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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS TOWN COUNCIL BUDGET WORKSHOP.
MEETING TO ORDER THURSDAY, MAY 14TH.
UH, GONNA HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY FOR RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
MS. BECKER IS ON TEAMS UP ON THE SCREEN.
UM, SO AS WE GO THROUGH TODAY, UM, I'D LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, AS WE GO DOWN IN, IN THE PRESENTATION, MADE TO ASK QUESTIONS, BUT, UM, REALIZING WE'VE GOT A LOT OF, A LOT OF MATERIAL TO COVER, AND, UM, IF THERE'S A QUESTION THAT'S ASKED IF Y'ALL WOULD SAY THAT WILL BE COVERED LATER ON.
UM, SO, SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD, FORWARD, UH, IN A TIMELY MANNER AND REALLY GET THE ANSWERS QUESTION AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION ON THE, ON THE ITEMS THAT WHERE WE NEED.
SO THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
UM, SO MR. ORLANDO, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UH, TONIGHT AS IT SHOWS ON THE AGENDA, WE'RE GOING TO COVER SEVERAL OF THE FUNDS, RIGHT, WITH FIRST READING.
JUST A REMINDER FIRST, AND, AND FOR THE PUBLIC AT FIRST READING, WE REC WE COVERED THE ENTIRE CONSOLIDATED BUDGET, AND THEN WE BROKE IT DOWN BY EACH FUND.
TONIGHT WE WILL COVER THE GENERAL FUND, THE OPERATING DEBT SERVICE, THE GULLAH GEECHEE, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FUND, THE HOUSING FUND, AND SPECIAL REVENUE FUND.
AT THE TABLE WITH ME IS JOHN CARPENTER, ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR, UH, AND DAVE BIRD, AS WE KNOW FINANCE DIRECTOR TONIGHT, I WOULD, WOULD ASK IT AS MUCH OF A CONVERSATION WORKSHOP AS EVER.
AND SO, YEAH, I, I, MAYOR PERRY, I, I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING ASK AS WE GO, RIGHT? UM, IF, IF WHAT YOU ASK IS TWO SLIDES AHEAD, WE'LL WE'LL LET YOU KNOW AND TRY TO GET THERE.
BUT THE GOAL OF TODAY IS TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITH YOU.
WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT SPECIAL REVENUES.
WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THOSE TRANSFERS IN AND TRANSFERS OUT.
AND WE ALSO SAID AT FIRST READING, UM, YOU SAID AT FIRST READING, AND I HEARD YOU, LET'S SLOW DOWN AND MAKE SURE WE, WE ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.
AND TWO, FOR, FOR, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
DAVE WILL DRIVE AS MUCH TODAY AS, AS WE'RE WILLING TO LET HIM.
UM, I'M WILLING TO LET DAVE DIVE INTO THE BUDGET.
I, I WANT DAVE TO DIVE INTO THE BUDGET CONVERSATION WITH YOU, NOT JUST MINE TO PRESENT, BUT DAVE AND I TO, WITH JOHN'S, UH, HELP AS WELL.
EXPLAIN IT ALL AND, AND ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
SO I'LL DIVE IN A LOT OF THIS STUFF.
YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN A FEW OF THE SLIDES BASED UPON YOUR FEEDBACK ARE NEW.
WE UPDATED THE PRESENTATION PRIOR AND WE UPDATED THE PACKET AS WELL AS, AS THE COMMUNITY THOUGHT.
SO, UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA GO OVER EVERY SINGLE SLIDE, BUT I, FOR THE COMMUNITY'S SAKE AND SO THAT WE CAN TALK THROUGH AT, AT WORKSHOP AND THAT HAVE AT LEAST SOME, SOME PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND WHY I'VE LEFT SOME OF THE SLIDES IN, BUT I WON'T COVER THEM ALL, UM, FOR TIME SAKE.
AND SO WE CAN GET INTO THE BUDGET.
WE'VE SEEN THIS, UM, THE COMMUNITY FACTORS, THE ECONOMIC DRIVERS, TOURISM, HEALTHCARE, REAL ESTATE.
UM, WE TOOK A LOOK AT OUR ISLAND AT A GLANCE AT FIRST READING.
WE TOOK A LOOK AT OUR TOP EMPLOYERS.
UM, WE'VE REALIZED THAT GROSS SALES BY FISCAL YEAR, PRETTY MUCH FLAT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, UM, INCLUDING EACH PORTFOLIO OF FUN, TOURISM, RESTAURANT, GROCERY, ET CETERA.
WE TALKED ABOUT STRONG ECONOMIC FACTORS AND BOND RATING.
I, I DON'T WANT TO UNDERESTIMATE THAT, BUT THAT IS PLANNED.
UM, AND SO WE'RE VERY, VERY PLEASED THAT THE AAA BOND RATING FROM ALL THREE.
UM, LET US, LET US INTO REALIZE THE, ABOUT THE TAX BASE AND THE, THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUES AND FISCAL MANAGEMENT.
WE TOOK A LOOK AT OPEN AND CLOSED BUSINESSES, HALF OUR BUSINESSES, UM, ON, ON BOOKS, OUR SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMITS.
AND, AND THE OTHER 50% ARE DIVERSIFIED.
WE TALKED THAT THE ASSESSED VALUE AND THE MARKET VALUE AS WE SEE IT, UH, HAS GROWN APPROXIMATELY 32.5% OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
WE TALKED THAT WE MANAGE ABOUT 2000 ACRES.
WE DON'T MANAGE IT IN THAT SENSE, BUT WE HAVE ACQUIRED AND, AND, AND HAVE ON, ON THE BOOKS CLOSE TO 2000 ACRES, 27 PARKS, 14 MILES OF ROADS THAT WE MANAGE AND MAINTAINED 72 MILES OF PATHWAYS AND 24 TOTAL BUILDINGS.
THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE RESTROOMS AND PAVILIONS.
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UH, I ALWAYS LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET, WE LOOK AT OUR ORG CHART BECAUSE WE ARE IN DIFFERENT PIECES OF, OF MUNICIPAL BUSINESS THAT HAVE GROWN.AND I THINK THE ORG CHART HELPS US UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE CORE FUNCTIONS ARE.
WE HAVE 290 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, 16 PART-TIME.
THAT HASN'T CHANGED SINCE THE AMENDED BUDGET.
UM, AND THE AMENDED BUDGET INCREASED BY SIX FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES ALIGNED WITH SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS FROM LAST YEAR.
WE TALKED OUR FIRST READING ABOUT THE 10 GOALS AND, AND PRIORITIES OUT OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT HAVE GUIDED OUR BUDGET.
AND THEN I WENT OVER THE BUDGET GOALS OF FISCAL YEAR 27, WHICH ARE THE SAME BUDGET GOALS AS AS PRIOR YEARS.
AND WE ALSO LOOKED AT MEASURING THOSE, UM, A AGAIN, OR STATING THOSE AGAIN MOVING FORWARD.
OUR NEXT WORKSHOP IS NEXT WEEK AND ANTICIPATING A A, A TOWN COUNCIL MEETING ON JUNE 9TH.
SO WE STILL HAVE SOME, SOME TIME IN BETWEEN TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS AND GO OVER THINGS.
WE'RE STARTING TO GET INTO THE, THE TRUE BUDGET OF GENERAL CAP OR GENERAL DEBT GEECHEE, CDC HOUSING AND SPECIAL REV.
WHAT YOU WILL SEE AFTER THIS SLIDE ARE SOME NEW SLIDES.
AND I WILL FOR A LITTLE BIT, TURN THIS OVER TO DAVE.
AND DAVE AND I REHEARSED A LITTLE BIT THAT HE'S GONNA TALK SLOW ENOUGH, BUT NOT SO SLOW THAT WE DON'T GET OUTTA HERE TILL NINE O'CLOCK NIGHT.
WE, WE'LL BE DONE BY WHAT, FIVE 30? OKAY,
SO, UM,
UM, SO AFTER LISTENING TO SOME OF THE FEEDBACK AND WHAT THE VIEW OF A $233 MILLION BUDGET, UM, I THOUGHT IT'D BE GOOD TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND KIND OF EXPLAIN THAT IT'S REALLY NOT A $233 MILLION BUDGET AND KINDA GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION AND THE PUBLIC SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE NUANCES OF GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTING.
'CAUSE IT IS A LITTLE BIT TRICKY COMPARED TO NON-GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING.
AND, UM, SO I, I PUT SOME DEFINITIONS HERE TOGETHER.
UM, PATSY, THAT'S SOMETHING I PICKED UP FROM YOU.
SO, UM, BUT REALLY TO KIND OF BREAK DOWN HOW WE SHOW OUR INCOME STATEMENT.
AND, UM, AND FIRST WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT REVENUE JUST SO WE CAN GET A IDEA OF THE HIGH LEVEL, WHAT ARE THE REVENUES FOR THE TOWN, WHICH IS TAXES, FEES, GRANTS, SALE OF LAND AND INVESTMENT INCOME.
AND MOST OF THESE ARE RECURRING DIRECT REVENUES AND THEY INCREASE CASH.
SO WHEN I THINK OF THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA SEE $121 MILLION OF OPERATING REVENUE FOR THE TOWN IN 2027.
AND THAT'S COMPOSED OF MANY LINE ITEMS, BUT THAT'S CASH THAT WE COLLECT.
OKAY? AND THEN OTHER FINANCING SOURCES, UM, BONDS, LEASES, SELL OF EQUIPMENT AND OR VEHICLES.
THOSE ARE MORE NON-RECURRING IN NATURE.
THEY STILL BRING CASH INTO THE TOWN.
UM, BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS THEY'RE NON-RECURRING.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE IN THE BUDGET WE HAVE FOUR AND A HALF MILLION FOR NON-RECURRING REVENUE AND OTHER FINANCING SOURCES.
AND THAT'S REALLY FOR THE, UH, FIRETRUCK LEASE.
WE'RE ANTICIPATING AT THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY ARE THE INFLOWS OF CASH THAT THE TOWN GETS.
OKAY? THEN WE GET INTO MORE GOVERNMENTAL TERMS, WHICH CAN MAKE THE NUMBERS LOOK HIGHER, BUT IT'S REALLY MANAGING NUMBERS WITHIN ALL OF THE FUNDS WE HAVE.
AND WE PROBABLY HAVE THE SIX MAJOR AND PROBABLY SEVEN, PROBABLY ABOUT EIGHT OR SO IN THE SPECIAL REVENUES FUND.
AND SO WE MOVE DOLLARS BETWEEN FUNDS BASED UPON PROJECTS OR, UH, NEEDS OF A FUND PER SE.
SO WHEN WE DO A TRANSFER END FROM ONE FUND TO ANOTHER FUND, WELL THAT'S BOOKED AS REVENUE TO THE FUND RECEIVING IT AND IT'S BOOKED AS EXPENSE TO THE FUND SENDING IT.
IT'S NOT CASH PER SE BECAUSE IT'S NOT CREATING ANY MORE CASH FOR THE TOWN, BUT WE ARE MOVING MONEY FROM, LET'S SAY, ONE BANK ACCOUNT TO ANOTHER.
AND SO, UM, BUT IT DOES INFLATE THE REVENUE FROM A GENERAL FUND PERSPECTIVE AND, OR EXCUSE ME, FROM A TOTAL TOWN PERSPECTIVE.
AND IT ALSO MAKES THE EXPENSE LOOK HIGHER.
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HAVE THE USES OF FUNDS FOR REVENUE AND THE USES OF FUNDS ARE MONEY WE'RE PULLING OUT OF THE BANK LOOK AT IT THAT WAY TO COVER OUR EXPENSES.SO IF WE'RE SPENDING MORE THAN THAT FUND BALANCE HAS IN REVENUE THAT'S COMING IN, WE WILL PULL MONEY FROM THAT FUND BALANCE AS A USE OF FUNDS.
AND I KIND OF CALL THAT A WITHDRAWAL FROM THE CHECKING ACCOUNT.
AND, AND, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT THAT WAY, ONCE AGAIN, IT'S NOT NEW CASH FLOW BECAUSE IT'S CASH THAT WE'VE ALREADY RECEIVED.
SO WHEN WE GO TO EXPENSE, SAME CONCEPT, WE HAVE OUR OPERATING EXPENSES, SALARIES, BENEFITS, CONTRACTORS, CIP, WHICH IS REALLY NOT OPERATING.
I WOULD SAY CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THERE.
OUR DEBT SERVICE, UH, OTHER JUST GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES, IT SOFTWARE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
THEY COULD BE RECURRING OR NON-RECURRING, BUT THOSE ARE CHECKS WE'RE WRITING THAT'S REDUCING CASH.
AND UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR BUDGET, WE'RE SPENDING $145 MILLION, NOT $233 MILLION, $145 MILLION.
AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KIND OF NOTE THAT WHEN WE KIND OF GO THROUGH THINGS AND THEN WE HAVE OUR TRANSFERS OUT.
WELL, AS WE MENTIONED, WE TRANSFER MONEY LIKE IN OUR CI CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND, WE TRANSFER QUITE A BIT OF MONEY TO THAT FUND.
A LOT OF THOSE COME FROM SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.
AND SO THAT'S AN EXPENSE WHEN WE TRANSFER OUT.
THAT'S THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LEDGER.
'CAUSE THE TRANSFER ENDS MUST EQUAL THE TRANSFER OUTS.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR FUND BALANCE SURPLUS.
SOME FUNDS WE DON'T TRANSFER OUT OF, WE DON'T SPEND ALL OF IT.
SO WE HAVE, I'LL CALL MONEY A SURPLUS IN THAT FUND, BUT TO GET THE BUDGET TO BALANCE, WE BOOK THAT AS AN EXPENSE TO BASICALLY BALANCE THAT OUT FROM A BALANCED BUDGET PERSPECTIVE, ONCE AGAIN, MAKING THE EXPENSE LOOK HIGHER.
AND SO ALL OF THAT LEADS INTO CHANGE IN FUND BALANCE.
SO OUR CHANGE IN FUND BALANCE, IF YOU LOOK AT A NORMAL ACCOUNTING INCOME STATEMENT, UH, YOU COULD THINK OF THIS AS NET INCOME, WHICH IS OPERATING REVENUE PLUS OTHER FINANCING SOURCES MINUS OPERATING EXPENSES.
SO WE'VE GOT 125 MILLION OF REVENUE, WE'RE SPENDING 145 MILLION.
SO YOU'LL SEE A NEGATIVE CHANGE IN FUND BALANCE THIS YEAR'S BUDGET OF JUST UNDER $20 MILLION.
OKAY? AND THAT'S GONNA BE A NEGATIVE CASH FLOW.
I MEAN, WE'RE SPENDING MORE THAN WE ARE TAKING IN IN 2027 FISCAL BUDGET.
UM, A FUND BALANCE SURPLUS WE TALKED ABOUT IS A FUND MINUS THE FUND BALANCE USE IS ALSO A CHANGE IN FUND BALANCE, DEPENDING ON IF IT'S HIGHER OR LOWER, WILL DEPEND UPON POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE CASH FLOW.
EITHER WAY YOU LOOK AT THAT WILL EQUAL THE SAME NUMBER.
OKAY? AND WE'LL SHOW THAT IN A SECOND.
AND ONCE AGAIN, WE ALWAYS, WE HAVE OUR TRANSFERS THIS YEAR, I THINK IT'S LIKE $72 MILLION, WHICH IS MAKING THAT NUMBER GO TO 233 MILLION.
UM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A TRANSFER OUT AND A TRANSFER IN, THEY NET OUT TO ZERO.
AND SO OUR TOTAL, THIS IS GOVERNMENTAL AS WELL.
OUR TOTAL REVENUE BUDGET TAKES OUR OPERATING REVENUE, OUR OTHER FINANCING SOURCES PLUS TRANSFERS IN PLUS USES OF FUNDS.
AND OUR EXPENSE SITE IS OUR OPERATING EXPENSES PLUS TRANSFERS OUT, PLUS THE FUND BALANCE SURPLUS.
SO WHEN YOU TAKE THE TOTAL REVENUE MINUS THE TOTAL EXPENSE, YOU GET YOUR BALANCED BUDGET.
SO THE NET OF THAT IS ZERO, WHICH YOU NORMALLY DO SEE IN THE BUDGET.
SO I'VE KIND OF HAVE A INCOME STATEMENT VIEW TO ILLUSTRATE WHAT'S HAPPENING.
SO WE'LL START AT THE TOP WITH OPERATING REVENUE, AND YOU'VE KIND OF GOT FROM 24 THROUGH 27 WITH OUR PROJECTION FOR 26.
AND YOU CAN SEE WE'VE DONE 130, 135 MILLION, 135 MILLION, 121.
NOW WE ARE GOING DOWN A LITTLE BIT IN 2020, UM, SEVEN.
AND WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, GRANTS THAT ARE GOING DOWN FOR FEMA.
WE TOOK DOWN PERMIT FEES, WE HAD THE NOVA LAND SALE THAT HAPPENED THAT, UM, IS NOT REPEATING.
WE TOOK INVESTMENT INCOME DOWN BASED UPON ANTICIPATED REDUCED, UH, RETURN OF INTEREST AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS GRANTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S REASONS BEHIND
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THE DROP, BUT I WOULD SAY 121, IT'S KIND OF A NORMAL CASH OPERATING YEAR THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF GRANT REVENUE IN THE BUDGET.WE HAVE LIKE A MILLION IN GRANT REVENUE FOR FEMA AND A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS FOR CCDB.
LETTERS, C, DB, THANK YOU SIR.
AND SO, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR OTHER FINANCING SOURCES.
WELL, YOU SEE 7.6 MILLION IN 25.
THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL FIRE TRUCK EQUIPMENT LEASE.
THEN WE DID THE GEO BOND AND THE BEACH BONDS.
WELL, THAT WAS 54 MILLION THIS YEAR AND IN THE 26 FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN WE MENTIONED THE FOUR AND A HALF MILLION THAT'S BUDGETED.
SO THAT'S THE 125 MILLION, UH, OUR OPERATING EXPENSES, OKAY, WE'VE GOT 90 MILLION.
OKAY? AND WE DID BREAK OUT CAPITAL SEPARATELY TO SHOW THAT.
AND YOU CAN SEE CAPITAL 24 WAS 27 MILLION, THEN IT WENT TO 31.
IT WAS A BIG YEAR IN 26 WHEN WE DID THE RENOURISHMENT, RIGHT? AND THEN WE'RE COMING BACK DOWN TO 54, BUT IT IS A BIG CAPITAL YEAR FOR THE TOWN IN 2027.
SO WE'RE SPENDING ROUGHLY 20 MILLION MORE THAT'S, WE'VE GOT ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULES.
BUT THIS IS THE SUMMARY OF WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING FROM A TOWN PERSPECTIVE.
IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT IT FROM A, AND I, HERE'S HOW I LOOK AT IT TOO.
YOU'VE GOT 121 MILLION IN REVENUE, WE'VE GOT 90 MILLION OF OPERATING EXPENSE THAT LEAVES 30 MILLION ON A GIVEN YEAR TO PAY FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
YOU COULD LOOK AT IT THAT WAY AS WELL, DEPENDING ON WHAT FUND THAT MONEY IS SITTING IN.
AND THAT'LL GET IMPORTANT AS WE GET DOWN THE ROAD AND START TALKING ABOUT FUND BALANCES AND IF THEY'RE RESTRICTED OR NOT, LIKE BEACH PRESERVATION.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT CHANGE IN FUND BALANCE, THE SAME CONCEPT WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, YOU HAVE FUND BALANCE USE FUND BALANCE SURPLUS.
WELL, IF THE SURPLUS IS HIGHER THAN THE USE, LIKE WE HAVE IN 2026, IT'S A MILLION SURPLUS, 1.3 MILLION THIS YEAR.
AND IN 27 WE'VE GOT 35 MILLION VERSUS 15 SURPLUS.
WE BROKE OUT THE TRANSFERS IN AND OUT IT BECAUSE THOSE BALANCE OUT.
AND THEN I THREW IN THE ENDING FUND BALANCE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS HERE, WHICH IS RIGHT HERE.
SO WE ENDED 24, AROUND 230 MILLION.
UM, A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BUT NOT TOO TERRIBLY DIFFERENT.
UM, AND THEN IF YOU TAKE THE TWO 30 PLUS THE UM, CHANGE IN FUND BALANCE IN 25, AT $24 MILLION, YOU GET 2 53.
IT'S LIKE YOUR CHECKBOOK AND YOU HAVE 2 53 PLUS THE ONE WE GET 2 54, 2 54, LESS THAN 20, WE GET TO 2 34.
SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW WE'RE PROJECTING TO END THE YEAR FROM A FUND BALANCE PERSPECTIVE.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND THESE CONSOLIDATED ROLL UP SCHEDULE, WELL YOU DO SEE 2 33 AND YOU DO SEE 2 33 REVENUE AND EXPENSE BECAUSE OF THE TRANSFERS IN AND THE EITHER USE OR SOURCE OF FUND BALANCE.
BUT REALLY WHAT'S HAPPENING ARE THE NUMBERS ABOVE, WHICH IS THE 1 25 IN REVENUE AND THE 1 45 OF EXPENSE.
SO WE'RE NOT REALLY SPENDING MORE THAN IN 2020, UH, FIVE FISCAL FISCAL OR THE PROJECTION THIS YEAR WE'RE ACTUALLY SPENDING LESS.
AND SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO PUT THIS TOGETHER, JUST TRY TO MAYBE ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS TO KIND OF GIVE A HIGH LEVEL VIEW WITHOUT A SCHEDULE WITH A JILLION NUMBERS ON IT THAT I KNOW CAN GET A BIT OVERWHELMING WHEN I LOOK AT IT FOR SURE.
AND SO THIS IS WHY WE PUT THIS TOGETHER.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT EXPLANATION.
UM, I HAD ASKED FOR A RECONCILIATION, UH, FROM OUR FIRST READING, AND YOU DID A GREAT JOB OF LAYING ALL THIS OUT AND YOU HAVE FURTHER RECONCILIATIONS IN THE LANE, VARIOUS, UH, VARIANCES.
UM, AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU LAID THIS OUT BECAUSE I'M SURE THE PUBLIC, JUST LIKE MYSELF, HAD A REACTION WHEN THEY SAW THE $233 MILLION, YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST SAW, 'CAUSE OF COURSE I GO RIGHT TO THE BOTTOM LINE
AND UM, AND SO THE FIRST THING I ASKED MYSELF, ARE WE REALLY REMOVING AND CASHING OUT $233, $33 MILLION WORTH OF EXPENSES? AND, AND YOU'VE ANSWERED THAT.
UM, AND, AND FOR ME, THIS IS A CHANGE IN HOW TO READ FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
I COME FROM A CORPORATE BACKGROUND.
AND SO I HAVE HAD OVER TIME THE NEED TO LEARN EXACTLY THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CORPORATE ACCOUNTING AND GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTING.
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AND AS DAVE SAID, GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTING INCLUDES CORPORATE TYPE ACCOUNTING WHERE YOU LOOK AT REVENUES MINUS EXPENSES TO COME TO NET INCOME, BUT IT REQUIRES A SECOND PIECE, WHICH IS NOT IN CORPORATE ACCOUNTING.AND THAT IS IF YOU ARE MOVING MONEY FROM ONE FUND TO ANOTHER FUND, YOU HAVE TO REPORT THAT.
AND SO THAT IS ADDED, AS DAVE HAD EXPLAINED.
AND UM, FOR THE PUBLIC THAT MIGHT BE WATCHING OR LISTENING, I WANTED TO GIVE JUST A REALLY SIMPLE EXAMPLE.
I HAVE ZERO REVENUE, I HAVE ZERO EXPENSE.
I HAVE A CHECKING ACCOUNT AND A SAVINGS ACCOUNT.
I HAVE $500 IN MY SAVINGS ACCOUNT AND I TRANSFER IT TO MY CHECKING ACCOUNT.
GOVERNMENT REPORTING WOULD SAY, I, I HAVE $500 OF REVENUE AND $500 OF EXPENSE BECAUSE I TRANSFERRED MONEY.
DID I REALLY GET $500? NO, I JUST MOVED IT FROM ONE ACCOUNT TO ANOTHER.
DID I SPEND $500? NO, I MOVED IT FROM ONE ACCOUNT TO ANOTHER.
SO IT'S, WHEN I TALKED TO DAVE ABOUT IT, HE USED THE WORD WEIRD
HE SAID, GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTING IS WEIRD.
AND SO I STARTED TO ASK MYSELF, WELL WHY, WHY DOES GOVERNMENT DO THAT? AND, UM, THERE'S A GOOD REASON.
IT'S FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY.
AND AS THEY'RE BEING TRANSFERRED AROUND, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT BALANCES THAT I'M MOVING MONEY FROM THIS ACCOUNT TO ANOTHER ACCOUNT AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT IT ALL BALANCES AND IT DOESN'T TRANSFER OUT TO SOMEWHERE THAT WE'RE NOT AWARE OF.
AND THE OTHER ONE IS ACCOUNTABILITY.
UH, WE WANNA KNOW WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING FROM AND TO, AND IT GETS TO DAVE'S POINT ABOUT WE HAVE ALL THESE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.
A LOT OF THEM HAVE RESTRICTIONS.
SO WE COLLECT A LOT OF BEACH RE UH, BEACH PRESERVATION FEE.
WE CAN ONLY USE THAT ON BEACH RELATED PROJECTS.
SO EVEN THOUGH WE COLLECT A LOT OF MONEY, WE CAN'T USE THAT FUND BALANCE TO DO ROAD PROJECTS.
AND SO THERE HAS TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, AN ACCOUNTING OF THAT.
AND WHAT, UH, WE ARE DOING HERE IS MAKING IT MORE TRANSPARENT SO THAT WE CAN SEE EXACTLY HOW FUNDS ARE USED AND THAT THEY'RE USED APPROPRIATELY.
UM, SO I HOPE THAT HELPS PUT SOME PERSPECTIVE ON, ON WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING HERE, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THE PUBLIC TO FEEL LIKE WE'RE ACTUALLY SPENDING IN CASH $233 MILLION.
UM, WE HAVE TO GO AND LOOK AT IT FROM A NET INCOME PERSPECTIVE.
AND I ALSO APPRECIATE YOU LAYING IT OUT.
UM, I KNOW WE DO A LOT OF COMPARISONS TO BUDGET, UH, BUT THE PUBLIC AND I LIKE TO LOOK AT THINGS COMPARED TO PRIOR YEARS.
AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LAYING OUT, UM, THESE COMPARISONS OF THESE DIFFERENT PIECES OF OPERATING REVENUE, ET CETERA, FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AS WELL AS A PROJECTION, WHICH WE DIDN'T NORMALLY SEE AS WELL OF, OF, UH, THE CURRENT YEAR.
SO I THINK IT MAKES THE, UM, IT MAKES IT MUCH CLEARER WHAT IS HAPPENING IN REGARDS TO OUR FINANCES IN THE TOWN.
SO I JUST WANTED THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THAT
'CAUSE I THINK THAT PROVIDES A GREAT EXPLANATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY DOES IT PROVIDE THE EXPLANATION, BUT ALSO WITH THE CHANGE IN FORMAT, WHICH IS GONNA MAKE IT MORE CLEAR DOWN THE ROAD BECAUSE IT'LL BE A STANDARDIZED PROCEDURAL ASPECT, UM, REALLY OFFERS THAT TRANSPARENCY.
MAY I ASK A QUESTION? NOT SURE IF YOU CAN.
YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU BEFORE YOU HEAR.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THE EXPLANATION.
I DO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
UM, WITH REGARD TO THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, HOWEVER, COMPARED TO PREVIOUS BUDGETS THAT WE'VE HAD, THIS IS, UM, THIS IS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF ACCOUNTING THAT WE'RE NOW USING THIS YEAR.
SO I THINK, I THINK THIS YEAR THE ONLY CHANGE WE DO HAVE IS WE ARE BALANCING SPECIAL REVENUES, WHICH HAD NOT BEEN DONE IN THE PAST.
IN THE PAST WE TRANSFERRED MONEY INTO THE SIX MAJOR FUNDS FOR A LOT OF THAT CAME FROM SPECIAL REVENUES.
UM, BUT WE DIDN'T REALLY BUDGET SPECIAL REVENUES.
AND UM, BUT THIS YEAR WE ARE, BUT AS FAR AS THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTING STANDARDS, WE'RE NOT CHANGING FROM THAT.
SO I GUESS THE QUESTION THAT I CAN IMAGINE A SOMEONE WHO'S NOT WITH AN ACCOUNTING BACKGROUND, AND I LISTENED TO THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN YOU
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AND, AND COUNCILWOMAN, UH, TURNER, AND I CAN FOLLOW IT, IT MAKES SENSE, BUT I DON'T HAVE AN ACCOUNTING BACKGROUND.SO A SIMPLE QUESTION IS THEN HOW DO WE COMPARE LAST YEAR'S BUDGET AT $174 MILLION VERSUS $233 MILLION THIS YEAR WITH THE SAME PRACTICES AND NOT, AT LEAST SINCE, DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO.
DOES THAT MEAN, IS THAT A, DID I PHRASE THAT IN A WAY THAT IT'S EASY TO ANSWER? YEAH, I MEAN, I, I THINK THE NEXT SLIDE GIMME ONE.
YEAH, THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'LL COME BACK TO THIS ONE.
THIS SLIDE KIND OF GIVES AN OVERVIEW AND WE HAVE A SUBTOTAL FOR THE SIX MAJOR FUNDS.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, AND THIS IS, THIS IS ALL IN, BUT THIS IS REVENUES.
AND YOU MIGHT BE ASKING ABOUT EXPENDITURES.
BUT FROM A, FROM A PERSPECTIVE, WE DID A SIX MAJOR FUNDS OF LAST YEAR, UM, TO WHAT IT IS THIS YEAR IN THE BUDGET, AS WELL AS, UM, ADDED IN THE SPECIAL REVENUES ON TOP OF THAT.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION SHE'S ASKING OR NOT.
NO, I THINK THE QUESTION I'M ASKING IS, IS A LITTLE BIT MORE SIMPLE.
AND IF THIS ISN'T THE RIGHT TIME TO, TO GET AN ANSWER FOR, UM, MARK, WHAT I WOULD REQUEST IS A MEETING SO THAT I COULD SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND DAVE SO I CAN HAVE A BETTER EXPLANATION.
IF WE'RE USING THE PRACTICE, THIS NOTHING NEW HERE AND, AND THE TRANSFERS, INS AND OUTS AND BANK FROM SAVINGS TO CHECKING, ET CETERA, HAS ALWAYS BEEN CONSISTENT.
I, I STILL NEED TO EXPLAIN TO SOMEONE WHY THE NUMBER JUMPED FROM 174 TO 233.
SO IT NOW MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT TIME TO ANSWER THE QUESTION SO I CAN GET A SIMPLIFIED ANSWER.
UM, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SCHEDULE A MEETING TO BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH Y'ALL SO I CAN RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION.
SO I CAN OFFER THAT TO ANYONE WHO MIGHT ASK ME, DIDN'T HEAR ALL OF IT.
THERE WAS SOME, SOME I DIDN'T MISS THE LAST PART.
I, IT'S, I'M JUST ASKING IF WHAT I WANNA BE ABLE TO DO IS TAKE THE SIMPLE NUMBER FROM LAST YEAR, UH, 'CAUSE I TOO LOOK AT THE BOTTOM LINE.
I THINK THAT'S THE FIRST PLACE EVERYONE GOES TO.
AND IN CS THAT YOU HAVE 174 MILLION ROUGHLY FROM LAST YEAR AND 230 UNDERSTANDING.
BUT IF NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN THE ACCOUNTING PRACTICE FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR, I STILL NEED A MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION THAT I CAN SIMPLIFY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION FOR OTHER PEOPLE WHO LIKE, HEY, LOOK AT THE BOTTOM LINES AND ARE NOT ACCOUNTANTS.
SO I'M REQUESTING JUST A MOMENT OF TIME TO SIT WITH YOU AND DAVE TO, TO HAVE A MEETING, UM, FOR THAT PURPOSE.
MS. BECKER, I, I THINK, I THINK DAVE'S ABOUT TO ADDRESS, ADDRESS IT FOR YOU.
ALRIGHT, I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION NOW.
FIRST, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I UNDERSTOOD, YES, ABSOLUTELY.
WE CAN MEET, UH, YOU, ME AND DAVE WHENEVER YOU'RE AVAILABLE, WE'RE AVAILABLE.
I THINK THE, THE ONE THING AND TO, TO TRY TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF, OF YOUR CORE QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, WHY, WHY THIS YEAR, WHY IS THIS YEAR DIFFERENT THAN LAST YEAR? I WOULD SAY ONE DAVE, DAVE IS HERE IN A, IN A, AND WHAT DAVE AND I HAVE TALKED A LOT ABOUT IS A FULL ACCOUNTING ON THE FRONT END, NOT JUST THAT TIME OF AUDIT.
AND SO IN THE PAST, THE, THE PRACTICE HERE, RIGHT, THAT I'VE PICKED UP WITH AND, AND, AND IMPROVED YEAR OVER YEAR, WE CAN SEE, AND I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT TO, TO LOOK AT, WE HAD IN FY 24, WHAT WE SHOWED YOU WERE ACTUALS, NOT BUDGETS.
AND I WOULD SAY EVERY YEAR WE'VE GROWN OUR FUND BALANCE AND IT SHOWS WE HAD IN 24 TOTAL OPERATING ONE 30, WE HAD 85 OPERATING IN 26 CAPITAL.
AND WE GREW THE FUND BALANCE BY 18, RIGHT? THIS IS WONKY.
THEN WE HAD 142 REVENUE AND 118 EXPENSE.
AND LAST YEAR ACTUAL, OR 25 ACTUAL FISCAL YEAR 25 ACTUAL, WE GREW THE FUND BALANCE BY 23, ALMOST $24 MILLION.
THAT WASN'T JUST UNDERESTIMATED EXPENDITURES, BUT WHAT WE DIDN'T DO IS FUND, OR I SHOULD SAY BUDGET ALL WE, WE, WE PUT THE REVENUES AND THE TRANSFERS TOWARDS THE EXPENDITURES AND GREW THE FUND
[00:30:01]
BALANCE AND, AND SHOWED THAT IN THE AUDIT, CORRECT? THAT THAT WAS THE PRACTICE.IT'S BEEN THE PRACTICE WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE.
AND, AND THIS IS A GOOD YEAR TO JUST SIMPLY PUSH FORWARD AND MOVE FORWARD AND BUDGET ALL REVENUES WITH ALL EXPENDITURES AND SHOW ON THE FRONT END A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE USE IN FUND BALANCE.
THIS YEAR, THE $19 MILLION IN CHANGE, ALMOST WHATEVER IS UP THERE, FORGIVE MY EYES, I CAN'T SEE IT.
19.9, THAT GROWTH OR REDUCTION IN FUND BALANCE THIS YEAR, THAT'S CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO YOU SEE THIS ALL ON THE FRONT END THROUGH THE ENTIRE COMPLETE BUDGET.
AND, AND HENCE THE DIFFERENCE IN TRANSFERS.
IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS I'VE ASKED AS I ARRIVED IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT ABOUT THESE ADDITIONAL REVS THAT ARE COMING INTO OUR ACCOUNTS THAT AREN'T MATCHING WITH EXPENDITURES? IT WAS AN OFF, IT WAS AN OFF BALANCE BUDGET.
SO WHAT DAVE HAS DONE IS INFUSED THEM INTO THE FULL BUDGET AND BALANCED IT.
SO IF, IF I MIGHT NO, IT DOES, IT DOES MAKE SENSE.
AND WHAT, WHEN I WANTED TO STOP AND THANK YOU IS BECAUSE WHAT YOU DID IDENTIFY WAS THE ANSWER TO MY FIRST QUESTION.
THIS IS, WELL, MAYBE NOT A FULL SAIL, DIFFERENT WAY OF DOING THE ACCOUNTING.
IT IS A DIFFERENT WAY OF PRESENTING IT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN THE INITIAL QUESTION THAT I ASKED.
SO THERE ARE VARIANCES FROM LAST YEAR'S REPORTING TO THIS YEAR'S AND, AND THE NUMBERS ARE BEING REFLECTED AND THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCE OF 1 74 TO 2 33.
I JUST NEED A SIMPLE EXPLANATION THAT I CAN TRANSFER TO OTHER PEOPLE WHO MAY ASK ME.
I DO HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION, AND THIS MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT TIME FOR IT, BUT WE TOOK A $35 MILLION BOND AND WHERE ARE THOSE DOLLARS THAT ARE LEFT? WHERE ARE THOSE REFLECTED IN THIS BUDGET? WHEN WE, UM, WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE FUND BALANCES ON, UH, AT THE END OF TUESDAY, YOU'LL SEE A KIND OF A FUND BALANCE WALK BY, BY FUND.
AND, UM, IN THE CAPITAL FUND, YOU'LL SEE, UM, DOING IT BY MEMORY, LET'S SAY IT'S $32 MILLION, GIVE OR TAKE, UM, YOU'LL, THERE'S 24 MILLION ROUGHLY OF MONEY LEFT OVER FROM THE GO BOND THAT HAS NOT BEEN SPENT IN THIS BUDGET.
SO WE HAVE 24 MILLION THAT, UM, IS IN THE BANK, AS WE SAID BEFORE, THAT, UM, UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY EXPENSE IN THIS BUDGET RELATED TO THAT.
BECKER, I I THINK ALSO TOO, IT'S IN HERE ON THIS SHEET.
CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT A ANOTHER SIMPLE WAY OF LOOKING AT THIS IS WITH THE 27 PROPOSED BUDGET WE ARE LOOKING AT, AND I'LL CONVERT THE WORD FUND BALANCE TO SAVINGS.
WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO PUT INTO SAVINGS OR NEED TO TAKE OUT OF SAVINGS TO, TO ACCOMPLISH THE WORK THAT'S DONE.
JUST A, JUST A SIMPLER ASPECT OF IT.
WELL, I APPRECIATE THOSE ANSWERS AND THANK YOU FOR THE GIVING ME THE TIME AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING WITH YOU GUYS SO THAT I CAN HAVE A SIMPLIFIED ANSWER TO GIVE TO OTHER PEOPLE, MS. BRYSON.
UM, MY QUESTION HAS TO DO, AND AND I APOLOGIZE MR. BIRD, IF I MISUNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU SAID.
UM, I, I SEE OUR TOTAL EXPENSE A LITTLE OVER 145 MILLION FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND I THOUGHT YOU SAID THAT WE DIDN'T SPEND ANY MORE THAN WE DID IN 2025.
AND I COMPARE 2025, IT'S ABOUT 119 MILLION.
SO I MUST HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD YOU BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE SPENDING MORE MONEY.
UM, I I DON'T RECALL IF I SAID 2025, FORGIVE ME, BUT, UM, I WAS, I I WAS, IF I DID, I MEANT TO SAY IN 2026.
AND SO, UM, BUT WE ARE, UM, WE ARE SPENDING LESS THAN 2026 FROM A TOTAL TOWN PERSPECTIVE.
AND I, I THINK A LARGE PART OF THAT IS OUR CAPITAL EXPENSE, ESPECIALLY THE BEACH RENOURISHMENT, WHICH CAME FROM TWO SOURCES, THE BOND AS WELL AS, UM, YEAH.
AND ALSO IN 26 AND THE OPERATING, UM, WE ARE COMING DOWN BECAUSE WE HAD THE BIG GO BOND PAYMENT THAT WE'RE MAKING, RIGHT.
WHICH IS, UH, NOT GONNA BE REPEATED IN 27, RIGHT? RIGHT.
AND WE'LL SEE THAT WHEN WE GET TO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.
BUT I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, SO MAYBE YOU SAID 25 OR MAYBE I HEARD 25.
I PROBABLY MISSPOKE
[00:35:01]
OKAY.AND I, I SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN EXPENDITURES THERE, AND I HAD AN ASTERISK BESIDE OF, UH, THE TWO NUMBERS IN 2026 RELATING BACK TO WHAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.
AND THAT IS THE RENOURISHMENT EXPENDITURES.
UM, AND, AND I WAS WONDERING EXACTLY WHERE WE WERE USING THE 19.9 MILLION OF FUND BALANCE.
AND I HEARD MR. ORLANDO SAY IT'S PRIMARILY IN CAPITAL PROJECTS.
I'LL SEE THAT WHEN WE GET TO THE CAPITAL FUND, WHICH WE DISCUSS NEXT TUESDAY.
AND THE WAY TO LOOK AT IT ON THAT SCHEDULE, YOU'VE GOT 125 MILLION IN REVENUE AND WE'RE SPENDING 90 MILLION IN OPERATING, BUT WE HAVE 55 MILLION IN CAPITAL.
SO THAT'S DRIVING THE, BECAUSE WE'RE USING THE SURPLUS FROM REVENUE LESS OPERATING, WE'RE USING MORE THAN THAT FOR THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES OF THE 55 MILLION CIP.
