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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
I'M GOING TO CALL TO ORDER THE COUNTY COUNCIL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP.
IT'S 9:00 AM UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS ONLINE.
WE HAVE MR. RE, MS. HOWARD, AND WHO'S THE THERE? OH, MR. CUNNINGHAM.
SO PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES.
AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INVIS, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR.
AND JUST A THANK YOU TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF.
WE DIDN'T LEAVE TILL 10:00 PM LAST NIGHT.
SO IF WE'RE A LITTLE BLEARY EYED, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE REASON IS? OH, YEAH.
SO WE'RE, UM, MS. BROCK STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE WITH FOIA.
I'M LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
I'M A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
DO I, I NEED TO APPROVE IT FIRST SO YOU CAN AMEND.
MR. PASS WILL MAKE THE MOTION TO SECOND OF, YEAH, SECOND IT.
MS. UM, BROWN SECONDS IT AND NOW YOU CAN MAKE YOUR AMENDMENT.
I'D LIKE TO MOTION IT TO AMEND THE AGENDA FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
I'LL SECOND THAT I SECOND BY MR. BARTHOLOMEW.
ALL IN FAVOR OF AMENDING THE AGENDA TO ADD PUBLIC COMMENT, WHICH IS NORMALLY PART OF OUR WORKSHOP.
AND NOW WE HAVE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS AMENDED.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THAT APPROVING AS AMENDED.
OKAY, SO NOW WE'LL DO PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND I HAVE SEVERAL FELICE LAMARCA COME UP FRONT.
I HAVE THREE IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTED TO SIGN UP AND YOU DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE DOING IT.
AND WE, SOME OF US UNDERSTAND THAT THE PRESENTATION BEFORE US TODAY HAS LEFT ME WITH MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS.
WHY ARE BUSINESSES DEPENDENT ON THE EDC TO STAY IN BUSINESS? EVEN SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES, WHEN THEY WANT TO EXPAND, THEY DON'T GO TO THE MORTGAGE COMPANY.
SEE PAGE 29, A COUNTY DEPARTMENT MODEL WHERE THE COUNTY DIRECTLY OPERATES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNCTIONS AS MANY OTHER COUNTIES DO.
TAKE AN IN-HOUSE AND SAVE US SOME MONEY AND OPERATE IT.
HOW ARE STRATEGIES TO BE ACCOMPLISHED? GIVE US REAL MEASUREMENTS, NOT WORDS.
HOW MANY YEARS AND HOW MUCH OF OUR MONEY DOES IT TAKE FOR YOU TO ASK THE TOUGH QUESTIONS? TRUST.
YOU KNOW, I BRING THAT UP ALL THE TIME.
BASED ON HOW THE B-C-E-D-C HAS BEHAVED TOWARDS YOU AND US TAXPAYERS, I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD DEFUND THEM.
REMEMBER THE CULTURAL ART CENTER ON ST.
HELENA? YOU VOTED TO NOT FUND THE PURCHASE OF THE OVERPRICED LAND, BUT OUR B-C-E-D-C FOUND A WAY AROUND YOU AND GAVE OUR STATE TAXPAYER MONEY TO THE OPEN LAND TRUST TO BYPASS CITIZEN CONTROL.
THE B-C-E-D-C CONSPIRED TO GET AROUND YOU.
CITIZEN REPRESENTATION QUESTIONS.
SENATOR DAVIS AND THE B-C-E-D-C AND OLT WERE TO DRAFT AN AGREEMENT TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATE.
WAS THAT DONE? TWO, SINCE THE COUNTY HAS PREVIOUSLY FUNDED THE B-C-E-D-C, HAS THE COUNTY BEEN INDEMNIFIED IN THIS TRANSACTION OR DID THEY TRANSFER THE FUNDS WITHOUT THAT AGREEMENT? THEN THERE'S A SALE BY THE CITY OF BEAUFORT OF PARCELS ON THE COMMERCE PARK AND THEIR ATTEMPT TO GET A MILLION DOLLAR GRANT.
MR. OTE SAID THAT THE CITY, AFTER THEY VOTED NOT TO GIVE THE GRANT, SAID THAT THE CITY WAS IN FACT GOING TO SPEND THE MILLION DOLLARS ON THE COMMERCE PART.
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THAT IN WRITING FROM THE CITY OF BUFORT OR SET IN OPEN SESSION TO ITS CITIZENS.I DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE EVER TOLD THE TRUTH BY THIS ORGANIZATION.
IT'S YOUR JOB TO TAKE CARE OF OUR MONEY IN THIS COUNTY.
THIS IS NOT AN ENTITY YOU WANT MANAGING OUR RESOURCES OR OUR MONEY.
UH, SECOND WE HAVE PAUL TRASK.
I SAW MOST OF YOU LAST NIGHT, OR ALL OF YOU
SO I'M NOT A FAN OF THE B-C-E-D-C.
UM, AFTER YEARS OF FUNDING, B-C-E-D-C CANNOT DEMONSTRATE MEANINGFUL ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION.
BEAUFORT COUNTY REMAINS OVERWHELMINGLY DEPENDENT ON COASTAL ATTRACTION AND RETIREE MIGRATION, MARKET DRIVEN RETAIL AND HOSPITALITY ASSOCIATED CONSTRUCTION, TOURISM AND GOVERNMENT MILITARY SPENDING.
B-C-E-D-C IS VERY GOOD AT ANNOUNCEMENTS IN GLOSSY PROJECTIONS, BUT NOT VERIFIED LONG-TERM RESULTS.
WHERE'S THE INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION SHOWING VIABLE WELL-CAPITALIZED COMPANIES REMAINING LONG-TERM SUSTAINED HIGHER SALARIES AND MEASURABLE TAXPAYER RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
WHY IS IT THAT YOU NEVER HEAR A WORD ABOUT PROJECTS B-C-E-D-C PROMOTED PROJECTS THAT DON'T WORK THAT FAIL? B-C-E-D-C HAS DRIFTED INTO SPECULATIVE REAL ESTATE FACILITATION, SPECULATIVE INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS, SPECULATIVE LAND DEALS, SPECULATIVE CARRYING COST SUBSIDIES.
IF SUCH PROJECTS WERE TRULY STRONG MARKET OPPORTUNITIES, PRIVATE CAPITAL WOULD ASSUME THE RISK WITHOUT TAXPAYER INVOLVEMENT, THE SITE AND JOB FUND HAS SUBSIDIZED THE SPECULATION THAT PRIVATE CAPITAL ITSELF WOULD NOT OTHERWISE UNDERTAKE.
AND PRIVATE DEVELOPERS CAPTURE APPRECIATION AND PROFIT IF THE PROJECT SUCCEED.
I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT TO PURCHASES THIS ONE IN APRIL OF 25 FOR THE PARCEL BEHIND MODERN TRACK MACHINERY IS THEIR STRATEGY.
PROBABLY WE'LL HEAR ABOUT IT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A VIABLE STRATEGY.
THEN ANOTHER ONE THIS PAST YEAR FOR THE 117 ACRES, FIVE OF WHICH ACRES ARE POLLUTED.
UH, 1,000,400 $95,000 PURCHASE.
IS THERE A STRATEGY THERE? I MEAN, A FISH FARM OR A MEAT PACKING? I MEAN, WE HAVEN'T HEARD AN UPDATE ON ANY OF THAT.
AND IS THAT EVEN VIABLE? BEAUFORT COUNTY IS THE OPPOSITE OF MOST COUNTIES.
WE HAVE PROVEN AND SUSTAINED ONGOING RESIDENTIAL MIGRATION, RISING PROPERTY VALUES, AFFLUENT DEMOGRAPHICS, TOURISM DEMAND, SUBSTANTIAL PRIVATE INVESTMENT.
BEAUFORT COUNTY'S PROBLEM IS MANAGING GROWTH, NOT CREATING GROWTH AFTER HERE'S OF FUNDING.
WHAT SUBSTANTIAL ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION HAS BC EDC PRODUCED THAT WOULD NOT OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN PRODUCED BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR? THANK YOU, MR. MY TIME IS UP.
I'D LIKE TO LEAVE A COPY OF MY COMMENTS WITH THE CLERK.
IF YOU GIVE IT TO MS. BROCK, THAT'D BE GREAT.
GRAHAM TRASK, YOUR THIRD MORNING.
I'M HERE TO PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT INTO THE B-C-E-D-C.
OBJECTIVE INSIGHT IN PURSUIT OF THE B-C-D-E-D-C IN SIX YEARS HAS HANDED OUT $6.1 MILLION.
THE COUNTY HAS SPENT OVER $3 MILLION IN OPERATING COSTS FOR THE B-C-E-D-C.
THAT'S $9.1 MILLION OF COUNTY SPENDING IN SIX YEARS.
THE OPERATING COST FOR THE B-C-E-D-C IS 50 CENTS ON EVERY DOLLAR.
IT HANDS OUT 50 CENTS OPERATING COST ON EVERY DOLLAR THAT IT HANDS OUT.
A TYPICAL VENTURE CAPITAL FUND IS 2% THEIR 50%.
THE B-C-E-D-C IN ITS 54 PAGE PRESENTATION IN FRONT OF YOU WILL
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EMPHATICALLY ASSERT THAT IT HAS CREATED SIGNIFICANT VALUE.IT REPRESENTS IT'S TAKEN $6.1 MILLION AND TURNED IT INTO $765 MILLION OF PROPERTY VALUE.
THIS AMOUNTS TO A RETURN OF 12700%.
THE B-C-E-D-C GAVE GLASSWORKS $2.4 MILLION.
OF THAT $3.7 MILLION, 67 JOBS HAVE BEEN CREATED AT A WAGE RATE OF $38,000.
THAT'S EQUIVALENT TO A MCDONALD'S COOK HIGH PAYING JOBS.
NO, IN TOTAL, AS I'VE SAID, THE B-C-E-D-C HAS SPENT $9.2 MILLION.
THAT IS, AND IT'S CREATED 146 JOBS EXCLUDING GLASSWORKS, WHICH WENT BANKRUPT.
THAT'S $63,000 PER JOB FOR $43,000 JOBS.
I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA CUT ME OFF.
I'VE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW THE BOTTOM LINE, AND I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THIS, IS THAT THE B-C-E-D-C HAS BEEN AN ABJECT FAILURE.
IT NEEDS TO BE DEFUNDED AND IT NEEDS TO BE DEFUNDED.
IT'S A WASTE OF TAXPAYER RESOURCES.
WHATEVER THEY HAVE DONE IS A ROUNDING ERROR ON PRIVATE INVESTMENT.
IF YOU HAVE A STATEMENT, YOU COULD LEAVE IT WITH RESPECT.
UH, NUMBER FOUR, MAYOR DECKER.
MR. MCKELLAN HAS JOINED US ONLINE.
I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF, UM, AGREEMENTS THAT THE B-C-E-D-C ENTERED INTO IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
AND, UH, I JUST QUESTIONED THE VALUE OF THESE AGREEMENTS AND HOW THEY BENEFIT, UH, OUR COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE OF BUFORT COUNTY AND HOW THEY MEET THE MISSION AS COUNCIL, UM, HAS STATED REPEATEDLY, UH, FOR THIS ORGANIZATION IN JUNE, 2021, THE B-C-E-D-C ENGAGED CONVERGENT NONPROFIT SOLUTIONS TO CONDUCT A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF LAUNCHING A CAMPAIGN FOR, UH, COMPANIES TO INVEST.
AND THE COST OF THIS AGREEMENT AND THE EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH IT CAME OUT TO $31,076, GIVE OR TAKE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THE GOAL, WHICH WAS A GOAL RANGE OF 800,000 TO $1 MILLION OF INVESTMENT BY PRIVATE, UH, COMPANIES, WAS EVER REALIZED.
AND NUMBER TWO, THE B-C-E-D-C ENTERED INTO A GRANT AGREEMENT IN 2022 FOR THE 2023 YEAR WITH A NEW NONPROFIT.
AND, UH, THERE WAS A QUESTIONABLE AGREEMENT AS TO WHETHER ANYTHING WAS ACTUALLY PRODUCED.
THEY SPENT ANOTHER $1,600 TO HAVE AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS DONE, WHICH IN MY VIEW JUST READ LIKE DRL.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT WAS DISCOVERED AND DISCLOSED BY THE B-C-E-D-C THAT THEY PAID $14,000 IN RENT FOR THIS ORGANIZATION THAT RECEIVED THE $75,000 GRANT.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, UH, HOW COUNCIL DETERMINES THAT PAYING RENT FOR AN ORGANIZATION THAT RECEIVED A GRANT THAT QUESTIONABLE, UM, MERIT, UM, ALSO RECEIVED $14,000 IN RENT PAYMENTS.
AND IS THAT WHAT THIS ORGANIZATION IS ABOUT, IS PAYING OTHER ORGANIZATIONS RENT? SO THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE.
I THINK THEY'RE VERY LEGITIMATE.
I DON'T THINK THEY FIT IN THE MISSION AS COUNCIL HAS, UH, REPEATEDLY, UM, EMPHASIZED AND MOST IMPORTANTLY IN THEIR LAST RESOLUTION AS TO WHAT THIS ORGANIZATION'S SUPPOSED TO BE FOCUSED ON.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, UM, WHAT COUNCIL THINKS OF THOSE AGREEMENTS.
ANYBODY ELSE THAT DIDN'T GET TO SIGN UP ON SPEAK? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
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OH, PUBLIC COMMENT.MY NAME'S JOHN AT, UH, 26 3 MASS LANE ON HILTON HEAD.
I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT ON GLASSWORKS, UH, BECAUSE IF I LEAVE THAT OUT THERE FOR A LONG TIME, IT MIGHT BECOME KNOWN AS TRUTH, WHAT WAS SAID.
UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY DID NOT GIVE GLASSWORKS ANY CASH INCENTIVE TO BE HERE.
YOU HEARD ONE OF THE SPEAKERS SAY 2.4 MILLION.
WE GAVE THEM A FILO AGREEMENT.
THE BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVED A FILO AGREEMENT, WHICH IN FACT, THEY WERE ONLY IN BUSINESS FOR FIVE YEARS.
BUSINESSES SOMETIMES DON'T, DON'T MAKE IT.
THAT'S, THAT'S COMMON, NOT DESIRABLE, BUT IT, IT HAPPENS.
WE, UH, THE COUNCIL GAVE THEM A FILO, WHICH MADE THE, UH, THE WAY IT WAS CONSTRUCTED.
THEY ACTUALLY PAID $73,000 MORE IN THEIR FIRST FIVE YEARS OF BUSINESS.
THEY WOULD'VE SAVED OVER THE 20 YEARS OF THE FILO.
BUT THE ONLY THING THAT HAPPENED TO BEAUFORT BY, BY ENCOURAGING THAT COMPANY TO INVEST $15 MILLION AT, UH, UH, THE PARKER DRIVE SITE, WAS THAT, UH, MONEY WAS INVESTED IN BEAUFORT.
A BUILDING WAS KEPT IN A GOOD CONDITION, AND THEY ACTUALLY PAID $73,000 MORE IN TAXES.
THAT'S THE NET DIFFERENCE OF OUR INVOLVEMENT WITH GLASSWORKS.
I'M GONNA CLOSE SINCE HE GOTTA RESPOND TO TONIGHT.
PUBLIC COMMENT'S GONNA BE CLOSED.
WELL, YOU CAN SPEAK TO HIM AFTER.
OTHERWISE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE REBUTTAL AFTER REBUTTAL, AND I'M GONNA MOVE ALONG.
SO NEXT, OUR AGENDA ITEMS, WE'RE GONNA START WITH HISTORY OF BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
AND I KNOW IT'S IN THE PACKET, SO IF YOU WANNA SH THERE YOU GO.
I GO THROUGH IT FAIRLY QUICKLY.
I THINK SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE ON COUNCIL, UH, DURING THIS TIME.
UH, BUT IN, UM, UH, 2012, WELL, WELL, LET ME BRING IT BACK.
IN THE LAST 20 YEARS, BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, THE ONE COUNTY, UH, THAT STRUGGLED IN SOUTH CAROLINA TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND I'D INVITE YOU TO CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TO UNDERSTAND, UH, WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
OR I KNOW MANY OF YOU GO TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA, UH, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL ASSOCIATION MEETINGS.
AND, UH, YOU'LL HEAR THROUGHOUT TODAY SEVERAL, UH, UH, COUNCILS.
BUT TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, AND IN YOUR PACKET, UH, THERE'S A LINK TO A, UH, ARTICLE.
THERE WAS A SLIDE HERE THAT DISAPPEARED.
UH, BUT THERE, THERE'S A LINK, I BELIEVE IN YOUR PACKET TO A, A NOVEMBER 29TH, UH, 2015 ARTICLE.
KEEP IN MIND, IN 2012, THE, UH, LOWCOUNTRY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NETWORK, UH, UH, THAT CEASED TO EXIST.
THEN THERE WAS PUT IN PLACE, THE LOWCOUNTRY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE, UH, LED AT THE TIME BY KIM STATLER, UH, THAT CEASED TO EXIST IN 2015.
AND THEN IN 20, UH, 2015 THAT YEAR, BOBBY HIT CAME TO BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, AT AN ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD BY THE, UH, REAL ESTATE, UH, ASSOCIATIONS, UH, AT BEAUFORT, JASPER AND HILTON HAD ISLAND, UH, REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATION.
BOBBY HIT CAME AND, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT APPEARED IN THE, UH, ARTICLES AFTERWARDS, MY CONVERSATION WITH, UH, THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE IS THAT THEY THINK WE'RE AN ABSOLUTE JOKE.
THIS IS A QUOTE FROM, UH, BILLY LING MAYOR AT THE TIME.
WE SAY, SERIOUSLY, BECAUSE OF OUR RECORD, COMMERCE DOES NOT PAY HIGH RESPECT TO THOSE WHO DON'T WORK TOGETHER, AND THEY HAVEN'T SEEN US DO BALONEY IN THE LAST 20 YEARS.
SO THAT'S WHERE, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY WAS.
I, I BELIEVE, UH, UH, THAT WAS THE TENOR AT THE TIME.
THERE'S SOME CONVERSATION, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, EVEN TODAY, UH, YOU HEARD IT FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, AND IT REMAINS, UH, BUT THERE WAS A QUOTE IN HERE FROM, UH, UH, JANET GRISHAM WHO HEADED UP THE, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY, HEADS UP THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS.
WE CAN'T SURVIVE ON TOURISM AND MILITARY FOREVER.
SO AT ITS INCEPTION, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY WAS LOOKED AT AS A TWO-LEGGED STOOL.
WE HAD HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM, WE HAVE DEFENSE.
AND, UH, YOUR EXPECTATIONS, THE COUNCIL'S EXPECTATIONS, THE PUBLIC'S EXPECTATIONS, AS YOU HEARD, IS, IS THAT WE WILL WORK TO DIVERSIFY THE
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ECONOMY.UH, UH, THE MAYORS AT THE TIME, KAISER LINK SKA, DAVID BENNETT AND, UH, SAM MURRAY FROM PORT ROYAL, WERE REALLY THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THIS.
AND THEN THEY GOT THE COUNTY COUNCIL TO SAY, UH, WE SHOULD, UM, UH, UH, GET SERIOUS ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, FORM THIS CORPORATION.
AND, AND REALLY WHERE WE ARE TODAY IS AT A CROSSROADS.
OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S CONCERN ABOUT RESULTS AND, UH, THE GOOD AND THE BAD, AND HOW TO PROCEED, AND THAT'S HOPEFULLY WHAT WE'LL HAVE TODAY.
BUT TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, AT THE TIME, UH, THE, UH, COUNTY HIRED A NATIONAL CONSULTANT CALLED, UH, KA MOINE ASSOCIATES.
UH, THEY WENT THROUGH A, UH, A LENGTHY PROCESS OF TALKING TO ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS IN, UH, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THEY WENT THROUGH, UH, CREATING A STRATEGY, A WORK PLAN, WHICH WE INHERITED, AND IT WAS VERY WELL CRAFTED.
UH, AND, AND AT THIS POINT, WE'RE LOOKING TO, UH, UPDATE IT.
UH, IN, IN MAY OF 27, THEY ESTABLISHED PERFORMANCE METRICS, AND WE'LL DISCUSS THAT.
I DO THINK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ISN'T JUST ACTIVITIES, BUT IT'S SOMETHING, UH, THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO MEASURE AND CAN MEASURE.
UH, UH, IN JUNE OF 2017, THERE WAS A, A LONG TERM COMMITMENT FROM THE COUNTY AND FROM THE MUNICIPALITIES TO FUND IT.
CREATED PARTNERSHIPS WITH, UH, UH, MANY OF THE PARTNERS YOU'LL SEE IN THE PRESENTATION TODAY, SEPTEMBER, UH, 2017, I WAS HIRED.
UH, AND, UH, UH, UH, JUST PRIOR TO THAT, WE JOINED THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE.
AT THE SAME TIME, THE COUNTY JOINED THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE, AND THAT IS A PIVOTAL PART OF SOUTH CAROLINA'S DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR INCENTIVES AND WORKING ON PROJECTS AND, UH, DEVELOPING LEADS.
WE'LL GET INTO THE MEASUREMENTS.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE A LIVELY CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE MEASURE SUCCESS.
AND THEN, UH, I'LL ASK MY COLLEAGUE, UH, KELLY BRUNSON TO COME UP.
UH, IT WAS SUGGESTED AS WE WERE PUTTING THIS AGENDA TOGETHER TO GIVE A A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON, UH, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 1 0 1, UH, UH, COUNCIL, UH, PERSON, TABER IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE ON THE BOARD, UH, THE BOARD OF BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, UH, UH, TAB, YOU SENT US SOME NOTES.
AND, UH, IN THE COURSE OF OUR PRESENTATIONS TODAY, I THINK MOST OF THOSE QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED, OR WE CAN AT LEAST HAVE A, A, A, A LIVELY CONVERSATION ON THOSE POINTS.
SO, KELLY, GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY.
AS JOHN SAID, I'M KELLY BRUNSON, UM, AND I'M THE SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE B-C-E-D-C.
UM, WE HAVE HERE ON OUR STAFF, UH, BRIAN WARNER AS WELL.
UM, WE HAVE OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
WE HAVE EACH, UH, MUNICIPALITY REPRESENTED, UM, AS WELL AS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, U-S-C-B-T-C-L, UM, COUNTY COUNCIL, AND OUR UTILITIES AS WELL.
UM, AND I'D LIKE TO THANK TWO OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS FOR BEING HERE IN THE ROOM TODAY.
BLAKELY WILLIAMS FROM DOMINION ENERGY, AND ANDREA CINO FROM USCB.
SO, MOVING ON, UM, WE HAVE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A LEVEL SET FOR YOU ALL TODAY.
SO WHAT IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? IT'S THE PROCESS THROUGH WHICH, UH, PER CAPITA INCOME, TAX, REVENUE, AND WEALTH ARE INCREASED IN A COMMUNITY BY ATTRACTING INVESTMENTS AND CREATING JOBS.
AND SUCCESSFUL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN A COMMUNITY.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S NOT ABOUT BUSINESS.
IT'S ABOUT PEOPLE AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO LIVE AND WORK IN A COMMUNITY, UM, WHICH THEY HAVE CHOSEN TO BE A PART OF.
UM, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU HAVE A GRAPHIC THERE FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, UM, WHICH KIND OF GIVES THE VISION, THE MISSION, THE GOAL AND OBJECTIVE, AND WHAT TARGETS SOUTH CAROLINA IS LOOKING AT.
UM, SO SPECIFICALLY FOR SOUTH CAROLINA AS A WHOLE, THEY'RE LOOKING AT ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, LIFE SCIENCES HEADQUARTERS, UM, OFFICE OPERATIONS, BACK OFFICE OPERATIONS, UM, SPECIFICALLY FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WE LIKE TO LOOK AT LIGHT MANUFACTURING, AS YOU'VE HEARD.
