORKS IS BETTER THAN 83,000 SQUARE FEET.

NEARLY 94, UH, I'M SORRY, EIGHT, UH, 84,000 SQUARE FEET, UM, UH, IS VACANT.

AND, UH, A FEW, A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE TOOK A GENTLEMAN WHO'S BUILDING HIS FOREVER HOUSE IN BULL POINT, HAS OPERATIONS IN THE UPSTATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, HAS OPERATIONS IN MICHIGAN, UH, THE MICHIGAN OPERATIONS, 150,000 SQUARE FEET.

HE WANTS TO HAVE AN OPERATION HERE IN BEAUFORT, AND HE WILL.

UH, BUT WE BROUGHT HIM THROUGH THE GLASSWORKS BUILDING, AND THE CEILING HEIGHTS DON'T WORK FOR HIS OPERATION.

SO NOT EVERY, JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE SPACE, YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE RIGHT SPACE.

UH, WE DO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE OWNER'S REPRESENTATIVES ON MARKETING GLASSWORKS.

AND, AND AGAIN, UH, AS YOU RECALL, WHEN WE FIRST GOT HERE, UH, OR, OR STOOD UP THIS ORGANIZATION, IT WAS FORMERLY A PARKER HANNIFIN, UH, UH, BUILDING.

UH, AND THEN WE HAD GLASSWORKS GOING THERE.

UH, THERE'S SOME DISCUSSION AND MAYBE EVEN QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, THE INCENTIVES THAT WERE PROVIDED TO THEM.

THE ONLY INCENTIVE THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY PROVIDED TO THEM WAS A FILO.

AND THE STRUCTURE OF THE FILO, UH, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THEY PAID A HIGHER TAX IN THE FIRST FIVE YEARS, AND AS YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T LAST SIX.

SO IN THE FIRST FIVE YEARS, THEY PAID YOU, THEY PAID BEAUFORT COUNTY $72,655 MORE THAN IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE THAT AGREEMENT.

THAT'S ALL YOU'LL, WILL YOU ACTUALLY GAIN.

THAT'S ALL YOU GAINED.

UH, FROM IT, THEY PAID TAXES FOR FIVE YEARS.

THEY LEFT, THEY PAID MORE TAXES THAN IF WE DIDN'T DO IT.

THE REST OF THE INCENTIVES THAT WERE PROVIDED TO GLASSWORKS WERE ALL PROVIDED BY THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

AND I, I'D BE HAPPY TO DISCUSS HOW THOSE INCENTIVES WORK.

UM, MOVING QUICKLY, UH, THE ENVIRO TRACK, WE CONTINUE, UH, UH, TO WORK WITH, UM, DAVIS AND FLOYD ON THE DESIGN OF PERHAPS A CAMPUS, UH, UP IN LIGO THAT COULD, UH, SERVE AS A CUTTING EDGE FISHERY, UH, OR A MEAT PROCESSING FACILITY IN PORT ROYAL.

UH, WE'RE WORKING WITH SCA AND USDA ON A, UH, UM, UH, KIND OF A RETAIL STRATEGY FOR THEM.

UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE DID A LOT WITH THE NAVAL HOSPITAL.

I DON'T NEED TO BELABOR THAT, BUT THAT'S THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT.

THAT'S NOT THE END OF THE PROJECT WHEN IT COMES TO REUSE HIGHER USE, UH, AT THE NAVAL HOSPITAL ON HILTON HEAD.

UH, INFILL IS WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IN THE WAY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THEIR STAFF ON, UH, UH, KEEPING AND MARKETING SITES FOR REDEVELOPMENT.

AND LASTLY, THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ARE REVIEWING, UH, THEIR, UH, OPPOR OPPORTUNITY ZONES.

AND, UH, WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO THE COUNCIL AND WORKING WITH STAFF, UH, FOR SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON OPPORTUNITIES ZONES, BECAUSE, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, THERE'S, THEY, THEY, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY ZONE ON PARIS ISLAND, UH, THROUGH THE PORT ROYAL SOUND INTO THE, UH, NORTHERN TIP OF HILTON HEAD.

UH, AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW THOSE WERE CRAFTED, ALTHOUGH COMMERCE IS GONNA WORK WITH US THIS TIME TO MAKE SURE THE OPPORTUNITY ZONES CAN, UH, BEAR SOME FRUIT.

TALKING TO THE FOLKS AT THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, I THINK THERE'VE ONLY BEEN LIKE THREE SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENTS IN OPPORTUNITY ZONES.

AND I DO THINK IN THE COMMERCE PARK WE HAVE ONE OF THEM.

AND THAT'S, UH, THAT'S THE UPDATE.

AND I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS.

YOU'LL SEE ME SHORTLY.

IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. O'TOOLE? UM, I HAD ONE ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY ZONE, SO THAT DID, I'M SORRY, DID THAT JUST COME UP? BECAUSE THAT'S NEW, ISN'T IT? NO, NO.

UM, COUNTY, I BELIEVE IN PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FIRST TERM, UH, CORY BOOKER AND TIM SCOTT CREATED OPPORTUNITY ZONES.

RIGHT? RIGHT.

SO, UH, THE, THE STATE JUST RELEASED THESE MAPS TO US LATE, OH.

LAST WEEK.

SO THEY JUST, IT IS NEW THE STATE, SO WE'VE SEEN THEM.

OKAY, GOT IT.

IN THE LAST, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW, UM, TWO, THREE BUSINESS DAYS, JASPER COUNTY, THEY DID OPPORTUNITY ZONES.

I KNOW, BECAUSE MY PREVIOUS BOSS, MANNY FRIEDMAN HELPED WITH THAT.

EJF CAPITAL MARKETS SO GREAT.

GOODNESS.

SO, WE'LL, WE'LL TRY TO TIGHTEN THOSE UP.

SO PARIS ISLAND IS NOT AN OPPORTUNITY NOW A SECTION OF ON THAT MAP THAT LOOKS LIKE IT IS, THERE'S SOME IT SHOULDN'T BE.

I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT YOUR POINT IS, RIGHT? IT'S A MISTAKE.

OKAY, GOTCHA.

YEAH, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO ATTRACT INVESTORS, UH, ON THE, UH, BOMB FIELD OR WHATEVER.

ON THE RANGE I SHOULD SAY.

OR ON THE RANGE.

[00:35:01]

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? JUST QUICKLY, MR. O'TOOLE? UM, UH, ARE YOU SAYING TO ME THAT THE AREAS THAT ARE CLEAR IN THE WHITE ARE THE OPPORTUNITY ZONE OPPORTUNITIES? THE, UH, BLUE IS THE OPPORTUNITY ZONES, BLUE IS THE OPPORTUNITY ZONES, NO.

WE, WE CAN SEND THIS OUT AND DISTRIBUTE IT, BUT, UH, UH, WE'LL PROBABLY DO THAT WITH SOME BETTER RECOMMENDATIONS.

I MEAN, THE LAST TIME THEY WERE JUST KIND OF, UM, UH, DICTATED TO US.

SO THERE'S A MORE INCLUSIVE PROCESS THIS TIME, WHICH SHOULD HELP BUFORT COUNTY.

YEAH, I JUST, I'M ASTOUNDED THAT THEY WOULD PUT PARIS ISLAND AND THEY MUST NOT HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT A MAP.

YEAH, THERE'S VERY LITTLE POPULATION IN THE PORT ROYAL SOUND THAT COULD BENEFIT FROM AN OPPORTUNITY ZONE EITHER.

ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? AND WE HAVE MR. OUL COMING BACK FOR, UM, ITEM EIGHT C.

THANK YOU MR. OUL.

GO TO, UM, OUR AGENDA ITEMS. AND WE DID MOVE UP, UM, AGENDA ITEM D AND E AND THEY ARE NOW, UM, EIGHT A FOR THE D AND EIGHT B FOR E.

APPRECIATE THAT UPDATE.

I THINK THAT WAS, UM, I THINK SOMETHING MR. DAWSON HAD KEPT ASKING US FOR WAS TO DO THE EDC UPDATE.

SO, WELL, I'M, I'M GRATEFUL THAT, THAT WE, THAT HE DID THE PRESENTATION AND WE GAVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY.

YES SIR.

BECAUSE THERE WERE A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE QUESTION ASKED THERE TODAY.

ALRIGHT, UM, LET'S MOVE ON THEN.

UH, LET'S

[8.d. Consideration of Helicopter Acquisition for Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office (FISCAL IMPACT: $4,000,000 from an appropriation of general fund balance.) - Col Neil Baxley; Chief Hatfield Beaufort County Sheriff's Office]

SO LET'S JUMP TO, UM, OUR NEW EIGHT A AND THAT'S CONSIDERATION OF HELICOPTER ACQUISITION FOR BEFOR COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

UM, FISCAL IMPACT IS $4 MILLION FROM AN APPROPRIATION OF GENERAL FUND BALANCE.

AND UH, WE HAVE UM, UM, MR. COLONEL OR COLONEL BAXLEY, UM, AND CHIEF HATFIELD THAT ARE HERE TODAY FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE THAT, UM, IS GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS.

I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO PUT OFF.

WE GOT A, YOU GOT A MOTION? IS THERE A SECOND PLEASE? I'LL SECOND IT.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

OH, DON'T RACE UP HERE TOO QUICK.

SOUND LIKE THE GOOD AFTERNOON.

IF YOU REMEMBER, LAST YEAR IN COMMITTEE WE TALKED ABOUT $5 MILLION REQUESTS FOR REPLACING ONE OF OUR HELICOPTERS AND REFURBISHING THE HANGAR TO PUT IT IN COUNCIL.

SO WE'VE DONE OUR RESEARCH, NEIL CAN SPEAK TOWARDS THE HELICOPTER THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.

WE BUY AT A GREAT, UH, TO BE IN THAT $4 MILLION, UH, CAP.

AND THE, I HAVE MARK ROSE, NOW I CAN TALK ABOUT OUR HANGAR THAT NEEDS REFURBISHING TO ACCOMMODATE THIS HELICOPTER IF YOU NEED TO THEM TO SPEAK ON THAT SUBJECT.

UH, GOOD AFTERNOON.

AS CHIEF SAID, WE WENT OUT AFTER WE BACKED AWAY FROM THE INITIAL PROJECT AND BEGAN LOOKING FOR A USED AIRCRAFT THAT WOULD MEET OUR MISSION NEEDS AND WOULD NOT BE, UM, SO USED AS NOT BE BENEFICIAL.

AND I'VE LOOKED AT PROBABLY THREE DOZEN AIRCRAFT OVER THE PAST, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS.

AND FINALLY SEVERAL WEEKS AGO CAME UPON AN AIRCRAFT THAT HAS BEEN USED BY THE, UH, UNITED STATES ARMY UNDER CONTRACT.

UH, IT WAS BUILT IN 2019 AND THEY'VE BEEN USING IT AS A TEST AND DEVELOPMENT TYPE AIRCRAFT OUT OF, UH, FORT CAMPBELL KENTUCKY.

THE LEASE THAT THEY HAD HAS COMING, HAS COME ENDED AND THE AIRCRAFT HAS RETURNED TO ITS OWNER.

THE OWNER IS NOW GOING TO OUTFIT IT AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT AIRCRAFT.

HE'S GOING TO PUT A BRAND NEW, UH, INFRARED CAMERA ON IT, A BRAND NEW SEARCH LIGHT, UM, AND ALL THE NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT, UH, PLUS UH, MOVING MAP SYSTEM, ALL BRAND NEW, WHICH WAS SOMETHING WE WERE GONNA HAVE TO DO ON EVERY OTHER AIRCRAFT WE WERE LOOKING AT.

AND THAT EXPENSE ALONE WOULD BE WELL OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.

AND HE'S GOING TO DO IT AS PART OF THE DELIVERED PRICE AS YOU SEE ON YOUR BACKUP DOCUMENT OF 2.4.

AND SO THE AIRCRAFT IS, UH, BUILT IN 2019.

IT HAS ROUGHLY 3000 HOURS ON IT ALL OF THE TIME.

LIMITED COMPONENTS HAVE EXTENSIVE LIFE, UH, LEFT ON THEM.

SO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT QUITE SOME TIME BEFORE WE WOULD'VE TO DO ANY KIND OF MAJOR UPGRADES TO IT SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF, UH, 10 YEARS BEFORE WE WOULD HAVE TO DO UPGRADES ON, ON IT.

UM, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO FLY THAT MODEL FOR ABOUT AN HOUR.

UH, IT'S AN OUTSTANDING AIRCRAFT.

IT MEETS THE MISSION WE NEED IN BEAUFORT COUNTY TO, UH, PATROL THE RURAL ANDRY AREAS TO PATROL THE WATERWAYS, THE ISLANDS, AND TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCY CALLS.

IT'S A FUEL EFFICIENT AIRCRAFT.

UH, IT'S A LITTLE BIT FASTER THAN THE ONE WE HAVE NOW.

IT HAS AN AUTOPILOT ON IT, UH, WHICH MAKES A RADAR ALTIMETER, WHICH MAKES IT EXTREMELY SAFE AIRCRAFT, UH, IN DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS.

AND IT'S THE AIRCRAFT THAT MEETS OUR MISSION.

QUESTIONS.

ALRIGHT, ANY QUESTIONS FOR COLONEL BAXLEY? ALRIGHT, LOGAN, YOU FIRST WENT UP.

I WENT OUT AND DID A WHOLE LOT MORE RESEARCH ON THAT.

UM, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS, YOU GUYS WERE SUGGESTING DIFFERENT AIRCRAFT TO EITHER DO RESCUE MISSIONS OR THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES.

CAN THIS AIRCRAFT DO THAT? NO, IT WILL NOT HOIST, UH, IN ORDER TO GET AN AIRCRAFT THAT WILL HOIST AND WE WENT OUT,

[00:40:01]

THE AIRCRAFT THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT, UH, INITIALLY WAS ANOTHER MODEL.

IT WAS ANOTHER 5 0 5, WHICH THIS IS, IT CANNOT DO HOISTING BELL WILL NOT DO IT.

THE FAA WILL NOT APPROVE IT.

SO WE LOOKED AT A 4 0 7, WHICH IS THE NEXT SIZE UP.

THERE'S ONLY ONE HOIST THAT'S ALLOWED BY THE FAA AND IT'S LIMITED TO 300 POUNDS.

IT BECOMES MORE LIABILITY THAN IT'S WORTH.

UH, IN ORDER TO GET AN AIRCRAFT THAT CAN HOIST AND DO WHAT THE COAST GUARD DOES, WE WOULD HAVE TO GO INTO THE 12 TO $15 MILLION RANGE.

AND IT'S NOT AN AIRCRAFT THAT WE NEED.

THE COAST GUARD CAN DO THAT JOB.

THEY HAVE FIVE AIRCRAFT AT HUNTER ARMY AIRFIELD THAT WILL DO THAT JOB.

THEY DO IT EVERY TIME WE NEED 'EM.

THIS AIRCRAFT IS FOR SEARCHING, UH, LOCATING, SPOTTING, FIXING.

AND THEN WE BRING IN, UH, THE RESOURCES WE NEED TO DO AN ACTUAL RESCUE.

AND IN THE 10 YEARS I'VE BEEN FLYING FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, WE HAVE NOT HAD ONE SITUATION WHERE WE WOULD'VE NEEDED TO DO A HOIST THAT THE COAST GUARD WAS NOT ALREADY THERE.

AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION WOULD BE, WHAT'S GONNA BE THE STATUS OF THE OTHER TWO AIRCRAFT THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE? UH, THEY'RE BOTH 1970 AIRCRAFT.

WE'VE BEEN IN CONSULTATION WITH OUR CONTRACT MAINTENANCE.

WE WILL STRIP ONE OF THOSE AIRCRAFT FOR PARTS, UH, PROVIDED THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE GIVES US BLESSING.

THEY OWN BOTH OF THE AIRCRAFT.

IF THEY GIVE US BLESSING, WE WILL STRIP THE WORST OF THE TWO AIRCRAFT FOR PARTS TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT.

THE OTHER SPARE PARTS ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN FOR THE 50 EIGHTS ARE STILL OUT THERE, BUT THE MORE WE CAN DO TO PUT IT IN OUR PARTS ROOM, THE BETTER.

SO THAT'S THE GOAL IS TO KEEP ONE, UH, AS AS OUR SECOND AIRCRAFT AND STRIP THE OTHER ONE FOR PARTS.

WAS MR. GLOVER, DID YOU UH, MR. CUNNINGHAM ASKED MY QUESTION.

AND THEN SOMEONE OVER HERE? YEP.

ALICE, GO AHEAD.

WHEN WE, I I'M, I'M REALLY GLAD WE'RE NOT GONNA GET IN THE BUSINESS OF RESCUING.

I THINK THAT'S GOOD TO SAY.

COSTAR'S VERY GOOD AT IT.

UH, I, I DON'T REMEMBER US DISCUSSING RENOVATION OF THE HANGER THOUGH.

THAT'S SEEMS NEW TO ME.

NO, WE DIDN'T.