AND, AND, AND I THINK IT'S TWO SLIDES OVER, SO I'LL SAVE MY QUESTION FOR THE END, BUT IT HAS TO DO WITH THE, UH, THE DIFFERENCE IN, UH, TRANSFERRING IN AND OUT COMPARING, UH, FY 27 TO, UH, 26 PROJECTION AND 24 AND 25, PRIMARILY 24 AND 25.
BUT I'LL WAIT TWO SLIDES OVER FOR THAT QUESTION.
SO, UM, NOW WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT A CONSOLIDATED BUDGET, WHICH YOU SAW THIS SLIDE, UH, TUESDAY NIGHT.
UM, BUT WE, WE DID A SUBTOTAL FOR THE SIX MAJOR FUNDS.
SO THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE THE 1 74 IN THE ORIGINAL BUDGET.
AND THEN ONE THING IS, YOU KNOW, WE DID OUR BUDGET AMENDMENT THIS YEAR.
IT WAS A BIG BUDGET AMENDMENT.
SO, UH, WE WENT FROM 1 74 TO 2 35, AND THEN OUR SIX MAJOR FUND NUMBER IS 1 47, UM, IN 2027.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE SPECIAL REVENUES BELOW THAT, WHICH IS SHOWING AS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DOING NEW.
WE DID HAVE ACTUALS IN 24 AND 25 BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT ACTUALLY GOT BOOKED ON THE GENERAL LEDGER, BUT WE DIDN'T BUDGET THOSE FUNDS AND WE HAVEN'T IN THE PAST, SO THAT'S WHY IT'S ZERO IN 2026.
AND THE SAME LOGIC ON THE EXPENDITURES.
UM, AND, BUT WE WILL GO THROUGH THE FUNDS SPECIFICALLY TO WALK THROUGH THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE GOT AND THE FUNDS THEMSELVES.
AND YOU WANT ME TO KEEP GOING? SORRY, THAT'S WHERE MY QUESTIONS ARE.
IF WE COULD BACK UP TO THOSE TWO PREVIOUS SLIDES.
SO, UM, WHERE WE HAVE AN FY 24, THE ACTUAL SPECIAL REVENUES FUND A A LITTLE OVER 63,000,025, UM, 71.5 MILLION.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT EXPENDITURES, THE NUMBERS DON'T MATCH.
UM, SO I'M, I'M NOT SAYING EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED
I, I, I DON'T KNOW WHY PERHAPS IT WAS JUST A WAY OF THE WAY THAT THE BUDGET WAS HANDLED IN THOSE YEARS.
UM, WELL, I WOULD SAY THAT ON THE ACTUALS, THOSE ARE THE ACTUALS.
SO IF WE, IN THIS REGARD, 63,000,024 SPECIAL REVENUES, WE SPENT 59 MILLION IN EXPENSE, UH, SORRY, RIGHT HERE.
SO WE HAD A, LET'S SAY A SURPLUS OF 7 MILLION.
THE REASON WHY IT BALANCES IN THE BUDGET IS BECAUSE WE HAVE TO SHOW A BALANCED BUDGET, BUT THE ACTUALS ARE WHAT THE ACTUALS ARE.
SO IT, THAT'S KIND OF HOW I WOULD, I WOULD SAY IT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
SO IT SHOWED IN THE BUDGETS BALANCE, BUT WHEN THE ACTUALS CAME IN, THEY WERE NOT BALANCED.
AND SO WHAT DO WE DO THEN WHEN IT DOESN'T BALANCE WHEN THE ACTUALS COME IN? WELL, WE HAVE THE ACTUALS FLOW THROUGH AND WE'LL EITHER HAVE A FUND BALANCE OR A FUND BALANCE SURPLUS OR A FUND BALANCE DEFICIT THAT JUST, IT WILL EITHER INCREASE OR DECREASE THE FUND BALANCE.
OKAY? AS YOU LOOK IN 24, WE WERE 18 MILLION BETTER IN FUND BALANCE.
AND IN 25 WE WERE BETTER BY 20, ALMOST 24 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE.
SO THAT JUST FLOWS THROUGH WITH WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS.
BUT WHEN WE BUDGET, WE HAVE TO HAVE A BALANCE BUDGET.
SO WE HAVE THE SOURCES AND USES OF FUNDS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, RIGHT? SO IF I COMPARE THE, THE NUMBERS OF THE REVENUES ON AND, AND MS. HUNTER, I DO HAVE NUMBERS ON MY PAGES NOW.
[00:40:01]
IF I COMPARE REVENUES TO EXPENDITURES ON 27, PARDON ME, THEN FOR JUST TAKING FY 24 FOR AN EXAMPLE, 184, UH, POINT ALMOST FOUR, BUT THE EXPENDITURES WERE 166.SO HENCE THE INCREASE IN THE FUND BALANCE OF ABOUT 18 MILLION.
SO WHAT WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN THE ACTUALS COME IN, THAT ADDS TO THE FUND BALANCE OR, OR DECREASES DEPENDING UPON THAT'S RIGHT.
AND WE EITHER HAD MORE REVENUE THAN THE BUDGET.
'CAUSE WHEN WE WOULD'VE DONE THE 24 BUDGET, IT WOULD'VE BEEN BALANCED.
SO WHAT HAPPENED IN 24? WE EITHER SPENT LESS OR WE HAD MORE REVENUE COME IN, OR MORE REVENUE.
IN THAT CASE, WE CAN INCREASE THE FUND BALANCE.
UM, SO WE WENT THROUGH THIS ON TUESDAY, JUST A EXAMPLE, ILLUSTRATION OF OUR MILLS, EXCUSE ME.
UM, AND WE'RE LEAVING THOSE FLAT AT 5.1 AND 27.
WE JUST HAVE A KIND OF HISTORICAL VIEW OF COMING FROM 5.9 AND 23 DOWN TO 5.5 AND 24 FROM A DEBT PERSPECTIVE.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, ON OPERATING 17.2 TO 15.9.
BUT, UM, AND THEN FROM A TOTAL PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE LEAVING THOSE FLAT IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
AND THEN OUR MILLAGE VALUES, WE SPOKE BEFORE ON TUESDAY, THE INCREASE BASED UPON THE CONTINUED ASSESSED VALUATION INCREASES THAT HAPPEN.
SO WE'RE PROJECTING JUST UNDER 1.4 MILLION PER MIL.
UM, IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO THE MILLAGE RATE.
SO YOU HAVE A FOOTNOTE THERE THAT TALKS ABOUT WHY THE MILLAGE RATE WENT FROM 28 10 TO 2310.
AND THAT WAS BECAUSE YOU HAD AN EXTRA FIVE FOR DISASTER RECOVERY AFTER MATTHEW TO COLLECT SOME MORE FUNDS TO BUILD UP OUR FUND RESERVES.
UM, YOU SHOULD ALSO, UM, I THINK PUT FOOTNOTES AS TO THE OTHER REASONS WHY IN OUT YEARS.
SO IN 2024, IT WENT FROM 2310 TO 21 4.
AND THAT WAS BECAUSE, UM, WE WENT THROUGH A PROPERTY, UH, I'M SORRY, UM, UH, ASSESSMENT OF OUR HOMES.
SO BEAUFORT COUNTY CAME OUT AND REASSESSED ALL OUR HOMES.
AND WITH THAT, THAT MEANT THE, AS THE ASSESSED VALUES WENT UP AND THE, UH, PROPERTY TAX, UH, MILLAGE RATE CAME DOWN TO HELP OFFSET THAT INCREASE.
NOW YOU ALSO SEE THAT THE, ON THE NEXT SLIDE WHERE THE, UM, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, THE MILLAGE VALUES GO UP, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE IS USED FOR YOUR PROPERTY TAX.
AND HERE'S WHAT I MEAN BY THAT.
WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE AS REASSESSMENT, THEY CAP IT AT 15%.
SO I, I WENT AND LOOKED AT MY BILL, YOU KNOW, AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MY, UH, CAPPED VALUE AND MY APPRAISED VALUE, IT WAS A LOT OF MONEY.
IT WAS, IT WAS A LOT OF MONEY.
AND SO WHAT THE COUNTY DOES IS THEY CAP IT AT 15% SO THAT YOU'RE NOT OVERWHELMED BY A LARGE INCREASE IN YOUR PROPERTY TAXES.
AND THAT STAYS FLAT FOR FIVE YEARS.
SO IN MY PERSONAL, UH, EXAMPLE, MY PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENT FOR THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD HAS REMAINED FLAT THE LAST TWO YEARS.
AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO STAY FLAT UNLESS I DO TWO THINGS.
I SELL MY HOUSE AND THEN THE NEW PERSON GETS TO PAY THE FULL VALUE OF THE ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT.
OR IF I MAKE A MAJOR RENOVATION IN MY HOUSE, THEN THE BEAUFORT COUNTY WILL COME OUT AND REASSESS.
I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW THAT WORKS IF THEY TAKE IT ALL THE WAY UP OR IF IT'S THE INCREASE IN WHAT YOU RENOVATED, BUT THERE IS AN IMPACT THERE.
SO, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT POINT 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'VE BEEN SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
I WOULD VENTURE TO GUESS THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ARE NOT, UM, RENOVATING THEIR HOMES.
I MEAN, I KNOW PEOPLE RENOVATE THEIR HOMES, BUT IT'S PROBABLY NOT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE.
AND, UM, AND THEN THOSE THAT SELL END UP, UH, PICKING UP THE FULL ASSESSMENT AMOUNT.
SO I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS IMPORTANT AS WE GO THROUGH THIS.
OH, PROPERTY TAX BILL EXAMPLE, UM, WHICH WE WENT THROUGH THE OTHER NIGHT, BUT, AND WHAT WE HAVE HIGHLIGHTED HERE IS WHAT, UH, THE TOWN GETS ON A TYPICAL PROPERTY TAX BILL FOR 4% AND THEN 6% AND ON THE 4% IT'S AROUND 20% OF THAT BILL.
MOST OF IT GOES TO THE COUNTY.
GENERAL FUND, WE WENT THROUGH KIND OF A HIGHLIGHT OF THIS ON UM, TUESDAY.
[00:45:01]
WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF CHANGES WE MADE HERE.UM, WE, WE HAVE NOW TO KIND OF BE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE SPOKE ABOUT BEFORE ON OUR CATEGORIES.
WE HAVE OUR OPERATING REVENUES AS A SUBTOTAL AND THEN WE HAVE ANY USE OF UNBALANCE AND THEN WE HAVE TRANSFERS IN TO GO WITH THE FLOW WE HAD BEFORE AND OF THE DEFINITIONS.
AND THEN WE ADDED IN A COLUMN HERE FOR A VARIANCE TO 26 OH UH, A VARIANCE TO THE 26 PROJECTION.
AND THE REASON WHY IS THE PRIOR SCHEDULE SHOWED THAT VARIANCE PERCENTAGE TO THE AMENDED BUDGET, WHICH MADE IT LOOK LIKE IT WAS GROWING QUITE A BIT.
BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR, HOW WE PROJECTED REVENUES FOR THE 27 BUDGET, WE BASED THAT BASED UPON WHAT WE ARE SEEING HAPPEN IN 26 FROM A PROJECTION PERSPECTIVE.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT OUR GROWTH RATES HERE ON THE RIGHT, UM, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY TAXES, WE HAVE A TWO, WELL IT'S 1.9, BUT WE, WE FACTORED IN AROUND 2% VALUATION GROWTH IN PROPERTY TAXES.
WE TOOK A CONSERVATIVE VIEW ON THAT LOCAL ACCOMMODATION TAX, 1.5 BUSINESS LICENSES AT ONE.
WE RESET PERMIT FEES DOWN TO WHAT WE HAD BUDGETED IN THE PAST, WHICH IS 1.8 MILLION WE'RE HAVING THIS YEAR WE'RE ALMOST $3 MILLION.
SO WE ARE NOT BUDGETING THAT LEVEL IN 2027.
UM, 'CAUSE THAT'S REALLY RELATED TO CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY.
SO WE KIND OF SET THAT BACK DOWN FROM A CONSERVATIVE PERSPECTIVE.
UM, AND THE OTHER MAJOR ITEM THERE IS RELATED TO EMS, IT'S HARD TO KIND GO THROUGH.
I DID IT AGAIN, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO KIND OF LOOKED AT A HISTORICAL TREND OF EMS. SO WE, WE TOOK IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S 2.7 MILLION THIS YEAR.
IT'S 2.2 5,000,024 AND 2.6 AND 25.
SO WE KIND OF TOOK AN AVERAGE OF THAT.
HOPEFULLY THAT DOESN'T REALLY INCREASE.
UM, AND THEN OUR INVESTMENT INCOME AND JUST ACROSS THE FUNDS YOU WILL SEE OUR INVESTMENT INCOME COMING DOWN.
UM, IT, YOU KNOW, IT WE'RE PROJECTING 2 MILLION, OH, 16 TO 69 WE BUDGETED ONE FIVE.
SO IT LOOKS REALLY LIKE A HIGH INCREASE FROM THE BUDGET FROM A YEAR AGO.
BUT FROM WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING TODAY, UM, WE ARE PROJECTING A SLOW DECREASE IN INTEREST RATES AS WELL AS WELL, WE'RE USING SOME OF OUR MONEY, SO WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE AS MUCH MONEY THAT WE'RE GETTING A RETURN ON.
SO THAT WAS SOMETHING TO HIGHLIGHT FROM A CHANGE FROM WHAT YOU SAW THE OTHER NIGHT REGARDING THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, WE HAVE OUR BEACH PRESERVATION, WHICH WE SPOKE ABOUT.
THAT'S THE BIG CHANGE IN TRANSFERS.
THEN FOR THE GENERAL AS WELL AS THE STR COMING THROUGH AT 1.3 MILLION.
WE DID TALK ABOUT STATE A TAX AS WELL, UM, THAT IS COMING DOWN THAT THAT'S SET BY THE STATE AND THEY, THIS YEAR THEY'RE TAKING 15%, UH, OFF OF WHAT WE THAT'S COLLECTED AND DISTRIBUTING THAT TO OTHER COUNTIES IN THE STATES.
SO, UM, WE ARE SEEING THAT TREND COME DOWN.
SO WE ARE BUDGETING CONTINUED DECREASES IN THAT NUMBER.
IF YOU LOOK AT, SORRY, I DID IT AGAIN, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT 24 OR 4.6 MILLION, THREE AND A HALF, THREE, I MEAN IT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE SEEING CONTINUED REDUCTIONS IN THIS NUMBER THAT THE STATE IS USING IN OTHER, IN MUNICIPALITIES, RIGHT? AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART BECAUSE THE QUESTION WAS ASKED, THE QUESTION WAS ASKED WHY IS SC AT TAX GOING DOWN WHEN LOCAL WAS GOING UP? AND IT'S THE STATE LAW THAT ALLOWS THAT DISTRIBUTION BASED UPON THE FORMULA THEY SET AT THE BEGINNING OF THEIR YEAR.
SO, UM, HENCE OUR DOLLARS ARE, ARE NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT RECEIVED BACK IN THAT REGARD.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS BASICALLY THE STATE CHANGED IT AND THAT RESULTED IN US GETTING LESS.
MAY I, MAY I ASK ANOTHER QUESTION ON THAT FORM OF THE PAGE BEFORE? YES.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STANDS OUT TO ME THAT I FIND BOTHERSOME WITH REGARD TO REVENUES IS ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE LINE, ALL OF THOSE GREAT SOURCES THAT WE HAVE AND YOU MOVE ACROSS AND EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE.
YOU GET TO THE GRANTS PORTION AND THERE'S NOTHING, IT'S A ZERO.
I'M BOTHERED BY THAT AND IT KIND OF GIVE ME SOME BACKGROUND ON WHY IT IS WE
[00:50:01]
HAVE NO GRANT REVENUE COMING IN.A LOT OF IT'S DUE TO WHERE WE BOOK GRANTS THAT DO COME IN.
THEY USUALLY DON'T GET BOOKED TO THE GENERAL FUND AND THEY MIGHT GO TO THE CAPITAL FUND OR SPECIAL REVENUES FUND UNDER SPECIAL REVENUES.
SO IT'S REALLY WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED, NOT NECESSARILY, UM, WHERE THEY'RE BOOKED BASED UPON THE GRANT.
SO IF SOMEONE'S LOOKING AT THAT, THAT I CAN SIMPLY SAY, GO TO THE FUND AND LOOK, I CAN SHOW YOU WHERE THERE'S BEEN GRANT ACTIVITY AND GRANT DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN RECEIVED ARE, UH, ARE DOCUMENTED IN THESE PLACES AND I'D BE ABLE TO SHOW THEM THAT AND WE'LL SEE THAT AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
BUT I WOULD SAY THAT IN GENERAL WE DON'T REALLY BUDGET UNKNOWN GRANTS.
SO WE, WE TRY TO TAKE A CONSERVATIVE VIEW WHEN BUDGETING GRANTS BECAUSE I ALWAYS SAY UNLESS WE HAVE IT IN WRITING, UM, I WOULD HATE TO BASE THE YEAR BASED UPON THAT UNKNOWN.
DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE NOT CHASING GRANTS.
BUT AS FAR AS THAT GOES, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TAKING A MORE CONSERVATIVE VIEW FROM A BUDGETING PERSPECTIVE.
SO WHERE WOULD I BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT GRANTS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED THAT THE GRANT WRITER AND THE EFFORTS THAT ARE BEING MADE? AND I KNOW THAT THERE'RE CONSIDERABLE OR WHERE WOULD I BE ABLE TO SEE THE RE AWARDS THAT WE'VE, THAT WE SEE? WE'LL, WE'LL SEE SOME IN THE CAPITAL FUND ON TUESDAY AND THEN WE'LL SEE SOME IN THE SPECIAL REVENUES TODAY.
AND I WILL SAY, UM, OUR GRANTS TEAM, UM, YOU KNOW, HAS SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH FEMA WORKING THROUGH GETTING THE FEMA REIMBURSEMENT.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE PROJECTED 6 MILLION OF FEMA THAT'S NOT IN THE GENERAL FUND HERE, BUT WE DID PROJECT 6 MILLION IN FEMA, UH, IN OUR BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR, OR ACTUALLY SEVEN.
AND THEN WE REFORECASTED 6 MILLION THIS YEAR, 1 MILLION IN 27.
WE THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE UPSIDE OF PROBABLY 4 MILLION RELATED TO THAT.
AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK DONE WITH OUR CIP TEAM AND WITH THE STATE ON GETTING THOSE FEMA REIMBURSED, A LOT OF CALORIES SPENT.
AND SO I WOULD JUST SAY THAT THERE, THERE HAS BEEN, UM, SUCCESS, VERY MUCH SUCCESS ON THAT ONE BIG PROJECT TO HELP OUT WITH OUR BEACH RENOURISHMENT THAT I, I WOULD SAY OUR GRANTS TEAM HAS BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB ON.
SO, SO ARE THOSE GRANTS FEMA THEN, ARE THOSE THOSE GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO IRMA AND MATTHEW IRMA.
SO NOT THAT, SO I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT IS WHAT IS I, I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE CURRENT, UM, ACTIVITY IS FOR SOMETHING MORE RECENT THAT THE TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING ON THAT'S PRODUCTIVE TO ADDING TO THE GRANTS.
UM, WHEN DAVE SAYS GRANT TEAM, HE MEANS GRANT ADMINISTRATOR, UM, A PERSON, RIGHT? AND YES, THEIR TIME IS SPENT WITH THE CDBG ADMINISTRATION OF THE GRANTS, UM, AS WELL AS THE FEMA.
I WOULDN'T CALL IT SO MUCH REIMBURSEMENT, BUT THE FEMA AGREEMENT WE HAVE.
AND THEN AS WE KNOW, IN PAST YEARS THE GRANTS WERE, WERE ELEVATED FROM ARPA, FROM FEMA AND, AND THAT'S NOT SHOWN ON THE BOOKS.
WHAT I WILL DO BETWEEN NOW AND IN A FEW DAYS IS SEND TO TOWN COUNCIL, UM, THE RECENT GRANT REPORT THAT SHOWS THE GRANTS THAT WE'RE ADMINISTRATING.
BECAUSE I ALWAYS SAY THIS, GETTING A GRANT IS A LOT EASIER THAN ADMINISTRATING THE GRANT AND ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO GET HOW MUCH IS THE TOTAL FEMA THAT WE'RE CHASING $12 MILLION.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT THAT TO ME IS, IS MORE IMPORTANT AS CHASING MONEY.
WE DON'T KNOW WE'LL GET VERSUS THE MONEY WE BELIEVE WERE DESERVED.
THAT $12 MILLION, UM, HAS TAKEN A LOT MORE TIME ON THIS BEACH RENOURISHMENT AND ON THIS STORM, UM, ON THIS STORM AGREEMENT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR.
