* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY. WELCOME [I. CALL TO ORDER ] EVERYONE. LET'S CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. UM, THIS IS A ORDERLY WORKSHOP. UM, PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE BE PERTAINING ONLY TO THE AGENDA ITEMS. AND OUR FIRST [III.1. Performing Arts Center Discussion - Chris Forster, Assistant Town Manager ] WORKSHOP AGENDA ITEM IS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER DISCUSSION, MR. FORESTER. AND I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT MR. BURDEN IS NOT GONNA BE HERE WITH US TONIGHT. SHE'S SPENDING TIME WITH HER FATHER, UH, WHO'S VERY ILL AT THIS TIME. AND MAY THEY ALL PRAY THAT THEY ALL HAVE COMFORT AND GET THROUGH THIS, THIS TIME OF HARDSHIP. SO, MR. FORRESTER, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UH, WE HEARD TONIGHT TALK ABOUT OUR PERFORMING ARTS, UM, RESEARCH TO DATE. UM, I DO HAVE TO ADMIT TO YOU ALL THAT TO DATE, UM, UH, I HAVE DONE A POOR JOB. UM, I'VE DID A PROBLEM. I'VE DONE A POOR JOB AT DISCUSSING WITH YOU THE WHY OF WHY WE'RE LOOKING INTO THIS. SO I'D LIKE TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NICE MEETING TO GO INTO THE WHY, BUT I START WITH A RHETORICAL QUESTION. WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM K-POP AND JURASSIC ART? AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW, K-POP STANDS FOR KOREAN POP MUSIC. AND THE IMAGE TO THE LEFT THERE IS FROM A VERY FAMOUS NETFLIX MOVIE THAT CAME OUT AND JUST WITHIN TWO MONTHS BECAME NETFLIX MOST WATCH FILM EVER AND IN 90 DAYS REACHED 500 MILLION VIEWS. AND I CAN ATTEST FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, MY HOME AT LEAST ACCOUNTED FOR 20 OF THOSE VIEWS AS THE KIDS ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. BUT IT'S BASED AROUND A K-POP SOUNDTRACK. AND IN 1993, JURASSIC PARK CAME OUT AND GROSSED $850 MILLION WORLDWIDE, NEARLY A BILLION DOLLARS FROM A SINGLE MOVIE. AROUND THIS TIME, THE SOUTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT TOOK NOTICE. THEIR ECONOMY WAS FLED. THEY ESTABLISHED AN ECONOMIC COUNCIL. AND THIS COUNCIL NOTED IN A STUDY THAT THIS SINGLE FILM GROSSED MORE THAN THEIR ENTIRE, UH, PROFIT FROM HYUNDAI EXPORTS IN THAT YEAR. SO IN THE FACE OF ABOUT A $58 BILLION IMF BAILOUT, THEY STILL DECIDED TO INVEST IN CULTURAL ENTERTAINMENT EXPORTS. AROUND THAT TIME, A GENTLEMAN BY THE NAME OF LEE SUMAN FOUNDED SM ENTERTAINMENT. AND IN 2 20 24, 9 OF THE TOP 10 BESTSELLING ALBUMS WORLDWIDE CAME FROM SOUTH KOREA. K-POP ARTISTS CULTURAL EXPORTS, NOW TOP $38 BILLION ANNUALLY AND IS ONE OF TOP THE TOP FIVE EXPORTS OF THE COUNTRY. NOW, AM I SAYING THAT WE SHOULD IDENTIFY SOME KIND OF ART FORM TO EXPORT TO THE WORLD? NO, NOT EXACTLY. BUT WHEN CONSIDERING ECONOMIC GROWTH AND PROSPERITY OF OUR COMMUNITY, I PRESENT TO YOU WHAT MR. SUMMA FAMOUS STATED CULTURE SHOULD BE. BUT AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, ALREADY FOR THE PAST FEW DECADES, PLUS IT ALREADY KNOWS THIS, FOR DECADES, OUR CULTURAL FOCUS HAS HELPED SUPPORT OUR RETAIL BUSINESSES AND OUR RESTAURANTS. FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, IT HAS BEEN BUILT ON INVITING OUT RESIDENTS AND INVITING IN GAS. AND THAT IS WHY WE'RE CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION AROUND CULTURAL ARTS INVESTMENTS AND QUALITY OF LIFE INVESTMENTS. OUR STUDY OF THE PERFORM POTENTIAL PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, UH, WAS INITIATED BY A COUNCIL REQUEST AND IS LINKED TO THESE FOCUS AREAS, THESE STRATEGIC FOCUS AREAS FROM OUR STRATEGIC PLAN COMMUNITY. QUALITY OF LIFE IS OFTEN DISCUSSED AROUND THESE TYPES OF INVESTMENTS. UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TALK A BIT ABOUT THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS. AND IT IS PART OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, OUR ECONOMIC GROWTH, STRATEGIC FOCUS AREA. AND OF COURSE, A STRONG ECONOMY LEADS TO GREATER FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY. LONG TERM. CURRENTLY, OUR ECONOMIC DRIVERS ARE MADE UP OF THESE MAJOR SECTORS. AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN ON COUNCIL FOR A WHILE, UH, CAN REMEMBER THAT AT ONE TIME, [00:05:01] CONSTRUCTION WAS ONE OF THE TOP TWO FOR MANY YEARS. AND AS WE BUILD OUT AND OUR ECONOMY GROWS, IT BECOMES A MUCH, UH, LESS PORTION OF THE OVERALL ECONOMY. WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON SUPPORTING HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION SECTORS WITH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. AND OF COURSE, ACCOMMODATIONS. FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT IS A HUGE PART OF OUR ECONOMY AND OUR WORKFORCE. THERE WE GO. SO SOME BROADER IMPLICATIONS AROUND THE ECONOMY AND, UH, CULTURAL ENTERTAINMENT INVESTMENTS. SO TO THE LEFT THERE, YOU SEE SOME OF THE IMPACTS ON THE NATION AS A WHOLE HAS BECOME A HUGE PART OF OUR ECONOMY AND OUTPACES THE YEAR OVER YEAR CHANGES IN VALUE ADDED VERSUS OVERALL GGDP FOR A FEW YEARS. NOW, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IS A STUDY DONE BY THE DBO SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, UH, LOOKING AT SOUTH CAROLINA SPECIFICALLY, AND CURRENTLY IS ABOUT A $14 BILLION, UH, ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR OUR STATE, UH, EMPLOYING OVER 123,000 JOBS. SOME OTHER INTERESTING RESEARCH AROUND THIS TOPIC INCLUDES TALENT DEVELOPMENT. UM, THERE'S HIGHLY CITED IN MANY, UH, STUDIES BY US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION THAT EXPOSURE TO ARTS AND CULTURE ENTERTAINMENT IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO GREATER PERFORMANCE ACADEMICALLY AND IS PART OF OUR BUILDING OF OUR FUTURE WORKFORCE. UH, TALENT RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT. UH, UH, A GREAT ECONOMIST OUT OF CARNEGIE MELLON DID A LOT OF RESEARCH AROUND THIS AND FOUND THAT IN THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS, YOUNGER PROFESSIONALS, THE QUALITY OF LIFE FACTORS AROUND THIS INCREASED JOB ATTRACTIVENESS BY 33%. NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME OUTPACING, UM, UH, HEALTH AND RETIREMENT BENEFITS. AND THEN CULTURAL TOUR HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF LUPTON. AND A LOT OF STUDIES BEEN DONE AROUND THIS AND THE, THE, THE SPENDING FORCE AROUND CULTURAL TOURISTS. AND IF YOU HAVE A STRONG CULTURAL ENTERTAINMENT TOUR BASE, IT HAS BEEN FOUND TO INCREASE THE SPEND BY A 38% MORE PER TRIP, AND