AND MANY OF OUR PRESENTATIONS BEFORE.
WE DON'T WANNA DO ANYTHING TO THAT WILL HARM THE ENVIRONMENT.
UM, SO WE LOOK TO BRING IN THOSE LIGHT MANUFACTURING, UM, COMPONENTS.
UM, BUT SOME OF THE SAME TARGET INDUSTRIES THAT THE SOUTH CAR, STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IS LOOKING AT.
BEAUFORT COUNTY IS ALSO LOOKING AT AS WELL.
THERE ARE THREE MAIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES, AND THAT'S DEVELOPING NEW PRODUCT, RECRUITING NEW
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INDUSTRY, AND OUR BUSINESS RETENTION EXPANSION PROGRAMS. SO FOR AN EXAMPLE OF NEW PRODUCT, UM, THIS IS, UM, AT BUCKWALTER PLACE IN BLUFFTON.AND, UH, TIM DOLNICK IS THE DEVELOPER ON THIS PROPERTY.
UM, AND IF YOU'RE, UM, IN BLUFFTON AT, UH, BUCK WALTER PLACE, YOU CAN SEE THAT THESE BUILDINGS ARE COMING ALONG VERY NICELY.
THEY'RE 3000, UM, SQUARE FEET TRANCHES.
UM, SO THE BUILDINGS ARE DIVIDED UP IS 35,000 SQUARE FEET TOTAL.
AND WE'VE HAD SEVERAL PROSPECTS WITHIN THE LAST FEW MONTHS AS THESE BUILDINGS ARE COMING ONLINE.
I MEAN, IT'S ALMOST A DAILY OCCURRENCE WHEN I GET A CALL ABOUT THIS, UH, THIS PRODUCT THAT'S AVAILABLE.
SO IT'S FLEX WAREHOUSE SPACE, UM, AND IT'S A GREAT COMPONENT.
UM, HE ALSO DEVELOPED THE PROPERTY AT MYRTLE PARK, UH, WHICH IS BEHIND THE GOVERNMENT BUILDING IN BLUFFTON.
UM, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF PRODUCT, UH, WITHIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS THE MAGNUS SPEC BUILDING, WHICH WAS DEVELOPED IN THE BEAUFORT COMMERCE PARK.
AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE TWO COMPANIES WITHIN THAT BUILDING, NORMAN SHUTTERS, BLINDS AND SHADES, AND CRITICAL ROLE.
AND THIS WAS A $5.1 MILLION INVESTMENT IN THE BUILDING.
WE WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE TWO PIECES OF LAND LAST YEAR.
THIS ON PROCER DRIVE WAS PURCHASED IN APRIL, 2025, IS 14.77 ACRES.
AND, UM, IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF WATER SURROUNDING US.
THIS IS COMPLETELY DRY LAND, WHICH IS A RARITY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UH, WE TOOK THIS, UH, PARCEL OF LAND THROUGH THE PALMETTO SITES PROGRAM, THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.
AND, UM, BRIAN WARNER LED THAT EFFORT ON OUR STAFF.
AND WE RECEIVED GRANT FUNDING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE FOR, UH, CONTINUED DUE DILIGENCE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, A VALUE OF $13,800.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN THIS DUE DILIGENCE IS COMPLETED, THIS SITE WILL BE READY FOR ANY DEVELOPER OR, UM, COMPANY LOOKING TO COME IN.
WE'VE ALREADY DONE A LOT OF THE LEGWORK FOR DUE DILIGENCE FOR THEM.
THE OTHER PARCEL OF LAND THAT WE PURCHASED WAS 117 ACRES AT LECO.
UM, THIS PROPERTY IS, I THINK, ONE OF THE FEW PROPERTIES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY ACTUALLY ZONED FOR INDUSTRIAL.
UM, SO WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROPERTY, UM, AND THE ABILITY TO, UM, TO HAVE A MEAT PROCESSING FACILITY, UM, A FISH FARM.
UM, WE HAVE CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS WITH PARTNERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN, UM, IN HELPING US GET TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
SO OUR PLAN FOR THIS IS TO HAVE THIS SITE COMPLETELY PRE PERMITTED FOR THOSE TWO USES, UM, AND EVERYTHING.
SO WE ARE WORKING WITH A, A, UH, ENGINEERING FIRM, DAVIS AND FLOYD ON CONCEPTUALS, UH, FOR THIS PROPERTY.
AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO, TO CONTINUE WORKING ON THAT.
OUR SECOND PART OF, UM, OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS RECRUITING NEW INDUSTRY.
AND IN A COUP, I THINK NEXT WEEK WE HAVE A RIBBON CUTTING, UH, SCHEDULED THROUGH THE BEAUFORT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR MASTER CORPS.
THEY INVESTED $35 MILLION INTO THE BEAUFORT COMMERCE PARK, AND THEY ARE A COMMERCIAL LAUNDRY FACILITY.
SO THEY WERE OPEN, UM, DECEMBER 31ST, 2025.
UM, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF, UM, YOU MAY REMEMBER THE STORY JOHN TOLD IN JANUARY OF, UM, US WORKING UP UNTIL 6:00 PM ON NEW YEAR'S EVE TO GET THEM THEIR, UH, TEMPORARY CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY THROUGH THE CITY OF BEAUFORT.
THE BUILDING INSPECTOR WAS THERE TILL 6:00 PM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO OPEN ON TIME, UM, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND GOES BACK TO OUR, ONE OF OUR THREE PILLARS IS, UM, OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE TREATING OUR COMPANIES, UM, TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.
WE ALSO ANNOUNCED CS INSTRUMENTS LAST YEAR IN MARCH.
UM, THEY'RE BUILDING IN BLUFFTON ON PINELLAS DRIVE IS COMING ALONG VERY NICELY.
THEY, UM, EXPECT TO BE OPENED IN NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
UM, BUT THEY, UH, MET CREATE INSTRUMENTS THAT MEASURE AIR GAS, AND THEY ARE PLANNING TO HIRE 13 JOBS AT AN AVERAGE WAGE OF, UH, $87,000 PER YEAR.
CURRENTLY, THEY HAVE A FACILITY, UM, AN OFFICE BUILDING IN JASPER COUNTY AND THE CEO, UM, OR I'M SORRY, NOT THE CEO, BUT THE, THE HEAD OF THE,
[00:30:01]
OF BLUFFTON OPERATIONS, UM, THAT YOU SEE IN THE PICTURE THERE.MARTIN ZELLER, HE ACTUALLY TOLD ME A COUPLE WEEKS AGO THAT HE MOVED OUT OF HIS OFFICE TO GO AHEAD AND ALLOW FOR SOME OF THE NEW HIRES TO MOVE IN, UM, AND HAVE SPACE TO WORK IN.
SO THEY'RE REALLY, REALLY, UM, EXCITED TO BE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND, UM, TO HAVE THEIR NEW BUILDING SO THAT THEY ALL HAVE OFFICE SPACE.
WE ALSO WORK WITH OUR EXISTING BUSINESSES.
UM, SO GAY FISH COMPANY IS A COMPANY THAT WE SUPPORTED, UM, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, UH, FOR THE, THE BUILDING RECONSTRUCTION OF THEIR DOCK AND ALSO THEIR BUILDING.
UM, AND IF YOU DRIVE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW, IT LOOKS LIKE A MAJOR CONSTRUCTION WORK ZONE,
UM, SO THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THEM A $500,000 GRANT FOR THAT PURCHASE AND OR FOR THAT RECONSTRUCTION.
AND THEN BEAUFORT COUNTY, EDC ALSO SUPPORTED THEM WITH A $30,000 GRANT.
UM, AND IT'S REALLY, IT'S REALLY NICE TO SEE THAT, UM, THIS IS A BUSINESS THAT HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY FOR 75 YEARS, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR LEGACY IS STILL CARRIED THROUGHOUT.
L THREE HARRIS IS ANOTHER COMPANY ON HILTON HEAD THAT, UM, HAS BEEN HERE FOR 40 YEARS.
UM, AND THEY PROVIDE REALLY GOOD PAYING JOBS FOR THOSE ON HILTON HEAD AND LIVING IN BLUFFTON AS WELL.
UM, WE, YOU KNOW, LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS COMPANY, UM, IS, IS STAYING AROUND BECAUSE THEY'RE ONE OF THE LARGEST DEFENSE, UH, MANUFACTURERS IN THE UNITED STATES.
AS FAR AS OUR BUSINESS RETENTION EXPANSION PROGRAM.
BRIAN WARNER ON OUR STAFF HAS A GOAL OF 90 VISITS PER YEAR.
AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE MAP THERE, THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE ONES THAT HE'S COMPLETED, UM, THIS YEAR.
SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WITHIN, SINCE JULY.
UM, HE IS ALMOST, I THINK HE'S 50% OF THE WAY THERE.
UM, AS A PART OF ONE OF OUR BUSINESS RETENTION EXPANSION MEETINGS, WE LEARNED THAT SPARTINA, UH, 4, 4 9 WAS GOING TO BE EXPANDING THEIR OPERATIONS INTO BLUFFTON.
UM, AND SO THEY ESTABLISHED THEIR HEADQUARTERS.
AND, UM, THERE WAS A NICE PHOTO POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA LAST WEEK, UM, THAT THEY'RE BUILDINGS, UM, VERTICAL AND THAT THEY'RE REALLY, UM, NEARING COMPLETION ON THAT.
SO, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT INCENTIVES.
THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE OFFERS, UM, A FEW INCENTIVES INCLUDING INCOME TAX CREDITS, SALES TAX IN EXEMPT SINGLE FACTOR APPORTIONMENTS.
THEN THEY ALSO, UH, DELIVER DISCRETIONARY GRANTS.
SO JOB DEVELOPMENT CREDITS AND WORKFORCE TRAINING AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, WE CAN OFFER FEE LOWS, AND THAT ALL HAS, THESE ALL HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY COUNTY COUNCIL.
UM, PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENTS, SPECIAL SOURCE REVENUE CREDITS, MCPS, AND OTHER DISCRETIONARY INCENTIVES LIKE CASH GRANTS.
UM, THESE INCENTIVES ARE TIED TO PERFORMANCE AGREEMENTS.
UM, AND SO THEY HAVE TO DELIVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND JOBS.
AND AT THE, WE DO YEARLY CHECK-INS WITH THEM.
UM, SO THERE'S AN EXHIBIT A TO ALL OF THEIR, UM, PERFORMANCE AGREEMENTS WHERE THEY, ON A YEARLY BASIS, ON THE ANNIVERSARY DATE OF SIGNING THAT PERFORMANCE AGREEMENT, THAT THEY PROVIDE THOSE NUMBERS BACK TO US.
UM, AT THE END OF THE FIVE YEARS, IF THEY HAVE NOT MET THEIR PERFORMANCE AGREEMENTS FOR THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND THE JOB, UM, NUMBERS, THEN THERE IS WHAT WE CALL A CLAWBACK PROVISION.
AND SO THEY WOULD OWE BASED ON A FORMULA A CERTAIN AMOUNT BACK TO, TO THE ORGANIZATION.
SO YOUR ROLE AS ELECTED OFFICIALS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY RESOURCES TO SUPPORT LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS.
WE ALSO, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, AND THAT CAN BE, UM, ROADS, UM, YOU KNOW, UTILITIES, ALL THE THINGS.
UM, INSTILL A PRO-BUSINESS CLIMATE IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND THEN MAINTAIN CONFIDENTIALITY PRIOR TO, UH, INVESTMENT
THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE PARTNERS THAT WE WORK WITH ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
UM, THERE ARE MANY MORE THAT COULD NOT FIT ON THIS SLIDE.
UM, BUT, UH, THESE ARE A LOT OF THE ONES THAT THE THREE OF US TALK TO ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE, UH, FOR ME.
COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE A QUESTION.
I DO, LET'S START WITH ONE OF THE SLIDES WHERE YOU SHOW THE TWO PIECES
[00:35:01]
OF PROPERTY.CAN YOU GO BACK TO THAT, PLEASE? YES, SIR.
THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY THERE MM-HMM
HOW MUCH DID IT COST FOR THE 14 7 7 400 $60,000.
UH, WHO OWNS IT? A-C-E-D-C WHEN AN INVESTOR COMES IN TO DEVELOP THAT PROPERTY MM-HMM
PART OF THE, WHAT ARE THE INCENTIVES FOR SOMEONE TO COME? UH, SO WE WOULD, UM, LOOK AT THEIR INVESTMENT, THEIR, UH, JOB CREATION.
UH, WE WOULD SELL THE PARCEL TO THEM.
THAT'S THE IDEAL, UH, SITUATION.
AND WE WOULD SELL IT FOR MARKET VALUE.
THE FUNDS WOULD BE FROM THE PURCHASE OF THAT SALE, UM, OR THE SALE OF THAT PURCHASE WOULD BE RETURNED TO BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UM, AND THE JOB INSIGHT FUND, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE USE TO PURCHASE THE LAND, UM, WE WOULD LOOK AT, UH, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING UPON THE, THE COMPANY COMING IN, WE WOULD SEND THAT UP TO THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.
THEY MIGHT PROVIDE SOME OF THOSE INCENTIVES THAT I HAD HERE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, THE FILOS, THE SSRC, WHATEVER MAKES SENSE AT THE TIME FOR THAT COMPANY.
AND WE'VE OWNED IT FOR A YEAR NOW.
APRIL, I THINK IT WAS APRIL 18TH.
AND HAS ANY PROSPECT COME TO SAY THIS IS A GOOD SITE? WE HAVE HAD, I THINK AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE, UM, LOOK AT THE SITE.
UM, THEY WANTED EITHER EXISTING FACILITY OR THEY DIDN'T LAND IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
LET'S GO TO THE OTHER SITE, SIR.
THAT'S THE LIKO SITE, CORRECT.
UM, WHAT WAS THE CALL? WE PURCHASED IT FOR 1.695.
UM, MIKO HAS HAD A REAL HISTORY.
UH, THERE ARE STILL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THERE.
UH, THAT IS ON THE PROPERTY ACROSS THE STREET.
WE DID NOT PURCHASE THE CHEMICAL SITE.
UM, AGAIN, WHAT IS THE INCENTIVES TO GET SOMEBODY TO COME HERE AND, OH, SINCE WE OWNED IT, RIGHT.
SO THE INCENTIVES WOULD BE THE SAME.
UM, FOR, FOR THIS, SINCE WE ARE TARGETING AGRICULTURE BASED COMPANIES, WE WOULD WORK CLOSELY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF BAG ON ANY INCENTIVES THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE.
UM, WE HAVE HAD SOME CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES THAT ARE EXISTING HERE IN BEAUFORT INTERESTED IN LAY DOWN YARD, UM, SPACE.
SO WE COULD POTENTIALLY WORK WITH THEM TO, UM, HAVE LAY DOWN YARD SPACE UNTIL WE LAND A COMPANY THAT WAY.
WE'RE GENERATING SOME RENTAL INCOME ON THE PROPERTY.
UM, WHICH AGAIN, WOULD GO BACK TO THE, THE JOB AND SITE FUND FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY.
OH, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, THE LUKO SITE, I KNOW THAT, UM, Y'ALL HAD MADE A TRIP TO A, UH, PROCESSING FACILITY IN, UM, SOUTHWEST GEORGIA.
AND, UM, HAVE YOU HAD ANY OTHER, UM, VISITS TO OTHER SIMILAR OR, UH, ANY OTHER PROSPECTS OF SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT TO COME TO THIS SITE? SO WE HAVE NOT MADE ANY OTHER, UH, VISITS TO, UM, TO OTHER FACILITIES.
UM, THERE IS A RECIRCULATED AQUACULTURE SYSTEM CONFERENCE NEXT WEEK, UM, IN ST.
AUGUSTINE, UM, THAT POTENTIALLY ONE OF US WILL GO TO.
UM, WE, IN THAT CONFERENCE, UM, HAS A LOT OF THE, THE PEOPLE, THE COMPANIES THAT ARE ALREADY DOING THIS.
UM, SO IT WOULD BE A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE TO, TO BE PART OF THAT.
UM, AS FAR AS THE MEAT PROCESSING FACILITY GOES, UM, WE HAVE CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE LOCALLY THAT ARE INTERESTED IN IT.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, FINANCIALS, LOGISTICS ON THEIR END, UM, YOU KNOW, AND WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DO THIS HERE.
UM, AND THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DOESN'T HOPE HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
UM, SOME OF THESE RELATIONSHIPS JUST, IT, IT DOES TAKE TIME.
[00:40:01]
UM, AND JOHN O'TOOLE HAS EXPLAINED IT TO ME, BUT LIKE THE REST OF, UH, DAVID BARMY AND I BOTH, UM, I TRAVEL SOMETIMES UP TO, UH, YOU KNOW, I GO THROUGH GARDENS CORNER OFTEN FOR DIFFERENT REASONS, FOR LOW COG MEETINGS OR, OR GOING TO, UM, OTHER MEETINGS UP IN HAMPTON, ATHENS.I NEVER SEE ANY CARS, THE NAME OF THAT COMPANY.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S IN, IT WAS A HUGE, UH, RIBBON CUTTING, GREAT OCCASION.
I KNOW THE COUPLE WHO OWN IT LIVE IN BEAUFORT, BUT, UM, WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THAT? I, I'M SORRY, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE COMPANY.
GERALD MAY REMEMBER 'CAUSE IT'S IN HIS DISTRICT, BUT COULD YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THAT ONE? YES.
UM, THAT COMPANY IS TL AND CO MM-HMM
AND THE, THE OWNERS ARE TEAM, UH, TIM, DD SORRY.
UM, WE HAVE A MEETING WITH THEM, I THINK IT'S NEXT SECOND ON MAY 22ND, UM, TO FOLLOW UP WITH THEM ON THE STATUS OF THEIR PRODUCTS.
I KNOW THEY WERE WAITING FOR, UM, SOME RACKING THAT WAS ON DELAY, UM, FOR THEIR PROJECT.
UH, BUT WE HAVE A MEETING WITH THEM ON MAY 22ND.
HOW MANY EMPLOYEES DO THEY HAVE? JUST THE, JUST THE TWO OF THEM AT THIS TIME, AT THIS POINT, WE'LL GET AN UPDATE.
UM, THEY WERE INTENDING TO HIRE 35 PEOPLE AND THEY CAME FROM UTAH, CORRECT? I REMEMBER, RIGHT? CORRECT.
UM, GOING BACK TO THE LA VICO SITE, I, UM, I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO REALIZE THERE IS NO CONTAMINATION ON THE PART THAT WE BOUGHT.
AND, UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF RUMORS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE BOUGHT, UM, A PROPERTY THAT WAS CONTAMINATED, BUT THAT IS NOT TRUE.
SO HOW MANY, HOW MANY PARCELS DOES B-C-E-D-C OWN? WHAT'S THE TOTAL ACREAGE AND THEN WHAT'S THE COST TO MAINTAIN THOSE WHILE THEY'RE WEIGHTING DEVELOPMENT OR, OR PENDING STATUS? SO THE TWO PARCELS THAT WE OWN ARE THE, THE 14.77 ACRES AT PARKER DRIVE, AND THEN 117 ACRES AT LOKO.
UH, IS THERE ANYTHING UNDERNEATH THE COUNTY'S UMBRELLA THAT'S EARMARK FOR B-C-E-D-C THAT WE'RE ALSO HOLDING ONTO, OR NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.
AND HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO MAINTAIN THOSE TAXES? BEAUFORT COUNTY TAXES? DO YOU KNOW THE COST TO MAINTAIN IT VACANT? THE TAXES ON THE LIKO PROPERTY WERE JUST OVER $2,000.
UM, AND WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE TAX BILL FOR THE PARKER DRIVE.
THEY, I, I HEARD YOU SAY ONE OF 'EM IS EARMARKED FOR INDUSTRIAL, FOR ZONING.
UH, IS THERE, IS IT AGRICULTURAL EXEMPTIONS ON 'EM? OR, OR WHAT'S, HOW IS THAT 2000 FOR 117 ACRES? UH, I'M NOT SURE OF THE ANSWER ON THAT.
HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT ANY TYPE OF TIMBERING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT TO TURN A PROFIT ON IT? UM, WE HAVE NOT DISCUSSED THAT YET, BUT THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
ANYONE ELSE? MS. BROWN, UM, WAS, YOU SAY THERE'S NO CONTAMINATION ON THAT PROPERTY AT LETGO.
WAS THERE AN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY DONE? YES.
UM, AND WHERE IS IT? UH, THE, WHERE CAN WE FIND IT? YEAH, I CAN SEND IT TO YOU.
UM, I, BY THE WAY, I'VE READ THAT, SO OH, YOU HAVE? YES, I HAVE.
AND THERE WAS NO CONTAMINATION ON A PROPERTY.
UM, THEY ARE DOING A PHASE TWO, SO LIKE A VOLUNTEER CLEANUP CONTRACT JUST TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS NO CONTAMINATION.
UM, BUT THERE IS NO CONTAMINATION FROM THE FIRST REPORT.
SO WE HAVE THE TRUST BROTHERS HERE, COUSINS, I DON'T KNOW THE TRUST HAVE OWNED PROPERTY, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE ROADS NAMED AFTER THEM FOR DECADES.
THEY'RE BOTH SAYING BACK THERE THAT THAT'S NOT TRUE.
SO CAN WE GET A COPY OF THAT ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY? I KNOW, ALICE, YOU'VE READ IT, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE IT AS WELL.
I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THAT AND SEND IT TO ME THIS AFTERNOON.
JUST IF I, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST EVERYONE TO GET IT ON COUNTY COUNCIL.
UM, SORRY, SORRY TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT AND BELABOR THIS ISSUE, BUT DIDN'T, THERE'S AN ARTICLE OUT THERE THAT WE DID BUY A PROPERTY THAT HAD CONTAMINATION ON THERE AND THAT THERE WERE SOME REMEDIAL EFFORTS THAT I BELIEVE WE VOTED ON TO REMEDIATE PART OF THE PROPERTY.
[00:45:01]
THE EPA HAS A SUPERFUND NOTIFICATION, I BELIEVE, ABOUT THAT SITE, THE LIGO SITE.SORRY, IT'S NOT FRESH IN MY MIND.
IT'S NOT MY DISTRICT, BUT I, THAT'S THE CHEMICAL SIDE.
IF YOU LOOK AT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP UP ON THE, UH, SCREEN, YOU'LL SEE, UH, UH, A TAN PATCH THERE, UH, TO THE, UH, RIGHT OF THE PARCEL THAT'S OUTLINED THERE, RIGHT THERE.
MITCHELL BROTHERS HAS OFFICES THERE.
BACK BEHIND THE, THE, UH, CURSOR TO THE RIGHT OF THE CURSOR.
THE, THAT'S MY LEFT, THAT'S MY RIGHT.
I'M TRYING TO TEACH MY GRANDSON LEFT AND RIGHT.
SO THERE'S, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF CONTAMINATION THERE.
ONE THING WE ARE SEEING ON THE OTHER SIDE IS, IS THAT THERE, THERE, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN DUMP SITES THERE, THERE MAY BE SOME, UH, SOME CONTAMINATION THAT MIGHT BE, UH, UH, UH, LEACHING INTO THIS SITE FROM THE LARGER SITE.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE DONE THE PHASE ONE.
WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, UH, PARTNER WITH US BECAUSE THIS IS, UH, A SOUTH CAROLINA'S DELIVERY SYSTEM OF HAVING SITES.
SO THE VALUE THAT WE'LL HAVE THERE IS, UH, UH, HAVING A GREAT DEAL OF DUE DILIGENCE.
UM, AND, UH, I I MIGHT SAY THAT THE VALUE HERE, LIKE PEOPLE LOOK AT IT AND SAY, OH, THAT 117 ACRES, YOU'VE HAD IT.