UM, I WANT TO PROVIDE THAT CLARITY.
UM, WE'RE PUSHING, BUT NOT ALWAYS ON NEW, BUT ON ADMINISTRATING AND TAKING CARE OF THE ONES WE HAVE.
SO WE DON'T LOSE SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS WE THINK WE, WE WE DESERVE.
UM, WE'VE ALSO, WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE TO FULFILLING ANOTHER GRANT, UM, ON SOME ROADS AND SOME OTHER PROJECTS PATHWAYS.
SO I THINK THAT'S A, A GOOD QUESTION.
SO ONE OF, TO JUST MAKE TWO, TWO COMMENTS.
ONE, I I UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFICULT IT IS.
AT ONE TIME I WAS THE, UH, DIRECTOR OF, UH, GRANTS FOR LARGE UNIVERSITY AND WRITING THEM AND THEN MANAGING THEM AND REPORTING ON THEM TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS VERY TIME CONSUMING AND VERY DETAIL ORIENTED AND YOU CANNOT MAKE MISTAKES.
SO I UNDERSTAND THE LEVEL OF WORK AND I DO KNOW ALSO IT'S NOT A TEAM, IT'S ONE PERSON.
BUT, UM, I WANTED TO FOLLOW THE LEAD OF OUR, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR IN HIS, IN HIS LANGUAGE.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT IS TIME CONSUMING AND, AND THE REST I DO HAVE AND I ALSO WANT TO, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE
[00:55:02]
THAT OUR GRANTS ADMINISTRATOR WORKED WITH ME AND OTHERS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SUPPORT, UH, SECURED THE OPIOID, UM, GRANT MONEY THAT WAS MADE AVAILABLE AND THAT WE NOW ARE ABLE TO USE IN A VERY HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE WAY RIGHT HERE ON HILTON A.AND THAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE ACHIEVEMENT ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND SHE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
I'M JUST MOVING FORWARD, IT'S A SOURCE OF REVENUE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE ACTIVITY.
AND IF THERE IS ACTIVITY THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF, I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT IT IS AND WHERE IT'S BEEN DOCUMENTED.
AND IN THAT I'LL SHOW THAT, I'LL SHOW HOW WE'RE PLAYING OFFENSE AS WELL AS ADMINISTRATING, UH, AFFILIATED AGENCY AND ATAC AND ALL THAT STUFF.
SO I THINK THAT COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT THAT'S A A GREAT QUESTION.
'CAUSE THE, THE ATEX ADMINISTRATION FROM GRANTS IS A LOT AS WELL.
I THINK IT'S BEEN SAID BEFORE, BUT IT BEARS REPEATING UNDER TRANSFERS IN BEACH PRESERVATION FEE.
THE NUMBERS FOR, OR THE NUMBER 4 26 SHOWS IT WAS A LOT LOWER AND NOW IT'S A LOT HIGHER FOR 27 AND THAT'S THE BEACH RENOURISHMENT.
THAT'S WHERE THAT MONEY WENT IN 2026.
BUT WE HAVE MORE FUNDS NOW TO DO OTHER THINGS FOR UM, OUR BEACHES, OUR BEACH PARKS.
AND THAT'S SHOWN UP IN THE GREAT INCREASE, UH, DURING FY 27.
THE OTHER THING I WOULD NOTE IS WHEN YOU COMPARE WHAT'S PROPOSED FOR FY 27 TO FY 26, THERE'S ABOUT A $2 MILLION INCREASE IN THAT, UM, IN REVENUES.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS SLIDE HERE, WE KIND OF DID AN ACCOUNTING OF WHERE WE'RE SPENDING MONEY TO SUPPORT, UM, OUR BEACHES IN A TOWN PERSPECTIVE.
AND THAT NU NEGATIVE NUMBER THERE IS WHAT WE'RE ADJUSTING DOWN, JUST TO SHOW YOU HOW MUCH WE'RE SPENDING NOW ON BEACH THAT WE'RE NOT RECOVERING.
UM, SO IF I TOOK A, I DON'T KNOW, THE PROJECTION OF 2397, UM, I, IT'S KIND OF MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT THE 24 66 IS, I WOULD SAY.
I'M GLAD I COULD LEAD YOU TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
IT'S AN INVESTMENT INCOME, UH, BACK HERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT 24 AND 25, WE WERE AROUND 2 MILLION, TWO AND A HALF MILLION.
IT WAS REALLY BUDGETED CONSERVATIVELY FOR THIS YEAR, BUT WE'RE ENDING UP TO BE ABOUT 2.2 MILLION.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WORK WITH OUR TREASURY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING THE RETURNS ON OUR CAPITAL THAT WE CAN INVEST.
AND SO, UM, IT DOES FLUCTUATE, BUT I THINK IT'S MORE NORMALIZED NOW WHEN YOU LOOK AT 26 PROJECTION VERSUS 27 VERSUS THE 26 BUDGET TO 27, IF THAT MAKES 'CAUSE WE'RE WE'RE SHOWING A MINOR DECREASE OF 108,000 FROM 26 TO 27 FROM A PROJECTION PERSPECTIVE, WHICH THAT'S JUST IN THE GENERAL FUND.
IF YOU LOOK FOR THE TOWN, YOU'RE GONNA LOOK AT LIKE $9 MILLION OR THE NUMBER.
WE'RE GONNA KEEP MOVING ON THE GENERAL FUND.
AND WE WENT THROUGH THESE ON TUESDAY NIGHT.
THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, UM, JUST FOR THE PROPERTY TAXES WE TALKED ABOUT, THE MILLAGE IS REMAINING THE SAME.
LOCAL ACCOMMODATION TAXES, 1.5% GROWTH BUSINESS LICENSES, 1% GROWTH, BEACH SERVICES AND PARKING 650,000.
WE DIDN'T BOOK ANY, WE, WE BOOKED SIX 50, WE SPENT SIX 50.
SO IT'S ABOUT A NET TO THE TOWN PERSPECTIVE, BUT WE DIDN'T REALLY BOOK ANY CHANGES UP OR DOWN FOR BEACH PARKING AND THE BUDGET.
UM, AND THEN EMS REALLY THE ONE CHANGE THERE WE DO HAVE OUTSIDE OF THE AVERAGE WE TOOK FROM THE PRIOR YEARS IS THE CHANGE IN THE, UH, BILLING BASED UPON THE MEDICAID FEE SCHEDULE THAT WE'RE DOING AND TRANSFERS IN.
WE JUST TALKED ABOUT BEACH PRESERVATION, WHICH UH, IS TWO AND A HALF MILLION AND THIS YEAR, UM, HOSPITALITY TAX 6.5 MILLION, THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE DID IN 2026.
OUR STATE ACCOMMODATION TAX IS A FORMULA AS WE SHOW THE, UH, 25,000 AND THEN 5% OF THE REMAINING REVENUE.
[01:00:01]
THEN THE TOWN'S ATEX PO POLICY OF 20% FROM THERE.AND UM, AND THEN OUR SHORT TERM RENTAL, WHICH IS OUR, OUR NEW STR BE COMING THROUGH IN THE CALENDAR FISCAL YEAR 2027.
UH, FROM A TOTAL STATE PERSPECTIVE, NO.
YEAH, BUT FOR US IT'S COMING DOWN.
FROM AN EXPENDITURE PERSPECTIVE, UM, WE KEPT THIS CONSISTENT FROM AN EXPENSE SIDE.
WE ARE LOOKING AT BUDGETED AMENDED BUDGET EXPENSE TO THE 2027 BUDGET EXPENSE.
'CAUSE I, THAT'S MORE IMPORTANT FROM A BUDGET EXPENSE PERS PERSPECTIVE.
AND SO WE'VE GOT A SCHEDULE THAT BREAKS OUT THE $7.3 MILLION GROWTH YEAR OVER YEAR.
UM, I'M GONNA JUMP TO THAT RIGHT NOW.
SO THIS IS A, I CALL IT A WALK, BUT IT'S UH, OUR VARIANCE SCHEDULE TO SHOW THE BUCKETS THAT ARE REALLY DRIVING THE CHANGE.
UM, THE FIRST THING I WOULD SAY, I GUESS I COULD START FROM THE BOTTOM UP.
WE ARE GOING UP 7.3 MILLION, BUT 2.9 MILLION OF THAT'S GOING INTO FUND BALANCE.
THAT'S THE PROPOSAL, THAT'S THE SURPLUS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR GENERAL FUND THAT'S BEING BOOKED AS AN EXPENSE.
SO, BUT THAT'S REALLY, UM, IT'S A GOOD THING.
IT'S BOOKED AS EXPENSE, BUT IT'S A GOOD THING.
SO REALLY FROM A TOTAL EXPENSE PERSPECTIVE, WE ARE, UH, GOING UP $4.3 MILLION HERE AND 2.8 MILLION OF THAT IS IN PERSONNEL.
UM, WE TALKED THE OTHER DAY, WE'VE GOT OUR 4% IN FOR PERFORMANCE MERIT, UH, UP TO 4%, UH, PERFORMANCE BASED MERIT CLASS IN COMP STUDY IMPLEMENTATION, AND THEN WE HAVE A FULL YEAR OF THE STR POSITIONS, UM, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.
UM, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE CLASS AND COMP STUDY.
SO, UM, I'M FAMILIAR WITH THIS.
UH, IT IS REALLY A BEST PRACTICE TO GO IN AND, UH, DO A STUDY IN REGARDS TO YOUR COMPENSATION PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE, ARE NOT OVERPAYING AND CONVERSELY THAT YOU'RE NOT UNDERPAYING.
AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT WE DO THIS.
IT IS A COMMON PRACTICE IN IN BUSINESS TO DO THAT.
UM, I KNOW THAT YOU, UM, HAD SAID THAT YOU WOULD BE COMING TO US, UH, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, I BELIEVE YOU SAID, UH, TO SHARE, UH, WHAT THAT STUDY LOOKS LIKE, WHAT IT MEANS, UH, WHAT THE IMPACTS ARE, ET CETERA.
UH, AND I KNOW THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS ALSO RECENTLY COMPLETED ONE.
UM, THEY CALLED IT A STEP PROGRAM.
I MEAN, STEPS IN REGARDS TO, UH, BEING ABLE TO MOVE UP IN REGARDS TO COMPENSATION.
SO IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT APPROACH WAS TAKEN, HOW THE STUDY WAS DONE, AND, AND ALL OF THE DETAILS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THAT MS. BECKER.
SO ALONG, ALONG THOSE SAME LINES, UM, YES, WE HAD DONE ONE OF THESE IN JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, AND, AND IT WAS HELPFUL.
WE DO HAVE, UM, WE DO WANNA BE COMPETITIVE, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE HIRING, UM, AND ATTRACTING THE MOST QUALIFIED AND PROFESSIONAL, UM, EMPLOYEES OUT THERE.
AND, AND I ALWAYS SAY THAT THE BEST PLACE TO WORK IS HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY, BECAUSE WE DO TRY TO STAY COMPETITIVE LIKE THAT.
UM, I DO HAVE A, ANOTHER QUESTION, THOUGH.
UM, IT HAS TO DO WITH ANOTHER STUDY OR CONSULTANT THAT I, I THINK I HAD HEARD ABOUT PREVIOUSLY.
UM, AND IT IS THAT LISTED IN HERE, THE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT.
UM, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND HOW OFTEN THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN BUDGETS MOVING FORWARD, OR, YEAH.
THAT'S SOMETHING I PUT IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR.
IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT AN ANNUAL RECURRING, UH, AMOUNT.
UH, I'VE, I'VE PUT IT IN THE BUDGET.
I HAVE NOT OF COURSE, PROCURED OR HIRED ANY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, BUT I, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO, AND I BELIEVE IT'S TIME THAT WE PUT SOME SORT OF LEADERSHIP PROGRAM IN PLACE, NOT JUST FOR THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM, UH, THAT, THAT IS, UH, WORKS CLOSELY WITH ME, BUT OUR MANAGERS AND SUPERVISORS THROUGHOUT THE
[01:05:01]
ENTIRE ORGANIZATION, INCLUDING FIRE RESCUE AND INCLUDING THE NON-FIRE RESCUE EMPLOYEES.SO WHILE, WHILE THE PROGRAM'S NOT SCOPED, THE, THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT IS, IS, AND IT'S, IT'S CLEARLY ASKED FOR IN THE BUDGET.
AND I WOULDN'T SAY IT'S A ONE TIME, BUT IT'S, UH, NOT A RECURRING EVERY YEAR AMOUNT.
SO I WANTED TO, UH, SO IN THAT REGARD, CONGRATULATE YOU ON THE FACT THAT MARK, YOU'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO DEVELOPING A VERY HIGHLY SKILLED AND, UM, UH, COLLABORATIVE, UH, COHESIVE TEAM OF LEADERS THERE.
YOU HAVE A GREAT TEAM AS IT IS.
AND ONE MIGHT THINK, WELL, MY GOSH, THEY'RE THE BEST BET THERE THAT EXISTS, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS, UM, LEARN AND DO MORE.
STAYING WITHIN THE, UM, PILLAR OF EXCELLENCE THAT HI HAD HAS, UM, SET FOR ITSELF.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS HIGHLIGHTED AND THAT, UM, EVERYONE KNOWS THE COMMITMENT WE HAVE TO OUR STAFF AND TO PROVIDING EXCELLENCE, UM, THROUGH OUR LEADERSHIP AND THROUGH THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION.
AND I ALSO WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT IT WASN'T A, A YEAR TO YEAR EXPENSE.
SO THANK YOU FOR BOTH OF THOSE THINGS.
JUMPING DOWN TO THE OTHER OPERATING EXPENSE ITEMS THAT ARE DRIVING, UH, OUR CHANGE IN 2027, WE CALLED OUT THE ONE-TIME ITEMS HERE THAT ARE, UM, UH, I'LL CALL IT SIGNIFICANT CHANGES FROM 26.
UM, FIRST ONE BEING COMMERCIAL INSURANCE.
UH, THIS IS THE QUOTE FOR THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
IT'S GOING UP 8.5% TO $1,167,000.
UM, OUR HERITAGE, WE ARE INCREASING FOR THE BANNER, BANNER HANGING AND REMOVAL.
UH, FOR THAT, FOR THAT FUNCTION, FOR THAT, UH, EVENT, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY CONSULTANT, WE PUT IN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN THE BUDGET FOR 2027.
LEGAL, LEGAL IS GOING UP IN THIS CATEGORY, BUT WE'RE, ALL WE'RE DOING IS CONSOLIDATING LEGAL FROM OTHER AREAS OF THE TOWN INTO ONE, UH, INTO ONE DEPARTMENT IN THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY DRIVING THE CHANGE IN THIS AREA.
UH, WE HAVE OUR ELECTION IN NOVEMBER.
UH, WE ARE LOOKING TO BRING ON AN A DA CONSULTANT, UM, TO DO AN EVALUATION OF OUR, ALL OF OUR A DA, UH, ALL OF OUR FACILITIES, UH, PUBLIC FACILITIES FOR A DA COMPLIANCE, UM, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS PLANNED FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
WE JUST SPOKE ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT.
THERE ARE SOME TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS BEING MADE FOR GIS, UM, AND FOR FIRE RESCUE, WELL ACTUALLY, UH, DISPATCH FOR RADIO SOFTWARE UPGRADE.
IF YOU LOOK AT EVERYTHING ELSE, IT'S FLAT.
AND, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE WANTED TO SHOW THERE.
WHAT WAS REALLY DRIVING THAT CHANGE.
UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT CONTRACTED PUBLIC SAFETY, IT'S ACTUALLY GOING DOWN, BUT SOME OF THAT'S JUST DUE TO TRASH AND RECYCLING THAT IS COMING FROM THE CURRENT CONTRACT FOR SHORE BEACH TO I TWO RECYCLING I TWO.
AND SO THAT I THINK IS GONNA GO UP INTO THE FACILITIES, UH, ORGANIZATION.
AND THEN ON GRANTS, WELL, WE HAVE OUR AFFILIATED AGENCIES, WHICH THAT WAS, UH, APPROVED, UM, FOR $373,000 INCREASE FROM 2026.
AND THEN LAST, WE HAVE OUR TRANSFERS.
AND SO ONE IS OUR, UH, GULLAH GEECHEE TRANSFER FOR SALARIES AND BENEFITS FOR, UH, 3 59.
UM, WE WERE TAKING A REDUCTION OF A TRANSFER WE DID IN HOUSING, UM, OF 1 97.
AND THEN WE ARE TRANSFERRING MONEY TO SPECIAL REVENUE FOR SOME GRANTS EXPENDITURES THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, TO TRUE ALL THAT UP.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE JUST WANTED TO DO A ONE PAGER TO KIND OF BREAK OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND EXPENSE CHANGE FROM 26.
UM, MAYOR, IF NO ONE ELSE, CAN I JUMP IN? GO AHEAD.
PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE WAITED ON THE OTHER ONE AS WELL.
AND I APOLOGIZE IF I HAD INTERRUPTED WHEN, WHILE YOU WERE GOING THROUGH THE LIST, BUT, UM, STARTING AT, AT THE TOP, THE HERITAGE CLASSIC FOUNDATION, WHICH I FULLY SUPPORT, UM, THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT WE GAVE THEM, UH, IN THE PAST AS THEY'VE BECOME A SIGNATURE EVENT, EVENT, THE AMOUNT OF, UH, PUBLICITY, THE AMOUNT OF WORLDWIDE, UH, VIEWS THAT WE GET FROM THAT EVENT IS WELL WORTH THE $400,000.
WHAT I'M BOTHERED BY HERE IS THAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO ME THAT THIS HAS BECOME SOMETHING.
[01:10:01]
AND, AND WHEN WE, IT'S COME IN THE PAST, IT'S BEEN A SPECIAL REQUEST AND THE TA SITTING TOWN COUNCIL EVALUATES IT AND MAKES THE DECISION, AND IT PROVIDES THOSE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS.WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE HERE, TO ME IS IT'S A PREDETERMINED DECISION.
AND I'M VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IT.
AND I KNOW I'VE HIGHLIGHTED ANOTHER INSTANCE, AND UNFORTUNATELY, IF THAT'S SPACE, IF I'M CORRECT, AND THIS IS AN
IT'S ANOTHER REASON I'M GONNA HAVE TO VOTE.
UM, THAT IS, THAT SHOULD NOT, THAT SHOULD NOT BE.
AND AS WE MOVE DOWN, UM, I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE DOING THE A DA, UM, WE HAVE, UH, BEEN IMPROVING THE ABILITY FOR THOSE WHO ARE MOVING, HAVE SOME MOBILITY ISSUES, HEARING ISSUES, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE ACROSS THE ISLAND.
AND THAT'S BEEN A VERY GOOD THING.
BUT WE'VE BEEN DOING IT PIECEMEAL.
AND I THINK THAT LOOKING AT ISLAND AS A WHOLE IN TERMS OF THAT IS, IS A VERY GOOD IDEA.
I'M TRYING TO SEE IS THE SPIRITUAL THING.
UM, THE OTHER ONE I'M, AND I HOPE I'M NOT MISSING ONE, BUT IF I AM, I'LL TALK ABOUT IT SOME OTHER POINT.
AFFILIATED AGENCIES IS WHERE I'M GONNA GO TO AT THIS MOMENT WHEN AFFILIATED AGENCIES COME FLOW, OR IT'S ALWAYS INTERESTING TO READ THROUGH THEIR PAPERWORK, TO LISTEN TO THEIR PRESENTATIONS AND THE DISCUSSION THAT FNA HAS WITH, WITH THOSE APPLICANTS.
AND THEN THERE'S A YES OR NO MADE BY THE FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE, WHICH IS A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE FULL TOWN COUNCIL, BUT I'M BOTHERED BY IS THAT DOESN'T COME BACK THROUGH THE FULL TOWN COUNCIL FOR A VOTE OF, OF THE SEVEN OF US.
AND IT SHOWS UP INSTEAD, UM, AS PART OF OUR BUDGET.
AND I THINK THAT THE PROCESS IS OFF.
I THINK THAT THIS NEEDS TO COME FORWARD AS A SEPARATE ISSUE AFTER IT HITS F AND A.
THEY ARE NOT FULL TOWN COUNCIL, AND IT SHOULD COME TO THE FULL TOWN COUNCIL FOR A VOTE BEFORE IT SHOWS UP IN OUR BUDGET.
WHETHER WE AGREE WITH IT OR NOT.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH IT PER SE, ALTHOUGH A DISCUSSION MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO HAVE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT PROCESS CHANGED AND NOT AN ASSUMPTION MADE.
IF YOU GO BACK TO THE OTHER SCREEN FOR ME, UM, AND I DON'T THINK MAYBE I MISSED IT, THE TRANSFERS.