THEY TEND TO STAY, STAY LONGER IN YOUR COMMUNITY. SO WHAT HAVE WE DONE TO DATE? AS YOU ALL RECALL, BACK IN JULY OF 25, THEY HAD THE FIRST PHASE OF THE FEASIBILITY STU STUDY DONE. THAT WAS AROUND THE, UH, MARKET FEASIBILITY. AND THEN IN OCTOBER, THEY PRESENTED TO YOU ALL THE ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACTS. AND THEN AT THE REQUEST OF COUNCIL IN FEBRUARY, WE DID SOME SITE VISITS TO OTHER, UH, PERFORMING ARTS CENTERS TO LEARN FROM THEIR, UH, THEIR STORIES. AND TODAY WE'RE JUST GETTING A UPDATE ON THE PROGRESS AND POTENTIAL NEXT STEPS. SO TO RECAP THE MARKET STUDY, EXCUSE ME, BLUFFTON RESIDENTS SPEND 22% MORE ON, UH, THEATER OPERA OR CONCERT TICKETS THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, WHICH IS QUITE SIGNIFICANT. UM, BLUFFTON AND SURROUNDING AREAS HAVE MEETING HOSPITAL INCOMES WELL ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, WHICH YOU'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH. AND NATIONALLY, 48% OF THE PUBLIC ATTENDS SOME KIND OF EVENT IN PERSON ANNUALLY. WE DID A SERIES OF, UH, WORKSHOPS, UM, WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS. THERE'S A LIST OF SOME OF THE GROUPS THAT WERE INVITED IN AND CAME IN. I THINK THERE WAS ABOUT 50 PEOPLE OVER SEVERAL DIFFERENT, UM, SESSIONS. AND WHAT WAS INTERESTING IS THAT THE FEEDBACK IN ALL OF THESE SESSIONS WERE VERY, VERY CONSISTENT. AND IT REALLY CAN BE SUMMED DOWN, SUMMED IT TO THESE KEY THEMES RIGHT HERE. UM, FIRST THERE IS A GENERAL CONSENSUS THAT THERE'S A COMMUNITY NEED AND A DEMAND FOR THIS. UM, SECOND WAS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING OF A MULTIPURPOSE USE, SOMETHING FLEXIBLE ENOUGH THAT CAN NOT ONLY ACCOMMODATE THEATER PROJECTIONS, BUT ALSO, UH, MAJOR EVENTS, WEDDINGS, UH, EXPOS CONFERENCES, SOMETHING MORE FLEXIBLE IN A TRADITIONAL JUST, UH, UM, THEATER. ALSO, WHAT WAS COMMON WAS THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING UNLESS THEY CAN BE PROVED TO BE FINANCIALLY VIABLE. AND THEN FINALLY, THE POTENTIAL AROUND TOURISMS AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS WAS ALSO BROUGHT UP FREQUENTLY. THROUGHOUT EACH OF THE SESSIONS, OUR CONSULTANTS DID A SERIES OF DEMAND PROJECTIONS BASED ON OUR, UM, OUR ECONOMY AND THE DRIVE TIMES OF, UH, 30 AND 90 MINUTES, AND IDENTIFIED SOME POTENTIAL, UM, ATTENDANCE IN THE FIRST 10 YEARS. SO STARTING OUT, THEY BELIEVE THAT NEEDS ARE ALL VERY CONSERVATIVE BASED ON WHAT THEY'VE SAID. UM, IN YEAR ONE, POTENTIAL 27,000, UH, ATTENDEES TO THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, GROWING OVER BE TO ALMOST 60,000 IN YEAR 10. AND IT'S MADE ABOUT PRIMARY, SECONDARY, AND TERTIARY EVENTS. THEY IDENTIFIED PRIMARY IS YOUR MAJOR, UH, EXTERNAL RENTALS AND TICKETED PERFORMANCE, WHICH WOULD GENERATE THE MOST REVENUE. UH, SECONDARY WOULD BE INTERNAL RENTALS AND CITY EVENTS. AND THEN TERTIARY ARE OUR [00:10:01] COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS. AND THOSE, YOU'D BE LUCKY IF YOU BREAK EVEN ON THOSE TYPES OF EVENTS. THE OVERALL RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME FROM THE, UM, CONSULTANTS WAS THAT THE BLUFFTON POPULATION GROWTH AND RISING HOUSEHOLD INCOME. UM, OUR CENTRAL LOCATION AND HIGH ARCH PARTICIPATION, UH, SUPPORT A FLEXIBLE MULTI-PURPOSE PERFORMING ARTS SPEND EVENT CENTER. THEY RECOMMENDED SOMETHING AROUND 10,000 SQUARE FEET, UM, THAT CAN DO PERFORMANCES AS WELL AS EIGHT LIFTS AND TRADE SHOWS, AND ALSO A SMALLER, UH, STUDIO THEATER TO THE SIDE OF ABOUT 3000 SQUARE FEET. IN THE NEXT PHASE OF THEIR RESEARCH, THEY LOOK MORE INTO THE ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACTS. THE, UH, CONSTRUCTION PHASE. THEY IDENTIFIED IT WOULD SUPPORT, UH, 720 JOBS, UH, CONSTRUCTION LABOR INCOME OF ABOUT $21.6 MILLION IN OVERALL ECONOMIC SPEND FROM THE CONSTRUCTION ALONE AND DIRECTED INDIRECT OF $38.7 MILLION ONGOING ANNUALLY. UH, STARTING YEAR FIVE IS ABOUT JOB, UH, UH, SUPPORTING JOBS OF 78, UH, ECONOMIC SPEND OF 9.2 MILLION ANNUALLY AND NEW ACCOMMODATION STEPS. SO NEW, NEW RESERVATIONS AND ACCOMMODATIONS OF 1.2 MILLION A YEAR, AND A NEW HOSPITALITY AND RESTAURANT SPEND OF 1.5 MILLION A YEAR. THE, UH, TO THE RIGHT, YOU HAVE TWO CHARTS THAT THEY PREPARED, UH, A PROFORMA OF WHAT THE, THE INCOME STATEMENT MAY LOOK LIKE. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY NOTED THAT IS A NET INCOME OR A DEFICIT OF AROUND 250,000 A YEAR THAT WOULD NEED TO BE MADE UP SOMEWHERE. UM, IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE IS IN THEIR, UH, EFFORT TO BE CONSERVATIVE, THEY DO NOT INCLUDE, UH, GRANT REVENUE, MAJOR DONATIONS. I THINK THEY PUT UP A SMALL, LIKE $5,000 IN THAT CATEGORY. UM, BUT AS WE'LL SEE IN IN THE LATER DISCUSSION, UM, THERE'S A LOT MORE POTENTIAL THERE THAT COULD MAKE THIS EVEN MORE, UH, PROFITABLE OR MANAGED TO US. OUR OVERALL ECONOMIC IMPACT, UH, WE DISCUSSED IN SUPPORT OF ABOUT 78 JOBS, UH, ONGOING. SO IN FEBRUARY WE DID SOME SITE VISITS, AND THESE ARE THE FOUR SITES THAT WE, UH, WENT TO AND SPOKE TO THEIR DIRECTORS, UH, FIRST BEING SPARTANBURG MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM IN SPARTANBURG, AND THEN A FEW BLOCKS OVER TO THE CHAPMAN CULTURAL CENTER, ALSO IN SPARTANBURG AND OVER TO GREENVILLE TO THEIR PEACE CENTER. AND FINALLY UP IN NORTH CAROLINA TO CORNELIUS AT THE CHAIN CENTER. SO THE FIRST WAS PARK MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM. THIS WAS BUILT IN 1951, SO IT WAS THE OLDEST FACILITY OF THE ONES WE WE VISITED. UM, IT'S UNIQUE FROM THE OTHERS IN THAT IT IS PUB PUBLICLY OWNED, SO IT'S NOT A NON-PROFIT. IT IS OWNED BY THE PUBLIC. IT IS VERY LARGE. IT HAS 3,200 SEATS. UM, AND DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM IS SOME OF THE KEY TAKEAWAYS THAT WE GOT FROM, UH, THEIR TEAM WAS THAT, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO PROGRAM FOR WHAT THE COMMUNITY OR REGION WANT TO SEE, NOT SIMPLY WHAT YOU THINK PEOPLE WANT TO SEE. AND THEY, SO THEY DO A LOT OF RESEARCH AROUND THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR EVENTS ARE, ARE PROFITABLE AND THEY GENERATE, UH, ATTENDEES. UM, ONE OF THE OTHER BIGGEST THINGS THEY BROUGHT UP IS TO HIRE AN EXPERIENCED OPERATOR CONSULTANT TO HELP YOU WITH THIS. 