WHY HASN'T IT SOLD? UH, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, WRINKLES TO THE PROPERTY.
IT'S NOT SERVED BY, UH, UH, SEWER.
THERE IS WATER IN THE AREA THAT THE COUNCIL'S EXTENDED IN THE AREA.
SO WE HAVE TO PICK AN INDUSTRY, UH, THAT, UH, DOESN'T BRING, IT DOESN'T REALLY REQUIRE, UH, THE WASTEWATER SYSTEM, UH, SEWER SYSTEM UP THERE THAT MIGHT, UH, UH, BE IN VIOLATION OF THE, UH, UH, PLANS, THE LAND PLANS FOR THE REGION.
UH, ONE THING WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE, UH, HAD LUNCH WITH THE GENTLEMAN AT THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, UH, AS RECENTLY IS, UH, LAST FRIDAY, UH, UH, WE'LL LOOK TO PARTNER WITH THEM ON PRE PERMITTING THESE FACILITIES TO MAKE 'EM MORE ATTRACTIVE TO THE INVESTMENT COMMUNITY.
SO WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE A PARTNER WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF AG AND WE'LL, WE'LL BE BACK BEFORE THIS COUNCIL, UH, UH, AS, AS, UH, THOSE PLANS MATERIALIZE.
AND WE MAY USE SOME, UH, REQUEST TO USE SOME OF THE SITE AND JOB FUNDS FOR THAT.
SO IT IS A, IT IS A COMPLICATED, UH, PROPERTY.
IT'S, UH, EVEN MORE COMPLICATED BY LOKO.
I DID GET A CALL LAST NIGHT AT 7:00 PM FROM THE, UH, UH, UH, UH, THE OWNERS OF THE CHEMICAL PLANT.
BUT I WAS BUSY WATCHING YOUR COUNCIL MEETING.
UH, MR. O'TOOLE, UH, YOU CAN STAY THERE.
UM, UM, LET ME JUST TELL YOU THAT I APPRECIATE ALL THE THINGS YOU'RE DOING WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UM, I KNOW YOU'RE BEING CRITICIZED A LOT, BUT I APPRECIATE, UH, HOW YOU'VE COME IN AND YOU HAVE TAKEN, UH, A, A PROGRAM, UM, THAT WE, THAT WAS EXISTING, UH, BEFORE YOU GOT HERE THAT GOT DESTROYED.
UH, AND YOU HAVE LIFTED UP AND YOU'RE TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD, UH, WITH IT.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS, UH, YOU HAVE SHARED WITH ME, UM, OVER THE YEARS IS THAT BEAUFORT HAS VERY LITTLE PRODUCTS TO OFFER.
AND SO, UH, THE PURCHASING OF PROPERTY AND STUFF ALLOWS YOU TO LEAST LOOK AT DEVELOPING THAT PRODUCT, UH, FOR BEAUFORT FOR BUSINESSES TO COME IN, UM, THROUGH SPEC BUILDINGS OR WHATEVER.
UM, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SHARED WITH ME IS THAT, UM, BUSINESSES WANT TO HAVE, UM, DON'T WANNA WAIT, UH, TO PUT UP A STRUCTURE.
AND YOU HAVE ASKED THIS COUNCIL TO SUPPORT YOU IN THAT ENDEAVOR TO PROVIDE SPEC BUILDINGS, UM, AND THE, UH, IT'S A SLOW PROCESS.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THE COUNCIL FACED AT THE TIME WAS THAT THEY DID NOT WANT TO INVEST INSPECT BUILDINGS THAT JUST SAT THERE.
SO YOU COME IN HERE AND ASK US FOR ONE BUILDING, TWO BUILDINGS AND THREE BUILDINGS, AND WE HAVE PUT THOSE TOGETHER.
BUT, UM, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU DID NOT SHARE WITH THIS BODY HERE IS THAT WE VERY, WE DO NOT HAVE MUCH PRODUCTS AVAILABLE TO OFFER.
AND THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE COME IN AND TRY TO GET PROPERTY THAT YOU CAN START DEVELOPING.
UM, UM, AND SO I COMMEND YOU FOR THAT.
UM, AND, AND, UM, THE COMMERCE, BEAUFORT COMMERCE PARK RIGHT NOW WAS, I BELIEVE WAS,
[00:50:01]
AND I THINK GERALD AND, AND, AND ALICE CAN HELP ME WITH THIS WAS ACTUALLY OWNED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY, BUT WE LOST IT, DIDN'T IT? IT IT WAS OWNED BY CORPORATIONS THAT WERE LARGELY FUNDED BY THE COUNTY.THE WAY WE OWN LAND TODAY, IF SUCH A THING HAPPENED, THE, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, BECAUSE OF THAT HISTORY, WHEN WE BUY LAND, WE PAY CASH.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T DO IT ON, ON NOTES.
'CAUSE AS YOU KNOW, WE WERE, WE WERE LOOKING AT, UH, UH, A PROPERTY UP IN Y EMBASSY AND, UH, WE WERE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ONGOING FUNDING OF THE SITE AND JOB FUND.
AND SO, UH, IT'S NOT OUR INCLINATION TO TAKE ON AN, ON ANY DEBT THAT WE CAN'T REPAY.
AND, AND, AND SO, UM, UM, AND I, BEFORE YOU MAKE COMMENTS, I WANNA MAKE, UM, UH, KUDOS TO, UM, BRIAN, UH, BECAUSE BRIAN AND HIS RETENTION, UH, HAS HELPED ONE OF OUR FARMERS ON ST.
HELENA, UM, BASICALLY, UM, UM, PROTECT HIS PRODUCT.
AND IT'S BECAUSE OF HIS, UM, CONSTANT VISIT.
AND I'M HOPING THAT ONE OF THOSE 99 VISIT, UH, WAS ACTUALLY A FARMER THAT YEAR, BASICALLY SAID, HEY, WE NEED, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE.
AND BECAUSE, UM, HE KEPT THAT RELATIONSHIP, HE WAS ABLE TO GET WITH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND OUR STAFF, AND WE CORRECTED A PROBLEM, UM, FOR, FOR HIS FARM AND STUFF.
AND SO I, I WANT TO COMMEND YOU AND, AND, UH, YOUR STAFF FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE.
AND, UM, IF YOU WANNA COMMENT ABOUT PRODUCTS, UM, THE AVAILABILITY OF PRODUCTS, HOW LIMITED WE HAVE, UM, PRODUCTS AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC, FOR INVESTMENT.
WELL, I, I, I'LL CORRECT ONE THING ON THE, ON THE FARMER.
BRIAN DID FOLLOW UP WITH THE FARMER AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET HIM A GOOD ANSWER.
NOT NECESSARILY THE ANSWER THEY WANTED, BUT AN ANSWER.
AND SO I THINK THAT IS A BIG PART OF CUSTOMER SERVICE.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE TAX PAYERS THAT YOU RELY ON FOR REVENUE, I DO HOPE THAT YOU, YOU BELIEVE THAT OUR STAFF AND LARGELY BRIAN MAKING THOSE BRE VISITS IS SHOWING SOME RESPECT FOR THEIR, THEIR REVENUE, UH, THE JOBS THAT THEY CREATE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND IDEN IDENTIFYING PROBLEMS. UH, I, I GRABBED MY NOTES 'CAUSE I TAB I WANTED TO GET YOUR, YOUR EMAIL.
UH, BUT, UM, IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE I, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO A, A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE WHO DOES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN FAYETTEVILLE.
AND, AND WE'VE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE CONVERSATION TODAY, FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.
UH, BUT, UM, WE WERE, UH, TALK, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT HOW TO APPROACH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND THERE IS A, A MODEL, A SOUTH CAROLINA MODEL WHERE WE HAVE SPEC, UH, BUILDINGS, YOU KNOW, THE PAD, UH, UH, THAT YOU APPROVED FUNDING 50% OF IN DECEMBER.
WE ALREADY HAVE A, A NEW YORK COMPANY THAT'S LOOKING TO BUILD ON THAT SITE.
AND SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE IS INCENTIVIZING THEM TO DO THAT.
SO THAT KIND OF CONVERSATION MATTERS.
BUT, UH, UH, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS, UH, UH, TAB HAD ASKED, UH, I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND IF I GIVE YOU ATTRIBUTION.
I THINK THEY'RE ALL, ALL GOOD QUESTIONS THAT IF YOU DON'T, IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE A COMMERCE PARK, IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE, UH, THE MYRTLE BUSINESS PARK, IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE BUCKWALTER, UH, COMMERCE PARK, WHAT WOULD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LOOK LIKE IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THE LIBI O SITE, IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THE SITE BEHIND GEMAR, WHAT WOULD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LOOK LIKE? ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MIGHT LOOK LIKE FILLING A, A, A 10,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING THAT JUST CAME ON THE MARKET ON HILTON HEAD AND, AND GETTING INDUSTRY TO FILL IN.
IT MIGHT BE REDEVELOPMENT OF SITES.
UH, I, I, I, I HAVE SHARED THIS WITH COUNCIL, THAT JOB GROWTH IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS THE THIRD HIGHEST IN THE STATE BEHIND, UH, ORIE COUNTY AND THEN CHARLESTON COUNTY.
SO YOU'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SEE INVESTMENT HERE.
OUR, OUR COLLECTIVE CHALLENGE, AND WE'LL TAKE OUR CUE FROM YOU TODAY, OUR COLLECTIVE CHALLENGE IS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BALANCE ALL THE DIFFERENT PRESSURES.
AND I KNOW YOU, YOU FOLKS, UH, HERE IN THE ROOM AND ONLINE WRESTLE WITH THAT DAY IN, DAY OUT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AND I, I, I WATCHED THE, UH, UH, UH, THE, UH, UH, UH, THE WILLOW, I'LL CALL IT THE WILLOW RUN TRACK DISCUSSION YOU HAD IN THIS ROOM LAST NIGHT.
WE ARE, WE'RE DOING A LOT TO, UH, MAKE SURE WE KEEP, UH, THE COUNTY AS BEAUTIFUL AS IT IS.
AND WE'RE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE LAND, WHICH IS GREAT.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO THINK IN THE FUTURE, AND I I EVEN THINK, UH, SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO COMMENTED, UH, DURING PUBLIC COMMENT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT IT TOO.
ARE WE REALLY CREATING, UH, A AN ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO, UH, MAKE A LIVING AND PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES IN THIS REGION? UH, OR IN, WELL,
[00:55:01]
WE'LL HAVE SEA HERE, REALLY THE REGION, BUT THE COUNTY, OR HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE CREATE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY WHILE PRESERVING, UH, THE THINGS THAT, UH, VISUALLY AND UH, BREATHING AIR THAT WE LOVE ABOUT THE AREA? SO THAT'S KIND OF, SO WE CAN DO THAT EVEN WITHOUT THE SPEC BUILDINGS.WE COULD DO THAT WITHOUT THE COMMERCE PARKS, BUT TO FIT INTO THE, UH, UH, UH, THE CONTEXT OF SOUTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UH, AND, AND I'LL GIVE YOU ONE ANECDOTE, UH, AND MY STAFF TOLD ME TO GIVE SHORT ANSWERS, AND I'M NOT DOING THAT RIGHT NOW.
BUT, UH, UH, WE, UM, WE, WE HAVE A GENTLEMAN WHO'S BUILDING HIS FOREVER HOUSE IN BULL POINT.
HE'S GOT IS THAT BULL POINT? I GOT IT RIGHT.
UM, AND SO HE'S GOT A, A, A FACTORY UP NEAR FLORENCE, AND HE'S GOT ANOTHER ONE IN DETROIT.
HE WORKS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY.
HE WANTS, HE WANTS A BUILDING THAT'S 50,000 SQUARE FEET WITH, UH, CEILING HEIGHTS OF X.
AND, UH, IF WE CAN'T ACCOMMODATE HIM HERE, OUR NEXT STEP IS TO GIVE IT TO, UH, UH, SCA AND THEN TO THE BROADER SOUTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
BUT HE'D LIKE TO, HE'D LIKE TO BE HERE IN BEAUFORT.
HE'D LIKE, HE WANTS A SHORT RIDE, UH, TO HIS FACTORY.
AND THAT, THAT TENDS TO BE THE KIND OF FOLKS WE TALK TO.
SO I DO THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT, A GREAT IDEA TO HAVE THOSE KIND OF BUSINESSES HERE.
UH, AND THE EXITING MILITARY CAN BENEFIT FROM THOSE JOBS AS WELL.
SO, I'M SORRY IF THAT'S A LITTLE LONG-WINDED, BUT, UH, TO ANSWER AND, AND TAB I ASCRIBED ALL OF YOUR, UH, YOUR, UH, QUESTIONS LIKE LETTERS, BUT I, I, I, HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF IT, WE'LL ANSWER 'EM ALL.
BUT THERE IS A WAY, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH LIMITED LAND, THERE IS A WAY TO DO IT, BUT IT WOULD BE INFILL, YOU KNOW, AND I, I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK BACK AND SAY WE'VE WORKED ON 88 PROJECTS OVER EIGHT AND A HALF YEARS, AND, UH, EVEN ON SOME OF THE ONES THAT ARE COMING FORWARD, UH, WE'VE, UH, UH, MET WITH NEIGHBORHOODS ON HILTON HEAD ABOUT AN AIRPORT PROJECT WELL IN ADVANCE TO KIND OF MITIGATE ANY OPPOSITION.
SO WE WANT TO BE IN STEP WITH THIS COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY.
YOU JUST SAID, THIS GUY WANTS TO BUILD HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY RIGHT ON THE SCREEN, WE'RE LOOKING AT AN INDUSTRIAL SITE.
SEEMS LOGICAL THAT YOU WOULD BE TALKING TO HIM ABOUT THAT SITE.
WE, UH, WE ACTUALLY MET WITH HIM IN THE BEAUFORT COMMERCE PARK AND SHOWED HIM THE GLASSWORKS BUILDING.
THIS ONE, UH, IS STILL HAVING THE DUE DILIGENCE DONE ON THE LAND, SO IT'S NOT READY RIGHT NOW.
MR. AND IT, AND IT WON'T HAVE, IT WON'T HAVE, UH, SEWER AND HE'LL PROBABLY HAVE A LARGER PLANT, SO THAT COULD BE A PROBLEM AS WELL.
UM, I THINK IT'D BE A GREAT BENEFIT FOR ALL OF US HERE IF BRIAN WOULD TALK ABOUT, UM, THAT FARMER'S ISSUE THAT HE SPENT SO MANY VISITS TO AS TO WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND HOW IT ADVANCED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITH US.
I, I'D LIKE TO, MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT OR READ THAT UPFRONT, BUT IF YOU COULD ADDRESS THAT, I'D LOVE IT.
I DON'T WANT TO QUASH, UH, UH, BRIAN'S TIME ON THE STAGE, BUT IT'S VERY NUANCED IN TERMS OF, UH, OF, OF THE GATE.
SO BRIAN, IF YOU'RE ABLE SURE.
SO THE, UH, THE FARMER IN QUESTION, UM, IS ON, UH, ST.
IT'S A, IT'S A BRANCH OF ESOF FARMS. WHEN I MET WITH THEM, UM, THEY HAD RAISED AN ISSUE WITH A, UM, WITH A DITCH, UM, THAT, THAT NEEDED A TIDAL GATE DUE TO SALT WATER INFILTRATION.
THEY LOST 30 ACRES OF BLUEBERRIES THAT YEAR, UM, TO WHERE THEY REQUESTED, UM, THAT WE FIND OUT FROM COUNTY, UM, EXACTLY WHAT COULD BE PUT IN PLACE TO REMEDY THAT WE DID, UM, GET WITH THE ADMINISTRATOR AND HIS STAFF.
AND THE ANSWER, AS JOHN SAID, WASN'T THE ANSWER THEY WERE LOOKING FOR, BUT IT WAS AN ANSWER NONETHELESS, THAT IT WAS NOT ACTUALLY A BEAUFORT COUNTY ISSUE.
UM, SO IF, UH, IF A GATE WOULD BE PUT IN THERE, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE FOR THEM TO PUT IN AND ALSO, UM, TO BE, AGAIN, BE WITH THE REGULATIONS THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE FROM DES AND ALL OF THAT, UM, ALL OF THOSE AGENCIES.
SO THEY ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH FINDING OUT THE PATHWAY FORWARD FOR THAT.
UM, BUT ESSENTIALLY WHERE WE STEPPED IN WAS TO GET THAT ANSWER TO THEM BECAUSE OTHERWISE THEY WERE JUST KIND OF SPINNING THEIR WHEELS, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE.
UM, AND AS THAT GOES, I MEAN, THEY HAVE REPLANTED THE BLUEBERRIES, BUT IF THEY WERE TO HAVE THAT KIND OF, UH, SALT
[01:00:01]
WATER INFILTRATION AGAIN, AND IT WOULD GET INTO ONE OF THEIR, UH, WATERING DITCH SYSTEMS, OR EVEN WORSE, ONE OF THEIR WELLS, UM, THEY, THEY WERE LOOKING AT A POSSIBLE IMPACT OF ABOUT $2 MILLION.SO WE AGAIN, GOT THEM ON THE RIGHT PATH MOVING FORWARD, AND WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEM.
MS. BROWN, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR JOHN, IF I MAY.
UM, YOU SAID YOU, THE LIKO PROPERTY'S NOT READY YET.
YOU DOING DUE DILIGENCE, BUT DIDN'T WE ALREADY BUY IT? I'M CONFUSED.
YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING A DEEP DIVE INTO IT.
WE HAVE, WE HAVEN'T EVEN EXECUTED A VOLUNTARY CLEANUP CONTRACT ON IT YET, SO WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF OH.
SO WE HAVEN'T PAID ANYTHING FOR IT.
AND, UH, WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO, WE HAVE, UH, UH, DAVIS AND FLOYD DOING A, UH, COMPREHENSIVE A, UH, UH, CONCEPTUAL PLAN OF HOW A PARK OR BUSINESS LOCATIONS COULD BE LAID OUT OUT ON IT.
UH, SO WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO SELL 117 ACRES TO ONE USER.
IT WOULD PROBABLY BE A BUSINESS PARK, UH, AT THIS POINT WHERE, UH, WE HAVE A, A, A LOCAL CONCERN INTERESTED IN DOING A MEAT PROCESSING PLANT THERE.
AND WE HAVE, UH, UH, INTER, OKAY.
WE DON'T HAVE TO GO INTO ALL INTERNATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL INTEREST IN A, UH, UH, A FISHERY.
WE HAVEN'T, WE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE HERE.
WE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY, BUT WE'RE STILL DOING DUE DILIGENCE, AREN'T YOU? YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO DUE DILIGENCE FIRST TO SEE IF IT'S VIABLE TO BUY, AND THEN YOU BUY IT AND THEN YOU HAVE SOMEBODY TO COME IN AND SIT ON IT.
I, THAT'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO ME.
AND I'VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE 1978.
DIFFERENT, THEY'RE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF DUE DILIGENCE AND UH, UH, WHAT DID WE DO SOME DUE DILIGENCE BEFORE WE BOUGHT IT? OH, WE DID.
BUT I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT ANOTHER COM, THE OTHER COMPANY THAT KELLY WAS TALKING ABOUT, CS AND INSTRUMENTS, WHERE IS THAT LOCATED IN BLUFFTON? I DON'T REMEMBER.
I REMEMBER PINELLAS DRIVE, PINELLAS.
WHERE IS THAT? RIGHT BEHIND ZIPS, UH, CAR WASH, UH, THE NEW BAGEL PLACE THAT'S GOING IN.
AND PARKER'S GAS STATION OFF OF BUCK WALTER.
YEAH, I GUESS THERE ARE A FEW ZIPS.
SO, UM, HOW WAS THIS CO PLEASE EXPLAIN TO COUNCIL HOW THIS COMPANY WAS BROUGHT IN.
DID YOU GO OUT AND FIND 'EM? KELLY WAS OUR PROJECT MANAGER.
SO CS INSTRUMENTS, THE COMPANY THAT YOU'RE REFERENCING? UM, BEFORE MY TIME AT B-C-E-D-C, UM, CHARLIE STONE.
UM, AT THE TIME HE MET WITH CS INSTRUMENTS AND I BELIEVE SOUTHERN CAROLINA WAS AT THAT MEETING AS WELL.
UM, SO UPON CHARLIE'S, UH, DEPARTURE FROM THE ORGANIZATION, UM, I WAS COPIED ON AN EMAIL AS WELL AS KAY MAXWELL FROM SOUTHERN CAROLINA AND TAYLOR BOYKIN, UM, WHO WAS ALSO AT SOUTHERN CAROLINA AT THE TIME.
THE EMAIL WAS FORWARDED TO ME BECAUSE I WAS RECEIVING CHARLIE'S EMAILS.
I, SO UPON THAT TIME, UM, WE SET UP A MEETING.
SO SOUTHERN CAROLINA, UM, MYSELF WERE AT THAT MEETING, UM, AND I THINK IT WAS IN JUNE OF 2020.
SO SDA BROUGHT IT IN AND THEN GAVE IT TO YOU.
WE WERE ALL CO COPIED ON THE, THE EMAIL TOGETHER.
SO WE HAD HOW THEY WERE BROUGHT IN, WERE THEY THROUGH THE, SO I DON'T KNOW THE ORIGINATION.
UM, BUT THEY WERE AT A FACILITY IN JA.
'CAUSE THIS IS A GOOD COMPANY.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO THEY WERE LOCATED IN JASPER COUNTY, SO WE MADE SURE, WELL THEY HAD TEMPORARY OFFICE SPACE THERE.
AND SO THEY WERE LOOKING TO BE IN BLUFFTON.
THE GENTLEMAN LIVES IN LAWTON STATION AND WANTED TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE HIS GOLF CART TO WORK.
SO, UM, AT THAT MEETING WE DETERMINED THAT BLUFFTON WAS A GREAT OPTION FOR HIM.
I BELIEVE HE ALSO LOOKED AT PROPERTIES IN JASPER COUNTY AS WELL.
YEAH, IT WAS THE LEAD WE BROUGHT IN FOR OUR LEG IN OH, OKAY.
LIKE TO COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
YOU WANNA COME UP AND, AND TELL US, I'M JUST, I, I JUST WANTED TO SHOW COUNCIL THIS IS WHAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LOOKS LIKE.
YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY MOVES HERE, THEY WANNA BRING THEIR COMPANY HERE, RIGHT? I WORK FOR CARECORE NATIONAL YES.
WHICH TURNED TO ECOR, WHICH YOU KNOW, IS CIGNA, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
UM, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, A GENTLEMAN AND HIS WIFE PLAYED, CAME DOWN HERE, HAD A HOME IN SEA PINES.
HE MOVED HIS COMPANY HERE AND THAT'S WHAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS.
AND THEN THE COUNTY OR THE STATE GIVES HIM INCENTIVES.
HOW ARE YOU GONNA BRING YOUR COMPANY HERE? AND YOU'RE GONNA CREATE A HUNDRED JOBS AT $50,000.
THIS IS BACK IN 19, IN THE 2000.
AND SO AFTER THAT FIRST INITIAL MEETING, UM, THE
[01:05:01]
CEO WOLFGANG BLESSING WAS IN TOWN LATER THAT YEAR.UM, SO MARTIN REACHED OUT BACK TO ME, UM, AND BROUGHT, WE, JOHN AND I MET WITH THE, THE TWO OF THEM, UM, AT NINE O'CLOCK THAT MORNING AT THEIR FACILITY.
AND, UM, THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO BE IN BLUFFTON AND UM, BUT THEY WERE AVAILABLE FOR LUNCH.
AND I SAID, LET ME MAKE A PHONE CALL.