WE TALKED ABOUT IT.

IF THEY'D GOTTEN THE OTHER AIRCRAFT WHERE THEY WOULD'VE HAD TO HAVE A BIGGER HANGER OR, OR WITH THE RIGHT, WITH THE BLADES THAT FOLDED.

WE'RE NOT GOING, WE'RE NOT GOING NEED THE, THE BLADE FOLD KIT.

NOW THE BUILDING WE'RE IN WAS BUILT IN 1984 FOR THE LADIES ISLAND FIRE DISTRICT.

IT'S NOW 40 YEARS OLD.

UH, IT IS AN EXTREMELY POOR SHAPE.

THE ROOF LEAKS IN PROBABLY EIGHT DIFFERENT PLACES.

UH, IT'S GOT BLACK MOLD ALL THROUGH IT.

IT'S NOT OUTFITTED, IT'S FIRE STATION THAT I'M MAKING WORK AS A HANGAR AND WE NEED, UH, WIDER DOORS WHEN I PUSH THE AIRCRAFT OUT.

AND THIS AIRCRAFT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WILL FIT IN IT AS IT EXISTS NOW.

BUT I ONLY HAVE ABOUT, UH, TWO FOOT OF SPACE ON EITHER SIDE WHEN I PUSH THE AIRCRAFT IN AND OUT.

UM, IT DOESN'T HAVE THE ELECTRICAL CAPACITY THAT WE NEED TO DO THE STUFF WE NEED TO DO.

UM, AND THE BUILDING IS JUST, IT'S WEATHERED SEVERAL HURRICANES.

UH, HURRICANE MATTHEW, THE FLOOD WATERS GOT UP TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING.

UH, IT'S SHOWING SOME DETERIORATION.

WE'VE GOT SOME MISSING, UH, ALUMINUM PANELS ON THE SIDE OF IT.

IT'S IN BAD SHAPE.

WELL, BUT WHEN IT WAS DISCUSSED BEFORE, IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS GONNA, PART OF THE JUSTIFICATION WAS FOR A DIFFERENT HELICOPTER, BUT WE TO WIDE THE DOOR TO A, TO A 70 FOOT DOOR, SIMILAR MOSQUITO CONTROL.

WE WON'T HAVE TO DO THAT PIECE OF IT NOW.

BUT THE BUILDING ITSELF IS IN A REALLY BAD SHAPE.

WE CAN'T USE THE UPSTAIRS FOR ANYTHING EXCEPT UH, DRY STORAGE.

SO WE HAVE TO REBUILD A HANGER.

IS THAT YOU'RE SAYING IT'S A NEW HANGER? MARK, YOU WANNA COME TALK ABOUT THE, THE PLAN, THE 4 MILLION MINUS THE 2.4 IS THAT, THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE FOUR, RIGHT? SO IT, THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE FIELD.

HELICOPTER'S 2.4.

SO THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT 1 6, 1 6 FOR THE PLUS CONTINU.

IS THAT WHAT A NEW HANGER COST MARK? UM, APPRO APPROXIMATELY SOMEWHERE IN THE MILLION TO 1.3 MILLION.

SO WE WOULD TEAR DOWN THE CURRENT HANGER.

NO, WE WOULDN'T TEAR IT DOWN.

IT'D BE A, IT'D BE A RENOVATION OF EXISTING.

AS COLONEL BAXLEY MENTIONED, IT'S IN PRETTY POOR CONDITION.

SO THE BUILDING ENVELOPE TO INCLUDE THE ROOF, ALL NEW ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, UM, AND HANGAR DOORS.

YOUR FRAMEWORK IS IN GOOD SHAPE, BUT THE BUILDING, THE ROOF AND THE SIDES ARE IN PRETTY BAD SHAPE.

IS IT CURRENTLY COST EFFICIENT TO TEAR IT DOWN AND BUILD A NEW ONE? I'M SORRY IF YOU GOT BLACK MOLD AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF.

WELL, THE STRUCTURE OF THE BUILDING IS SOUND.

SOUND, YES.

BUT EVERYTHING ELSE NEEDS, UM, NEED SHOULD BE REPLACED, COULD LOOK INTO THE COST OF A NEW FACILITY AND IT'S 1.4 TO ONE POINT CIVIL WORK OR THE A AND E THAT'S INVOLVED IN THAT.

GOT ANOTHER QUESTION.

YEP.

GOT ALEX.

IS IT, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR THE ADMINISTRATORS IT ON OUR CIP LIST TO REPLACE THAT HANGER? UM, OR RENOVATE IT? NO, MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT'S NOT ON THE, ON THE CIP LIST.

SO THIS WOULD BE ON PART OF

[00:45:01]

THE OVERALL PROJECT.

JUST YOU CHAIR ALSO, IF I MAY THIS YEAR, I JUST WANNA REITERATE, THERE'S 500,000 THAT WAS A COUNCIL FUNDED IN FY 26 TOWARDS THIS PROJECT.

SO I UNDERSTAND THE TOTAL COST IS 4 MILLION, BUT YOU'VE ALREADY FUNDED 500,000, WHICH WOULD GO TOWARDS THE DOWN PAYMENT, UM, ON THIS PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT.

JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT POINT.

I I THINK ALSO, LEMME JUST THROW IN REAL THAT YOU BRING UP, BROUGHT, BROUGHT BACK, UH, MEMORY TO ME IS THE FACT THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT FUNDING THIS FOR IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WAS EXPECTED.

AND THEN YEAH, THERE'S A NEED FOR US TO, TO, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY I THINK IS WHAT SHERIFF'S OFFICE PRESENTED TO US.

THIS PARTICULAR HELICOPTER, AS COLONEL BAXLEY HAS ALLUDED TO AS MEETS ALL THE SPEC AND PROBABLY CAN BE ACQUIRED FOR LESS THAN WHAT WE HAD DISCUSSED LAST NOVEMBER.

SO THAT'S WHY THEY'RE COMING FORWARD TO PURCHASE IT IN, IN THIS FISCAL YEAR.

AND COLONEL BAXLEY MAY ABLE SPEAK MORE ABOUT THE, UH, BUT I UNDERSTAND THERE HAS TO BE A DOWN PAYMENT AT A CERTAIN POINT TO HOLD THE HELICOPTER.

AND WHAT WE'VE ASKED FOR IS ASSUMING THIS GOES TO COUNCIL AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING AND, AND ASSUMING IT GETS THROUGH FIRST READING AT THAT POINT THERE COULD BE A LETTER OF INTENT ON, ON THIS PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT.

GO AHEAD, DO THAT AGAIN.

YEAH, I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, I DON'T THINK TABS GOT ANSWERED COMPLETELY.

SO ARE YOU SAYING WE STILL HAVE TO BUILD ANOTHER HANGAR ON TOP OF THAT 1.4 MILLION? 'CAUSE IF SO, MY MATH YES.

NO SIR.

MM-HMM.

SO IT'S JUST THE RENOVATION, IT'S ONE OR THE OTHER.

IT'S THE RENOVATION OF THE CURRENT ONE INCLUDED IN THE FOUR AND THE 4 MILLION IS THE RENOVATION OF THAT BUILDING THAT'S CURRENTLY EXISTING STILL.

THE STEEL FRAMEWORK OF THE BUILDING IS SOLID.

YEP.

NEW SIDES, NEW ROOF, NEW ELECTRICAL, UH, COMPLETELY CHANGED THE FLOOR PLAN.

IT WAS BUILT AS A FIRE STATION WITH BUNK ROOMS AND STUFF.

COMPLETELY CHANGED ALL THAT, UH, TO MEET THE AVIATION MISSION INCLUDED IN THAT.

JUST PERFECTLY FINE.

MY ONLY QUESTION IS DO WE HAVE A BID OR A QUOTE THAT SAYS THAT THEY CAN DO ALL THAT FOR 1.4 MILLION SO WE DON'T BUDGET IT, BUT THEN IT COMES BACK AT TWO AND TWO CHANGE OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.

WE HAVE ONE ESTIMATE WE'RE WE'RE SEEKING OTHER ESTIMATES AND THAT ESTIMATE IS 719,000 AT THIS POINT TO DO THE COMPLETE REFURBISHMENT.

SO THAT GIVES YOU A CONTINGENCY IN THERE AS WELL.

AND THEN THE FUNDS THAT ARE LEFT OVER, WOULD THOSE REVERT BACK TO THE COUNTY? YES, OF COURSE.

IT EVEN DON'T EVEN LEAVE THE COUNTY .

WE JUST PAID A BILL.

I JUST WANTED YEAH, I'M ASKING THAT QUESTION.

YEAH, YOU RIGHT.

I'M SORRY WE'RE NOT GONNA ADD EXTRA STUFF TO THE HELICOPTER IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.

JUST SAYING IF IT COMES BACK AT 800,000 AND WE BUDGETED 1.6, WHICH IS MATHEMATICALLY WHAT IT BE IS 1.55, UM, WOULD THE REST OF THE MONEY REVERT BACK? WE USE IT.

WE WOULDN'T GIVE IT TO I I GUESS TO ANSWER THAT IT'S ALL GENERAL FUND DOLLAR.

SO THIS WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, THESE OF FUNDS WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THAT.

ASSUMING THERE'S NO OTHER PROJECTS, WE WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU ALL TO SAY IT'S LESS THAN THAT TO APPROPRIATE TOWARDS ANOTHER PROJECT.

THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO PUT IT IS THAT YES, THOSE DOLLARS WOULD COME BACK AND WE WOULD REALLOCATE THEM.

PERFECT.

DO THE SHERIFF'S PROJECT ALSO, COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

ONE, THE 500,000 THAT WAS ALREADY ALLOCATED, RIGHT? YES.

THIS FISCAL YEAR WE ALLOCATED, AS WE HAD DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY, IT WAS GONNA BE PURCHASED UNDER LEASE.

SO WE PUT THAT RIGHT, I REMEMBER THAT.

THOSE DOLLARS.

WHERE WHERE IS THAT 500,000? IT'S AVAILABLE AND THAT'S WHAT WILL BE USED FOR THE, UH, DOWN PAYMENT.

IT'S IN OUR CIP FUND RIGHT NOW.

WE APPROVED IT AS A PART OF FISCAL YEAR 26 CIP AT THE TIME, IT WAS THE INITIAL LEASE PAYMENT I BELIEVE FOR THE FIRST YEAR.

RIGHT? YEAH.

I I GOT ALL THAT.

I'M JUST TRYING TO YEAH, NOW IT'S D TRYING GET, TRYING TO GET TRACK.

IT'S DIFFERENT.

SO WE GOT 500,000 STILL SET ASIDE.

YOU HAVE 500,000 IN, THE SHERIFF HAS 500,000 IN 15 PLACES.

THE SHERIFF HAS 500,000 SET ASIDE FOR THIS PROJECT.

FOR THE HELICOPTER? YEAH, FOR THE HELICOPTER.

AND THEN, BUT WE DON'T HAVE AN ACTUAL BID FOR THE RENOVATIONS.

RIGHT? WE HAVE AN ESTIMATE BUT NOT AN ACTUAL, WE HAVE A PROPOSAL FOR SEVEN 19.

THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE, UM, SOME OTHER ELEMENTS THAT WE MAY NEED FOR THE NEW, NEW COPTER.

AND THEN I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M TRACKING HERE WITH THE, DOES THE, DOES THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT BUDGET HAVE ANY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUNDS ASSOCIATED WITH IT? 'CAUSE THAT'S CLOSE TO WHAT, 40 MILLION.

$40 MILLION RIGHT.

FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT BUDGET? NOT WITH THIS PROJECT, NO.

SOME PROJECTS IN FOR NEXT YEAR AND THIS YEAR FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, BUT NOT FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT WITH THE, SO WOULD IT BE BETTER TO MODIFY THE ASK THROUGH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT BUDGET TO INCLUDE THIS RATHER THAN IT COMING FROM COUNCIL? NO, I'M JUST ASKING.

THE REASON IS IF IT GOES INTO THE SHERIFF'S BUDGET, IT STAYS THERE.

IT STAYS THERE.

BUT WE ALREADY HAVE HALF A MILLION.

I'M JUST ASKING WHAT, WHERE THE BEST ROUTE ROUTE TO GO IS AND WHAT'S AVAILABLE.

THE SHERIFF'S CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE ALSO IN THE CIP FUND WITH THE REST OF THE COUNTY'S CAPITAL.

FAIR.

FAIR ENOUGH.

I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A TRACK ON IT.

AND WE SHOULD BE MODIFYING THIS.

THE TOTAL IS 4 MILLION

[00:50:02]

SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR 3.5 MILLION.

BRING US TO THE TOTAL 4 MILLION.

I THINK IT SHOULD BE MODIFIED EVEN MORE THAN THAT.

AND THESE SHOULD BE SEPARATE PROJECTS.

NOT ONE PROJECT.

I, I, I AGREE WITH YOU.

HELICOPTER'S ONE PROJECT AND THE RENOVATION IS ANOTHER PROJECT.

I FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE HELICOPTER.

I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE, WITH THE REBUILD RIGHT NOW.

THE STAGE.

NOT WITHOUT FINAL BID.

I MEAN I DON'T EVEN HAVE INFORMATION IN HERE ABOUT IT.

THE HELICOPTER IS WHAT, 2.4? YEAH.

I GOT, I GOT THE HELICOPTER INFORMATION.

SO THE HELICOPTER THAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT NOW IS 2.4 AND THEN YEAH, THAT'S WHAT THE OWNER HAS TOLD US.

AND THERE'S 500,000 IN THE CIP RIGHT NOW.

AND DO YOU STILL HAVE TO HOLD IT WITH THE $24,000 PAYMENTS? YES.

SO REALISTICALLY IT'S $2 MILLION.

SO THEY HAVE TO PAY $24,000 AS A NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT ON THE HELICOPTER.

AND WHAT IS YOUR EXPECTED DELIVERY DATE? UH, ONCE THE IF THIRD FITTING OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THAT AND PROBABLY 90 DAYS.

WHAT THEY NEED THAT GIVES 'EM A LITTLE BUFFER ROOM MINUS THE 500 PUTS THE, HOLD ON.

IT GIVES YOU THE 24,000 A MONTH PLUS A DOWN PAYMENT.

SO 2 MILLION IS WHAT WE CAN, SO ABOUT 1.9, 2.4 RIGHT NOW.

AND THEY'VE GOT THE UM, AND THE 24,000 GOES TOWARDS THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE, OF THE HELICOPTER, IS THAT CORRECT? 2.4.

TOTAL DELIVERED PRICE, LESS THE DOWN PAYMENT OF 24,000.

AND WE STILL HAVE 500,000.

CORRECT? CORRECT.

THERE.

SO, SO THE 24,000 THAT I DO AGREE WITH THE, OF THE GENTLEMAN HERE SAYING WE SHOULD SEPARATE THESE.

IT'S THE PURCHASE OF THE HELICOPTER.

LET'S DO THAT IMMEDIATELY.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE HAVE TO BE RENOVATIONS.

YOU SHOULD THEN PROPERLY GO OUT TO SPEC OUT EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED, TAKE THE BIDS, COME BACK TO COUNCIL COUNSEL WILL THEN APPROVE THAT AS A CIP PROJECT.

SO THE BETTER WE, YOU KNOW, THE QUICKER WE GET THAT DONE, THE QUICKER WE CAN INCLUDE IT IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET AS OPPOSED TO HAVING IT DONE NEXT YEAR.

MS. BROWN WANTS TO HAVE A COMMENT AND THEN I'M GONNA ASK FOR SOMEONE TO MAKE A, A, UH, AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION.

GO MS. BROWN.

I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.

AND HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU HAVE TO USE THE HELICOPTER? LIKE A MONTH, MAN, WE FLY TWO SCHEDULED MISSIONS A WEEK.

PATROL MISSIONS, AND THEN WE DO CALL OUTS AFTER THAT.

IT'S ALL, IT'S A COLLATERAL DUTY FOR ALL OF US.

WE ARE, WE DON'T HAVE A FULL-TIME PILOT AND CREW SITTING OUT THERE AT THE AIRPORT, BUT WE FLY TWO SCHEDULED, UH, WEEK, UH, WHICH ARE PATROL MISSIONS COUNTYWIDE AND THEN CALL OUTS AS NEEDED.

FOR EXAMPLE, FRIDAY, UH, I WENT TO HELP LOOK FOR A 12-YEAR-OLD AUTISTIC CHILD WHO RAN AWAY FROM HOME IN BLUFFTON, UH, PARTICIPATED IN THAT.

AND AFTER I CLEARED THAT, I ALSO WENT AND DID A PATROL OF THE CREEKS IN THE BARRIER ISLANDS AND FOUND THREE DIFFERENT BOATS THAT WERE STRANDED BY LOW TIDE.

AND I MADE SURE THEY WERE OKAY BEFORE, 'CAUSE THEY WERE GONNA BE OUT THERE ABOUT SIX HOURS.

UH, I MADE SURE THEY WERE OKAY.