'CAUSE THEY'LL UNDERSTAND HOW THESE FACILITIES ARE OPERATED AND WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS ARE WHEN YOU, UH, CONSTRUCT ONE THESE FACILITIES. UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE, UH, THERE'S SOME IMAGES FROM THE MAIN THEATER UP THERE TO THE RIGHT. UH, DOWN IN THE BOTTOM LEFT IS THE, UM, I CALL IT THEIR BASEMENT. UM, BUT IT'S AN OPEN AREA WHERE THEY DO A LOT OF ROCK CONCERTS, COMEDY SHOWS, UH, BOXING EVENTS, UH, MMA, UH, FIGHTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. AND IT'S A BIG OPEN AREA. THEY ALSO HAVE EXPOS AND TRADE SHOWS THERE AS WELL. SO A VERY FUNCTIONAL, UH, FACILITY. UM, AND, UH, IT WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS VERY EYE-OPENING, BUT VERY UNIQUE BECAUSE IT WAS BUILT A LONG TIME AGO AND IS PUBLICLY OWNED. UH, NEXT, THE CHAPMAN CULTURAL CENTER. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT OWNED FACILITY. IT WAS BUILT IN 2007. UM, THE THEATER ITSELF HAS 520 SEATS. UM, IT ACTUALLY SPANS THREE DIFFERENT BUILDINGS, SO IT'S NOT JUST THE THEATER ITSELF. UM, SOME OF THE KEY TAKEAWAYS HERE WAS TO, UH, BE AWARE OF DIFFERENT DONOR RESTRICTIONS. SO THEY HAD, UH, FOUR FAMILIES THAT WERE MAJOR DONORS AND PUT REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY SUPPORT SOME NON-PROFITS IN THE AREA, WHICH MAKES IT CHALLENGING FOR 'EM TO OPERATE, UM, UH, AT A BREAK EVEN OR PROFITABLE LEVEL. UH, DON'T BUILD TOO SMALL. THIS WAS A COMMON THEME IN MANY OF THE ONES WE VISITED. UM, FIVE 20 SEATS. UM, WHEN YOU GET IN THERE, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, BUT WHEN YOU GET IN THERE, IT'S ACTUALLY, UH, QUITE SMALL. AND, UH, AND TRY NOT TO BE EVERYTHING TO EVERYONE. WE WENT OVER PEACE CENTER. UM, THIS IS ALSO NON-PROFIT OWNED. IT WAS BUILT IN 1990, UH, BECAME PROFITABLE IN YEAR FIVE, I BELIEVE, AND HAS BEEN PROFITABLE SINCE. AND SO YOU'LL SEE LATER ON THAT THEY DON'T ACCEPT ANY [00:15:01] GOVERNMENT SUPPORT. UM, THEY HAVE QUITE A LOT OF ASSETS TO THIS AREA. THEY HAVE 21,000 A HUNDRED SEATS IN THEIR MAIN THEATER. THEY HAVE A SMALLER THEATER, OVER 400 SEATS, UM, WHICH IS PREDOMINANTLY SUPPORTED BY THE, THE BIGGER THEATER FINANCIALLY. UH, THEY ALSO HAVE A, UH, I THINK THEY CALL IT A STAGECOACH THEATER, WHICH IS KIND OF A STAND ROOM ONLY WHERE THEY DO DIFFERENT CONCERTS AND COMEDY SHOWS. UM, AND THEN THEY HAVE A, UH, A, UH, SIT DOWN DINNER TYPE OF THEATER WHERE THEY DO SMALLER PERFORMANCES THERE AS WELL. UM, VERY EYE-OPENING, VERY EXPERIENCED DIRECTOR, SPOKE WITH US, HAD A LOT OF GOOD INPUT. UH, SOME OF THE MAJOR TAKEAWAYS THERE IS, UH, DON'T BE AFRAID TO INVEST MORE UPFRONT, UH, ON FUNCTIONALITY AND QUALITY. UH, SO IF YOU, UH, OPERATE MORE PROFITABLY LATER ON, UH, DON'T MAKE LEASING OR PROGRAMMING GUARANTEES. UM, DO A FUNDRAISING FEASIBILITY STUDY. SO BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING MORE, UH, MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT THE POTENTIAL ARE FOR FUNDRAISING FOR THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS. UH, DON'T UNDER BUILD. THIS WAS A HUGE ONE THAT SHE BROUGHT OUT WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, BUILD FOR THE FUTURE, NOT FOR THE NOW. UM, RECOMMENDING AT LEAST 800 TO A THOU THOUSAND SEATS FOR LONG-TERM, UH, BENEFIT AND PROFITABILITY. AND AGAIN, SHE ALSO BROUGHT UP THE CONCEPT OF DON'T TRY AND BE EVERYTHING TO EVERYONE. WELL, YOU'RE, UM, ON THE SEATING THAT KEPT COMING UP, DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. IF YOU BUILD TOO SMALL, YOU CAN'T BRING THE TICKET PRICE IN THAT YOU NEED TO BRING IN TO ACHIEVE A PAYMENT. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH. UH, CAN CENTER, THIS IS UP IN CORNELIUS, UH, SUBURB OF, UH, CHARLOTTE, I BELIEVE. UH, THIS IS MOST RECENTLY BUILT IN 2023. ALSO NON-PROFIT OWNED, BUT THE TOWN OWNS THE LAND UNDERNEATH. UM, THIS IS 400 SEATS. IT'S QUITE SMALL THEATER. UM, SOME MAJOR TAKEAWAYS HERE. UH, AND THIS, I SHALL SAY THAT THIS IS PROBABLY THE CLOSEST THEATER TO WHAT WAS RECOMMENDED BY OUR CONSULTANTS AS FAR AS, UH, FUNCTIONALITIES. UM, THE SEATS DO COLLAPSE, SO THEY CAN PUT IN A A, A GROUND FLOOR. UM, THEY HAVE OTHER CLASSROOMS. THEY HAVE A, A BALLET STUDIO THAT'S RUNNING OUT BY THE, UH, THE CHARLOTTE BALLET. UM, SO IT'S, IT'S CLOSEST TO WHAT THE CONSULTANTS HAVE RECOMMENDED US, EXCEPT FOR A LOT SMALLER. UM, BUT THEY, THEY ESTABLISHED THE STEER STEERING COMMITTEE EARLY ON. SO BEFORE THEY EVEN STARTED LOOKING AT POTENTIAL FOR FUNDRAISING AND WHATNOT, THEY HAD A STEERING COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED BY THEIR MAYOR, UM, AND GOT SOME IMPORTANT STAKEHOLDERS IN TO START LOOKING INTO THIS. UM, HIRING A FUNDRAISING CONSULTANT WAS KEY FOR THEM. THEY, THEY OUT DID THEIR FUNDRAISING POTENTIAL BECAUSE THEY BROUGHT IN CONSULTANT TO LEASE ACCORDING TO THEIR DIRECTOR. UM, CON, UH, BE SURE TO CONTRACT WITH AN EXPERIENCED OPERATOR DURING THE PLANNING DESIGN. AGAIN, THIS, THIS CAME UP IN OUR FIRST, UH, SITE VISIT, AND THIS IS REALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER DECISIONS ARE MADE AROUND THE CONSTRUCTION OR VALUE ENGINEERING AROUND THE FACILITY, THAT IT'S NOT NEGATIVELY IMPACTING THE OVERALL PROFITABILITY. UM, MULTIFUNCTIONAL FACILITIES OFFER MORE REVENUE POTENTIAL. UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE IN A SUPER LARGE MARKET LIKE GREENVILLE, UH, YOU CAN FOCUS ON ONE THING AND BE PROFITABLE. BUT, UM, IF YOU'RE NOT AS LARGE AS THAT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A MULTIFUNCTIONAL FACILITY SO YOU HAVE MORE REVENUE STREAMS AND REVENUE POTENTIAL. AND HERE AGAIN, THIS CAME UP AGAIN, IS HAVE MORE SEATS UP FRONT, UH, BUILD FOR THE FUTURE, AND YOU'LL HAVE MORE POTENTIAL DOWN, DOWN THE ROAD. YOU HAD A QUICK, UH, COMPARISON OF SOME KEY, UH, POINTS ACROSS THESE CENTERS. UM, I TRY. SO BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL BUILT IN DIFFERENT STAGES OF, UH, UH, OF GENERATIONS , I TRY TO, UH, UH, PUT ALL THE DOLLARS IN 2020 $6. SO THEY DIFFER FROM WHAT WAS ACTUALLY STAGED, THAT THAT COST THE BILL AND PUT IT IN 2020 $6. UM, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, EVEN AFTER INFLATING THE COST OF THE MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM, THE, THE COST IS EXTREMELY LOW, AND IT JUST MUST HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT TIME FOR BUILDING, I GUESS, I DON'T KNOW, , BUT, UM, BUT THE CHAPMAN CULTURAL CENTER IS AROUND 66.9. AGAIN, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS IS A, OVER AN 86,000 SQUARE FOOT CAMPUS. IT'S THREE DIFFERENT BUILDINGS. UM, THE PERFORMING ARTS FACILITY ITSELF IS PROBABLY JUST A THIRD OF THAT. UM, THE PEACE CENTER, 106 MILLION. AGAIN, THIS IS A LARGE CAMPUS, UH, TWO DIFFERENT THEATERS, AND THEY HAVE AN OUTDOOR