AND AT NOON THAT DAY, WE HAD CHRIS FORSTER, UM, WITH THE COMPANY TO DISCUSS THEIR, UH, ABILITY TO BE IN BLUFFTON.
SO THOSE QUICK REACTIONS AND HAVING THE RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OF OUR MUNICIPALITIES IS, IS HOW WE DO BUSINESS.
I JUST WANNA GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY OF, UH, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND THE, UH, COMMERCE PARK FROM 2012 TO AROUND ABOUT 2015, THE CONS.
AT THAT TIME, WE STRUGGLED, UH, WITH TRYING TO DIVERSIFY OUR ECONOMY, UH, BY ACTUALLY, UM, UH, UH, GETTING STARTED WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UM, AND AT THAT TIME, THE CONS, UH, SET UP WITH, UH, THE ECONOMIC, UH, DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
AND THEN, UH, LATER ON, WE BROUGHT JOHN ON AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE CO, UH, UH, EDC, UM, CONSUL.
AT THAT TIME, DURING THAT TIMEFRAME FOR 20 12, 20 15, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE, UH, THE COMMERCE PARK AND THE CONSOLE, UH, UH, DIDN'T, DIDN'T FOLLOW THROUGH ON IT.
WE DIDN'T SEE THE NEED, OR SOME DIDN'T SEE THE NEED TO, UH, ACTUALLY THE GOVERNMENT OWNING THE COMMERCE PARK.
AND SO WHEN, WHEN WE DIDN'T BUY IT, THEN THE CITY OF BEAUFORT DID BUY IT.
AND SO THE CITY OF BEAUFORT ACTUALLY, UH, WITH OUR HELP COUNTY COUNCIL, AND JOHN ACTUALLY DEVELOPED THE COMMERCE PARK TO WHAT IT IS TODAY.
SO ALL, ALL OF THAT STUFF THAT'S IN THE COMMERCE PARK, WHICH, WHICH ACTUALLY, UM, TO JOHN'S, UH, CONTRIBUTION, THERE WAS LITERALLY NOTHING IN THE COMMERCE PARK WHEN THE CITY OF BEAUFORT, WHEN THE COUNTY COUNCIL HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE AND START ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND THE CITY OF BEAUFORT BOUGHT IT AND ACTUALLY, UH, STARTED, UH, ACTUALLY PUTTING DIFFERENT BUSINESSES IN THE COMMERCE BAR.
SO WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE IT.
WE DIDN'T THE CITY OF BEAUFORT PURCHASE IT.
AND SO NOW EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE THAT'S IN THE COMMERCE PARK IS JOHN ACTUALLY HAD, UH, A HAND IN DEVELOPING THE COMMERCE BAR.
SO I, I, I JUST SHARE THAT WITH US SO WE HAVE SOME HISTORY OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY AS FAR AS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS CONCERNED.
UM, UH, WE TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO TRY TO DIVERSIFY THE ECONOMY SO THAT THE BEAUTIFUL ECONOMY WOULD NOT HAVE TO RELY UPON JUST TOURISM AND, UH, PROPERTY TAX, UH, UH, FOR, UH, OUR ECONOMY, BRINGING IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, GAVE US A, WHAT WE CALL A THIRD LEG TO THE STOOL AS FAR AS, UH, DIVERSIFYING THE ECONOMY.
AND SO WE ARE AT THE POINT TODAY WHERE JOHN, IN MY OPINION, JOHN, HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OF ACTUALLY, UH, BRINGING JOBS INTO THE, INTO THE COUNTY.
AND SO I JUST THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE, AND I HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO DO WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
MR. CUNNINGHAM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION OR ADD ANYTHING? UM, NO.
I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WHEN THE GOVERNMENT GETS INVOLVED WITH PROBLEM WITH WHAT WE CAN'T HEAR YOU PROBLEM WITH WHAT, OKAY.
PROBLEM WITH WHAT? I DON'T HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.
I GUESS THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY IS, UM, SOMEBODY TOUCHED ON ECOR.
ECOR ABANDONED THAT BUILDING AND BLUFFTON, UM, IT'S ACTUALLY EMPTY RIGHT NOW.
JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
MR. MCGOWAN, ANYTHING FROM YOU? YEAH, SORRY.
I'VE STEPPED AWAY FOR A COUPLE OF PHONE CALLS, UH, THAT WERE IN COMING.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THIS QUESTION HAS BEEN ASKED, BUT, UH, DOES JOHN HAVE ANY IDEA, UH, OR DOES HE HAVE ANY FIGURES TO SHOW, UH, THE REVENUE STREAM THAT'S BEEN COMING INTO THE COUNTY AS A RESULT OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS OCCURRED HERE OVER THE PAST, SAY, SIX OR EIGHT YEARS? YES.
EVERY TIME WE SPEAK, UH, PUBLICLY TO THIS COUNCIL, UH, TO ANY COMMUNITY GROUP, WE ALWAYS PUT OUR, OUR SCORECARD UP THERE.
HAVE, HAVE YOU DONE THAT ALREADY TODAY? I STEPPED AWAY.
I THINK THAT'S THE NEXT SLIDE.
PERFECT TIMING, I GUESS, HUH? UM, GO AHEAD AND ADVANCE THAT.
[01:10:03]
ALEX INSPIRED ME THIS MORNING TO GET RIGHT WITH THE CLICKER.UH, WE ALWAYS SHOW, UH, THE, UM, THE SCORECARD AND USUALLY THE ONE THAT WE KEEP LOOKS LIKE THIS, BUT LET ME JUST DEAL WITH IT AT A HIGH LEVEL.
UH, AND, AND, UH, DID I LEAVE TABS? NO, I HAVE YOUR, UH, YOUR EMAIL HERE.
UH, AND, AND IT CAME UP IN THE PUBLIC COMMENTS, SO WE DO WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT AS WELL.
BUT WE SHOW THE, UH, UH, TOTAL INVESTMENT, AND IF YOU PUT THAT NUMBER IN YOUR, UH, YOUR CALCULATOR ON YOUR WEBSITE, UH, WE'LL DISCOUNT IT BY LIKE 15% JUST, UH, UH, TO KEEP IT ON US.
UH, THE, UM, THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT AS WE INCH UP ON A BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF CAPITAL INVESTMENT, THE, UH, UH, INCOME, UH, TO THE COUNTY SHOULD BE OVER $13 MILLION A YEAR.
SO IF YOU'LL LOOK AT, UH, AND YOU'LL HEAR IT, HOPEFULLY SOME OF YOU'LL BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE, UH, RIBBON CUTTING, UH, FOR MASTER CORP IN THE COMMERCE PARK.
UH, NEXT, UH, IT WILL BE MAY 21ST.
UH, HOPEFULLY YOU'LL BE ABLE TO ATTEND THAT.
YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'RE NOT ONLY A CUSTOMER SERVICE ARM, UH, TWO BUSINESS, UH, BUSINESSES THAT ARE HERE, BUT ALSO PROVIDE, AS KELLY MENTIONED, THAT CONCIERGE LEVEL SERVICE.
BUT, UH, IF YOU, UH, IF YOU EXTRAPOLATE, UH, LET'S JUST SAY, UH, UH, 900, $900 MILLION WORTH OF, UH, CAPITAL INVESTED, UH, AT A 6%, UH, UH, RATE, YOU'D BE IN EXCESS OF $13 MILLION A YEAR.
UH, OVER WHAT PERIOD OF TIME IS THAT? UH, 13 MILLION COMING IN ANNUALLY.
THE INVESTMENTS WERE MADE INCREMENTALLY OVER THE, UH, UH, EIGHT YEARS THAT LED US TO TODAY.
SO, SO IT WASN'T 13 MILLION A YEAR FOR THE EIGHT YEARS WE'VE EVENTUALLY ARRIVED AT THAT NUMBER FOR REVENUE TO THE COUNTY OF 13 MILLION.
GOING FORWARD, THAT SHOULD BE THE NUMBER.
AND THEN INCENTIVES, AND THIS IS WHERE I THINK SOMETIMES THE PUBLIC GETS, UH, MISLED.
THE GLASSWORKS BEING A GREAT EXAMPLE.
WE SHOW THE MATH ON THE INCENTIVE PACKAGE THAT'S DELIVERED BY COMMERCE TO THE COMPANIES.
MOST OF THOSE ARE, UH, UH, AS KELLY HAD MENTIONED, ARE DELIVERED, UH, THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TO, UH, TO THE COMPANY.
COULD BE, UH, TAX CREDITS, COULD BE, UH, WITHHOLDING TAX CREDITS, UH, COULD BE ABATEMENTS FOR MANUFACTURING MACHINERY AND SO ON.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR, OUR, OUR SCORECARD, AND THIS IS ONE WE WORK OFF OF, OUR, OUR GOAL THIS YEAR IS, UH, JUST OVER 72 MILLION, UH, TRYING TO CREATE 250 JOBS OR WORK WITH COMPANIES ON THAT HARD THING TO PREDICT.
BUT, UH, THE POINT BEING THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SHOULD BE MEASURED, IT SHOULDN'T BE JUST ACTIVITIES.
AND I THINK, UH, UH, THAT, THAT SHOULD ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS YOU HAD AS WELL, IF YOU'D LIKE, I COULD GO THROUGH THE SLIDES THAT WE HAD ON THE STRATEGIC, OR DID YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS ON? WELL, I WANNA GO BACK TO WHAT MR. GER SAID.
UH, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WAS, IS THERE REALLY ADEQUATE LAND IN THE COUNTY TO PUSH FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITH QUOTE, HIGH PAYING JOBS, NOT $30,000, AND IS IT A GOOD RETURN ON INVESTMENT FROM THIS COUNCIL THAT FUNDS YOUR JOB AND SITE FUND AND FUNDS YOUR OPERATING EXPENSES? THE THREE MUNICIPALITIES, BECAUSE PORT ROYAL PULLED OUT THE THREE, GIVE 126,000, GIVE OR TAKE, THE BULK OF THE EXPENSES ARE FROM THE COUNTY.
SO MY QUESTION IS, CAN WE REALLY GET A GOOD RETURN ON INVESTMENT? WELL, EACH, EACH PROJECT WE BRING TO SITE AND JOB FUND, YOU KNOW, AND THE PURCHASES THAT WE DISCUSSED TODAY ALL HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY THIS COUNCIL.
SO EVERY TIME AN EXPENDITURE COMES UP, THAT SHOULD BE THE, THE, UH, UH, THE THRESHOLD THAT WE HAVE TO ANSWER IF YOU'RE GONNA FUND IT.
SO, I, I, TO ME, I WOULD SAY YES.
UH, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THIS COUNCIL, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, UH, WE WERE AT ABOUT 500,000 A YEAR IN SITE AND JOB FUND.
AND THOSE FUNDS ALL RESIDE WITH THE, THE COUNTY.
AND THEN WITH THE, UH, UH, UH, GUIDE WE PUT IN PLACE LAST SUMMER, UH, WE HAVE INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT TO BRING BACK TO COUNCIL BEFORE WE APPROVE AT OUR BOARD LEVEL, UH, OR WE CAN APPROVE IT, BUT BEFORE EXPENDING IT, WE'D HAVE TO BRING IT TO THIS COUNCIL.
UH, IN TERMS OF THE JOBS, I JUST PUT THE, THE SCREEN UP THERE.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, THE LAST QUESTION ANSWERED BY COUNCILMAN MCCLELLAN, AND NOW YOU LOOK AT THE JOBS THAT ARE BEING CREATED, UH, THE, THE WAGE RATES HAVE BEEN GOING UP ON THE JOBS WE
[01:15:01]
WORK, AND, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT QUALITY JOBS.UH, UH, IT'S KIND OF DIFFICULT TO FIND EMPLOYEES IF YOU'RE NOT OFFERING QUALITY JOBS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO UNTIL THE COUNTY PUT IN THOSE GUIDELINES OR GUARDRAILS, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT, FOR THE JOB AND SITE FUND.
BUT BEFORE THAT, MY EXPERIENCE ON THE BOARD WAS THE BOARD JUST APPROVED EVERYTHING.
SO NOW YOU HAVE THESE GUIDELINES THAT THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW, THAT COME TO COUNCIL.
UM, I, I, I WILL TAKE A LITTLE EXCEPTION TO THAT.
I DON'T THINK GUARDRAILS OR, UH, LIKE THERE, THERE WAS WILDNESS GOING ON.
I, I THINK THAT WE'VE HAD A CONVERSATION, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION TODAY OF WHAT YOU EXPECT FROM US, AND WE'LL, WE'LL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
I, I, I DON'T THINK ANYTHING THAT WAS BROUGHT TO THE BOARD WAS APPROVED, UH, BEING A, UH, A 5 0 1 C3 AND A, A LITTLE ENTREPRENEURIAL, AND, AND, UH, UH, COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM BROUGHT UP HIS PHILOSOPHICAL BELIEFS IF WE'RE PUSHING UP AGAINST SOMETHING, UH, COUNCIL, CERTAINLY WITHIN ITS RIGHTS.
I, UH, WHEN WE DID THE FIRST, UH, UH, FIRST BUILDING OVER AT MYRTLE MYRTLE PARK, UH, UH, COUNCILMAN LAWSON, UH, PUSHED BACK, UH, ON THAT.
AND, UM, AND WE FELT REQUIRED TO LIVE UP TO HIS EXPECTATIONS.
IT'S A WONDERFUL DEVELOPMENT TODAY.
SO THE DIALOGUE BACK AND FORTH DOESN'T MEAN THAT, UH, UH, UH, WE'RE AT ODDS WITH EACH OTHER, BUT I DO THINK WE CAN IMPROVE OUR PRODUCT BY HAVING MEETINGS LIKE WE'RE HAVING TODAY.
THE ONE I GO BACK TO WHEN I FIRST STARTED ON THE BOARD WAS THE NURSE RETENTION PROGRAM, WHERE LITERALLY WE GAVE NURSES $3,000.
WE DIDN'T KNOW IF THEY WERE REALLY GONNA LEAVE THE COUNTY.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW THEY SPENT IT.
WE DON'T KNOW IF IT RETAINED THEM.
AND THEN CONSEQUENTLY, GOING FORWARD, WE DIDN'T FUND IT.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS, AND I THINK ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS TALKED ABOUT, ARE WE REALLY, THERE'S ANOTHER COMPANY IN THERE.
I WON'T MENTION IT, BUT ARE WE REALLY FOLLOWING THROUGH TO MAKE SURE THESE COMPANIES ARE PROVIDING US A RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, LAST YEAR, AND KELLY MENTIONED IT, ALL OF OUR AGREEMENTS HAVE CLAWBACKS IN THEM.
LAST YEAR, WE CLAWED BACK WITHOUT ANY LITIGATION, $47,000 FOR, UH, COMPANIES, UH, THAT WEREN'T, DIDN'T MEET OUR EXPECTATIONS.
SO WE HAVE VERY GOOD AGREEMENTS IN PLACE TO GET THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS BACK.
YOU AND I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS IN THIS FORUM AND ELSEWHERE ON THE NURSING RETENTION PROGRAM, UH, IT WAS PROBABLY A MISUNDERSTANDING.
IT WAS NOT MEANT TO BE A SLIGHT TO COUNCIL.
UH, IT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDS.
I DIDN'T KNOW, UH, YOU OR THE COUNCIL WAS OPPOSED TO THE PROGRAM.
BUT FAST FORWARD TO OUR CONVERGE, UH, THIS PAST YEAR, WE HAVE, UH, HENRY MCMASTER'S WORKFORCE CZAR COME DOWN AND SAY THAT SHE'S HOLDING OUT, UH, REBECCA BATTLE BRYANT IS HOLDING OUT THE NURSE RETENTION PROGRAM AS ONE OF THE BEST PRACTICES FOR RETENTION OF EMPLOYEES.
AND WE'LL GET INTO IT, BUT, AND I, I BELIEVE KELLY DID AS WELL.
BUT WE HAVE SOME SLIDES IN OUR DECK TODAY THAT SHOW THE THINGS THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITIES, LET'S NOT EVEN USE, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT COMMUNITIES, IF WE HAVE A HALF BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF HEALTHCARE INVESTMENTS, UH, WITHIN A STONE'S THROW OF WHERE OUR OFFICE IS, WE'RE GONNA NEED EMPLOYEES.
AND IF YOU, UH, FORCE IS THE GASOLINE THAT FIRES THE ECONOMY, PEOPLE NEED WORKERS.
AND SO THE NURSING, THE NURSING ONE, WE'LL WAIT TO SEE.
AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE APPROVED $48,000.
WE'VE ONLY PAID OUT 15,000 OF IT.
AND WE, I'D LOVE TO SHOW YOU THE, THE DEMONSTRATION OF PERFORMANCE THAT WE GET FROM THAT ORGANIZATION.
BUT THEY ARE NURSES STAYING IN OUR AREA.
UH, IN, IN SAVANNAH, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, THEY'LL INCENTIVIZE, AND THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT EXAMPLES AROUND THE COUNTRY, BUT SAVANNAH'S A CLOSE ONE WHERE THEY'LL PAY, UH, MONTHS OF A CHECK WORKER'S RENT OR MORTGAGE FOR THEM TO RELOCATE TO THEIR COMMUNITY.
FOLKS ARE REALIZING, UH, UH, THERE WAS A GREAT BOOK CALLED THE, UH, THE NEW GEOGRAPHY OF JOBS, BUT IT WAS HOW, UM, HOW WORKFORCE WAS GOING TO, UH, UH, REALLY DICTATE WHERE INDUSTRIES MEET, UH, OR INDUSTRIES DECIDE TO INVEST.
AND, UH, UH, WE HAVE, UH, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM USCB HERE, BUT THERE WAS THIS NOTION OF CREATING A CYBER, UH, CYBERSECURITY, UH, SECTOR
[01:20:01]
IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.AND WITHOUT THE GREAT EFFORTS OF USCB, UH, TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF THE, THE LOW COUNTRY, AND EVEN OUR K THROUGH 12 PROGRAM TO CREATE EDUCATION.
AND I THINK THIS GETS TO ONE OF YOUR BULLETS AS WELL, WITHOUT THAT CONNECTION, IT'S, IT'S ALMOST LIKE HAVING AN ENGINE WITHOUT A FUEL LINE.
THOSE WORKERS ARE THE FUEL LINE.
AND SO, UH, UH, WE'LL WAIT TO SEE, UH, HOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE OUTCOME IS ON THE NURSING PROGRAM, UH, AS WE GET FURTHER INTO IT.
BUT AGAIN, BACK TO THE POINT, WE'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION.
WE'LL FIGURE OUT IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE IN STEP WITH EACH OTHER, OR WHAT WE HAVE TO, UH, MODIFY.
I, I CAN TELL YOU THIS, THAT, UH, UH, KELLY, BRIAN, AND MYSELF WANT TO BE REALLY GOOD AT THIS FOR, YOU KNOW, AND I'M SORRY THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE UPSET, BUT WE REALLY WANNA BE GOOD AT THIS BECAUSE WE THINK IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR NEIGHBOR AND OUR NEIGHBOR'S LIVES.
SO WE WAKE UP, UH, AND, AND WORK REALLY HARD AT, AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND HOPEFULLY, UH, SOME OF YOU WOULD GET OUT TO VISIT WITH SOME OF THE COMPANIES.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SEE A SLIDE THERE FROM L THREE HARRIS, THE FIFTH LARGEST DEFENSE CONTRACTOR IN THE WORLD, TALKING ABOUT WHY THEY'RE NOT IN PITTSBURGH AND WHY THEY'RE NOT IN MELBOURNE, FLORIDA.
THEY STAYED ON HILTON HEAD, AND THEY'RE REFERENCING, UH, THE ASSISTANCE THEY'VE GOTTEN FROM THE COUNTY, FROM THIS ORGANIZATION, AND FROM THE TOWN.
HEY, JOHN, I WAS, UH, CUT OFF BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO ASK MY SECOND QUESTION.
AND THAT WAS, UH, IN A PERFECT WORLD, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SEQUENCE OF THIS MEETING IS OR HOW LONG YOU ALL INTEND TO BE THERE, BUT IN A PERFECT WORLD, UH, WHAT WOULD YOU NEED TO HAVE HAPPEN FOR YOU TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN YOU ARE? UH, WHAT, WHAT WOULD HAVE TO FALL INTO PLACE FOR YOU, OR WHAT COULD YOU RECOMMEND WE BE THINKING ABOUT DOING THAT WOULD GIVE YOU THE ABILITY TO, UM, HAVE A, A REPORT NEXT YEAR THAT IS, UH, UH, BETTER THAN THE ONE THAT YOU'VE BEEN MAKING THIS YEAR? WHICH IS, NOT TO SAY THIS ONE ISN'T GOOD, BUT IN A PERFECT WORLD, WHAT WOULD YOU NEED, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN IN A PERFECT WORLD? THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S A BIG QUESTION.
WELL, I KNOW, I, I, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, I, WE, WE'VE GOT
UH, SO I WOULD SAY THAT, UH, THAT THIS ORGANIZATION AND THE, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A, UH, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS, ARE ON THE SAME PAGE.
LARGELY NOT, NOT EVERYONE'S GONNA AGREE ON EVERYTHING, BUT THAT WE'RE, WE ARE IN AGREEMENT ON HOW TO, HOW TO APPROACH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN A WAY THAT'S RESPONSIVE TO THE PEOPLE WHO PAY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE, AND THE, UH, THE BENEFIT THAT IT COULD HAVE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO, AND THEN WITH THAT, UH, UH, HOPEFULLY, UH, UH, THE COMMERCE PARK AND SOME OF THE INFILL LOCATIONS AND ALL OF, ALL OF THE COMMUNITIES WOULD, UH, HAVE PROJECTS, UH, UH, UH, MOVING FORWARD IN THEM.
AND WE WOULD BE THINKING AS WE ARE WITH THE GREEN PENNY, WHERE ELSE, UH, COULD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OCCUR? OR WHAT SHOULD WE BE FOCUSED ON? AND HAVING A REALLY GOOD CONVERSATION.
I WAS, I WAS THINKING MORE, WHO CAN BE OF SOME ASSISTANCE TO YOU IN GETTING THE WORD OUT ON WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE.
WELL, UH, WE, WE HAVE, UH, UH, UH, PARTNERS WITH SEA.
SO AS PART OF THAT, WE WOULD, UH, UH, UH, HOPEFULLY, UH, BE ABLE TO, UH, CONTINUE TO COUNT ON THEM TO GET OUR WORD OUT IN THE BROADER INVESTMENT AREA, BUT THAT WE'RE DOING THE THINGS LOCALLY TO SUPPORT, SUPPORT GROWTH.
AND, AND, AND I'LL ADD THIS, THAT, UH, WE STAY COMMITTED TO THE BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION, BECAUSE BETTER THAN 80% OF YOUR JOBS AND INVESTMENT WILL COME FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY IN BUFORT COUNTY.
MR. PASSER, I JUST, WE SPENT AN HOUR AND A HALF.
NOW, LET'S GET TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER, WHICH IS THE NEXT SESSION, SO WE CAN REALLY MAKE SOME DECISIONS ABOUT, OKAY.
I JUST HAVE ONE COMMENT TO MAKE REGARDING WHAT LOGAN SAID.
LOGAN, THOSE TWO BUILDINGS OVER ON BUCKWALTER, UH, CIGNA CAME IN AND BOUGHT THE COMPANY, AND THEN IN MARCH, 2020, COVID HIT AND THEY SENT EVERYBODY HOME.
ALL THE EMPLOYEES THAT SAT IN THOSE TWO BUILDINGS ARE STILL WORKING FROM THEIR HOMES.
MAY RIVER PLANTATION, LAWTON STATION, THEY'RE ALL OVER BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO THE, THOSE TWO BUILDINGS, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT WORKED IN THOSE BUILDINGS ARE STILL WORKING HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, I THINK NOVANT IS, UM, GOING IN ONE OF THOSE BUILDINGS.