THEY GAVE ME A GOOD HIGH SIGN, WE'RE GOOD AND I LEFT.

BUT WE DO THAT AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK.

UH, AND THEN CALL OUTS PLUS THAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

IS THERE SOMEONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A UM, AN AMENDMENT TO OUR, OUR MOTION? YEP.

JOE, GO AHEAD.

YES, I WOULD LIKE, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA.

ONE SECOND.

JUST BEFORE YOU, YOU DON'T NEED A MOTION.

YOU DON'T NEED A MOTION ON THIS ITEM.

IT WOULD BE ON THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS THE ORDINANCE OF IF YOU'RE SEPARATING THE HELICOPTER AND THE HANGAR, IT'S 1.9 FOR THE HELICOPTER BECAUSE THEY ALREADY ALREADY HAVE 500,000 IN CIP.

THAT'S WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO BECAUSE THE ACTION THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US IS A CONSIDERATION OF MOVING $4 MILLION FROM GENERAL FUND BALANCE.

THIS IS JUST HIS PRESENTATION.

THE NEXT ONE IS THE BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE $4 MILLION.

THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL MAKE THE CHANGE TO THE 1.95 AND POTENTIALLY INCLUDE THE 11 MILLION FOR THE DEBT SERVICE.

I, I DISAGREE.

BUT, BUT IF I MAY ADD ONE, ONE LAST POINT ON THE CIP PROJECT ON THE FACILITY, YOU COULD POTENTIALLY DIRECT US TO INCLUDE THAT IN THE 2027 CIP LIST.

SO THEN THAT WOULD BE FUNDED IN NEXT FISCAL YEAR.

IF YOU WANT TO JUST SEPARATE THE HELICOPTER FROM THE FACILITY PROJECT, THAT WOULD BE AN OPTION TO CONSIDER.

SO THERE'S NO URGENCY FOR THE HANGAR RIGHT NOW.

I'LL DEFER TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ON THE URGENCY OF THE HANGAR.

OKAY, WELL I'LL GIVE YOU AN UMBRELLA BUT NO, REALLY THE NEW HELICOPTER WOULD FIT IN THE HANGAR.

MARK TO GET SOME MORE QUOTES IN TIME FOR THE 27 BUDGET.

YES IT WOULD.

BECAUSE THE BLADES PULLED IN.

WE DON'T, IT'S, IT'S ALMOST THE SAME SIZE AS THE CURRENT AIRCRAFT.

IT'S JUST, IT'S THE NEWEST GENERATION OF THAT SAME AIRCRAFT.

SO YES.

SO THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THREE HELICOPTERS AND WHERE ARE THEY ALL GONNA BE? ONE WILL BE PUSHED OUTSIDE TO BE STRIPPED AND TO LEAVE.

THE LAST ONE I STRIPPED FOR PARTS.

I GOT THE UH, RICHLAND COUNTY AIRCRAFT LAST UH, JUNE AND I HAD IT STRIPPED IN ABOUT SIX DAYS AND THEN WE PUSHED OUTSIDE 'CAUSE IT'S JUST A HULK AND I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT IT AFTER THAT.

OKAY, GOT IT.

SO CURRENTLY THE HELICOPTER IS BUDGETED IN 27.

SO IF YOU MOVE THIS INTO 26, THAT WILL FREE UP SOME CIP FUNDS FOR

[00:55:01]

AN A E SERVICES? AN A E.

JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR BEFORE WE GO FORWARD, WE, WE NEED 1.95.

1.95 FOR THE HELICOPTER.

BUT THEN ON THE NEXT ITEM, WHEN YOU DO THE BUDGET ORDINANCE AMENDMENT, I'D LIKE TO INCLUDE THE 11.5 FOR THE UM, DEBT SERVICE AS WELL.

SO WE ONLY BRING YOU ONE BUDGET AMENDMENT ORDINANCE INSTEAD OF TWO.

BUT FOR 26 IT'S THE 1, 9 5 AND 27 COULD BE THE HANGAR.

IS THAT CORRECT, MARK? YES.

JUST FOR CLARIFICATION.

SO 1, 9 5.

ALL RIGHT JOE, YOU GOT THAT? YEP.

SO, SO THIS, THAT WAS JUST A DISCUSSION ITEM.

YEP.

ON THE UM, SO OUR EIGHT A WAS JUST A DISCUSSION ITEM.

THERE'S NO CASE HOLD OF 13.45.

IS THE TOTAL BUDGET AMENDMENT BEFORE WE'RE GONNA AMEND THE BUDGET RIGHT HERE JOE.

UM, AND SO WE ACTUALLY HAD A MOTION ON THAT TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION.

SO YOU HAD DISCUSSION AND WE CAN GO ON TO, WE GO ON TO NINE TO EIGHT B WITHOUT ANY THIS.

YOU CAN FORWARD IT TO COUNSEL, BUT THIS REALLY DOESN'T NEED TO GO TO COUNCIL.

WHAT NEEDS GO TO COUNCIL IS THE NEXT ONE.

LET'S MOVE ON THEN TO R EIGHT B.

SO THERE'S NO, NOTHING THAT COMES OUT OF THE R EIGHT A.

[8.e. An ordinance to amend Beaufort County’s Budget Ordinance for Fiscal Year 2026 (ordinance no. 2025/29) to amend section iii, County Operations revenues, and section iv, County Operations Appropriation (FISCAL IMPACT: $4,000,000) - Pinky Harriott, Chief Financial Officer (Part 1 of 2)]

UM, WHICH IS AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND BEAUFORT COUNTY BUDGET ORDINANCE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2026.

ORDINANCE NUMBER 2025.

29 TO AMEND SECTION.

UM, THREE COUNTY OPERATIONS REVENUES AND SECTION FOUR COUNTY OPERATIONS APPROPRIATION FISCAL IMPACT FOR A MILLION DOLLARS.

UM, AND UM, I THINK WE HAVE THE SAME.

WE'LL MAKE THAT MOTION.

AND SECOND, SECOND AMENDMENT.

AND BEFORE WE EVEN HAVE DISCUSSION, I WILL AMEND THIS MOTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS, THAT WE UM, HAVE FROM CURRENT FUND BALANCE, WE ARE GOING TO MOVE $1,950,000 FOR THE PURCHASE OF A HELICOPTER.

AND THAT THE REMAINING MONEY, WHICH WILL TOTAL $13,450,000 IS FOR THE UM, UH, DEBT SERVICE BONDS TO BE CALLED.

I'LL SECOND THAT FOR A TOTAL OF $13.45 MILLION.

THAT'S CORRECT.

UM, IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION REGARDING THAT? UH, I GUESS I HAVE ONE QUESTION.

UM, WOULD THAT BE TO MS. HAR OR TO, UH, PROBABLY TO JARED AT THIS POINT, .

UM, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE AMENDED AT A COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING LATER ON IF WE WANTED TO KEEP THIS AS ONE THING? 'CAUSE WE KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROJECTS COMING ON LATER ON MY AGENDA IN PUBLIC FACILITIES FOR THE BUCKWALTER REC CENTER, AND WE'RE REALIZING HOW MUCH MONEY AND TIME WE COULD SAVE, MAYBE IF WE COMBINE THAT TO ONE PROJECT AS FAR AS THE ORDINANCE, UM, THIS PROBABLY JARED AND PINKY.

UM, WANNA MAKE SURE I DIDN'T JUMP THE GUN ON YOUR GUYS' END TO SEE IF YOU HAD TIME TO WORK ON SOME, RIGHT? YEAH, I THINK, GO AHEAD.

YOU TALK, SO I KNOW THAT YOU, YOU HAVE A DESIRE TO, TO APPROPRIATE $4 MILLION TOWARDS, I DON'T WANNA QUOTE THE NUMBERS YOU USED IN AGENDA REVIEW, BUT WHATEVER THAT AMOUNT IS.

SO IF WE'RE GONNA DO THAT, WE CAN DO THAT AND THEN MAKE IT ONE BUDGET ORDINANCE AND JUST A BUDGET AMENDMENT AND LISTS ALL THREE ITEMS. 1.9 FOR THE HELICOPTER, IT'S 11.57 FOR THE DEBT SERVICE, AND THEN WHATEVER COMES OUT OF THAT MEETING.

AND THAT COULD STILL BE DONE AT THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING.

IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO DO IT IN FIRST READING PRIOR TO THE SECOND READING.

PRIOR TO SECOND, YES.

THAT WAS MY ONLY QUESTION.

I KNOW WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH SOME STUFF, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE FOLLOW THE PROCESS ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

I THINK WHEN YOU GET TO THAT ITEM ON YOUR AGENDA, YOU CAN JUST MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION.

STAFF'S PREPARED TO TALK TO THE, TO YOUR QUESTION AT THE NEXT MEETING.

PERFECT.

AND WHEN THAT ITEM COMES UP, UM, WE'RE PREPARED RIGHT NOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CONTRACT AS IS, AND THEN WE CAN DO AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONTRACT TO CATCH IT UP, TO ADD THAT VALUE, IF THAT'S THE DESIRE OF COMMITTEE AND COUNSEL, AND THEN CONCURRENTLY ADD IT TO THE ORDINANCE THAT'S COMING THROUGH, IF THAT, AGAIN COMES FROM COMMITTEE AND COUNSEL.

BUT YEAH, GOOD THOUGHT.

ANY MORE DISCUSSION? THE ONLY THING IS, YOU, YOU JUST SAID SOMETHING ELSE.

YOU SAID 11,000,507, RIGHT? I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THE AMOUNT.

IT'S THE 1.95 FOR THE HELICOPTER AND 11.57 FOR DEBT SERVICE.

SO YOUR TOTAL IS 13,520,000.

SO WE ARE ACCURATE AS OF NOW.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AT PFC, SO, WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT COULD CHANGE, BUT YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE ACTION WE'RE GOING TO TAKE AT THIS MEETING TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT NUMBERS.

AND WHEN YOU TOOK THE OTHER ACTION, WE CAN COMBINE THEN.

SO ANY MORE DISCUSSION?

[01:00:01]

UH, CAN WE PASS THIS WITHOUT OBJECTION? NO REASON TO HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE.

I WILL PASS THIS WITHOUT OBJECTION.

AND THIS WILL MOVE THEN.

YEAH, THIS IS ON THE AMENDMENT.

AND THAT WAS EIGHT A PREVIOUSLY.

SO THAT'S MY AMENDMENT.

SO THE AMENDMENT HAS BEEN PASSED.

NOW LET'S, UM, GO BACK TO THE ACTUAL MOTION, MOTION MOTION AS AMENDED.

AS AMENDED.

AND, UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? NO.

SEEING, NO DISCUSSION.

WE'LL PASS THAT WITHOUT OBJECTION.

IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? NO.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S MOVE ON NOW TO OUR NEW, UM, EIGHT D AND IT USED TO BE EIGHT B, BUT EIGHT D.

AND UM, THIS IS, UM, MIDYEAR FUNDING REQUEST FOR THE, UM, UH, LRTA, UM, PO BREEZE.

AND THE AMOUNT OF $81,016 FISCAL IMPACT IS THE $81,016.

NEED TO GO BACK TO EIGHT C.

YOU FORGOT.

YOU FORGOT A, OH, I'M SORRY.

I WENT TO PROJECT B.

YOU'RE BACK TO EIGHT FAULT.

THE ORIGINAL EIGHT A FAULT.

MY FAULT.

I WAS STILL ON PAGE TWO.

UM, ALRIGHT, SO I'M SORRY.

WE ARE ON, UM, ITEM EIGHT C

[8.a. Consideration of funding to support Project Bamboo- Speculative Building Development- Beaufort Commerce Park (FISCAL IMPACT: Please see the attached BCEDC pro forma for the full incentive breakdown. From Beaufort County Job & Site Fund: • $250,000 – Cash Grant at the beginning of the project. • Up to $15,000 in Wetlands Credits • After the certificate of occupancy is issued, there is a potential $1.3 million dollar exposure on carrying cost. • FILOT/SSRC Agreement – To be determined.) - John O’Toole, Executive Director, Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation (BCEDC)]

SO THIS IS ON THE FIRST PAGE CONSIDERATION OF FUNDING TO SUPPORT PROJECT BAMBOO SPECULATIVE BUILDING DEVELOPMENT, BEAUFORT COMMERCE PARK, UM, AND, UM, FISCAL IMPACT, UH, IS IN THE ATTACHED B-C-E-D-C PRO FORMA FOR THE FULL INCENTIVE BREAKDOWN.

AND, UM, WE HAVE MR. O'TOOLE.

UM, ALRIGHT.

AND MR. O'TOOLE, IF YOU CAN, I GOT HAVE A MOTION PLEASE TO, UH, DISCUSS THIS.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO DISCUSS.

ALRIGHT, A SECOND, PLEASE.

I'LL SECOND IT.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT, MR. O'TOOLE FLOOR IS YOURS.

UH, GREAT TO BE WITH YOU AGAIN, MR. CHAIR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, I, UM, WILL GIVE YOU A A IN THE WAY OF A LITTLE BACKGROUND.

UH, SOUTH CAROLINA'S SUCCESS IS REALLY BUILT ON HAVING PRODUCT READY WHEN PEOPLE ARE LOOKING, UH, TO CITE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.

UH, LAST YEAR, UH, THE LEGISLATURE, UH, VOTED $80 MILLION TO MOVE SUCH SITES FORWARD.

UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN I, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, UM, WHO WAS ON COUNCIL WHEN WE BROUGHT THE, WHEN WE BROUGHT THE MAGNUS SPEC BUILDING THROUGH COUNCIL, ALICE YORK WAS, OKAY.

SO YEARS AGO.

IS A PROFORMA WE PUT TOGETHER.

YEAH, I, I, I, I COULD GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT.

SO WHAT, WHAT WE CONCLUDED, UH, AT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WAS, IS THAT, UH, AND YOU CAN HEAR IT FROM THE PUBLIC AS WELL, THAT THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PATIENCE, UH, FOR LONG MONEY IN, IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.

JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, IN RIDGELAND, UH, IN, UH, THEY HAD A SPEC BUILT IN 2019, $3 MILLION.

THEY BUILT IT, UH, USING TAXPAYER DOLLARS.

IT SAT THERE FOR FIVE YEARS, UH, IN CALLIN AS YOU COME DOWN 95.

UH, THEY BUILT A HUNDRED THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT SPEC BUILDING, $6 MILLION IN, AND IT SAT THERE FROM 2017 TO 2022, UH, IN BAMBERG.

UH, THERE WAS A 40,000 SQUARE FOOT, UH, SPEC BUILDING, $2 MILLION IN, UH, IN 2015.

AND IT SAT THERE TILL IT WAS SOLD, UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR.

AND IN ALLENDALE, THERE WAS A SPEC BUILDING BUILT IN 2022, AND IT SAT THERE FOR FOUR YEARS.

NOW, THINK OF THE MODEL THAT WE TRIED TO CREATE AND, UH, KNOWING THAT PEOPLE ARE FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE AND, AND TO BE HONEST, UH, WHATEVER THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL IS, WE WILL FOLLOW WHATEVER THE WILL OF THE CITY COUNCIL IN BEAUFORT IS.

WE WILL FOLLOW.

UM, BUT, UM, IF YOU LOOKED AT THE SPEC BUILDING, WE TRIED TO GET BUILT IN, UH, UH, THE COMMERCE PARK, AND WE WENT OUT, UH, USING DIFFERENT METHODS TO SECURE A DEVELOPER.

AND, UM, PEOPLE, UH, UH, PEOPLE CAME BACK AND SAID, WE REALLY LIKE THE MARKET, BUT IT'S A TERTIARY MARKET.

AND WE WERE BUILDING MOMENTUM.

AND THEN ALONG CAME, UH, THE PANDEMIC AND KIND OF KILLED THAT, UH, UH, MOMENTUM.

SO I'VE GOT A POWERPOINT HERE.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR TODAY IS TO, UH, UH, GET YOUR APPROVAL TO USE THE FUNDS, UH, MUCH IN THE WAY WE GOT THE MAGNUS, UH, BUILDING BUILT WITH A, A BIT OF A WRINKLE.

AND SOME OF THAT REVEALED ITSELF LAST WEEK.

AND I'LL EXPLAIN.

UH, BUT A 72,000 SQUARE FOOT, UH, BUILDING THAT COULD BE DIVIDED, UH, AMONG MULTIPLE USERS, REPRESENTS ABOUT A 9.2, UH, MILLION DOLLARS INVESTMENT.

UH, WE HAVE A, UH, LETTER OF, UH, UH, INTENT.

AND THIS

[01:05:01]

WE KIND OF HAVE A PROCESS THAT WE WOULD FOLLOW.

UH, IT, UH, IS GOING ENTIRELY ON CITY OF BEAUFORD PROPERTY, UH, IN THE COMMERCE PARK.

AND, AND WE'RE AT, TO THE POINT WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.

I'LL EXPLAIN HOW THE DEAL WORKS AND, UH, UH, THE USE OF COUNTY SITE AND JOB FUNDS.