ENGINEER AS WELL. UH, SO IT WAS A MUCH BIGGER INVESTMENT 'CAUSE IT WAS A PART OF A, A LARGER REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT. AND THEN THE CAIN CENTER, UH, MOST RECENTLY BUILT WAS RIGHT AROUND 29.3. UM, HE DID NOTE THE DIRECTOR DID NOTE THAT THEY DID A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF VALUE ENGINEERING, UH, WHICH, WHICH KIND OF IS ANOTHER LESSON LEARNED. IT KIND OF RESTRICTED SOME OF THE THINGS THEY COULD DO. LIKE SOME OF THE STUFF THEY VALUE ENGINEERED OUT OF THE BUILDING. THEY COULD NEVER DO LIKE A BROADWAY QUALITY SHOW THERE 'CAUSE THEY PULLED TOO MUCH OUT. SO ANOTHER LESSON LEARNED THERE. THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO PUT IN THERE IS WHAT THE POPULATION OF THOSE COMMUNITIES LOOKED LIKE WHEN THOSE FACILITIES OPENED. AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT THEIR POPULATIONS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES WAS [00:20:01] PRETTY MUCH VERY SIMILAR TO WHERE OUR POPULATION IS TODAY. UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 38,000 IN INCORPORATED BLUFFTON. UM, THERE'S PROBABLY ANOTHER 20 TO 40,000 IN UNINCORPORATED. SO WE'RE, WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE AS FAR AS POPULATION GOES. UH, LOOKING AT OUR MAIN HOUSEHOLD INCOME ACROSS THE COMMUNITIES, WE ARE ONE OF MORE AFFLUENT, UH, COMPARED TO THE ONES THAT WE WE VISITED. WE HAVE A MAIN HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF 111,000, UH, VERY SIMILAR TO CORNELIUS, NORTH CAROLINA. UM, HERE'S THE AVERAGE ANNUAL GRANT DONATION REVENUE. THIS IS WHAT I REFERRED TO IN A PREVIOUS SLIDE. THE, UM, THEY DIDN'T PUT IN A LARGE AMOUNT IN THEIR PROFORMA TO BE VERY CONSERVATIVE, BUT WHAT WE SEE FROM MOST OF THE FACILITIES THAT WE LOOKED AT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT THEY GENERATE FROM THEIR FUNDRAISERS AS WELL AS GRANTS, UH, TO SUPPORT THEIR FACILITIES. SO THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY THERE THAT WASN'T EVEN FACTORED IN THE ORIGINAL PERFORMER THAT WAS PRESENTED BY OUR CONSULTANTS. AS YOU CAN SEE, OVER A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR THAT THOSE GENERATE. AGAIN, SINCE PARTNER MEMORIAL IS A, UH, PUBLICLY OWNED, THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT A FIVE OH C3, THEY DO NOT GENERATE DONATIONS. SO YOU'LL SEE THAT MADE UP ON THEIR GOVERNMENT SUPPORT LINE ITEM, WHERE ALMOST 1.2 MILLION COMES FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT THAT ONE 'CAUSE IT IS PUBLICLY OWNED. UM, AND THEN THE GRANTS FROM THE OTHER ONES ARE MUCH SMALLER BETWEEN FOUR AND 600,000. SO, LOOKING AT THE NET NET AFTER ALL OF THAT, UM, THE MAJORITY OF 'EM OPERATE WITH A SURPLUS. UH, AND THOSE SURPLUSES BEING NON-PROFIT OR PUBLICLY OWNED JUST ARE REINVESTMENTS BACK INTO THE FACILITY OR THEIR ENDOWMENT, ONE OR THE OTHER. UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I ADDED IN HERE IS KIND OF LOOKING AT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE POPULATION AROUND THE AREA. SO WE, I DID A 15 MILE RADIUS AROUND, UH, EACH OF THOSE FACILITIES AND WHAT THOSE POPULATIONS LOOK LIKE. UH, SO, YOU KNOW, 15 MILES AROUND SPARTANBURG IS AROUND 300,000 PEOPLE IN POPULATION. PEACE CENTER IS ABOUT 6 24, AND THE CA CENTER IS 6 27. AGAIN, THE SUBURB OF A MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREA. SO A LOT OF POPULATION THERE. UM, OUR CURRENT POPULATION WITHIN 50 MILE RATE IS AROUND 173,000. UM, BUT AGAIN, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED BEFORE, OUR OUR PROJECTED POPULATION GROWTH OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS IS QUITE, QUITE SIGNIFICANT. THE OTHER THING THAT WE HAVEN'T TOUCHED ON QUITE A BIT YET IS HOW THESE ARE FUNDED, AND I THINK IT SHOWED IT IN THE LAST ONE. SO THE, THE BREAKDOWN OF THE FUNDING SOURCES ARE THERE, UH, BETWEEN WHAT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY PUT UP VERSUS OTHER, UH, GOVERNMENT ENTITIES AND DONORS AND TITLE SPONSORS. SO LOOKING AT THE CAPITAL STAFF, I APPLIED THOSE KIND OF AVERAGES TO WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE POTENTIALLY FOR OUR FACILITY. SO THE OVERALL COST AS IDENTIFIED BY OUR CONSULTANTS WAS AROUND $54.1 MILLION. AGAIN, THE LONGER IT TAKES TO DO THAT, THAT MAY GO UP A LITTLE BIT, BUT NONETHELESS, THEY BREAK DOWN OF WHAT TYPICALLY HAPPENS IN THESE COMMUNITIES IS THERE'S REALLY A SMALL PORTION THAT COMES FROM THE TOWNS ITSELF. UM, AND IT'S BROKEN UP OVER OTHER GOVERNMENT ENTITIES AS WELL AS PRIVATE CAPITAL AND MAJOR SPONSORS. UM, MOST OF THE FACILITIES HAVE A NAME TIED TO 'EM. IT'S BECAUSE THEY RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT DONATIONS FROM, UH, SOME INDIVIDUAL OR CORPORATION. AND THEN, UH, THEIR, THEIR FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN TYPICALLY GENERATES A, A GOOD FOUR 40% OF THE OVERALL CAPITAL COST TO INITIALLY CONSTRUCT THESE FACILITIES. SO APPLYING THOSE, THOSE PERCENTAGES TO WHAT OUR CONSULTANTS RECOMMENDED, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT $8.1 MILLION, UH, AND POTENTIAL COSTS TO THE TOWN TO, TO GET IT, TO GET IT STARTED AND, AND KICKED OFF. SO NOT EVEN THE LARGEST PROJECT WE'VE DONE, UH, SO WE DON'T WANNA LOOK AT, UH, POTENTIAL NEXT STEPS AND TIMELINES. STEVEN AND I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME DISCUSSING KIND OF, UH, THINGS WE WANNA LOOK INTO AND, AND HOW THAT LAYS OUT OVER THE NEXT, UH, SIX TO 10 MONTHS. UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF KICKING OFF OUR PRODUCTION REC MASTER PLAN, UH, AT YOUR REQUEST COUNCIL'S REQUEST. UM, BASED ON THE FEEDBACK FROM THE DIFFERENT, UH, INDIVIDUALS WE TALKED TO AND OUR CONSULTANTS, I DO RECOMMEND POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT ESTABLISHING A, UH, A STEERING COMMITTEE IN JUNE TO GET THINGS GOING AS FAR AS WE LOOK AS WE LOOK MORE INTO THIS. UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME UP FROM THE, OUR SITE BUSINESS WAS TO DO WITH FUNDRAISING FEASIBILITY STUDY TO REALLY FIGURE OUT WHAT THE POTENTIAL OF DONOR REVENUE IS OUT THERE FOR, FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS. SO THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE, THE FIRST INITIAL PROJECT OF THAT COMMITTEE. UM, WE DISCUSSED BEFORE, WE ARE LOOKING AT OUR TIP DISTRICT UPDATE. UH, SO DOING THAT BEFORE THE SUMMER IS FINISHED, OUR COMMUNITY SURVEY, WE'RE RECOMMENDING TO KICK IT OFF A, A FEW MINUTES EARLIER THAN WE TYPICALLY DO, UM, SPECIFICALLY TO, UH, NOT ONLY GET, UH, ADDITIONAL BENCHMARKS AROUND HOW WE'RE DOING AS A COMMUNITY AND ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES THAT WE ALWAYS SURVEY FOR, BUT ALSO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AROUND THIS TO SEE WHAT COMMUNITY THOUGHTS ARE AROUND THIS CONCEPT. UM, [00:25:02] WE WANT TO TAKE A LOOK. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, UM, SOME TOWN ON LAND AND POTENTIAL MASTER PLAN CONCEPTS. SO TAKING A LOOK AT THAT IN THE FALL, UH, REPORTING OUT ON THOSE SURVEY RESULTS IN, UH, THE WINTER TIME. AND THEN AS WE DISCUSSED BACK IN NOVEMBER OR OCTOBER DURING OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING, UH, WHEN THE STRATEGIC ACTION ITEMS WAS TO DEVELOP A 2040 PLAN. SO HAVING A WORK SESSION AROUND SOME OF THE WORK AND RESEARCH WE'VE DONE FOR THIS, UH, TO HELP INFORM THAT FINAL PLAN, UM, TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH YOU ALL AT THE JANUARY WORKSHOP IN 2027. SO AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO SOME QUESTIONS. UH, ANY COMMENTS OR ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON THE SITE LEADS FROM THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT, THAT MS STATED? MS. ? YEAH. UH, THANK YOU CHRIS. PUT IT TOGETHER. THIS IS EXCELLENT. UM, I PARTICIPATED IN THE, UM, THE FIELD STUDY THAT WE DID, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT INSIGHT TO SEE HOW DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, UM, ARE DOING THIS. UM, MY COMMENT I WOULD SAY IS I DO LIKE THE CONCEPT OF, UM, NEIGHBORING COMMUNITY, THE JOHNNY MERCY THEATER HERE. I THINK IT WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR US TO NOT LOOK AT A CENTER THAT'S JUST GONNA HOST PLAYS, UM, AND PERFORMANCES, BUT ONE THAT COULD BE A FLEX SPACE, UM, FOR CONCERTS. UM, ONE THAT COULD BE, WHETHER IT'S A COMEDY SHOW, WHATEVER ELSE. UM, I DEFINITELY THINK HAVING A THIRD PARTY OUT OR OUTSOURCING TO A THIRD PARTY TO RUN OPERATIONS, UM, WOULD BE GOOD TOO. I LIKE TO SEE LIKE WHAT THE, WHAT POTENTIAL, UM, UH, LIKE PARTIES ARE OUT THERE THAT DO WORK LIKE THAT, SO WE CAN GET AN IDEA OF, OF COST TOO. I KNOW FOR, UH, THE TOWN, THAT WOULD BE A HUGE UNDERTAKING. I THINK, UM, A DISADVANTAGE IF WE TRY TO GO DOWN THAT ROUTE OF RUNNING THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S A BEAST IN AND OF ITSELF. UM, WHEN YOU DO THE FUNDRAISING, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE SOME CONSIDERATIONS OF POTENTIAL PARTNERS IN THE AREA WHO MAY WANT NAMING RIGHTS AND OTHER THINGS THAT, UH, PEOPLE OFTEN DON'T THINK ABOUT WHEN, UM, BUILDING TO THE SIZE, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF, UM, NATIONAL PARTNERS IN THE AREA THAT HAVE BUSINESSES AND OTHER THINGS THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, UM, HAVING, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S A HALL IN A THEATER OR THE THEATER ITSELF NAMED AFTER THEM. UM, THAT COULD BE A POTENTIAL, UM, FINANCIAL BENEFIT IN, UM, GETTING THIS PROJECT ACCOMPLISHED OR JUST THE THOUGHTS THAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. UM, MR. WOOD, IT, I AGREE TO EVERYTHING BRIDGET SAID. UM, WHAT WE DID LEARN, I BELIEVE WAS GET THE PROFESSION. IT'S, SHE SAID, IT'S AN ANIMAL IN TO ITSELF. IT TAKES EXPERTS TO KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE SOMETHING LIKE THIS. UM, WE MET A GOODWIN, UM, IN SPARTANBURG THAT HE, HE'S BUILT THINGS FROM THE GROUND UP. HE'S BEEN DOING THIS FOR, I DON'T HOW MANY DECADES, BUT, UH, IT WAS EYE OPENING JUST TO LISTEN TO HIM. AND THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THIS CAME FROM, WAS HIRE A PRO TO DO IT. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO DO IT. AND, UM, THE OTHER THING WAS SAME WITH THE, UH, DETERMINE YOUR FUNDRAISING NEEDS. YOU NEED A FUNDRAISING CONSULTANT THAT WAS THE OTHER, AND YOU SAID ALL THIS IN YOUR PRESENTATION, AND I THINK THAT WAS, THAT WAS EYEOPENING FROM THE PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THIS BUSINESS. THEY ALL STATED THAT, 'CAUSE IF WE TRIED TO DO IT ON OUR OWN, WE WOULD FALL FLAT. SO ANYWAY, EVERYTHING BRIDGET SAID I AGREED TO. AND, UM, I THINK YOUR WHY, UH, IS YOU, YOU DID A BETTER JOB IN GETTING THAT TO US TONIGHT. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. MR. HAMILTON, I THINK I SAW WHEN YOU SAID 2040 WOULD BE, UM, TIMELINE AND BRING SOME OF THIS ONLINE. CORRECT. SO IN JANUARY WE HAD DISCUSSED THE STAFF PREPARING A 2040 PLAN, UH, LOOKING OUT TO BUILD OUT AND WHAT OUR COMMUNITY WOULD LOOK LIKE AND DIFFERENT NEEDS THAT WE WOULD HAVE. UM, SO INITIAL DISCUSSIONS AROUND THAT WOULD HAPPEN AT THE JANUARY, UH, UH, UH, WORKSHOP. UH, I WILL SAY THOUGH, THAT A LOT OF THESE, UH, PROJECTS FROM FIRST TIME THEY WERE CONCEIVED OR THOUGHT OF TO WHEN THEY ACTUALLY OPENED THEIR DOORS, IT WAS ABOUT SEVEN YEARS. TYPICALLY WHEN, UM, THE CITIES THAT YOU VISIT AND THE, OR THE SITES THAT YOU VISIT, HOW WOULD THE TRAFFIC FLOW? IT VARIED FROM AREA. AREA, I MEAN, UH, IN SPARTANBURG THEY WERE BOTH IN THEIR LIKE DOWNTOWN CORE. SO IT'S A TYPICAL DOWNTOWN, UM, [00:30:01] YOU KNOW, PEACE CENTER I'M SURE YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH, RIGHT. IN THEIR DOWNTOWN AREA. UM, RIGHT OFF THE HIGHWAYS AND CORNELIUS, IT WAS, UH, IT WAS BUSY. UM, THEY PUT IT RIGHT AND THEY HAD A SMALLER DOWNTOWN. UH, THEY PUT IT RIGHT IN THE DOWNTOWN NEXT TO THEIR TOWN HALL. UM, VERY BUSY. UM, SO I MEAN, IT'S NOT SOMETHING I WOULD RECOMMEND PUTTING AN OLD TOWN. WE PUT IT THAT WAY. . AND THIS IS MY NEXT QUESTION. WHERE, WHAT WOULD WITHOUT VISION BE TO WHERE WE, WOULD WE HAVE PROPERTY THAT COULD ACCOMMODATE SOMETHING OF THIS MAGNITUDE? WELL, THAT'S TO BE DETERMINED. AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE, UM, WE ARE DOING THE, UH, KIND OF TOP VIEW OF OUR TOWN ON LAND AND WHAT SOME POTENTIAL CONCEPT MASTER PLANS AROUND THOSE, THOSE AREAS ARE BE, COULD BE, UH, SO WE, THAT WILL COME OUT OF THAT PROCESS. UM, AND I THINK I'VE STATED BEFORE AND AS PARTICULARLY IN THE, UM, THE STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK SESSIONS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD GO BEST, UH, CLOSER TO 2 78 OR ONE OF THE MAJOR ROADS. SO IT'S NOT IMPACTING OUR COMMUNITIES IN OUR RESIDENTIAL AREAS. THAT WOULD ALWAYS, THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY CONCERN IS TRAFFIC FLOW AND HOW IT WOULD IMPACT WHEN WE BRING, UM, BARRY WHITE DEAD DO A CONCERT. UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE, WE