UM, I WILL HAVE, WHEN WE GET TO, UM, THE TRANSFERS BELOW, I ASSUME YOU WOULD RATHER I WAIT UNTIL WE GET TO THOSE AREAS TO DISCUSS THOSE ITEMS. UH, WE CAN, OR IF, IF THERE'S COMMENTS YOU WOULD, I MEAN, THESE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE DOING FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO OTHER FUNDS, SO I, I THINK IF YOU WOULD WANNA TALK ABOUT 'EM, THAT'S FINE.
SO, UM, I HAVE, UM, SOME CONCERNS WITH REGARD TO THE TRANSFERS
UM, I'D LIKE TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT IF YOU WANNA DISCUSS IT.
I KNOW WHAT I'M ASKING BECAUSE I'VE ASKED IT BEFORE, AND, UM, I THINK IT'S WORTHY OF A CONVERSATION, UH, DOUBT OR WHEN WE GET TO THAT, UM, THAT FUND, HOWEVER YOU WANNA DO IT.
I, I WOULD PREFER THAT, AND I'M TAKING SOME, SOME NOTES THAT WE JUST PARK THE CDC CONVERSATION UNTIL WE GET TO THE CDC ACCOUNT, BUT WE JUST EARMARK THAT THERE IS A TRANSFER FROM GENERAL FUND FOR SALARIES INTO, IN, IN, INTO THE CDC, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT SHOW UP THERE AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT GOOD WITH THAT.
AND SO I'LL, I'LL, I'LL HOLD OFF ON THAT AND THE SAME WILL BE TRUE THEN FOR HOUSING.
SO, UM, I JUST, WE'LL MAKE A NOTE HERE AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT IN A BIT.
I JUST HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE A DA.
SO IN, IN REGARDS TO FACILITIES, SO WE DO HAVE SOME AFFILIATED AGENCIES WHERE, UH, WE, WE OWN THE PROPERTY.
UM, IS IT GONNA EXTEND TO THOSE PIECES AS WELL? OKAY.
[01:15:01]
COUPLE THINGS.ONE, I I, I JUST WANNA REMIND US ALL THAT, THAT THIS IS A WORKSHOP.
I THINK THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO WORK OKAY.
SO IF, IF WE WANT TO MAKE CHANGES, BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING THIS IS STILL
ALRIGHT? SO I'M MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, THE, THE, THE LINE ITEM THAT, THAT I WANTED TO BRING SOME ATTENTION TO WAS THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION AS WELL.
UM, I'M, I'M UNDERSTANDING THE ADDITIONAL 65,000 IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL BE ADMINISTERING INTERNALLY.
AND THE OTHER PART OF IT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY HAVEN'T CLOSED THEIR BOOKS OUT YET.
AND WE, WE HEARD WHEN THEY, UH, WHEN THEY CAME TO SEE US THIS YEAR, THAT THINGS HAVE CHANGED, UM, FROM ONE YEAR TO ANOTHER.
AND THIS IS A BUDGET, SO THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT THEY COULD COME BACK AND ASK FOR LESS, OR THEY COME BACK AND ASK FOR MORE.
WE, WE, WE DON'T KNOW UNTIL THEY FIGURE THINGS OUT.
BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO, MR. MAYOR, UH, IS APPROPRIATE THAT SOONER THAN LATER THEY COME TO US WITH SORT OF AN AFTER ACTION REPORT, JUST TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT WENT WELL AND WHAT DID NOT GO SO WELL.
UM, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS EVENT, BUT I MEAN, I CAN TELL YOU FOR SURE THAT I'VE HEARD SOME COMMENTS ABOUT THE EVENT.
UM, POSITIVE, BUT THERE'S SOME NEGATIVES.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM THEM WHAT THEY HEARD, WHAT THEY UNDERSTAND, AND US SHARE THE SAME, PARTICULARLY SINCE WE ARE CONTRIBUTING TO 400 K AT THIS MOMENT.
UM, BUT IF THERE NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTMENTS, AT LEAST PREPARE US NOW TO START THINKING ABOUT WHAT THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE.
WELL, IF, IF, IF, IF NO ONE ELSE IS JUMPING IN TO ALEX'S POINT, WHICH I GUESS KIND OF SPEAKS TO WHAT I WAS ASKING, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR OTHER PEOPLE'S OPINION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT WE ARE JUST NOW BUDGETING INTO OUR, OR PUTTING INTO OUR BUDGET AN ASSUMPTION OF A, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT MIGHT BE REQUESTED AND WHETHER OR NOT COLLECTIVELY THE TOWN COUNCIL WOULD FEEL IT APPROPRIATE TO, TO PROVIDE THAT OR PERHAPS MORE, OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
BUT I'M VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH BUILDING IT INTO OUR BUDGET.
I WOULD RATHER HAVE A, A REQUEST MADE TO US SO THAT WE CAN HEAR THE INFORMATION AS ALEX JUST DESCRIBED IT, AND, AND MAKE AN EVALUATION, UM, AT THAT TIME.
SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK.
I MEAN, I, I KNOW I TALK IN A D SPEAK IN A DIFFERENT WAY, AND I PRESENT IDEAS.
AND IF I DON'T STOP, I GUESS, AND, AND MAKE YOU MAKE A POINT OF SAYING, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THINGS NOT JUST ME.
I WANNA HEAR WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
AND, AND I'M NOT JUST HERE TO, TO HEAR MYSELF SPEAK.
I WOULD REALLY WANNA HEAR WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TO, TO SAY ABOUT THESE THINGS AS WELL, BECAUSE IT IS OUR BUDGET.
AND THIS BUDGET, WE ARE AS A, AS A COUNCIL, AS A GOVERNMENT, WE ARE THE 38,000 PLUS THEREABOUTS REP, UH, CON RESIDENTS OF THE ISLAND.
AND SO WE SHOULD BE HAVING A CONVERSATION, NOT JUST TALKING TO YOURSELVES, TALKING.
AND SOMETIMES THAT'S WHAT I FEEL LIKE HAPPENS.
MS. BECKER, MR. ORLANDO IS GONNA ADDRESS THIS REAL QUICK.
UH, I, I WOULD JUST SAY THERE'S AN OPTION.
I, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT MS. BECKER IS ASKING FOR IT.
IT IS, AND AGAIN, THIS IS, THIS HAS BEEN TRYING TO BE A SHIFT THIS YEAR IN THE BUDGET TO SHOW CLARITY IN WHAT WE'RE CONTEMPLATING, RIGHT? AND SO YOUR OPTIONS ARE THIS, LEAVE THE 400 AS IS, OR DON'T SHOW THE 400 NIGHT, RIGHT NOW, TAKE THE $400,000 AND PUT IT IN THE GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE, AND THAT WHEN THE RBC, WHEN THEY COME BACK TO ASK, YOU CAN MAKE A DECISION.
AND THEN THE THEN, BUT, BUT IN, IN ADDITION TO THE AGREEMENT, WE WOULD NEED A BUDGET AMENDMENT, RIGHT? TWO READINGS.
AND, AND, AND I'M ACTUALLY FINE WITH THAT BECAUSE I, I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF, UM, EVEN CUTTING THEM SHORT, RIGHT? BY PUTTING 400,000 IN THE BUDGET WOULD MAYBE, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE, WE'VE, WE HAVE DONE THIS FOR YEARS.
UM, SO I, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT TAKING YOU OUT, IT'S JUST REAL, IT'S JOURNAL ENTRY WITHIN THE SYSTEM TO MOVE IT OUT OF THERE INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
WE'VE DONE IT DIFFERENT WAYS IN, IN PAST HERE, SO I'M FINE, I'M FINE WITH THAT.
LE LEAVE THE 65,000 BECAUSE THAT'S, THOSE ARE THE BANNERS AND THE POSTS AND THE, AND THE LABOR.
OH, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THAT APPROACH.
YOU COULD LEAVE THE 400 IN AND THEN ALWAYS ADD A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR MORE.
UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'D BE PAYING LESS, BUT I, I'M COMFORTABLE REMOVING IT.
[01:20:01]
THE BANNERS HAVE BEEN HUNG BEFORE, OR AT LEAST THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT I CAN REMEMBER.'CAUSE I REMEMBER SEEING THEM AND GOING AND TELLING YOU HOW WONDERFUL THEY LOOK.
UM, SO IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE PAID FOR IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS? IT'S HOW MANY YEARS HAVE WE DONE? SO IT, SO IS THIS JUST A MATTER OF TAKING IT OUT OF ONE AREA AND ASSIGNING IT TO, UH, HERITAGE? YES.
YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE JUST MOVING IT, IT IS TO SHOW THE TRANSPARENCY OF WHAT WE ARE SUPPORTING.
I BELIEVE IT WAS IN THE FACILITIES DEPARTMENT, UNDER, UNDER EVENTS OR, OR OR WHEREVER IT WAS LIKE THAT.
AND WE JUST WANTED TO BE BE CLEAR SINCE, SINCE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE HERE HERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF MY PHILOSOPHY.
IN PAST YEARS, WE HAVE NOW, WE GO TO FIRST READING, WE HAVE A COUPLE WORKSHOPS, WE HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS, AND THEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR WHEN WE DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW ARE GOING TO HAPPEN, WE DON'T HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND WE DON'T HAVE WORKSHOPS, AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT FULL DISCLOSURE AND TRANSPARENCY OF WHERE THE DOLLARS ARE GOING.
SO WHEN, WHEN WE PUT THE 400 IN THE, IN THE BUDGET PLACEHOLDER FOR THIS YEAR, KNOWING IT WOULD COME TO TOWN COUNCIL WITH AN AGREEMENT.
'CAUSE THAT IS, THAT IS THE, THE WAY THE AGREEMENT'S STRUCTURED YEAR TO YEAR.
WE JUST SAID, LET'S JUST PUT THE 60 5K FOR BANNERS IN THERE SO PEOPLE DO SEE YOU INCLUDED.
AND THE COMMUNITY KNOWS THE INVESTMENT WE'RE MAKING FROM A TAX USE AND WHATNOT INTO THAT RBC FUND.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT HENCE THE SHIFT, HENCE IT ALL IN ONE PLACE.
SO I, I DON'T WANNA ULTRA COMPLICATE THIS, BUT I GUESS I, I, I AM STRUGGLING A LITTLE BIT WITH ONLY SHOWING 60 5K UNDER THE HERITAGE CLASSIC FOUNDATION LINE.
I MEAN, I, AGAIN, IT'S A BUDGET PICK ANY LINE UP HERE, WE'RE GONNA PUT A NUMBER THERE, AND AT SOME POINT WE MAY HAVE TO AMEND IT.
UM, BUT I, I DON'T WANT TO GIVE THE PUBLIC IMPRESSION RIGHT, THAT WE ARE CUTTING IT.
SO I, I STRUGGLE WITH THAT A LITTLE BIT.
AND I DUNNO, WE'VE EVER, WE'VE NEVER ACTUALLY BUDGETED FOR IT THOUGH.
MARK, IT'S NEVER BEEN A LIGHT ITEM.
IT'S GONNA REQUEST AND WE RESPOND TO IT.
AND I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING WITH REGARD TO THIS MAY BE A MORE TRANSPARENT WAY OF DOING IT, BUT I ALSO DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE THE LEVEL OF, AND I'M NOT BY ANY MEANS SAYING THAT IT'S NOT A WORTHY, A WORTHY CAUSE AND GOOD AMOUNT OF MONEY AND MAYBE MORE MONEY, BUT IT'S THE COMMITMENT TO IT WITHOUT HAVING THE REQUEST FOR IT.
AND THEN AS ALEX HAD CORRECTLY POINTED OUT SOME OF THE, UM, THE LOOK BACK, YOU KNOW, THE DAY AFTER, UH, WHAT WAS GOOD, WHAT WAS BAD, WHAT'LL CHANGE, AND SOME OF THOSE METRICS THAT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BEFORE WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO 400 OR 500 OR A MILLION DOLLARS OR 300 MILLION, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST FOR ME, PUTTING OURSELVES ON THE LINE SAYING WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE COMMITTING OTHER PEOPLE TO.
I, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
AND I'VE HEARD OTHER PEOPLE SUGGEST THAT AS WELL.
SO IF I MIGHT MARK, SUGGEST THAT, UM, MAYBE WE CHANGE THE VERBIAGE FROM HERITAGE CLASSIC FOUNDATION, BECAUSE THAT'S INDICATING THE ACTUAL FOUNDATION FOR FUNDING, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT ON THIS AT THIS POINT IN TIME WITH THE 65,000, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN WHAT, I'M INTERESTED IN WHAT OTHERS HAVE TO SAY, BECAUSE AGAIN, IF WE PUT IN A ZERO, IT'S GOTTA COME BACK TO TOWN COUNCIL TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE.
IF YOU PUT IT AT 400, YOU STILL HAVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION DOWN THE ROAD ABOUT WHAT IT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE.
UM, IT'S A, IT IS A PLACEHOLDER HOLD TO SOME DEGREE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I, I'D WELCOME THE REST OF COUNCIL TO, TO SORT OF WEIGH IN ON THIS.
AGAIN, I'M OKAY WITH THE 60 5K, PARTICULARLY SINCE WE'VE ALREADY BEEN SPENDING IT.
AND I'M ALSO COMFORTABLE WITH SAYING OUT LOUD TO THE PUBLIC THAT WE ARE GOING TO SUPPORT THIS EVENT.
I'M JUST ASKING THAT THE FOLKS SHOW UP AT FNA SOONER THAN LATER TO GIVE, GIVE US A AFTER ACTION REPORT.
WE CAN WORK, WE CAN WORK ON THAT.
I I, I DO KNOW THEY'RE STILL COUNTING THE MONEY PROBABLY.
AND THE BILLS, ANY MS. BRYSON? YEAH, SURE.
UM, I, I JUST LOOKED AT OUR ORDINANCE.
I DON'T SEE IT AS A LINE ITEM IN OUR ORDINANCE.
UM, SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LINE ITEM, IT'S NOT IN THE ORDINANCE ITSELF.
UM, AND, AND WHAT I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT IS WHAT'S BEEN OUR PRACTICE? HAVE WE INCLUDED THIS SOMEWHERE IN, IN THE BUDGET MATERIALS, OR HAS IT NOT BEEN INCLUDED, OR IS IT INCLUDED IN OUR BUDGET AMENDMENT? AT SOME POINT, I BELIEVE LA FORGIVE ME, I DON'T HAVE WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF ME,
[01:25:01]
BUT LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL BUDGET, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SHOW UP TO YOU IN THE, UH, IN THE AMENDED, BUT IT, BUT YEARS PRIOR, IT WASN'T IN THE BUDGET.AND COMING ON BOARD HERE, I WOULD ALWAYS ASK THE QUESTION, WELL, IF WE'RE HAVE THIS AGREEMENT, AND THE AGREEMENT READS THAT IF THE RBC HERITAGE HAS A TITLE SPONSOR THAT THE TOWN WILL PROVIDE A SPONSORSHIP, WHY AREN'T WE BUDGETING IT? WHY ARE WE PRETENDING IT'S A MID-YEAR? BUT, AND SO WE HAD THOSE PHILOSOPHICAL BUDGET STRUCTURE QUESTIONS LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL AND AFTER YEARS PRIOR, IT WAS A BUDGET AMENDMENT.
AND, AND FOR INSTANCE, MY ISLAND RECREATION, WE HAVE A NUMBER THAT WE PUT IN THERE IN OUR BUDGET, BUT IT COULD CHANGE BASED ON THE REQUEST.
SO WE DO PUT A NUMBER IN THERE TO SHOW THAT THERE, WE, WE ANTICIPATE SOME EXPENDITURE FOR CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS, AND THAT SHOWS, UH, WHAT WE PLAN AND THINK WE'RE GOING TO SPEND.
SO IT, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH IT, IF IF WE HAVE THE OTHERS IN THERE, THEN THIS BELONGS IN THERE AS WELL.
MR. AL ALFRED, JUST TO ADD ON, ON THE HERITAGE, I, I THINK IT'S FINE.
THE WAY IT'S, THE ONLY DOWNSIDE WOULD BE IN A SITUATION WHERE HERITAGE CAME IN, UH, LOOKING FOR A LOT LESS MONEY.
WELL, YOU, YOU ANSWERED THE QUESTION BECAUSE THERE'S AN AGREEMENT, AND IF THERE'S AN AGREEMENT, THEN WHY WOULDN'T WE HAVE THE DOLLAR AMOUNT IN THERE? AND, YOU KNOW, USING THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S ALLOCATION, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY IF THEY COME IN AND ASK FOR MORE, THEN THAT'S GONNA BE A, AN AMENDMENT TO IT.
SO, BUT, BUT TO YOUR POINT, MR. BROWN, HAVING THEM COME BACK AND DO THAT IS, IS IDEAL.
SO ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ARE YOU THINKING MS. DONNER? I AM.
YOU CAN SEE THE WHEELS GOING
UM, WELL, IT'S ABOUT THE COMMENT ABOUT AFFILIATED AGENCIES.
SO, UM, THOSE NUMBERS AREN'T THEORETICAL.
THAT'S WHAT THEY CAME AND ASKED US FOR.
AND IT, AND IT WAS REVIEWED AT TWO FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE MEETINGS, AND THERE WERE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE AND, AND SOME CAME UP AND PROVIDED FEEDBACK OR NOT, BUT I ACKNOWLEDGE IT WAS JUST FINANCE THAT VOTED THREE ZERO, UH, TO APPROVE, AND NOW IT'S IN THE BUDGET.
SO I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, WE CAN ALWAYS CHANGE THE PROCESS AND HAVE A, HAVE THIS BE A STANDALONE ITEM, JUST LIKE, UH, WE DO WITH ATEX.
UM, SO THAT WE CAN DO THAT MOVING FORWARD.
I GUESS THE QUESTION WOULD BE, WHAT DO WE WANNA DO FOR THIS YEAR? UM, YOU KNOW, DO WE WANNA ADD IT AS A DISCUSSION ITEM AT ONE OF THE WORKSHOPS OR, OR NOT? I'M JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE.
JUST TO ADD ON TO MS. THOMAS' COMMENTS, I MEAN, WE ALL HERE RIGHT NOW, SO I, I THINK ANY ITEM THAT'S IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET, WE'RE THE POLICY MAKERS.
WE HAVE THE LUXURY TO HAVE A DISCUSSION AND CHANGE IT IF WE THINK WE NEED TO CHANGE IT.
SO, UM, I, I, I THINK AT THIS POINT, IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, TICKLING ONE OF US WITH THE AFFILIATED AGENCY, UH, NOW'S THE TIME TO TALK ABOUT IT.
IS THERE ANYTHING TICKLING YOU ON THE AFFILIATED AGENCIES,
I PUT THE SLIDE, IT'S ABOUT THREE, IT WAS FOUR SLIDES AHEAD TO GO THROUGH THESE WITH YOU TODAY TO TALK THROUGH THEM.
AND, AND I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS ON IMPROVING PROCESSES.
WE ALWAYS TRY TO TRY TO IMPROVE THE PROCESS.
UM, IN THE PAST, WHAT, WHAT WE DID AGREE WITH, WHAT I THINK TOGETHER WAS IF, IF WHATEVER THE ASK IS GO TO JUST FOR EVERYBODY, FINANCE, ADMINISTRATIVE, IF FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE IS MAKING THAT RECOMMENDATION, IT'S MAKING THE RECOMMENDATION TO ME, AND I'M PUTTING IT IN THE BUDGET FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
UM, BUT MAYBE A GREAT POINT, A PROCESS IMPROVEMENT WHERE THAT GETS, GETS APPROVED AND FULL COUNSEL AND RECOMMENDED INDIVIDUALLY, OR WE CAN DO IT LIKE THIS AND GO THROUGH THIS TODAY.
AND I CAN HELP WALK US THROUGH THIS IF YOU'D LIKE.
I COULD GO ONE AT A TIME AND, AND GO THROUGH IT.
WELL, AGAIN, I ASKED THE QUESTION, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY, ANY ISSUES WITH, WITH WHAT F AND A, UH, APPROVED? I'VE ALREADY BEEN TICKLED.
I, I, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT, ABOUT IT.
'CAUSE I, 'CAUSE I APPRECIATE THE PROCESS THAT IT WENT THROUGH.
SO I, I'M NOT HERE TO, TO DISCUSS THE PROCESS TONIGHT, BUT EVEN THE FUNDING AMOUNTS, THE REQUESTS AND THE ALLOCATIONS I'M FINE WITH.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF ANYONE ELSE IS JUMPING IN 'CAUSE THEY CAN'T SEE.
