* 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] EVENING, [ 1. CALL TO ORDER] I'D LIKE TO CALL THE ORDER OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING OF APRIL 27TH, 2026. UH, MS. TABER WILL DO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND INVOCATION, SO PLEASE STAND, CONTINUE TO STAND AFTER THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. THANK YOU. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. LORD, WE ASK FOR WISDOM AND INTEGRITY FOR THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WE MAKE DECISIONS AFFECTING OUR COUNTY. LET US BE MINDFUL OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO THIS COMMUNITY AND DEDICATE OURSELVES TO MAKING DECISIONS WITH FAIRNESS, WISDOM, AND COMPASSION GRANT US THE ABILITY TO WORK TOGETHER IN HARMONY FOR THE GOOD OF OUR CITIZENS. WE ASK THIS IN YOUR SON'S NAME, AMEN. MS. BROCK. UM, THIS MEETING WAS ADVERTISED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, CORRECT? YES. YES, MA'AM. IT WAS. ALL RIGHT. I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN [ 4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA] A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA. ALL RIGHT, MS. BROWN. A SECOND. I'LL SECOND. MADAM CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA. YES, MA'AM. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO REMOVE ITEM. SORRY, I HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK. ITEM NUMBER NINE, WHICH WAS A DISCUSSION ITEM. THE, UM, VOTER GROUP HAS DECIDED NOT TO INCLUDE THIS, SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO REMOVE ITEM NINE FROM THE AGENDA. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND IT. A SECOND. BY COUNCILMAN BARTHOLOMEW. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT? BY SHOW OF HANDS, THAT IS UNANIMOUS. WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY DISCUSSION, BUT IT WAS A DISCUSSION. YEP. ALL RIGHT. GOING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA AS AMENDED. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE AGENDA AS AS AMENDED. AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU. UH, I'D [5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES ] LIKE TO HAVE A MOTION, UH, FOR APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM AUGUST 9TH, 2026 WORKSHOP AND THE CAUCUS AND COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING OF APRIL 13TH, 2026. MAKE THAT MOTION. COUNCILMAN LAWSON MADE THE MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND ON THOSE MINUTES? I'LL SECOND. SECOND IT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR BY SHOW OF HANDS TO APPROVE THOSE TWO SETS OF MINUTES. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE DO HAVE TWO PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. UM, THE FIRST IS JIM LAWTON. WE NEED THE ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT. OH, YES. HOW COULD I FORGET? I'M SORRY. I APOLOGIZE. JUST WE HAVE A LONG AGENDA AND I WAS GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF. ALL RIGHT. WE DO [6. ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT ] HAVE AN ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR PASSMAN. GOOD EVENING. AND COUNSEL. UM, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY RECOGNITIONS THIS EVENING, BUT I DO HAVE TWO UPDATES FOR YOU ALL. ONE IS, UH, ON THE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, NORTH ABROAD MEETING. UH, THEY MET THIS PAST WEDNESDAY EVENING AT BURTON WELLS RECREATION CENTER. UH, AT THIS STAGE OF THE PROCESS, THE COMMITTEE IS MET WITH EACH MUNICIPALITY AND SEVERAL COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO RECEIVE INPUT ON POTENTIAL PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS. UH, FOLLOWING THE MEETING, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS REC, UH, SUBMITTED THEIR TOP PRIORITY PROJECTS TO STAFF, WHICH WOULD THEN CONSOLIDATE INTO AN OVERALL PROJECT LIST AND USED AS THE BASIS FOR DISCUSSION. UH, DURING THE MEETING, THE COMMITTEE WORKED THROUGH A PRELIMINARY FRAMEWORK FOR ALLOCATING PROJECTS AND FUNDING ACROSS THE THREE PRIORITY CATEGORIES THAT WERE DESIGNATED BY COUNCIL. UH, THE COMMITTEE HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT PROCESS IS NOW WORKING TO FINALIZE ITS RECOMMENDATIONS AT ITS NEXT AND FINAL MEETING, UH, SCHEDULED FOR MAY 6TH FROM ONE TO 3:00 PM AND THAT WILL BE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS. UH, THEY DO REMAIN ON SCHEDULE TO PRESENT A FINAL RECOMMENDATION TO COUNTY COUNCIL ON MAY 11TH AS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED. NEXT, UM, THIS PAST WEDNESDAY MORNING ON APRIL 28TH, THE COUNTY IS MADE AWARE OF A MOLD ISSUE IN THE EXAMINATION BUILDING AT THE CORONER'S OFFICE. UH, FACILITIES DEPARTMENT RESPONDED, UH, QUICKLY THROUGH AN EMERGENCY PRO PURCHASE PROCESS AND WAS ABLE TO HAVE A CONTRACTOR MOBILIZED IMMEDIATELY WITH WORK BEGINNING THE FOLLOWING DAY. UH, THE CONTRACTOR IS WORKING EXPEDITIOUSLY TO COMPLETE REMEDIATION CONSTRUCTION AND HVAC REPLACEMENT TO IMPROVE HUMIDITY CONTROL, WHICH APPEARS TO BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS CASE. THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO TAKE APPROXIMATELY FIVE TO SIX WEEKS AND AN ESTIMATED COST OF 350,000, WHICH INCLUDES 150,000 FOR REMEDIATION AND 200,000 FOR CONSTRUCTION AND HV AND HVAC IMPROVEMENTS. UH, CORONER OPERATIONS ARE CONTINUING THROUGH COORDINATION WITH THEM, USC, UH, USE OF DISASTER RECOVERY, MOBILE COOLER, AND 24 7 REMOTE MONITORING [00:05:01] SUPPORTED BY FACILITIES. SO WE'LL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH, UM, EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT TO PROCURE THOSE SERVICES TO MAKE THE REMEDIATION TO THE CORONERS BUILDING. SO I WANNA MAKE YOU ALL AWARE OF THAT. AND, UH, ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING HIS REPORT? YES, SIR. THE ONLY THING I WANT TO, UH, TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF US, I THINK FIVE OF US LAST WEEK HAD A MEETING IN BEAUFORT, UM, AND THE MILCH CAME UP A QUESTION ABOUT MILCH. WE SAW THAT THE TOWN OF HILTON HAD REDUCED THEIR MILITATE. THIS COUNCIL HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT DOING THE SAME. I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT PROCESS, BUT IT WHETHER WE REDUCE THE MILLAGE, WHICH WILL BE CONSISTENT WITH SAVING MONEY TAX WISE LIKE HILTON HAD DID, OR IF WE KEEP IT NEUTRAL, I'D LIKE THIS COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT KEEPING IT NEUTRAL MEANS. THAT MEANS THEIR TAX WILL GO UP. AND, BUT IF YOU CAN COMMENT ON THAT. SO VILLAGE NEUTRAL MEANS THAT ON YOUR TAX BILL, YOU WON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INCREASE TO MILLAGE, WHICH IS, UM, ON YOUR PROPERTY, EITHER REAL OR PERSONAL PROPERTY. HAVING SAID THAT, THE VALUE OF A MILL INCREASES OVER THE YEAR, AND TYPICALLY EVERY YEAR IT GOES UP SOME. SO IF YOU STAY MILLAGE NEUTRAL, THE COUNTY WILL STILL COLLECT ADDITIONAL REVENUE BASED ON GROWTH, EITHER IN NEW CONSTRUCTION OR ASSESSED VALUE. SO THERE WILL BE AN INCREASE IN REVENUE TO THE COUNTY, ALTHOUGH THE MILLAGE DOES NOT INCREASE. UNDERSTAND, AND AGAIN, I BRING THAT UP BECAUSE OF WHAT TAC IS DOING, I THINK TAX DO A GREAT JOB ON GOING THROUGH THE PROJECTS THAT MAY END UP ON THE BALLOT. MY CONCERN IS, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY THAT LIVES HERE UNDERSTANDS THAT IF WE REMAIN NEUTRAL WITH THE MILLAGE, THEY'RE GONNA PAY MORE FOR THAT AS WELL. IS THAT FAIR ASSESSMENT? THAT'S FAIR. UM, IT DEPENDS ON EACH INDIVIDUAL'S CIRCUMSTANCES WITH ASSESSED VALUES AND SO, SO FORTH. SO, YES, SIR. THANK YOU. SURE. I HAD A, UM, SPECIFIC QUESTION ABOUT THE CORONER'S OFFICE. SO, UM, THEY ARE U UTILIZING FACILITIES AT M-U-S-C-M-U-S-C, AND THEY'RE USING THE EMERGENCY, UM, COOLER OR FOR DISASTER RECOVERY. OKAY. SO WE WORK CLOSELY. I KNOW, UM, FACILITY STAFF HAS WORKED CLOSELY TO THE CORON TO MAINTAIN OPERATIONS. WILL HVAC SYSTEM BE REPLACED OR WILL, OR IS THAT STILL I DON'T KNOW THAT WE KNOW. I, I'LL DEFER TO JARED IF HE HAS ANY MORE INFORMATION ON THAT. I THINK WE'RE STILL, IT WILL BE REPLACED. SO THAT'S PART OF THE 350,000. SO YEAH, I THINK THAT HELPED. THAT CREATED THE CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE THE, THE MOLD AND MOISTURE CAME IN. UM, COUNCILMAN BAR ME? ARE ANY OF THOSE REPAIRS COVERED BY OUR INSURANCE POLICY? UH, I DON'T BELIEVE SO. WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK AT THAT, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T THINK SO. WE'LL, WE'LL AT LEAST LOOK . THANKS. WE'LL, WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK. WE JUST REDO THAT, NOT JUST, NO, IT'S BEEN, IT IS BEEN WHAT 2015 OR 16 CORN HAS, HAS, I THINK IT'S BEEN A WHILE BUILDING WAS RENOVATED. IT'S BEEN A WHILE. RENOVATED THE OFFICE, NOT THE EXAMINATION ROOM. IT'S THE EXAMINATION ROOM. RIGHT. OKAY. YES, SIR. YES. A MILLAGE NEUTRAL. IF YOU LIVE IN A HOUSE, YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR. THERE WILL BE NO CHANGE IN YOUR TAXES. CORRECT. THE ONLY CHANGE THAT YOU WILL PAY FOR IF YOU PUT AN ADDITION ON SOLD YOUR HOUSE AND MOVED TO A NEW ONE. SO MILLAGE NEUTRAL FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY THAT HAVE A HOME THAT EXISTS, THEY'RE NOT GONNA PAY ANY MORE IN TAXES. RIGHT. LET ME JUST FINISH UP AND SAY THE REASON IT GOES UP IS THE FACT THAT, THAT, UM, IF SOMEONE SELLS THE HOUSE AND THEY BUY IT, THERE'S A NEW PURCHASE PRICE. YES. THAT, THAT, THAT GOES UP. SO AGAIN, SOMEONE THAT OWNS A HOUSE EXISTING RIGHT NOW AND THEIR APPRAISAL DOESN'T GO UP AND THEIR MILLAGE STAYS THE SAME, THEY'RE GONNA PAY THE EXACT SAME TAXES THEY PAID PREVIOUSLY. AND THEN WHENEVER THERE'S NEW COMMERCIAL ITEMS BUILT OR NEW HOMES BUILT, UM, THAT ADDS TO THEN THE, THE VALUE OF THE MILL BECAUSE THERE'S MORE MONEY COMING IN OVER, ACROSS THE WHOLE COUNTY THAT THEN RAISES THAT MILL. SO THE MILL STAYS THE SAME. YOU OWN A HOME APPRAISALS STILL THE SAME, YOU'RE JUST GONNA PAY THE SAME TAX AS YOU PREVIOUSLY. SO THERE'S NOT A TAXI INCREASE. UM, BUT IF IT'S, IF A NEWLY CONSTRUCTED HOME THAT THAT WOULD BE ADDITIONAL REVENUE TO THE COUNTY NEWLY CONSTRUCTED, THAT'S DIFFERENT BALLGAME. YEAH. LISTEN, I APPRECIATE THE EDUCATION. THANK YOU. GOOD INFORMATION. ANYTHING ELSE QUICKLY? THAT'S ALL I HAVE. YES, SIR. YES, SIR. COUNSEL, WHEN, BECAUSE MOST OF THE GROWTH FROM LAST YEAR WOULD PROBABLY COME FROM NEW CONSTRUCTION. PROBABLY MOST OF IT. THAT'S PROBABLY FAIR TO SAY. AND SO WHEN DOES THAT START? UM, NEW CONSTRUCTION. IF I BUILT A HOUSE, DOES IT START JANUARY THE FIRST FOR THE NEXT YEAR? OR IS IT, DOES IT START SOMEWHERE IN OCTOBER OR WHATEVER AND STUFF? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. YOU SURE DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. I BELIEVE IT'S OCCUPANCY. I, I THINK IT, AND I, I THINK MR. CUNNINGHAM'S, I THINK IT'S WHEN YOU'RE OCCUPY JAMES MILL, IT [00:10:01] IS WHEN YOU OCCUPY THE HOME, THAT'S WHEN YOU WOULD START TO BE ASSESSED. THE MILLAGE YES. WOULD BE PAYING THE TAXES PRIOR TO THAT UNTIL YOU TAKE OVER. IF YOU'RE PAYING TAXES ON A LOT, THE LAND ITSELF. RIGHT. UNTIL YOU GET YOUR SEAT. AN UNIMPROVED. RIGHT. AN UNIMPROVED PROPERTY. AND THEN IT WOULD GO UP WITH THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE MADE TO THE PROPERTY. THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE THAT. UM, SO NOW WE CAN DO [7. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD - 30 MINUTES TOTAL ] PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE ONLY HAVE TWO PEOPLE THAT SIGNED UP. UH, JIM LAWTON. I'D LIKE TO REMIND THE SPEAKERS THAT THEY'RE PERMITTED NO MORE THAN THREE MINUTES TO COMPLETE THEIR COMMENTS. EVERYONE SPEAKING BEFORE COUNCIL WILL BE REQUIRED TO DO SO IN A CIVIL MANNER, UH, COUNCIL WILL NOT TOLERATE PERSONAL ATTACKS OR IN ON INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNTY STAFF, OR ANY PERSON OR GROUP. RACIAL SLURS AND PROFANITY WILL NOT BE PERMITTED. COUNCIL WILL LISTEN TO PUBLIC COMMENTS BUT NOT RESPOND. GO AHEAD, MS. WAT. HELLO, MY NAME IS JIM WALTON AND I LIVE AT 52 OYSTER STREET IN THE ALL JOY COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK IN A PUBLIC SETTING. I WOULD RESPECTFULLY LIKE TO ASK THAT OTHER BOARDS, UH, THAT'S UNDER THE COUNTY COUNCIL ALSO BE SCHEDULED SOUTH OF THE BROAD, ESPECIALLY WHEN BUSINESS RELATES TO US SOUTH OF THE BROAD. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. IT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO LIGHT THAT THERE WAS A CLOSED DOOR MEETING RECENTLY REGARDING THE PROPERTY AT 34 ULMER. CAN YOU EXPLAIN, UM, WHY THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS WENT INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THIS PROPERTY WITHOUT THE OVERSIGHT OF ADJACENT LANDOWNERS AND RESIDENTS LIVING DOWNSTREAM OF THIS PROPERTY, WHAT PROOF DOES THE COUNTY HAVE THAT THIS PROPOSED PROJECT WILL NOT NEGATIVELY IMPACT BAILEY MEMORIAL PARK AND THE ALL JOY COMMUNITY SOUTH OF IT, GIVEN THE LAND IN QUESTION IS MORE THAN HALF WETLAND AND PREVIOUS OWNERS TRIED MULTIPLE TIMES TO DEVELOP IT, BUT WAS TURNED DOWN BY THAT BOARD. HOW DOES THIS PROJECT GET THE GREEN LIGHT? NOW YOU UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH ACTIONS. I WANNA TURN TO NUMBER TWO, ROKER STREET. ALSO IN ALL JOY, I'D LIKE TO FIRST READ THE ZONING, UH, LANGUAGE FOR T THREE. EDGE IS INTENDED TO REINFORCE ESTABLISHED NEIGHBORHOODS TO MAINTAIN NEIGHBORHOOD STABILITY AND PROVIDE TRANSITION BETWEEN WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOOD AND NATURAL PRESERVES AND WATERWAYS. THE T THREE EDGE ZONE IMPLEMENTS THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GOALS OF PRESERVING THE RURAL RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER OF BUFORT COUNTY. HAS THERE BEEN ANY VARIANCES APPROVED BY THE BOARD ON THIS PROPERTY? I BELIEVE IT IS, UH, UH, ZONE T THREE HN, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT MORE DENSE THAN T THREE EDGE. MY QUESTION IS HOW DOES ANYONE GET AWAY WITH A THREE STORY STRUCTURE THIS CLOSE TO THE BLUFF WITH ESSENTIALLY NO RIVER BUFFER OR FOLIAGE AND WHATEVER RIVER BUFFER THAT WAS WAS LANDFILL WASN'T A NATURAL EDGE GIVEN WHAT I SEE, IT APPEARS TO BE WELL FORWARD OF THE, UH, S-C-D-E-S CRITICAL LINE. WHAT'S THE POINT OF ZONING IF THIS KIND OF BUILDINGS ARE ALLOWED RIGHT ON THE RIVERSIDE IF WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER THAT CONTRADICTS IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT TO SIGN NEXT TO SPEAK IS MS. FELICE LAMARCA. GOOD EVENING. I HOPE YOU'RE ALL WELL TONIGHT. TODAY, UM, YOU'VE HEARD ME GIVE THIS SPEECH BEFORE. I HAVE TO GIVE IT AGAIN BECAUSE WE ARE AT FIRST READING, UM, WITH AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORDINANCE 2025 DASH 20 TO ALLOCATE FUNDS TO BUILD USCB CONVOCATION CENTER. UM, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOU DO NOT FUND THIS CONVOCATION CENTER, NOT BECAUSE IT'S A BAD IDEA, BUT BECAUSE THIS COUNCIL HAS BEEN TASKED WITH FIXING A LOT OF PROBLEMS, AND THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM. THIS MAY BE FORWARD THINKING, BUT IT IS NOT NECESSARY TODAY. OTHER THINGS [00:15:01] ARE THAT THE $9.5 MILLION CAN HELP. THIS COUNCIL HAS BEEN FORWARD THINKING AND I HOPE YOU CONTINUE ON THAT PATH. YOUR LEGACY AS MR. MCSHANE. SO APTLY TOLD YOU THE LAST TIME WE MET WAS TO PROTECT GREEN SPACE AND ALL THE MONEY THAT YOU HAVE APPROVED TO GO TOWARDS TAKING LAND OUT OF DEVELOPMENT AND GIVING IT BACK TO THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTY. WE HEAR THAT AND WE APPRECIATE THAT THIS CONVOCATION CENTER MAY BE A GREAT THING IN THE FUTURE, BUT RIGHT NOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MORE DEVELOPMENT. AND I WILL END WITH THE FACT SOME OF YOU KNOW I WAS AN EDUCATOR IN A SMALL PRIVATE UNIVERSITY MYSELF. FUNDRAISING IS PARAMOUNT TO A UNIVERSITY OR A COLLEGE MAKING IT. SO IF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA ISN'T GOING TO DO THEIR PART IN TAKING CARE OF THE SCHOOL AND GIVING IT THE ADVANTAGES OTHERS HAVE, THEY NEED TO DO FUNDRAISING AND GET IT PRIVATELY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT ENDS OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGN UP LATE? NO, WE'RE GOOD. OKAY. ALRIGHT. [8. PRESENTATIONS ] WE'RE AT NUMBER EIGHT ON OUR AGENDA AND WE HAVE THE COUNTY TREASURER, MS. MARIA WALLS, IS GOING TO PRESENT, UM, FY 2027 BUDGET PROPOSAL AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE THIS EVENING. I HAVEN'T SEEN SOME OF YOU IN QUITE SOME TIME AND I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU ALL FROZEN. SORRY. OH, THAT'S OKAY. I SWEAR TO GOD I DIDN'T DO THAT. DON'T SORRY YET. OKAY. I WILL WAIT. IT FROZE WHEN MS. LAMARCA WAS UP THERE. , IT'S FROZEN TOO, ISN'T IT? FELICIA? DID IT AGAIN. SEE, WE COULD USE THAT FUNDING FROM USCB FOR SOME NEW EQUIPMENT. OUT IDEAS HERE. WANT ANY VIEWERS TO THINK WE CONTINUED THE MEETING WHEN THEY COULDN'T SEE IT, BUT MAY I SH IN THE MEANTIME, MAY I SHARE A COMMENT WITH YOU IN YOUR DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MILLAGES OR WOULD YOU RATHER WAIT TILL THE VIDEO'S ON? I'D LOVE TO HEAR IT. OH, I'M SORRY. I THINK WE SHOULD WAIT TILL THE VIDEO'S ON. OKAY, NO PROBLEM. THERE. HERE WE GO. I SAW MOVEMENT. YAY, . ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. I WAS JUST WAITING TO SEE THE SLIDE ON THE SCREEN, BUT I DON'T NEED THAT TO GET STARTED. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING ME HERE THIS EVENING. I KNOW WE HAD SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES THAT HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED. SO TONIGHT, MY PRESENTATION IS NOT JUST ABOUT A BUDGET, IT'S ABOUT THE CONTEXT SURROUNDING IT, THE IMPACT ON THE TREASURER'S OFFICE AND THE RESPONSIBILITY WE ALL SHARE TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS. BECAUSE THIS IS NO LONGER JUST ABOUT A POLICY AND IS NO LONGER JUST ABOUT A BUDGET, IT IS ABOUT HOW DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE, HOW INFORMATION IS BEING PRESENTED, AND THE IMPACT THOSE DECISIONS HAVE HAD ON OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR OPERATIONS, AND OUR TAXPAYERS. FOR ANYONE WATCHING WHO DOESN'T KNOW ME, I HAVE SERVED IN THE TREASURER'S OFFICE FOR 15 YEARS AND THE ELECTED TREASURER FOR 11. I'M A CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT AND I'M A SENIOR HUMAN RESOURCES PROFESSIONAL. I HAVE SPENT MY CAREER BUILDING AND LEADING HIGH PERFORMING TEAMS FOCUSED ON SERVICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY. MY RESPONSIBILITY AS TREASURER IS TO MANAGE MY OFFICE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE BUDGET YOU ALLOT AND TO ENSURE THAT THE WORK OF THE OFFICE IS CARRIED OUT EFFECTIVELY. THAT INCLUDES [00:20:01] MANAGING PERSONNEL, SETTING COMPENSATION WITHIN THAT BUDGET, AND MAKING OPERATIONAL DECISIONS NECESSARY TO FULFILL OUR DUTIES. SINCE LAST YEAR, YOU ALL KNOW THERE HAS BEEN A GREAT DEAL OF DISCUSSION SURROUNDING MY OFFICE, PARTICULARLY RELATED TO REMOTE WORK COMPENSATION AND ONGOING LITIGATION. MUCH OF THAT DISCUSSION HAS CREATED CONFUSION BOTH FOR MY STAFF AND THE TAXPAYERS. DURING A COURT HEARING LAST WEEK, BOTH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND THE DIRECTOR FOR HUMAN RESOURCES TESTIFIED THAT THE RULES AND GUIDELINES THEY FOLLOW FOR PERSONNEL DECISIONS, INCLUDING COMPENSATION, COME FROM THE COUNTY'S PERSONNEL HANDBOOK. THEY FURTHER TESTIFIED THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE THOSE POLICIES ON THE TREASURER'S OFFICE, AND THAT THE AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE THEM SOLELY RESTS WITHIN MY PURVIEW. WE NOW HAVE A SITUATION WHERE A POLICY WAS PRESENTED TO YOU ONE WAY AND IS NOW BEING DESCRIBED IN ANOTHER. GIVEN THIS TESTIMONY, IT RAISES A VERY REAL QUESTION THAT I HOPE YOU ASK YOURSELVES. WHAT EXACTLY IS THE COUNTY ARGUING HERE? I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THIS TESTIMONY MEANS. THAT THE FRAMEWORK BEING RELIED UPON FROM THE PERSONNEL HANDBOOK IS WHAT THEY WERE BASING THEIR PRESENTATIONS ON, BUT THEY HAVE NOW ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE THAT HANDBOOK ON MY OFFICE. SO FOR MONTHS, A TELECOMMUTING POLICY WAS ADVANCED TO YOU AND DISCUSSED PUBLICLY AS SOMETHING THAT WOULD DIRECTLY AFFECT MY EMPLOYEES, THAT THEY WOULD BE GIVEN 60 TO 90 DAYS NOTICE. THERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION, NO CLARITY, AND NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE LIMITS OF AUTHORITY THAT HAVE NOW BEEN STATED UNDER OATH. THESE ARE PROVEN EMPLOYEES. IF YOU KNOW ME AT ALL, YOU KNOW HOW PASSIONATE I AM ABOUT MY PEOPLE WITH MANY YEARS OF DOCUMENTED EVALUATIONS AND SUCCESSES AND WHO HAVE SUCC CONSISTENTLY DELIVERED FOR THIS COUNTY. SEVERAL OF THEM ARE MILITARY SPOUSES WHO DID NOT CHOOSE TO LEAVE BEAUFORT COUNTY. WE SAY WE'RE A PLACE THAT SUPPORTS THE MILITARY FAMILIES, BUT THOSE SAME FAMILIES AND OTHERS WERE LEFT IN A POSITION OF UNNECESSARY FEAR THAT THEIR JOBS WERE AT RISK. BASED ON A POLICY THAT IS NOW BEING DESCRIBED VERY DIFFERENTLY THAN IT WAS PRESENTED, THIS LITIGATION BEGAN OVER A DIRECTIVE TO PROVIDE APPROXIMATELY $73,000 IN COMPENSATION ACROSS 25 EMPLOYEES WITHIN MY APPROVED BUDGET. BASED ON DOCUMENTED PERFORMANCE AND NECESSARY TO RETAIN A VALUABLE AND HIGH ACHIEVING TEAM. THOSE ADJUSTMENTS WERE REFUSED AS WELL AS OTHERS REPEATEDLY FOR YEARS. AS RECENTLY AS LAST MONTH, MY TEAM HAS GONE YEARS WITHOUT THESE MEANINGFUL SALARY ADJUSTMENTS. THE TOTAL IMPACT IS NOT JUST A NUMBER. IT REPRESENTS REAL PEOPLE AND REAL FAMILIES AND REAL CONSEQUENCES. MEANWHILE, THE COUNTY HAS SPENT NEARLY $700,000 IN LEGAL FEES RELATED TO THIS MATTER, AND IT ISN'T EVEN CLOSE TO CONCLUDING BY COMPARISON. MY OFFICE'S LEGAL FEES FOR THIS LITIGATION ARE A FRACTION OF THAT FOR THE EXACT SAME LITIGATION, APPROXIMATELY $1 FOR EVERY 10 YOU ARE SPENDING. SO IN SIMPLE TERMS, NEARLY $700,000 IN TAXPAYER DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT FIGHTING SEVEN $3,000 IN EARNED COMPENSATION THAT WAS ALREADY WITHIN AN APPROVED BUDGET. WHILE NOW ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE VERY POLICIES THE COUNTY CLAIMS TO BE FILING, THEY DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE AND NEVER DID IT IS AFFECTED REAL PEOPLE, REAL OPERATIONS AND REAL TAXPAYER DOLLARS. AT THE SAME TIME, MY OFFICE HAS BEEN FORCED TO HANDLE A MAJOR SOFTWARE IMPLEMENTATION FOR A PRODUCT THAT IS STILL NOT COMPLETE AND HAS HAD TO PROCESS ANOTHER BACKLOG OF INTEREST OWED TO TAXPAYERS WHILE MANAGING NEW VENDOR TRANSITIONS, SERVING SIGNIFICANTLY MORE CUSTOMERS AND HANDLING AN INCREASED VOLUME WITH CONTINUED ACCURACY. MY TEAM HAS ABSORBED ALL OF THAT FOR YEARS AND THEY'RE AT THEIR LIMIT. THE BUDGET I'VE REQUESTED REFLECTS MY CONTINUED FOCUS TO OPERATE MY OFFICE RESPONSIBLY, TO SUPPORT [00:25:01] MY STAFF AND TO SERVE THE TAXPAYERS OF THIS COUNTY. IT IS REASONABLE, JUSTIFIED AND ALIGNED WITH THE NEEDS OF THE TREASURER'S OFFICE. FURTHERMORE, IT IS DATA DRIVEN, AS YOU'LL SEE IN ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA PACKET, SUPPORTED BY EXISTING WORKLOAD, SUPPORTED BY VENDOR RECOMMENDATIONS, AND SUPPORTED BY SUSTAINED PERFORMANCE. I ASK FOR YOUR APPROVAL SO OPERATIONS CAN CONTINUE WITHOUT DISRUPTION, BUT TONIGHT I RESPECTFULLY ASK ONE MORE THING OF COUNSEL. WHAT I'VE DESCRIBED TONIGHT REFLECTS A DISCONNECT IN HOW INFORMATION IS BEING COMMUNICATED AND HOW DECISIONS ARE BEING INFORMED. AS A GOVERNING BODY, YOUR ABILITY TO MAKE SOUND DECISIONS DEPENDS ON YOU HAVING A CLEAR AND COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS HAPPENING WITHIN YOUR ORGANIZATION. I WOULD ASK THAT THERE BE A RENEWED LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT IN THAT PROCESS SO THAT DECISIONS OF THIS MAGNITUDE ARE MADE WITH FULL VISIBILITY AND CLARITY. I'M NOT HERE TO DEBATE THIS. I'VE PROVIDED THE FACTS AND I I WILL LEAVE IT WITH YOU TO CONSIDER AT SOME POINT. THIS MUST STOP BEING ABOUT VAGUE UNACKNOWLEDGED INTERNAL PROCESS AND START ABOUT BEING AC START A START BEING ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE EMPLOYEES, TO THE OPERATIONS OF THIS COUNTY AND TO THE TAXPAYERS WHO ARE FUNDING IT ALL. AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BOTH THE DECISIONS MADE AND THE CONSEQUENCES THAT FOLLOW. I HOPE THE DECISIONS REFLECT THAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. OPEN IT UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SUBMITTALS THAT THE TREASURER GAVE US IN OUR PACKET REGARDING HER BUDGET. I WOULD WARN COUNSEL NOT TO GET INTO LEGAL QUESTIONS THAT MAY COME UP AT THIS POINT IN TIME. AND I WILL, I CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ THE TRANSCRIPTS FROM EVERYTHING I'VE JUST SHARED. UM, SO ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING HER BUDGET REQUESTS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR? YES, SIR. THE STAFFING, UH, REPORT THAT YOU HAVE IN HERE, UH, WHAT'S YOUR ANTICIPATED NEED? I SEE, SEE A 0.1 AND A 0.75 . SO THAT IS WHAT THE VENDOR UTILIZED AND SUGGESTED. AND IN THE INTEREST OF TRANSPARENCY, I I WAS NOT GOING TO ALTER THAT NUMBER, BUT I HAVE SUBMITTED, UM, NOT IT IS INCLUDED IN THE NUMBER THAT YOU HAVE ATTACHED TO THIS AGENDA, BUT IT DID FOLLOW THE PROCESS REQUESTED BY THE BUDGET DIRECTOR TO SUBMIT THE INDIVIDUAL ROLES THAT WE'RE REQUESTING. UM, THEY WOULD INCLUDE A DATA INTEGRATION SPECIALIST TYPE OF ROLE. SO A INDIVIDUAL THAT IS GOING TO HAVE THE EXPERTISE NECESSARY TO HELP US SUPPORT THIS SOFTWARE TRANSITION. IT ALSO INCLUDES A PERSONNEL FOR THE FRONTLINE IN BUFORD. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY MORE SEATS IN BLUFFTON OR I WOULD LOVE TO ACTUALLY ADD SOMEONE THERE. SO WE ARE NEEDING MORE ASSISTANCE, UM, BECAUSE THIS, AS THE LETTER DENOTES TESTING AND TRANSITIONING A MAJOR SOFTWARE THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERY DOLLAR PRETTY MUCH THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ON COUNCIL IT, WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S RIGHT AND TESTING IS A LARGE COMMITMENT. YES, SIR. AND HE MAY BE ASKING THIS. SO, UH, THE THE HILTON HEAD LOCATION, ARE THERE PLANS IF YOU INCREASE, UM, YOUR WORKFORCE? ARE THERE PLANS TO, UH, RESTAFF THAT LOCATION? THE HILTON HEAD ONE? WE DO NOT HAVE PLANS TO STAFF THAT LOCATION AT THIS TIME. AND LIKE I'VE COMMUNICATED TO COUNCILMAN REZ ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU, UM, AND NOT JUST COUNCILMAN REZ, BUT OTHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM HILTON HEAD ISLAND ARE GOING TO GET QUESTIONS FROM CONSTITUENTS AND I'M HAPPY FOR THEM TO BE DIRECTED. TO ME, THAT IS NOT A COUNCIL DECISION, IT'S A TREASURER DECISION. WE'RE NOT THE ONLY OFFICE THAT'S NOT, HAS NOT REOPENED HISTORICALLY. IT IS THE LOWEST VOLUME OFFICE. AND WHEN I SAY THE LOWEST VOLUME, I MEAN 40 TO 50 PAYMENTS A DAY COMPARED TO 700 A DAY. AND IT IS, IT IS DIFFICULT TO JUSTIFY AND I, IT'S NOT TO MINIMIZE THE CONVENIENCE AND THE DESIRE OF OUR SHARED CONSTITUENTS. IT IS DIFFICULT TO JUSTIFY THE EXPENDITURE OF EMPLOYEES, WHICH WOULD NEED TO BE TWO TO BE IN THAT OFFICE. AND FURTHERMORE, IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. IT WAS EVEN BEFORE COVID TO HIRE FOR THAT OFFICE AND MAINTAIN THOSE EMPLOYEES. THEY ARE DOING A, IT WAS SUGGESTED TO ACTUALLY PAY THEM A HIGHER SALARY BECAUSE THEY WORKED IN THE HILTON HEAD OFFICE. WITH THAT COMMUTE [00:30:01] AND THE TIME INVOLVED, I CAN'T JUSTIFY PAYING AN EMPLOYEE MORE THAN THEIR COUNTERPARTS WHO ARE HANDLING 700 TIMES THE VOLUME. CAN I JUST THROW SOMETHING IN ON THAT? WELL, I THINK MS. TABER HAD HER HAND RAISED AND THEN YOU CAN, I JUST, I WON'T FORGET THE SUBJECT. DON'T WORRY. I I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT LITERALLY THE DISTANCE FROM WHERE I LIVE TO MYRTLE PARK AND FROM THAT OFFICE TO MYRTLE PARK IS ABOUT THE SAME. SO IT'S NOT ANY CLOSER FOR ME. I I WILL TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT. I'VE NEVER LOOKED. UM, BUT I CAN UNDERSTAND WANTING THINGS IN YOUR BACKYARD, BUT I ALSO HAVE TO MANAGE THE BUDGET I'VE BEEN GIVEN AND WHERE, WHERE THE GROWTH IN THE VOLUME IS AND, AND IT IS, IT IS NOT THERE. I SUPPORT THAT DECISION ON YOUR BASIS. YES. THANK YOU. DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YEAH, PLEASE. THANK YOU. OKAY. UM, I THINK I HAVE A FEW, BUT GO BACK TO YOUR PRE THE PACKAGE THAT YOU GAVE US. MM-HMM . THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IT WAS WELCOME. WELL WRITTEN. I STARTED READING, I HAD SOME QUESTIONS, THEN THEY WERE ANSWERED THROUGHOUT IT. GREAT JOB. I APPRECIATE IT. TWO, I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY THAT. I MEET WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE FOR MANY REASONS, AND I GET COMMENTS EVERY NOW AND THEN ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOUR OFFICE DOES, YOUR TEAM DOES. AND I HAVE TO COMMEND YOU FOR THAT. THREE TO GO BACK WITH WHAT COUNCILMAN, UH, BARTHOLOMEW SAID. UM, THINK ABOUT THIS HILTON HEAD, UM, MAY BE THE LOWEST PERFORMER OR AVERAGE LOWEST PERFORMER. JUST THE LOWEST VOLUME . THINK ABOUT THIS. WE'RE THE OLDEST THERE, RIGHT? AND WHY DO WE WANT TO HAVE OLDER PEOPLE CROSSING THE BRIDGE? I'M OLDER. I'M SAYING I'M THE SAME WAY. , WHY DO WE WANT THEM CROSSING THE BRIDGE MORE THAN THEY HAVE TO? AND TWO, I'VE BEEN ADDING IN MY DISCUSSION, THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF RETIREES ON HILTON HEAD THAT ARE, UM, SENIOR ACCOUNTANTS, TREASURERS. WOULD YOU CONSIDER THINKING ABOUT IT IN YOUR SPARE TIME? NOT HIRING SOMEBODY TO HAVE TO PAY 'EM A HUGE DOLLAR, HIRE SOMEBODY ON HILTON HEAD THAT LIVES THERE, THAT IS RETIRED, THAT IS A TRUE EXPERT IN WHAT YOU DO, WHAT YOU NEED, AND MAYBE STARTING 'EM A COUPLE DAYS A WEEK JUST TO GIVE US OLD FOLKS A LITTLE BIT OF BREAK FROM GOING OVER THE BRIDGE. THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE SUGGESTIONS. CERTAINLY I'LL GO, YOU KNOW, I HAVE, I ALWAYS HAVE MY TEAM WITH ME AND WE'LL DISCUSS IT. I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT, UM, THIS IS, I, IN NO WAY AM I SAYING THIS AS A TOUTING OURSELVES. UM, WE'VE EVALUATED THAT BEFORE AND WE WE USE A GREAT DEAL OF TECHNOLOGY AND I HAVE VERY HIGH EXPECTATIONS OF MY STAFF AND UNFORTUNATELY WE FIND THAT THE PACE WE KEEP IS NOT QUITE ALIGNED WITH ONE OF RETIREMENT. BUT I AM HAPPY TO DISCUSS IT FURTHER. LISTEN, LISTEN, I HOPE YOU CHALLENGE US ON THAT ONE BECAUSE I THINK WE GET SOME GREAT PERFORMANCE. KELSEY TERESA, I THINK WE'VE, I THINK WE'VE COVERED IT. IT'S IF YOU WANT TO HAVE ANOTHER CONVERSATION OFFLINE, WHETHER ABSOLUTELY. HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT ANY TIME I LISTEN. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING HER BUDGET? I PROMISE YOU I'M GOING TO YIELD BACK MY TIME IN A HALF A SECOND. OKAY. GIMME A SECOND. AGAIN, I WANNA THANK YOU. I'M NOT SURE WHY THIS IS RUSHED WHEN THIS IS THAT IMPORTANT, BUT FAIR ENOUGH. I'LL YIELD BACK MY TIME NOW. , WE'RE NOT IN CONGRESS . UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT. ALRIGHT, UM, COUNCILMAN BROWN. UM, YOU MENTIONED SOFTWARE NOT COMPLETED. DIDN'T THE TREASURER JUST GET ALL NEW SOFTWARE? SO, UM, I'VE BEEN BEFORE YOU PREVIOUSLY AND YOU ARE REMEMBERING CORRECTLY, IT WAS SELECTED. UM, WE HAVE A VERY OUTDATED SOFTWARE. SOMETHING DID NEED TO BE DONE. IT WAS THE SELECTION AND THE HANDLING OF THAT. IT'S A COUNTY CONTRACT. IT IS NOT A TREASURER'S OFFICE CONTRACT. AND I HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN TO YOU AND BEFORE YOU AT LENGTH ABOUT MY DISAGREEMENT ON THE HANDLING AND THE INEFFICIENCY OF THAT PROCESS. WE ARE DEALING WITH A PRODUCT THAT YOU ALL VOTED TO ENGAGE IN A CONTRACT WITH, ACTUALLY. UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS YOU AND COUNCILMAN BARTHOLOMEW WHO MAYBE DID NOT VOTE FOR THAT CONTRACT, BUT, UM, YOU ARE PAYING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR A PRODUCT THAT'S NOT DEVELOPED. IT DOESN'T EXIST YET. YOU'RE WELCOME. IS ANYONE ELSE ON COUNCIL? YES, SIR. COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM. TWO QUESTIONS. ONE, I WAS WAS GONNA ASK PART OF WHAT SHE ASKED. SO IS THE TOOLS YOU NEED IN THAT SOFTWARE READY TO GO YET? NO. NO. AND I SHARED THAT WITH YOU THE LAST TIME I SPOKE AND UH, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THAT CLEAR. WE LEARNED A COUPLE WEEKS AGO ACTUALLY THAT ANOTHER ELEMENT, THE TAX SALE ASPECT AND DELINQUENCY ASPECT OF THE SOFTWARE IS NOT BUILT EITHER. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS THIS REQUESTED BUDGET THAT YOU HAVE HERE, DOES IT FULFILL ALL THE NEEDS THAT YOU NEED IN YOUR DEPARTMENT TO CONTINUE TO BE SUCCESSFUL? I WANNA [00:35:01] BE VERY CLEAR ON WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME. I DO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME, WHAT I HAVE ATTACHED SINCE THERE IS A TENDENCY TO ALTER WHAT I'VE SUBMITTED IN THE PAST. I'M NOT SAYING IT WILL HAPPEN NOW, BUT I WANNA BE CLEAR WHAT I'VE SUBMITTED TO YOU AND WHAT IS ATTACHED TO YOUR AGENDA PACKET. ABSOLUTELY YES. 2.4 8 4 1 7 1 0.3. SHOULDN'T LOOK AT IT UPSIDE DOWN. NOW, SHOULD I, UH, THE, OUR FISCAL YEAR 2027 REQUEST IS 2.901 2.901 MILLION. YES. YES. PERCENT INCREASES. I BOTH OF THEM ON HERE. OKAY. DON'T GIMME A PANIC NOW. PERCENT INCREASE. I'M SORRY. YES. WHAT PERCENT INCREASE IS THAT OVER, OVER THIS CURRENT FISCAL? UM, THAT IS, I DON'T HAVE THE PERCENTAGE, BUT IF YOU, SOMEONE WOULD WISH TO CALCULATE IT. UH, THE DIFFERENCE IS $336,000. THE ENTIRETY OF THAT IS PERSONNEL. THERE IS NO OTHER LINE ITEM THAT IS INCREASED THAT I'M ASKING FOR AN INCREASE FOR ELSE. LAST QUESTIONS. HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY. THANK YOU. AND ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS. ALRIGHT, WE ARE DOWN TO NUMBER 10. YES MA'AM. 2.9. MAY I COMMENT ABOUT THE MILLAGE? YOU SAID TO WAIT UNTIL WE WERE BACK ON? OH, SURE. YOUR MILLAGE PLEASE. I, BECAUSE THAT WAS ASKED. UM, THIS IS MORE ANECDOTAL. IT'S NOT TELLING YOU WHAT TO DO. I, I WOULD HOPE THAT WE CAN LOWER TAXES FOR OUR CITIZENS, BUT AS THE TEAM THAT HANDLES ON AVERAGE 600 CALLS A DAY, I WANNA JUST EMPHASIZE SOMETHING. OKAY. YOU CAN KEEP THE MILLAGE RATE THE SAME AND CUSTOMERS TAXES GO UP. YOU CAN EVEN LOWER THE MILLAGE AND CUSTOMER'S TAXES GO UP. AND HERE'S WHY. BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE COMMUNICATING IN A LANGUAGE THAT IS JUST BEAUFORT COUNTY. BUT ON OUR END AND ON OUR CITIZEN'S END, THEY ARE DEALING WITH MULTIPLE AGENCIES ON THAT TAX BILL. AND SO I JUST ASK THAT WHILE IT WOULD BE A TAX DECREASE FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY, OUR CITIZENS MAY NOT ACTUALLY SEE THAT ON THEIR BOTTOM LINE BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER AGENCIES THAT DON'T REPORT TO YOU, THE TOWNS, UM, AND THE OTHER PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICTS AND WHATEVER. AND SO I JUST, I JUST ASK BECAUSE MY TEAM WILL GET THAT CALL TO SAY WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A TAX DECREASE AND IT STAYED THE SAME OR IT WENT UP TO BE MINDFUL OF, OF HOW WE'RE PRESENTING THINGS. BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME IN MY 15 YEARS WHEN COUNCIL HAS LOWERED TAXES BY MEANS OF LOWERING THE MILLAGE RATE, OUR TAXPAYERS ARE STILL NOT SEEING A TAX DECREASE ON THEIR BOTTOM LINE BILL. AND IT DOES CAUSE SOME GRA PHONE CALLS. CAN I FOLLOW UP WITH ONE QUESTION? THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION. YOU'RE WELCOME. EXCELLENT. ONE QUESTION FOLLOW UP. YES SIR. THINK ABOUT WHAT HILTON HAD JUST DID RIGHT ABOUT A MONTH AGO. THEY LOWERED THEIR MILLAGE. THAT'S STRICTLY MUNICIPALITY, THAT'S JUST THE FOLKS THAT LIVE ON HILTON HEAD THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH UNINCORPORATED. YES. AND IF YOU HAVE, UM, I'M SO SORRY AND I DO NEED TO MAKE ANOTHER COMMENT. UM, I HAVEN'T LOOKED TODAY, BUT I'M GONNA BET I'M RIGHT. THE MAJORITY OF YOUR GROWTH IS ACTUALLY NOT FROM NEW CONSTRUCTION. YOUR VALUE, YOUR ADDED VALUE, IT'S GOING TO BE FROM PROPERTY TRANSFERS BECAUSE WE ARE HAVING PROPERTY TRANSFERS IN A FAR GREATER NUMBER THAN WE ARE NEW HOMES BEING BUILT. AND SO THERE ARE SO MANY FACTORS TO WHAT YOU'VE JUST SAID. THE TOWN OF HILTON HAD TO LOWER THEIR MILLAGE AND IF THAT TAXPAYER TRANSFERRED THEIR PROPERTY, THEY MAY END UP SEEING A TAX INCREASE DESPITE A LOWER A, A LOWER MILLAGE. WE, WE AS A COLLECTIVE, I DON'T MEAN COUNSEL, BUT WE AS A COLLECTIVE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THERE'S THE TAX BILL AND TAXATION IS A MULTIFACETED PROCESS AND DOCUMENT COULD, LET ME JUST THROW THIS AT YOU THEN. WHY DON'T YOU OFFER A WORKSHOP WITH COUNSEL SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND, I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BETTER ALL THESE INTRICATE MOVING PARTS. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO THAT AT AT I'VE LET THE VICE CHAIR KNOW. I'M HAPPY TO SPEAK. SHE SPEAKS OFTEN ABOUT WELL LISTEN, IT MEANS FROM ME TO YOU, WHICH IS NOT OFTEN. PLEASE DO. LET'S CONSIDER THAT. OKAY. OKAY. WE'LL PUT IT, WE'LL, UM, CONSIDER THAT. THANK YOU FOR THE SUGGESTION. IF I RECEIVE AN INVITATION, I WILL ARRIVE. I WANNA SAY ONE OTHER THING. MS. WALLS, WHEN THE TAX BILLS WENT OUT THIS YEAR WITH THE CONUNDRUM OF WHAT WE PAY, SO I DID ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM PEOPLE. IT REALLY CAME DOWN TO THEY DIDN'T LOOK AT THEIR BOTTOM LINE. THEY LOOKED AT WHY ARE WE GIVING MONEY TO THIS? WHY ARE WE GIVING MONEY TO THIS? YES. AND THAT'S FOR COUNSEL TO EXPLAIN BECAUSE WE APPROVED THE BUDGET. SO WE ALL NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF [00:40:01] WHAT THE PEOPLE ACTUALLY CALLED TO COMPLAINT ABOUT. I MEAN, YES. THEY SAID, MY TEXTBOOK WENT DOWN $2. THEY DIDN'T CARE. THEY LOOKED AT YOUR FUNDING, THIS, THIS, THIS, AND THIS. CORRECT. AND SO ANY CALL YOU GOT, WE GOT FIRST. I KNOW. AND ON TOP OF THAT, WHAT'D YOU SAY? YOU GAVE 'EM OUR PHONE NUMBER. . NO. YOU KNOW WHAT'S FUNNY? I ONLY GAVE THEM HERS BECAUSE SHE ASKED . I OFFERED TO TAKE THE PAUSE. I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT. I, MY, I AM ALWAYS GONNA BE OVERLY CAUTIOUS ABOUT ANY CHANGES ON THE TAX BILL BECAUSE WE'RE SENDING OUT 400,000 AND I ONLY HAVE SO MANY EMPLOYEES AND IF SOMETHING IS TAKEN THE WRONG WAY OR MISUNDERSTOOD OR, OR YOU KNOW, BECOMES AN ISSUE, I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT VOLUME. SO THE FREAK OUT DIDN'T HAPPEN. AND I'M, THAT'S, I APPRECIATE IT. PEOPLE WOULD CALL ME AND THEY'D SAY, WELL, THE TREASURER'S OFFICE HAS SAID I COULD CALL YOU. AND I'M LIKE, SHE'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. YES, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THE CALL BECAUSE WE OVER, WE WERE OVERBURDENING YOU, YOUR OFFICE WITH THOSE KINDS OF CALLS. IT WAS, WAS NOT THE OVERWHELMING RESPONSE THAT WE WERE EXPECTING, WHICH IS OKAY. BUT I AM GLAD THOSE CITIZENS VOICE THEIR OPINIONS. I'M HAPPY TO OWN IT. AND IT, IT REALLY HELPED I THINK PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND TRANSPARENCY ON OUR BILLS SO THAT THEY KNEW WHERE THEIR MONEY WAS GONE PER SECOND. YEAH, SURE. YES. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY. ALL RIGHT. UH, NEXT IS OUR APPROVAL AND CHAIRMAN. YES SIR. BEFORE WE GO. UM, AND, AND I HEARD IN THE CONVERSATION, NO, NO, NOT, NOT YOU, MS. WALLS, YOU GO AHEAD, DO YOUR THING . UM, OKAY. YOU CAN ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, AND I AGREE THAT THEY SHOULD BE A WORKSHOP, UM, ON THE TREASURER. OKAY. WELL, WHAT I'D LIKE TO CHALLENGE THE COUNCIL TO DO IS GIVE A LIST OF QUESTIONS YOU WANT ADDRESS AT THE NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. I BELIEVE IN THE WORKSHOP AND I THINK THE, NOT JUST OPEN-ENDED, THE, THE, NO, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE, UM, THE TREASURER AND THE AUDITOR AND THE ASSESSOR A PART OF THAT WORKSHOP BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, I MEAN THE TREASURER JUST COLLECT THE MONEY. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THE ASSESSOR, UM, ASSESSING THOSE PROPERTY AND THEN THE AUDITOR ADDING WHAT LEGAL MATTER, UH, NEEDS TO BE DONE TO THIS STUFF. OKAY. SO I THINK THOSE THREE PARTS NEED TO BE IN THERE. AT THE SAME TIME, IF YOU DO IT, I WOULD ASK THAT ALL THE CANDIDATES AFTER JULY WHEN, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE COMING ON TO HAVE, BE A PART OF THAT WORKSHOP TOO, THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMIC AFTER NOVEMBER ELECTIONS. YOU MEAN AFTER THE PRIMARY ? AFTER THE PRIMARY. OKAY. WELL YOU MAY WANT TO DO IT AFTER THE ELECTION, THEN THEY KNOW FOR SURE, BUT ALRIGHT. YOU KNOW, AT LEAST AFTER THE PRIMARY AND STUFF. OKAY. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE WILL TAKE, HOPEFULLY COULD BE PART OF OUR ORIENTATION IN JANUARY. AND SHE, WELL, THE ORIENTATION PROBABLY START IN DECEMBER, I THINK. YEAH. SO, OKAY. UM, GOOD SUGGESTIONS. SO NOT JUST A WORKSHOP WITH THE TREASURER, ALL THREE OF THEM AN EDUCATION WORKSHOP. YES. WE, I'LL SEND OUT SOMETHING FOLLOWING FOLLOW UP WITH SOME. I APPRECIATE THAT. THAT'S EXCELLENT. OKAY. THANK YOU. GREAT. PERFECT. ALL RIGHT. MOVING DOWN [10. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA ] TO NUMBER 10, APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. WE HAD THREE ITEMS ON IT. DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS I'LL SECOND THAT AND A SECOND BY MS. BROWN. ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA, MR. DAWSON? YEP. AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE NUMBER 11. [Items 11.a & 11.b] A UH, FIRST AGENDA ITEM IS A CONTRACT IN NICK'S CONSTRUCTION FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUCK WALTER RECREATION ATHLETIC COMPLEX EXPANSION PROJECT FOR UM, HMM. QUITE A FEW DOLLARS THERE, ISN'T IT? 8 MILLION EIGHT. LEMME GET MY GLASSES ON. 8,000,306 $16,000 TO VOTE AT PUBLIC FACILITIES WAS ON APRIL 20TH. 10 TO NOTHING. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. MOTION SECOND THAT BY LOGAN CUNNINGHAM AND A SECOND BY MS. TABER. AND NOW IS OPEN FOR ANY DISCUSSION. NO DISCUSSION. WELL, WE, WE DID HAVE SOME DISCUSSION AT COMMITTEE MEETING ABOUT THIS. UM, I GUESS I WOULD DEFER TO JARED IF WE ARE GOOD TO GO WITH THAT. OKAY. I'M GONNA PULL 'EM UP IF WE CAN. SO THE DISCUSSION AT COMMITTEE WAS THIS IS, THIS IS ONLY HALF THE PROJECT AT THE $8.3 MILLION. UM, WE KNOW WE CAN DO THE FULL PROJECT AND SAVE ABOUT FIVE TO SIX YEARS OF DELAY, INCLUDING SAVING ON THE PERMITS IF WE FULLY FUND IT, WHICH IS AROUND 15 MILLION. UM, SO THE CONVERSATION WE WERE HAVING IS TRYING TO FULLY FUND THIS PROJECT AND USING GENERAL FUNDS TO COVER THE REST OF THE COSTS THAT WON'T BE PAID FOR ON THE IMPACT FEES. SO I BELIEVE YOU AND THERE'S PINKY COMING UP RIGHT NOW. . YEAH. SO THIS, THE WAY THIS WAS PROJECT WAS BID IS, UM, THE ENTIRETY OF THE PROJECT IS FOR FOUR ADDITIONAL SOCCER FIELDS AND MULTI-USE FIELDS. UM, [00:45:01] TWO ADJACENT TO THE BACK, TWO SOCCER FIELDS WITH ADDITIONAL PARKING AND THEN TWO NEAR THE FRONT ENTRANCE. UM, WE BROKE IT INTO PHASING 'CAUSE WE KNOW WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH IN IMPACT FUNDS FOR THE ENTIRETY OF WHAT WE ANTICIPATED THE COST TO COME BACK AS. AND THE COST CAME BACK FOR PHASE ONE, WHICH INCLUDED THE BACK FIELDS AND THE SITE GRADING FOR THE FRONT TWO FIELDS, NOT THE ACTUAL COMPLETION OF THOSE FIELDS. UM, AND ENTIRETY OF THE COST CAME BACK, UM, WITH THE $8 MILLION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE FULL COST WE DID AS AN ALTERNATE JUST SO WE'D HAVE A PRICE AND IF WE WANTED TO ADD OTHER FUNDING SOURCES SO WE COULD DO SO. AND THAT COST CAME IN ABOUT $12.4 MILLION WHEN YOU PUT ON WHAT WE SEPARATED ALSO THE LIGHTS, THEIR SPECIALTY LIGHTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED, WHICH IS THE NEXT ITEM I BELIEVE, UM, THAT ARE BALL FIELD LIGHTS SPECIFIC TO ATHLETIC FIELDS. SO WE SEPARATED THAT WITH A SOURCE, WELL DIRECT CONTRACT. AND WHEN YOU PUT ALL THAT TOGETHER, YOU GET TO THE TOTAL, I BELIEVE IT'S 14.6, I THINK THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT WE WERE WORKING THROUGH. SO, UM, WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE VIA IMPACT FEES IS AROUND 9.5. SO WE HAVE ENOUGH TO AWARD THE PROJECT IN THE FIRST PHASE AND LIGHTS WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS. IF WE WANT TO DO THE EXTRA, THEN THAT WOULD BE A, UM, IF YOU DO IT NOW, WE'D HAVE TO PRO, UH, PROVE IT CONTINGENT UPON THAT OTHER SOURCE BEING REAPPROPRIATED AND, UH, A BOND. I MEAN, UM, UH, ORDINANCE AMENDMENT FOR THAT APPROPRIATION. OR IF YOU MOVED IT FORWARD NOW AND APPROVED IT AS IS, THEN THE SECONDARY ACTION WOULD COME BACK WITH A CHANGE ORDER OR A CONTRACT AMENDMENT TO THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT. HOPEFULLY THAT QUESTION. YES, SIR. SO MY, I HAVE A COMMENT. MR. CUNNINGHAM'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS LONGER THAN I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL. THIS IS THREE AND A HALF YEARS I'VE BEEN WITH HIM ON THIS SOUTH OF THE BROAD NEEDS, THESE IMPROVEMENTS. AND SO I APPLAUD MOVING THIS FORWARD AND I WOULD LIKE US TO DO IT IN ONE FULL SWEEP, NOT DO IT 18 MONTHS AND COME BACK AND DISRUPT EVERYTHING FOR ANOTHER 18 MONTHS. THAT'S DISRUPTIVE TO THE, THE COMMUNITY. I BELIEVE BY THE BREAKDOWN WE HAD IN THE WORKSHOP. WE'LL SAVE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 1.8 TO 2.2 MILLION WITH THE COST INCREASE ON TOP OF FIVE YEARS THAT WE FIVE YEARS TO FINISH THIS ONE PLUS ANOTHER FIVE YEARS. SO IT'D BE A 10 YEAR PROJECT IF WE DON'T DO THIS ALL AT ONCE. OR WE COULD JUST THE STAFF RECOMMENDING THAT FOR FUNDING ADDITIONAL FUNDING. TERRY HAD FOUND TREASURY CHEST UNDER THE BROAD RIVER DIVING IN THE BROAD RIVER. UM, SO CURRENTLY WE HAVE A BUDGET ORDINANCE THAT'S COMING TO YOU LATER AMENDMENT ORDINANCE FOR, UM, FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET TO PULL FUNDS FROM, UM, FUND BALANCE. UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, ANOTHER ITEM ON THE AGENDA THAT WE DON'T KNOW WE WAY IS GOING. UM, SO DEPENDING ON HOW THINGS TURN OUT TODAY, WE HAVE A DRAFT READY TO BRING TO YOU. UM, IF YOU DO DECIDE TO FUND IT FROM FUND BALANCE, UM, THE OTHER FUND, WHETHER IT BE FROM THE OTHER ITEMS LISTED ON THE AGENDA TODAY OR ALL OF IT COMING FROM GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE. SO I DON'T KNOW A QUESTION FOR OUR YES SIR. NO, COUNCILMAN LAWSON. YOU SAY THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE $9 MILLION AS JARED JUST SAID IS COMING FROM IMPACT FEES AND THAT IS ACTUALLY WHAT'S COLLECTED WHENEVER A HOME WAS BUILT IN BLUFFTON. SO THAT MONEY'S COMING BACK FOR THIS, THESE FIELDS. UM, AGAIN, YOU LOOK AT THAT BUDGET AND SAY, WOW, THAT'S, THAT'S EXPENSIVE. BUT THESE FIELDS WILL BE ALL PURPOSE TURF, WHICH MEANS THEY CAN BE USED YEAR ROUND, UM, EVENING, MORNING, AFTERNOON, WHENEVER THAT IS. SO THAT WAY THE USE OF THOSE FIELDS WILL BE MAXIMIZED AS OPPOSED TO REAL, REAL GRASS FIELDS THAT YOU HAVE TO LET REST AND COME BACK AND, AND ISSUES AND PROBLEMS. SO AGAIN, THIS IS, THIS IS WHY AGAIN, THIS IS SO IMPORTANT FOR BLUFFTON. UM, AND WE'VE LOOKED FOR THIS AND LOOKED FOR OTHER PROPERTY AND TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO, TO DO THIS. 'CAUSE THEN BLUFFTON IS IN DIRE NEED OF, OF MORE FIELDS. COUNCILMAN GLOVER, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? UH, YES. MADAM COMMENT. MM-HMM . UM, THE, THE PROJECT ITSELF AS ON THE AMENDMENT, I MEAN THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR IS FULLY FUNDED RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT FEES YOU HAVE THE FUNDS THERE IN THE IMPACT FEES, YOU GOTTA SPEND THOSE MONEY. SO I'M GONNA SUPPORT THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR. ANY ADDITIONAL, UM, MOTION I CANNOT SUPPORT BECAUSE IT'S COMING OUTTA FUND BALANCE AND THAT'S A GREAT AMOUNT OF MONEY. NOW MY QUESTION, UM, THE TURF AND IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION THIS COUNCIL IS GOING INTO, THAT'S ONE THING. WHAT ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE OF THAT TURF? UM, ARE WE FACTORING THAT IN THERE? BECAUSE IF IT COSTS US NOW AND YOU GOTTA REPLACE IT OR YOU GOTTA [00:50:01] MAINTAIN IT, THAT'S GONNA BE EXPENSIVE. EXPENSIVE AS WELL. SO, YOU KNOW, MAINTAINING TURF, ARTIFICIAL TURF, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN PUT IT DOWN TODAY AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN. YOU GOTTA MAINTAIN IT. I DON'T KNOW THE FACTOR. HAVE YOU FACTORED THAT IN ALSO? UM, AS FAR AS THE OPERATION? 'CAUSE THAT WILL COME ON THE OPERATIONAL SIDE, WHICH MEANS THAT THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA GO UP UN JUST TO MAINTAIN THIS. YEAH. SO PARTS AND REC, THEY WOULD, UM, THEY WOULD INCORPORATE THAT INTO THEIR OPERATING BUDGET. THIS WON'T COME ONLINE FOR TWO YEARS, SO IT WON'T BE IN THIS UPCOMING OPERATING BUDGET. IT'LL BE THE NEXT OPERATING BUDGET THAT THAT'LL BE ANTICIPATED. UM, THE LEVEL OF MAINTENANCE INITIALLY IS, IS LOW. UM, THE REAL MAINTENANCE IS, IS THE, ONCE IT'S REACHED ITS LIFECYCLE AND YOU HAVE TO REPLACE IT. WHAT'S, WHAT IS THAT, WHAT IS THE LIFECYCLE? UM, I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE PARTS AND RECS WOULD BE BETTER TO ANSWER THAT. I APPRECIATE THAT ANSWER. YES, THANK YOU SIR. COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? YES MA'AM. SO OVER TIME, WHICH ONE'S MORE COST EFFICIENT? THE TURF OR SOD, WHICH YOU HAVE TO REPLACE ALL THE TIME BECAUSE THE LITTLE PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE IN THE MUD AND EVERYTHING ELSE. YEAH, WHAT WE, RIGHT NOW WHAT WE HAVE IS JUST GRASS, NOT EVEN SOD. AND SO THE FIELDS GET, IT'S PRETTY LOW RIGHT THERE AND THEY GET BOGGY AND YOU CAN'T USE 'EM OR IT GETS DRY LIKE IT IS NOW AND IT'S A DUST BOWL. AND SO, UM, THE OPERATIONAL, THIS GIVES US MORE TIME FOR USE OF THE FIELDS. WE'RE SPENDING MONEY TO MAKE FIELDS, WE WANNA BE ABLE TO USE THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS PROVIDES FOR. THANK YOU. I'M, IT IS OKAY. AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT IF THAT'S POSSIBLE. SURE, YEP. THE ADMINISTRATION, IF THEY HAD ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT, UM, BOTH OF Y'ALL RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE AWARD OF THE, NOT THE AWARD SO MUCH IS, BUT THE FUNDING TO DO THE OPTION AT THE SAME TIME. I'LL INVITE PINKY TO COME UP AND SPEAK TO THAT. SO, SORRY I WAS HELPING HIM OUT BY PULLING UP THE COST BID, BUT OVER TIME YOU'RE LOOKING AT, IF YOU BRING JUST WHAT HE PRESENTED TODAY AND FOUR YEARS, YOUR COST WILL GO UP TO $6.6 MILLION FROM 5.7 FOR THE ALTERNATE PER THE, SO THAT YOU'RE ADDING COSTS. AND TO HIS POINT WAS TIME ON THE PROJECT. UM, DO WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE FUNDING? YES, WE DO. UM, TO AWARD THE FULL WITH THE ALTERNATE, WE WOULD JUST AMEND THE AMENDMENT THAT WE'RE ALREADY BRINGING TO YOU NOW. OKAY. NOW BACK TO YOU COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM. YEAH, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO CHANGE THE VALUE FROM THE 8.316 TO CHANGE THE VALUE TO 12.4 MILLION TO FULLY FUND THIS PROJECT CONTINGENT ON THE APPROVAL OF, UM, FUNDING SECOND BY COUNCILMAN LAWSON. UM, ANY DISCUSSION OF THE AMENDMENT CHAIRMAN, I ALREADY SPOKE, UH, AGAINST THIS MOTION AS AMENDED. I THINK WE, COMING OUT OF THE FUND BALANCE, WE TALKING ABOUT, UM, DOING A PROJECT LIKE THIS HERE WHEN YOU HAVE ALL THE RECREATIONAL PROJECTS ACROSS THIS COUNTY THAT YOU WOULD NOT FUND, BUT YOU WOULD FUND THIS RIGHT HERE. UM, I FIND THAT KIND OF DISHEARTENING AND DIS DISHEARTENING AND DISTASTEFUL AT THIS TIME. ANY OTHER COMMENTS REGARDING THE AMENDMENT? OKAY, WE NEED, CAN, CAN I MAKE A COMMENT? YES. SO THE 12.4 ISN'T REALLY THE NUMBER THAT WE NEED TO GO WITH. SO IT'S, IT'S THE COMBINATION AND REALLY THESE GO TOGETHER. IT IS NO SENSE OF THIS AGENDA ITEM WITHOUT THE NEXT ONE, WITHOUT THE LIGHTS. UM, SO COLLECTIVELY THE NUMBERS FOR THE PHASE ONE IS $8.9 MILLION. UM, FOR PHASE TWO IT'S 5.7 MILLION. AND I'LL GET THE EXACT NUMBER IN JUST A SECOND. PINKY'S ADDING THAT EXACT NUMBER UP. SO THE COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO IS THE FULL COST OF THE PROJECT, THE LIGHTS AND THE CONTINGENCIES. SO IT'S 14.6 MILLION AND THAT INCLUDES THE LIGHTING. WOULD I HAVE TO MAKE THAT AMENDMENT FOR THE BUDGET ON THE, THE LIGHTING SIDE WHEN IT GETS TO THAT POINT THEN? YEAH, SO IT, IF YOU WANT TO, YOU COULD TAKE BOTH OF THESE ITEMS TOGETHER BECAUSE WHAT YOU REALLY ARE TRYING TO DO IS FUND THE ENTIRETY OF THE PROJECT. AND SO THE FULL VALUE OF THE COMBINED PROJECT COST IS $14,636,380. YOU LIKE TO WITHDRAW YOUR AMENDMENT? YES. I'LL, I'LL WITHDRAW MY AMENDMENT AND THEN I'M SURE HE'LL WITHDRAW HIS SECOND. YES. I'LL WITHDRAW THE SECOND AND THEN I WOULD MAKE THE MOTION TO TAKE A AND B TOGETHER AND CHANGE AND THEN MAKE AN AMENDMENT. WELL, LEMME GET A SECOND TO PUT, TAKE 'EM TOGETHER. I'D LIKE THAT SECOND. OKAY, THEN APPROVE THAT TO TAKE THEM TOGETHER A MOTION AND A SECOND TO AMEND IT TO 14.6. NO, NO. FIRST COMBINE THEM TO AMEND A AND B JUST TO COMBINE THEM, BUT NOT INTO ONE ITEM [00:55:01] BUT NOT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT. CORRECT. THEN I WILL CHANGE THE DOLLAR AMOUNT AFTERWARDS. MOTION TO COMBINE A AND B. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. UM, ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT COMBINING THOSE TWO ITEMS TOGETHER? UM, CHAIR? YES SIR. COUNCILMAN DAWSON? YEAH, I, UM, I, I I TOOK THE POSITION THAT COUNCILMAN GLOVER, UH, SHARED WITH, UH, COUNCIL JUST A MOMENT AGO. UH, THIS FIRST PHASE, UH, THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE, UH, UM, THAT'S BEING REQUESTED, EIGHT 8.3 MILLION. UH, UH, PORTION OF THAT IS BEING SUPPLEMENTED BY IMPACT FEES. AND SO I TAKE, I TAKE THE POSITION THAT THE SECOND, THE SECOND PHASE OF THIS SHOULD ALSO INVOLVE US, UM, USING SOME IMPACT FEES WHERE WE WANT TO WITHDRAW ALL OF THAT, UM, OUT OF THE, UH, GENERAL FUNDS. AND SO I'M, I'M GOING TO, I I'M NOT GONNA SUPPORT THE MOTION AS DRAFTED. OKAY. THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR NOW IS TO COMBINE A AND B. WE, WE WITHDREW THE PREVIOUS MOTION, PREVIOUS AMENDMENT. SO WE'RE VOTING ON COMBINING A AND B AS A STAND NOW WRITTEN THAT JUST AS THEY'RE WRITTEN IN THE AGENDA. CORRECT. SO I'D WANT EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE VOTING ON. UM, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION REGARDING COMBINING ITEMS A AND B? NO. OKAY. NEED TO HAVE, WE'LL HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE THEN FOR COMBINING THOSE TWO. AND THE TOTAL VALUE BEING 14,000,636. NO, WE'RE NOT ADDING THE DOLLAR AMOUNT. OH, I'M SORRY. NO, THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID. A DOING A AND B. WE'RE JUST VOTING TO COMBINE. IT'S JUST THE CURRENT VALUE IS THERE, IS THERE ANYONE WHO OBJECTS TO COMBINING ITEMS A AND B? NO. THE DOLLAR AMOUNT REMAINS THE SAME UNLESS THERE'S AN AMENDMENT TO THAT. I OBJECTS. HE OBJECTS. WHO IS MR. JOHNSON? OKAY, WE HAVE ONE OBJECTION. ALL RIGHT. TO COMBINING A AND B. ALL RIGHT, SO NOW WE HAVE A AND B COMBINED. DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER MOTIONS REGARDING THE COMBINATION? LOGAN, IF I, IF I MAY INTERJECT JUST FOR A MOMENT. YES. WOULD IT BE, WOULD IT BE CLEANER TO VOTE ON THIS AS IS BEFORE US AND THEN WORK ON THE AMENDMENT? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE UH, PUBLIC FACILITIES. IN THE PUBLIC FACILITIES IS TO HAVE THEM COME FORWARD WITH A A BUDGET AMENDMENT COLLECTIVELY. THAT'S IN THIS AGENDA THAT'S IN THE AGENDA. OH IT IS. I'M SORRY. MISSED THAT ONE. WE, HE HAD BOND COUNCIL PREPARE DRAFT FOR THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. WE HAVE A DRAFT REPAIRED, WHICH WE DISCUSSED IN THE WORKSHOP THAT IF THIS DOES GET APPROVED, THAT I WOULD HAVE THE AMENDMENT FOR THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE'RE ALREADY CURRENTLY MAKING FOR OTHER PROJECTS TO DO IT IN ONE ASSESSMENT. IT'S A QUESTION WHILE MR. HALBERT'S WONDERING WHICH DO WE HAVE ANY IMPACT FEES RIGHT NOW, MS. HARRIET? ANY EIGHT SOUTH OF THE BROAD, SOUTH OF THE BROAD, IT'S A LITTLE OVER 9.4 MILLION. OKAY. SO WE'RE GONNA EMPTY THAT ACCOUNT AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE STOPPED COLLECTING. YEAH. BUT WE ARE USING ALL OF THE IMPACT FEES WE HAVE SOUTH OF THE BROAD. RIGHT. AND THIS IS A PART OF THE OLD IMPACT FEE ORDINANCE PRIOR TO 2023 CHECKS MY IMPACT FEE GUY. UM, SO THIS BALANCE HAS BEEN CARRIED FORWARD AND IT'S SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS PROJECT. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS IN 22 WHEN I WAS HERE, WHICH LEGALLY WE HAVE TO SPEND A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME. YEAH. YOU HAVE TO SPEND THE OLD IMPACT FEES DOWN FIRST. YEAH. ANYTHING ELSE WITH THAT? SURE, YOU CAN, LET'S JUST TALK ABOUT IMPACT FEES FOR A SECOND. IT IS NEVER INTENDED WHEN YOU DO AN IMPACT FEE STUDY THAT IMPACT FEES BE THE SOLE SOURCE FOR ANY PROJECT. AND THE REASON WHY IS YOU'RE ONLY CHARGING THAT FEE ON NEW HOMES THAT ARE BEING BUILT. SO WHEN YOU HAVE THE PROJECTS, THE IDEA OF IMPACT FEES IS YOU ARE OFFSETTING THE IMPACT OF THOSE NEW DEVELOPMENTS. IT IS NEVER INTENDED THAT JUST THE PEOPLE BUILDING NEW HOMES WOULD FUND ALL NEW PROJECTS THAT WERE LISTED. SO THE PROPORTIONAL SHARE IS WRITTEN INTO THE STUDY WHEN YOU DO IT. AND THE PROBLEM THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT IS COST COSTS FOR THESE PROJECTS ESCALATE MUCH FASTER THAN WE COLLECT IMPACT FEES 'CAUSE IT'S NEVER MEANT TO BE THE SOLE SOURCE OF MONEY. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS, THESE, UM, PROJECTS HAVE BEEN ON THE IMPACT FEE LIST FOR LONGER THAN 10 YEARS. SO THE IDEA THAT WE COULD COLLECT IMPACT FEES TO PAY FOR PHASE TWO, IT'LL NEVER HAPPEN THAT WAY BECAUSE THE COST ESCALATIONS ALWAYS OUTSTRIP THE COLLECTIONS. SO I HOPE THAT HELPS. THANK YOU. SORRY. ALRIGHT, SO WE'VE COMBINED THESE TWO ITEMS. UM, WE DID THAT DAWSON VOTED NOT WOULD BE. AND WE HAVE ONE OBJECTION TO FULLY FUND THE PROJECT. $14,636,380. [01:00:06] WE'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION IF POSSIBLE. OKAY. SO WE YOU DON'T WANT WAIT TILL I'D LIKE, BUT IT HAS TO BE ADJUSTED HERE FIRST FOR THE BUDGET TO TAKE EFFECT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. RIGHT. SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THE TWO COMBINED ITEMS TO FULLY FUND THE PROJECT AT $14,000,636 $14,000,636 AND 300. WOW. 89. MY HANDWRITING'S ON POINT 14,000,636. $380. SECOND THAT SECOND BY COUNCILMAN LAWSON. UM, ANY DISCUSSION, EVERYONE UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'LL BE VOTING ON OR NOT? ANY QUESTIONS? CAN I MAKE ONE MORE COMMENT PLEASE? YES, MA'AM. WHEN WE FUND SOME ITEMS SINCE WE BROUGHT UP SOUTH OF THE BROAD, NORTH OF THE BROAD LIKE AGNES MAJOR AND THOSE, THEY DON'T HAVE IMPACT FEES LITERALLY CORRECT? NO. SO WHAT WE HAVE IN 23 WHEN WE UPDATED IT, WE'VE GOT A NORTH AND A SOUTH. CORRECT. SO PRESENTLY WE'RE SPINNING DOWN THE COLLECTIVE AND THEN THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH. SO, SO WHEN WE'RE DOING SOME THINGS NORTH OF THE BROAD, WE'RE WE'RE USING ARPA FUNDS, WE'RE USING OTHER FUNDS. SO THIS IS NOT OUT OF WHACK TO DO USE OUR IMPACT FEES AND THEN OTHER FUNDS. THAT'S CORRECT. AND, AND IMPACT FEES, THEY HAVE TO BE A SPECIFIC PROJECT THAT'S LISTED ON THE CAPITAL LIST INSIDE OF THE STUDY. SO, UM, NOT EVERY PROJECT ELIGIBLE IS ELIGIBLE, BUT WHEN IT IS ELIGIBLE, AS CHUCK ALLUDED TO, SOMETIMES IT TAKES MULTIPLE FUNDING SOURCES TO CHAIRMAN HOLD ACROSS THE LINE. YES SIR. COMMENT, I WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND YOU CORRECTLY. UM, ALL THE FUNDS IS COMING OUT OF FUND BALANCE RESERVE. THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING IN ON THIS. YES, NOT ALL OF IT. NO, NO, NO. 9.4 WOULD COME OUT OF THE IMPACT FEE FUND AND THEN THE REMAINDER OF THE 14, UM, 0.6, UH, MINUS THE 9.4. SO THAT'S FOUR POINT LITTLE LESS. YEAH, FIVE. THAT DIFFERENCE. I'M SORRY. UH, 14.6 MINUS, UH, 9.4. 9.4. SO, SO THAT'S 600, UH, THAT'S 0.2 MILLION WOULD COME FROM FUND BALANCE, IS THAT RIGHT? YES. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT I SAID. OKAY. YEAH, WE JUST WANTED TO CORRECT THE STATEMENT THAT NOT THE WHOLE PROJECT COST WAS NO, NO, HE SAID ALL THE FUNDS. SO THE, ALL THE FUNDS IS THE FUND BALANCE. OH YEAH. YES. I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO, THAT'S THAT'S, THAT'S BASICALLY, UM, WHEN YOU FUNDED THE AGNES C MAJOR, UM, PROJECT AND YOU FUNDED THE ST. HELLNER UM, PROJECT, YOU BASICALLY GOT USE ALL OF OPERA FUNDS, ARPA. YES, YES. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT AND I WANTED TO USE MORE TO ENLARGE THAT BUILDING, BUT I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO FUNDS. NOW YOU COME BACK AND SAY WE HAVE FUNDS THAT WE CAN GO AND FUND BALANCE. I FIND THAT KIND OF DISTASTEFUL. THAT'S ALL. NELSON RE YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP? NO, I'M GOOD. THANK YOU. OKAY. YOU GOOD? ANY OTHER COMMENT? YES, RYAN HOLBERT. COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM MAY CON WISH TO CONSIDER AMENDING HIS MOTION TO AMEND TO INCLUDE ALLOWING THE CONTRACT TO BE AMENDED TO COM TO ALLOW THE ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE THE CONTRACT TO COMPLETE BOTH PHASES OF THE PROJECT WHERE ALL THE FIELDS ARE CONSTRUCTED. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. , I MEAN THAT'S WHAT WE DISCUSSED AHEAD OF TIME IN THE WORKSHOP, SO THAT WAS, THAT'S WHY WE MADE SURE NICK'S CONSTRUCTION WAS ON BOARD AHEAD OF TIME. ARE YOU, WOULD YOU LIKE, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT TO THE AMENDMENT. YES. AMEND AMENDMENT IN THE AMEN. THE AMENDMENT. ALRIGHT. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD ONE THING THOUGH. WAIT, WE HAVE AN AMENDMENT WE HAVE IN A SECOND. OH, OKAY. ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT SECOND AMENDMENT? YES. COUNCILMAN PES IS A CONTINGENCY IN THE TOTAL OF THE 14. YES. YES. 10%. SO THIS INCLUDES THE TOTAL FROM NICK'S CONSTRUCTION, THE TOTAL FOR ALL FOUR LAGGING AND A 10% CONTINGENCY ON THE ENTIRETY OF THOSE ELEMENTS. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, SO WE HAVE THIS SECOND AMENDMENT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. UM, DO WE, DO WE NEED TO TAKE A ROLL CALL VOTE? OR, OR IS THERE ANYONE WITH OBJECTION TO THIS? WE HAVE ONE OBJECTION. TWO OBJECTION. ALRIGHT. GOT IT. GOT IT. MS. BROCK? YES, MA'AM. ALL RIGHT. SO NOW WE'RE GOOD. THE ONLY THING I WAS GONNA SAY WAS I MADE THIS COMMENT ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS AGO IN THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING. I KNOW PEOPLE CAN GET UPSET AND WANT TO HATE ON BLUFFTON, BUT IT IS COMING. MOST OF THIS IS BEING PAID FOR BY IMPACT FEES. PEOPLE SAY THEY DON'T WANT GROWTH TO COME, BUT WHEN GROWTH COMES, THINGS DO GET FUNDED. SO I SAID BEFORE EVERYBODY WANTS TO TURN AWAY ANY GROWTH IN AREAS, BUT THEN THEY DON'T GET OTHER THINGS IN RETURN THAT OTHER PLACES ARE GETTING. SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO HAVE BOTH SIDES. [01:05:01] I HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE PRESSURES OF TRAFFIC AND GROWTH IN MY AREA. BUT ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE TO DEAL WITH IS MAKING SURE THOSE PEOPLE THAT DID MOVE HERE, THAT ARE FUNDING THIS COUNTY HAVE A PLACE TO HAVE RECREATION. SO THAT'S WHY I FOUGHT FOR THIS FOR FIVE YEARS NOW, SIX YEARS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT AND I'M JUST HAPPY TO FINALLY SEE IT GET DONE. YES. ARE WE WE'RE DONE WITH A AND B THEN I'M LOOKING TO JARED AND PINKY. AND YOU NEED TO VOTE ON THE MOTION AS AMENDED. CORRECT? WELL, WE HAD TWO OBJECTIONS TO IT. TO THE MOTION AS AMEND, WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THE MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED. OKAY. WE'LL VOTE ON THE MAIN MOTION. UM, AS AMEND AS AMENDED. TWICE. IT WAS AMENDED TWICE. ALL IN FAVOR BY SHOW OF HANDS OF THE MAIN AMENDMENT AS AMENDED BY SHOW OF HANDS. ALRIGHT. AND OBJECT? NO, WE HAVE TWO AGAINST SOME MAIN MOTION. CA. COUNCILMAN DAWSON, ARE YOU, YOU'RE A NO? YES, HE'S A NO. OKAY, GOT IT. WE'RE GOOD NOW. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. YEP. ALRIGHT. UM, [11.c. Reappointment of Daniel Anderson to the Construction Adjustments and Appeals Board for a third term of four years, with an expiration date of April 2030. ] WE ARE ON C WE HAVE SEVERAL REAPPOINTMENTS. WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THESE, UH, PRETTY RAPIDLY. C IS REAPPOINTMENT OF DANIEL ANDERSON TO THE CONSTRUCTION ADJUSTMENTS AND APPEALS BOARD FOR A THIRD TERM OF FOUR YEARS. THIS REQUIRES, BECAUSE IT'S A THIRD TERM, REQUIRES, UM, WE ONLY HAVE 10 OF US HERE, SO IT REQUIRES A 10 OF 11 VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR OF DANIEL. MOTION TO PUT IT ON THE FLOOR. YES. SO MOVED. SECOND. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. UM, WE HAVE INTERVIEWED THESE PEOPLE ALL IN FAVOR, REAPPOINTMENT OF DANIEL ANDERSON. AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS. ALRIGHT, [11.d. Reappointment of Janet Porter to the Library Board for a third term of four years, with an expiration date of April 2030.] I NEED A MOTION FOR REAPPOINTMENT OF, UM, JANET PORTER TO THE LIBRARY BOARD FOR A THIRD TERM OF FOUR YEARS, WITH A EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2030. DO THEY HAVE A MOTION? MOTION. MOTION, MR. PASSMAN? SECOND. SECOND. UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF REAPPOINTMENT OF JANET PORTER. THAT WILL REQUIRE A VOTE OF 10. THANK YOU. [11.e. Reappointment of Robert Bible to the Board of Assessment Appeals for a second term of four years, with an expiration date of April 2030. ] REAPPOINTMENT OF, UH, ROBERT BIBLE. THAT'S BY BIBLE TO THE BOARD OF ASSESSMENT APPEALS FOR A SECOND TERM OF FOUR YEARS WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2030. AND THAT REQUIRES EIGHT OUT OF 11 VOTES. DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO REAPPOINT HIM? A MOTION BY MS. BROWN? SECOND. WE HAVE A SECOND BY MR. BARTHOLOMEW. ALL IN FAVOR FOR REAPPOINTMENT OF BOB BIBLE THAT IS UNANIMOUS TO THE ASSESSMENT BOARD OF ASSESSMENT [11.f. Reappointment of Jessica Reitz to the Keep Beautiful Beaufort Board for a second term of four years, with an expiration date of April 2030.] APPEALS REAPPOINTMENT OF JESSICA REITS. IS SHE RELATED TO YOU? NOT THAT I KNOW OF. . OKAY. OF THE KEEP BEAUFORT BEAUTIFUL BOARD FOR A SECOND TERM OF FOUR YEARS WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2030. DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? DID YOU GET THE SECOND? OKAY. THANK YOU. [11.g. Reappointment of Bruce Kline to the Construction Adjustments and Appeals Board for a fourth term of four years, with an expiration date of April 2030. ] REAPPOINTMENT OF BRUCE KLEIN. THAT WOULD BE CHIEF KLEIN TO THE CONSTRUCTION ADJUSTMENTS AND APPEALS BOARD FOR A FOURTH TERM OF FOUR YEARS, WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2030. THAT WILL REQUIRE A VOTE OF, UH, 10 OUT OF 10. ALL IN FAVOR? A MOTION. WE HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR BY SHOW OF HANDS. AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS APPOINTMENT [11.h. Appointment of Sara Miller, District 4, to the Keep Beaufort County Beautiful Board for a four-year term with an expiration date of April 2030. ] OF SARAH MILLER, DISTRICT FOUR, TO KEEP BEAUFORT COUNTY BEAUTIFUL BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2030. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? NO MOTION. NO MOTION BY MS. BROWN. A SECOND. SECOND. SECOND. A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM. ALL IN FAVOR? AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS. [11.i. Appointment of Hattie Brown, District 1, to the Library Board for a four-year term with an expiration date of April 2030. ] UM, APPOINTMENT OF HATTIE BROWN, DISTRICT ONE TO THE LIBRARY BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM WITH AN EX EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2030. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN PASSMAN. AND A SECOND. SECOND. SECOND. I SECOND BY COUNCILMAN DAWSON AND HIS DISTRICT. ALL IN FAVOR BY SHOW OF HANDS. AND THAT'S UNANIMOUS [11.j. Reappointment of Thomas Peth to the Daufuskie Island Fire District Board for a second term of four years, with an expiration date of April 2030.] REAPPOINTMENT OF THOMAS PTH TO THE DUSKY ISLAND FIRE DISTRICT BOARD FOR A SECOND TERM OF FOUR YEARS, WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2030. I'LL MAKE MOTION. I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN LAWSON AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM. ALL IN FAVOR BY SHOW OF HANDS. THANK YOU. [11.k. Reappointment of Nancy Ludtke to the Daufuskie Island Fire District Board for a third term of four years, with an expiration date of April 2030.] REAPPOINTMENT OF NANCY. OKAY. TO THE DUSKY ISLAND FIRE DISTRICT FOR A THIRD TERM OF FOUR YEARS, WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2030. MAKE THAT MOTION A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN DAWSON. DO WE HAVE A SEC? SECOND. I SECOND A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN TABER NECK. UM, ALL IN FAVOR BY SHOW OF HANDS. LET'S SEE. [11.l. Reappointment of Galen Sturup-Comeau to the Disabilities and Special Needs Board for a third term of four years, with an expiration date of April 2030, pending approval by the Governors Office.] UNANIMOUS REAPPOINTMENT OF GAEM STIRRUP COM COMMUNE TO THE DISABILITY AND SPECIAL NEEDS BOARD FOR A THIRD TERM OF FOUR YEARS WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2030. UM, AND THAT WILL BE PENDING APPROVAL BY THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE. DO WE HAVE A MOTION, UH, BY COUNCILMAN GLOVER? SO, MOVE? YES. ALL RIGHT. A SECOND. SECOND IT AND A SECOND BY DA BY DAVID BARTHOLOMEW. ALL IN FAVOR? AND THAT'S UNANIMOUS. [11.m. Reappointment of Barbara Childs to the Lowcounty Regional Transportation Authority (Palmetto Breeze) for a fifth term of three years, with an expiration date of April 2029. ] [01:10:01] ALL RIGHT. REAPPOINTMENT OF MS. BARBARA CHILES TO THE LOW COUNTRY REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY. UM, THAT'S PALMETTO BREEZE FOR A FIFTH TERM OF THREE YEARS WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF 20 APRIL, 2029. SO MOVED. ALRIGHT, SECOND. YOU HAVE A SECOND? I SECOND. I SECOND. I SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR BY SHOW OF HANDS. ALRIGHT. [11.n. Reappointment of Henry Criss to the Lowcountry Regional Transportation Authority (Palmetto Breeze) for a second term of three years, with an expiration date of April 2029. ] REAPPOINTMENT OF HENRY CHRIS TO THE LOW COUNTRY REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, PALMETTO BREEZE FOR A SECOND TERM OF THREE YEARS WITH AN EXPIRATION OF APRIL, 2029. DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. YEP. ALRIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN REESE. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? A SECOND AND SECOND BY COUNCILMAN GLOVER. ALL IN FAVOR BY SHOW OF HANDS, ALL REAPPOINTMENT [11.o. Reappointment of Lynne Hoos to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a third term of three years, with an expiration date of April 2029.] OF LYNN HUS TO THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS FOR A THIRD TERM OF THREE YEARS, WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2029. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? I MOVED SECOND. I THINK I HEARD COUNCILMAN PASS AT FIRST AND WE HAD A SECOND. A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? OKAY. RIGHT. UM, APPOINTMENT [11.p. Reappointment of Chet Houston to the Lady's Island/St. Helena Island Fire District Commission for a third term of four years, with an expiration date of April 2030, pending approval by the Governor's Office.] OF CHEF HOUSETON TO THE LADIES ISLAND ST. HELENA. UH, ISLAND FORT FIRE DISTRICT COMMISSIONED FOR A THIRD TERM OF FOUR YEARS WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF 20 APRIL, 2020, 2030. AND THIS IS PENDING APPROVAL BY THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE. ALL IN FAVOR? UH, I MEAN, WE NEED A MOTION. I'M SORRY. A MOVE. A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN GLOVER AND SECOND BY, UM, COUNCILMAN BARTHOLOMEW. ALL IN FAVOR BY SHOW OF HANDS OF MR. HOUSTON HOUSTON. [11.q. Appointment of Charles Newton to the Planning Commission for a three-year term with an expiration date of April 2029. ] ALL RIGHT. APPOINTMENT OF CHARLES NEWTON TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR A THREE YEAR TERM WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2029. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? I'M MAKE A MOTION. MOTION. SECOND. THAT SECOND BY DAVID. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN GLOVER. ALL IN FAVOR? I SHOW HANDS. THAT IS UNANIMOUS [11.r. Reappointment of Bruce Yeager to the Parks and Recreation Board for a fifth term of four years, with an expiration date of April 2030. ] APPOINTMENT OF BRUCE JAGER TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD FOR A FIFTH TERM WOW. OF FOUR YEARS WITH EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2030. DO WE'D LIKE THAT MOTION? OKAY. COUNCILMAN LAWSON? DO WE HAVE A SECOND? A SECOND. COUNCILMAN GLOVER. ALL IN FAVOR BY SHOW OF HANDS. UM, AT IS UNANIMOUS [11.s. Appointment of Rick Krob to the Bluffton Township Fire District Board for a four-year term with an expiration date of April 2030. ] APPOINTMENT OF RICK CROW CROW TO THE BLUFFTON TOWNSHIP FIRE DISTRICT. AM I SAYING THAT CROWE CROWE, UM, BLUFFTON TOWNSHIP FIRE DISTRICT BOARD FOR FOUR YEAR TERM WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2030 ALL MOVED? NO SECONDARY. SECOND, THAT MOTION BY COUNT. COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN TABER. ALL IN FAVOR BY SHOW OF HANDS, [11.t. Appointment of Phillip Mansker to the Parks and Recreation Board for a four-year term with an expiration date of April 2030. ] APPOINTMENT OF PHILLIP, UH, MASSACRE TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD FOR FOUR YEAR TERM WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2030. I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN LAWSON. SECOND. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM. ALL IN FAVOR BY SHOW OF HANDS. ALL RIGHT. [11.u. Appointment of Celina Morello to the Design Review Board for a four-year term with an expiration date of April 2030. ] APPOINTMENT OF SELENA MOREO TO THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2030. SECOND. COUNCILMAN BROWN MADE THE MOTION AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM. ALL IN FAVOR? SO I HANDS MS. MORELL, DID EVERYONE VOTE ON THAT ONE? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. [11.v. Appointment of Caroline Atkins to the Design Review Board for a four-year term with an expiration date of April 2030. ] UM, APPOINTMENT OF CAROLINE ATKINS TO THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2030. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MS. BROWN. SECOND. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM. ALL IN FAVOR? SHOW OF HANDS. THANK YOU. I KNOW TO THE PUBLIC THIS SEEMS LIKE A LOT, BUT WE, UM, SPENT A OF TIME THAT ARE GONNA TIME REVIEW THESE PEOPLE. YES, IT'S, IT IS. WE ARE VERY THANKFUL FOR THESE VOLUNTEERS. APPOINTMENT [11.w. Appointment of Elizabeth Epstein to the Design Review Board for a four-year term with an expiration date of April 2030. ] OF ELIZABETH EPSTEIN TO THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2030. I I NEED A MOTION NOMINATE. MOTION. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN LAWSON. A SECOND. SECOND. A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN PASSIT. ALL IN FAVOR BY SHOW OF HANDS. ALL RIGHT. [11.x. Appointment of Adam Saslow, District 8, to the Stormwater Management Utility Board for a four year term with an expiration date of April 2030. ] APPOINTMENT OF ADAM SANDLOW, DISTRICT EIGHT TO THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT UTILITY BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2030. I WILL MOTION A SECOND. THAT MOTION BY COUNCILMAN BROWN AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN LAWSON. ALL IN FAVOR? AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS [11.y. Appointment of Dee Simpson, District 4, to the Stormwater Management Utility Board for a four year term with an expiration date of April 2030. ] APPOINTMENT OF D SIMPSON DISTRICT FOUR TO THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2030. I'D LIKE TO MAKE THAT MOTION. WELL THEN I'LL SECOND IT FOR YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR OF MS. SIMPSON. ALL RIGHT. AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS [11.z. Reappointment of Paul Manning to the Beaufort County Transportation Committee for a second term of four years, with an expiration date of April 2030. ] REAPPOINTMENT OF PAUL MANNING TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE FOR A [01:15:01] SECOND TERM OF FOUR YEARS, WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2030. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. I'LL SECOND THAT. ABER NECK AND COUNCILMAN REE. THANK YOU. MAD CHAIRMAN. WHAT, WHAT DISTRICT IS HE IN? SEVEN. SEVEN DISTRICT. DISTRICT SEVEN. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. DISTRICT SEVEN. UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF MR. PAUL MANNING FOR THE CTC THANK YOU APPOINTMENT [11.aa. Appointment of Nick Borreggine to the Accommodations State (2%) Tax Board for a four-year term with an expiration date of April 2030. ] OF NICK BNI. DID I PRONOUNCE I DON I THINK I SAID THAT RIGHT, DIDN'T I? BNI? YEAH. CLOSE ENOUGH. APPOINTMENT OF NICK BANI TO THE ACCOMMODATION STATE 2% TAX BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL, 2030. WELL, ON A SECOND. ALL MOTION MADE BY MS. TABER AND SECOND BY MR. BAROLO. ALL IN FAVOR OF NICK FOR THE ACCOMMODATION TAX BOARD. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. OKAY. THAT WAS FINE. WELL, GOOD JOB ORDINANCES. YEAH. OKAY. [12.a. 2026/08: An ordinance to amend Ordinance 2023/26 to reallocate funds previously appropriated for Daufuskie Island Ferry embarkation points to Sun City Joint Fire/EMS Station (Station #39). ] ORDINANCE FOR THIRD READING 2026 SLASH OH EIGHT IS AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORDINANCE 2023 SLASH 26 TO REALLOCATE FUNDS PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED FOR DUSKY ISLAND FERRY EMBARKATION POINTS TO SUN CITY JOINT FIRE EMS STATION, WHICH IS REFERRED TO AS STATION 39. THE VOTE AT FINANCE COMMITTEE WAS ON MARCH 16TH, WAS EIGHT ZERO THE VOTE AT FIRST READING MARCH 23RD WAS 11 ZERO. AND THE VOTE AT SECOND READING WITH A PUBLIC HEARING WAS 10 ZERO. SO MOVED. MOVED. OH, JOE, I KNEW YOU WERE GOING FOR IT. JUST, HE CAN HAVE IT. YOU WANNA DUKE IT OUT? HE, HE CAN HAVE IT. MOTION. OKAY. DISCUSSION REAL QUICK. OKAY. SO LET'S GIVE THE MOTION TO MR. PASSMAN AND THE SECOND TO MR. CUNNINGHAM. SO, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YES. GO DISCUSSION REAL QUICK IS JUST THE FACT THAT, UM, THE, UH, FERRY EMBARKMENT HAS BEEN FUNDED AND THIS IS MONEY FROM A FUND FROM 23. AND AS I SAID BEFORE, THIS IS IN, UH, THE STATION 39 IS IN TABS DISTRICT. SHE'S BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE SQUI ISLAND FERRY. SO AGAIN, THIS MONEY'S BEING MOVED AROUND TO HELP PAY FOR THIS FIRE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY. BUT AGAIN, FUSS ISLAND AND, AND THE LANDING AT MELROSE, EVERYTHING HAS MONEY AND WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FUNDED. ACTUALLY, WE FUNDED AN ADDITIONAL, UH, AMOUNT HERE JUST IN THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR, UM, OVERAGES ON THE LANDING. CORRECT. WE HAVE $1.5 MILLION FROM LOCAL AGE TAX THAT FUNDED MELROSE AND $3.4 MILLION FROM ARPA. AND I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THE, THE FOUR CHIEFS AGO, FOUR FIRE CHIEFS AGO, THIS WAS BROUGHT UP THAT THEY CANNOT SERVICE ALL OF A SUN CITY ADEQUATELY SHOULD YOU HAVE A CARDIAC EVENT. SO THAT'S WHY THIS FIRE STATION WAS PROPOSED BY THE BLUFFTON TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT MOVING FORWARD. THAT WAS IN 2021. ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER COMMENT ON THIS ONE? ALRIGHT, ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE. OBJECTION. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. [12.b. 2026/09: An Ordinance to reallocate the funds from the 2025 Series GO Bond for Passive Parks projects. ] ORDINANCE 2026 SLASH OH NINE IS AN ORDINANCE TO REALLOCATE THE FUNDS FROM THE 2025 SERIES GO BOND FOR PASSIVE PARKS PROJECTS. THE VOTED FINANCE COMMITTEE ON MARCH 16TH WAS EIGHT ZERO. THE VOTED AT FIRST READING MARCH 23RD WAS 11 ZERO. AND THE VOTED SECOND READING WITH THE PUBLIC HEARING APRIL 13TH WAS, I BLOCKED IT OUT, SORRY, X 0 11 0. SO, CAN I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. THANK YOU MR. CUNNINGHAM. A SECOND. I'LL SECOND IT. MS. BROWN SECONDS. IT UM, I JUST WANT THE AUDIENCE TO KNOW THESE ARE THIRD READING. SO AS YOU COULD SEE, THEY'VE ALREADY GONE TO COMMITTEE AND TWO READINGS TO THE PUBLIC. SO THAT'S WHY DISCUSSION IS KIND OF BRIEF. WE'VE ALREADY KIND OF CHEWED THESE UP AND SPIT 'EM OUT. ALRIGHT, REAL QUICK JUST TO SAY THAT MONEY IS BEING TAKEN FROM BAILEY'S PARK, HOWEVER, MONEY IS STILL THERE FOR BAILEY'S PARK. AND AS, AS STEPHANIE HAS TOLD US, UM, THE FUNDING FOR COMPLETE BAILEY'S PARK WILL BE COMING NEXT YEAR. SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, BAILEY'S PARK IS COMPLETELY FUNDED. WE'RE JUST MOVING MONEY FORWARD TO BE ABLE TO FINISH THESE TWO OTHER PROJECTS SOONER AS OPPOSED TO WAITING. RIGHT. AS YOU'LL SEE IN YOUR BACKUP, UM, OF THE 4.5, 3.2 IS REMAINING WITH BAILEY MEMORIAL AND SHE ALSO HAS OTHER FUNDING SOURCES FOR BAILOR MEMORIAL. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? ALL ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE GOING FORWARD. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. [13.a. 2026/10: An Ordinance to reallocate remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in the amount of $739,108.13 towards existing projects as obligated to the Department of Treasury. PUBLIC HEARING ] UH, THE NEXT ONE IS ORDINANCE 2026 SLASH 10. AN ORDINANCE TO REALLOCATE REMAINING AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT AKA ARPA THAT WE'VE SAID FIVE TIMES TONIGHT. FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $739,108 AND 13 CENTS TOWARDS EXISTING PROJECTS AS OBLIGATED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY. SO THIS IS A SECOND READING AND A PUBLIC HEARING. CAN I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. THANK YOU MR. PASSMAN. A SECOND. SECOND. [01:20:01] MR. CUNNINGHAM MAKES A SECOND. ALL RIGHT, MS. HARRIET, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TALK ON THIS ONE, PLEASE? FOR THE PUBLIC? UM, YES. UM, THIS IS PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE, UH, REAPPROPRIATION OF THE 700,000, UM, FOR ARPA THAT WE HAD, UM, PRESENTED PREVIOUSLY. SO I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY. UM, SO I'M GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. NOBODY SIGNED UP. JUST SO YOU SEE I HAVE A BLANK LIST. IS THERE ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS ORDINANCE OR ASK A QUESTION? ALL RIGHT. SAYING NONE. I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. ANYONE FROM COUNCIL HAVE A QUESTION OR A DISCUSSION ITEM? RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THANK YOU. [13.b. 2026/11: An Ordinance Authorizing the County Administrator to Execute the necessary documents and provide funding for the purchase of real property located at 641 Sea Island Parkway. PUBLIC HEARING ] UH, 2026 SLASH 11 IS AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS AND PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE PURCHASE OF REAL PROPERTY. LOCATED AT 6 41 C ISLAND PARKWAY. AND THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. THE VOTE AT FINANCE COMMITTEE MARCH 16TH WAS EIGHT ZERO. AND THE VOTE AT FIRST READING ON APRIL 13TH WAS 11 ZERO. CAN I HAVE A MOTION? SOME MOVE. MADAM CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU MR. GLOVER. AND A SECOND. SECOND. THANK YOU MR. PASSMAN. UH, MR. FRAX, WOULD YOU LIKE TO OPINE ON THIS ONE? THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, SO HE'LL COME UP IN ANY OF THE PUBLIC AND, UH, YEAH, THIS IS A PARCEL ONE ACRE ADJACENT TO OUR ST. HELENA CONVENIENCE CENTER. UM, OUR CENTER SURROUNDS THIS PROPERTY. IT'S, UH, RIGHT NEXT TO SEA ISLAND PARKWAY FRONTAGE ON WHAT IT ALLOWS FOR IF WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, GAIN APPROVAL IS FOR IMPROVED OPERATIONS AND FUTURE EXPANSION OPPORTUNITIES FOR FLOW AT THE CENTER. AND THE COST IS 32,500 FOR ONE ACRE. SO THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, NO ONE SIGNED UP. BUT IS THERE ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC PRESENT THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT OR ASK A QUESTION? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS QUESTION OR DISCUSSION. ALRIGHT, SEEING NONE, LET'S TAKE A VOTE ON THIS ORDINANCE. THANK YOU MR. REITZ. ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. OKAY. [13.c. 2026/12: An Ordinance authorizing the County Administrator to execute the necessary documents to convey five parcels of real property TMS Nos. R120 005 000 0105 0000, R120 005 000 0127 0000, R120 005 000 0132 0000, R120 005 000 132A 0000, R120 005 000 0133 0000, to the Beaufort Jasper Housing Trust for development of attainable housing in partnership with Beaufort Memorial Hospital and other matters related thereto. PUBLIC HEARING ] 2026 SLASH 12 IS AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS TO CONVEY FIVE PARCELS OF REAL PROPERTY TMS NUMBERS. HERE'S OUR FAVORITE PART. R 1 20 0, 0 5, 0 0, 0, 0 1, 0 5, 0 0, 0 0, ET CETERA. IT'S ALL IN THE LIST TO THE BEAUFORT JASPER HOUSING TRUST FUND FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ATTAINABLE HOUSING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED THERE TOO. THE VOTE AT PUBLIC FACILITIES WAS ON MARCH 16TH, SEVEN ZERO. THE VOTE AT FIRST READING APRIL 13TH, 11 ZERO. I'D LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION MS. HOWARD MAKES A MOTION. MR. CUNNINGHAM MAKES THE SECOND, UM, MR. HICKS, OH, YOU'RE GONNA SPEAK, OKAY. I KNOW MR. HICKS IS HERE TOO. HE IS HERE. I DON'T WANNA DEPRIVE HIM OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU, SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M SURE YOU'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM. THANK YOU. UM, JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT CLERK COUNSEL IS CURRENTLY PASSING OUT SOME, UH, DOCUMENTS WE RECEIVED FROM THE ATTORNEYS, THE CLOSING ATTORNEYS INVOLVED IN THIS MATTER, REFLECTING THE AMENDMENT FROM THE PRIOR MEETING WHEREIN WE CLARIFIED THAT THE TERM, UM, THE SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION PERIOD IS GOING TO BE FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE OF CONVEYANCE, UM, AS DIRECTION OF THAT AMENDMENT. I JUST, I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS PROJECT, UM, IN MY DISTRICT ACROSS FROM BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. SO YEAH, COULD YOU, COULD YOU EXPAND FOR THE PUBLIC A LITTLE BIT WHAT IT IS? THIS PROPERTY WAS, UM, PROPERTY THAT THEY, UM, HE BOUGHT FROM TCL AND, UM, I'LL LET MR. HICKS EXPLAIN ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT WHAT THE PLANS ARE. THE PLANS ARE TO OFFER THIS HOUSING, UH, FOR NURSING STAFF FIRST, UH, AS A WAY TO ENTICE NURSING STAFF TO STAY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND IN PARTICULAR AT BEAUFORT MEMORIAL. UH, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE DON'T FILL IT UP WITH, UH, NURSING CANDIDATES, IT WILL GO THEN TO ADDITIONAL HOSPITAL STAFF. FIRST, UH, RESPONDERS, UH, FIREMEN, AND THEN THE MILITARY. SO WE EXPECT THAT IT WILL BE FILLED WITH NURSES. THIS IS A WALKABLE AREA TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL. UH, AND IT IS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH BEAVERT MEMORIAL TO TRY AND GET MEDICAL STAFF TO STAY HERE. ANY OTHER QUESTION OR DISCUSSION? YES. UM, YOU PROBABLY SAID [01:25:01] THIS ALREADY. HOW MANY UNITS WILL BE PROVIDED? 26. 26. OKAY. THAT'S A PLAN AS OF RIGHT NOW. ANYONE ELSE? QUESTION OR DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE ORDINANCE AS READ, RAISE YOUR HAND TO WHERE AM I? UM, [13.d. 2026/13: An Ordinance to amend Beaufort County's Ordinance Chapter 38 Environment, Article VII Green Space Program, Section 38-196 Method of Program and Procedures of the Beaufort County Code of Ordinances. PUBLIC HEARING] YEAH. SO AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND BUFORT COUNTY'S ORDINANCE, CHAPTER 38, ENVIRONMENT, ARTICLE SEVEN, GREEN SPACE PROGRAM, SECTION 38 DASH 1 96, METHOD OF PROGRAM AND PROCEDURES OF THE BUFORT COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING AND THE VOTED NATURAL RESOURCE, UM, I'M SORRY, I HAVE TO MOVE UP. BUT ON APRIL 6TH WAS SEVEN. OH. AND THE VOTED FIRST READING APRIL 13TH WAS 11 ZERO. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. IT'S SO MOVED. THANK YOU, MR. PASSMAN. AND, UM, SECOND. I'LL SECOND MS. HOWARD. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. MR. HALBERT, YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD HERE FOR THE PUBLIC EDIFICATION. , UH, THIS IS JUST A, UH, AMENDMENT TO THE GREEN SPACE, UH, PROCESS, WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO EXPEDITE THE APPLICATIONS FROM THE GREEN SPACE COMMITTEE GOING DIRECTLY TO COUNCIL RATHER THAN GOING VIA NATURAL RESOURCE. OF COURSE, COUNCIL ALWAYS RE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REMAND IT BACK TO NATURAL RESOURCES IN APPROPRIATE INSTANCES, BUT IT'S TO MAKE IT TOWARDS A QUICKER PROCESS TO HELP THE, UH, PROCESS ALONG. ALRIGHT. UM, I DID HAVE A MOTION, CORRECT? MM-HMM . I'M LOST TRACK. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, SO ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC, NO ONE SIGNED UP. ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WISH TO TALK ABOUT THIS OR ASK A QUESTION NOW WOULD BE YOUR TIME. OKAY. THANK YOU. PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. THANK YOU, MR. HALBERT. ANY DISCUSSION ITEMS OR QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? JUST ONE. YES. WE LOVE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH GREEN SPACE. THIS PROCESS OF SPEEDING UP IS NOT GONNA CUT ANY CORNERS. CORRECT. THANK YOU. PERFECT. IT'S REALLY JUST GOING TO EXPEDITE IT A LITTLE FASTER BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH COMMITTEE AND SO ON. MADAM CHAIRMAN, I WOULD, UM, YEP. ALSO NOTE THAT, UM, ALTHOUGH IT, IT DOESN'T, IT WILL EXPEDITE. UM, COUNCIL CAN SLOW IT DOWN. YES. MM-HMM . ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR, OR QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE. PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND, BECK. JUST HOUSEKEEPING MATTER ONCE YOU'RE DONE WITH THAT ISSUE, JUST WANNA PUT ON THE RECORD THAT FOR ITEM AA UNDER 11, THE APPOINTMENT OF NICK BORJE TO THE ATEX COMMITTEE, HE'S FILLING THE HOSPITALITY SLOT. UH, AS YOU KNOW, STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT THERE BE TWO FOR LODGING, TWO FOR HOSPITALITY, ONE FOR CULTURAL, AND TWO AT LARGE. BUT HIS APPOINTMENT IS FOR THE OPEN HOSPITALITY SLOT. JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE RECORD. SO WE STILL HAVE ONE OPEN SEAT, CORRECT? YES. AND WE NEED TO FILL THAT SEAT. A SP. OKAY. THANK YOU MR. HALBERT. OKAY. 2026 [13.e. 2026/14: An Ordinance adding a new Section 54-8 to the Beaufort County Code of Ordinances so as to prohibit and make unlawful the discharge of firearms in certain unincorporated areas of the county, to provide the civil penalty pertaining to such violations, and to provide certain exceptions and limitations thereto. PUBLIC HEARING ] SLASH 14 IS AN ORDINANCE ADDING A NEW SECTION 54 DASH EIGHT TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES, SO AS TO PROHIBIT AND MAKE UNLAWFUL THE DISCHARGE OF FIREARMS IN CERTAIN UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY TO PROVIDE THE CIVIL PENALTY PERTAINING TO SUCH VIOLATIONS AND TO PROVIDE, PROVIDE CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS AND LIMITATIONS THERETO. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. THE VOTE AT COMMUNITY SERVICES AND PUBLIC SAFETY ON APRIL SIX WAS NINE ZERO. THE VOTE AT FIRST READING ON APRIL 13TH WAS 11 ZERO. I'D LIKE A MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD. SO MOVED. THANK YOU MR. PASSMAN. AND A SECOND. I SECOND. THANK YOU MR. GLOVER. UH, MR. HALBERT, ANYTHING TO ADD ON THIS? THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. MR. A, A REMINDER TO COUNSEL AND THE PUBLIC THAT THIS IS THE CIVIL PENALTY ORDINANCE. THE CRIMINAL PENALTY ORDINANCE DIED AT FIRST READING OR SECOND READING. IT DIDN'T PASS. UH, SO THIS IS WHAT COUNSEL VOTED TO PUT FORTH, AND IT'LL BE A CIVIL PENALTY FOR THE DISCHARGE OF FIREARMS. AND IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT UNLIKE THE CRIMINAL PENALTY WHICH HAD THE DISTANCE OF 500 FEET FROM A STRUCTURE, THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THAT DISTANCE. QUESTION. YES, GO AHEAD. I JUST WANNA STATE THAT, THAT THE REASON THAT WE HAVE THIS IS BECAUSE OF STUPIDITY OR SOMEONE NOT FOLLOWING RULES OR NOT BEING SAFE. I MEAN, I WAS 11 YEARS OLD. MY DAD MADE ME TAKE A SAFETY GUN SAFETY COURSE BEFORE I WAS [01:30:01] ALLOWED TO GO HUNTING WITH HIM. AND IT'S BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN UNSAFE. AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE WAY THE AREA HAS BEEN GROWING CLOSER TO NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, THAT WE'VE HAD TO IMPLEMENT THIS TO HAVE TO GIVE OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OUR SOLICITOR, YOU KNOW, UM, SOME TEETH WHENEVER THERE IS SOMEONE THAT IS BEING UNSAFE WITH THE HANDLING AND FIRING OF A GUN. YES, SIR. TO INCLUDE CODE ENFORCEMENT. YES. THANK YOU. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW. THANK YOU MR. HALBERT. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS? COME ON UP. COME ON UP AND GIVE YOUR NAME, PLEASE. SO IT'S IN THE RECORD. AND WE WILL HAVE YOU RECORDED FOR POSTERITY. HI, MY NAME'S JOE MAYOR RONALD. I JUST WANTED TO LITTLE MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE CLEARER. WHAT EXACTLY IS BEING PASSED? IS IT 500 FEET, FIVE ACRES? WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS? MR. HALBERT WANNA OUTLINE IT FOR HIM? I MEAN, IT'S ALL WRITTEN HERE, BUT HE CAN SUMMARIZE IT FOR YOU. SO THE PUBLIC HEARING PART'S OVER? YEAH. YEAH. WELL, THAT'S MY QUESTION. I'M NOT, I'M NOT CLEAR ON EXACTLY WHAT THE ORDINANCE IS. PROVISION. YEAH, EXACTLY. SO MR. HALBERT CAN OPINE ON IT. IT IS IN THE BACKUP, BUT IF YOU WOULD TALK, MR. HALBERT, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN AT THIS JOE SINCE AUGUST. YEAH. AND WE'VE MOVED ALL OVER THE PLACE ON THIS. YEAH. ALRIGHT, MR. HALBERT, IT'S ALL YOU. YES. WHEN WE WERE CONSIDERING A CRIMINAL PENALTY, UH, WRONGFUL DISCHARGE, UH, WE INITIALLY PUT IN, UH, A DISTANCE OF A THOUSAND FEET. THEN IT WAS MODIFIED TO 500 FEET AFTER, UH, CONVERSATIONS WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. THEN AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH THE ACTUAL SHERIFF AND THE SOLICITOR, UH, SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND MEMBERS OF LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS, UM, IT WAS DECIDED THAT IT WAS PROBABLY BEST TO GO A DIFFERENT PATH. AND THAT IS VIA A CIVIL PENALTY FOR THE WRONGFUL DISCHARGE. AND WE TOOK OUT THE, UH, DISTANCE OF 500 FEET. 'CAUSE THE DISTANCE DIDN'T MATTER. AND WE TOOK OUT THE PROPERTY SIZE OF BEING 25 ACRES BECAUSE, UH, THERE WAS ISSUE WITH SEVERAL COUNCIL. WELL, WHAT IF IT'S 24 ACRES OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE? SO THE WAY THIS ORDINANCE READS IN THE CIVIL PENALTY IS THAT IF IT'S A, UM, INTENTIONAL OR NEGLIGENT DISCHARGE THAT ENDANGERS LIFE, UM, OR PROPERTY, THEN IT WOULD BE A VIOLATION AND IT WOULD BE A CIVIL PENALTY OF A FINE. UH, THERE'S THE, UH, VICE CHAIR, UH, MENTIONED. IT'S IN THE BACKUP MATERIAL. IT ACTUALLY STARTS ON PAGE TWO 17. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES. OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE FROM THE PUBLIC? THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. ALRIGHT. I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. ANY COMMENTS OR DISCUSSION FROM COUNSEL? JUST ONE. YES. UM, THIS IS MEANT FOR SAFETY. UM, AND TWO, IT'S NOT TAKING AWAY RIGHTS OF ANY GUN OWNERS. CORRECT. I MEAN, THAT'S, LET'S MAKE SURE WE THAT'S CORRECT. MAKE THAT CLEAR. THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THIS ORDINANCE DOES NOT, UH, ALLOW FOR THE CONFISCATION OF ANY WEAPONS, UH, AS WHEN THERE'S A VIOLATION, IT DOESN'T ADDRESS THAT AT ALL. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? QUESTION ON COUNCIL? JUST WANNA SAY, DAVID WORKED REALLY HARD ON THIS AND THANK YOU FOR GETTING THAT DONE AND TAKING THE BULL BY THE HORNS. 'CAUSE THIS WAS A REALLY SPLIT THING ON COUNCIL FOR MONTHS. THANK YOU. YEAH. GOOD JOB. MR. BAROLO. YOU WORKED WITH OUR STATE LEGISLATORS AS WELL TO TALK ABOUT THIS. SO HE ALSO WORKED WITH MY CONSTITUENTS. YEP. ALRIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE. PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THANK YOU. WE'RE HAPPY TO PUT THIS ONE TO BED FROM AUGUST. YAY. OKAY. ORDINANCE [13.f. 2026/15: An Ordinance to add a new Ordinance Section 54-9 Hate Intimidation Crime establishing the offense of hate intimidation and establishing a penalty for violations in the Beaufort County Code of Ordinances. PUBLIC HEARING ] 2026 SLASH 15 IS AN ORDINANCE TO ADD A NEW ORDINANCE, SECTION 54 DASH NINE, HATE, INTIMIDATION CRIME, ESTABLISHING THE OFFENSE OF HATE, INTIMIDATION, AND ESTABLISHING A PENALTY FOR VIOLATIONS IN THE BUFORT COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. THE VOTER COMMUNITY SERVICE WAS APRIL 6TH AND IT WAS NINE ZERO. THE VOTE AT FIRST READING OF THIS WAS APRIL 13TH, EIGHT, TWO AND ONE ABSTENTION. CAN I HAVE A MOTION PLEASE? SO MOVED. THANK YOU MR. PASSMAN. A SECOND. SECOND. SECOND. I'LL SECOND IT. OKAY. MR. GLOVER A SECOND. AND MS. MAINE, WELCOME TO THE PODIUM. THANK YOU. UM, STAFF WAS DIRECTED TO DRAFT A A HATE CRIME ORDINANCE. UM, FOR, UM, COUNSEL'S CONSIDERATION, THIS ORDINANCE MAKES IT A, UM, CRIMINAL OFFENSE PUNISHABLE BY A UP TO A $500 FINE OR A 30 DAYS, UM, UP TO 30 DAYS IN IMPRISONMENT. BUT IT COULD, COULD ALSO BE BOTH IF YOU COMMIT A STATE CRIME OR AN ORDINANCE OFFENSE WITH THE INTENT TO CAUSE FEAR, HARM, [01:35:01] INJURY, OR DAMAGE TO THE VICTIMS PERSON OR PROPERTY BASED ON THEIR PERCEIVED RACE, ETHNICITY, NATIONAL ORIGIN. SO ON, AS LISTED IN THE ORDINANCE, UM, STAFF IS NOT MAKING A RECOMMENDATION ABOUT THIS. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, I CAN ANSWER THEM. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, SO ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WISH TO MAKE A COMMENT OR ASK A QUESTION. ALL RIGHT. I'LL CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING. MR. CUNNINGHAM, YOU'RE UP. YEAH. YOU SAID THAT, UM, YOU SAID THAT YOU'RE DIRECTED BY, UM, WHO TO COME UP WITH THIS, UM, STAFF. STAFF WAS DIRECTED TO, TO DRAFT SOMETHING, UM, AND PRESENT IT ON MARCH 9TH, 2026. WHO DIRECTED STAFF FROM THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE? LIKE AS A VOTE OR FROM ONE PERSON? IT WAS A VOTE. HOW DID IT GET ON THE AGENDA TO EVEN HAVE THE VOTE? THERE WAS A INDIVIDUAL, A COUNCIL, LARRY MCKELLEN ASKED THAT IT BE ON THE, IT'S PASSED FROM COMMITTEE. OH. PASSED FROM COMMITTEE ONTO COUNTY COUNCIL. HENCE MONICA TOOK OVER. AND THIS IS SECOND READING. DON'T FORGET, IT'S ALREADY BEEN TO THE FIRST READING COUNCIL AND IT WAS COUNTY COUNCIL AT A MEETING THAT DIRECTED THE RESOLUTION AND THE ORDINANCE. YES, MR. LAWSON. UM, I, I VOTED AGAINST THIS, THE, THE LAST TIME AROUND AND I'LL VOTE AGAINST IT AGAIN. AND PEOPLE SAY, WELL, HOW CAN YOU VOTE AGAINST A HATE CRIME? UM, AND AGAIN, AND YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THAT THIS HAS TO BE TIED TO A STATE CRIME, AS YOU'VE SAID, HOWEVER YOU READ THIS AND, AND GO THROUGH IT. UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU EXPRESS A BIBLICAL VIEW OF MARRIAGE, THAT COULD, COULD BE CONSIDERED A HATE CRIME IN THIS, IF YOU EXPRESS A BIBLICAL VIEW OF, UM, SEXUAL ORIENTATION THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED A HATE CRIME, UM, AS PART OF THIS ORDINANCE IF IT'S ATTACHED TO A CRIME. AND THEN AS WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE DISCUSSIONS, UM, IF SOMEONE'S SEXUAL ORIENTATION IS, IS A, IS A BEING A PEDOPHILE, UM, THAT'S THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION, IF YOU SPEAK OUT AGAINST THEM, THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A HATE CRIME ACCORDING TO THIS ORDINANCE. SO AGAIN, I, I AM SOMEONE THAT'S, THAT'S ALL FOR FREE SPEECH. UM, AND I JUST DON'T HAVE A GOOD GUT FEELING ABOUT THIS. THIS JUST KIND OF, I LOOK AT THE FLIP SIDE OF WHAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN, BUT AGAIN, THE BIGGEST THING IS IT HAS TO BE TIED TO A STATE CRIME FOR YOU TO BE EVEN CHARGED WITH THE, UM, WITH THE UNDERLYING, UM, UM, HATE CRIME. AND WHEN WE MET WITH THE SHERIFF AND THE SOLICITOR AND MULTIPLE ATTORNEYS, THAT WAS BROUGHT UP. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE ALSO PASSED A RESOLUTION TO SEND TO OUR DELEGATION TO PUSH MAKING THIS A STATE LEVEL LAW. YES, MR. HUBBARD, JUST TO BE BE CLEAR, IT COULD BE ATTACHED TO AN ORDINANCE VIOLATION OR A STATE CRIME. IT COULD BE. ALRIGHT. YEAH. ALRIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE THAT, YES, MS. REEDS? I HAVE ONE QUESTION. ONE. YEAH, GO AHEAD. HELP ME TIE THIS TOGETHER IF WE CAN. UM, APRIL 22ND, THERE WAS AN ARTICLE BY THE ISLAND PACKET. A MAN, A WHITE MAN WAS, UH, INDICTED IN A CROSS BURNING BY A FEDERAL GRAND JURY THROUGH THE STATE HERE, THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. WHAT, WHAT ARE WE DOING? DO WE NEED, IS THAT A HATE CRIME? DID YOU KNOW, UH, READ THAT ARTICLE? UM, I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE, I DON'T THINK I'VE SEEN THAT ARTICLE. BUT THE, UM, THE FEDERAL LAWS ARE SEPARATE FROM THE STATE LAWS. UM, AND I AM ALMOST SURE THAT THEY HAVE THEIR OWN, UM, HATE CRIME THAT THEY CAN CHARGE SOMEONE WITH. UM, WHERE THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA CURRENTLY DOES NOT HAVE A HATE CRIME THAT YOU CAN CHARGE SOMEONE WITH THAT IS STATEWIDE, WHERE THE FEDERAL LAWS DO ALLOW FOR A FEDERAL HATE CRIME CHARGE. THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. I'M JUST SAYING THIS. SOUTH CAROLINA. AND IT'S A FEDERAL GRAND JURY. YES. UM, AND, AND IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S A FEDERAL FELONY. MY MY POINT IS, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO HELP HER? WHY ARE WE DOING THIS AT THIS LEVEL? IF THIS IS AT THE STATE NOW AND THERE AND, AND THIS IS A HATE CRIME, UM, APRIL 22ND, I DON'T KNOW. AGAIN, I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND IF I UNDERSTAND MY COLLEAGUE MARK HERE, WE HAVE SOME AREAS THAT'LL CROSS OVER AND DO THINGS WE DON'T WANT IT TO DO. UNINTENDEDLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING INTO A SECOND READING HERE. ARE WE DOING THE RIGHT THING? PLEASE. UH, HELP ME OUT THERE. LOGAN. MR. CUNNINGHAM. HEY, I'M, I'M WITH YOU TOM, AND I'M A HUNDRED PERCENT WITH MARK. I VOTED NO AGAINST IT LAST TIME. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS IT COULD BE A SLIPPERY SLOPE. EVERYBODY ALWAYS WANTS TO LOOK AT IT FROM THE MAINSTREAM SIDE, BUT FORGET THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE REST OF IT. SO NOW YOU CAN JUST GO TIT FOR TAT ALL [01:40:01] DAY ON THIS HATE CRIME BILL IF, IF THIS MOVES FORWARD. SO PEOPLE WANNA LOOK AT IT AND USUALLY THEY WANNA SAY THAT IT HAS TO DO WITH RACE, BUT THERE'S SO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT FALL INTO THIS THAT NOBODY ELSE WANTS TO DISCUSS OR HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT. BUT THIS OPENS UP A DOOR FOR A LOT OF ANGLES. AND THEN ALSO WHO IS IN CHARGE OF SAYING THAT'S WHY SOMEONE DID IT. SO LET'S JUST SAY A CRIME HAPPENS AGAINST A MAN, AGAINST A WOMAN. IS THAT CONSIDERED A HATE CRIME? 'CAUSE IT COULD FALL INTO THAT. YOU COULD SAY THAT A MAN HATES WOMEN AND THAT'S WHY HE DID IT. AND HE TARGETED A WOMAN. SO NOW IT'S ALSO A HATE CRIME OR VICE VERSA, A WOMAN TOWARDS A MAN. OR YOU CAN DO RACE HOWEVER YOU WANT TO DO IT. I MEAN, YOU CAN PLAY THE GAME ALL DAY, BUT THIS OPENS UP THE DOOR FOR THAT CHAIR. JUST ONE MORE THING I WANNA FOLLOW UP ON WITH THAT. WE HAVE HEARD, UM, FROM RESA PRINCE ON MANY, I'VE KNOWN HER FOR A LOT OF YEARS. I FIND HER HIGHLY CREDIBLE, PASSIONATE AT WHAT SHE DOES, AND I SUPPORTED HER. AND I THINK ONE OF MY VOTES HERE TO BRING THIS ALONG. BUT THE MORE I READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS, UM, AND HAVING THESE QUESTIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE, I, I THINK WE JUST GOTTA SLOW DOWN OR JUST TAKE IT OFF OUR TABLE AT THIS POINT. AND, AND AGAIN, IT'S, UH, I HAVE TREMENDOUS RESPECT FOR RESA AND WHAT SHE'S DONE AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO. AND WE'LL LISTEN. BUT I THINK WE'RE AT A CROSSROADS NOW THAT WE CAN CAUSE A LITTLE MORE TROUBLE THAN WE SHOULD. AND AGAIN, THAT'S JUST ONE COUNCILMAN'S OPINION. THANK YOU. SO IF I COULD ADD A LITTLE CONTEXT, AND MR. HALBERT WILL QUICKLY CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. WHEN WE MET WITH THE SHERIFF AND THE SOLICITOR AND EVERYBODY ELSE, THIS WAS A CONVERSATION AND THE SOLICITOR SAID IT WOULD BE TO HIS DISCRETION TO IMPLEMENT THIS. SO IF SOMEBODY'S ACCUSED OF MURDERING MS. HOWARD TO PILE ON A HATE CRIME BECAUSE THEY HATE WOMEN, IS NOT GONNA CHANGE THE SENTENCE AT ALL. SO WE HAD A WHOLE DISCUSSION ON THIS. THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN SURROUNDING COUNTY PUT ONE OF THESE THROUGH AND, UH, MR. MCKELLEN PUT IT ON THE TABLE. AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE HERE. YEAH. BUT DUFFY STONE'S NOT ALWAYS GONNA BE OUR SOLICITOR. PEOPLE CHANGE, BUT THE ORDINANCE WILL REMAIN INTACT. CORRECT. MR. I JUST WANNA ONE MORE THING TO FOLLOW UP WITH TAB. YOU SAID IT'S GONNA BE THE SAME THING ANYWAY, THE SOLICITOR'S GONNA DO. MY QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE WE ADDING THEN IF WE'RE GONNA ADD A HATE CRIME JUST FOR THE SAKE OF IT? AND AGAIN, I I WANT UNDERSTAND YOUR LOGIC HERE BEFORE WE MOVE ANY FURTHER. THAT'S ALL. I MEAN, YOU SAID THE SOLICITOR'S GONNA DO THIS ANYWAY, WHETHER WE DO THIS OR NOT. SO WHAT IS THE REASON, IF THERE ARE THESE QUESTIONS OUT THERE THAT WE'RE GONNA PUSH THIS THROUGH THE SECOND READING, IT'S ALL I WANT TO KNOW. STORY TELLING YOU YOU WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING. YEAH. SO MUCH OF ACTUALLY TOOK THE TIME TO WRITE DOWN SOME COMMENTS, BUT MOST OF IT'S ALREADY BEEN COVERED . UM, SO I'M GONNA SKIP AROUND, BUT BEAR WITH ME. I DID ABSTAIN LAST TIME. I WANTED TO DO SOME MORE RESEARCH. UM, BUT I'M GONNA READ THIS REAL QUICK AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION. I'M OPPOSED TO ORDINANCE 2026 SLASH 15. MY OPPOSITION IS NOT BECAUSE THE SENTIMENT BEHIND IT IS UNWORTHY, BUT BECAUSE GOOD INTENTIONS NOT CURE A CONSTITUTIONALLY DEFECTIVE ORDINANCE, I DID WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR STAFF DID TAKE THE TIME TO GO THROUGH AND TRY TO NAVIGATE THE FIRST AMENDMENT. THEY CONVERTED THE CHARGING LANGUAGE OVER TO MAY RATHER THAN SHELL. THEY CREATED THE PROSECUTORIAL DISCRETION, WHICH I THINK IS A HUGE ELEMENT OF THIS. AND THEY TIED IT TO, UH, POTENTIALLY A OR ESSENTIALLY VIOLENT CRIMES. BUT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE PUT IT, WELL, A LOCAL ORDINANCE TWO WEAK TO ADDRESS THE SERIOUS NATURE OF HATE MOTIVATED CONDUCT WOULD DEGRADE AND TRIVIALIZE THE VERY PRINCIPLES OF FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE. THE PUBLIC WANTS THIS LAW TO PROMOTE. THE RESIDENTS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY DESERVE MEANINGFUL PROTECTION. THIS ORDINANCE, IF PASSED INVITES IMMEDIATE LEGAL CHALLENGE, WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY BE ENJOINED OR STRUCK DOWN AND WILL HAVE ACCOMPLISHED NOTHING EXCEPT TO EXPEND COUNTY RESOURCES AND LITIGATION, WHICH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OWN OFFICE HAS EFFECTIVELY TOLD US, UH, WE WOULD LIKELY LOSE. THE APPROPRIATE REMEDY IS TO PRESS THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO ACT 48 STATES HAVE DONE SO. THE ANSWER TO SOUTH CAROLINA'S OUTLIER STATUS IS A STATUTE AND NOT AN ORDINANCE. THIS COUNSEL HAS DEMONSTRATED AND UNDERSTANDS THE CONSTITUTIONAL TERRAIN WELL ENOUGH TO MAKE THIS THAT CASE TO COLUMBIA. THAT EFFORT, NOT THIS ORDINANCE IS WHERE ITS ENERGY IS BEST DIRECTED. WE MUST ALSO BE CLEAR-EYED ABOUT WHAT IS AT STAKE BEYOND THIS ORDINANCE. THE FIRST AMENDMENT DOES NOT PROTECT ONLY POPULAR SPEECH. IT WAS DESIGNED PRECISELY TO PROTECT SPEECH THAT OFFENDS THAT PROVOKES. AND THAT CHALLENGES EVERY INCREMENTAL EROSION OF THAT PROTECTION. HOWEVER, WELL-INTENTIONED, NORMALIZES THE NEXT, IF A COUNTY MAY TODAY CRIMINALIZE EXPRESSION TIED TO RACE OR RELIGION BECAUSE THE SENTIMENT IS REPUGNANT. IT ESTABLISHES THE PRESIDENT, THAT GOVERNMENT, AT WHATEVER LEVEL MAY DEFINE THE BOUNDARIES OF ACCEPTABLE SPEECH. THANKS. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? COMMENT OR DISCUSSION ITEM? WAIT. COMMENTED? YES, MR. DAWSON. WE, WE, BEFORD [01:45:01] COUNTY. WE ARE ONE OUT THE, UH, COUNTIES THAT ARE SURROUNDED BY ALL THE COUNTIES WHO HAVE CREATED AND ESTABLISHED THEIR IN CRIME LAW, ATTORNEY GENERAL THAT STRIKE THEIRS DOWN. AND SO FOR US TO SAY THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS BECAUSE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL MIGHT STRIKE IT DOWN. I, I I THINK IT IS. UM, IT'S, IT'S US NOT WANTING TO ACTUALLY, UH, UH, PUT THIS, UH, BILL IN PLACE OF OTHERS WHO ARE OPPOSED TO IT. BUT, BUT I, I, I SUBMIT, I SUBMIT TO US ALL THAT IT IS NEEDED. WE, WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH IT. AND IT ACTUALLY, IT ACTUALLY SHOULD BE APPLIED TO ANY HATE CRIME THAT IS, UH, UH, SHOWN TOWARD ANY INDIVIDUAL REGARDLESS OF RACE, CREED, OR COLOR. THANK YOU, MR. DAWSON. ANYONE ELSE? COMMENT, QUESTION. GO AHEAD. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CAN'T STRIKE DOWN IN ORD AN ORDINANCE, UH, OR A STATUTE. ONLY A COURT CAN DECLARE THAT IT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL OR IT'S VOID, VOID FOR VAGUENESS. UH, AND SAY THAT IT'S NOT ENFORCEABLE. SO IT WOULD TAKE A PROSECUTION AND THEN A CHALLENGE IN COURT, UH, FOR IT TO BE, UH, STRUCK DOWN. ONLY A COURT CAN STRIKE DOWN AN ORDINANCE. AND AGAIN, THIS ORDINANCE IS ONLY BEFORE YOU BECAUSE COUNSEL DIRECTED THAT WE PREPARE A RESOLUTION AND AN ORDINANCE. I STARTED CAUTIONING YOU FROM THE VERY BEGINNING ABOUT ADOPTING AN ORDINANCE. I TOLD YOU THE ATTORNEY GENERAL DIDN'T THINK THAT, UM, IT WAS CONSTITUTIONAL, UH, THAT A BECAUSE THE STATE LEGISLATURE HADN'T PASSED IT. AND I TOLD YOU IT WAS APPROPRIATE FOR THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO ADOPT THIS LAW. IT WAS TOO SERIOUS A CRIME TO BE TRIVIALIZED HERE AT THIS LEVEL, 30 DAYS DOESN'T ADD ANYTHING TO A DEATH SENTENCE OR A LIFE SENTENCE. IT'S JUST RIDICULOUS TO TRIVIALIZE A HATE CRIME TO THAT LEVEL TO BE IN A MISDEMEANOR AS OPPOSED TO A FELONY. IT SHOULD BE A FELONY. AND ADD 10 YEARS IN THE APPROPRIATE CASE IS WHAT MOST PROSECUTORS WOULD TELL YOU. AND THE SOLICITOR'S OPINION IN OUR MEETING WAS HE DIDN'T WANT HIS TRIAL DISRUPTED TO WHERE HE WOULD HAVE TO GO IN AND TRY THIS CHARGE IN A MAGISTRATE'S COURT, UH, KEEPING HIS JURY ON HOLD FOR HIS CASE. HE THOUGHT THAT WAS RIDICULOUS. SO HE WOULD PREFER NOT TO HAVE IT, UH, TO IS MANDATORY AND HE DIDN'T FORESEE ANY CASE THAT HE WOULD EVER USE IT IN, UH, FOR THE TYPES OF CASES THAT HE PROSECUTES. OKAY. THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD POINT. UH, THE SOLICITOR SAID SO. THAT WAS A GOOD POINT. ALRIGHT, LET'S DO A ROLL CALL. VOTE PLEASE. MS. BROCK AND CHAIRMAN BEFORE YOU DO THE ROLL CALL. YEP. UM, HEARING WHAT I'VE JUST HEARD, UM, WOULD IT, WOULD IT BE BETTER FOR US TO SUBMIT TO OUR LEGISLATORS AND HAVE WE DONE THAT YET? IT'S THE, THE RESOLUTION UP LAST WEEK. OKAY. THE ONE THAT COUNCIL ADOPTED THAT THE LAST MEETING. GOTCHA. YES SIR. GOTCHA. OKAY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCIL MEMBER PASSIT? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER GLOVER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER REEDS. OH. COUNCIL MEMBER LAWSON. MARK LAWSON. NO. COUNCIL MEMBER DAWSON? YES. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CUNNINGHAM? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER BARTH. EW. NO. VICE CHAIR TABER? NO. CHAIR HOWARD? UM, YES. OKAY. SO TO BE CLEAR, THE ORDINANCE DIES HERE TONIGHT. SORRY. GOT IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK PUTTING INTO IT. I KNOW THAT WASN'T EASY. YEP. THANK YOU. ALL [13.g. 2026/16: An Ordinance authorizing the County Administrator to execute the necessary documents to convey a parcel of real property TMS No. R100 033 00A 021B 000 to the Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry for development of workforce/affordable housing and other matters related thereto. PUBLIC HEARING] RIGHT. 2026 SLASH 16 IS AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS TO CONVEY A PARCEL OF REAL PROPERTY TMS NUMBER R 100 0 33 0 0 A 0 21 B 0 0 0 TO THE HABITAT FOR HUMAN HUMANITY OF THE LOW COUNTRY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF WORKFORCE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED THERETO. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. THE VOTE AT COMMUNITY SERVICE ON MARCH 2ND WAS SEVEN ZERO THE VOTE AT FIRST READING APRIL 13TH, 11 ZERO. I'D LIKE TO MAKE THAT MOTION. MS. HOWARD MADE THE MOTION. WHO WOULD LIKE TO SECOND? I'LL SECOND THAT REEDS MR. REEDS SECOND. ALRIGHT, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, BUT UH, YOU GO, I'M GONNA ASK IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD, THEN I'LL DO A PUBLIC HEARING. NOTHING TO ADD. THIS IS THE 1.38, UH, ACRE PARCEL THAT IS GOING TO HABITAT. MR. RAT IS HERE ON BEHALF OF HABITAT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT, UH, I DON'T, I DON'T RECALL THERE BEING TOO MUCH DISCUSSION AT, UH, FIRST RATING. I SAY SOMETHING. EVERYBODY, [01:50:01] THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, CHAIRWOMAN HOWARD AND THANK YOU AGAIN TO ALL OF COUNCIL HEATHER WRATH FOR THE RECORD ON BEHALF OF HABITAT FOR HUMANITY. THANK YOU AGAIN. I WILL PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT EACH OF YOU, WHETHER YOU'RE ON THIS COUNCIL OR NOT, UM, AS SOME OF YOU ARE RETIRING, WILL BE RECEIVING AN INVITATION TO THIS RIBBON HEADING. AND AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL AND I ALSO WANNA THANK CLAUDE WHO'S HERE IN THE ROOM WITH US. UM, I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT THE HOUSING TRUST HAS DONE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR SO MANY HABITAT HOMES. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. ALRIGHT, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. NO ONE SIGNED UP. IS THERE ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION OR MAKE A COMMENT NOW? IT WOULD BE YOUR OPPORTUNITY. ALRIGHT. SEEING NO ONE, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT. ANYONE FROM COUNCIL HAVE A COMMENT OR A QUESTION? ALRIGHT, LET'S TAKE A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THANK YOU FOR STAYING FOR THE NIGHT. MS. WRATH. OKAY, GOING [14.a. 2026/17: 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 ] ON TO ORDINANCE FOR FIRST READING. SO THESE ARE FIRST READING FOR THE PUBLIC. THEY'LL BE A LITTLE MORE IN DEPTH. 2026 SLASH 17 IS AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND BUFORT COUNTY'S BUDGET ORDINANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. AND IT WAS ORDINANCE NUMBER 2025 SLASH 29 TO AMEND SECTION THREE COUNTY OPERATIONS, REVENUES AND SECTION FOUR COUNTY OPERATIONS APPROPRIATION. THE VOTE AT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE ON APRIL 20TH WAS NINE ZERO. CAN I HAVE A MOTION? PLEASE MAKE THAT MOTION. THANK YOU MR. LAWSON. AND A SECOND. I'LL SECOND. MR. CUNNINGHAM MAKES A SECOND. AND WE ARE GOING TO HAVE MS. HARRIET GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS. THIS NEEDS A LITTLE DISCUSSION. YES, I'M TRYING. AND FOR THOSE OF YOU LOOKING AT THE PACKET, IT'S PAGE TWO 60, A COPY OF THIS. SO HE WILL MAKE THE AMEN. YEAH. SO THAT'S THE, BRIAN SAID THAT'S THE AMENDMENT HE GAVE YOU. YEP. AMENDMENT RIGHT. YEAH, I CAN, I JUST FIGURED SHE WAS GONNA PRESENT FIRST IF SHE NEEDED TO. RIGHT. SO, UM, WHAT BRIAN IS REFERRING TO IN THE BACKUP, SIR, DO YOU MIND PULLING IT UP PLEASE? 60 WHERE THE A IS IS PAGE AND I SORRY, SHE HAS IT BY ITEM. I'LL START TALKING TO IT. IT IS A, UM, THIS IS THE BUDGET FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET AMENDMENT ORDINANCE TO, UH, PURCHASE THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HELICOPTER FOR 1.95 MILLION AS WELL AS FEES, UH, BONDS THAT ARE CALLABLE CURRENTLY TO THE TUNE OF, UH, 11 11,570,000. YEAH, THAT UM, THIS WAS THE OLD ORDINANCE, UM, THAT AMENDED THE BUDGET FOR THE 4 MILLION. JUST THE NEXT ONE, SARAH. SORRY THAT THREW ME OFF. . YES, THIS ONE. SO THIS IS THE ONE THAT WE WOULD, UM, WE PRESENTED AT FINANCE COMMITTEE WAS THE 1.9 MILLION, 1,000,900 50,000 FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HELICOPTER. AND THE 11.57 FOR THE DEFEAT OR THE CALLABLE REDEMPTION OF SOME SERIOUS BONDS THAT WE HAVE. UM, WHICH IS SERIES 2013 B 2014 A AND 2014 B. THE $11.5 MILLION AND THE 1.9 IS PROJECTED TO COME FROM THE FUND BALANCE FROM THE GENERAL FUND. MR. QUESTIONS? YEAH, I WOULD, UH, IF GIVEN THE TIME, I'D LIKE TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THIS AS WELL TO APPROPRIATE $5,207,633 TO GO TOWARDS THE BUCKWALTER COMPLEX PROJECT AND THAT WOULD MOVE THE TOTAL TO $18,727,636. SECOND THAT, UM, SO YEAH, I MADE THE MOTION 'CAUSE THIS WILL FULLY, THIS WILL BE THE FUNDING SOURCE FOR THE TWO EXTRA BALL FIELDS TO BE ABLE TO DO IT IN ONE SWOOP. UM, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THIS HAS BEEN A PROJECT WE'VE DISCUSSED FOR FIVE YEARS [01:55:01] AND USUALLY NONE OF THESE PROJECTS ARE FULLY DONE WITH IMPACT FEES. BUT THIS GIVES US A CHANCE TO SAVE US ABOUT TWO TO 2.2 MILLION AND THREE TO FIVE YEARS OF WAITING TIME IF WE CAN DO THIS NOW. ALRIGHT. ANY DISCUSSION QUESTION? ALRIGHT, WE'RE VOTING ON THE AMENDMENT CORRECT TO THE ORDINANCE. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT. PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL OPPOSED? WE HAVE MR. WE HAVE TWO OPPOSED. ALRIGHT, NOW WE'LL VOTE ON THE ORIGINAL, UH, ORDINANCE AS AMENDED. ALL IN FAVOR, RIGHT? ALL OPPOSED? TWO. OKAY, THANK YOU. SO TO BE CLEAR, AT THE NEXT MEETING WE WILL BRING THE AMENDED ORDINANCE THAT IT TOTALS 18 MILLION 727 633. YES. AND WE'LL INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL, UH, PREAMBLE PARAGRAPH FOR YOUR CHANGE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT GUYS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THE NEXT TWO WOULD BE MR. FRA. THIS HAS BEEN HIS LIFEBLOOD FOR HOW MANY YEARS NOW? I DON'T EVEN KNOW. [Items 14.b. & 14.c ] UM, IT'S ORDINANCE 2026 SLASH 18 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASE OF REAL PROPERTY FROM THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND FOR THE ST. JAMES BAPTIST CHURCH. RELOCATION THE VOTE AT PUBLIC FACILITIES APRIL 20TH. I'M SORRY, I BLOCKED THAT ONE OUT. WAS 10 ZERO. CAN I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. WHO MADE THE MOVE? TOM? MR. REEDS. REEDS. CAN I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. THANK YOU MR. CUNNINGHAM. UH, MR. FELIX, YOU WANNA EXPLAIN THIS ONE PLEASE? YES. AND SIMILAR TO EARLIER IN THE AGENDA, THESE, THIS ONE AND THE NEXT ONE ARE CONNECTED, UM, BOTH SEPARATE ORDINANCES, BUT, SO THIS IS THE ST. JAMES CHURCH IS AT THE END OF THE NORTH END OF THE AIRPORT, OR NORTH END OF THE RUNWAY AT THE HILTON HEAD AIRPORT. AND WE'RE RELOCATING IT TO A PARCEL OWNED BY THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, FIVE ACRE SITE OF THEIR MID ISLAND TRACT. AND SO THIS FIRST ORDINANCE IS A CONVEYANCE FROM THE TOWN TO THE COUNTY. AND THEN THE SECOND ORDINANCE IS AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PROJECT AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE CHURCH. THE, THE COUNTY WILL CONVEY THE PROPERTY FROM THE COUNTY TO THE CHURCH. SO THAT'S WHAT THESE TWO AGREEMENTS ARE FOR. CAN WE COMBINE 'EM BOTH, I GUESS HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS WITH THE TOWN? IT'S BEEN A WHILE. UH, SEVERAL, SEVERAL YEARS. YOU'VE BEEN VERY CONSISTENT, VERY PERSISTENT. WE APPRECIATE THAT. CAN WE COMBINE THEM BOTH? AND PARDON ME? CAN WE COMBINE THESE BOTH AND JUST YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK WE CAN COMBINE 'CAUSE THEY GO TOGETHER. I TAKE THAT AS A MOTION. I'LL MAKE THE SECOND. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTION OR COMMENT? YES. SAY THAT THIS ALL AGAIN, I I THINK I WASN'T EVEN ON COUNCIL YET WHENEVER THIS FIRST CAME ABOUT . SO GIVE JARED, UM, HOW LONG WOULD, OBVIOUSLY THE, THE CHURCH SAT AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE CHURCH NEEDED TO BE MOVED BY ACCORDING TO FFA. AND UM, AGAIN, THIS HAS, UM, GROWN AND GOTTEN BIGGER AND MORE THINGS INCLUDED. I'M GLAD TO SEE WE'RE FINALLY AT THE END HERE. I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THE CHURCH GOT WHAT THEY WANTED AND THIS IS GONNA BE A GOOD THING FOR THEM. BUT AGAIN, THIS HAS BEEN A LONG, LONG EPISODE OF US GOING THROUGH. UM, AND AGAIN, IT, IT, IT HAS, IT IS COSTING US A LOT MORE THAN WAS EVER FIRST ANTICIPATED. BUT AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S MONEY WELL SPENT. ANYONE ELSE COMMENT QUESTION. ALRIGHT, TWO ORDINANCES 20 26 18 AND 2026. 19. ALL IN FAVOR OF THOSE TWO ORDINANCES. RAISE YOUR HAND FOR ST. JAMES CHURCH. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. OKAY, [Items 14.d & 14.e] AN ORDINANCE TO APPROPRIATE FUND BALANCE FUNDS 1401 AND 1600 TO FUND THE USCB CONVOCATION CENTER PROJECT. AND I'M GONNA COMBINE THIS WITH E, WHICH IS 2026 SLASH 21 IN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORDINANCE TO 25 SLASH 20 TO REALLOCATE FUNDS FROM THE 2025 SERIES GO BONDS TO FUND THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA BEAUFORT CONVOCATION CENTER. AND BOTH OF THESE WERE VOTED ON AT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE APRIL 20TH, AND THEY, IT WAS DEFEATED FOR FIVE. CAN I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. THANK YOU MR. PASSMAN TO SECOND. I'LL SECOND THAT. THANK YOU MR. LAWSON. UM, AND JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, WE'RE PUTTING THE TWO TOGETHER. IT'S FUNDING FOR USCB CONVOCATION CENTER, MS. HARRIET? YES. UM, MENTIONED, UH, THE, THEY'RE TOGETHER BECAUSE THE TOTAL AMOUNT IS THE 11, UH, 0.1, SORRY. $11.1 MILLION OF THAT IS THE 650,000 FROM THE MILL INCREASE FOR BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AND TCL AT, UH, $950,000. SO THAT'S THE $1.6 MILLION FROM THE TWO, UH, SUB FUNDS OF THE GENERAL FUND AS WELL AS THE, UH, $9.5 MILLION FROM THE LAW LAW ENFOR LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER PROJECT, [02:00:01] UH, THAT WAS ISSUED AS A PART OF THE 2025 SERIOUS GO BOND. SO COMBINED TOTAL, WHICH WAS OPTION FOUR, PRESENTED TO COUNSEL, UM, COUPLE MONTHS AGO, AND THAT EQUALS $11.1 MILLION. AND JUST FOR THE PUBLIC'S KNOWLEDGE, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS. WE HAD WORKSHOPS ON IT, WE TALKED ABOUT IT AT FINANCE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT AT COUNCIL MEETINGS. AND SO NOW IT'S FINALLY COME TO VOTE AS AN ORDINANCE AT FIRST READING. ALL RIGHT. ANYBODY HAVE COMMENT QUESTION ON THE, UM, YES, MR. CUNNINGHAM? YEAH, I MEAN, I CAME OUT AGAINST THIS FROM THE BEGINNING. THE IDEA SOUNDS GREAT. I SAID BEFORE, I DON'T THINK IT'S THE RIGHT TIME. THE HEAVIEST TRAVELED ROAD IS ONE 70 AND 2 78, AND THIS LEAD IS RIGHT THERE ON BOTH OF THEM. UM, AND THE MEET YOU IN MY DISTRICT, UM, ALL IT'S GONNA DO IS ADD TRAFFIC. I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S THE RIGHT TIME NOW. UM, THE OTHER PART IS IF WE CAN SPEND THIS 11 MILLION NOW, THEN THEY ALREADY SAID THEY'RE GONNA ASK US FOR MORE TO GET TO THAT 20 MILLION. IF WE CAN SPEND IT ON THAT CENTER, BUT NOT TAKE CARE OF OUR ROADS, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. IF WE HAVE EXTRA MONEY, WE SHOULD BE TAKING CARE OF OUR CITIZENS THAT ARE ALREADY HERE, NOT WORRYING ABOUT GROWING A STATE INSTITUTION. SO IF THEY GET THIS FUNDED THROUGH INVESTORS AND SO ON AND SO ON, SO BE IT. THAT'S THEIR PREROGATIVE. BUT WE GAVE 'EM THAT TASK OVER A YEAR AGO AND THE NEEDLE DID NOT MOVE AT ALL IN 12 MONTHS. SO I AM AGAINST FUNDING IT THROUGH THESE SOURCES OR ANY OTHER TAX DOLLARS OF OUR BEFORD COUNTY RESIDENTS RIGHT NOW. OTHER COMMENT OR QUESTIONS FROM CO COUNCIL MEMBERS? YES, MR. LAWSON. GO AHEAD AND, AND SAY THAT, UM, UM, I, I AM STILL IN SUPPORT OF THIS. I THINK THAT USCB HAS BEEN A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. UM, YOU LOOK TO SEE WHAT IT'S DONE FOR THE, THE KIDS HERE THAT CAN STAY HOME AND GO TO SCHOOL AND GET AN EDUCATION, WHICH BEFORE THEY WOULD'VE HAD TO LEAVE AND GO SOMEPLACE ELSE. UM, SO I THINK THAT THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF, OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO. I REMEMBER BACK WHENEVER, UM, THE COUNTY COUNCIL FIRST DECIDED THEY WERE GOING TO, UM, FUND HIGHER EDUCATION TCL AND USCB. AND THERE WAS PUSHBACK FROM PEOPLE THAT, THAT SAID, WE ARE WASTING MONEY. BUT AGAIN, YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE REAP BENEFITS, WHAT'S COME ABOUT, UM, THE STATE HAS PUT IN THEIR 47 MILLION. UM, YES, THEY DID ASK US FOR A LOT MORE, BUT AGAIN, ON ME COMING FROM COUNTY COUNCIL, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO FUND SOME PART OF THIS. UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S ONLY GONNA BENEFIT, UM, OUR OUR CITIZENS AND, UM, OUR COUNTY. I'M GONNA ECHO WHAT MR. CUNNINGHAM SAID. THIS IS TECHNICALLY IN MY DISTRICT. I REACH UP THERE AND IT WOULD THROW A GROWTH BOMB ONTO 2 78 WHERE WE'RE AL ALREADY HAVING ISSUES. UM, THEY JUST PRESENTED TO US THEIR REQUEST FOR NEXT YEAR, AND THE OFFICER SAID 34% OF THEIR STUDENTS ARE BEAUFORT STUDENTS. THEY'RE FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY. SO THEY NEED TO GO TO THE STATE. THEY NEED TO GO TO ALUMNI AND JASPER YEAH. AND SOLICIT THEIR FUNDING. SO I'M GONNA VOTE NO ON THIS ONE. ANYBODY ELSE? I I HAVE ONE THING TO SAY. AND I HAD ASKED DR. PAU WHEN HE WAS STANDING HERE, UM, WELL, AND UM, THERE'S A CAMPUS DOWN THE SOUTH IN A HILTON HEAD ISLAND. AND IT WAS NEVER, MY QUESTION WAS NEVER ANSWERED HOW MANY STUDENTS ATTEND THAT CAMPUS. AND I THINK IF THEY COULD SELL, THAT'S PRIME REAL ESTATE DOWN THERE, IF THEY COULD SELL THAT PROPERTY AND PUT IT INTO THE ARENA ON THE OTHER END OF THE, UH, RIVER COUNTY, I, THEY CHAIR, OH, PEOPLE JUST CONTINUE TO COME TO US, YOU KNOW, FOR MONEY, FOR THIS, FOR THAT. AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I, SIERRA SITTING NEXT TO ME, THEY HAVEN'T MADE AN EFFORT TO GO OUT TO, I ACTUALLY GAVE THEM, I GAVE THEM TWO REFERENCES OUT OF WASHINGTON DC ONE OF MY OLD BOSSES WENT TO GW UNIVERSITY ON BASEBALL SCHOLARSHIP. HE ALSO HELPED CREATE NATIONALS, THE NATIONAL BASEBALL STADIUM IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THAT WAS ONE REFERENCE. THE OTHER ONE WAS A, A WOMAN THAT WENT TO JOURNALISM SCHOOL AT UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN COLUMBIA. AND THEN SHE LEFT THAT JOB, I MEAN, LEFT SCHOOL TO GO WORK IN CLINTON, THE CLINTON WHITE HOUSE IN THE WEST WING. AND I GAVE THEM, I GAVE THEM HER INFORMATION AS WELL. SO THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES THEY COULD TAKE INSTEAD OF US PAYING FOR, AND I'M GONNA VOTE NO FOR THIS, MR. REEDS DID YOU WANT? OKAY. YEAH. UH, I LIVE VERY CLOSE TO THAT SOUTHERN CAMPUS THAT MS. BROWN IS TALKING ABOUT. THERE IS A AWFUL LOT OF MONEY THEY PUT INTO THAT. UM, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS AND WE'RE DOING SOME VOTING THERE. VOTING IS HELD THERE. I I DON'T KNOW OF ANY STUDENTS THAT ARE THERE AND I, YOU KNOW, UM, BUT IT'S, IT, IT'S STATE OF THE ART. MY THING IS, WHY DON'T WE WORK WITH DR. PANNU AND OTHERS AGGRESSIVELY AND PASSIONATELY, LIKE [02:05:02] TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THAT FACILITY, WHETHER THEY SELL IT AND USE IT TOWARD THEIR CONVOCATION CENTER UP AND YOUR NECK TAB. BUT, UH, AND THAT IS A PRIME PIECE OF PROPERTY NOT EVEN USED. SO, ANYBODY ELSE ON COUNCIL? QUESTION? COMMENT, DISCUSSION? YEAH. MR. GLOVER. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU. UM, WHETHER THIS MOTION PASSES OR NOT, UM, I'M COMMITTED TO SEEING USCB HERE IN BEAUFORT AND BLUFFTON JUST LIKE COASTAL CAROLINA, AND IT'S GONNA TAKE THIS EFFORT OF COUNCIL TO SUPPORT THEM MOVING FORWARD. SO WHETHER THIS PASSES OR NOT, I AM COMMITTED TO DOING WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT ONE DAY COASTAL CAROLINA WILL BE RIGHT HERE IN BEAUFORT. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW IS FUNDING $11.7 MILLION FROM PUBLIC FUNDS FOR USCB CONVOCATION CENTER. SO WOULD YOU DO A ROLL CALL, PLEASE? MS. BROCK? YES, MA'AM. COUNCIL MEMBER PASSIT? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER LAWSON MARK LAWSON? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER GLOVER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER DAWSON? YES. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CUNNINGHAM? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER BARTHOLOMEW? NO. VICE CHAIR TABER NECK? NO. CHAIR HOWARD? NO. THE MOTION FAILS. THANK YOU MS. BROCK. SO THE ORDINANCE DOES NOT MOVE FORWARD. ALRIGHT. UM, WE [14.f. 2026/22: An Ordinance to amend the current Disaster Recovery Ordinance. ] ARE ON ORDINANCE 2026 SLASH 22 AND ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CURRENT DISASTER RECOVERY ORDINANCE. THE VOTE AT PUBLIC FACILITIES ON APRIL 20TH WAS 10 ZERO. CAN I HAVE A MOTION PLEASE? SO MOVED. THANK YOU MR. CUNNINGHAM. I SECOND IT. ALL RIGHT, SECOND. ANYBODY PICK YOUR, PICK YOUR CHOICE. HELLO, MR. KRAUS. WHAT? SAY YOU ON THIS. HI. GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. UM, SO THIS IS THE UPDATE OF OUR DISASTER RECOVERY ORDINANCE, OUR GUIDING DOCUMENT FOR DISASTER RECOVERY. UM, SO THERE'S SOME STRUCTURAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES. BASICALLY, WE'RE BRINGING THE ORDINANCE UP TO DATE, HOW WE CURRENTLY OPERATE THE RECOVERY, UM, IN THE COUNTY, UM, IN 2026. UM, SO WE'VE ADDED SOME DEFINITIONS, SOME THINGS TO GET US CURRENT WITH THE FEMA SIDE OF THINGS, UM, AS WELL AS REMOVE SOME OUTDATED POSITION LANGUAGE, UM, AND, UH, JUST KIND OF DONE A FULL UPDATE. UH, ANYTHING ON THE ORDINANCE THAT NEEDED A BIT OF CHANGE, UM, WE TOOK CARE OF THAT. ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT. UM, I, EXCELLENT WORK. UH, WE'RE, WE'LL ALL WANNA KNOW WHAT THIS SAYS IF WE HAVE ANOTHER DISASTER LIKE MATTHEW AND REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME AND EFFORT Y'ALL HAVE PUT INTO, UH, IT'S UP TO SPEED AND UP TO DATE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. AND, UH, HURRICANE MATTHEW. THAT'S THE, THE GUIDING STORM FOR US, YOU KNOW, PLANNING FOR THAT AND WORSE. AND I JUST WANTED THE PUBLIC TO, I MEAN, I WAS ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN THE PACKET, PAGE 3 56, THE ORG CHART FOR RE RECOVERY TASK FORCE. SO IT TELLS THE PUBLIC EXACTLY WHO DOES WHAT. SO WE DO HAVE A PLAN. WE WON'T BE LEFT STRANDED AFTER HURRICANE ZELDA OR WHICHEVER ONE COMES. WELL, I'M JUST MAKING IT UP. , HURRICANE TABER. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. UM, BUT THERE IS A PLAN, THERE IS A TASK FORCE AND I APPLAUD YOU FOR DOING THIS. THANK YOU. AND THE OTHER COOL PART TOO IS IT CAN BE PHASED IN AND PHASED OUT. SO THE PLAN, WHETHER WE GET HIT WITH A HURRICANE OR NOT, THERE'S THINGS IN THERE FOR TROPICAL STORMS IF WE'RE PUT ON ALERT. SO YOU HATE TO SAY YOU WANT TO, YOU HAVE TO USE THE PLAN, BUT THE PLAN CAN BE USED AT DIFFERENT STAGES AS WELL. THANKS FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? COUNSEL? THANKS FOR STAYING TWO HOURS FOR THAT. YEAH. ALRIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE. PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND, RIGHT? OR, THANK YOU, MATT. THANK YOU. [14.g. 2026/23: An Ordinance authorizing the County Administrator to execute all necessary documents to convey the County’s Right of Way Interest in a segment of Scheper Lane to SCDOT and to accept the SCDOT Right of Way Interest in a segment of Roosevelt Avenue into the County Road Inventory. ] OR ORDINANCE 2026 SLASH 23 SORRY, IS AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS TO CONVEY THE COUNTY'S RIGHT OF WAY, INTEREST IN A SEGMENT OF SHE ROAD SHEPHERD LANE TO S-C-D-O-T AND TO ACCEPT THE S-C-D-O-T RIGHT OF WAY INTEREST IN A SEGMENT OF ROOSEVELT AVENUE INTO THE COUNTY ROAD INVENTORY. THE VOTE AT PUBLIC FACILITIES APRIL 20TH WAS 10 ZERO. AND WE'D LOVE TO HEAR, OH, MOTION. I'LL MAKE A SECOND. OKAY, MR. CUNNINGHAM. AND THEN MS. HOWARD IS THE SECOND. AND, UH, JARED, MR. FRIS, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE WE DON'T TAKE ROADS INTO OUR COUNTY INVENTORY WILLY-NILLY. SO, NO, THIS IS, UH, JUST A STRAIGHT SWAP WITH DOT. BASICALLY TWO PAVED ROADS IN GOOD CONDITION, JUST IN SHEPHERD LANE. DOT OWNS ALL THE OTHER ROADS [02:10:01] AROUND IT. WE JUST HAPPEN TO OWN THAT LITTLE PORTION AND VICE VERSA. ON ROOSEVELT, UH, WE OWN A PORTION OF IT AND THEY OWN A PORTION OF IT. IT'S ABOUT THE SAME LENGTH AS SHEPHERD, SO WE'LL TAKE THAT PORTION FROM THEM. SO IT JUST, IT'S JUST A, UH, CLEANUP OF THE TWO DIFFERENT OWNERSHIPS OF ROADS. ALL RIGHT. ANYONE QUESTION FOR MR. OR COMMENT? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. A AND I GUESS YOU'RE GONNA PROBABLY DO THE, THE NEXT 1, 20 26 [14.h. 2026/24: An Ordinance authorizing the County Administrator to execute any and all necessary documents for the acceptance of a portion of Airport Circle (S-776) which is to be abandoned by SCDOT. ] SLASH 24 IS AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE ANY AND ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS FOR THE ACCEPTANCE OF A PORTION OF AIRPORT CIRCLE S 7 76, WHICH IS TO BE ABANDONED BY S-C-D-O-T, THE VOTED PUBLIC FACILITIES. APRIL 20TH WAS 10 ZERO. CAN I CHAIRMAN A MOTION FROM MR. GLOVER? A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. MS. HOWARD DOES A SECOND. SO THEY WOULD LIKE TO ABAN THEY HAVE ABANDONED THIS. YEAH, WELL, UM, WE HAD ASSUMED THAT IT WAS OURS FOR A LONG TIME. SO, UM, ANYWAYS, THE, WE FOUND THIS WHEN WE WERE WORKING ON THE 2018 WIDENING OF 21 THERE IN FRONT OF WALMART. AND WHEN WE UNCOVERED IT, THIS TOO IS KIND OF SYNCHRONIZING AND GETTING OUR, OUR DOCUMENTS RIGHT. SO WE OWN, UM, THE REAR PORTION OF AIRPORT CIRCLE, WHICH IS A DIRT ROAD. THIS IS THE PAVED PORTION IN FRONT OF WALMART GOING TO THE AIRPORT. AND AGAIN, THIS WAS SOMETHING WE ALREADY ASSUMED WE OWNED, BUT RECOVERED REALIZED THAT IT WASN'T HIS DOT OWNED. SO THIS IS TRANSFERRING FOR COUNTY FULL OWNERSHIP. JUST FOR CLARITY, THIS IS THE BEAUFORT EXECUTIVE AIRPORT? CORRECT. OKAY. BECAUSE WHEN YOU SAY AIRPORT, MOST PEOPLE THINK SORRY, SORRY. BEAUFORD. EXECUTIVE LADIES ALLEN. YEAH, WE WERE JUST OUT THERE FOR THE FLYING FROG, WHATEVER IT WAS. ALRIGHT, ANY QUESTION FOR JARED OR DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THANK YOU. [14.i. 2026/25: An Ordinance authorizing the conveyance of an undeveloped portion of real property adjacent to Nanny Cove Road located in a section of Palmetto Beach in Bluffton Township, Beaufort County. ] AND MY LAST ONE IS 2026 SLASH 25. AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CONVEYANCE OF AN UNDEVELOPED PORTION OF REAL PROPERTY ADJACENT TO NANNY COVE ROAD, LOCATED IN A SECTION OF PALMETTO BEEF BEACH IN BLUFFTON TOWNSHIP, BEAUFORT COUNTY. THE VOTE AT PUBLIC FACILITIES. APRIL 22, 10 0. MR. CUNNINGHAM MAKES A MOTION. SECOND IT. THANK YOU. WHO SAID THAT? MR. LAWSON? OKAY. MM-HMM . WE HAVE A MOTION. AND SECOND, UH, YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO CONTRIBUTE ON THIS ONE? YEAH, THIS ONE. AGAIN, SAME VEIN AS THE OTHER TWO. CLEANING UP SOME RIGHT OF WAY. THIS IS A SECTION OF ROADWAY IN OFF OF AJOY. UM, NANNY COVE MAKES A CIRCLE BACK TO AJOY IN TWO POINTS. AND THIS IS A, A SMALL SECTION THAT WAS ORIGINALLY INCLUDED IN THE DEED. IT'S NEVER BEEN DEVELOPED. THE LANDOWNERS APPROACHED US. THEY'VE BEEN MAINTAINING IT. IT ACTUALLY GOES TO, UM, THE MARSH THERE. AND WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE ANY DRAINAGE THROUGH THAT AREA. AND THEY'VE ASKED TO TAKE HALF OF THAT BACK TO SPLIT AMONGST THE TWO LANDOWNERS AND THERE. AND SO, YES, THIS IS IN, UH, MY AREA. AND, UM, I THINK ACCORDING TO STATE LAW, THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT CAN CLAIM THAT IS ACTUALLY THE, THE, THE OWNERS THAT ARE NEXT TO IT. SO IT'S NOT LIKE SOMEONE ELSE CAN COME IN AND SAY, THAT'S MY, SO THEY HAVE APPLIED THEN TO ACTUALLY ABSORB THAT INTO EACH SPLIT DOWN THE MIDDLE, EACH ONE, TAKE IT BACK. BUT AGAIN, IT IS KIND OF JUST A BLIP THAT, UM, THAT THEY DIDN'T OWN. AND AGAIN, IT WAS COUNTY AND WE WEREN'T MAINTAINING IT. UM, AS, SO AGAIN, THAT'S JUST WHERE THIS CAME FROM. AND THE OWNERS ARE AGAIN ASKING TO ADD IT TO THEIR PROPERTY ON EITHER SIDE. ALL RIGHT. ANYONE ELSE? QUESTION OR COMMENT? ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THANK YOU. AND THAT GRATEFULLY FINISHES OUR ORDINANCES. OKAY. WE HAVE SOME, THE LONGEST AGENDA WE'VE EVER HAD. WE GOT MORE COMMON. I KNOW WE'VE GOT, WE'VE [15.a. 2026/15: A Resolution of the County Council of Beaufort County adopting a merit pay policy and associated appendix to the Beaufort County Personnel Handbook. ] GOT SOME RESOLUTIONS TO TALK ABOUT. UH, 15 A IS 20 20, 26, 15 A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL OF BEAUFORT COUNTY ADOPTING A MERIT PAY POLICY AND ASSOCIATED APPENDIX TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY PERSONNEL HANDBOOK. THE VOTE AT THE FINANCE ADMINISTRATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE ON APRIL 20TH, 2026 WAS EIGHT ZERO. THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT FOR SEVERAL YEARS. SO MOVED. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN BARTHOLOMEW. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, BY SHOW OF HANDS. ALL IN FAVOR? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. YES. WE JUST VOTED THAT, UM, AS THIS IS TO INCORPORATE MERIT, MERIT PAY, UM, A QUESTION, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I'VE ALWAYS HAD ISSUES WITH MERIT PAY, SO I'M, YOU KNOW, THAT'S OBVIOUS. UM, IN ORDER TO GET MERIT PAY, UM, OR YOU MUST HAVE DONE, HAD A A, AN EVALUATION [02:15:01] FOR THE INTENT TOWARD MERIT. SO MY QUESTION IS, HAS EVERYBODY IN THE SYSTEM BEEN EVALUATED AT THIS TIME? EVERYONE THAT'S BEEN HERE FOR AT LEAST 12 MONTHS HAS YES, SIR. HAS BEEN EVALUATED. CORRECT. AND THE MERIT POLICY HAS IN PLACE THAT THIS WILL BE EFFECTIVE. JULY ONE. WE ALSO INCORPORATING A 1% COLA COUNTYWIDE ON JULY ONE, BUT THE MERIT INCREASES WILL TAKE PLACE ON THEIR ANNIVERSARY DATE, WHICH WILL OF COURSE SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR. OKAY. OUR WORK ANNIVERSARY DATE. CORRECT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR, NO, THAT'S IT. COMMENTS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. UM, DID, DID WE, DID WE DO THE SHOW? WE DID IT IN PAST, DID WE VOTED? YEAH, WE VOTED AFTER. OKAY. THANK YOU, MS. ME. ALL RIGHT. UH, B [15.b. 2026/16: A Resolution to Commission Solid Waste and Recycling Enforcement Officer. ] IS 20 26, 15, A RESOLUTION TO COMMISSION THE SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING AND ENFORCEMENT OFFICER VOTE. PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMITTEE ON APRIL 20TH WAS 10 ZERO. AND, UH, SO MOVED. SO MOVED. SO MOVED. I SECOND. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? A. ALRIGHT. SHE, SHE WAS AT EARTH DAY FRIDAY TOO. MM-HMM . OUR NEW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. YEP. BUT SHE CAME FROM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, CORRECT? YEAH, CORRECT. [15.c. 2026/17: A Resolution endorsing the updated Beaufort County Disaster Recovery Plan. ] THE 20 26 17 A RESOLUTION ENDORSING THE UPDATED BUFORT COUNTY DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN, WHICH WE JUST HEARD ABOUT. THE VOTED PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMITTEE WAS APRIL 20TH, 2026. THE VOTE WAS 10 ZERO. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? I MOVED A SECOND. ALRIGHT, SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR BY SHOW OF HANDS. AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS [15.d. 2026/18: A Resolution to accept a South Carolina Aeronautics Commission (SCAC) Commercial Airport Entitlement grant in the amount of $1 Million for the Hilton Head Island Airport Terminal Improvement Project, Phase II - Contingent upon final grant offer.] D 20 26 18. A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT THE SOUTH CAROLINA AERONAUTICS, UH, COMMISSION'S COMMERCIAL AIRPORT ENTITLEMENT GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $1 MILLION FOR THE HILTON HEAD AIRPORT TERMINAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, PHASE TWO CONTINGENT UPON FINAL GRANT OFFER. SO MOVED. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A VOTE, UH, MOTION BY, UM, COUNCILMAN REITS AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM. ALL IN FAVOR? IT IS ANIMUS. ALL RIGHT. UH, 20 26 19 [15.e. 2026/19: A Resolution authorizing the County Administrator to enter into an MOU with the Port Royal Sound Foundation. ] A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO ENTER INTO A MOU WITH THE PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION. THE VOTE AT PUBLIC FACILITIES ON APRIL 20TH WAS 10 ZERO. DO I HAVE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. ALL RIGHT. MOTION BY MS. TABER. SECOND. SECOND. UM, COUNCILMAN PASSMAN? ALL IN FAVOR? WE VOTE. OH, DISCUSSION? YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. UM, I, I WAS AT THE, UM, THE NORTHERN REGIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING THIS PAST FRIDAY. MM-HMM . AND THEY HAD, UM, UM, FOUNDATION TO COME IN TO ASSESS, UM, WATER QUALITY, UM, IN BEAUFORD COUNTY, UM, PARTICULARLY THE PORT ROYAL SOUND. AND AT THAT MEETING, UM, THEY, THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF, THEY RESEARCH WORK, UH, AT THIS TIME. AND I JUST WANT THE STAFF, YOU KNOW, TO LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITY AS THEY LOOK AT THIS MOU, UH, TO SEE WHETHER WE CAN HELP THEM SOME MORE, UM, IN SOME OF THEIR FUNDING. UM, THEY'RE DOING, THEY'LL, THEY'RE TRYING TO BRING ON LEVEL TWO, UM, TIME AND IT COSTS, BUT IT'S ALL BENEFICIAL TO BEAUFORT COUNTY TO MAKE TO, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, TO TRY TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF WATER, UM, OUT THERE AND STUFF. AND THAT'S SO ESSENTIAL. UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT PLACES LIKE MAY RIVER, YOU KNOW, UM, CONTAMINATION HAS HAPPENED. UM, PORT ROYAL SOUND IS ALSO, UM, GETTING CONTAMINATED, UM, AND INUNDATED. AND, UM, AND IT'S GOING TO LEAD TO THE SING HELENA SOUND, WHICH IS NOT A PROBLEM RIGHT NOW. BUT IF WE DON'T PROTECT PORT ROYAL, SOUTH MAY RIVER, THEN SELLA IS GONNA BE IMPACTED AS WELL. SO I JUST WANT THE ADMINISTRATION TO LOOK AT, UM, SEE HOW WE CAN HELP THEM FURTHER DO THAT RESEARCH DATA THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE DECISIONS, UM, UM, OR BETTER DECISIONS. THAT'S ALL. MR. TYLER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT? YOU WANT? YES, MA'AM. I DO APPRECIATE THE, THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS PROJECT. UM, WE DID ASK THAT THIS, UM, BE AVAILABLE FOR RENEWAL ANNUALLY, UM, WITHOUT COMING BACK TO COUNCIL, UM, SO THAT WE CAN FURTHER AID THEM IN THEIR RESEARCH PROJECTS. THANK YOU. DID WE VOTE? DID WE DID NOT VOTE YET ON THAT. AND THIS IS A FINAL ONE. GREAT COMMENTS. COUNCILMAN GLOVER. I, I AGREE. ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS. ALRIGHT. AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS. AND WITHOUT FURTHER BUSINESS, WE ARE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL AN HOUR. [02:20:01] CAN I, COUNCIL MEMBER DAWSON. * 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.