DEFINITELY HAVE TO HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE FOR STUFF LIKE THIS. MM-HMM . YEAH, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. OKAY. AND, AND I WILL MAKE A POINT FOR WHEN WE WENT UP THERE AND VISITED THESE PLACES, THERE WAS NOT ANYTHING GOING ON. I KNOW AT THAT DAY, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO THE TRAFFIC, WHATEVER THE CHAOS IT WOULD CAUSE. AND ANYTIME YOU HAVE A BALL GAME OR A CONCERT OR ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC'S GONNA BE JUST LIKE ANY OTHER PLACE. BUT EVERYBODY COMPLAINS ABOUT THE TRAFFIC IN BLUFFTON. EVERYONE IN THEM PLACES WE WENT WAS JUST AS BAD, WORSE, WORSE FROM COLUMBIA TO GREENVILLE TO SPARTANBURG AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN. SO . BUT, YOU KNOW, AND I, AND I, AND I SEE THAT, I MEAN, I VISIT, I VISIT MY KIDS AND THEY LIVE IN HIGH VOLUME TRAFFIC, BUT, BUT, BUT THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF OF, OF BUILDING MORE BROTHERS ROADS. WE DON'T . THAT'S TRUE. YEAH. UM, WHERE I'M AT ON THIS IS I'M, UH, I WOULD NEVER BE AGAINST JUST POINT BLANK AGAINST ANYTHING THAT OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THINK IS SOMETHING THAT THEY WANT TO LOOK INTO. IT IS NOT ABOUT ME. UM, AM I READY TO COMMIT RIGHT NOW? I SAID, YES, THIS IS WHAT I WOULD SIGN OFF ON THE DOTTED LINE TO. NO, ALL THOSE STEPS THAT YOU HAVE IN THERE, CHRIS, YOU GET A GOOD JOB OF KIND OF STRETCHING THAT OUT. SO WE TAKE LITTLE BABY STEPS, DON'T SPEND A FORTUNE. I KNOW EVERYTHING COSTS MONEY, BUT GAIN A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION. YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC INPUT FROM, FROM ON THERE IS GONNA HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH MY PERSONAL OPINION. UM, I DON'T SEE ANY PROBLEM WITH US MOVING FORWARD IN, IN LITTLE STEPS AND BEING CAUTIOUS AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS IS NOT A CUT DONE DEAL. THIS IS A CONCEPT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND GAINING INFORMATION AND TRYING TO LEARN THAT IF DOWN, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE PEOPLE OF OUR COMMUNITY WANT DOWN THE ROAD OR NOT, IT COULD GO EITHER WAY. SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHERE I AM. UM, AND THE OTHER QUESTION I REALLY PUT TO YOU ALL IS, YOU KNOW, IT IS IN THE TIMELINE THE IDEA OF, UH, BRINGING FORTH TO ALL A RESOLUTION FOR A STEERING COMMITTEE OF EXPERT STAKEHOLDERS THAT COULD HELP GUIDE THIS RATHER THAN JUST KIND OF ME KIND OF BRINGING THINGS TO YOU EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. UM, SO THOUGHTS ON THAT? UM, I DON'T LIKE, UM, AND I'M JUST SPEAKING FOR LARRY HERE, I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF HIRING SOMEBODY TO TELL US WHAT THEY WANT US TO HEAR OR THEY TO SELL US SOMETHING, YOU KNOW? NO, THIS WOULD BE MADE UP OF COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, NOT HIRE INDIVIDUALS. I'M FINE WITH THAT. YEAH. YEAH. IT FOLLOW WITH LARRY, YOU KNOW, MOST PEOPLE SAY, I WANT A COST. GO AHEAD TOMORROW. , THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT TAKES AND HOW MUCH [00:35:01] IT IMPACTS. RIGHT? SO A PART OF HELPING, A PART OF GETTING THE PUBLIC INVOLVED IS ALSO EDUCATING THEM TO PROS AND THE CONS. RIGHT. ANY OTHER REMARKS FROM COUNSEL? NO. I, WELL, I SAID NO, BUT I'M SPEAKING. I KNOW YOU, YOU'D BE ANOTHER, I, UH, MAN, I THAT GUY, UH, NO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US, AND WE'VE SAID THIS TO YOU, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE TO MAKE ANY DECISIONS. HOWEVER, WE HAVE TO TAKE THE STEPS YOU'RE OUTLINING TO GET US TO THE POINT TO WE'LL EITHER PULL THE PLUG OR WE WANT THE TRIGGER, OR WE WANT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO GET TO THAT POINT, RIGHT? WHICH MEANS THE STEERING COMMITTEE AND THIS BABY STEPS THAT YOU'VE LAID IN THERE. AND THAT WILL BE EDUCATIONAL FOR US. AND THEN AS WE MOVE ALONG, LIKE FRED SAID, I THINK THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT FOR THE PUBLIC, IF, IF THE COUNCIL STARTS LOOKING FAVORABLY UPON IT, THAT WILL BE HUGE. SO, YEAH, I LIKE WHAT YOU'VE DONE. MAYOR, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? YES, SIR. I JUST WANT TO GET CLARIFICATION FOR CHRIS AND I ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL IS SUPPORTIVE OF? PUT THAT TIMELINE BACK ON THERE. YEAH. UM, SO WHAT, WHAT, UH, CHRIS AND I KIND OF TALKED ABOUT YESTERDAY AS WE WERE KIND OF GOING THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AGAIN, WAS WHETHER THAT JUST IS A COMMITTEE THAT IF EACH COUNCIL MEMBER WANTS TO RECOMMEND SOMEBODY TO BE ON IT, WHETHER YOU WANT US TO PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF PEOPLE WHERE IT MIGHT BE SOMEBODY LIKE JUST THROWING NATALIE OUT 'CAUSE I SEE HER OUT THERE, LIKE SOMEBODY WITH CHAMBER OR SOMEBODY LIKE DAVID JOHNSON WHO'S A DEVELOPER. OR IS IT SOMEBODY THAT YOU WOULD RATHER HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER AS ON THERE AS WELL WITH THAT COMMITTEE? UM, I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS WE, IF WE GO AND WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND WE LOOK TO BRING THAT TO YOU, THAT WE'RE MEETING WHAT Y'ALL WANNA SEE, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR, YOU KNOW, GO FROM SITTING ON SEVERAL STEERING COMMITTEE MYSELF. UM, I REALIZE THAT SOME FROM, FROM THOSE COMMITTEES, SOMETIMES YOU NEED MORE THAN ONE COMMITTEE FROM FROM, FROM MY, FROM MY EXPERIENCE. BECAUSE FOR EXAMPLE, YOU WOULD HAVE ONE COMMITTEE TRYING TO, UM, THEY REALLY GONNA TRY TO MOVE THE NEEDLE. THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THEIR GOAL. THEY, THEY, THEY, UH, PUT IN PLACE TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT THE TOWN IS LOOKING TO DO. NOW LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW TO HELP THEM GET IT DONE. THEY'RE NOT GONNA COME BACK AND SAY, OH, WE SHOULDN'T DO THAT. THEY'RE GONNA FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET IT DONE. SO MY, MY EXPERIENCE IS MAYBE YOU NEED A COMMITTEE THAT'S GOING TO LOOK AT THE PROS, NEED A COMMITTEE THAT GONNA LOOK AT THE CON, NEED A COMMITTEE THAT'S GOING TO PROBABLY KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH THE DEVELOPERS AND, AND THEN COME BACK AND, AND, AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT AND, AND, AND THOSE ARE JUST HYPOTHETICAL. NOW, I'M NOT TRYING TO SAY THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED, BUT WE NEED DIFFERENT WAY OF LOOKING AT, UM, UH, SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS GOING TO BE AS LARGE AS A, UM, I THINK I'VE SEEN SOME OF THOSE THINGS. ALMOST $29 MILLION. FOR WHAT? FOR TO, TO, TO BILL ONE OF THESE. OH, 50, 54. HOW MUCH HIGHER? 