SO, INITIALLY THERE WOULD BE A GRANT TO COME AT A GROUND FOR A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS.

UH, WE'D ALSO, UM, UH, BACK UP THE DEAL WITH $1.3 MILLION.

UH, NOW LET'S GO BACK TO MAGNUS FOR A SECOND.

WE DID THE SAME THING, ACTUALLY.

WE BACKED THE DEAL UP, UH, UP TO $1.6 MILLION.

AND, UH, BY THE TIME THE BUILDING WAS LEASED, THIS PORTION OF THE CONTRACT ONLY COST US, UH, ABOUT $82,000.

THERE ARE WETLANDS ON THE SITE, AND WE HAVE SECURED, UH, UH, WETLAND, UH, UH, UTCS FROM DOMINION ENERGY TO UNDERWRITE THE BULK OF THE, THE WETLAND, UH, MITIGATION COSTS ON THIS LOT K IN THE COMMERCE PARK.

SO NET IT WOULD COST $15,000, UH, TO THE SITE AND JOB FUND.

NOW WE GET INTO SOME OF THE ACTIVITY YOU SAW IN THE CITY OF BEAUFORT.

UH, LAST WEEK.

UH, WE, UM, WERE CONTACTED BY, UH, CLARITIN, UH, UH, UH, FARMS, CLARATIN PLANTATION.

THEY WANTED TO BUY, UH, UH, JUST UNDER 32 ACRES IN THE COMMERCE PARK.

WE SAID, WHY WOULD BEAUFORT DO THAT? THEY REALLY NEED THE, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FOR, UH, UH, TAX GROWTH.

UH, BUT WE WERE ALSO HEARING A LOT OF RESIDENTS SAY, WE NEED TO SEE A RETURN ON INVESTMENT.

SO, UH, UH, WE SAID WE COULD REALLY ONLY BRING YOUR DEAL FORWARD ON THE 31.79 ACRES.

UH, IF YOU CAN HELP US WITH ANOTHER PROBLEM WE HAVE IN THE PARK, AND THE PROBLEM WE'RE HAVING IN THE PARK IS, IS THAT SOMEBODY WILL PUT A SHOVEL IN THE GROUND AND THEY, IT GETS WET PRETTY QUICK, AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE.

AND SO YOU DON'T WANNA PUT A BIG FACILITY ON AN UNSTABLE SITE.

WE HAVE DEALT WITH, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO RATTLE OFF THE NAMES, BUT SIX D DIFFERENT DEVELOPERS THAT ALL CAME IN AND SAID, THIS IS ABOUT A $2 MILLION GAP, UH, BETWEEN, UH, UH, OUR PERFORMER AND ALL OF THESE DEVELOPERS CAME IN WITH THE SAME AMOUNT.

SO WE PUT IT OUT THERE FOR CLARITIN, UH, TO SAY, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GONNA BRING YOUR, UM, YOUR PROPOSAL FORWARD, WE ARE YOU GONNA HAVE TO HELP US SOLVE A PROBLEM ELSEWHERE IN THE PARK.

AND SO THEY'RE GONNA LEND MATERIAL OUT OF THE LAND THEY JUST BOUGHT OR IN THE PROCESS OF BUYING.

AND THEY'RE ALSO GONNA GIVE THE CITY A BEAUFORT A MILLION DOLLARS OVER THE PURCHASE PRICE TO HELP US GET THE SPEC BUILDING OUT OF THE GROUND.

SO THE, THESE FUNDS WERE ONLY ASKED FOR, 'CAUSE WE SELL, UH, LAND IN THE PARK FOR 40 AN ACRE.

AND, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE GETTING, UH, WE'RE GETTING MULTIPLES MORE THAN WHAT WE'RE SELLING THE LAND FOR.

AND THE QUESTION THAT CAME UP LAST WEEK, UM, UH, AND I, I HAVE TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL HERE.

I SAY THIS, THE ISSUE LEADING, UH, TO THE BEAUFORT CITY COUNCIL VOTE, UH, AGAINST THE RESOLUTION WAS RELATING TO THE CONTROL OF THE MILLION DOLLARS.

WHO POSSESSED IT? WHO, WHO BENEFITED FROM THE INCOME? THE CITY WANTED TO CONTROL THE FUNDS.

UH, BUT I, I CAN STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY AND I CAN, I ASSURE YOU, BY THE TIME THIS WENT TO FULL COUNCIL, UH, I HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE, UH, WITH CITY COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER THAT THE $1 MILLION WILL BE AVAILABLE TO BE USED IN THE BEAUFORT COMMERCE PARK SPEC BUILDING PROJECT.

UH, AND, UH, THE FUNDS ARE JUST HELD BY THE CITY OF BEAUFORT.

SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY.

OUR REQUEST IS, UH, WOULD YOU LIKE US TO PROCEED WITH ANOTHER SPEC BUILDING? UH, UH, IF WE DO, SO, THE DEAL WE HAVE ON THE TABLE INCLUDES A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS UP FRONT 15, ANOTHER 15 TO DEAL WITH WETLANDS MITIGATION, AND THEN POTENTIALLY 1.3 ON THE BACK BACKEND IF THE BUILDING REMAINED VACANT.

KEEP IN MIND THE LAST BUILDING LEASED BEFORE THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY WAS ISSUED.

SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY, AND I THANK YOU FOR, UH, YOUR CONSIDERATION.

ALRIGHT, ANY, UH, QUESTIONS? OH, MS. HOWARD, GO AHEAD.

UM, I WAS AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

I DIDN'T STAY TILL THE VERY END, BUT, AND THEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE AGENDA FOR, UH, TOMORROW NIGHT, HAVING ANOTHER EXECUTIVE SESSION.

DO YOU KNOW IF THAT'S ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS? I'M, I DON'T HAVE IT ON MY SCHEDULE.

BRIAN, AM I EXPECT I'M NOT EXPECTING THE CITY OF BEAUFORT TOMORROW? NO.

IT INTO A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

BUT THEY, IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, THEY, WHAT YOU JUST SAID WAS THAT THEY VOTED THAT THEY WOULD HOLD THE MONEY, THE MILLION DOLLARS, BUT THEIR INTENT IS TO PUT

[01:10:01]

GOT IT.

WAS THAT IN THE, WOULD THAT BE IN THEIR MINUTES WHEN THEY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE AGENDA, ALICE, UM, UH, THE CONVERSATION CONTINUED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT NIGHT.

THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY.

ANY COMMENTS, JOE? GO AHEAD.

THIS SPEC BUILDING HAS THE POTENTIAL OF HOW MANY TENANTS? UH, IT COULD HAVE, UH, IT, IT COULD BE BROKEN UP INTO TRANCHES OF 8,000 SQUARE FEET.

SO IT WOULD BE, UH, NINE.

MR. BOHO, WORTH ALL OF YOU.

HOW LONG HAS THE CURRENT SPEC BUILDING THAT WE HAVE BEEN VACANT? THE CURRENT SPEC BUILDING WAS OCCUPIED BEFORE IT HAD A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.

NO, NO.

I'M, HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN VACANT SINCE THEY, IT'S NOT VACANT.

IT IS NOT VACANT.

IT WAS IN THERE NOW.

IT, IT, WE BUILT ONE SPEC BUILDING.

IT WAS FULLY OCCUPIED BEFORE WE HAD A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.

AND IT'S OCCUPIED TODAY.

WHO, WHO'S IN THERE AGAIN TODAY? I THINK YOU MENTIONED IT.

NORM BLIND AND CRITICAL ROLE.

OTO.

UM, YEAH, THIS WOULD BE OUR SECOND SPEC BUILDING.

GOTCHA.

YOU HAVE ANY VACANT BUILDINGS RIGHT NOW, OR VACANT PADS? UH, UH, COINCIDENTALLY, UH, THE PAD THAT, UH, YOU ALL VOTED, UH, TO, UM, UH, FUND 50% OF, NOT YOU ALL, BUT THE COUNCIL APPROVED IT, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY.

UH, THAT, THAT PAD, UH, WAS JUST ROLLED INTO AN ASCENT INCENTIVE AGREEMENT FOR THE NEW YORK COMPANY.

WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO INFORM THEM OF THAT.

UH, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE 6.6, UH, MILLION DOLLARS INVESTED ON THE ONE PAD WE HAVE.

THE ONLY OTHER, UH, LARGE INDUSTRIAL BUILDING THAT WE HAVE VACANT RIGHT NOW IS THE GLASSWORKS BUILDING, WHICH I, I DESCRIBED IN MY UPDATE.

IT'S, UH, EIGHT EIGHT, JUST UNDER 84,000 SQUARE FEET.

UH, AND ITS CONFIGURATION DOESN'T WORK FOR ALL INDUSTRY.

I'M SORRY, I I, I'M SORRY.

MAYBE I HAD THE, THE NAMES WRONG.

UH, THAT THE GLASSWORKS IS WHEN I WAS, SO IT, THERE IS A VACANT BUILDING, CORRECT? YES.

THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET.

I'M SORRY.

I HAD THE NAMES MAKE UP.

THAT'S THE FORMER PARKER HANNAFIN BUILDING.

SORRY ABOUT THAT.

YEAH, THAT PROBLEM.

I WAS TRYING TO PROBLEM, I WANNA MAKE SURE IF THERE WAS A VACANT ONE OR NOT.

BUT NOT A SPEC BUILDING.

UM, SO AT THIS TIME, WHAT ARE WE ALLOCATING FOR? WHAT IS THE ASK FOR ALLOCATIONS? YEAH, THAT'S, UH, WHAT WE WOULD ASK FOR, DEPENDING ON THE BREAKDOWN YEAH.

IS THREE 50 PLUS 15, SO 365.

AND THEN ON THE BACKEND, WE WOULD, UH, EARMARK THE 1.3 FOR POTENTIAL LIABILITY ON A UNLEASHED, UH, SPEC BUILDING.

REALISTICALLY, WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR 1.7 MILLION, 1,665,000.

AND REMIND COUNSEL, HOW MUCH IS IN THE JOB SITE FUND? ABOUT 3 MILLION.

RIGHT NOW WE HAVE JUST UNDER, UH, JUST UNDER 3 MILLION, I BELIEVE.

FAIR TO SAY? MM-HMM .

WHAT'S THE EXTRA A HUNDRED THOUSAND? BECAUSE IT SAYS TWO 50.

HERE, LET ME PULL THAT BACK UP ON THE AGENDA.

IT SAYS TWO 50 CASH GRANT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT, RIGHT? YEAH.

WHERE'S THE EXTRA A HUNDRED THOUSAND? OH, I SAID I DID I SAY THREE 50.

I MEANT TWO 50.

THANK YOU, JOE.

SO IT'D BE, UH, JUST UNDER 1.6 MILLION PLANS? YEAH.

AND, AND THE 1.3 CONSISTED OF THE $1 MILLION.

$1 MILLION WE SEE THERE MM-HMM .

WHERE'S THE OTHER 300,000? NO, IT, IT WOULD BE THE 2, 2 50.

THE 1.3 AND THE 15,000 WOULD BE THE COUNTY'S, UH, UH, HIGH-END, UH, EXPOSURE.

NOW'S NOT, NOT KNOWING WHAT CITY OF BUFORT ISS DOING.

IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO VOTE ON TODAY? OR IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD WAIT FOR THE RE RESPONSE FROM THE CITY OF BUFORT? LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING? PERSONALLY, I'D LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING IN WRITING FROM THEM BEFORE WE, I MEAN, I KNOW IT WAS EXECUTIVE SESSION AND, BUT NO.

GOOD.

THIS HAS TO GO TO COUNCIL.

PRESIDENT HAS TO GO NEXT WEEK.

HE GO.

MAY.

PARTS THAT COME TOGETHER, UH, THE MOVING FORWARD, IT COULD, I GUESS DECISION COULD BE MADE TO EVEN PUT IT ON THE MAY AGENDA OR NOT PUT IT ON THE MAY AGENDA.

WE VOTING ON THIS TODAY.

AND I THINK ALL THE

[01:15:01]

THAT'S ONE OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT WE STILL HAVEN'T ANSWERED ON THE COMMITTEE LEVEL, IS IF THIS GETS TURNED DOWN BY THIS COMMITTEE, DOES IT STILL GO TO COUNCIL? EVEN THOUGH WE ALLOW ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS TO VOTE AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS, BUT WE CHANGE OUR PROCEDURES.

RIGHT THERE.

UNTIL WE CHANGE THE, WHAT WAS THE QUESTION? PROCEDURES? WELL, IT STILL GOES FORWARD.

STILL GO FORWARD.

WE NEVER CLARIFIED THAT.

WE DIDN'T NO.

WE DO HAVE TO CHANGE OUR RULES AND PROCEDURES TO DO THAT.

YEAH, BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S ACTUALLY NO GUIDANCE ON IT.

OUR PROCEDURE.

SO IT WOULD GO, IF WE VOTE TO MOVE THIS FORWARD, IT WOULD GO FORWARD.

BUT THERE'S A LOT OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED BEFORE IT BE PUT ON A COUNTY COUNCIL, UH, AGENDA.

REALISTIC.

WE SHOULD VOTE NO MATTER WHAT.

'CAUSE IT'S GOING REGARDLESS.

UM, CORRECT.

LET'S, UH, UNTIL, UNTIL WE, UNTIL WE MODIFY OUR RULES YES.

OR WHICH WE'RE WORKING, OR WE CAN TAKE A VOTE.

LET'S, UH, LET'S POSTPONE ACTION TO THIS, TO THE NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING.

THERE'S REALLY EVEN NO POINT, NO MATTER WHAT IT STILL GOES TO COUNCIL, WHETHER IT'S NOW OR LATER, WE CAN, UNLESS YOU POST WHERE WE WANT, UNLESS YOU POSTPONE IT.

WE'RE GONNA CALL THE, UH, CALL THE QUESTION.

AND DO WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE IN THIS? YES.

UH, LET'S CALL ROLL CALL VOTE.

UM, MS. SARAH, IF YOU CAN DO THAT FOR US, PLEASE.

COUNCIL MEMBER GLOVER? YES.

THIS IS VICE CHAIR TABER.

COUNCIL MEMBER.

BARTHOLOMEW? NO.

CHAIR HOWARD? UM, NO.

BECAUSE OF WHAT I MENTIONED ABOUT THE CITY OF BEAUFORT.

SO UNTIL I KNOW.

COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN.

NO, FOR THE SAME REASON.

COUNCIL MEMBER PASSMAN? NO.

COMMITTEE, VICE CHAIR CUNNINGHAM? NO.

COMMITTEE CHAIR LAWSON? UH, I WOULD VOTE YES JUST FOR DISCUSSION, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT, IT, IT FAILS.

SO AGAIN, MOTION FAILS.

YES, MA'AM.

ALRIGHT, UM, LET'S MOVE ON THEN.

AND, UH, WE'RE NOW TO OUR EIGHT D.

THE ONE I TRIED

TO READ EARLIER.

MR. CHAIR, WE'D LIKE TO CLARIFY ONE ITEM ON EIGHT B, WHICH WAS THE ORDINANCE IN THE PACKAGE.

IT WAS FOR TIME SENSITIVE.

THAT WAS NOT EXPLICITLY STATED EARLIER.

OUR, OUR INTENTION WAS TO MOVE THAT FORWARD AS TIME SENSITIVE.

TIME SENSITIVE.

THE, THE, UH, BUDGET AMENDMENT.

OH YEAH.

ALRIGHT, SO, SO THE BUDGET AMENDMENT NEEDED TO BE VOTED ON AT THAT TIME, THE SAME TIME.

IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE, LET'S JUST GO, WE WERE JUST GONNA MOVE IT FORWARD TIME SENSITIVE.

AND THAT WASN'T, IT'S IN YOUR PACKAGE, BUT IT WASN'T EXPLICITLY STATED AS PART OF THE, UH, AMENDMENT.

SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE THAT FORWARD UNLESS THERE'S OBJECTION, TIME SENSITIVE, SIR, YOUR OBJECTION.

I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY.

ALRIGHT, SO NOW LET'S MOVE

[8.b. Mid-Year Funding Request from LRTA dba Palmetto Breeze in the amount of $81,016. (FISCAL IMPACT: Fiscal Impact is $81,016. If Finance Committee chooses to fund this, Staff recommends utilizing vacancy savings in the General Fund.) - Pinky Harriott, CGFO Chief Financial Officer]

ON THEN TO, UM, EIGHT D.

USED TO BE THE OLD EIGHT B.

UM, AND THIS IS MID-YEAR FUNDING REQUESTS FOR, UM, LRTA, UH, PULM BREEZE IN THE AMOUNT OF $81,016.

UM, AND, UH, FISCAL IMPACT IS THAT AMOUNT.

UM, IF FINANCE COMMITTEE CHOOSES TO FUND THIS STAFF RECOMMENDS UTILIZING VACANCY SAVINGS IN THE GENERAL FUND.

AND MS. UH, HARRIET, OH.

NEED A MOTION? IS THERE A MOTION PLEASE? SURE.

MOTION IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT.

ANY QUESTIONS? COURSE QUESTION.