AND THE OTHER BUILDING I HEARD A LAW FIRM'S GOING IN, I DON'T KNOW, BUT, SO WE'RE GETTING DOUBLE WHAMMY ON THOSE BUILDINGS BECAUSE WHICH
[01:25:01]
PROVE YOU CAN HAVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT HAVING TO BUILD BUILDINGS OR OTHERWISE.BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS THEY MAY BE EMPTY, BUT THE PEOPLE ARE STILL WORKING FOR THE COMPANY THAT WE'RE IN THERE.
LET'S JUST GET ON AND, WELL, I THINK WE'RE GONNA TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK, OR 10.
AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND, WE'LL, WE'LL START WITH ORGANIZATIONAL.
THIS IS, UM, B-C-E-D-C, STRATEGIC PLAN, OVERVIEW, AND DISCUSSION.
SO WE, WE WENT OVER, UH, THE SCORECARD, AND I DID, UM, PEOPLE HAVE ALLUDED TO IT, YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE DO ADJUST IT FOR SIGNIFICANT, I IMPACTS UP OR DOWN.
AND SO WE DON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT IT IN PUBLIC, BUT THERE ARE COMPANIES LIKE BLUE SKY PROCESSING, UH, RLB RX INDUSTRIES, GLASSWORKS, THAT GO OUT.
AND SO AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE, WE MODIFY OUR RESULTS TO REFLECT COMPANIES THAT GO OUT AS, UH, JUST TALKING TO DANNY BLACK EARLIER TODAY, THEY HAD A, A COMPANY, UH, THAT'S GOING TO, UH, UH, DOWNSIZE.
AND AS ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS, THOSE HURT.
I MEAN, IT'S, I KNOW IT HAPPENED IN A, IN ONE OF THE OTHER, UH, UH, COMMUNITIES, BUT AS ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS, YOU KNOW, THAT HURTS FAMILIES.
AND SO, UH, UH, AGAIN, UH, GETTING BACK TO BRIAN WHEN THOSE THINGS HAPPEN, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, UH, GET EMPLOYEES FROM RX INDUSTRIES ON HILTON HEAD, WHICH, UH, CLOSED, UH, PLACED AT TS CONDUCTORS OVER IN JASPER COUNTY, TRYING TO MAKE SURE THESE PEOPLE FIND WORK.
SO, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AS I MENTIONED LAST TIME I PRESENTED, HAPPENS ON THE WAY UP AND THE WAY DOWN.
AND THE, THERE ARE BUSINESS CYCLES.
UH, WE DO, UH, FOCUS, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THIS QUICKLY 'CAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE WE CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS.
MOST OF YOU HAVE HAD THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR A WHILE.
WE SENT IT OUT, UH, UH, FAIRLY, UH, UH, SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, I BELIEVE.
UH, I DO WANT TO TOUCH ON THINGS THAT, UH, UH, UH, MIKE MOORE ASKED US TO, UH, TOUCH ON.
UH, BUT TO LOOK AT WHAT A COUNTY RUN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MODEL.
YOU HEARD THAT IN PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, PUBLICLY ACCOUNTABLE, STABLE PUBLIC FUNDING, UH, CLEAR AUTHORITY OVER USE OF PUBLIC RESOURCES, UH, AND DIRECT INTEGRATION, UH, WITH PUBLIC PLANNING.
UH, THE MODEL THAT WE ARE IN, UH, UH, WHICH IS THE, UH, UH, PUBLIC PRIVATE PROFIT, UH, PARTNERSHIP OR NONPROFIT, UH, COMPETITIVE, UH, FLEXIBLE, UH, AND WE CAN BE FAST, UM, COLLABORATIVE.
UH, WE CAN ACCEPT PHILANTHROPIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR DONATIONS.
UH, AND WE, UH, UH, BY OUR NATURE HAVE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, AND WE HAVE THE AGILITY TO, UH, PROGRAM.
AND THEN WE HAVE A COMMITMENT.
UM, EVERYONE ON THIS STAFF IS, WE HAVE A LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT BUDGET, AND THEY'RE WORKING TOWARDS THEIR CERTIFICATION AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPER BY IEDC, AND ALSO WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA.
AND, UH, I'M SURE IN YOUR TRAVELS YOU'VE MET FOLKS FROM OTHER COUNTIES.
SO THIS WILL GIVE YOU A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF COUNTIES THAT ARE DOING IT AS A, AN EC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MODEL.
AND THEN, UH, COUNTIES THAT ARE DOING IT AS A, A PRIVATE SECTOR, AND AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE ON THAT LIST.
AND THEN, UH, SOME HAVE A HYBRID WHERE THEY ARE, UH, COUNTY DEPARTMENTS LIKE DORCHESTER, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE A 5 0 1 C3 THAT CAN ACCEPT, UH, UH, CONTRIBUTIONS AND RAISE FUNDS.
UH, THIS, UM, I THINK GETS OUT A LOT OF THE, UH, QUESTIONS, UH, THAT WERE RAISED IN ADVANCE.
BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE FOCUS ON THE RIGHT SIDE HERE, WHICH ARE, UH, THE GOODS AND SERVICES BEING SOLD AND MANUFACTURED, AND THE OUTCOMES JOB TAXES AND INCOME.
BUT THERE IS THIS WHOLE ECOSYSTEM, AND, AND WE DO INTERFACE LIKE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITH, UH, THE ENTREPRENEURIAL, UH, GROUPS IN THE COUNTY, THE EDUCATIONAL GROUPS, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND INFILL AND FINANCE FINANCING, UH, UH, UH, BANKS AND, UH, UH, NONPROFIT FINANCING, UH, OF WORK, UH, ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL.
SO WE DO, UH, A LOT ON THE LEFT SIDE WHEN WE'RE NOT DOING DEALS.
[01:30:09]
OKAY.AND SO WE'VE BEEN OVER THIS, UH, EARLIER.
UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPETING INTEREST IN, UH, UH, BEAUFORD COUNTY FOR LAND.
UH, WE HAD A, UH, A STRATEGIC PLANNING WORK SESSION ON MARCH, UH, FIFTH.
UH, WE HAD 35 FOLKS FROM AROUND THE REGION.
SCA WAS WITH US, COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE WITH US.
UH, UH, FOLKS FROM EACH OF THE TOWNS AND CITY CITIES, UH, CITY WERE WITH US.
UH, SO WE HAD A, A GOOD SESSION.
WE LOOKED AT OUR FOCUS AREAS AND, AND THESE ARE THE AREAS, SECTORS WE'RE WORKING IN, IN THE AREAS OF OUR, OUR WORK PLAN ARE LISTED THERE AS WELL.
IN THE FOLLOWING SLIDES, WE GO INTO GREATER DETAIL, AND WE DO HAVE METRICS.
UH, UH, IT WAS BROUGHT UP LIKE, HOW DO YOU MEASURE SUCCESS? UH, I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE A NUMBER, NOT A FEELING.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE ALWAYS LEAD WITH THAT SCORECARD YOU SAW EARLIER.
UH, WE ARE, UH, UH, WE HAVE, UH, AN AEROSPACE COMPANY IN THE LANDING PAD RIGHT NOW OUTTA CALIFORNIA.
UH, THAT'S STARTING TO DO MORE.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY IN, UH, BOTH THE BLUFFTON AND THE, UH, BUFORD LANDING PADS, UH, MOVING ALONG.
HOSPITALITY, UH, UH, SUPPLY CHAIN FOR HOSPITALITY, UH, WILL BE ONE OF OUR FOCUS AREAS IN GROUPS AT OUR STRATEGIC SESSION.
AS I LOOK UP, JOE, I THINK YOUR, YOUR GROUP TOOK A LOOK AT THAT.
AND WE HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD IDEAS IN, IN THESE, UH, UH, LONGHAND STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, TO TRY TO CULTIVATE THAT.
UH, THE SECTOR, HEALTHCARE, LIGHT MANUFACTURING, UH, AGAIN, WHAT WE SEE THERE ARE THE SHOVEL READY SITES ARE OFTENTIMES WHAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR.
UH, THERE'S, THERE IS A LOT OF REAL ESTATE IN, IN COMPETING AREAS OUTSIDE OF WHERE OUR FOLKS CAN DRIVE TO WORK, HEADQUARTERS AND BACK OFFICE.
AND THEN OUR WORK AREAS, BUSINESS RECRUITMENT.
AND AGAIN, UH, WE WORK WITH, UH, SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE ON THAT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.
UH, BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION.
UH, WE DO A LOT OF THAT, UH, HAVEN'T MET WITH, UH, UH, CHARLESTON.
I BELIEVE BRIAN'S GOALS ARE EVEN, UH, UH, STEEPER THAN WHAT THE FOLKS IN CHARLESTON HAVE.
SO, UH, ROY'S STEPPING UP, UH, BRIAN'S, UH, UH, ASK THERE IN TERMS OF MEETING WITH COMPANIES AND HAVING HIS EAR TO THE GROUND.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP, WE COLLABORATE IN THIS SPACE.
WE HAVE GREAT PARTNERS, UH, AT THE DOM RYAN CENTER FOR INNOVATION AND THE BEAUFORT DIGITAL CORRIDOR.
UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, UH, IF YOU ATTENDED CONVERGE, UH, AND, AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE STATE IS DOING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKFORCE.
UH, WE MET, UH, LAST WEEK WITH, UH, TONY POLLAN WITH THE LOW COUNTRY COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS.
AND HE'S WORKING WITH BRIAN, UH, TO GET SOME RELOCATED, UH, EMPLOYEES AND NEW EMPLOYERS, UH, CREDITS, UH, CASH CREDITS FOR HIRING THESE PEOPLE.
SET UP TO 2000 PER EMPLOYEE TO 6,000 DURING THE TRAINING PERIOD.
BRIAN HAS THE DETAILS, BUT, UH, UP TO $6,000 PER EMPLOYEE DURING THEIR TRAINING PERIOD IS ACCURATE.
AND IN THIS CASE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THIS WAS A QUESTION ASKED, UH, SOMETIMES IT'S WORKING WITH THE UTILITIES, BY THE WAY.
IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MENTIONED WHEN WE BOUGHT THE LIBI O SITE, UH, FOR 1.5 MILLION.
150,000 OF IT CAME FROM, UH, OUR, OUR BOARD MEMBER, UH, UH, LAKE WILLIAMS COMPANY DOMINION, PROVIDED US $150,000 OF, UH, UTCS TO DEFRAY THAT COST.
SO, UH, WE'RE APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
AND THEN EVEN WHEN YOU, YOU'LL BE COMING OUT, I BELIEVE, WITH THE TRANSPORTATION QUESTION, I BELIEVE, UH, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE INFORMED OF THAT IN SUPPORT, SUPPORTIVE OF IT AS WE DROVE OVER HERE.
ANYONE DRIVE ON ONE 70 TODAY? YOU CAN SEE THE CHALLENGES THAT PEOPLE WHO WORK IN BEAUFORT COUNTY HAVE.
I DRIVE OFF HILTON HEAD EVERY DAY, AND I SEE THE CHALLENGES, AND WE HAVE TO CARE ABOUT WHAT OUR, WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS ARE GOING THROUGH TO GET TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GET TO, TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILY.
AND FUNDING AND SUSTAINABILITY, I WILL RATTLE THROUGH THIS QUICKLY, UH, BUT WE HAVE, UH, JUST IN THE YEAR WE'RE IN, SO YOU'LL LOOK AT THE MONEY, UH, THAT YOU ARE, ARE PAYING US, AND, AND I CAN PROVIDE YOU DETAIL ON THAT, UH, THAT WAS PROVIDED IN ADVANCE OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
UH, BUT IN THE YEAR WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, OVER 280,000, UH, UH, DOLLARS RECEIVED TO AUGMENT, UH, UH, THE WORK THAT YOU'VE ASKED US TO DO, UH, AS WE LOOK FORWARD, UH, WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE.
[01:35:01]
UH, UH, DOING WELL IN OUR TARGETED, UH, INDUSTRIES.UH, WE HAVE, UH, EMPHASIS ON PROJECTS, UH, AND, UH, THAT EMPHASIZE OUR WORKFORCE STRENGTH.
AND AGAIN, GETTING BACK TO THE LEARNING INSTITUTIONS, MAKING SURE WE'RE COORDINATED WITH THE TALENT THEY'RE PUTTING OUT, UM, GREATER SUPPORT FOR SMALL PROJECTS.
THAT'S REALLY, UM, UH, A, A THING, A, A TARGET THAT WE HAVE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE BECAUSE THEY LIKE SCOUT PROJECTS AND BMW PROJECTS AND BOEING PROJECTS, AND OUR FIT IS REALLY SMALLER PROJECTS, SO WE DO QUITE WELL THERE.
BUT TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR INCENTIVES, UH, WORK WITH WHAT WE'RE SHOOTING FOR, UH, FINISHED SOME SIGNATURE PROJECTS, AND WE DID GET A LETTER OF INTENT IN ON, UH, UH, PROJECT CLOUD AND CONTINUING TO WORK ON LA DICO, UH, UH, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT BRNE RETAINING COMPANIES, UH, AND THEN, UH, TRYING TO KEEP DOLLARS, UH, IN THIS ECONOMY VERSUS LEAKING OUT OF THIS ECONOMY, OUR LOCAL ECONOMY, UH, COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, UH, MORE COLLABORATION, UH, UH, INCREASED PARTNERSHIP WITH SCA, AND REALLY MAKING SURE WE'RE ALIGNED WITH YOU AND THE TOWNS AND THEIR COUNCILS.
UH, AND THEN ADMINISTRATIVELY, SOME, SOME NUMERICAL GOALS, UH, AND SOME LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT GOALS, UH, MAKING SURE OUR STAFF, UH, IS CERTIFIED.
UH, AND THEY ARE WELL ON THEIR WAY TO DOING THAT.
UH, HAVING THE ORGANIZATION, THE, UH, B-C-E-D-C ACCREDITED, UH, BY IEDC, WOULD BE MAYBE A MEASURABLE RESULT IN TERMS OF THE PROFESSIONALISM WE BRING TO THIS WORK.
AND THEN, UH, GRANTS IN SUPPORT OF THE MISSION OVER, OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, TRYING TO SECURE ANOTHER $2 MILLION TO AUGMENT THE MONEY, UH, THAT THE COUNTY'S PAYING AND SEEING OUR PRIVATE SECTOR, UM, UH, CONTRIBUTIONS GROW, UH, TO JUST UNDER A HUNDRED THOUSAND WOULD BE OUR TARGET.
AND, UH, AS WE LOOK AT, UM, JUST, UH, THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAD ON OUR SCORECARD AND TRANSLATING THEM TO, UH, TAX REVENUE ON YOUR MODEL, IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, WE'RE GENERATING WITH THE PROJECTS WE'VE WORKED ON, UH, OVER $13 MILLION, 13 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, AND, UH, NO MORE BREAKS.
I, I WANTED TO GET THROUGH THAT QUICKLY.
I'M SORRY IF, UH, THE FIRST SECTION TOOK TIME, BUT I DON'T WANNA, UH, STEAL TIME FROM SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE, BUT WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND OUR STRATEGIC DIRECTION.
YES, MR. BERG? I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.
ONE, UH, YOU MENTIONED THE GRANTS.
UM, WHAT'S THE CRITERIA FOR THE BOARD TO ISSUE THE GRANTS INTO THE COMMUNITY? WE'VE, WE'VE HEARD A LOT, I KNOW I'VE HAD A LOT OF, UH, EMAILS COME IN AND PHONE CALLS ABOUT THE GRANT ALLOCATION.
HOW, HOW DOES THE BOARD DECIDE WHO GETS THE GRANT AND WHAT CRITERIA IS OUT THERE FOR IT? WELL, I THINK, DAVID, I, I THINK SOME OF THE CONFUSION ON GRANTS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LOOK AT THE, UM, 32 MILLION, $32 MILLION IN INCENTIVES AND SITE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.
SO I'M TALKING SPECIFICALLY GRANTS THAT WERE ISSUED BY THE BOARD MM-HMM
AND SO THEY ARE, THEY ARE, UH, FIGURED OUT LARGELY BY, UM, THE JOBS AND THE INVESTMENT THE COMPANY'S PUTTING IN.
AND, UH, I'D, I'D INVITE YOU TO LOOK AT ONE OF OUR CLAWBACK AGREEMENTS AND HOW WE DO THE MATH SO THAT THEY DON'T MEET WHAT WE EXPECT WE CAN, WE CAN, UH, CALL THAT MONEY BACK.
UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, THOUGH, IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE'VE, UH, ISSUED $1.1 MILLION IN GRANTS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
SO, UH, UH, AND SO STAFF LOOKS AT IT.
WE, WE PUT TOGETHER A PRO FORMA THE RATIONALE FOR THE GRANT, THEN WE BRING THAT TO OUR BOARD, AND IT'S VOTED FOR AT OUR BOARD.
LAST, LAST QUESTION, AND I, ONCE AGAIN, I HATE TO BELABOR THIS, BUT I, I FEEL INCLINED TO GO BACK TO THE, THE 117 ACRE PROPERTY.
UM, I BELIEVE Y'ALL SAID THAT THERE WAS NO CONTAMINATION.
I FOUND THE MINUTE FROM JANUARY 23RD, 2025, AND IT SPECIFICALLY SAYS, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S THE RIGHT PROPERTY, BUT IT SAYS, THE RATIONALE FOR THE PURCHASE INCLUDES ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND SOCIOECONOMIC ASPECTS BY WAY OF CLEANUP OF THE CONTAMINATED PROPERTY AND FURTHER PRESERVATION BY LOOKING FOR LOW IMPACT REUSE OPTIONS FOR THE PROPERTY.
MY QUESTION IS, ARE WE, AS THE COUNTY GONNA BE ON THE HOOK FOR THAT CLEANUP? AND IS THAT THE SAME PROPERTY THAT'S REFERENCED IN THE PRESENTATION YOU GAVE TO THE B-C-E-D-C BOARD? I, I CORRECTED THAT, THAT ANSWER TO SAY THAT THERE IS, UH, INFILTRATION AND THERE MIGHT BE A SMALL, UH, UH, DUMP SITE, UH, UH, WHERE SOME
[01:40:01]
BARRELS WERE TAKEN.WE HAVE, UH, UH, ENVIRONMENTALISTS ESSAY ON WHAT EXISTS OUT THERE, SO WE CAN PROVIDE YOU THAT DETAIL.
UH, THE REASON YOU EXERCISE THE VOLUNTEER VOLUNTARY CLEANUP CONTRACT IS SO THAT YOU WOULD NOT BE REQUIRED.
YOU WOULD NOT, YOU WOULD NOT BE TAKING THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES OFF THE HOOK, THE RESPONS, THE PEOPLE WHO POLLUTED ARE THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES FOR THE COST OF THE CLEANUP.
ANYBODY ELSE? NO QUESTION HERE.
UM, I ACTUALLY HAVE TWO, JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON DAVID'S QUESTION.
PURCHASING THIS PROPERTY, THERE WAS NO KNOWN CHEMICAL INFILTRATION OF ANY KIND, CORRECT? THAT'S INCORRECT.
UH, THERE, THERE, WE, WE DID, UH, ENVIRONMENT, WE HAD ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTS.
WE'VE DONE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTS SUBSEQUENT, AND THERE IS SOME TRACE POLLUTION ON THE SITE.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, YOU KNEW IT GOING IN AND IT'S SET UP THAT WHOEVER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT, THEY'RE GONNA TAKE CARE.
THE, THE COUNTY'S NOT GONNA BE ON THE HOOK, LIKE DAVID SAID, CORRECT? CORRECT.
UM, THE, THE ONE, THE ONE PIECE THAT WE HAVE IS, IS, AS YOU KNOW, YOU CAN PROCEED LITIGATION, AND THAT CAN BE SLOW, AND IT CAN BE EXPENSIVE.
UH, BEING THAT WE'RE A 5 0 1 C3, UH, IN OCTOBER, UH, WHEN WE, WHEN WE FINISH THE LEVEL OF DUE DILIGENCE WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, WE'LL PROBABLY ACCESS EPA FUNDS TO ADDRESS THAT.
UM, SECOND QUESTION, PAGE 28, YOU HAVE A GRAPH, AND I'M CATCHING UP HERE JUST A LITTLE BIT.
UM, UH, 2025, IT SHOWS 1239 JOBS.
COULD, COULD YOU GIVE AN IDEA WHERE THEY'RE CENTERED AND, AND FROM WHATEVER TO WHATEVER, WHERE THOSE JOBS ARE LOCATED? WHICH, UH, WHICH PAGE ARE YOU ON? 24TH? 28.
28 IN OUR, THE ONE THAT WAS SENT TO US, I THINK, ARE YOU REFERENCING SOME WAGES SLIDE? YEAH, THE GRAPH.
YEAH, THE GRAPH, THE 1239, MOST OF THOSE THAT YEAR WERE LOCATED ON BUCKWALTER, UH, IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
AND THEY'RE STILL THERE, THOSE JOBS? NO, THEY'RE BEING DEVELOPED RIGHT NOW.
THE BUILDINGS ARE, THEY'RE BEING DEVELOPED.
THE BUILDINGS ARE COMING OUT OF THE GROUND.
YEAH, THAT, THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
THE JOBS AREN'T CREATED IN THE YEAR THE PROJECTS ANNOUNCED.
IT, IT, UH, UH, BOTH BEAUFORT COUNTY AND THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA WORKS OFF OF A FIVE YEAR DEVELOPMENT PLAN BY THE, UH, PROJECT.
ANYONE ELSE? ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD, MR. OTO.
YOU, YOU STILL HAVE THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT OR IF YOU WANT TO READ IT AGAIN AND JUST WANT TO CATCH UP WITH MYSELF, KELLY, OR BRIAN, WE REALLY WOULD LOVE YOUR INPUT AND, UH, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN STEP WITH WHAT YOU'RE HOPING FOR.
UH, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW, UH, SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, ON, NOT IN THE ROOM, BUT ON SCREEN, UH, UH, I'D LOVE TO CONTINUE THOSE CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU STARTED TODAY, UH, REGARDING, UH, THE, THE PLACE OF GOVERNMENT AND MAYBE WAYS THAT WE CAN APPROACH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT CAN STILL HELP THE COMMUNITY, BUT NOT MAYBE, UH, WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF WHAT YOU THINK, UH, GOOD GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO SOUTH CAROLINA ALLIANCE AND CHAIRMAN, BEFORE YOU, BEFORE YOU GO, UM, GO AHEAD.
LET, LET, LET ME JUST MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THE STRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
UM, AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S IT, IT IS APPROPRIATE AT ALL, UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME, UH, BOARD MEMBERS, UM, IN, IN THE, IN THE AUDIENCE.
BUT, UM, THE, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UM, IS SORT OF A BUFFER BETWEEN COUNCIL INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY, UH, LOOKING AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THIS ENTIRE COUNTY.
UH, I, I WOULD TELL YOU THAT, UM, I DESIRE TO HAVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN MY COMMUNITY, BUT I'M IN A RURAL AREA, AND I DON'T EXPECT THE KIND OF, UH, DEVELOPMENT THAT MAY BE IN YOUR AREA TO COME TO MY AREA.
BUT I DO ALSO NEED TO HAVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR MY COMMUNITY AS FAR AS GROWTH IS CONCERNED.
AND SO, UM, INDIVIDUALLY, UM, I MAY NOT LIKE, UM, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD PUTTING
[01:45:01]
A LOT OF EMPHASIS, UM, IN, IN LO BCO OR ANY OTHER SITE, UM, BECAUSE I WANTED TO PUT HER ON MY SITEBUT, UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, UM, MY GROWTH IN MY COMMUNITY IS GONNA BE DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF BLUFFTON HILTON HEAD AND ET CETERA.