SO IF I'M INTERRUPTING ANYONE, I APOLOGIZE.
UM, I'M NOT NECESSARILY BOTHERED BY THE MONEY, PER SE, AS IT WAS RECOMMENDED TO, THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO THE TOWN COUNCIL, IS THAT THE RECOMMENDATION TO, UH, THE TOWN
[01:30:01]
MANAGER? SO I WOULD BE INTERESTING TO BE REMINDED OF THAT, BUT I WOULD, WHAT I DO WANT TO SAY IS WITH REGARD TO THE AFFILIATE AGENCY, I THINK THE PROCESS NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED.THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT GETS ALLOCATED TO AFFILIATED AGENCIES IS GROWING.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A, ANOTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS IN TERMS OF ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR RELIANCE ON PUBLIC FUNDS, UM, THEIR NONPROFITS, THESE NONPROFITS AND, AND THE, THE PUBLIC FUNDS.
I KNOW THAT IT'S FOR PUBLIC, UH, USE.
I KNOW THAT IT'S BENEFICIAL TO OUR, UH, COMMUNITY.
I'M NOT QUESTIONING THAT AT ALL.
WHAT I'M ASKING OR THINKING ABOUT IS THE INCREASED RELIANCE PERHAPS, UM, AND THE INCREASED DOLLARS YEAR OVER YEAR THAT ARE BEING ALLOCATED TO THIS.
AND SO WHEN PEOPLE LOOK AT OUR BUDGETS, THESE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT, THAT THEY SHOULD BE AWARE OF THAT'S COSTING US MORE MONEY, UM, TO PROVIDE THESE TYPES OF SERVICES TO PROVIDE THESE TYPES OF, UM, OPPORTUNITIES ON THE ISLAND FOR THE RESIDENTS AND THE VISITORS.
SO IT'S A BIGGER PICTURE THAT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DRILL DOWN ON SO THAT THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS FULLY WELL.
MS. MS. BECKER, I, IF I, IF I MIGHT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD, I THINK THAT, THAT THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT THE PROCESS NEEDS TO GO TO F AND A DOWN THE ROAD, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THIS BUDGET CONVERSATION.
NOW IF THE MONEY'S, IF THE DOLLARS ARE FINE AND WE'RE GOOD WITH THAT, WELL, I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S OUTSIDE OF, UH, THE BUDGET BECAUSE OF THE PROCESS.
THE PIECE WHERE TOWN COUNCIL AND WE EITHER APPROVE THE AFFILIATED AGENCIES BY VIRTUE OF APPROVING THE BUDGET.
AND SO IT ALL GOES HAND IN HAND.
OR WE DON'T APPROVE THE BUDGET 'CAUSE WE DON'T APPROVE THE AFFILIATE AID AGENCIES AND EVERYTHING ELSE GETS LEFT BEHIND.
AND IT'S A, IT'S JUST NOT A GOOD SITUATION TO PUT AN INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBER IN WHO YES, DID LIKELY ATTEND THE F AND A MEETING, YES, DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, UM, AT THAT MEETING, BUT DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON THE OUTCOME.
AND SO THE ONLY VOTE ON THE OUTCOME IS TO APPROVE OR NOT APPROVE THE BUDGET.
AND SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUDGETS, I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE.
IF YOU DON'T, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT BE BROUGHT UP AGAIN, UM, IN THE FUTURE.
I, I I, I THINK THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE SPLITTING HAIRS A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THIS IS, UM, AN ITEM THAT'S BEEN IMPROVED BY F AND A TO GO INTO THE BUDGET, NOT THE ACTUAL ALLOCATION OF THE FUNDS.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE DIFFERENCE IS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT PROCEDURALLY THAT'S ONE CONVERSATION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE OFFLINE.
BUT IF THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE THAT FEELS THAT THE FUNDING IS NOT APPROPRIATE, SPEAK NOW, MR. ALFRED? UH, I WANTED TO REPEAT A COMMENT.
I MADE IT A FINANCE COMMITTEE WITH RESPECT TO THE ALLOCATION OF, UH, OF A TAX MONEY TO THE, UH, SEA TURTLE PATROL.
UM, I MENTIONED IT AT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE THAT SPR THE SEA TURTLE PATROL APPLICATION SHOWS A NUMBER OF FIGURES THAT ARE QUITE OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER APPLICANTS.
ONE OF WHICH IS THAT THE TOWN IS PROVIDING ABOUT 42% OF THE OPERATING EXPENSES OF SEA TURTLE PATROL, WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN THE PORTION FOR ANY OF THE OTHER FUNDED AGENCY.
SECOND, UH, THEIR BALANCE SHEET SHOWS A GREAT DEAL OF, OF CASH ON HAND.
UH, SO THERE'S A QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THE AMOUNTS ARE REALLY NEEDED.
AND THE THIRD THING THAT CONCERNED ME WAS HOW THEY FIT IN WITH, WITH THE PUBLIC PURPOSE, OTHER THAN THIS YEAR WHEN THERE'S A BEACH RENOURISHMENT GOING ON AND THEY ARE, UH, REQUIRED TO PROVIDE SERVICES IN THAT RESPECT, BUT IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS, WE WILL NOT HAVE BEACH RENOURISHMENT.
SO, UM, MY, MY, UH, POSITION ESSENTIALLY IS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS PARTICULAR ITEM MORE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED NEXT YEAR.
CAN I JUST MAKE ONE MORE COMMENT? I APOLOGIZE TO EVAN.
IT'S ME TALKING A LOT, BUT THESE ARE
WELL, I'LL BE QUICK, BUT YOU KNOW, IF THIS IS A WORKSHOP AND, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE WE CAN TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS.
WE HAD DISCUSSED WHAT I'M GONNA POINT OUT NEXT.
PREVIOUSLY, UM, THE, AND I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WHAT IT IS THAT'S BEING DONE WITH REGARDS TO THE OYSTERS AND THAT ASPECT.
I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A
[01:35:01]
REGARD TO THE FOUNDATION THAT INDICATES CLEARLY THAT THE DOLLARS THAT WE ARE CONTRIBUTING, UH, TO THEM, THOSE WHAT IT'S GOING TO SPECIFICALLY WITH THE OYSTERS AND THE OYSTER REEFS AND, AND THAT WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING.AND THAT IS NOT A DONATION OR A GRANT TO EVERY ASPECT OF WHAT THE OUTSIDE FOUNDATION DOES.
AND SO I'M NOT, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT BEING IN HERE, BUT I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE REALLY CLEAR WHAT IT IS THAT THIS MONEY IS GOING TOWARDS.
UM, SO WE HOLD ON A SECOND HERE.
WE HAD, OUTSIDE OF THE SUMMARY, WE HAD DEPARTMENTAL REVIEWS AS WELL.
THEY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, IF YOU GO BACK, WE BROKE OUT INTO DIFFERENT AREAS FOR EXECUTIVE, UM, AND WE BROKE OUT TOWN COUNCIL, TOWN ATTORNEY, TOWN MANAGER, DEPUTY TOWN MANAGER, A LOT OF RECLASS BETWEEN TOWN MANAGER AND DEPUTY TOWN MANAGER.
WE TALKED ABOUT LEGAL AND UM, THE ELECTION, WHICH IS DRIVING THE CHANGE IN TOWN COUNCIL.
UM, AND THE FINANCE ADMINISTRATION, UM, RECLASS IN IT.
WE CREATED THE, UH, CIO SO THERE WERE DOLLARS MOVED FROM IT TO THE CIO.
SO YOU SEE THAT CHANGE HAPPENING IN, IN HUMAN RESOURCES.
WE HAD THE CONSULTANT, UH, FOR THE COMP STUDY THIS YEAR, WHICH IS NOT REPEATING.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF MOVEMENT AND PLANNING.
IT'S A LOT OF RE YOU'RE GONNA HEAR A WORD RECLASS 'CAUSE WE, WE JUST RECLASSED A LOT BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
SO I THINK WE CAN JUST KEEP BALL MOVING FROM THAT.
SO FROM A EXPENDITURE HIGHLIGHT, UM, WE WENT THROUGH THESE THE OTHER DAY.
UH, FROM A STAFFING SIDE, THERE'S 2 82 FOLKS IN THE GENERAL FUND, 153 OR FIRE RESCUE.
UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE THE FOLKS THAT WE'VE PUT IN THE BUDGET FOR THE STR PROGRAM LISTED HERE, THE POSITIONS, UH, THAT WE'VE ADDED.
AND THEN, UM, KEEP ON GOING OUR SALARIES AND BENEFITS.
WE HAVE OUR PERFORMANCE BASE PAY INCREASE PLUS CLASS AND COMP, OUR 401K AND NOW GOING INTO OUR OPERATING EXPENSES OF 18 MILLION.
WE TALKED ABOUT QUITE A FEW OF THESE ALREADY.
PUBLIC SAFETY, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT ALREADY IN THE VARIANCE AS WELL AS AFFILIATED, AS WELL AS TRANSFERS OUT.
AND, UM, FROM OTHER SIDE OF THIS, FROM FIRE RESCUE, THEIR BUDGET'S 24.8 MILLION, WHICH WE HAVE DISCUSSED.
AND ALSO PUBLIC SAFETY AT 2.4 MILLION.
THOSE WERE IN THE DEPARTMENTAL REVIEWS ALREADY.
SO I'M GONNA KEEP MOVING, UM, UNLESS THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS AND WE'LL JUMP TO DEATH SERVICE.
SO OUR DEBT SERVICE FUND, UH, THIS IS THE REVENUES FOR 2027 AND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN SEE IS OUR ORIGINAL BUDGET WAS 18.8 MILLION.
UM, AND OUR PROJECTIONS BACK DOWN TO 11.5 MILLION.
UH, LOOKING AT THIS FROM A GO FORWARD PERSPECTIVE, WE GET OUR PROPERTY TAXES THAT COME IN FROM THE, UH, FOR THE, UH, UH, MILLAGE FOR THE DEBT SERVICE, ABOUT 6.7 MILLION.
A LITTLE BIT OF INVESTMENT INCOME.
SO IT IS COMING DOWN PRIMARILY 'CAUSE WE ARE REMOVING SOME OF THE FUND BALANCE THAT WE DID HAVE IN THE PAST.
UH, WE DO HAVE BEACH PRESERVATION FEES COMING IN TO PAY FOR THE, UH, BEACH BOND THAT WAS DONE AT THE END OF 25.
AND THEN OUR HOSPITALITY IS BEING TRANSFERRED IN TO HELP PAY FOR SOME OF THE GO BOND H TAX, HH TAX, SORRY.
SO FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, WE'VE GOT 11.53 MILLION.
IT IS DOWN QUITE A BIT FROM 26, BUT THAT IS REALLY BASED UPON THE USE OF FUND BALANCE THAT WE NEEDED TO DO FROM THE GO BOND THAT WE DID IN THE PAYMENT MADE.
AND ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, THE SAME, THE SAME FLOW.
UM, THIS IS A MORE NORMAL YEAR, I WOULD SAY FROM GOING FORWARD FROM A DEBT PERSPECTIVE, 8.6 MILLION IN PRINCIPAL, 2.9 MILLION IN INTEREST, 11.5 MILLION TOTAL.
SO A LOT OF MOVEMENT IN 26 BETWEEN THE, UH, TWO BORROWS WE DID AND THE PAYMENTS THAT WE MADE.
BUT NOW WE'RE MORE IN A, WE'RE NOT REPEATING THE GO BOND PAYMENT OR THE CALLABLE BEACH BOND PAYMENT.
[01:40:01]
SOME HIGHLIGHTS HERE.I, I LIKE TO GO TO THIS SCHEDULE.
THIS KIND OF GIVES A KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORY FROM 2018 THROUGH, UH, 20, I CAN'T SEE THE LAST YEAR, BUT 2030 PROBABLY.
UM, BUT IT DOES SHOW A, A GRADUAL DECLINE, A QUITE REMARKABLE DECLINE FROM 2018 TO 2025.
WE DID TAKE A STEP UP IN 26 AND THEN ARE COMING BACK DOWN IN 27.
WE DID A LITTLE RECON UP HERE, WHICH I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO CALL OUT.
YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF 25 WE WERE AT $64 MILLION THAT WE OWED.
UM, WE TOOK ON 54 MILLION IN NEW DEBT IN 2026.
UM, WE DID PAY OFF THE 27 BEACH BOND OF 7.5 MILLION, 15.7 MILLION FOR THE GO BOND AND OUR SCHEDULED DEBT PAYMENTS.
SO OUR 2026 ENDING BALANCE IS 86 MILLION.
AND THEN WITH OUR SCHEDULED DEBT PAYMENTS IN 27, WE'RE ENDING THE YEAR AT 77.8 MILLION.
SO WE, THE WAY I SEE IT IS WE TOOK ON 54 MILLION AND WE, AT THE END OF 27, WE ONLY OWED 13.3 MILLION MORE ON THAT.
SO I THINK THAT'S A PRETTY COMPELLING STORY FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
UM, MARK, I'M JUMPING OVER TO NICOLA.
SO THE, AND, AND I'LL, AND I'LL PAUSE WHEN I, I GET TO A, A CERTAIN POINT TO HELP ANSWER MS. BECKER'S, UH, EARLIER OR PRIOR QUESTION.
UM, OUR CDC AS WE CALL IT, UM, LED BY MR. THOMAS BOXLEY AS THE EXEC DIRECTOR AND JUST, UH, REALLY MORE FOR THE PUBLIC LISTENING AND THE FOLKS HERE, IT IS A SINGLE SOURCE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND NONPROFIT CORPORATION PUT IN PLACE BY THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, OR THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND BY THE TOWN COUNCIL APPOINTED TO THE SEATS, RIGHT? SO IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A FUNCTIONING IN, IN LEGAL NONPROFIT.
THERE ARE BOARD OF DIRECTORS THAT YOU HAVE PUT IN PLACE AND MR. BROWN AND MR. PERRY, YOU, YOU ON THE, YOU ON THE BOARD, UM, AS PART OF THE BYLAWS, UH, REQUIREMENT, TOWN COUNCIL MEMBER TO ARE ON THAT BOARD, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD ARE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
MR. BOXLEY RUNS THE, THE CORPORATION.
MR. BOXLEYS ALSO PART OF OUR SENIOR TEAM, RIGHT? AND SO EVERY TIME I HAVE A SENIOR STAFF MEETING OR SOMETHING'S GOING ON, MR. BOXLEY IS PART OF THE CULTURE AND PART OF THE OPERATIONS OF THE TOWN.
SO I JUST THINK THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT TO JUST SIMPLY GET INTO, AND NOT JUST JUMP INTO THE BUDGET, BUT THE FUND.
WHAT WE'VE DONE IS, INSTEAD OF KEEPING THE CDC IN THE GENERAL OPERATING FUND, SIMILAR TO HOW WE'VE LOOKED AT STORMWATER UTILITY FUND, IT'S, I'LL CALL IT FOR ARGUMENT'S SAKE, DAVE WILL PROBABLY TELL ME I'M WRONG, BUT ALMOST ITS OWN ENTERPRISE FUND, WHERE YOU CAN SHOW MONEY IN MONEY OUT AND IT NOT BE A LINE ITEM IN GENERAL FUND.
AND THAT WAY WE'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT AS A NONPROFIT WITH OUR OWN REPORTING ON THE NONPROFIT, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, ITS OWN AUDIT AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE'VE, WE'VE CHOSEN SOME YEARS AGO TO MAKE IT ITS OWN FUND.
SO IN THE PAST WE SAY WE HAVE SIX FUNDS, WE USED TO HAVE FOUR.
IT WAS MUCH EASIER TO TAKE A LOOK AT FROM A COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE.
BUT WITH THESE SIX NOW, INCLUDING C, D, C, IT'S MUCH CLEARER WHERE YOU'RE SPENDING YOUR TIME, YOUR ENERGY, THE DOLLARS, RIGHT, WHERE YOU'RE MAKING THOSE INVESTMENTS.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, BEING SAID, THIS FUND IS USED TO ACCOUNT FOR AND REPORT THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CORPORATION.
AND THE CORPORATION IS PUT IN PLACE WITH A SET OF BYLAWS ADOPTED BY AN ORDINANCE, BY TOWN COUNCIL.
SO I ALWAYS REALLY WANNA MAKE A A CASE TO SAY IT IS THE TOWN'S NONPROFIT, THE FOCUS OF THE CORPORATION IS RIGHT HERE.
UM, BUT THOSE COME OUTTA THE BYLAWS, RIGHT? UH, ENCOURAGE ENTREPRENEURIALISM, PREVENT GENTRIFICATION IN BUSINESS, ATTRACTION, EXPANSION, RETENTION, PROVIDE LAND PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, UM, ASSISTANCE FOR GULLAH NEIGHBORHOODS.
NOT, NOT NOT ONLY SOME, BUT, BUT EVERY PROPERTY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, PURSUE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, IDENTIFY INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS, AND PROVIDE CRITICAL FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITIES.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND MAYBE SOME YEARS, I, I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT A FLAW WERE ME.
IF I COULD LOOK BACK AND SAY MAYBE I GO THROUGH THIS PAGE TOO FAST, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO SHOW WHAT WE'RE FUNDING.
AND THE PRIMARY SOURCES OF REVENUE HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN A GRANT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE THAT YOU ALL, UM, AS, AS A COUNCIL COLLECTIVE BODY, UH, ASKED US TO GO FIND.
AND, AND SENATOR DAVIS AND, AND
[01:45:01]
SOME OF THE DELEGATION AND UP, UP IN COLUMBIA FOR US AND WITH US, HAVE PROVIDED A, AN INITIAL $5 MILLION GRANT.AND ON TOP OF THAT, WE HAVE MADE A SEPARATE REQUEST.
BACK IN THE BACK, IN THE GOOD OLD ARPA DAYS, WHEN WE HAD THOSE STIMULUS DOLLARS, WE HAD MADE A REQUEST TO BUFORT COUNTY TO RECEIVE SOME OF THEIR AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN GRANT DOLLARS, WHERE THE COUNTY SET ASIDE CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DOLLARS OUT OF THEIR GRANT ARPA PROCEEDS FOR MUNICIPALITIES AS A GOOD NEIGHBOR FUND.
AND SO WE ASKED FOR THOSE AND WE COULD USE THEM IN CERTAIN AREAS AND WE PLEDGED THEM HERE.
AND SO HENCE THE BEGINNING OF, OF, OF THE CDC, UM, WHEN IT, WHEN IT WAS ORIGINATED, UH, THE CDC BOARD WAS PUT IN PLACE.
WE RECRUITED AND HIRED MR. BOXLEY AND MR. BOXLEY CAME IN AND WITH THE BOARD AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, PUT IN PLACE A STRATEGIC PLAN.
IT'S, IT'S V ONE, RIGHT? WE, I THINK THE, THE VERSION OF A STRATEGIC PLAN I HAVE WITH YOU ALL RIGHT NOW IS V THREE OF A STRATEGIC PLAN IN THE FIVE YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE.
SO HE HAS V ONE OF HIS STRATEGIC PLAN.
WHAT WHAT YOU HAVE HERE IS, IS, IS A, IS MUCH SIMPLER BUDGET THAN WHAT WE WERE JUST LOOKING AT.
IT'S, IT'S A SCHEDULE OF REVENUES.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE, THE TREND, RIGHT? PRIOR YEAR, SOUTH CAROLINA USE OF FUNDS, THAT WAS THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE GRANT.
AND WE'VE OVER TIME USED THOSE FUNDS AS A SOURCE, THE PRIMARY LIFT, THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR THE BUDGET THIS YEAR, THE, THE, THE REQUEST IS $1.123 MILLION.
AND WE SAY IT'S PRIOR USE BECAUSE IT'S A GRANT AND, AND ALL THE, THE, THE, THE FUNDS IN AND FUNDS OUT THE WAY THEY'RE, THEY'RE RECORDED AND TRACKED IS JUST IN FUND BALANCE RIGHT NOW.
SO THE REVENUE STREAM IS A FUND BALANCE ACCOUNT SAVINGS, RIGHT? AND PULLING OUT OF THERE AND PUTTING IT INTO, UM, THE, THE REVENUE ACCOUNT HERE.
IN ADDITION, SOME INVESTMENT INCOME.
IN ADDITION, THIS IS PROJECTED A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AS A FUNDRAISING AND OR DONATIONS.
UM, SO THERE, THE SOURCE OF THOSE REVENUES ARE, ARE EXACTLY THAT.
THOSE ARE NOT THROUGH TOWN DOLLARS.
THERE'S ALSO, UH, A RECENT ACQUISITION OF, AND WE, WE WILL STOP CALLING IT MEMORY MATTERS SOONER THAN LATER, BUT JUST FOR CLARITY IN THE BUDGET, IT IS THAT BUILDING RIGHT NOW.