THANK YOU FOR DISCUSSION.

I'M HERE FOR FUNDING ANSWERS, BUT MARY LOU IS HERE FROM LRTA.

SO MARY LOU, IF YOU COULD, UH, ENLIGHTEN US ON, UM, ON THIS.

WELL, THIS, UH, WAS FROM LAST YEAR'S, THE BUDGET WE'RE CURRENTLY IN, AND I, I WASN'T HERE AT THE TIME.

SO FROM MY UNDERSTANDING OF IT, UM, THE COUNT COUNTY COUNCIL WAS, UH, GOING TO FUND US AT THE SAME AS THE LAST YEAR'S AMOUNT.

BUT WHAT WE DIDN'T, WASN'T CLEAR, I GUESS, WAS THAT A PORTION OF THE FUNDS WAS ACTUALLY FOR THE NORTH OF THE BROAD, UH, LOCAL MATCH FOR THE CAPITAL MONEY.

AND, AND IT WAS ABOUT 105,000.

I'M GUESSING, I'M TRYING TO BE CORRECT.

WE'RE DOWN TO 82 BECAUSE WE DID A, A BUDGET PROJECTION TO THE END OF THE YEAR FOR, 'CAUSE WE HAD TO DO MIDYEAR ASKS FOR A COUPLE PEOPLE.

SO WE PROJECT OUR BUDGET OUT TO BE AS TIGHT AS WE POSSIBLE.

SO AT THIS POINT, WE'RE ASKING FOR 81,000, WHICH REALLY GOES TOWARDS, UH, LAST THE YEAR WE'RE IN.

AND IT, IT SECURES THE LOCAL MATCH FOR NORTH OF THE BROAD CAPITAL PROJECTS.

THAT'S WHAT THE AMOUNT IS.

MS. TABER.

SO I KNOW YOU WENT TO HILTON HEAD FOR MONEY.

YES, MA'AM.

WHAT DID THEY GIVE YOU? THEY, UH, WE WENT THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS AND THEIR FINANCE COMMITTEE VOTED TO SEND IT TO THE COUNCIL, UH, WITH THEIR RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL.

AND THEIR AMOUNT WAS, I THINK 52.

[01:20:01]

52.

OH, HOW MUCH? 52,000.

AND WHAT ABOUT TOWN OF BLUFFTON? WE HAVE GONE AND ASKED THEM AND WE'RE, UH, GIVING THEM, UM, WHAT THEY ASKED FOR AS FAR AS DATA.

'CAUSE THEY DIDN'T REALLY ASK FOR A LOT OF DATA IN THE PAST, SO WE'RE IN CONVERSATION WITH THEM, BUT WE'VE ASKED THEM AS WELL.

SO I WOULD'VE ASKED FOR THE DATA TOO.

BUT ONE THING, UM, I WOULD WATCH THE HILTON HEAD MEETING AND I WATCHED THE BLUFFTON MEETING AND MY QUESTION COMES BACK AGAIN.

I'VE ASKED IT IN THE PAST, WHY ARE WE NOT CHARGING FOR THE SUMMER TROLLEY? I GET IT, THEY'RE TOURISTS, BUT WE'RE LOSING REVENUE THERE.

THIS DOES NOT GENERATE ENOUGH REVENUE.

WE SHOULD BE CHARGING FOR THE TROLLEY.

AND THE OTHER THING IS, WE HAVE RIDERS THAT COME FROM JASPER COUNTY, HARDY V, WHEREVER ARE WE, WHY CAN'T WE MAKE UP SOME MONEY THERE? OR WHY CAN'T THE HOTELS ON THE ISLAND MAKE UP SOME MONEY? THEY ARE BENEFITING FROM, WHAT IS IT, $4 A RIDE FOR A WORKER TO RIDE IN? YOU CAN'T RIDE A BUS ANYWHERE FOR $4.

AND WE'RE BUSING PEOPLE TO DO WORK ON THE ISLAND.

SO HAS ANYBODY APPROACHED HOSPITALITY ON THE ISLAND ABOUT FUNDING SOME OF THIS, BECAUSE IT KEEPS COMING BACK TO THE COUNTY.

WE'RE A PRIMARY FUNDER.

I I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

UM, I KNOW THEN THE 10 OR 12 YEARS I WAS HERE THAT WE WORKED WITH THE CHAMBER, THE HILTON HEAD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, TO APPROACH DIFFERENT BUSINESSES TO TRY TO GET SOME KIND OF SUPPORT GOING.

WE GOT SOME INTEREST IN SUPPORTING A BUS FOR, I THINK IT WAS FOR THE KROGER AND THE WALMART TOGETHER TO BRING PEOPLE FROM BUFORD ON A DIFFERENT HOUR.

AND CONVERSATIONS WERE HAD AND IT NEVER GOT OFF THE GROUND.

UM, I KNOW, TRY TO EXPLAIN THIS, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION HAS GUIDELINES AND RULES IN THE WAY THEY SET THINGS UP.

AND I'VE BEEN DOING THIS IN A LOT OF PLACES AND NO TWO SYSTEMS ARE THE SAME.

SO IT'S NOT LIKE YOU COULD SAY, OH, WELL THIS IS WHAT WE DID HERE, WHAT WE DID THERE.

AND WHAT WE DO HERE IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN ANY, ANY MOST OTHER PLACE.

BUT, UM, AND UH, THE WAY IT'S SET UP TO BE PAID FOR IS, UM, THAT WE GET GRANTS AND WE NEED, UM, LOCAL MATCH TO MATCH THE GRANTS.

MOST EVERY OTHER PLACE I'VE EVER WORKED HAS ANOTHER SOURCE OF FUNDING.

WHEN I WORKED IN NORTH CAROLINA, DUKE POWER OWNED THE TRANSIT SYSTEMS WHEN THEY STARTED.

AND SO THEY PAID THE CITIES TO TAKE 'EM.

AND SO WE GOT PAID MONEY EVERY YEAR FROM DUKE, OR WE GOT A BIG LUMP SUM AND WE GOT THE INTEREST FROM THAT TO HELP RUN THE SYSTEM.

UM, EVERY PLACE IS DIFFERENT.

AND SOUTH CAROLINA SET THIS UP WHEN THEY DID IN THE SEVENTIES AS TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITIES AND THEY DECIDED IT WAS GONNA BE SET UP THIS WAY.

AND THEY ALLOW ONLY TWO WAYS TO FUND A TRANSIT SYSTEM IN THE STATE.

AND THAT IS, UM, SALES TAX MONEY.

THE SALES TAX REFERENDUM OR PROPERTY TAX.

MANY OTHER STATES I'VE WORKED HAVE ALL DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN FUND TRANSIT.

I WAS IN ESCAMBIA COUNTY, FLORIDA, WHICH IS WHERE PENSACOLA IS.

RIGHT BEFORE I CAME HERE, THEY PASSED A 4 CENT A A GALLON TAX, UH, THAT THEY WERE ALLOWED TO DO BY THE STATE OF FLORIDA.

AND IT PASSED AND IT WAS ACTUALLY TOO MUCH MONEY FOR THE TRANSIT SYSTEM.

THEY HAD TO COME BACK AND CHANGE IT TO ALLOW FOR SIDEWALKS AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS.

'CAUSE IT WAS MORE MONEY THAN WE COULD SPEND.

BUT I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS ALL THE STATES DO IT DIFFERENT WAYS.

YOU ASKED ME ABOUT THE TROLLEY.

WHY DID WE NOT PUT A CHARGE ON THE TROLLEY? I WOULD SAY THAT'S MOSTLY AT MY, UM, SETUP AND EVERYTHING.

AND THE FAIRS ARE SUCH A SMALL PART OF WHAT PAYS FOR THAT TROLLEY AND, UM, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF HILTON HEAD.

I WAS THERE WITH THE CIRCLE TO CIRCLE COMMITTEE AND EVERYTHING.

THEY STARTED TO BEGIN THE DISCUSSIONS WITH THIS.

AND THE ISSUE WASN'T WE HAVE TO HAVE MONEY FOR THE BUS SYSTEM SO MUCH AS WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET THE CONGESTION OFF THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE ISLAND? WE CAN'T GET FROM SEA PINES TO CALLIA IN THE SUMMER.

YOU JUST COULDN'T.

IT WAS SO LOCKED UP.

AND PART OF THE SOLUTION WAS THEY BROUGHT THIS, THESE CONSULTANTS IN AND THEY DID DIFFERENT NETWORKS ON THE STREET, BICYCLE PATHS, INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS.

AND THE BIGGEST ONE WAS THE TROLLEY.

A SHUTTLE SYSTEM THAT PEOPLE COULD GET ON FROM THEIR CONDOS AND HOTELS AND, YOU KNOW, WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE TO RENT A CAR IF THEY DID.

THE HUSBAND WENT GOLFING WITH IT AND EVERYBODY ELSE GOT ON THE BUS.

AND SO THE WHOLE WAY THIS WAS DESIGNED WAS TO LESSEN THE NUMBER OF CARS ON THE ROADS IN HILTON HEAD.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT BEING THE, THE DRIVING FORCE OF IT, IT'S HARD TO GO BACK AND SAY, OKAY, EVERYBODY PAY A DOLLAR.

AND IT ISN'T THAT THEY CAN'T AFFORD THE DOLLAR.

IT'S LIKE, OH, I DON'T HAVE A DOLLAR, I DIDN'T PLAN FOR THIS.

OR MY KIDS WANT, WE GET A LOT OF KIDS ON THE BUS, BICYCLE, PEOPLE THAT GET TOO HOT, THEY JUMP ON THE BUS, IT'S AIR CONDITIONED AND PUT THEIR BICYCLE ON THE FRONT FOR ALL OF THOSE REASONS, JUST TRYING TO MAKE IT SUPER, UH, PASSENGER FRIENDLY.

WE WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE A GOOD EXPERIENCE, BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING, WE WANT THOSE CARS

[01:25:01]

OFF THE ROAD.

AND I MEAN, WE HEARD ALL THAT LAST YEAR AND WE FUNDED YOU AT THE SAME LEVEL WE DID THE YEAR BEFORE.

AND SO TO COME BACK, WE'VE ALREADY MADE THAT COMMITMENT TO BE AT 700, WHATEVER IT WAS.

AND YOU'VE ALREADY ASKED FOR ANOTHER FUNDING FOR NEXT YEAR, WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED.

AND AM I CORRECT MR. MOORE? WE HAVE, UM, WE'VE GIVEN THEM THE PLACE TO STORE THEIR BUSES AND WE RETROFITTED SOME THINGS THERE.

YES, I DO RECALL THE, UM, YEAH, THE, THE, DO YOU KNOW WHERE THAT IS? I'M, I'M SPEAKING TO MR. FRAIL CONVENIENCE CENTER.

IT'S A CONVENIENCE CENTER.

SMALL CONVENIENCE CENTER.

SO YES IN KIND FUNDS TOO THAT THIS COMPANY GAVE.

AND, AND CORRECT.

AND WE APPRECIATE THAT AND WE HAVE NOT SET UP SHOP THERE YET, SO TO SPEAK.

AND THE IDEA WAS TO HAVE A PLACE FOR THE DRIVER'S AT DRIVE IN BLUFF BEAUFORD TO PUT THEIR BUSES AT NIGHT SO THAT IF A DIFFERENT DRIVER WAS DRIVING, THEY WEREN'T HAVING TO FIND A BUS FOR 'EM THAT WE HAD ALL THE BUSES CENTRALLY, CENTRALLY LOCATED.

AND I THINK THAT'S STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS AND WE APPRECIATE THE COUNTY'S HELP.

IT, IT'S NOT LIKE WE ARE IN ANY POSITION TO PURCHASE OR LEASE ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF WHAT WE ALREADY DO.

I MEAN, WE RUN ON A SHOESTRING AND, AND YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO COME BEFORE YOU AND NOT ASK FOR YOUR MONEY FOR THE COUNTY MONEY AT ALL.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A POSITION WE'RE IN AS WELL TO CONTINUE A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

WELL, MY LAST COMMENT HAS TO DO WITH HARDY V AND JASPER COUNTY.

WE WERE TOLD HARDY V HAS NEVER BEEN APPROACHED FOR FUNDING AND YET WE HAVE PEOPLE RIDING THOSE BUSES FROM HARDY V TO THE ISLAND, JASPER COUNTY, TO THE ISLAND I BELIEVE ALSO OUTSIDE OF JASPER COUNTY.

SO WHERE IS THE FUNDING COMING FROM THEM AND HAVE YOU GONE TO THEM? OF COURSE WE HAVE BOTH RURAL AND, AND, UH, URBAN SYSTEMS AND THE JASPER PEOPLE AND THE HARDY PEOPLE ARE IN THE URBAN SIDE AND THEY DO GET ASKED.

BUT BEAUFORT COUNTY IS ASKED FOR EVERY ONE OF OUR SERVICES.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE IT GETS TOUGH.

AND I THINK WE'VE GOTTEN TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE GOING PAST JUST GRANT MONEY AND UM, LOCAL FUND MATCH.

I AGREE A HUNDRED PERCENT.

AND WHAT'S HAPPENING TO BEAUFORT COUNTY IS YOU PAY FOR THE RURAL SIDE.

YOU PAY FOR THE URBAN SIDE, SOUTH OF THE BROAD.

WE NOW HAVE A NEW URBANIZED AREA NORTH OF THE BROAD.

AND I KNOW IN TALKING TO ALICE WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE NORTH OF BROAD MEANING BEAUFORT CITY, THEY'VE BEEN WANTING BUS SERVICE FOR A LONG TIME AND SOMETHING TO ALLEVIATE YOUR, UH, PARKING ISSUES IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

I'VE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS.

IT'S ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT THESE BUSES COST A LOT OF MONEY.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOTTA, WHERE, WHERE'S THE MONEY COMING FROM? WELL NOW WE'VE GOT URBAN FUNDING FOR NORTH OF THE BROAD, BUT AGAIN, HAS HAVE A MATCH.

IT HAS TO HAVE A MATCH.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, IS IT THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG? YOU KNOW, WE CAN, AND MY STAFF HAS ASKED, WHAT, WHAT DO WE DO NOW? AND I SAID, WELL IF, IF IT TURNS OUT THAT THAT URBAN AREA NORTH OF ABROAD, NOBODY CAN PAY THE MATCH, WE GIVE THE MONEY BACK.

WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON'T APPROVE THE 81,000? UH, I, I GUESS IT'S AT YOUR DISCRETION, BUT OUR BUDGET RUNS IN THE, IN THE RED.

WE HAVE TO BE REALLY HONEST AROUND $200,000 OF OUR RESERVES.

AND THAT'S ALL WE HAVE.

AND WHEN WE GET TO A POINT WHERE WE DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY OR WE'RE WE CAN SEE IT COMING, SERVICES ARE GOING TO START BEING PULLED BACK.

I DON'T EVER WANT TO DO THAT.

'CAUSE OUR, THE PEOPLE THAT RIDE OUR BUSES REALLY NEED TO GET WHERE THEY'RE GOING.

AND, AND I KNOW THIS IS HARD FOR YOU GUYS TOO WITH THE JUGGLING OF HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE MAKE THIS BUDGET COME THROUGH? BUT I LOOK AT WHAT WE DO AS WE PROVIDE A SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE THAT NEED IT THE MOST.

I HAD A COMMENT.

YEAH, I GOT, I HAD MY HAND UP.

OH, GO AHEAD THEN I'LL, UM, I I I UNDERSTAND THIS CORRECTLY.

THIS IS JUST FOR THE URBAN AREA, NORTH OF THE BROAD, THE 81,000.

THAT'S THE PART THAT WE DIDN'T GET FUNDED LAST YEAR.

DIDN'T GET IT FUNDED LAST YEAR.

UM, YOU WEREN'T THERE, THERE WAS MAYBE A MISTAKE MADE.

I'LL JUST SAY IT OUT LOUD.

KNOW, IT'S A SHAME THAT IT WASN'T, UM, THAT THIS IS LATE COMING TO US, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO BE, MAKE IT WELL AND, AND TO THROW OUT EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD BE DOING IN THE NEW URBAN AREA BECAUSE OF 81,000.

AND MAYBE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REQUESTED.

UH, WE HAD THAT WONDERFUL STUDY DONE BY LOW COG ABOUT NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND WHERE ROUTES COULD AND COULD NOT, WOULD BE VIABLE TO GO AND NOT GO.

AND THEY SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THAT.

AND, UM, I THINK THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AND I, I, YOU KNOW, I WOULD HATE FOR US TO NOT DO ANY MORE IN THE NEW URBAN AREA NORTH OF ABROAD BECAUSE, UM, AND IT'S PORT ROYAL TOO, AND PORT ROYAL AND BEAUFORT, UM, HAVE, ESPECIALLY BEAUFORT RIGHT NOW HAVE A VERY LIMITED BUDGET.

THEY COULD BE ASKED, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, BEAUFORT HAS A WATERFRONT TO, TO FIX MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

I PERSONALLY SEE THE PALMETTO BREEZE GO TO THE PIGGLY WIGGLY, UM, ROUTE.