AND SO I LOOK TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD TO, TO LOOK AT THE BROADER PICTURE FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY AND DECIDE WHAT'S BEST FOR THESE VARIOUS DISTRICTS OR THESE VARIOUS AREAS.
IT WOULD ALL BE DIFFERENT, BUT IT'S, TO THEM, I LOOK TO, AND THIS MODEL SERVES FOR ME THE, THE PURPOSE OF WHY WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THIS PARTICULAR MODEL BECAUSE IT TAKES ME AWAY OUT OF THE WHOLE ISSUE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I TALK ONE-ON-ONE WITH, UM, WITH, WITH MR TOOLS FOR MY DISTRICT, BUT HE ALSO HAS OTHER INTERESTS AROUND THE COUNTY.
AND, UM, SO IT'S, IT'S A GOOD MODEL AND IT, IT'S NOT ONE WHERE INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE DIRECTING THEM.
HE HAS TO GO TO HIS BOARD AND THEN THAT BOARD ALSO, UM, UM, COME TO US, UM, TO SUPPORT THAT CONCEPT THAT THEY HAVE, UM, LOOKED AT AND DELIBERATED ON AND BROUGHT FORWARD TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS A GOOD PROJECT.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT COMMENT.
YOU'RE GONNA GET CHASE SOUTH CAROLINA ALLIANCE.
I'M DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY.
OF COURSE, KATE MAXWELL IS OUR VP OF MARKETING.
SHE'S GONNA BE SHARING THE PRESENTATION WITH ME, AND SHE'LL BE, UH, TAKING US TO THE FINISH LINE ONCE I GET US HALFWAY THROUGH
AND YEAH, SO, UM, THANK YOU, KAY.
AND, UH, PLEASE STOP ME AS WE GO ALONG.
I CAN GET ON A ROLL AND KEEP TALKING.
SO, UH, PLEASE JUST RAISE YOUR HAND OR, OR INTERJECT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS HERE, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SORRY IF SOME OF THIS IS REDUNDANT.
I KNOW KELLY COVERED A LITTLE BIT OF THIS AS WELL, BUT, UM, SO MOST OF YOU'RE AWARE, UM, REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS, OR REDOS, AS WE CALL THEM, ARE PART OF THE ESSENTIAL FRAMEWORK OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS BOTH A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PROTOCOL TO EFFICIENTLY MARKET LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
MOST STATES UTILIZE REGIONAL ALLIANCES AS DO MANY COUNTRIES, INCLUDING THE UK AND GERMANY AND SOME OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.
'CAUSE IT ENABLES TO US TO, TO POOL OUR RESOURCES.
UM, THIS IS NOT A VERY PRACTICAL SORT OF APPROACH TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SOUTH CAROLINA, OF COURSE, OUR GOVERNOR LEADS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.
AND WE WORK, UH, DIRECTLY WITH THE OTHER SEVEN REGIONAL ALLIANCES DIRECTLY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ON INDUSTRIAL RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION AND PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
ALL COUNTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA ARE MEMBERS OF REGIONAL ALLIANCES, WHICH ARE FORMED CONTIGUOUSLY, OF COURSE, IN OTHER WORDS, UM, WE'RE ALL TOUCHING EACH OTHER.
BUFORD WAS ONE OF THE LAST COUNTIES TO JOIN AN ALLIANCE IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND WAS URGED TO DO SO SINCE ECONOMIES ARE NOT MERELY LOCAL, BUT OPERATE REGIONALLY AND PRACTICALLY EVERY ECONOMY IN THE COUNTRY, THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS CROSS-COUNTY LINES FOR JOBS AND TO WORK IN WELL PAYING JOBS AND INDUSTRIES AND TO PURCHASE AND SELL GOODS IN, IN NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES.
SHORT, A WIN FOR ONE COUNTY IS, IS A WIN FOR ALL OF THE REGION.
THESE ARE THE COUNTIES THAT WE SERVE.
AND SOUTH CAROLINA, THE STATE LEGISLATURE ALSO PROVIDES REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION FUNDING THROUGH PROVISO FUNDS, WHICH STANDALONE COUNTIES DO NOT RECEIVE.
THIS FUNDING COMBINED WITH PRIVATE INVESTMENT ENABLES AN ORGANIZATION LIKE SEA TO BRING MARKETING RESOURCES TO THE TABLE THAT THE COUNTY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM ALONE.
AND BEAUFORT COUNTY JOINED SEA, YOU BECAME THE SEVENTH COUNTY IN OUR REGIONAL ALLIANCE, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1996 AS A 5 0 1 C3, LIKE THE OTHER REGIONAL ALLIANCES IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
OUR FOCUS IS ON MARKETING AND INDUSTRIAL RECRUITMENT.
ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY LEADERSHIP DECIDED TO JOIN SCA IN 2017 WAS TO HELP THE COUNTY DIVERSIFY ITS ECONOMY.
[01:50:01]
A HEAVY LIFT THAT SCA HAS ACCOMPLISHED QUITE WELL IN OUR OTHER MEMBER COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE IDEALS OF COOPERATION AND REGIONALISM.UM, IT'S GREAT JOBS THAT'LL IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE COUNTIES OF OUR REGION AND HOW WE ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSION, EXCUSE ME, UM, MARKETING INDUSTRIAL RECRUITMENT, AS DO THE OTHER REGIONAL ALLIANCES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE REGIONS.
WE ALSO OFFER ADDITIONAL SERVICES TO OUR MEMBER COUNTIES ACCORDING TO EACH COUNTY'S PREFERENCE IN FIVE OF OUR MEMBER COMMUNITIES.
SCA HANDLES ALL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT ENABLING SOME OF THE MOST CHALLENGING COUNTIES IN THE STATE TO SUCCESSFULLY LAND PROJECTS.
SEA ALSO FACILITATES WORKFORCE AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TO HELP CONNECT OUR LOCAL WORKFORCE TO AVAILABLE JOBS IN THE COMMUNITY, WHILE ENSURING THAT OUR INDUSTRIES ARE ABLE TO FIND SKILLED WORKERS.
OUR PROGRAM OF WORK IS LED BY OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OUR C-E-O-S-C-A IS GOVERNED BY A BOARD OF DIRECTORS, COMPRISE TO BOTH INDUSTRY LEADERS AND COUNTY COUNCIL APPOINTEES.
EACH MEMBER COUNTY NOMINEES THREE MEMBERS TO THE SCA BOARD, PROVIDING A WONDERFUL PUBLIC PRIVATE SECTOR BALANCED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
AND THIS IS A LIST OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS FROM PRACTICALLY EVERY TARGETED INDUSTRY SECTOR IN OUR REGION.
LEADERS FROM EACH OF THE SEVEN COUNTIES AND EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE LEADERS PROVIDING A DIVERSE PERSPECTIVE IN SEASONED APPROACH TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THE BOARD IS LED BY 15 MEMBER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE THAT MEETS IN THE MONTHS THAT THE BOARD DOES NOT MEET.
EACH COUNTY HAS A COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE ON THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
CURRENTLY, THE THREE BEAUFORT COUNTY APPOINTED BOARD MEMBERS ARE ALICE HOWARD AND PAULA BROWN OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL.
AND JOEL BRAUN OF BEAUFORT, EDC.
HOWARD SERVES AS BEAUFORT COUNTY'S REPRESENTATIVE ON OUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
OTHER BEAUFORT COUNTY MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD INCLUDE SENATOR TOM DAVIS, GRADY WOODS OF WOODS DENDY ARCHITECTS, TREY HUNTER OF PALMETTO ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, CARL KILPATRICK OF THE BANK OF THE LOW COUNTRY, JIMMY BAKER OF THE BEAUFORT, JASPER WATER SEWER AUTHORITY, AND GREG BRUNSON OF BRUNSON CONSTRUCTION.
LOOKING AT OUR, OUR STAFF TEAM, UM, WE OPERATE WITH AN EXPERIENCED STAFF OF 10 PROFESSIONALS WITH MORE THAN 85 YEARS, WHICH IS ACTUALLY 105 'CAUSE I LIED ABOUT MY AGE ON MY APPLICATION.
BUT WE HAVE, UH, 85 YEARS OF COMBINED EXPERIENCE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, MORE THAN A HUNDRED COMBINED YEARS OF EXPERTISE AND SUCCESS IN MARKETING AND BRAND DEVELOPMENT, AND MORE THAN 70 YEARS OF COMBINED EXPERIENCE AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT.
AND RYAN MERRITT, WHO'S THE NEWEST MEMBER OF OUR TEAM, IS ALSO A CIVIL ENGINEER FROM THE DIVERSE INDUSTRY IN OUR REGION.
OUR COUNTY STARTED THE ALLIANCE TO DIVERSIFY THE ECONOMY, AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, BEYOND TEXTILES, THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY MISSIONS AND AGRICULTURE, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DONE PRETTY WELL OVER THE 30 YEARS, UH, WHERE WE HAVE BUILT CLUSTERS IN THE TRANSPORTATION AND AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR, AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE SECTOR, ADVANCED COMPOSITES AND FOREST PRODUCTS, AS WELL AS OUR LIFE SCIENCES INDUSTRY AND SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS, WHICH YOU CAN SEE THERE.
SOME OF THE, THE COMPANIES THAT WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THROUGH THE YEARS, INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT IN THE REGION SEE SOME PRETTY GOOD COMPANY REPRESENTATION THERE ON FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN A PART OF SOME OF THE ORIGINS OF THOSE PLACES.
AND OF COURSE, THE SECTORS ARE, UH, VERY DIVERSE IN WHAT THEY REPRESENT.
SO AS A RESULT, SCAS PLAY A PIVOTAL ROLE IN CREATING MORE THAN 14,000 JOBS AND MORE THAN 4.1 BILLION IN PRIVATE CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN THE MOST RURAL REGION IN THE STATE.
IN FACT, OUR SUCCESS HAS SNOWBALLED OVER THE YEARS FROM THE GROUNDWORK WE LAID IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING.
MORE THAN 2.26 BILLION OF THAT INVESTMENT.
AND NEARLY 7,200 OF THOSE JOBS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED SINCE THE COVID PANDEMIC BEGAN IN 2020.
LAST YEAR ALONE, SEA WAS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN BRINGING OVER A HALF BILLION DOLLARS IN PRIVATE INVESTMENT.
AND 1,144 DIRECT JOBS IN 2026 IS EVEN MORE PROMISING.
Y'ALL DIDN'T INTERRUPT ME, SO, OH, FINALLY A QUESTION.
YEAH, I'M GONNA INTERRUPT YOU HERE.
YEAH, SO I MEAN, I KNOW THESE ARE THE ANNOUNCED AND PROPOSED NUMBER OF JOBS.
HOW MANY OF THESE HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN FILLED? SO, UM, TS CONDUCTOR IS JUST STARTING THE HIRING PROCESS.
[01:55:01]
COMPLETING THEIR BUILDING NOW.UH, PALMETTO PLASTICS, SAME THING.
UH, BAMBERG COUNTY, WHO IS THAT BLACK HORSE? THEY ARE, THEY HAVE SURPASSED THEIR JOB COUNT.
UM, HAMPTON LUMBER IS STILL IN THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.
THAT, UM, PROJECT IS DUE TO BE COMPLETED LATER THIS YEAR.
UM, ALL GOES WELL, OF COURSE, CS INSTRUMENTS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE IN THEIR, THEY HIRED TWO EMPLOYEE.
THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T HAVE SPACE, SO THEY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THEIR BUILDINGS
SO, UM, TL CO I JOINED IN SEPTEMBER, SO I'LL GET KAY TO GIMME A LITTLE YEAH, A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE ON THAT.
SO, SO BASICALLY ALL THE COMPANIES THAT MADE ANNOUNCEMENT OF INVESTMENT IN OUR REGION, OBVIOUSLY IF YOU WERE TO SET UP A DONUT SHOP TOMORROW, YOU WOULDN'T START WITH 20 EMPLOYEES AND, AND BE TOTALLY BUILT OUT YOUR
AND SO THERE IS, THERE IS FOLLOW UP ON THAT, RIGHT? SO THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS WE'VE GOT 1,144 JOBS COMING FROM JUST WHAT WAS ANNOUNCED ALONE LAST YEAR.
THE BAD NEWS IS WE'VE GOT JOBS, SOME OF WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN FILLED, BUT SOME ARE STILL, YOU KNOW, WILL BE COMING AND AS
UM, AS THOSE, AS THOSE COME UP.
SO YEAH, SO MOST OF THEM, WHEN THEY MAKE THOSE ANNOUNCEMENTS, IF THEY'RE ALREADY IN PLACE, THEY START HIRING IMMEDIATELY.
SOME IT TAKES A YEAR OR TWO DEPENDING ON WHETHER THEY'RE BUILDING A FACILITY OR YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR TIMELINE IS.
BUT ALL THAT, WHEN YOU'RE DOING A PROJECT WITH THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA OR WITH SCA, ALL OF THAT'S PUT IN WRITING AS TO HOW THEY'RE GOING TO RAMP UP.
SOUTH CAROLINA USES SOMETHING CALLED A PROJECT PROFILE SHEET, AND THAT IS KIND OF OUR LITTLE BIBLE THAT WE USE IN OFFERING INCENTIVES TO A COMPANY.
AND ON THAT PROJECT PROFILE SHEET, A COMPANY HAS TO GIVE, UM, THEY HAVE TO FILL OUT FOUR DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT ARE CONSIDERED FOR INCENTIVES.
THE NUMBER OF JOBS THEY'RE GONNA CREATE, THE WAGES FOR THOSE JOBS, THOSE WAGES MUST BE HIGHER THAN THE COUNTY AVERAGE, UM, THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE.
UM, AND THAT CAN INCLUDE MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT.
AND THEN THE FOURTH THING IS, IS WHERE THEY LOCATE THE MORE RURAL COUNTIES OFFER HIGHER INCENTIVES BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THEY NEED TO DO SO.
SO THE STATE AND COUNTIES LOOK AT THOSE IN DETERMINING WHAT KIND OF INCENTIVES THEY'RE GONNA OFFER A COMPANY.
AND ON THAT SHEET IT IS, IT IS, UM, SPREAD OUT OVER THE FIVE YEARS THEY PUT IN HOW MANY THEY'RE GONNA, LIKE HOW MANY CNC OPERATORS OR PRODUCTION SUPERVISORS THEY'RE HIRING THE FIRST YEAR, THE SECOND YEAR, THE THIRD YEAR, AND SO FORTH.
SO ALL OF THAT'S IN WRITING WHEN THE STATE AND COUNTY COME BACK WITH THE INCENTIVES PACKAGE.
WELL, UM, JASON GAVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND.
WE WERE ASKED TO GIVE SOME BACKGROUND ON HOW, UM, SCA WORKS AND WHAT WE DO, AND THEN WE WERE ALSO ASKED TO ADDRESS HOW WE WERE GONNA SUPPORT BEAUFORT COUNTY, UM, IN, UM, IN THE NEW STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO WE'RE HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
UM, SC HAS A GREAT SUCCESS RECORD, UM, AND WE DO THAT THROUGH SEVERAL THINGS.
UM, COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP AND ASSISTING OUR COMMUNITIES WITH ALL THOSE THINGS THAT GO INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND DISCUSSING THE STRATEGIC PLAN, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GONNA SUPPORT IT? UM, LET'S START WITH MARKETING FIRST AND MARKETING THE STRATEGIC PLAN CALLED FOR STRENGTHENING AND EVOLVING THE CORE INDUSTRIES WITH THE TARGETED SECTORS IDENTIFIED WE CAN AND WE WILL SUPPORT BEAUFORT S UM, STRATEGIC PLAN IN THAT ARENA.
AT SCA, OUR 30 YEARS OF SUCCESS HAVE GIVEN US THE OPPORTUNITY TO HONE OUR MARKETING PROGRAM SOMEWHAT AND LEARN WHAT REALLY WORKS TO ACHIEVE RESULTS.
SO OUR PROGRAM IS FOCUSED ON GETTING A MEETING WITH A DECISION MAKER, WITH AN ACTIVE PROJECT, CONSIDERING AN EXPANSION STARTUP, A RELOCATION TO THE SOUTHEAST WITHIN THE NEXT TWO TO FIVE YEARS IN OUR TARGETED INDUSTRY SECTOR.
SO IT'S A VERY TARGETED APPROACH.
UM, OUR REGIONAL PROGRAM IS COMPI COMPRISED OF SEVERAL COMPONENTS, INCLUDING OUR PARTNERSHIP
[02:00:01]
WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND OTHER REGIONAL ALLIANCES THROUGH SOMETHING CALLED THE PALMETTO PARTNERSHIP.AND THAT IS WHERE SCA PUTS IN $45,000 A YEAR WITH THE OTHER REGIONAL ALLIANCES AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE DO MOST OF OUR INTERNATIONAL TRADE SHOWS, UM, AND, AND CONFERENCES.
UM, BUT MOST OF WHAT WE DO IS WE WORK ON THE REGIONALLY LED SCA MARKETING MISSIONS, AND WE DO THOSE BOTH IN PERSON AND VIA ZOOM BECAUSE WE TRY TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR FUNDING.
SO WE DO ABOUT 40 OF THOSE PER YEAR MEETING FACE-TO-FACE WITH COMPANIES IN OUR TARGETED SECTORS.
UM, AND WE ALSO WORK WITH, UM, OUR ALLIES SUCH AS SE POWER TEAM AND UTILITIES LIKE DOMINION ENERGY.
AND WE CONNECT WITH LO WITH LOCATION SITE CONSULTANTS AND COMMERCIAL, UM, REAL ESTATE FIRMS, UM, TO HELP US FARE OUT THOSE COMPANIES THAT ARE INTERESTED IN OUR REGION.
AND WE ALSO USE DIGITAL MARKETING THROUGH OUR WEBSITE AND THE INTERNET TO REACH, UM, PROSPECTS.
ONE OF THE WAYS WE'RE DOING THAT RIGHT NOW IS WE DID GEOFENCING AROUND THE RBC HERITAGE AND WE REALLY DRILLED DOWN THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF WHO WE WANTED TO REACH AT THE RBC HERITAGE, WHO HAS THE ABILITY TO CREATE A PROJECT OR RELOCATE A BUSINESS.
AND WE TARGETED ABOUT 70,000 AND WE ARE FOLLOWING THEM THROUGH UNTIL, UM, WE'LL DO ABOUT A THREE TO SIX MONTH FOLLOW THROUGH TO DRIVE PEOPLE TO OUR WEBSITE TO LOOK AT PROPERTIES.
AND WE HAVE REPORTING ON THAT EVERY YEAR.
SO THROUGH OUR REGIONALLY LED PROGRAM, WE ACTUALLY START THE YEAR EACH YEAR THROUGH OUR, UM, THROUGH OUR PROFESSIONAL LEAD GEN PROGRAMS. WE REACH OUT TO ABOUT 10,000 COMPANIES AT THE START OF THE YEAR.
UM, AND THOSE ARE IN OUR TARGETED SECTORS.
HOWEVER, THEY'RE NOT ALL GONNA BE INTERESTED IN OUR REGION, AND WE HONE THAT DOWN TO WE END UP MEETING EVERY YEAR WITH ABOUT 150 TO 200 COMPANIES.
UM, AND AGAIN, I MENTIONED THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON THOSE TARGETED INDUSTRY SECTORS.
UM, HOW DO WE FIND THOSE? WELL, THOSE ARE THE COMPANIES THAT SUCCEED IN OUR REGION AND THAT PROVIDE WELL PAYING JOBS.
AND THEY LOOK AT, WE LOOK AT EVALUATIONS OF OUR REGIONAL AND LOCAL ASSETS AND OUR WORKFORCE AND DETERMINING WHAT THOSE ARE.
OUR TARGETED CLUSTERS HAVE ALWAYS INCLUDED THE MAJOR SECTORS IDENTIFIED TO HELP BEAUFORT COUNTY DIVERSIFY THE ECONOMY.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO INCORPORATE THOSE AS, AS IDENTIFIED IN THE NEW STRATEGIC PLAN, INCLUDING AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE, LIFE SCIENCES, LIGHT AND ADVANCED MANUFACTURING HEADQUARTERS AND AGRIBUSINESS.
AND AS ALWAYS, WE INVITE THE BEAUFORT EDC STAFF TO PARTICIPATE IN KEY MARKETING MISSIONS AND TRADE SHOWS, GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET DIRECTLY WITH SOME OF THE PROSPECTS IN ADDITION TO THE MARKETING WE DO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SO JOHN, UM, AND BRIAN, AND WE'VE CERTAINLY ATTEMPTED WITH KELLY AS WELL.
WE'VE BEEN TO SOME VERY GLAMOROUS, UM, PLACES OVER THE YEARS IN NEW JERSEY AND CONNECTICUT AND OTHER PLACES TRYING TO, UM, FIND COMPANIES THAT ARE INTERESTED IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
UM, IN ADDITION, WE HAVE A ROBUST TOOLBOX OF MARKETING TOOLS AND PROGRAMS THAT WE NOT ONLY CONDUCT ON A REGIONAL LEVEL, BUT WE MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE COUNTY TEAMS, WHICH CAN SUPPORT THE COUNTY'S EFFORTS FROM MARKETING MISSIONS TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE TOOLS, ONLINE LIBRARIES, UM, WITH THE EVALUATIONS OF OUR PROPERTIES, DIGITAL MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA SUPPORT.
AND HERE'S JUST A LIST OF SOME OF THOSE TOOLS.
UM, MOST OF THESE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED AT NO CHARGE TO THE COUNTY ORGANIZATIONS, AND WE'RE ALWAYS EVALUATING THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND INNO INNOVATIVE WAYS TO MARKET OUR REGION.
AND AS THE WORLD HAS CHANGED, WE'RE DOING MORE AND MORE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A PODCAST SERIES DOWN HERE ON W-H-H-I-T-V CALLED BEHIND THE GOLDEN SHOVEL.
UM, AND WE DO A LOT OF, UM, FOCUSING ON AND HIGHLIGHTING THE INDUSTRIES IN THE AREA BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THESE SUCCESS STORIES ARE BEST MARKETING TOOL FOR PEOPLE TO SEE WHO SUCCEEDS IN OUR REGION.
UM, OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL, OUR PODCAST, AND OUR PRESENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS GARNER MILLIONS OF VIEWS EACH YEAR.
FOR EXAMPLE, OUR FACEBOOK PAGE ALONE BROUGHT IN 3.6 MILLION VIEWS IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS.
UM, ANOTHER GOAL THAT WAS SET FORTH IN BEAUFORT STRATEGIC PLAN WAS TO COMPETE FOR TALENT, ALIGNING TA TRAINING WITH REAL JOB DEMAND.
UM, SCA HAS LED THE REGION IN PARTNERING WITH STATE, FEDERAL, AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPROVE WORKFORCE TRAINING VIA BETTER ALIGNMENT WITH CURRENTLY AVAILABLE JOBS WITH LOCAL INDUSTRIES AND PROSPECTIVE COMPANIES.
WE WORK DIRECTLY WITH OUR REGIONALS TECHNICAL COLLEGES, THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKFORCE, ALSO CALLED SCD, SERVING AS A LIAISON WITH OUR EXISTING INDUSTRIES AND PRIVATE TRAINING FIRMS
[02:05:01]
TO TAILOR PROGRAMS TO HELP OUR LOCAL WORKFORCE GAIN THE SKILLS NEEDED FOR BETTER PAYING JOBS.FOR EXAMPLE, THIS PAST FEBRUARY, WE JUST OPENED THE ADVANCED MANUFACTURING INNOVATION CENTER, A PILOT PROJECT RESULTING FROM THE COLLABORATION WITH ALL OF THOSE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS I JUST MENTIONED, AT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS.