54. I THINK THE LEASE WAS 29 FOR SMALL, RIGHT? YEAH. THAT WAS THE ONE IN, IN, UH, NORTH CAROLINA. YEAH. AND HALF THE SIZE OF THEN A HUNDRED MILLION FOR THE BIGGEST. FOR THE BIGGEST ONE. YEAH. SO WE, WE REALLY NEED PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND, UM, FROM DIFFERENT, HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS IS, UM, THAN JUST SAYING ONE GROUP CAN TELL YOU HOW, HOW IT'S DONE. YEAH. THE ONLY THING I WOULD RECOMMEND IS, UM, HAVING COMPETING COMMITTEES COULD BE CHALLENGING AND DIFFICULT. UM, BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS IDENTIFYING WHO'S PARTICIPATING ON THE COMMITTEE, WHO ARE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T OF PERSUASION, BUT REALLY JUST CRITICAL THINKERS HAVE EXPERTS IN CERTAIN AREAS THAT CAN REALLY DIVE INTO THESE PROS AND CONS MORE THOROUGHLY. THAT WAS GONNA BE MY, UM, RESPONSE. APOLOGIES THERE IS FOR THE, UM, UH, COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION, THE STEERING COMMITTEE. UM, I THINK WE CAN AVOID SOME OF THE, THE PROBLEMS THAT WE MAY SEE ON OTHER ONES BY ONE, SETTING EXPECTATIONS OF OR [00:40:01] GIVING THEM GUIDELINES OF WHAT EXACTLY THEY SHOULD BE DOING AND NOT HAVING THEM KIND OF MEET IN THE BLIND, COMING UP WITH WHAT THEY THINK WE WANT TO HEAR, BUT LETTING 'EM KNOW LIKE WHAT THE END GOAL OF THE COMMITTEE IS GONNA BE. UM, AND I THINK IT'S ALSO NOT GONNA BE CHOOSING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO MAY, UM, BE GREAT IN THE COMMUNITY AND, YOU KNOW, A SPECIFIC REGARD, BUT MAKING SURE THAT IT IS FOLKS AND HAVE THE INTEL THAT WE ARE EXPECTING A STEERING COMMITTEE FOR A PERFORMING ARTS COMMITTEE TO COME BACK WITH. SO SOMEONE WHO, YOU KNOW, HAS EXPERIENCE IN EITHER FUNDRAISING, UH, TO THIS LEVEL, SOMEONE WHO, UM, HAS WORKED WITH, UM, HAS BEEN A, A DEVELOPER MAYBE IN A, A PERFORMING ARTS, UM, CAPACITY. AND LIKE, I WOULDN'T EVEN BE OPPOSED TO REACHING OUT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WHO MAY HAVE SAT ON THE BOARDS OF LIKE A, A JOHNNY MERCER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, JUST TO ENSURE THAT THE BOARD IS GETTING WHAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING. UM, AND THAT THEY ALSO LIKE, THEY'RE ABLE TO, TO MEET, MEET THE EXPECTATIONS ESSENTIALLY. WELL, BRIDGET, THAT'S, YOU JUST ABOUT SAID EVERYTHING IN A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WHAT I, MY QUESTION WAS GONNA BE DO YOU, WHAT ARE WE GONNA CHARGE THIS STEERING COMMITTEE WITH? YEAH. YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED TO HAVE A, A SPECIFIED MISSION THAT OF, OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE WANT THEM TO LOOK INTO AND, AND MAKE, YOU KNOW, AN ADVISORY TO US. UM, AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT ALL THEY COULD DO BECAUSE THE, THE TWO BIGGEST THINGS ON HERE THAT I SEE ARE THE FUND FUNDRAISING FEASIBILITY STUDY. MM-HMM . AND THE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY-WIDE SURVEY. UM, SO WHAT ARE YOU, WHAT ARE YOU ENVISIONING THIS STEERING COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, LIKE IF WE CREATED ONE OR, OR AUTHORIZED JOB TO CREATE ONE WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH OR WHATEVER, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA CHARGE THEM WITH? I MEAN, WHAT'S GONNA BE ON THEIR AGENDA TO GET ACCOMPLISHED? WELL, I MEAN, I'LL, I'LL PUT THAT BACK ON YOU. LARGER, LARGELY IT WOULD BE A CONVERSATION WITH Y'ALL TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANTED TO CHARGE THEM WITH. UM, LIKE, UH, COUNCILMAN FRAZIER MENTIONED, IDENTIFYING THOSE SPECIFIC THINGS YOU WANT THEM TO, UH, LOOK INTO AND INFORM YOU ON SO THAT YOU HAVE A BETTER, UH, UH, EDUCATED DECISION AROUND THIS. I MEAN THAT'S, UH, WHAT WHAT YOU ALL, WHAT'S ALL IN YOUR HEADS AROUND THE PROS AND CONS AROUND THIS THAT YOU NEED TO COMMUNICATE THAT TO US SO WE CAN PUT IT IN THEIR CHARTER TO, TO LOOK INTO THAT WOULD BE CONVERSATION IF YOU ALL YEAH, I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE TIMELINE. ARE WE GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS AGAIN BEFORE JUNE WHEN THEY'VE GOT THAT GLUED OUT FOR STEERING COMMITTEE? CORRECT. WELL, AND, AND THAT CAN GO OUT A LITTLE LONGER IF WE NEED TO, UH, RATHER DEFINE, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT BASED ON THE CONVERSATION I, I'VE HEARD UP HERE FROM COUNSEL IS THAT COMMITTEE MAY ALSO BE TASKED WITH THE ONE THAT SITS DOWN AND REVIEWS WHAT OUR CONSULTANTS HAS PUT TOGETHER. THE, THE PREVIOUS ONE, THE FEASIBILITY STUDY, THE, UM, FINANCIAL LOOK AT THE, UM, FUNDRAISING STUDY AND, AND, AND THEN ALSO BE THE ONES THAT KIND OF SIT DOWN WITH Y'ALL AND MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING TO BE YOUR, YOUR CHECKS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AREN'T PUSHING THE STAY ON COURSE. RIGHT. NOT JUST STAY ON COURSE, BUT MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT COMING TO Y'ALL TO PITCH YOU ON SOMETHING THAT MAY BE TOO BIG OR NOT NECESSARILY BE SUPPORTED AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE YOUR, YOUR, YOUR CHECKS AND BALANCES ON ALL THIS STUFF. THE, THE RESEARCH THAT WE'RE DOING. WELL, I WHAT YOU JUST SAID ABOUT REVIEWING WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN PROVIDED TO US. YEAH. UM, I'LL GIVE YOU A GOOD EXAMPLE. WHEN I MET WITH THE DIRECTOR AT, UH, MCCAIN CENTER, UH, BECAUSE I HAD PROVIDED HIM THE STUDY BEFORE I WENT UP THERE AND I SPECIFICALLY ASKED HIM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHTS? WHAT ARE THE THINGS THEY SAID AND, AND MISSED? AND GENERALLY HE SAID THEY DID A GREAT JOB, BUT HE DID POINT OUT ONE THING, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING, IS THAT THEY UNDERESTIMATED STAFFING BY LIKE TWO OR THREE POSITIONS. AND THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD'VE NEVER THOUGHT OF. YOU KNOW, I DON'T OPERATE THESE SPECIFICALLY, THEY UNDERESTIMATED STAFFING BY WHAT, TWO OR THREE POSITIONS. SO AS AN OPERATOR OF THESE TYPES OF THINGS HE COULD PICK UP ON THAT I COULDN'T PICK UP ON IT. SO TO YOUR POINT, AS THEY LOOK THROUGH THESE TYPES OF THINGS IN THE STUDY, UH, UH, COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS WHO HAVE