AND I SEE PEOPLE GETTING ON AND OFF OF IT.

THAT'S, THEY DEPEND ON IT.

AND THAT'S CLOSE TO WHERE I LIVE.

SO I WILL BE VOTING FOR THIS.

UM, I, YOU

[01:30:01]

I, I, YOU KNOW, IIII WILL VOTE YES FOR THIS.

I HAVE ONE QUESTION AND THEN WE'LL CALL THE, UH, QUESTION.

IT'S, UM, YOU MENTIONED HILTON HEAD.

SO WHAT KIND OF FUNDING DO YOU GET FROM HILTON? YOU SAID YOU'RE COME BACK AND ASK THEM FOR 52 AND THEN WELL, WE HAVE THE SCENARIO WITH HILTON HEAD AND THEY'RE REALLY AN URBAN PART OF THE URBAN SYSTEM SOUTH OF THE BROAD.

BUT THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE RURAL FUNDS AS WELL.

WE STARTED ASKING THEM WHAT, WHEN I CAME IN THE VERY BEGINNING, NONE OF THIS WAS REALLY DIFFERENTIATED.

SO WE CAME UP WITH A DIFFERENTIATION AND THEN WE ASKED THEM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE REALLY IN THE URBAN AREA, BUT CAN YOU CONTRIBUTE TO THESE RURAL COMMUTER BUSES? BECAUSE A LOT OF THE WORKERS ARE COMING HERE AND THE RURAL COUNTIES ARE STRUGGLING AND, AND NOT ALWAYS PAYING FULL AMOUNT.

AND SO, UH, HILTON HEAD KICKS IN TOWARDS THE RURAL COMMUTER BUSES.

AND WHAT WAS THAT AMOUNT? 55,000.

AND WHAT WHAT ABOUT EARLIER? SO, SO IT'S 55 AND YOU WAS JUST ASKING FOR 52.

IS THAT WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING? OH, SO MANY NUMBERS AND I AM NOT THE FINANCE DIRECTOR.

UM, WE ASKED FOR WHATEVER WE ASKED FOR LAST YEAR AND THEY PAID US WHAT THEY WERE GONNA PAY US.

AND IT WAS SHORT AND THAT'S WHERE THE 52 SHORT CAME FROM.

BUT THE 55 WAS BUILT INTO THE ASK.

AND MY FINANCE DIRECTOR'S HERE, I'M LISTENING AND SHE KNOWS NUMBERS REALLY WELL.

UM, ONE MORE AND THEN WE'RE GONNA, I HAVE ONE MORE.

ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD LOGAN.

UH, YEAH, JUST LOOKING AT THE LAST NUMBERS I CAN FIND ON LINES FROM 2022, IT LOOKS LIKE 58% COMES FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY RESIDENTS AND THE OTHER 42% COMES FROM OTHER COUNTIES.

THAT'S 50.

AND THAT'S THE LAST NUMBER FROM 2022.

I COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING ELSE MORE.

I THINK WE'RE AT 52% OF ALL THE SERVICES PEOPLE COUNTY, IS THAT CORRECT? 50.

AND WHAT IS OUR PERCENTAGE OF FUNDING? IT'S OVER THREE AIR, IT'S OVER THREE DIFFERENT SERVICES.

I I DON'T DO MATH THAT WAY.

I'M NOT SURE OF THE QUESTION EITHER.

, UH, JUST, IS IT MORE THAN 52%? YEAH, IT, IT IS, LIKE SHE SAID, WE GET THREE WHAT AREAS, WHAT AREA FOR WHAT SERVICE? YEAH, SEPARATE.

AND BEAUFORT COUNTY'S JUST, YEAH.

AND, AND I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY JUST A U ISSUE, THIS IS AN ISSUE WE'RE HAVING ACROSS MULTIPLE PLATFORMS IN THE COUNTY IS WE'RE STUCK PAYING FOR OUR SURROUNDING COUNTIES.

WHY THEY CONTINUE TO INCREASE HOUSING TO STRAIN IT ON OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND JASPER COUNTY IS DOING IT RIGHT NOW.

THEY'RE PUTTING A HUGE INFLUX ON US.

SO IT WAS A TOWN OF HARDY V BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO, WHETHER IT'S PONY UP FOR USCB OR PONY UP FOR OUR ROADS, BUT YET THEY WANNA BUILD RIGHT HERE ON THE EDGE OF US.

AND THEN THEY HIT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND THEN THE PEOPLE COME WORK IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND THEN TAKE THOSE TAX DOLLARS RIGHT BACK TO A DIFFERENT COUNTY.

SO THAT'S, IT'S A HUGE BATTLE THAT WE'VE HAD.

NOT ONLY JUST IN THIS, THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, BUT ALSO IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE OUTSIDE OF THAT.

SO I HAVE A HARD TIME WITH IT BECAUSE, I MEAN, I DUNNO, IF YOU WATCH USCB STUFF, WE WENT AT IT FOR OVER A YEAR AND THEY NEVER GOT A DIME FROM ANY OF THE OTHER COUNTIES.

NOT A DIME.

ONE MORE ALICE AND THEN WE'RE GONNA, YEAH.

I HAVE, UM, A QUESTION AND A COMMENT.

YOU, WHEN YOU START, WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT THIS, YOU SAID, UM, NORTH BROAD CAPITAL, DID YOU MEAN LIKE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS? DID THIS? WELL WE, WE HAVE BOTH THE CAPITAL AND AN OPERATING BUDGET.

AND WHEN WE GOT THE GRANTS, JUST LIKE ON THE SOUTH OF THE BROAD AND YOU GET THE FIRST GRANT BECAUSE YOU'RE NOW AN URBANIZED AREA, WELL YOU'RE NOT READY TO SPEND IT RUN IN SERVICE YET 'CAUSE WE'RE STILL GETTING SITUATED.

SO WE PARK THE GRANT AND WE SAY WE'RE GONNA BUY BUSES WITH THAT.

SO THE MATCH FOR THAT GRANT IS ONLY 15%.

'CAUSE WHEN WE BUY BUSES, IT'S ONLY 15%, BUT WHEN WE RUN THE BUSES, IT'S 50%.

ONE OTHER QUESTION.

UM, I KNOW THAT FORT STEWART AND, UM, LIBERTY COUNTY HAVE A BUS SYSTEM THAT RUNS TO FORT STEWART AND AROUND, UM, THAT AREA.

UM, IF, IF YOU, IF YOU WERE TO GET THIS AND, AND WE STARTED THE NEW URBAN AREA, AND I, THERE'S FEDERAL, THERE'S OTHER DOLLARS THAT THE MILITARY HAVE, I THINK THAT HELP FUND THAT SYSTEM.

UH, FROM WHAT I, I KNOW MY FRIENDS THAT, UM, WORK THAT I USED TO, THAT WORK AT FORT STEWART.

UM, SO IF WE DON'T DO THIS, THEN WE WON'T GET THOSE OTHER FEDERAL MILITARY DOLLARS.

IF WE STARTED A SYSTEM THAT RAN LIKE, UM, LAUREL BAY, PARIS ISLAND AIR STATION IN A, IN DOWNTOWN BEAUFORT, WE WOULDN'T BE ELIGIBLE FOR THOSE EITHER, WOULD WE? SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE MILITARY FUNDING.

SPOKEN TO MORE THAN ONE TIME OCCASION FOLKS FROM THE MILITARY WHO WANTED SERVICE OUT TO THE AIR STATION SO THE GUYS COULD GET IN BY MIDNIGHT AND NOT HAVE TO DRIVE THEIR CARS OUT.

UM, I'VE

[01:35:01]

AND THEY WEREN'T TALKING LIKE THEY HAD ANY MONEY THAT THEY COULD SPEND ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION WHO WAS TALKING TO ME.

SO I THINK THEY MAY HAVE TRANSPORTATION BUDGET THAT THEY HIRE THEIR PEOPLE TO DO.

I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW LIBERTY COUNTY DOES IT OR I KNOW IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA SUCH AS CAT, CAT IS FUNDED BY PROPERTY TAXES MM-HMM .

AND SO, UM, ATLANTA, I MEAN, I BELIEVE THEY'RE FUNDED THAT WAY AS WELL.

BUT, UM, A LOT OF PLACES ARE, UH, TAX REFERENDUM AND, UH, I, WELL I DON'T REALLY KNOW FOR A FACT HOW EVERYBODY'S FUNDED, BUT RIGHT.

MOST OF THOSE COUNTIES DO HAVE A YEAH.

THAT'S HOW THEY HAVE ROBUST SYSTEMS. YEAH.

BUT I, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I THINK THAT'S HOW IT WORKED FOR FORT STEWART.

THAT'S, WE HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION THEN WE'RE GONNA DO A ROLL CALL.

BUT THE QUESTION IS, WHAT IS YOUR TOTAL BUDGET? HOW MUCH COMES FROM GRANTS AND THEN WHAT WHAT COMES FROM, YOU KNOW, COUNTY GOVERNMENTS? I'M MUNICIPAL.

I'M GONNA A STAB AT THIS.

FIVE, NINE, 6 MILLION, 6 MILLION.

BECAUSE I'M A GENERALIST AND SO OUR BUDGET, I'M GONNA SAY IS AROUND SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SIX AND SEVEN.

AND I'M, I'M, I'M A LITTLE LOOSE THERE BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME CAPITAL THAT'S PUT AWAY.

I THINK OUR OPERATING BUDGET IS AROUND FIVE, ABOUT FIVE NINE.

THAT'S NOT BAD.

AND THEN THE, A LOT OF THE REST OF IT, IT'S PUT INTO CAPITAL, BUT I THINK WE ABOUT 7 MILLION IN SOME COUNTING ALL THE CAPITAL PROBABLY CLOSE TO 75 MILLION.

HOW MUCH IS GRANTS AND HOW MUCH IS THEN COMING FROM SUPPORT FROM WELL, AND YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THERE'S THIS MAGIC THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THIS MONEY SOMEWHERE.

AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENS IS WE PAY OUR BILLS, WE PAY OUR FUEL BILL, WE PAY WHATEVER WE PAY AND THEN WE, CHRISTINE DOES OUR WHOLE GRANT SHEET AND THEY REIMBURSE US A PORTION OF THE MONEY WE'VE ALREADY SPENT.

AND SO THERE'S NOT LIKE THIS POT OF, WE DON'T HAVE A POT OF MONEY ANYWHERE.

ALRIGHT, GOOD.

LET'S SEE IF I MIGHT, UH, ONE OKAY.

ONE MORE.

UM, YOU SAID EARLIER THAT YOU HAD, UH, UH, FREE RIDERS ON HILTON HEAD, HARDY AND JASPER.

IS THAT CORRECT? MM.

WELL IT THE ONLY BUS THAT'S FREE RIGHT NOW IS THE, IS THE, IS THE BREEZE TROLLEY AND IT JUST RUNS ON THE SOUTH END OF HILTON HEAD.

SOMEONE ELSE MENTIONED THAT JASPER AND HARDY WEREN'T PAYING, BUT JASPER COUNTY DOES PAY INTO OUR SYSTEM.

HARDY V'S.

CONSIDERED A RURAL ROUTE.

THEY DON'T GET ANY TAILORED SERVICES SO MUCH.

THEY GET A COMMUTER BUS THAT COMES THROUGH THE RIOTERS PAY A FEE TO GET ON THE BUS TO RIDE.

WHAT I, WHAT I WAS GETTING AT IS, UM, IF, IF YOU COLLECTED, IF YOU CHARGE FOR THOSE FREE RIDERS MM-HMM .

THEN COULD YOU TAKE THOSE FUNDS AND ALLOCATE IT, SAY NOT ON HILTON HEAD, BUT FOR THE NORTHERN, UM, PROJECT THAT YOU'RE, THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO FUND NOW.

FAIR, FAIR COLLECTION.

ANY OF THE FAIRES CANNOT BE USED TO MATCH THE GRANTS.

SO WE GET THE FARES, WE GET ABOUT $350,000 A YEAR IN FARES.

CAN WE PUSH THAT UP AND SAY THAT'S MATCHED FOR A GRANT? WE CANNOT, AND WE HAVE TO, WHEN WE APPLY FOR THE GRANT, SAY WHERE ALL OUR MATCH IS COMING FROM.

AND, UM, NOT EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IS REIMBURSABLE, EITHER.

WE HAVE NON-REIMBURSABLE ITEMS AND SO YEAH.

AND, AND WE LIVE SIMPLY TOO, BY THE WAY.

WE REALLY DO.

COUNCIL MEMBER BARTHOLOMEW? YES.

LET'S, UM, SARAH, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, ROLL CALL ON THIS, PLEASE.

COUNCIL MEMBER PASSMAN? YES.

VICE CHAIR TABER? NO.

COUNCIL MEMBER GLOVER.

UH, BEFORE I VOTE, UM, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, PALMETTO BREEZE WAS ESTABLISHED SO THAT RIOTERS COULD GET TO HILTON HEAD.

SO IT'S A WIN-WIN FOR EVERYONE.

RURAL AMERICA AS WELL AS WHERE THE JOBS ARE.

AND SO I'M GONNA SUPPORT THE JOB.

UM, PEOPLE ON HILTON HEAD? YES.

CHAIR HOWARD? YES.

COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN? YES.

COMMITTEE VICE CHAIR CUNNINGHAM? NO.

COMMITTEE CHAIR LAWSON.

MARK LAWSON? YES.

THE MOTION PASSES.

E, RIGHT, WHICH USED TO BE EIGHT C APPROVAL OF A CONTRACT TO REVISE FOR RFP WEBSITE UPDATES AND REDESIGN.

THANK YOU MARY LOU, THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT.

I APPRECIATE YOU BEING BADGERED BY US.

UM, .

ALRIGHT, LET'S THEN MOVE ON TO, UM, MORE MONEY IN NEXT, UH, ITEM EIGHT F UM, AND THIS IS A RESOLUTION OF COUNTY COUNCIL OF BEAUFORT ADOPTING A MERIT PAY POLICY AND ASSOCIATED, HOLD ON, WE GOTTA, WE GOTTA GO TO FORMER C CONTRACT.

YEAH, THE, THE FORMER C NOW EC OH GEEZ.

I, MY, MY IT'S TABS FAULT.

REALLY? I KNOW.

BLAME TAB.

YOU GOT ME ALL MIXED UP HERE.

ALL RIGHT, SO NOW WE HAVE THE AGENDA ON PERFECTLY FOR YOU.

[01:40:01]

EIGHT

[8.c. Approval of a Contract to Revize for RFP #100225 - Website Updates and Redesign (FISCAL IMPACT: The total first year cost is $96,600. The contract outlines options to renew for up to four additional years at $20,000 per year, subject to budget approved by Council. The accounts that will be funding this project would be $48,300.00 from 1000-10-1150-51110 and $48,300.00 from 1000-10-1152-51110.) - Hannah Nichols, Public Information Officer (5 minutes)]

UH, FISCAL IMPACT IN THIS IS $96,600.

UH, CONTRACT OUTLINES OPTIONS FOR RENEW FOR UP TO FOUR YEARS.

IN ADDITIONAL 20,000 PER YEAR TO TO BUDGET APPROVAL BY COUNCIL.

THE COUNCIL WILL BE FUNDING THE PROJECT WOULD BE $48,300 FROM, UH, THOSE ACCOUNTS AND 48 3 THOU $300 FROM THAT ACCOUNT.

AND WE HAVE UM, OUR PUBLIX INFORMATION OFFICER, UH, MISS, UH, HANNAH NICHOLS.

HANNAH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

SO AFTERNOON.

OH, THANK YOU.

IS THERE A SECOND PLEASE? SECOND.

SECOND.

ALRIGHT, NOW I'M GONNA SEE NICHOLAS.

YOU SURE.

UM, WELL AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE WEBSITE IS OUR FRONT DOOR.

WE HAVE OVER 850,000 VISITORS ABOUT EVERY YEAR.

AND, UM, DIGITAL GUIDANCE RECOMMENDS THAT YOU UPDATE THAT WEBSITE EVERY THREE TO FIVE YEARS.

OUR WEBSITE IS PUSHING ON NINE, SO IT'S UM, DEFINITELY OVERDUE.

I THINK WE BROKE A PROCUREMENT RECORD.

WE HAVE 50 BIDS AND REVISED WAS THE TOP, UM, PROPOSER OVER TWO EVALUATION ROUNDS.

ALRIGHT, ANY QUESTIONS JUST, YEP.

MR. PASSMAN, GO AHEAD.

A QUESTION IN THIS DIGITAL AGE THAT WE'RE IN, THERE'S ALSO A DA FACTORS.

WILL OUR WEBSITE NOW BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE PEOPLE WHO MAY BE, UH, COLORBLIND, ANYTHING LIKE THAT? YES SIR.

WELL, THE GOOD NEWS IS WE HAVE A WIDGET ON THE WEBSITE THAT ACCOMMODATES ABOUT 96% OF THOSE ISSUES CURRENTLY.