THEY HAVE NOT YET MOVED OUT IN THE TOWN.
AND, AND THE TOWNS CDC, I'LL SAY JV, JOINT VENTURED AND ACQUISITION OF THAT BUILDING.
UM, AND IN PART OF THE ACQUISITION, THERE WAS A LEASE BACK BY THE CURRENT TENANT, WHICH IS OUR TENANT.
NOW, THE, THE CURRENT OWNER, THE PAST OWNER AND CURRENT TENANT IS, IS MEMORY MATTERS.
THEY'RE MOVING OUT SOON, BUT THE, THE PART OF THE ACQUISITION WAS THEY WOULD LEASE THE BUILDING BACK.
WE UNDERSTAND THEY'RE MOVING OUT SOON-ISH.
WE, WE ARE NOT IN A HURRY FOR THEM TO MOVE OUT.
WE WANT THEM TO MOVE OUT WHEN THEY'RE READY.
THEY'RE GETTING THEIR PERMITS IN PLACE, BUT THERE'S REVENUE FROM THAT, A REVENUE STREAM, RIGHT? SO THERE WAS A JOINT VENTURE, THE ACQUISITION WAS PORTION OF TOWN, A PORTION OF THEM.
BUT WE'VE PLEDGED THE ENTIRE PROJECTED, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF WE'LL GET TO THE FULL 60 A PROJECTED REVENUE FROM THE ACQUISITION INTO THIS AS A REVENUE STREAM.
AND THEN HERE, THE $359,026 A TRANSFER FROM THE GENERAL FUND OPERATING ACCOUNT, WHICH ARE PROPERTY TAXES, BUSINESS LICENSING, THOSE, THOSE DOLLARS WE SAW IN GENERAL FUND A TRANSFER INTO THE CDC AS A STREAM OF REVENUE.
AND THAT IS FOR TWO, TWO MEMBERS OF, OF STAFF, MR. BOXLEY.
IN PAST YEARS, YOU, YOU DON'T SEE THAT.
AND I WILL SHARE THAT IN PAST YEARS, UM, THOSE REVENUES WEREN'T TRANSFERRED IN.
SO VERY FEW SUN FUNDING SOURCES GENERAL FUND FOR THE TOWN EMPLOYEES.
UM, AND THEY, THOMAS AND VERONICA ARE BOTH EMPLOYEES OF THE TOWN AND ASSIGNED TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
AND THE REST OF IT, THE MAJORITY OF IT IS THAT PRIOR SOUTH CAROLINA GRANT, THE PLANNED EXPENDITURES REQUESTED EXPENDITURES, VERY CLEAR, SALARY BENEFITS, OPERATING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, GRANTS AND INCENTIVE LOANS, LAND ACQUISITION AND, AND SOME CONTINGENCY FOR
[01:50:01]
A BALANCED 1.694 OF REVENUE AND A BALANCED 1.694 OF EXPENDITURE.UM, I CAN, I CAN HELP ANSWER MS. BECKER'S QUESTION IN THE, IN THE PAST AND, AND WE RECEIVED SOME PUBLIC COMMENT LAST YEAR, UM, ASKING WHY WE AS A TOWN WEREN'T HELPING TO FUND.
AND MY WORDS, NOBODY ELSE IS, MY UNDERSTANDING OF IT WAS THE SALARIES OF THE EMPLOYEES AND THE PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR THE TOWN THAT WORK ON BEHALF OF THE CDC.
AND THIS YEAR, AS THE BOARD MADE THE RECOMMENDATION, THE RECOMMENDATION WAS THE FULL SUPPORT.
AS, AS, AS I'VE TALKED WITH MR. BOXLEY AS WELL, THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE FULL SALARIES FOR THOSE TWO EMPLOYEES.
THE BOARD SHARED THAT, UM, AS WELL.
AND THE BOARD MADE THAT RECOMMENDATION FOR THEIR BUDGET.
WHAT YOU SEE ON HERE IS THE FULL RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD AND, AND MR. BROWN, MR. PERRY, NOT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THE REST OF THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY KNOW I'M RESPECTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD, BUT I ALSO SUPPORT WHAT THE BOARD ASKED FOR.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT'S, IT'S THE PERFORMANCE BASED, UH, COMPENSATION.
UH, IT'S NOT A STEP PLAN, BUT IT'S PERFORMANCE BASED UP TO 4% OPERATING.
AND THAT'S COMING OUT OF THE GRANT MORE OR LESS BECAUSE THIS IS THE ONLY GENERAL FUND.
AND THE REST OF IT, I WOULD SAY BELOW THAT LINE IS EITHER GRANT INTEREST EARNED, UH, RENT, EVERYTHING OTHER THAN GENERAL FUND.
GENERAL FUND IS PRECISELY FOR THE, THE, THE PEOPLE, UM, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, THEIR PLAN THIS YEAR FOR THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
AGAIN, GRANT MONEY OR INTEREST OR WHATNOT, WAY FINDING EXPERIENCE, GULLAH AND, AND, AND EXTENSION LEGAL SERVICES, COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR LEGAL MATTERS AND APPRAISALS.
THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE THEY HAVE HELPED FOLKS WITH THEIR PROPERTY APPRAISAL HEIRS, PROPERTY CLEARING CONSULTING SERVICES, A PITCH COMPETITION, UH, STONY COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT GRANT PROGRAM, AND THEN AN EARMARK OF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR ADDITIONAL LAND ACQUISITION, UM, FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE AS WE READ THE, THE OPENING PARAGRAPH, THIS IS AS MUCH IF NOT MORE OF A, OF A REAL GULLAH GEECHEE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION THAN IT IS, UH, ONLY A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AS, AS, AS WE KNOW IT.
WHAT WHAT I, WHAT I WILL ALSO SHARE THOUGH, AS WELL IS THAT WHAT, WHAT DOESN'T JUMP OUT ON THE BUDGET.
AND I THINK THIS, THIS MAY HELP IF, IF NOTHING ELSE, IT HELPS MY PHILOSOPHY OF, OF TOWN EMPLOYEES WHEN, WHEN I SAY A SENIOR STAFF TEAM, MR. BOXLEY IS WITH US IN OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT MEETINGS.
HE IS WITH ME IN MY SENIOR, OUR SENIOR STAFF MEETINGS.
UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON CAPITAL PROJECTS, DIRT ROADS, MITCHELLVILLE ROAD, UM, MUDDY CREEK, UH, BRYANT PATTERSON, UH, I SHOULD SAY, UM, TAYLOR FAMILY PARK, EXCUSE ME.
UM, I KNOW THAT THEY'VE ALSO HELPED FOLKS WITH BUSINESS LICENSED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WHEN WE HAD OUR SMALL MINORITY, UH, DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM.
OUR C OUR CDC IS VERY INVOLVED WITH THAT, HELPING FULL, HELPING IDENTIFY, UH, FOLKS AND, AND HELPING THEM, UM, QUALIFY AND REGISTER.
UH, THEY'VE PROVIDED, UH, THIS IS THEIR THIRD YEAR PROVIDING FINANCIAL EDUCATION.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WITH OUR, OUR, OUR TOWN FINANCE TEAM AS WELL.
UM, THERE'S DOLLARS IN HERE THIS YEAR FOR THE, THE UPFIT AT SOME POINT.
WE HAVE TO MANAGE IT PROPERLY AND, AND, AND MANAGE THE ASSET PROPERLY.
BUT I KNOW THAT THERE'LL BE SOME FUTURE EARMARKING OF GRANT AS WELL AS SOME DISCUSSION WITH TOWN COUNCIL ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT BUILDING.
UM, BUT MR. BOXLEY SHARES WITH ME, AS I BELIEVE HE'S BEEN TALKING WITH THE BOARD, THAT, THAT WHEN MEMORY MATTERS, MOVES OUT THAT THERE'LL BE SOME PROGRAMMATIC AND SOME PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENT.
BUT, BUT ALSO TO ALIGN WITH THE PROGRAM AND AT WHAT I WOULD CALL A BUSINESS PLAN, A BUSINESS MODEL AS, AS, UH, INCUBATOR AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SPACE IN WHAT WE NOW CALL THE MEMORY MATTERS.
BUILDING DESIGN STUDIO, UM, PUBLIC MEETING SPACE, BUSINESS INCUBATOR, AND, AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT SPACE.
UM, AND, AND I COULD GO ON AND ON, AND THEY ALSO ARE, ARE CLOSE TO, AND, AND I'M, I'M EXPLAINING THE SALARY AND THIS IS WHAT I'M FINDING MYSELF DOING.
[01:55:01]
IS ALSO, UM, VERY CLOSE WITH AND WORKING WITH THOMAS TOM DUNN, THOMAS BOXLEY AND TOM DUNN IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.UM, WITH, UH, OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS HELPING, UH, PREPARE FOR ON THE FRONT END OF ANY, ANY DISASTERS.
AND SO OUR, OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER INCLUDES OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, UM, WIDE RANGE OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS, FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, UM, SO ON SO FORTH.
UH,
WHAT ABOUT THE UNKNOWNS? HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO, I WOULD SAY, HEAL FROM AND BUILD FUTURE TRUST WITH THE RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY AFTER, UM, WHAT, WHAT I WOULD SAY SOME OF US INHERITED WITH SOME PROPERTY RIGHT OF WAY PLANS, UM, ON THE ORIGINAL PROJECTS.
I, I WON'T LET US FORGET ABOUT THAT.
THOSE, THOSE RIGHT OF WAYS WERE WELL OUTSIDE THE COLORED LINES OF, OF THE CURRENT RIGHT OF WAY WELL INTO FRONT YARDS.
MR. BOXLEY HAS HELPED FOLKS UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT THE TOWN'S INITIATIVES ARE NOT WHAT THEY AREN'T.
UM, WILDHORSE ROAD, THEY ACQUIRED ONE IN FIVE WILDHORSE ROAD.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT, THAT MR. BOXLEY AND THE BOARD IS WORKING WITH YOU ON, ON SOME PLANS THERE.
I THINK AT SOME POINT IT'S GOING TO BE VERY HEALTHY TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BOARD AND COUNCIL, MR. BOXLEY AND I PARTICIPATING TOGETHER, BUT DEFINITELY THE BOARD AND THE TOWN COUNCIL TOGETHER.
UM, 'CAUSE THE WAY I LOOK AT IT EVERY DAY, IT'S IN THE BUDGET.
IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AS A DEPARTMENT ARM OF, OF WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M OVERSEEING.
UM, BUT IT'S A LOT, RIGHT? I, I THINK IT'S TIME FOR AN UPDATED STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND I THINK THE BOARD AND, AND THOMAS ARE THE ONES THAT WERE SAYING THAT, NOT ME.
UM, THEY'RE ALSO WORKING ON ONGOING, ONGOING FUNDRAISING EFFORTS, EVENTS GRANT WRITING, AND I DO KNOW THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON IT.
UM, LOOKING AT THE STATE, SOME OF THOSE GRANTS THAT WERE THERE SOME YEARS AGO AREN'T THERE RIGHT NOW.
UM, JUST DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT TIME.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAD A, A PLANNING DEPARTMENT MEMBER, VERONICA STEWART, BUT, BUT THE FTE THAT WE'VE ALWAYS KNOWN, THAT WAS AS PART OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UM, HELPING WITH, FORGIVE ME, DESIGN STUDIO 26 CASES IN 25 AND 15 THUS FAR.
VERONICA LEADS THAT VERONICA ALSO HELPED LEAD THE HOME REPAIR AND THE LATERAL SEWER CONNECTION, I'D CALL MORE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ON THE FRONT END, HELPING PEOPLE QUALIFY, HELPING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE PARAMETERS AND HELPING OUR, WHAT AT THE TIME, OUR BUILDING SAFETY DEPARTMENT IMPLEMENTS.
SO HOME REPAIR DOLLARS HAVE, HAVE DRIED UP LATERAL SEWER CONNECTION DOLLARS, I BELIEVE WE FOUND A LITTLE BIT.
BUT ALL PART OF THAT AS WELL AS THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN STUDIO SHIFTED OUT OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, WHICH WE'RE WORKING ON SITE PLANS AND ZONING AND OTHER DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, AND SHIFTED VERONICA MORE ALIGNMENT WITH THOMAS, BECAUSE ALL THOSE THINGS THAT I JUST MENTIONED, I THINK THOMAS NEEDS SOME HELP WITH NOT JUST ONE PERSON.
I, IF I WERE THOMAS, I, I COULDN'T GET TO ALL OF THAT AND BE SUCCESSFUL.
AND SO THE SHIFT WITH VERONICA, I BELIEVE HELPS THOMAS AND I BELIEVE THOMAS AND VERONICA ARE HELPING THE CDC AND THEN GULLAH GEECHEE LAND CULTURAL PRESERVATION, UH, TASK FORCE MEETINGS, VERONICA AS POINT, BUT COORDINATION AND MANAGEMENT AND THEN HEIRS, PROPERTY SUPPORT, TAX RECORD REVIEW, SUPPORT WITH THE GOAL, LAND LOSS PREVENTION AND SO ON, SO FORTH.
VERONICA HAS BEEN WORKING ON A LOT OF THAT IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THE ALIGNMENT IN THE CDC HAS PAID DIVIDENDS.
AND, UM, UH, I SHARE THAT BECAUSE I THINK IN PAST YEARS I'VE GONE OVER THAT TOO FAST AND I DON'T WANT TO TAKE FOR GRANTED.
UM, I DON'T WANT US TO TAKE FOR GRANTED AND JUST FLY THROUGH THE FACT THAT THE SALARIES AND BENEFITS AT THAT AMOUNT AND THE REST, UH, UNDERSTOOD AS EXPENDITURES.
BUT MOST OF WHICH COMES FROM A GRANT, UM, IS, IS OVERLOOKED QUESTIONS, HOUSING FUNDS, QUESTIONS, OR I DID SAY, WELL, I'D LIKE TO GO BACK TO WHAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT INSTEAD OF SKIPPING OVER.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE RAISED THEIR HAND.
[02:00:02]
WELL, OKAY, SO I, I MAYBE I, I JUST CAN'T HEAR FROM, WE'RE ON OUR WAY HOME AND IT'S, IT'S HARD.BUT, UM, SO I APPRECIATE THE, UM, DESCRIPTION.
IT, I'M NOT SURE IF PEOPLE ARE FULLY AWARE OF EXACTLY WHAT THE, UH, CDC IS, HOW IT GOT STARTED, AND THAT WAS A REALLY GREAT HISTORY ON IT.
UM, ONE OF THE PIECES THAT THE CORPORATION, AS I UNDERSTOOD IT, IS THAT IT SHOULD BE SELF-SUSTAINING.
SO KIND OF A RECURRENT THEME FOR ME TODAY IS FOLKS RELIANCE ON THE TOWN AND HOW IT IMPACTS OUR BUDGET, GROWS OUR TOWN GOVERNMENT, UM, NEITHER, WHICH I'M IN FAVOR OF.
SO AM I ACCURATE IN THE FACT THAT THE CORPORATION SHOULD BE REACHING OUT AND BECOMING A BUSINESS ENTITY THAT HAS A SELF SUSTAINING, SELF-SUSTAINING REVENUE SOURCE TO OFFSET ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT THEY WERE PUT IN PLACE TO DO FOR THE NATIVE ISLAND COMMUNITY.
I, I, I, I, I LOST THE END OF IT.
OH, I, I JUST WANNA KNOW IF IT, IF THERE'S AN ASPECT TO THE CDC WHERE THEY ARE TO BE WORKING TOWARDS A SELF SUSTAIN, BECOMING A SELF-SUSTAINING ENTITY.
WELL, I, I, I WOULD DARE SAY, I MEAN, I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK FOR THE, FOR THE CDC, BUT I WOULD DARE SAY THAT'S THE ULTIMATE GOAL.
WELL, I THINK WITHIN THE DOCUMENTS AND THE, THE INTENTION THAT THAT WAS DEFINITELY THE GOAL.
OTHERWISE, THE INTENTION WOULD SEEM TO HAVE BEEN, UH, MISUNDERSTOOD THAT IT SOMEHOW BECAME A BRANCH OR ANOTHER DEPARTMENT OF TOWN GOVERNMENT.
UM, AND SO THAT IS WHERE I, I GUESS MY CONCERNS BEGIN IS THAT OVER, WHATEVER IT HAS BEEN, THREE AND A HALF, FOUR YEARS THAT IT'S BEEN IN EXISTENCE, THE, THE AMOUNT OF MOVEMENT TOWARDS SELF-SUSTAINING ITSELF AND, AND GETTING THESE, THE DOLLARS FLOWING IN, I SEE THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UM, I'D BE, AS ONE OF THE GRANTS THAT I'D BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING ABOUT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE TO SAY KNOWING, BECAUSE THIS IS AN IN A BUDGET THAT WAS PREPARED BY THE CORPORATION AND NEVER FLOWED THROUGH, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, F AND A OR THROUGH TOWN COUNCIL.
SO THIS IS OUR FIRST LOOK AT IT IN A BUDGET WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO JUST APPROVE IT.
AND THERE ARE ELEMENTS OF IT THAT I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH, UM, BECAUSE IT DOES FEEL AS THOUGH IT IS A BRANCH, A DEPARTMENT OF THE, UM, THE, THE GOVERNMENT THAT WE ARE NOW FUNDING.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WAS THE INTENTION.
SO CLARITY ON THAT, IF I'M WRONG, UM, AS HELPFUL, CERTAINLY, UM, I SEE THE GOOD WORK, BUT I DON'T SEE ANYTHING WITHIN WHAT THEY SHOWED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, AS BEING DRIVEN TOWARDS FINDING THOSE STREAMS OF REVENUE ON THEIR OWN.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING I, I HAVE TO QUESTION.
UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR, YOU KNOW, ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT IS FORTH THAT'LL BE FORTHCOMING, UH, WITH THE BOARD? UM, SO BEFORE WE APPROVE A BUDGET OR AFTER, BECAUSE IT, IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE AFTER.
AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I'LL STATE THIS AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET IS NOT A, A, A ACTUAL PROMISE OF ALLOCATION.
UM, BUT IT'S, UH, WHAT WE EXPECT TO, TO EXPEND.
UM, BUT NO, THAT'LL BE FORTHCOMING IN AFTER THE, UH, IN THE NEW PHYSICAL YEAR.
AND AGAIN, I GUESS I'LL POINT TO TO PROCESS, BECAUSE IF THAT'S THE CASE, HOW CAN WE AGREE TO SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT INFORMED ON? IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT IN THE, IN THE PROPER SEQUENCE.
AND I'M UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT, HAVING IT HERE IN A BUDGET THAT I'M GOING TO APPROVE OR NOT.
AND THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER ELEMENTS THAT THE, THAT ARE IN THERE.
$60,000, WHICH IS A LEASE, UM, INCOME FOR A BUILDING THAT'S PARTLY OWNED BY THE CDC AND PARTLY OWNED, UH, YOU KNOW, OR MONEY CONTRIBUTED TOWARDS IT, IS A TOWN OWNED BUILDING.
SO I'M CURIOUS AND WONDERING WHY THE FULL LEASE AMOUNT, IF ANY OF IT IS BEING PUT IN
[02:05:01]
AS A STREAM OF, UM, REVENUE FOR THE CORPORATION INSTEAD OF COMING INTO THE TOWN, UM, SINCE IT'S A TOWN ASSET.THERE'S ALSO A QUESTION FOR ME.
UM, I UNDERSTAND CLEARLY, UM, TOM BOXLEYS ROLE AND WHY HE WAS HIRED, AND HE'S PHENOMENAL.
NO ONE IS, UM, SECOND GUESSING ANY OF THAT.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, MY BATTERY'S ABOUT TO DIE AND I'M TRYING TO SWITCH TO MY PHONE.
BUT IN ANY CASE, THE BATTERY MAY NEED TO BE CHANGED AT SOME POINT.
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND ALL OF THAT, AND I WOULD ASSUME THAT IN TIME HIS SALARY WILL BE TAKEN OVER BY WHATEVER REVENUE THAT THE CDC STARTS TO CREATE ON ITS OWN.
UM, BUT IN TERMS OF THE STAFF MEMBER, THE WAY I UNDERSTOOD IT, MAYBE I CAN BE CORRECTED OR INFORMED ON THIS, IS IN THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, THERE WAS A DESIGNATED PERSON WHO, WHO WAS TO BE AVAILABLE WHEN ANYONE FROM THE NATIVE ISLANDER COMMUNITY WOULD COME IN WITH SPECIFIC REQUESTS WITH REGARD TO THEIR PROPERTY.