EXPERTISE IN DIFFERENT AREAS, DEVELOPMENT, UH, UH, OR ENTERTAINMENT OR WHATNOT, THEY COULD PICK UP ON THESE SUCH OF THINGS. SO CHRIS, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT, I MEAN I KNOW WE, WE WERE LOOKING AT THOSE NUMBERS FROM SPONSORS AND DONATIONS AND FUNDRAISERS AND SUCH. UM, EVERY BASEBALL FIELD HAS A, A BANK OR SOMETHING IN MARKET ARENA IN SAVANNAH. YOU KNOW, IT USED TO BE THE SAVANNAH CIVIC CENTER, JUST WHAT BACK WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, WHAT [00:45:01] THEY BUILT. NOW WE'VE GOT IN MARKET ARENA. UM, I WOULD JUST IMAGINE THAT THERE'S A HUGE DONATION FOR A FACILITY TO BE NAMED AFTER A BIG, YOU KNOW, AND IT TAKES A BIG CORPORATE ENTITY TO, TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE THAT KIND OF MONEY. BUT, UM, AND IT'S USUALLY NOT JUST AN UPFRONT, IT'S USUALLY AN ONGOING, RIGHT. THE REASON THE PEACE CENTER IS CALLED THE, IT'S NOT BECAUSE THEY LOVE PEACE AND JOY. IT IS THE FAMILY THAT DONATED IT IS SAME THING FOR THE CANE CENTER. IT WASN'T NAMED AFTER SOMEBODY AT THE TOWN, RIGHT? THEY, THEY CONTINUE TO DONATE ANNUALLY OR PUT INTO THE, UM, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT NOW? FOUNDATION WORK WITH THE THEN ENDOWMENT TO BE ABLE TO HELP OPERATE IT. AND THAT'S WHY IT CONTINUES TO BE NAMED. SO, UM, AND THAT'S, I I THINK THAT THE OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE OUT THERE FOR THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY IS THAT I THINK IT'LL BE HIGHER THAN WE ANTICIPATE, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT YOU NEED THE FEASIBILITY STUDY IS BECAUSE THEY'LL GO OUT AND ASK THOSE QUESTIONS AND SEE WHAT PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO DO. UM, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES WE'VE HEARD SOMEBODY COME IN AND SAY, OH, SOMEBODY'S WILLING TO WRITE A CHECK FOR THIS, BUT WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS A COMMITMENT THAT THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO WRITE THAT CHECK SHOULD THIS MOVE FORWARD. AND THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT KIND OF THE NEXT STEP IS AS WELL. AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S A REAL SLIPPERY SLOPE HERE. PEOPLE PROMISE YOU TO WRITE A CHECK. THAT'S RIGHT. THEY HAVE A SAD STORY WHEN IT'S TIME TO SIGN. GOING BACK TO YOUR JUNE STEERING COMMITTEE. RIGHT. SO I, THIS CAME UP A MINUTE AGO. SO YOU'RE NOT SAYING THAT'S A ONE MONTH TASK, RIGHT? NO, THAT'S JUST SAYING THAT YOU, YOU LOOK AT THE RESOLUTION THAT COUNCIL IN JUNE, THAT'S THE RECOMMENDATION AT LEAST BECAUSE THAT STEERING COMMITTEE COULD GO ON FOR OH YEAH. MONTHS IT WOULD GO ON YEAH. FOR A WHILE. KINDA LIKE EBIKE . YEAH. OKAY. YOU VOLUNTEERED FOR THAT ANYMORE. ANY MORE QUESTIONS OF CHRIS ON THIS TOPIC? ALRIGHT, HOPE WE WERE HELPFUL, CHRIS. YEAH. UP NEXT [IV.1. Approval to Authorize a Construction Contract with Mashburn Construction Company, Inc. for the upfit of Building 100 at 97 Progressive Street (Fiscal Impact: $388,825) – Chris Forster, Assistant Town Manager] WE'VE GOT OUR WORKSHOP ITEM OF APPROVAL TO AUTHORIZE A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT WITH ASHBURN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC. FOR THE UPFIT OF BUILDING 197 PROGRESSIVE STREET FISCAL IMPACT $388,825. MR. FORRESTER. YEAH. OKAY. JUST, UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THIS IS REGARDING OUR, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BUILDING, UH, NEXT TO THE LAC IN BUCK. WALTER. UM, JUST RIGHT UP FRONT, I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN BUDGETED. UM, THIS WILL FILL OUT THE UPSTAIRS SUITES, UM, THAT, UH, ARE, THE LEASE IS FOR THOSE SUITES WILL COME TO YOU ALL AT THE, UH, MAY COUNCIL MEETING, BUT THIS WILL APPROVE THE CONTRACT TO FINISH OUT THOSE SUITES. AND, UH, THE REASON WHY WE'RE BRINGING TO YOU FROM A SEPARATE CONTRACTOR IS THE QUOTES WE GOT INITIALLY FROM THE GC WERE ABOVE WHAT WE BUDGETED. SO WE PUT IT OUT TO BID TO GET MORE COMPETITIVE RATES. UH, WE IDENTIFIED A CONTRACTOR MASHBURN, WHO CAME WITHIN OUR BUDGET. SO I'M NOT ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL BUDGET. IT'S SIMPLY THE CONTRACT TO, UH, GET MASHBURN WORKING ON THE FINISHING OF SUITES. SO THE, UH, THE, THE QUOTE WAS, UH, 3 24, UH, $324,021, AND, UH, WE ADDED A 20% CONTINGENCY AS WE DO FOR THE TOTAL FISCAL IMPACT OF $388,000 AND 825. UM, AND THAT IS AGAIN, WITHIN OUR BUDGET FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR. WE DISCUSS YOUR QUESTIONS FOR CHRIS COUNSEL, NOT SIR. UH, MOTION NO VOTES. WHAT'S THAT? YOU DON'T PUT IT IN A WORKSHOP, DO YOU? WE ACTUALLY HAVE THIS ON THERE AS A AGENDA ITEM FOR A VOTE. OH, I SEE. YES, SIR. SORRY. YEAH, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION MAYOR, UM, AS SHOWN BY STAFF ON THE SCREEN. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. UNANIM. THANK YOU, SIR. I DON'T KNOW IF I REALLY ASK FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. I ADMIT THE PUBLIC COMMENTS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, BUT WE HAD NO ONE THAT HAD FILLED ONE OUT. SO IS THERE ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING BEFORE WE ADJOURN? SEEING NONE. IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? WE [00:50:12] THANKS FOR WATCHING BC TV. I AM MARY CAMPBELL AND THIS IS BEAUFORD COUNTY MOMENTS. I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FOOD TODAY. THE FOOD HAS BEEN A GREAT PART OF OUR LIFE IN TERMS OF GATHERING FOOD AND PREPARING THEM. OUR FOOD IS BASED ON THE LAND AND THE SEA. THE LAND FOOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN RICE. WE DON'T FEEL WE HAVE EATEN DINNER UNLESS WE'VE HAD RICE. RICE WAS MIXED WITH VARIOUS ITEMS FROM THE SEA, LIKE OYSTERS OR SHRIMP. AND WHEN THEY COOKED WITH RICE IN ONE POT, WE CALL IT A RICE OR SHRIMP OR AN OYSTER PERLOW. AND THEN WE HAVE THE WATERMELONS AND THE SWEET POTATOES. SWEET POTATOES WAS ALWAYS EATEN WITH FISH AND FRESH FISH WITH GRAVY AND A SWEET POTATO. THERE IS NOTHING BETTER. OKRA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR FOOD WAYS. WE, WE, WE RAISE THEM AS WELL AS WE PREPARE THEM WITH SHRIMP AND TOMATOES. AND SOME PEOPLE WOULD CALL THAT A GUMBO. AND THAT'S WHAT EXACTLY WHAT IT IS. OKRA, GUMBO. AND SO ENJOY THE FOOD OF THE LOW COUNTRY BECAUSE IT'S BEEN VERY MUCH A PART OF OUR HISTORY. THIS IS EMERY CAMPBELL. THIS HAS BEEN YO BEAUFORD COUNTY MOMENT. TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.