BUT WHAT IS BUILT INTO REVISE THIS SYSTEM IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE COMPLIANT WITH THAT NEW 2.2 AA, TITLE TWO A DA COMPLIANCE MOVING FORWARD.

AND, UM, WE'RE VERY LUCKY THAT THAT ACTUALLY RECEIVED AN EXTENSION LAST WEEK FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.

SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO REMEDIATE WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AS WE MIGRATED OVER.

OKAY, GREAT.

START AGAIN.

UM, SO THEY'RE GONNA RECUT THE ENTIRE WEBSITE AND START FROM SCRATCH.

WELL THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF MIGRATION OF CURRENT PAGES AND EVALUATION OF THAT CONTENT.

WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS TO ENSURE THAT EVERYTHING THAT MOVES OVER IS GOOD CONTENT, IS WHAT WE WANNA HAVE.

AND WE'RE GONNA ALSO BE BUILDING IN SOME WORKFLOWS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS DONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

I ONLY ASK 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UPDATING THIS AND OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE AND EVERYTHING SINCE I'VE GOT ON COUNTY COUNCIL AND WE STILL GET BLOWN AWAY BY THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON EVERY SINGLE YEAR.

SO IS THIS GONNA GET US UP TO PAR WITH WHAT THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON DOES? WHETHER IT'S THEIR WEBSITE OR COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE IN THE AREA KEEPING UPDATED, LIKE I MEAN EVEN HALF THE STUFF ON US IS UPDATE IS OUTTA DATE ON THE WEBSITE.

YEAH, I THINK THAT, UM, WHAT THE REVISED SYSTEM HAS IS IT ALLOWS FOR USER PROFILES TO BE EXPANDED.

CURRENTLY NO ONE CAN UPDATE OUR WEBSITE EXCEPT FOR ONE WEB ADMINISTRATOR AND THEN THAT PERSON ACTUALLY LEFT ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO.

SO WE'VE BEEN IN A BIG LURCH EVER SINCE.

AND, UM, THE USER ROLES FOR THIS IS WE CAN ACTUALLY DESIGNATE ONE PERSON PER DEPARTMENT TO BE A CONTENT MANAGER TO BE A UPDATED, UM, WORKFLOW ASSIST.

SO THERE'S GONNA BE SOME, IT'S GONNA BE BETTER LONG.

SORRY.

ONE, ONE QUESTION, UM, MS. HART PROBABLY CAN ANSWER THIS.

UM, UM, IS THE, THE, THESE TWO ACCOUNTS, WHAT, WHAT ARE THESE TWO ACCOUNTS THIS MONEY'S COMING FROM IN EQUAL AMOUNTS? UH, THESE ACCOUNTS ARE FROM, UM, OUR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT AND OUR INFORMATION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT.

EXCELLENT.

THEY, UM, ARE GONNA BE SPLITTING THE COST TO GET IT UP AND RUNNING AND THEN MOVING FORWARD SUBJECT TO BUDGET APPROVAL.

IT'LL BE COMING OUT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EVERY YEAR.

GOOD.

ALRIGHT, ONE MORE QUESTION.

GO AHEAD.

UH, I BROUGHT THIS UP EARLIER.

ARE WE PLANNING ON INCORPORATING ANY STUDENTS AT T-C-O-U-S-C-B OR EVEN SOME OF THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS INTO THIS PROJECT? TO OUR WEBSITE MIGRATION? MM-HMM .

NOT CURRENTLY, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT HAVING SOME INTERNS JOIN THE DEPARTMENT AND BROADCASTING AND COMMUNICATIONS.

LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR EIGHT F AND THIS IS RESOLUTION OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, ADOPTING A MERIT PAY AND ASSOCIATED APPENDIX OF BEAUFORT COUNTY PERSONAL HANDBOOK.

UM, AND CAN WE APPROVE THIS WITHOUT OBJECTION? IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? SO, YOU KNOW, OBJECTION.

THIS IS APPROVED WITHOUT OBJECTION, SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU MS. NICHOLS.

UM, ALRIGHT, SO NOW

[8.f. A resolution of the County Council of Beaufort County adopting a merit pay policy and associated appendix to the Beaufort County Personnel Handbook (FISCAL IMPACT: Fiscal impact is built into FY27 budget) - Katherine Mead, HR Director - 5-10 minutes]

FISCAL IMPACT IS BUILT INTO THE FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGET AND WE HAVE OUR, UH, HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR, UH, MS. KATHERINE MEAD.

MS. MEAD, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION.

OH, THERE YOU GO.

THANK YOU JOE.

IS THERE A SECOND PLEASE? I'LL SECOND.

WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON.

UM, THIS IS NOT A NEW TOPIC, BUT WE ARE FINALLY BRINGING IT TO COMMITTEE TO GET IT TO COUNCIL SO WE CAN GO LIVE ON JULY ONE.

UH, WE HAD DR. CAMPBELL COME TO SPEAK WITH YOU ALL AT THE PERSONNEL WORKSHOP BACK IN OCTOBER.

WE GAVE YOU A BRIEF HIGHLIGHT OVERVIEW BACK IN MARCH.

UM, SO HERE WE ARE AND THE POLICY AND THE APPENDIX WAS IN YOUR BACKUP, BUT JUST SOME HIGHLIGHTS ON IT.

UM, THIS POLICY ESTABLISHES A FORMAL MERIT BASED

[01:45:01]

PAY SYSTEM THAT LINKS EMPLOYEE COM COMPENSATION DIRECTLY TO THEIR PERFORMANCE.

IT IS DESIGNED TO REWARD HIGH PERFORMERS, REINFORCE ACCOUNTABILITY AND SUPPORT A HIGH PERFORMING WORKFORCE.

AND IT DOES MOVE THE COUNTY AWAY FROM A SYSTEM WHERE PAY INCREASES, PAY INCREASES ARE PERCEIVED AS AUTOMATIC.

WHEREAS BEFORE WE WERE DOING STRAIGHT COLAS AND NOTHING TO REWARD PEOPLE FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE.

UM, WE HAVE ALIGNED THIS WITH THE RECENTLY ADOPTED STEP PLAN, PAY PLAN THAT YOU ALL PASSED BACK IN JANUARY, WHICH HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED.

WE ARE PROPOSING THAT WHEN AN EMPLOYEE MEETS EXPECTATIONS, THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR A ONE STEP INCREASE, WHICH IS EQUIVALENT TO 2% OF THEIR SALARY.

AND IN WHEN THEY ARE EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS, THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR A TWO PER OR TWO STEP INCREASE, WHICH IS EQUIVALENT TO 4% OF THEIR SALARY.

IT IS WRITTEN IN THE POLICY THAT IT'S NOT GUARANTEED EACH YEAR.

IT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE WORK IN WITH OUR, WITH OUR BUDGET PLANNING IN WHICH WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE CFO AND THE FINANCE TEAM AND ADMINISTRATION TO BUILD THAT INTO THE PERSONNEL SERVICES FOR THE BUDGET FOR FY 27.

SO WITH THAT, UM, I'LL OPEN UP TO ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

ANY, ANY QUESTIONS? UH, WE HAVE FOR MS. MEAD.

I SEE NO SEEING, NO QUESTIONS.

UH, WE CAN PASS THIS WITHOUT OBJECTION.

IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? SEEING NO OBJECTION.

THIS THEN IS PASSED AND FORWARD TO COUNSEL.

THANK YOU MS. MEAD.

ALRIGHT,

[8.g. An Ordinance to appropriate fund balance from Funds 1401 & 1600 to fund the USCB Convocation Center Project. (FISCAL IMPACT: Fiscal Impact is $1,600,000 from Funds 1401 ($650,000) & 1600($950,000) Fund Balances.) - Pinky Harriott, CGFO Chief Financial Officer]

LET'S MOVE ON TO EIGHT G.

UM, AN ORDINANCE TO APPROPRIATE FUND BALANCE FROM FUNDS 1401 AND 1600 TO FUND THE USCB CONVOCATION CENTER PROJECT.

FISCAL IMPACT IS 1,600,000 FROM FUNDS.

1401 AND 650,000, UH, FROM 1600 AND 950,000, UM, FROM ACTUALLY FROM THE 16.

OH, BOTH OF THOSE ARE FROM 1600 MM-HMM .

OH.

UM, AND THEN, UM, MS. HARRIET, OUR MAKE THE MOTION CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, UH, WE HAVE A MOTION FROM JOE.

IS THERE A SECOND PLEASE? I'LL SECOND.

SECOND.

ALL RIGHT, GOOD.

AND MS. HARRIET, SO THIS IS REGARDING YOUR DECISION TO GO WITH OPTION FOUR.

WHEN THOSE, UM, OPTIONS WERE PRESENTED TO FUND, UH, USB'S CONVOCATION CENTER, UH, THIS, THESE TWO ARE SUB FUNDS OF THE GENERAL FUND.

THIS IS WHERE, UM, BMH AND TCLS MILLAGE SITS.

AND IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, Y'ALL INCREASED THEIR MILLAGE AND THEN WE TURNED AROUND AND CHANGED THE WAY WE FUNDED THEM.

WE USED THE FUND BALANCE FROM THE CIP FUND INSTEAD.

UM, SO THAT FUND BALANCE IN THOSE TWO FUNDS IS SITTING THERE FROM FISCAL YEAR 25.

SO THE TWO COMBINED TOGETHER IS $1.6 MILLION.

AND I KNOW THIS IS THE NEXT ITEM, SO I'M JUST GONNA TOUCH ON BOTH.

AND THE OTHER PORTION OF THE $11.1 MILLION WAS THE, UH, $9.5 MILLION CURRENTLY ALLOCATED FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER IN THE 2025 SERIES GO BOND.

SO THIS WAS, AGAIN, REMINDER OPTION FOUR THAT WAS PRESENTED TO COUNCIL, UM, REGARDING THE FUNDING FOR USCB CONVOCATION CENTER.

ANY QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, SO THIS IS A, UH, OBVIOUSLY, UH, WE'RE GONNA DO A, A, UM, ROLL CALL VOTE WHENEVER WE'RE ALL DONE.

UM, WE'LL ALLOW EV EVERYONE TO HAVE ONE TIME AROUND IF THEY WANNA SAY SOMETHING, UM, BEFORE EVERYONE ELSE GETS TO SPEAK AGAIN THE SECOND TIME.

SO, UM, IT'S UP FOR DISCUSSION.

IS THERE ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING? GO AHEAD.

WE CAN GO AHEAD.

I MEAN, I CAME OUT AGAINST IT BE BEFOREHAND AND PART OF THE REASON WAS I SAID WE DON'T GIVE 'EM THE MONEY THEY WANT.

THEY'RE JUST GONNA TRY TO FIND ANOTHER WAY TO GET THAT MONEY, WHICH PRETTY SURE THAT THIS MORNING, THAT EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED WHEN THEY ASKED FOR AN INCREASE IN MILLS.

UM, I DON'T SUPPORT THIS PROJECT.

I THINK WE NEED TO FUND, WE NEED TO FUND OUR ROADS.

IF WE HAVE EXCESS FUNDS, WE SHOULD BE DOING IT FOR OUR CITIZENS AND OUR RESIDENTS AND FIXING THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY PROMISED THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE ALREADY.

ALRIGHT, LET'S .

SO, UM, I'M GONNA JUST GIVE YOU ANECDOTAL DATA.

I ANSWERED THE CALLS ABOUT THE TAX BILLS WHEN THEY CAME IN AND ALMOST EVERYONE, I HAD 29, UM, I THINK 27 COMPLAINED ABOUT WHY ARE YOU USING TAX MONEY THAT I HAVE TO PAY FOR TCL AND USCB.

THAT'S JUST DATA.

AND I ALSO SAID IF WE'RE GONNA SPEND TAXPAYER MONEY, WE SHOULD ASK THE TAXPAYERS, DO YOU WANT CONSULT TO SPEND YOUR AVALOR TAXES FOR USCB? SO I'M, I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS FIVE TIMES.

I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT.

I STILL SAY NO ON THIS, UM, ORDINANCE.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU MS. TABER.

ANYBODY ELSE? SORRY.

UH, MS. BROWN.

SORRY, MR. CHAIR.

UM, I DID KNOW WHAT, UM, MS. TABER AND MS. MR. CUNNINGHAM, SIR MR. BROTH ONE.

SO TAB, YOU ACTUALLY HAD BROUGHT UP A POINT, I I, I GUESS I KIND OF MISSED IT THE FIRST GO AROUND WHEN IT CAME FORWARD THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING A BALLOT QUESTION FORWARD, AN ADVISORY QUESTION.

UH, I, I KNOW OUR ATTORNEY HAS COME FORWARD AND, AND SUGGEST AND SAID THAT WE COMPLETELY VIABLE OPTION FOR US TO DO.

I'VE HAD KIND OF A MIXED REVIEW, UH, FEEDBACK AFTER THE VOTE.

DIFFERENT, UM, MR. GLOVER.

UH, IT

[01:50:01]

WAS SPLIT COUNCIL HERE.

IT WAS A FIVE, SIX VOTE.

IT DID PASS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOTTEN SOME MIXED FEEDBACK FROM MY CONSTITUENTS.

SOME SAY IT'S A GOOD THING, SOME SAY IT'S A, YOU KNOW, FIX MY ROADS AND, AND I GET .

I GET BOTH SIDES OF IT.

UM, PERSONALLY, I DON'T, I DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO, IF THE FUNDS ARE HERE AND THIS IS A VIABLE OPTION, WE VOTED ON THAT.

I, I THINK WE LEAVE THIS ALONE FOR NOW.

I, I WOULD ACTUALLY BE INCLINED TO MAKE A MOTION, UM, TO POSTPONE VOTING ON THIS AND LEAVING THIS AS A VIABLE OPTION UNTIL NOVEMBER 16TH, WHICH WOULD ALLOW AND, AND ALSO TASK OUR ADMINISTRATION TO COME BACK WITH A, UH, BALLOT QUESTION AND ADVISORY QUESTION ABOUT THIS, THIS FUNDING.

SO I HAVE TO, AND I WANTED TO HAVE, BEFORE I MAKE ANY MOTION, I WANTED TO HAVE Y'ALL, YOU KNOW, DISCUSS THAT POTENTIAL OPTION IN MORE DETAIL CHAIR.

I COMMENT ON THAT.

UM, NO, WE'RE GONNA GO TO OTHER FOLKS FIRST.

, UM, JOE, THERE ARE CERTAIN QUESTIONS YOU CAN PUT ON THE BALLOT.

TRANSPORTATION IS ONE OF THEM.

CAPITAL PROJECTS IS ANOTHER.

EDUCATION IS THE THIRD, BUT IT IS NOT FOR A CONVOCATION CENTER WHEN YOU PUT AN EDUCATIONAL, UH, QUESTION.

IT IS HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FUND K 12 AND HIGHER EDUCATION AND IT WOULD AFFECT U-S-C-B-T-C-L AND K 12.

THAT IS NOT THE ADVICE OUR ATTORNEY GAVE US.

SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A REFERENDUM QUESTION? YES, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN ADVISORY ADVISORY QUESTION.

MR. GLOVER, I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

UM, I UNDERSTAND.

GO QUESTION IF I MAY.

CAN, CAN I CLARIFY REAL QUICK? I'M SORRY.

OH, THAT'S UP TO THE CHIEF.

I FINISH.

YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND FINISH WHAT YOU SAID? YEAH.

SO JUST, JUST IN REBUTTAL TO THAT.

SO DO YOU REMEMBER THE QUESTION, THE ADVISORY QUESTION WE HAD ON THE BALLOT ABOUT OUR JUDICIAL, THE STATE HOUSE PUT IT ON THERE ABOUT THE JUDICIAL.

THEY, THEY BASICALLY PUT IT ON THERE ASKING THE CITIZENS, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE CHANGED, YOU KNOW, THIS OR THIS.

AND SO THE, IT WAS ON THE BALLOT AND IT WENT BACK TO PROVIDE DIRECT FEEDBACK ABOUT HOW TO PROCEED.

AND SO APPARENTLY THERE'S AN ADVISORY PROCESS.

IT'S NOT ABOUT RAISING MILLAGE OR, OR TAXES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

IT'S ABOUT JUST ADVISING, HAVING THE CITIZENS ADVISE US ON WHICH PATH TO GO.

AND SO, I DON'T KNOW IF BRIAN WANTS TO CHIME IN ON THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, BUT I I JUST WANTED TO RESPOND TO YOU.

UM, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ON THAT.

I'LL LET BJO, MR. GLOVER, I DON'T, UH, I'M NOT, EXCUSE ME.

THE OTHERS WERE SOMEBODY SPONSORED IT AND ALSO ANOTHER BUILDING WAS SPONSORED.

UM, I'M, I'M, I'M SUPPORTING A MOTION THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S LAID OUT ON THE FLOOR.

UM, I THINK IT COMES TO A TIME WHEN, UM, COUNSEL HAS TO LEAD, UM, AND DO THE RIGHT THING.