AND THAT IS LED BY DIRECT INPUT FROM AN ADVISORY BOARD MADE UP OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING LEADERS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, BUT ALSO OUR INDUSTRIES, THE ONES THAT ARE ACTUALLY CREATING THE JOBS.
AND THIS IS TO HELP, UM, PEOPLE GAIN HANDS-ON TRAINING FOR JOBS THAT NEED TO BE FILLED.
THIS PROJECT INCLUDED US RENOVATING A FACILITY, GETTING EQUIPMENT PURCHASED UP, FITTING CLASSROOMS, AND PROVIDING STATE-OF-THE-ART TRAINING.
AND WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT LATER THIS WEEK, UM, WE ARE GOING TO GRADUATE OUR FIRST SET OF GRADUATES IN WELDING WITH N-C-C-E-R CERTIFICATION AND CDL.
WE ARE ALSO OFFERING INDUSTRIAL MAINTENANCE AND MACHINE TOOL TECHNOLOGY AND SOME FORKLIFT FORKLIFT CERTIFICATION.
SO WE CAN CERTAINLY HELP WITH THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
UM, THE BEAUFORT STRATEGIC PLAN ALSO, UM, HIGHLIGHTED MEETING THE GOALS OF, UM, THE CURRENT CHALLENGES OF FUTURE AND CURRENT TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORTATION DEMANDS.
AND WE ARE, UM, WILLING AND ABLE TO ASSIST ON THOSE GOALS AS WELL.
ONE OF THE CRITICAL AREAS MENTIONED WAS TRANSPORTATION.
SCA RECENTLY FUNDED A MARINE TRANSPORTATION STUDY, WHICH EXAMINES A MARINE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM FOR OUR ENTIRE REGION AND BEYOND UTILIZING SOUTH CAROLINA'S COASTAL WATERWAYS TO TRANSPORT VISITORS, HOSPITALITY WORKERS, RESIDENTS AND CARGO IN A MORE AFFORDABLE, EFFICIENT WAY, WHILE PRESERVING THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND LESSENING THE BURDEN ON OUR HIGHWAYS.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY ALLIES AND SKIMA, WHICH USED TO BE DMA, UM, AND SENATOR DAVIS ON THE STUDY, WHICH THE SENATOR IS NOW TRYING TO EXPAND.
IN ADDITION, SCA ALSO JUST FUNDED AN AEROSPACE ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY ASSESSMENT OF OUR REGION TO EXAMINE AIR CARGO DEVELOPMENT LEAD GENERATION IN THE REGION, AS WELL AS HOW TO BETTER UTILIZE OUR LOCAL AIRPORTS.
UM, WE WILL PARTNER WITH THE COUNTY AND KEY TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE PART, UM, PARTNERS ON THESE ISSUES MOVING FORWARD.
NOW, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE COUNTY WANTS TO BUILD COMPETITIVE SITES AND INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, THAT IS SUITABLE FOR THE REGION.
NOW THIS IS WHAT SCA DOES BEST.
WE HAVE QUITE A RECORD IN, UM, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, AND WE HAVE THE REPUTATION AS BEING THE BEST IN PLANNING, FUNDING, DEVELOPING MARKETING, INDUSTRIAL SITES AND PROPERTIES IN THE STATE.
IN FACT, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A FEW EXAMPLES.
SCA HAS HELPED, UM, FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF 6,300 ACRES ALONG THE I 95 CORRIDOR AND SMART DEVELOPMENT TO SERVE THE NEEDS AND GOALS OF OUR MEMBER COUNTIES.
AND HERE ARE JUST SOME OF THE COMMUNITIES AND DEVELOPING, UM, INDUSTRIAL PARKS RIGHT ALONG THAT I 95 CORRIDOR AND BEYOND, THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY DEVELOPING.
BUT OUR SUCCESS STORY INCLUDES ALL KINDS OF PARTNERSHIPS, INCLUDING PARTNERING WITH PRIVATE DEVELOPERS AS WE DID AT RIVERPORT, WHERE THERE, UM, UM, WHERE THEY INVESTED 240 MONTH, $49 MILLION BY THE PRIVATE DEVELOPER AND BUILT OUT 4 MILLION SQUARE FEET, WHICH IS BEING FILLED AS FAST AS THEY CAN BUILD IT.
AND HERE'S SOME OF THE COMPANIES THEY'VE ALREADY LOCATED THERE.
SEA ALSO USES THE MODEL OF, IN THIS CASE WE PURCHASED THE SHERWOOD INDUSTRIAL TRACK BECAUSE WE IDENTIFIED IT AS BEING KEY FOR DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN DEVELOPED FOR AND VETTED BY SEVERAL OEMS. WE'VE MADE THE SHORT LIST SEVERAL TIMES.
WE HAVEN'T LANDED ANYTHING AT SHERWOOD YET, BUT THIS IS A GREAT INVESTMENT FOR SCA.
AND WE HAVE ALREADY ATTRACTED AND SOLD PART OF THE, UM, FACILITY, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, THE PROPERTY TO NORTH POINT, UM, WHERE THEY HAVE MADE A $200 MILLION INVESTMENT AND THEY HAVE COMMITTED TO CREATING 550 JOBS ON WHAT USED TO BE 514 ACRES OF THAT SHERWOOD TRACK.
UM, ALSO, WE'VE HELPED SOME OF OUR RURAL COUNTIES IDENTIFY LARGE TRACKS OF LAND, UM, TO BRING IN MANUFACTURING PROJECTS.
ONE OF THE MOST RECENT ONES IS HAMPTON LUMBER AND ALLENDALE COUNTY.
UM, THEY ARE INVESTING 225 MILLION IN CREATING, UM, ABOUT 150 JOBS THERE, EXCUSE ME, 125 JOBS.
AND, UM, THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO ANOTHER OF S C'S FIRST PROJECTS IN THAT SAME COUNTY, WE IDENTIFIED WHAT USED TO BE A CORNFIELD AND WE WERE ABLE TO ATTRACT WEST FRAZIER, WHICH IS NOW INVESTED HALF A BILLION DOLLARS IN ALLENDALE
[02:10:01]
COUNTY.UM, WE ALSO HAVE 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN DEVELOPING INDUSTRIAL PARKS AND SPEC BUILDINGS FOR OUR MEMBER COUNTIES AT NO COST TO THE COUNTY GOVERNMENTS, UM, AT THE CROSSROADS INDUSTRIAL PARK, UM, SCA HAS, UM, DEVELOPED.
WE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS, BUT WE'VE DEVELOPED TWO INDUSTRIAL PARKS THERE AND TWO INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS THERE.
BOTH HAVE BEEN SOLD TO MANUFACTURERS.
AND THE LATEST IS JGB BROTHERS.
IT'S A FOOD FIBER COMPANY THAT'S CREATING 40 JOBS IN RURAL BAMBERG THIS YEAR.
AND THEN AGAIN, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH GROUPS LIKE AGRI SALE.
THEY HAVE BUILT THE ALLENDALE SPEC BUILDING.
THEY JUST COMPLETED A HAMPTON COUNTY SPEC BUILDING, AND WE ARE CURRENTLY MARKETING THOSE TO HELP BRING JOBS TO THOSE RURAL COUNTIES.
BUT PROBABLY THE BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT SCAS HAD SO FAR AS WE DEVELOPED THE SOUTH CAROLINA ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY PARK, WHICH WAS A 1600 ACRE PARK IN BARNWELL COUNTY.
AND THERE WE HAVE ALREADY RECRUITED OVER 500 JOBS, WHICH ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING, AND WE'VE HAD OVER HALF A BILLION DOLLARS IN INVESTMENT THERE.
AND LET ME GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE.
ALSO, WE WORK WITH COUNTIES WHERE COUNTIES HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED PARKS SUCH AS, UM, THE LOW COUNTRY INDUSTRIAL PARK IN HAMPTON COUNTY, WHICH WAS ALREADY DEVELOPED WHEN THEY JOINED THE ALLIANCE IN 2004.
UM, THAT THERE, LO CRUE HAS EXPANDED SEVERAL TIMES AND WE JUST HELPED THEM WITH ANOTHER EXPANSION, WHICH HAS DOUBLED THEIR INVESTMENT.
THEY'RE NOW UP TO 150 JOBS, UM, AT LA CROCE, AND THEY HAVE DOUBLED THEIR DISTRIBUTION, ADDING ANOTHER 300,000 SQUARE FOOT INDU INDUSTRIAL BUILDING THERE.
AND WE ALSO WORK WELL WITH MULTIPLE DEVELOPERS AND LANDOWNERS, AS WE DID AT POINT SOUTH, WHERE WE NOT ONLY WORKED WITH THE, UM, LANDOWNER AT THE PARK, BUT WE BROUGHT IN A DEVELOPER WHO BUILT A SPEC BUILDING AND THAT'S WHERE WE LANDED BUILDERS FIRST SOURCE, A FORTUNE 500 COMPANY, WHICH HAS CREATED 126 JOBS THERE.
SO WE CAN DEFINITELY HELP YOU, UM, WITH YOUR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND YOUR, UM, DEVELOPMENT WITH PARKS AND SITES.
BUT ALSO YOU MENTIONED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT THERE ARE SOME ISSUES WITH LAND AND SPACE FOR DEVELOPMENT.
WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SCA HAS DONE IS WE'VE HELPED OUR COMMUNITIES LOOK AT HOW TO REVITALIZE AND TO INFILL WHAT THEY DO HAVE.
UM, THAT'S WHY SCA HAS WORKED WITH ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES IN BRINGING RETAIL ACADEMY AND RETAIL STRATEGIES IN.
AS PORT ROYAL IS CURRENTLY WORKING WITH US ON THIS TO CREATE BETTER STRATEGIES FOR DOWNTOWN GROWTH AND COMMERCIAL RETAIL RECRUITMENT IN LIMITED SPACES AND SMALL COMMUNITIES.
UM, WE HAVE FUNDED AND OFFERED THIS PROGRAM TO OUR MEMBER COMMUNITIES SINCE 2021.
AND THIS IS A GREAT MARKETING TOOL IN LOOKING AT SMALLER PROPERTIES AND SMALLER FOOTPRINT OPERATIONS.
UM, FINALLY THE LAST GOAL THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN WAS, UM, SUPPORTING EXISTING INDUSTRIES, UM, EXCUSE ME, EXISTING BUSINESSES AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
UM, AND WE'VE ALWAYS DONE THAT WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UM, SCA FUNDED $50,000 TOWARD THE UPFIT AND CREATION OF THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA LANDING PAD HERE IN BEAUFORT.
AND JUST THIS YEAR WE, UM, INVESTED $25,000 IN HELPING EXPAND THE DON RYAN CENTER AT THE COVE.
UM, ALSO WE'VE ASSISTED MANY COMPANIES WITH EXPANSIONS AND WE ARE HAPPY TO ACCOMPANY BEAUFORT COUNTY ON THEIR BRE VISITS AND WORK WITH COMPANIES WHENEVER THEY HAVE ISSUES, UM, AND HELP IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL WAYS THAT WE CAN ASSIST.
SO THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP AND THE WAY THAT OUR EXPERTISE CAN BE USED.
AND, UM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO PLEASE LET US KNOW HOW
WE HAVE OUR OWN COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WHAT DO THE OTHER SIX HAVE? ARE THEY SET UP LIKE US OR DO YOU DO IT ALL FOR CERTAIN OF THE COUNTIES? SO WE DO IT ALL FOR HELP ME, DANNY.
FIVE FIVE OF THE BEAUFORT HERSELF.
YEAH, COLLEGE BEAUFORT ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT WE DON'T DO IT ALL FOR RIGHT NOW.
WHY IS THAT? OTHER THAN WE HAVE, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE COUNTY'S CHOICE.
AND, UM, YOU MIGHT WANT DANNY UP HERE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THAT AS FAR AS THE STRUCTURE AND ALL, BECAUSE HE'S USUALLY ONE WHO'S MET WITH COUNTY COUNCILS IN THOSE AREAS.
UM, BEFORE DANNY COMES UP ON THE SAN SANEX
[02:15:01]
STUDY, THIS IS PRETTY COOL.THIS VERY, IS THAT, UH, IS THIS LIKE SOMETHING FROM EUROPE OR WHAT? I MEAN, IT LOOKS VERY DANNY, SOME OF INTO FUTURE BECAUSE DANNY'S HAD HIS HANDS AND ALL THAT LOOKS INTO THE FUTURE.
THIS IS THE FIFTH TIME I'VE RETIRED.
WE DON'T WANNA LET YOU GO DANNY
I APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH AND I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I MISSED THE QUESTION YOU WERE ASKING ZANTEC THIS STUDY, THIS UM, THIS, IT WAS LIKE A SPACE SHOW.
OH, SOMETHING INTO THE FUTURE.
THAT TURNED OUT TO BE A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY.
OF COURSE, WE WORKED WITH COUNCIL, WE WORKED WITH EDC AND JOHN, AND WE WORKED WITH DUSKY ISLAND, ACTUALLY CAME TO US AND ASKED US ABOUT FUNDING THIS.
WE WOUND UP SPENDING, UH, A LITTLE OVER 120, UH, THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO GET PAID BACK, I HOPE, UH, UH, THROUGH SOME OF THE EFFORTS OF SENATOR DAVIS AND SENATOR HUTTO TO WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH US.
AND WE'LL SEE HOW THE BUDGET GOES.
BUT THE INTENTION IS TO CARRY THAT TO THE NEXT STEP.
THE REASON WE DID IT, QUITE FRANKLY, WAS IT NEEDED TO BE DONE.
WE FIGURED THAT OUT ALONG WITH, UH, DUSKY ISLAND AND OTHERS IN SAVANNAH IN PARTICULAR, UM, FOR, UH, TOURIST TRANSPORTATION, BUT ALSO WORKER TRANSPORTATION, GETTING PEOPLE BACK AND FORTH.
AND THIS STUDY HAS POINTED OUT THAT IF YOU DO IT FOR DUSKY ISLAND AND SPREAD THAT OUT AS A REGION, YOU HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BRING PEOPLE FROM GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, BACK AND FORTH AS THEY'RE CROSSING THE INTERSTATE AND OTHER ROADS NOW TAKE THOSE PEOPLE OFF THE HIGHWAY BY USING THE FERRY SYSTEM.
THE OTHER REASON WE WANTED TO DO THIS, I DON'T KNOW THAT SLIDE IF YOU SAW IT OR NOT, BUT THERE'S A, UH, ELECTRIC BOAT THAT, UH, IS BEING USED IN EUROPE THAT WE ARE ENTERTAINING LOCATING THEM IN A LOW COUNTRY.
THEY'RE A LITTLE OVER 400 JOBS AND THAT'S OKAY.
AND A COUPLE MILLION DOLLARS, A COUPLE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT LONG TERM.
AND THAT IF WE GET TO A POINT OF HAVING A FERRY SERVICE THAT NEEDED TO GO OUT AND BUY, UM, VESSELS FOR THAT OPERATION, THEY'RE HERE TO HOPEFULLY BID ON THAT.
SO WE THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE GROWTH IN THAT.
WE ALSO HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT DOT'S GOING TO TAKE THAT UP TO COAST, INTO CHARLESTON AND MAYBE EVEN INTO MYRTLE BEACH 'CAUSE THEY WANNA LOOK AT THE SAME MODEL.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY TURNED OUT TO BE, UH, GREAT.
AND WE APPRECIATE ALL OF Y'ALL PARTICIPATING IN THAT, HELPING US WITH THAT.
UH, THAT BECOMES A STATE PROJECT, I HOPE, VERY SOON.
SO, I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE MY QUESTION.
WILL IT BE, BECAUSE, UH, WHILE WE'RE IN THE TAC, THE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE ONE OF THE CHAIRS OF THIS GROUP HAS EMAILED COUNSEL SEVERAL TIMES.
THEY WANT THIS INCLUDED ON THE TRANSPORTATION REFERENDUM, AND I ADVISE THEM TO GO TO TAC OR SPEECH COUNSEL.
SO WHERE ARE THEY GONNA GET FUNDING, UH, FROM THE LEGISLATURE.
THERE'S A PROPOSAL IN FROM THE LEGISLATURE NOW THROUGH DOT.
IT'S, UH, I THINK IT'S $3.2 MILLION, I BELIEVE IS WHAT WAS ASKED FOR, TO REIMBURSE US FOR THE STUDY AND CONTINUING THE, THE, UH, STUDY UNDER DOT.
SO I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S ASKED ANYONE LOCALLY FOR FUNDING AT THIS POINT EXCEPT US.
UM, AND WE PUT THE MONEY IN, BUT WE EXPECT TO GET PAID BACK.
AND THIS HAS BECOME A, A HUGE MISSION FOR THE DOT.
THEY WANNA LOOK AT EVERYTHING.
WE WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE PASSENGER TRAINS, BUT WE CERTAINLY CAN USE THE FERRY SYSTEM UP AND DOWN THE COAST.
AND THERE, UH, AS JOHN IS, HAS, UH, MET WITH THE, UM, SCOUT SKYDRIVE, I GET THE NAMES CONFUSED ANYMORE THERE.
WE MET WITH SEVERAL COMPANIES DOWN AT HILTON HEAD AND EVERYBODY WANTS TO BUILD DRONES AND THEY ALSO WANT TO BUILD, UH, CARRIER DRONES TOO.
AND I, WE'RE NOT IN A POSITION YET AS A STATE TO OFFER THEM THE THINGS THEY NEED, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT, TO BE HONEST.
AND I THINK THE DOT IS TOO, BUT, UH, WE WANT THEM TO BUILD I 95 BEFORE THEY GET IN THIS OTHER STUFF.
SO, I MEAN, IT'S A VERY EXCITING ADVENTURE.
UM, THE COST OF THE FERRIES IS ONE ITEM, THEN YOU HAVE TO HAVE EMBARKATION SITES AT ALL THESE SITES.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER GIANT TICKET.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY'S REALLY YEAH, YOU GOTTA HAVE PLACES FOR IT TO LAND.
AND IT'S A BIG DEAL AND IT'S A, UH, BASICALLY A TWO STATE DEAL.
WE SHARED THIS WITH THE PORT AND WITH, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER GROUPS AROUND SAVANNAH.
AND Y'ALL KNOW ABOUT 30% OF OUR PEOPLE GO TO GEORGIA EVERY DAY CROSSING THOSE BRIDGES, WORKING AT THE PORT, WORKING AT OTHER BUSINESSES IN GEORGIA.
AND I GUARANTEE YOU THAT'S THAT MANY IF NOT MORE.
AND WE WANT MORE SAVANNAH PEOPLE COME IN OUR DIRECTION
[02:20:01]
TOO.UM, SO HOPEFULLY THIS WILL WORK OUT FOR EVERYBODY AND BE A LOT BIGGER THAN IT STARTED WITH.
WELL, I'LL WAIT TO HEAR WHAT S-C-D-O-T COMES UP WITH.
MORE REGULATION, MORE CHARGING US FOR DESIGN MORE.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR DANNY? IT'S ACTUALLY COMMERCE THAT IS REALLY GOING TO FOCUS ON THIS BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA CONVINCE THE LEGISLATION TO ALLOW A FERRY SYSTEM THAT IS DONE.
WE ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL FUNDING AND THAT'S THE HUGE CARROT OUT THERE.
IT IT IS TURNED INTO MUCH BIGGER YES.
THAN JUST A RIDE BACK AND FORTH TO DEFT.
ALRIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE FOR DANNY BLACK? THIS IS, UM, ALRIGHT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM ANYONE OR ONLINE? ANYBODY? MS. HOWARD, MR. RES? I'M ALL GOOD.
OH, THEY'RE ALL VERY HAPPY THERE.
HOW ABOUT ON THE DAAS? OH, I DON'T HAVE QUICK, QUICK, QUICK QUESTION.
UM, FOR THE SCEA, UM, EDUCATION IS, IS, IS VITAL.
UM, TALK TO ME ABOUT EDUCATION AND HOW DO YOU WORK WITH, UH, OUR LOCAL INSTITUTIONS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, UM, SKILLS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ARE BEING MET, UM, FOR GROWTH, SIR, MR. GLOVER, YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT IT 10 YEARS AGO ABOUT TRYING TO, STILL TALKING ABOUT IT, GET PEOPLE TRAINED BETTER.
UH, WE'RE TO A POINT NOW, UH, I HATE TO SAY THE BAD NEWS.
I THINK JOHN OPENED UP THE DOOR FOR ME TO SAY THIS.
WE HAD A, ONE OF OUR MOST ESTABLISHED HIGH TECH COMPANIES, INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES, IS CLOSING A PIECE OF THEIR OPERATION TODAY, ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS TODAY.
AND WE'LL LOSE ABOUT 80 JOBS OUT OF 400, UH, HOPEFULLY NO MORE THAN THAT.
BUT THEY'RE SCREAMING FOR SKILLED PEOPLE AND SKILLED PEOPLE.
WE HAD, I THINK, UH, ON KAY'S SLIDE, THERE WAS A COMMENT ABOUT, UH, CDL UH, TRAINING, UH, OF COURSE ELECTRICAL TRAINING, CNC OPERATORS, THAT TYPE OF THING.
IT USED TO BE FORKLIFTS AND, AND SAFETY AND THAT KIND OF THING.
WE GOTTA GET INTO MORE SKILL MIX AND, AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO BECAUSE OF THE INDUSTRY PUSHING US SO HARD, TO BE HONEST, WE'VE GOT THE TECHNICAL SCHOOLS TOGETHER, WE'VE GOT PRIVATE INDUSTRY TOGETHER.
WE'VE GOT OTHERS COMING IN OUTSIDE OF OUR REGION TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT DO WE OFFER AND HOW DO WE PAY FOR THAT AND HOW DO WE GET THAT DOWN TO THE EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS AND ELEMENTARY STUDENTS IN SOME CASES TO GET THEM TRAINED.
WE'RE WORKING WITH, UM, UM, ALLENDALE COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM NOW TO GET STEM TRAINING ON A LOWER LEVEL, START IN THE SIXTH GRADE, BRINGING THEM UP AND THEN SHOW THEM WHAT THEY WANT TO BE.
HOPEFULLY IN SOME OF THESE CRAFT JOBS AND OTHERS, YOU CAN BE THIS AND MAKE $110,000 A DAY CLIMBING A POLE.
THINK BLAKELY'S GOT
WE'RE NOT TRAINING THAT, BUT WE ARE NOW, UH, THANK GOODNESS.
BUT SHE NEEDS ABOUT A HUNDRED LINEMEN WHEN WE GOT SIX GRADUATING OR SO THIS YEAR.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A DEMAND AND PART OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND YOU'VE SEEN ALL KINDS OF THINGS, UH, TALKED ABOUT TODAY, BUT PART, PART OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS MAKING SURE WE GOT PEOPLE TRAINED.
WE HAVE COMPANIES EVERY DAY THAT LOOK AT US AND THEY LOOK AT US ON THE INTERNET AND OTHER WAYS, AND THEY SEE OUR POPULATION, THEY SEE OUR SKILL BASE, AND THEY SAY, THAT DOESN'T MATCH UP.
THAT'S A GOOD PLACE FOR US TO BE, BUT IT DOESN'T MATCH UP.
AND WE'RE LOSING TO NORTH CAROLINA, TO GEORGIA TO OTHER PLACES, AND WE GOTTA BE BETTER AT WHAT WE DO.
AND YES, SIR, WE ARE ALL ABOUT EDUCATION.
YEAH, I, I, I MET, UM, MR. SIMPLE, UM, UH, AT THE, UM, STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
UM, SO I WAS A PART OF THAT AND HE WAS SITTING AT, UH, MY, UH, MY TABLE AND, AND, UM, I TALKED TO HIM ABOUT, UM, MY GRANDSON IN NORTH CAROLINA, UM, BASICALLY, UM, LEFT COLLEGE AND HE WENT, UM, AS A JOBBER, I GUESS IS WHAT IT'S CALLED AS ELECTRICIAN.