AND, UM, HERE IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT COUNCIL WILL BE SAYING TO THIS COMMUNITY.

THIS IS A GOOD PROJECT TO HAVE THAT'S SUPPORT IT AND MOVE FORWARD.

UM, IF I WENT TO MY CONSTITUENTS, I WOULD PROBABLY TELL YOU THAT MY CONSTITUENTS WOULD PROBABLY SAY, UH, THAT'S TOO MUCH MONEY.

UM, DON'T DO THAT.

WE COULD USE THAT FOR SOMETHING ELSE.

BUT I THINK, UM, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I, I, I WANNA SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE I THINK IT FOR ANNUAL OPERATION AND WE PUT THAT TO THE PUBLIC TO, UH, VOTE YES OR NO.

WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE RESULT WOULD BE? NO, THEY DON'T WANT TAX INCREASE.

WE NEED, WE NEED TO TAKE OUR RESPONSIBILITY, UH, SERIOUSLY AND ACTUALLY MAKE WISE DECISION AS TO WHETHER THESE PROJECTS THAT COME BEFORE US IS WORTHY OF OUR CONSENT TO SUPPORT OR NOT SUPPORT.

AND I THINK THIS IS WORTHY OF OUR SUPPORT.

ALRIGHT, THEN I'LL, I'LL GO LAST HERE.

AND, AND WE HAVE TWO THINGS ON THE, THE AGENDA HERE.

THE FIRST ONE, THE, THIS MONEY IS ALREADY SETTING THERE, RIGHT? IT'S ALREADY BEEN SET ASIDE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION.

SO THIS MONEY IS, IS THERE AND, AND WE COULD GO AHEAD AND USE THIS MONEY TWO SEPARATE TWO SEPARATE THINGS, RIGHT? ONE IS A, UH, ORDINANCE TO APPROPRIATE THOSE FUND BALANCES FROM THIS INCREASE IN MILLAGE THAT YOU GAVE TO, UH, TCL AND BMH, WHICH THAT WHOLE FUNDING

[01:55:01]

PLAN CHANGED.

SO THAT, THAT'S WHY THAT FUND BALANCE IS SITTING THERE.

THE OTHER ONE IS AN AMENDMENT TO THE 2025 SERIES GO BOND, BECAUSE THE 9.5 FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER WAS A PART OF THE BOND ISSUANCE.

BUT THESE ARE TWO SEPARATE ITEMS, RIGHT? BUT THEY'RE, SO TOTAL IS FOR THE, THE TOTAL IS FOR THE, FOR, FOR THE FULL AMOUNT.

SO, SO THIS, THIS MONEY IS THERE, IT IS SITTING RIGHT THERE FOR, FOR USE.

AND IT WAS ORIGINALLY, UM, FOR THE, THE MILLAGE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION.

SO, I MEAN, I, I'M, I'M GONNA, UM, UH, AND WE'LL, WE'LL LET EVERYONE GO AROUND ONE MORE TIME IF THEY WANT TO ON, ON THIS ONE.

WE HAVE TO HAVE THE SECOND COMMENT HERE IN A SECOND.

BUT I AM FOR FUNDING THIS AND ESPECIALLY THIS PORTION AGAIN, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE NEXT ITEM COMING UP ON OUR AGENDA IS, IS COMING FROM A DIFFERENT PLACE AND A DIFFERENT AMOUNT OF MONEY.

UM, SO, UH, AND, AND JUST LIKE MR. GLOVER MENTIONED, I MEAN, I, I CAN REMEMBER BACK 20 YEARS AGO, I'VE BEEN HERE LONG ENOUGH THAT I REMEMBER, JUST LIKE WE TALKING ABOUT NOW, WE START TALKING ABOUT FUNDING HIGHER EDUCATION WITH MILLAGE RATE THAT PEOPLE WERE AGAINST IT.

AND, BUT, BUT HAVING USCB HAS BEEN ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS EVER.

IT'S ALLOWED OUR KIDS, UM, TO GO TO COLLEGE THAT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE GONE TO COLLEGE.

UM, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT, LOOK AT KIDS THAT, THAT ARE, UM, EITHER CAME FROM A WEALTHY FAMILY OR THEY PLANNED TO GO TO COLLEGE, OR ONES THAT, THAT WOULD GO TO COLLEGE IF WE DIDN'T HAVE USCB AND TCL L HERE.

SO, UM, I AM, I AM ALL FOR HIGHER EDUCATION US DOING THIS, BUT, ALRIGHT, SO DO WE NEED TO GO AROUND ONE MORE TIME FOR COMMENTS? RIGHT.

ONLY FOUR MINUTES BEFORE THE NEXT .

THAT'S OKAY.

I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO DISCUSS INSTEAD OF MAKING WE'RE AHEAD TIME.

UM, YEAH, 24% IS A GRADUA GRADUATION RATE AT USCB.

SO LET'S NOT ACT LIKE IT'S COMPLETELY CHANGED.

OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM HERE IN BEAVER COUNTY, IT'S 24%.

MOST OF THEM ACTUALLY JUST GO TO SCHOOL THERE AND THEN TRANSFER OUT OF THIS COMMUNITY OVER 55%, TRANSFER TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL THAT'S FROM THEIR WEBSITE.

UM, SO THAT, THAT JUST ANSWERS THAT PORTION.

BUT ON TO DAVID'S POINT, I UNDERSTAND THE LOGIC BEHIND IT, BUT THE QUESTION IS, IF WE'RE GONNA TAKE OUR JOBS SERIOUSLY AS STATED BY OTHERS, AND WE'RE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY BETTER, THIS ISN'T THE AREA I REPRESENT.

AND YOU GUYS ARE TELLING ME YOU WANT ME TO SPEND $20 MILLION OF OUR TAXPAYERS MONEY WHEN WE CAN'T FIX ROADS AND THE BIGGEST NEED OF THE AREA OF ROADS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY.

BUT YOU WANT TO BUILD A CENTER IN THE AREA THAT I REPRESENT, AND I'M TELLING YOU GUYS, OUR TRAFFIC IS ALREADY BAD ENOUGH ON 2 78.

WE HAVE NO OUTLOOK, NO FUNDING SOURCE TO FIX THAT, BUT WE WANT TO FUND SOMETHING TO PUT MORE TRAFFIC ON THOSE ROADS.

THIS IS RIGHT THERE WITH ME AND TABAR.

SO I HAVE NOT SUPPORTED FROM THE BEGINNING.

I'M AN ALUMNI.

I WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT I GRADUATED FROM THAT SCHOOL.

AND I'M STILL TELLING YOU THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA WHEN WE CANNOT FIX THE ROADS THAT THIS THING IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE BUILT ON AND WE HAVE NO SOURCE OF OVER $200 MILLION THAT WOULD TAKE TO FIX 2 78, NO SOURCE.

ALRIGHT, ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO HAVE A SECOND COMMENT? I, I WOULDN'T MR. BAR FOLLOWING ME, ACTUALLY.

AND I JUST WANNA SAY AS FAR AS TAKING OUR JOB SERIOUSLY, I, I THINK OUR JOB IS TO LISTEN TO OUR CONSTITUENTS AND PART OF THIS, THIS IS A STATE SCHOOL, I, I SUPPORT HIGHER EDUCATION.

I I HAVE A JURIST DOCTOR.

I WHOLLY SUPPORT HIGHER EDUCATION.

I, I, IT IS TRANSFORMATIONAL AND I, AND I THINK THIS PROJECT, I SEE THE MERITS IN THIS PROJECT.

I CAN SEE 30 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, THIS CAN BE A WONDERFUL PLACE FOR US TO, TO HAVE, UH, CONCERTS AND EVENTS AND, AND GROW USCB.

I REALLY SEE THE BENEFIT OF IT, BUT IT IS A STATE INSTITUTION.

I NEED FEEDBACK.

LIKE I SAID, MY CONSTITUENTS IN NORTH OF THE BROAD, IT IS A MIXED, SOME PEOPLE ARE, CAN SEE THE VISION AND THEN I'VE HAD OTHER PEOPLE SAYING, FIX MY ROADS.

AND SO YEAH, I WOULD LIKE SOME FEEDBACK ON WHAT TO DO WITH THIS.

AND I THINK THAT IS TAKING MY JOB SERIOUSLY.

AND HOW HARD IS IT TO PUT A QUESTION ON THE BALLOT TO HAVE IT COME BACK AND SAY FUNDED OR DON'T? AND IT'S NOT RAISING TAXES NECESSARILY, IT'S ALREADY, WE'VE, WE'VE ALREADY HAVE THE GEO BOND.

IT'S JUST REALLOCATING IT.

SO GO AHEAD ALISON.

LINDA, I, I WENT TO A COMMUTER COLLEGE FOR MY FOUR YEAR DEGREE AND IT IS ALSO IN THE SAME DIVISION AS THIS SCHOOL IS NOW IN COLUMBUS, GEORGIA.

UM, THEY, I I HAVE ASKED DR.

PNU NUMEROUS TIMES, WHO HAVE YOU ASKED TO BE SPONSORS? BURGER KING IN COLUMBUS, GEORGIA.

THE MAN WHO OWNED THE FRANCHISE, OTHER SPONSOR PAID FOR SOMETHING ELSE.

IT'S A, IT'S A COMMUNITY OF 200,000 PEOPLE ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS WE ARE NOW.

AND I, I'M, I'M NOT GONNA VOTE FOR THIS BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THEY'VE SOLICITED THE RIGHT PROJECT.

THEY DID GET NOVANT, I GUESS, TO PAY FOR SOMETHING AT THE BASKETBALL BUILDING, BUT THAT'S GREAT.

BUT, UM, EVERY, EVERY FACILITY THAT'S PART OF THEIR SPORTS PROGRAM, BASEBALL, SOFTBALL,

[02:00:01]

I'M NOT, GO AHEAD.

YEAH, SO I MEAN, EVERYBODY KNOWS I'M A 37 YEAR EDUCATOR, JUST LIKE JOE AND I BELIEVE IN HIGH, I BENEFITED FROM HIGHER ED.

HOWEVER, AS LOGAN SAID, THIS IS LIKE THROWING A GROWTH BOMB INTO MY DISTRICT, HIS DISTRICT.

AND ON DOWN IN THE SOUTH, YOU'RE ABOUT TO PUT SOMETHING ON 2 78, WHICH IS ALREADY JUST A NIGHTMARE.

AND OUR ROADS HAVE TO BE TAKEN CARE OF.

MY FEAR IS PE WELL, I'VE ALREADY HAD PEOPLE IN SUN CITY SAY TO ME, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? WHY DON'T YOU JUST PUT IT TOWARD ROADS SO THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE? BUT NONETHELESS, I BELIEVE WE SHOULD ASK THE RESIDENTS, DO YOU WANT US TO SPEND YOUR TAX MONEY THIS WAY? AND DON'T FORGET THIS MONEY FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER, WE STILL HAVE TO BUILD A FIRE STATION THERE.

SO SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, SOMEBODY'S GOTTA COME UP WITH MONEY FOR THAT.

SO THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR THIS.

I'M NOT SAYING I WOULD NEVER VOTE FOR IT, BUT WE HAVE A REFERENDUM COMING UP TO ME.

THIS IS NOT THE TIME, SO I'M GONNA VOTE.

ALRIGHT, ANY ANYBODY ELSE WANNA SPEAK? AND, AND LEMME JUST, UM, I DO WANNA CLARIFY.

I'VE HEARD WE'RE GIVING THEM $20 MILLION MULTIPLE TIMES FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND WE'RE NOT GIVING THEM $20 MILLION.

THIS ACTUALLY, THOSE TWO AMENDMENTS, UH, MAKE IT, UM, 11.1 MILLION.

UM, IS, IS THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT, AT POSSIBLY GIVING IT.

SO AGAIN, THE, THE $20 MILLION WAS ONE OF YOUR FOUR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU HAD PREVIOUSLY AND ONE OF THOSE, ONE OF THOSE THINGS.

SO WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW WAS, ONE POINT ABOUT RIGHT NOW IS 1.6 MILLION FROM EXISTING FUNDS IN THIS, UM, ON, ON THIS AGENDA ITEM.

AND THEN THE, THE, UM, THE NINE 9.5 WILL BE IN THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.

UM, AND SO AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON TODAY, I'M GONNA CALL THE ORDER AND ASK FOR A, UM, A UM, UM, A ROLL CALL VOTE ON THIS, WHICH WE'VE DONE BEFORE.

UH, AND AGAIN, JUST, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS THAT WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON THIS AGENDA ITEM IS FOR 1.6 FROM TWO FUNDS THAT WE HAVE.

THAT MONEY IS SITTING THERE ALREADY, UM, THAT WAS RAISED, UH, FROM MILLAGE FOR, FOR HIGHER EDUCATION.

SO SARAH, IF YOU COULD PLEASE CHAIR, I COMMENT ON THAT ONE PART TWO SECONDS.

UM, THE REASON I SAID $20 MILLION IS BECAUSE THEY SAID THEY CANNOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT UNTIL THEY GET THAT $20 MILLION.

SO THEY WOULD JUST BE HOLDING ON TO THIS 11.1 UNTIL THEY COME UP WITH THEIR REMAINING BALANCE.

THAT'S WHY SAID THE $20 MILLION.

YOU CORRECT.

IT IS I'M 11.1.

I'M GLAD YOU CLARIFIED THAT THEN.

SORRY, I MISSPOKE.

YEAH, THAT'S ALRIGHT.

ALRIGHT, SO SARAH, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND JUST CALLING THE, UH, THE VOTE PLEASE.

COUNCIL MEMBER PASSIT? YES.

COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN.

COUNCIL MEMBER BARTHOLOMEW? NO.

VICE CHAIR TABER? NO.

COUNCIL MEMBER GLOVER? YES.

CHAIR HOWARD? NO.

COMMITTEE VICE CHAIR CUNNINGHAM? NO.

COMMITTEE CHAIR LAWSON.

MARK LAWSON? YES.

THE MOTION FAILS.

H EIGHT H AND AGAIN, VERY SIMILAR CONVERSATION, UM, IN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORDINANCE 20 25 20 TO, UH, REALLOCATE FUNDS FROM THE 2025 SERIES GO BONDS TO FUND THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA BUFORT CONVOCATION CENTER PROJECT FISCAL IMPACT 9.5 FROM THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER PROJECT WILL BE REALLOCATED TO THE USB'S CONVOCATION CENTER PROJECT.

ALRIGHT, LET'S MOVE ON THEN, UH, TO UM, OUR ITEM NUMBER

[8.h. An Ordinance to Amend Ordinance 2025/20 to re-allocate funds from the 2025 Series GO Bonds to fund the University of South Carolina-Beaufort's Convocation Center Project. (FISCAL IMPACT: $9.5M from the Law Enforcement Center project will be re-allocated to USCB's Convocation Center project.) - Pinky Harriott, CGFO Chief Financial Officer]

UM, AND UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION PLEASE? SO MOVE MR. CHAIRMAN.

AND IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

ALRIGHT, SO, UH, HIT FIRST AND A SECOND.

MS. HARRIET, IF YOU JUST TOUCH ON THIS REAL QUICK AND THEN WE'LL SEE IF THERE'S ANY MORE COMMENT OR IF WE CAN JUST GO RIGHT TO A VOTE.

SURE.

UM, SO THIS NINE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS WAS PREVIOUSLY ALLOCATED VIA THE 2025 SERIES GEO BOND FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT UH, CENTER.

AND IT'S FOR THE A E DESIGN FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER OUT AT COOLER TRACK.

UM, AND SINCE THAT IS NOT READY TO, TO THAT PROJECT IS NOT SHOVEL READY.

UH, THIS WAS THE OTHER PART, PART OF UH, OPTION FOUR TO GET TO THE $11.1 MILLION IS TO REALLOCATE THIS NINE AND A HALF FROM THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER TO THE US B'S CONVOCATION CENTER.

QUESTIONS.

ALRIGHT, SO IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? UM, OBVIOUSLY WE, THIS IS A VERY, VERY SIMILAR QUESTION.

I THINK EVERYONE SAID EVERYTHING LAST TIME.

IS THERE ANY REASON HAVE ANY I HAVE ONE OTHER COMMENT I FORGOT.

BUT I GOT THAT FROM THE SHERIFF AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

YES MA'AM, GO AHEAD.

SO THE SHERIFF, UM, TOLD ME THIS WILL NOT BE USED AS AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CENTER.

DR.

POO STOOD UP AND SAID IT'LL BE A CAT FIVE BUILDING, IT WOULD BE THE COUNTY CENTER.

THAT IS NOT WHAT THE SHERIFF AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM SAID.

SO I JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT ON THE FLOOR.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM, FROM USCB,

[02:05:01]

SO IF YOU'RE THINKING THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HELP, IT'S NOT.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ANY DISCUSSION? LET'S GO AHEAD AND CALL A ROLL CALL.

VOTE FOR THIS.

THIS SHOULD BE VERY SIMILAR.

SAME.

COUNCIL MEMBER GLOVER? YES.