AND, AND, AND HE WORKED FOR A COMPANY FOR THREE YEARS WHO BASICALLY PROVIDED HIM ALL THE SKILLS ON THE JOB TRAINING AND THE SCHOOLING.
UH, HE GRADUATED, UM, LAST YEAR, UM, STILL, I DON'T THINK HE PASSED THE, UH, TEST YET AND STUFF, BUT, UM, TO BE CERTIFIED,
[02:25:01]
BUT HE BASICALLY HAS THE SKILL AS AN ELECTRICIAN AND, UM, THE, THE COMPANY BASICALLY PAID HIM X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS.UM, AND I'M JUST WONDERING, YOU KNOW, AS YOUR ORGANIZATIONS, IS THAT POSSIBLE AS A REGIONAL KIND OF SET UP WHERE INDUSTRIES CAN COME TO YOU AND AND SAY, WE NEED THESE SKILLS HERE.
CAN YOU HELP US WORK THROUGH, UH, A, A, A PROGRAM THAT WE CAN BASICALLY HAVE ON THE JOB TRAINING AND SEE HOW THAT WORKS? YES, SIR.
WE, UM, AND I USE ELECTRICIAN BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HE DID.
BUT YOU COULD BE ANYTHING, ANY SKILL OUT THERE AND STUFF ON THE JOB TRAINING WHERE THEY'RE BEING PAID AND, UM, UM, YEAH, AT THE SAME TIME, GET EDUCATED TRYING.
THERE ARE LOCAL, UM, SCHOOLS, SYSTEMS, TECHNICAL SCHOOLS, ET CETERA TO DO THIS KIND OF THING.
IN OUR REGION, WE'RE NOT QUITE AS ADVANCED AND IN, AND I KNOW BEAUFORT COUNTY IS THIS WAY, YOU'RE THE NUMBER ONE, UH, LEADING COUNTY IN THE, IN THE STATE IN, IN ALL ASPECTS.
HOWEVER, WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF SKILLS IN THIS REGION EITHER.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM STRENGTHENED.
THAT'S THE WORD, APPRENTICESHIP.
PANNU ON TRYING TO LOOK AT THIS, UM, AEROSPACE OPPORTUNITY AND THE JAPANESE OPPORTUNITY WE'RE TRYING TO BRING IN, UM, OUR TECHNICAL SCHOOLS, UH, RICH BEFORE HE ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT WAS PART OF THIS GROUP THAT WE WERE PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
BUT ABSOLUTELY, WE GOTTA GET, UH, AND, AND THE INDUSTRY UNDERSTANDS THAT THE PROBLEM INDUSTRY HAS, AND, AND YOU KNOW, AND, AND I WORKED IN THE INDUSTRY A LONG TIME TOO.
IF THEY'RE NOT 18, YOU GOT LIABILITY ISSUES.
SO YOU CAN'T PUT IN A, A KID IN AN ELECTRICAL POSITION AT 16 YEARS OLD.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE LAW CHANGED A LITTLE BIT TO GIVE 'EM A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY, BUT WOULDN'T IT BE NICE TO GET THEM IN VOCATIONAL TRAINING, BUT HAVE THAT OWN HANDS EXPERIENCE BEFORE THEY GET OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL.
THEY COME OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL WITH A CERTIFICATION AND MAKE 80, $90,000 A YEAR INSTEAD OF PAYING MY ALMA MATER USC $80,000 A YEAR OVER FOUR YEARS TO GET A POLITICAL SCIENCE DEGREE LIKE I HAD AND NEVER WORKED IN POLITICAL SCIENCE.
UM, SO YES, WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT AND WE'RE TRYING TO WORK HARD ON, ON DOING THAT, BUT THE ENTIRE STATE'S GOTTA DO IT.
WE JUST GOTTA HAVE MORE EMPHASIS DOWN HERE.
UM, I, I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, SINCE EVERYBODY'S IN THE ROOM, UH, FOR THIS ONE, I DON'T, I DON'T SEE WHY WE'RE NOT BUILDING INTO THE CONTRACTS FOR REPAIRS FOR HVAC, FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE DO THROUGH THE COUNTY THAT WE INCORPORATE THE TCL STUDENTS AND PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THAT PROGRAM TO GET HANDS ON TRAINING BUILT INTO OUR CONTRACTS.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT SEEMS LIKE A, A WIN-WIN.
WE GET HANDS ON TRAINING, THE STUDENTS COULD ALSO GET JOB PLACEMENT AND, AND JUST UTILIZE THE CONTRACTS THAT WE ALREADY ISSUED, JUST BUILDING A CLAUSE FOR IT.
AND THAT'S WHY IN THIS TRAINING PROGRAM THAT WE'VE GOT NOW, AND, AND WE SHOULDN'T BE IN TRAINING, THAT'S NOT OUR JOB, BUT IT'S GOTTA BE DONE.
WE'RE ONLY CONCENTRATING ON THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HIRE IMMEDIATELY TO GET 'EM INTO THESE, UM, UH, VERY HIGH TECH JOBS AND GET 'EM SKILLS TRAINED SO THEY CAN GET IT.
A, AGAIN, I'M A POLITICAL SCIENCE MAJOR.
THE ONLY REASON I GOT A JOB IS I WORKED AT MILLIKEN FOR THREE YEARS BEFORE I GRADUATED AND THEY GAVE ME A JOB WHEN I DID GRADUATE.
BUT, UM, THE, THE DAYS OF, AND I HATE TO SAY IT, HOPE YOU'RE NOT SOCIOLOGY MAJORS, BUT TODAY'S OF PAYING FOR A SOCIOLOGY DEGREE OR PHILOSOPHY DEGREE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, KID WANTS TO TAKE THAT, THAT'S FINE.
BUT I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO BE PAYING FOR IT.
WE GOTTA PAY FOR SKILLS THAT ARE GOING TO ADVANCE OUR INDUSTRY AND OUR JOB OPPORTUNITIES.
ALRIGHT, I HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR MR. O'TOOLE AND ONE FOR MR. MOORE, AND I'VE PUT IT OUT A HUNDRED TIMES.
THE QUESTION TO MR. O'TOOLE IS, PLEASE TELL COUNSEL THAT NOT AWARE HOW MUCH MONEY'S IN THE JOB INSIGHT FUND RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, I KNOW, BUT MAYBE OTHERS DON'T.
I BELIEVE IT'S, UH, $2.8 MILLION.
AND THE COUNTY AND THE BUDGET.
YOU ARE, YOU ARE SLATED TO RECEIVE 0.3 MILS.
WHAT HAPPENS IF COUNSEL PULLS THE 0.3 MILS? BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW TO, YOU KNOW, SHAVE OUR BUDGET.
SO WHAT HAPPENS DO YOU, IF THAT OCCURS? WELL, YOU, YOU, YOU MIGHT, UH, WE WILL, WE WILL WORK WITH WHATEVER BUDGET YOU DELIVER TO US IS PROBABLY THE SIMPLE ANSWER.
UH, OVER THE LAST, UM, THREE YEARS, WE WERE AT 0.2, I THINK WHEN MR. GREENWAY WAS HERE, HE HAD REDUCED US TO 0.2, THEN WE WERE AT 0.3, THEN WE WERE AT 0.3, AND THEN COUNCIL MOVED IT UP TO 1.3 LAST YEAR.
[02:30:01]
READ INTO THIS.WE HAD, UH, UH, WE GOT SQUEEZED BY A BUNCH OF DEPARTMENTS THAT NEEDED, UH, UH, THEIR, UM, UH, BUDGETS.
INCREASED BOARD OF ED WAS IN A TOUGH SPOT.
SO WE WERE TOLD, OH, WE'RE GONNA LOWER YOU TO ONE, UH, 0.3.
I MEAN, AT SOME POINT STAFF WILL JUST READ WHAT'S BEING TOLD TO THEM AND, AND, AND PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
UH, BUT WHATEVER BUDGET YOU DELIVER TO US WILL GIVE YOU THE BEST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WE CAN FOR IT.
AND MR. MOORE, THE QUESTION TO YOU AND ADMINISTRATION WAS, WHAT IS THE VALUE OR RETURN ON INVESTMENT OF BRINGING EDC IN-HOUSE VERSUS ON ITS OWN? I THINK, UH, DURING THE PRESENTATION THEY HIT ON THAT EARLIER, UM, UH, THE, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION DID IN TERMS OF THE, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING IT IN HOUSE VERSUS A PARTNERSHIP.
UM, IF YOU BRING IT IN HOUSE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT PAYING, YOU KNOW, PAYROLL AND WE'D HAVE TO FIND A PLACE TO PUT THEM.
UM, THAT WOULD BE OUR, OUR BUDGET.
AND THEN WHATEVER ELSE YOU WANTED TO GIVE IN TERMS OF SITE AND JOB FUND, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE'D LOOK AT VERSUS KEEPING IT LIKE IT IS WHERE YOU'VE GOT THE, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, THEY'VE GOT THE, UM, YOU KNOW, NON-PROFIT AND THEY CAN GO OUT AND THEY CAN GET, YOU KNOW, OTHER TYPES OF FUNDING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE TYPICALLY WOULD NOT GET AS A STRAIGHT, UH, DEPARTMENT.
AND I, AND I HAD EXPERIENCES, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS A DEPARTMENT IN, UH, IN YORK COUNTY AND ESSENTIALLY YOU'RE PAYING FOR THE STAFF AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA GO OUT AND DO THE WORK.
SO WE'RE ESSENTIALLY PAYING FOR THE STAFF NOW AND PAYING FOR THEM TO USE THE COVE AND PAYING FOR, WE'RE PAYING FOR ALL OF THAT.
MEAGER AMOUNT FROM THE MUNICIPALITIES, BUT THE COUNTY'S PAYING FOR ALL THAT RIGHT NOW.
ANYBODY ELSE? QUESTION, COMMENT, UM, QUESTION.
HOW, HOW MUCH ARE, ARE DUES TO THE SOUTHERN ALLIANCE ANNUALLY? YES.
YOU WANT ME TO REPEAT IT? UM, HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH DO WE PAY FOR DUES IN THE SOUTHERN ALLIANCE ANNUALLY? 120,000.
NOW WAS BASED ON THE NEGOTIATIONS WE HAD WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AT THAT TIME.
UH, WE HAVE NORMALLY CHARGED MORE TO THE COUNTIES.
UH, WELL LET ME, LET ME BACK UP.
WE BASE THAT LIKE MOST, UH, COUNTIES DO ON POPULATION.
I THINK YOU PAY LIKE THE, UH, COG YOU PAY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR BASED ON POPULATION.
IT DIDN'T QUITE WORK, UH, IN OUR SMALLER COUNTIES 'CAUSE WE HAD TO CHARGE THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I THINK WE WOUND UP WITH $60,000 IN THE SMALL COUNTIES AND $120,000 IN BUFORT, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAD 200,000 PEOPLE.
UH, THAT WAS THE NUMBER WE NEGOTIATED OUT.
UH, WELL, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT HAS A QUESTION? NO.
UH, IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS, I WOULDN'T MAKE A MOTION, UH, THAT WE OPEN UP.
PUBLIC COMMENT DURING THE BREAK, UH, THERE WAS A FEW PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO COME UP AND MAKE ADDITIONAL COMMENT.
SO I'D MAKE A MOTION TO OPEN, TO OPEN BACK UP THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OR HOW LONG? JUST A COUPLE MINUTES, I GUESS.
WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
SOMEBODY WANNA SECOND IT? SURE.
ALRIGHT, ALL IN FAVOR OF THAT MOTION TO OPEN UP ANOTHER PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION.
THE ISSUE OF THE CONTAMINATION ON THIS 117 ACRE SITE HAS BEEN MISREPRESENTED TO YOU.
I HAVE TO HAPPEN TO HAVE A COPY OF THE DEED.
THAT DEED SAYS TRACK ONE A IS CONVEYED SUBJECT TO THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS RECORDED AT BOOK, UH, 28 39, PAGE 1652, WHICH I PULLED UP AND WHICH YOU CAN PULL UP THAT SITE.
THAT PARTICULAR PARCEL IS NOT ACROSS THE STREET AS YOU WERE TOLD.
IT IS RIGHT HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PROPERTY.
IT'S NOT OVER HERE, OVER HERE.
PROBABLY THAT'S THE SITE OF THE CHEMICAL PLANT PROBABLY THAT'S CONTAMINATED TOO.
BUT THIS PARCEL RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE IS SUBJECT TO THESE RESTRICTIONS, WHICH SAY MY NOTES, THEY'RE SUBJECT TO CONSENT ORDERS.
THEY'RE SUBJECT TO COVENANTS THAT RUN WITH THE LAND FOR 89 YEARS.
UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SUBJECT TO
[02:35:01]
MAINTAINING, UH, CERTAIN, UH, REMEDIAL MEASURES.SO, YOU KNOW THIS PROPERTY, YOU'VE BOUGHT THIS PROPERTY.
THE COUNTY, BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VIA THE COUNTY HAS PAID ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR THIS 117 ACRES.
THERE'S NO WATER, THERE'S NO SEWER, UH, TO TURN THIS INTO.
TO TURN THIS INTO A MEANINGFUL PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT COULD BE DEVELOPED IS GONNA COST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
WHERE ARE YOU GONNA GET THE SEWER? WHERE ARE YOU GONNA GET A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF WATER? I HATE, I, I'M SORRY, I I'M NOT TRYING TO BE RUDE, BUT THIS GROUP IS NOT CAPABLE OF DEVELOPING THIS SITE.
ANYONE ELSE? CARE TO SPEAK? ALL RIGHT, MR. TRASK.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL YOU, BUT, OKAY.
UM, MR. GLOVER, SORRY, GO AHEAD.
YOU PERSONALLY GOING TO ADDRESS ME IF THAT'S OKAY.
I PREFER YOU TO ADDRESS, I'M GONNA MAKE SOME ASSERTIONS.
I'M GONNA MAKE SOME, I'M GONNA MAKE SOME ASSERTIONS FINE.
MR. MR. GLOVER IS CONFLICTED IN HIS INTERACTIONS WITH THE B-C-E-D-C.
MR. GLOVER IS PART OF AN ORGANIZATION.
HEY, I WOULD PREFER IF YOU JUST SAY ONE COUNCIL MEMBER'S.
ONE COUNCIL MEMBER, AND UNLESS HE RECUSES HIMSELF, I AM GOING TO GO TO THE ETHICS COMMITTEE.
OKAY? IT IS, GIVES THE PERCEPTION OF, UH, CONFLICT NUMBER ONE.
CAN YOU PULL UP PAGE 54? OF WHICH ONE? PAGE 54.
LAST PAGE OF THE PRESENTATION.
HOW ABOUT THAT? SUN'S 54 LAST PAGE, PAGE OF THE PRESENTATION.
IT'S, SO, YOU'VE INVESTED $6.1 MILLION, YOU ARE ASSERTING THAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR $765 MILLION OF TAXABLE PROPERTY.
I WENT AND LOOKED UP THE PROPERTY VALUES.
OF THE NINE THINGS YOU'VE INVESTED IN AND THEY COME TO $19.6 MILLION, HOW CAN YOU ASSERT THAT YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR 765 MILLION? NUMBER TWO.
CAN YOU GO BACK TO PAGE 28 WHERE YOU ASSERT YOU'VE C YOU'VE CREATED 2,656 JOBS.
YOUR OWN DOCUMENTS RIGHT HERE.
YOUR OWN DOCUMENTS RIGHT HERE SHOW 146 JOBS.
HOW CAN YOU COME UP? HOW CAN YOU ASSERT 2000 AND SOME ODD JOBS? THIS ORGANIZATION WILL TELL YOU WHATEVER WILL SAVE HIS JOB.
YOU PAY $120,000 TO THE SCA, YOU PAY HIM OVER $200,000.
DEFUND THE B-C-E-D-C AND REPLACE IT WITH THE SCA.
NO, NO ONE ELSE TALKING FLEET.
IS THAT IT? OH, WE HAVE TO JOIN.
YEAH, WE'RE GONNA ADJOURN THE, OKAY.
WE'LL GIVE YOU THREE MINUTES AND THEN WE'RE GONNA ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
UM, PART OF MY REASON FOR BEING VEHEMENTLY OPPOSED TO CONTINUING BUSINESS WITH THE B-C-E-D-C, I HAVE TOLD YOU I DO NOT TRUST THEM.
I THINK THEY'VE SAID MANY UNTRUTHS.
I THINK THEY'LL SAY ANYTHING ACTUALLY TO GET YOUR SUPPORT.
AND THIS PRESENTATION, AS I SAID, DOESN'T ANSWER MANY QUESTIONS.
AND I THINK, UH, MIDDLE SCHOOL COULD HAVE PUT IT TOGETHER.
OKAY, THIS CAME OFF THE WEBSITE
[02:40:02]
FOR THE B-C-E-D-C.IT SAYS THAT THE INCENTIVE TO GLASSWORKS WAS 2,352,402.
SO THERE'S AN INCENTIVE IN ON THEIR WEBSITE THAT, UH, HELPS THEM OUT TO THAT $6 MILLION AT THE END.
THE OTHER THING THAT I PERSONALLY CAUGHT THEM INSANE WAS HOW MUCH THE PARKER DRIVE COST.
AND I LOOKED AT BOTH APPRAISALS.
ONE APPRAISAL SAID IT WAS WORTH 36,000 AN ACRE.
THE MORE RECENT APPRAISAL SAID IT WAS, THE 18 ACRES FOR 460,000 WAS WORTH 25,000.
BUT YOU WERE TOLD YOU PAID FOR A DEAL AT 31,000 AND YOU WERE LIED TO THAT DAY WHEN YOU ASKED THE QUESTION.
THAT'S WHY I HAVE A BIG PROBLEM WITH THE COUNTY DOING BUSINESS WITH THIS ORGANIZATION.
WE'VE NOT BEEN TOLD THE TRUTH.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW THE RELATIONSHIP.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW THE RELATIONSHIP WITH MR. TRASK, NOT THE TWO IN THE ROOM, AND THE PURCHASE OF THE $1.6 MILLION PROPERTY THAT THANK YOU IS NOT COUNTY MONEY.
AND WHAT WAS DONE WITH THAT TRASK? I BELIEVE IT'S JOHN TRASK, CORRECT.
AND LECO DIG DEEP, GET QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
YOU ARE ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUR MONEY.
I TOLD YOU NOT THE B-C-E-D-C PLEASE.
THANKS FOR WATCHING BEAUFORT COUNTY TV.
THE COUNTY IS ONE OF THE OLDEST FORMS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED STATES.
EARLY SETTLERS FROM ENGLAND BROUGHT THE TRADITION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO AMERICA.
TODAY, MORE THAN 3000 COUNTY GOVERNMENTS PROVIDE SERVICES THAT AFFECT ALMOST EVERY CITIZEN'S LIFE.
SOUTH CAROLINA'S 46 COUNTIES ARE VERY REPRESENTATIVE OF HOW COUNTY GOVERNMENT HAS EVOLVED NATIONALLY, THE COUNTY UNIT AND SOUTH CAROLINA WAS REGARDED AS THE LOCAL EXTENSION OF STATE GOVERNMENT.
BUT A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM MOVEMENT IN THE EARLY 1970S LED TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY, PASSING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAW, ALSO KNOWN AS THE HOME RULE ACT.
IN 1975, THE HOME RULE ACT GREATLY EXPANDED COUNTY AUTHORITY AND CHANGED THE NATURE OF COUNTY ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION TO WHAT WE KNOW TODAY.
BEAUFORT COUNTY WENT FROM HAVING A BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO A COUNTY COUNCIL.
MEMBERS OF THE 1975 COUNCIL INCLUDED CHAIRMAN ARTHUR HORN, VICE CHAIRMAN GRADY THA LEROY BROWN, GARY FORDHAM, WILLIAM GRANT, HARRIET KAISER LING, DAVID JONES, BILL MCBRIDE, AND BOOKER WASHINGTON.
AS THE NEW COUNCIL SOUGHT TO DISTINGUISH ITSELF, COUNCIL MEMBERS DESIRED AN OFFICIAL SYMBOL THAT WOULD REPRESENT THE JURISDICTION'S IDENTITY AND UNIQUE CHARACTER COUNCIL APPOINTED AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO UNDERTAKE THE TASK AND CARRY OUT A CONTEST FOR THE BEST COUNTY SEAL DESIGN.
HARRIET
WE MET THEN UP AT, UH, I THINK IT WAS A CAROLINA BANK AND SOME YEARS AGO, BACK THERE ON WEST STREET.
YOU KNOW, LIKE, GOOD, BAD MAYBE UNTIL WE FINALLY GOT IT DOWN TO THE ONE THAT WE NOW USE.
COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVED THE SEAL COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION, WHICH REFLECTED THE COUNTY'S HISTORY, TRADITIONS,
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AND NATURAL BEAUTY.THE SEAL'S COLORS OF BLUE AND GREEN REPRESENT THE COLORS OF THE COUNTY'S OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT WITH ITS MANY WATERWAYS, MARSHLANDS, AND MARITIME FOREST.
THE FIVE IMAGES WITHIN THE SEAL DEPICT SOME OF THE COUNTY'S DISTINGUISHING FEATURES.
ANCIENT LIVE OAK TREES, THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY, RICH NATURAL RESOURCES, AND A RARE MARINE ECOLOGY, LOW COUNTRY ARCHITECTURE AND MILES OF RIVERS, CREEKS, AND INLETS.
I THOUGHT IT ENCOMPASSED WHAT THE, WHAT WE AS A BODY WERE LOOKING FOR A SEAL THAT WOULD, WHEN YOU LOOKED AT IT AND JUST THOUGHT ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT, IT REALLY COVERS THE ASPECTS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO HE DID A GOOD JOB OF BRINGING TOGETHER THE THINGS THAT WE, UH, WHOLE SO THERE.
AND WHAT WE REALLY LIKE ABOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY.
COUNCILMAN BILL MCBRIDE WAS AN OFFICE WHEN THE CONTEST WAS HELD AND WAS PRESENT WHEN THE COMMITTEE REVEALED THE WINNING DESIGN.
I THINK COUNCIL WAS ECSTATIC ABOUT IT.
UH, WE THOUGHT THAT THE, THE SIMS ON THE SEAL REPRESENTED, UM, ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANGE IN THE ORIGINAL, UM, DRAFT THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US WHERE YOU HAVE THE SHRIMP BOAT TODAY.
INITIALLY, THAT WAS A PLEASURE CRAFT, A SAILBOAT AND YACHT TYPE BOAT.
AND, UH, IT WAS CHANGED BY COUNTY COUNCIL BECAUSE WE FELT THAT THE SHRIMP BOAT WAS A BETTER REPRESENTATION, UM, OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, ASPECT OF BEFORD COUNTY LIFE BECAUSE YOU HAD OTHER THINGS ON THE SEAL THAT REPRESENT THE PLEASURE AND RECREATION, THE FISHING AND THE BEACH.
SO THEY THOUGHT THE SHRIMP BOAT, WHICH WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF BEFORD COUNTY CULTURE, SHRIMPING, ESPECIALLY AT THAT TIME, WOULD BE REFLECTED ON THE SALE.
THE WINNER OF THE CONTEST WAS AN ARTIST FROM HILTON HEAD ISLAND, THE LATE LEE PAYNE, WHOSE DESIGN WAS SELECTED FROM MORE THAN 126 CENTURIES SUBMITTED FROM AS FAR AWAY AS INDIANA AND TENNESSEE.
HE WAS AWARDED $250 FOR HIS DESIGN.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE CAPTURED THE LEGACY OF OUTDOOR BEAUTY, CULTURE, AND HISTORY THAT HELPED TO DEFINE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.