AND, AND THAT, AND I ASKED AT THE TIME, SO WHAT WOULD THIS PERSON DO WITH THE REST OF THEIR TIME? AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, NO, NO, THIS IS FOR ANYBODY CAN COME IN AND GET THESE SERVICES.
THIS IS JUST THAT, THAT THERE'S A, THE RELATIONSHIP THAT'S BEING BUILT TOTALLY APPROPRIATE.
COMPLETELY AGREE, THAT'S FINE.
BUT THE REST OF THE TIME WAS TO BE SPENT, UM, AS A PLANNER WITHIN THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
WHAT CONCERNS ME IS THAT NOW PERSON IS BEING TAKEN AWAY AND BEING GIVEN ANOTHER JOB, UH, RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND I THINK, UM, UNLESS IT'S CHANGED AND I'M NOT AWARE THAT WE ARE, WE COULD USE ADDITIONAL HELP, UM, IN THE, IN THE, IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WITH PLANS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND SO, ARE WE NOW DOWN ONE PERSON WITH MORE, UH, STRESS AND BIRTH ON THE REST OF THE DEPARTMENT AS THIS PERSON MOVES OUT COMPLETELY AND IS BEING FUNDED BY THE TOWN, AGAIN, GOES BACK TO SEEMINGLY THAT THIS IS BECOMING A BRANCH AND DEPARTMENT OF UNDER MS. BECKER, YOU DON'T LIKE MY QUESTIONS? YES, GO AHEAD.
WE'RE YOU'RE, WE'RE HAVING A REAL HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY.
UM, IT'S, IT'S, WELL, THAT'S UNFORTUNATE.
WHAT, ALRIGHT, WELL, PERHAPS, UM, I'LL HAVE TO BRING IT UP AT THE NEXT, UM, WORKSHOP.
UM, BUT THESE ARE, THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE TO BE ANSWERED.
UM, I THINK THAT THEY'RE SERIOUS AND IMPORTANT AND THEY MAY BE EASY, AND THAT'S FINE.
I'D LIKE EASY ANSWERS AND, AND THAT'S GOOD.
BUT UNTIL I GET THEM, I AM BOTHERED BY EVERYTHING I'VE SAID.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL? WELL, WHEN CAN WE DISCUSS THIS AGAIN? WILL IT BE APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO BRING IT UP AT THE NEXT WORKSHOP? UH, I, I, I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE AN ISSUE.
BUT AS LONG AS YOU SAY THAT, THEN WE ALL SAID THAT TIME.
I WOULD DEFINITELY ASK THOSE ANSWERS AGAIN.
AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S, YOU SOMETIMES YOU BREAK IN AND OUT, SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT AND WE'RE ALL STRAINED TO REALLY HEAR AND UNDERSTAND.
AND IF WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, ASK MARK THOSE QUESTIONS BECAUSE WE WANNA GET 'EM, HE WANTS TO GET 'EM RIGHT.
AND SO I WILL, UM, AGAIN, PUT THEM OUT THERE SO HE HAS, SO EVERYONE HAS THEM AHEAD OF TIME, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ANOTHER SET ASIDE DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT WORKSHOP.
UM, AS WE LOOK AT OUR BUDGET, WE ALWAYS LOOK BACK AT OUR STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN.
THAT'S WHAT DRIVES OUR BUDGET.
UM, AND SO IT'S GREAT THAT, UM, MR. ORLANDO AND HIS STAFF KEEP PUTTING THE STRATEGIC PLAN BEFORE US WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR BUDGET.
SO I JUST WANNA REMIND THE COUNCIL OF NUMBER SEVEN IN OUR STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN, WHICH SAYS, PRESERVE, PROTECT AND CELEBRATE GULLAH GEECHEE CULTURE AND HERITAGE.
AND THE PARAGRAPH SAYS, PRESERVE, PROTECT AND CELEBRATE THE CULTURAL, HERITAGE, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE GULLAH GEECHEE COMMUNITY THROUGH INTENTIONAL POLICY DEVELOPMENT, TARGETED INVESTMENT, INTERGOVERNMENTAL COLLABORATION, AND COMMUNITY DRIVEN PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION.
AND I WANNA THANK MR. ORLANDO FOR GOING THROUGH, UM, ALL OF THE, UH, WORK THAT, UH, MR. BOXING AND HIS TEAM HAVE DONE TO HELP OUT WITH OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE, LIKE MUDDY CREEK.
[02:10:01]
UH, HELPING OUT WITH THE CORRIDOR PLAN, UM, THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT MR. BOXLEY HELPS OUT WITH.AND, AND THIS SAYS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TARGETED INVESTMENT.
UM, I HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE IN THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CDC, UM, AND I DO NOT HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BUDGET BECAUSE I HAVE THAT CONFIDENCE AND I THINK WE OUGHT TO MOVE ON.
MS. TURNER WAS GETTING READY TO SPEAK.
SO, UH, WHEN YOU WERE MENTIONING THE GRANTS, YOU SAID ONE OF THEM WAS FROM ARPA, UH, ARPA RELATED, AND I WAS WONDERING IF THERE WAS A TIMEFRAME ON THAT OF WHEN YOU HAVE TO SPEND IT AND IF WE'VE MET THAT TIMEFRAME? YES, THANK YOU.
AND YES, IT WAS FROM ARPA, FROM BUFORT COUNTY'S ARPA.
SO WHEN WE RECEIVED 5.1 OR $2 MILLION OF ARPA, BUFORT COUNTY RECEIVED MORE, THEY TRANSFERRED THAT.
WE'VE ALREADY SPENT THAT AND CLOSED IT OUT.
SO I JUST REMINDED US THAT THERE WAS SOME SEED MONEY BOTH FROM BUFORT COUNTY THROUGH THE FED STIMULUS FROM ARPA AS WELL AS DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.
AND THOSE WERE THE ONLY TWO FUNDING SOURCES THAT STARTED THE TOWNS CDC.
IS THERE ANY LIMIT ON TIMEFRAME FOR THE, UH, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE? NO, MA'AM.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? WELL, I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP IF I CAN.
UM, I DON'T WANT WHAT I SAID TO BE MISINTERPRETED, AND I THINK MS. BRYSON MAY HAVE DONE JUST THAT.
NO ONE'S QUESTIONING THE GOOD WORK.
THAT'S NOT WHAT'S BEING QUESTIONED.
WHAT I'M QUESTIONING IS WHETHER OR NOT THE CORPORATION IS BECOMING A SELF-SUSTAINING ENTITY, OR IS IT BECOMING AN ARM, A DEPARTMENT, UM, THAT'S FUNDED THROUGH THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, BECAUSE THERE IS A DIFFERENCE THERE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT CLARIFY.
I, AND I'M, I'M GLAD WE HEARD IT THAT QUESTION, THAT CLEAR? I, I DID TAKE SOME NOTES, THE SELF-SUSTAINING QUESTION, I THINK I HEARD SOME COMMENTS TO ASK ME.
I I DO THINK THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT TOWN COUNCIL NEEDS TO HAVE IN THE BUDGET WORKSHOP OR IN A SEPARATE WORKSHOP, INCLUDING AMONGST YOURSELVES AND OR AT SOME POINT APPROPRIATE, UH, TIME WITH THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS THAT YOU APPOINTED.
UH, I, I DO AND, AND I WILL TALK WITH THOMAS AND THE BOARD TO UPDATE THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
I BELIEVE THAT WORK IS PLANNED AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IT, AND THAT WILL BE IN-HOUSE, SO YOU WON'T SEE THAT AS AN EXPENDITURE, BUT THAT'S AN IN-HOUSE UPDATE.
UM, LEASE PROCEEDS, UH, THAT WAS A DECISION THAT, THAT FRANKLY SOME OF US TALKED ABOUT.
JUST FOR, FOR CLARITY, THE LEASE PROCEEDS OF 30 TO THE TOWN AND, AND 30 TO THE CDC AS WE STARTED TO TRY TO BALANCE DOLLARS AND, AND LOOK AT FUND BALANCES AND, AND LOOK AT REVENUES AND REALIZE THAT THAT GRANT'S ONLY GOING TO GO SO FAR.
AND MS. BECKER'S ASKING THE REALLY GOOD QUESTION, IS IT A SELF-SUSTAINING DEPARTMENT? I, I MENTIONED ALL THE WAYS THOMAS HELPS ME AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S CLEAR THAT I'VE, I'VE MOVED SOME GENERAL FUND DOLLARS INTO IT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE IT A LITTLE CLEAR.
VERONICA'S SALARY WAS ALWAYS AS PART OF THE GENERAL FUND, SHE WAS IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
SHE STILL DOES THE SAME THING SHE DOES IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
I WOULD SAY THAT SHE DOES MORE NOW SUPPORTING THOMAS SUPPORTING CORPORATION BOARD MEETINGS, AND SHE HAS A LITTLE LESS TIME THAT, THAT WE'RE GOING TO THE GULLAH GEECHEE TASK FORCE AND MORE TIME GOING TO THE CDC.
RIGHT? I THINK THAT'S JUST A NATURAL FOR PROGRESSION.
BUT STILL, VERONICA IS POINT ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN STUDIO.
SHE JUST DOESN'T SIT UP ON THE SECOND STORY, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, SHE'S DOWN THE HALL NEXT TO, UH, THOMAS AND, AND BUILDING D THE FOURTH BUILDING AND, AND STILL IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT STILL DID HEIRS PROPERTY SUPPORT AND RESEARCH AND HELPING WITH BUSINESS LICENSING.
BUT I, I WOULD SAY THE, THE DIFFERENCE, AND, AND I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I ANSWER IT WITH THE CDC, IT'S PROACTIVE, NOT REACTIVE.
I WOULD SAY IT'S AS MUCH AS I, AS MY TERMS, UH, PLAYING AS MUCH OFFENSE AS, AS AS DEFENSE, RIGHT.
AS MUCH TRYING TO BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND HELP PEOPLE AS OPPOSED TO WAITING FOR THE DOORBELL OR THE NON KNOCK ON THE DOOR.
AND SO, YEAH, I, I JUST WANNA MAKE IT A POINT, THE, IT WAS ALWAYS FUNDED THERE, AT LEAST THE ONE SALARY.
THIS, THE DIFFERENCE THIS YEAR IS JUST, RATHER THAN KEEP THAT IN THE GENERAL FUND, I WANTED TO BE VERY CLEAR.
I, I DON'T, I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR IN WHERE THE DOLLARS ARE ARE COMING IN AND, AND WHERE THEY'RE BEING USED.
AND SAME, SAME PORTFOLIO OF WORK BY THE, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
[02:15:01]
ME FOR NOT HAVING YOUR JOB TITLE RIGHT HERE, BUT THE VERONICA.UM, AND THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
AND IT'S NOT ONLY CDC CENTRIC.
UM, THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO EXPLAIN HOW, HOW MUCH MORE THOMAS HELPS ME AND THIS SENIOR TEAM THAN JUST THE CDC BOARD.
UM, THE HOUSING FUND WAS CREATED WHEN THE TOWN, THE HOUSING FUND WAS CREATED WHEN THE TOWN ESTABLISHED FINDING HOME.
AND AS PART OF THE FINDING HOME DOCUMENT AND APPROVAL BY TOWN COUNCIL, IT HAD IN THERE TO CREATE A STAFF MEMBER TO ADD A STAFF MEMBER, RIGHT.
AS PART, PART OF THE STRATEGY AND RECOMMENDATIONS COMING FROM FINDING HOME.
IF, IF WE CAN CHECK IN WITH MR. SUNDAY TO SEE IF WE HAVE LOST MS. BECCA.
ALRIGHT, SO SHE'S WAITING FOR NEW LINK.
UM, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THE, THE BUDGET, THE REVENUES ARE DERIVED FROM TRANSFER FROM STATE AT TAX.
THAT IS A TOWN COUNCIL POLICY OF $619,000.
IT'S A 5% STATE AT TAX COLLECTION AMOUNT.
THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE WAS CHANGED RECENTLY A COUPLE YEARS AGO TO ALLOW AND PROVIDE FOR IT DIDN'T REQUIRE IT, BUT YOU OPTED TO APPROVE THAT.
UM, THAT IS, IS THE TOWN POLICY.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER IS FROM THE USE OF FUND BALANCE PRIOR YEAR, UNUSED DOLLARS IN THE HOUSING ACCOUNT.
WE HAVE NOT USED A LOT OF THESE DOLLARS OVER TIME.
UM, THE BUDGET PROPOSED THIS YEAR, 3.2, UH, MILLION DOLLARS.
YOU CAN SEE THIS THE PRIOR YEAR UNSPENT AS WELL AS THE AT TAX COLLECTION, THE USE OF FUNDS, UH, VERY CLEAR, THE MUDDY CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION.
WE HAVE BEEN SLOW, I'LL ADMIT IT.
IT IS NOT, UH, EASY TO SAY, BUT IT, IT'S, IT'S THE TRUTH.
WE HAVE BEEN SLOW OUT THERE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THE $1.5 MILLION.
THE REASON THAT THIS ISN'T IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM IS BECAUSE, AGAIN, WE WANTED TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT IT WAS GOING TO SUPPORT THE ACQUISITION THAT THE TOWN MADE, NOT JUST THE, I'LL CALL IT SUBDIVISION FOR BRYANT ROAD.
WE WEREN'T JUST TRYING TO WALK IN AND SUBDIVIDE PROPERTY AND IMPROVE IT.
IT MAY CAUSE GENTRIFICATION, IT MAY CAUSE, UH, A NEIGHBORHOOD TO CHANGE OVERNIGHT WITH SEVERAL, A WHOLE, WHOLE BUNCH OF NEW HOMES.
WHAT WE DID IS WE EARMARKED AS PART OF THE HOUSING FUND, UH, I WILL CALL IT A FRONT END CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM ACCOUNT, $1.5 MILLION.
THEY HAVE TAKEN THE INPUT FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING THAT WE'VE HAD SOME TIME AGO.
UM, AND THEY HAVE NOW SCOPED AND, AND I WOULD SAY SCHEDULED SOME WORK OUT THERE.
AND WE WENT OVER THAT AT FIRST READING SIDEWALKS, CROSSWALKS, STOP SIGNS, LOW LEVEL LIGHTING, LANDSCAPE CLEANUP, DRIVEWAY END AND, AND CURB CUT IMPROVEMENTS, UM, FOR $1.5 MILLION.
WE ALSO HAVE EARMARKED A MILLION DOLLARS.
AND THAT, UM, IS FOR THE BRYANT ROAD PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
THE RFQ REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION CAME IN, REMEMBER, I I MENTIONED THAT WE EXTENDED IT.
WE HAVE SEVEN GREAT BIDS FROM SEVEN VERY INTERESTED TEAMS, AND WE ARE JUST NOW STARTING TO SCORE THAT.
UM, WHAT WE WILL DO IS TALK A A LOT ABOUT THIS BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN WE SUBMIT A REQUEST OR RELEASE, A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TO START LOOKING FOR OUR PARTNER.
WE HAVE A, A, A BASE DOLLAR IN THERE THAT MAY HELP INCENTIVIZE AND ENTICE THE APPROPRIATE DEVELOPER.
BUT THE TOWN COUNCIL AT THE TIME WILL DIRECT WHERE AND
[02:20:01]
HOW THOSE, THAT MILLION DOLLARS IS USED IN THE EXACT SAME WAY YOU DID WITH THE NORTH POINT AGREEMENT.YOU, YOU WON'T JUST EARMARK IT AND, AND, AND I DECIDE, OR WE DECIDE YOU WILL IN AN AGREEMENT DETERMINE WHERE AND REALLY IF THAT'S NEEDED, UM, LATERAL OR EXCUSE ME, AND THEN BUFORT, JASPER HOUSING TRUST DUE.
THOSE ARE PER AN AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH BUFORT JASPER HOUSING TRUST.
AND THEN, BECAUSE, BECAUSE THERE'S NO OTHER SOURCE OF DOLLARS RIGHT NOW, BRIAN RHODES A BIG LIFT WE'VE JUST EARMARKED IN THE FUND BALANCE SURPLUS FUTURE USE $619,000 FUND BALANCE.
PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING I JUST SAID IS ON THESE, HIGHLIGHT THAT HIGHLIGHT PAGE RIGHT THERE.
NO, JUST ANY, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? YES.
I, I THINK THE ONLY COMMENT I'VE GOT IS THAT WE'RE STILL LOOKING FOR MORE FUNDING FOR LATERAL SEWER CONNECTIONS.
UM, AND I SEE THAT, UM, THE AT TAX FUNDS 619,000, I'M GLAD WE'RE PUTTING THAT MONEY IN THERE.
AND MY QUESTION IS, CAN ANY OF THOSE FUNDS BE USED FOR LATERAL SEWER CONNECTION? I'M SEEING MR. ORLANDO SHAKE HIS HEAD NO.
I KNOW MS. TURNER AND I ARE BOTH HOPING THAT WE CAN FIND MORE MONEY.
I I DON'T BELIEVE AAX IS, IS, IS A, IS A GOOD SOURCE OR EASY SOURCE TO USE ON THAT BECAUSE THOSE, THOSE INVESTMENTS OR IMPROVEMENTS ARE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
UM, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE SEEKING SOME GRANTS.
WE DO HAVE SOME WORD FROM, UM, BEAUFORT JASPER SAYING THAT, RIGHT? BUFORT JASPER HOUSING TRUST.
UM, AND I WILL BRING THAT, THAT OPPORTUNITY TO TOWN COUNCIL AS A POTENTIAL GRANT, UH, AGREEMENT IN, IN THE, IN THE COMING WEEKS.
UM, TO, TO PICK UP ON, UH, WHERE MS. BRYSON WAS GOING.
THE, THE TOWN RECEIVED THOSE OPERA FUNDS YEARS AGO AND, UM, IT, IT GAVE US ENOUGH LATITUDE WHERE WE COULD USE THOSE MONIES FOR LATERAL SEWER, UH, CONNECTIONS AND WENT THROUGH THAT MONEY ALMOST OVERNIGHT.
UM, AND I, I REMEMBER VERY DISTINCTLY, UM, ME AND MR. ORLANDO HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AROUND THAT WILL THEN SHOW THE DEMAND.
OKAY? AND THERE'S STILL MONEY LEFT OVER AT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION IN LOW COUNTRY IN THE SAFE PROGRAM.
THE REQUIREMENTS TO RECEIVE THOSE MONEY DON'T NECESSARILY LINE UP WITH TODAY'S CONDITIONS.
UM, I FOR ONE HAVE, UM, MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE NEW, UH, CEO, UH, MR. FALK, UM, TO RIDE ALONG WITH ME ON A, ON A LITTLE TOUR SO WE CAN LOOK AT SOME AREAS THAT STILL ARE IN NEED OF SEWER WITH THE HOPE THAT IF WE TAKE A LOOK BACK AT THE DEMAND AND HOW QUICKLY WE WENT THROUGH THE MONEY AND THE STALL THAT THEY HAVE HAD OVER TIME AND NOT ALLOCATING THEIRS, THAT WE CAN REGENERATE A CONVERSATION AROUND RETHINKING THE CURRENT FUNDS AND IF NOT SO RE-ENERGIZING FOLKS THAT WERE COMMITTED TO DONATING TO HELP BUILD A NEW FUND.
SO, UM, I I WANTED TO, TO PUBLICLY SAY THAT, OKAY.
AND THEN ASK, UM, YOU KNOW, MY COLLEAGUES THAT, UM, YOU, YOU ASSIST WITH SOME TYPE OF, UH, CONVERSATIONAL INFLUENCE IN THAT DIRECTION BECAUSE IT KEEPS COMING UP.
WE KEEP WAITING FOR GRANTS AND IT'S NOT HAPPENING, BUT THE DEMAND IS STILL THERE AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT.
DO WE KNOW BROWN? DO WE KNOW WHAT THE NUMBER IS? SEPTIC VERSUS I, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN QUICKLY GET FROM PSD.
I THOUGHT WE MAY HAVE A NUMBER.
WE KNOW THAT, BUT NOT, NOT HERE, BUT I, I CAN GET THAT.
SEPTIC, SEPTIC, WHAT'S LEFT FOR SEPTIC, WHAT'S ON ON SEWER.
IT'S NOT EASY TO ALWAYS OBTAIN FROM, FROM PSD AND REAL TIME, LEMME JUST ADD THIS MR. DECIMAL SINCE YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION.
UM, AND THIS, THIS REALLY RELATES TO THE, THE HOUSING INITIATIVE, RIGHT? UM, OBVIOUSLY THERE A LOT OF COST IN, IN DEVELOPMENT HERE ON HILTON HEAD AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND MOST TIMES WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU PUT A UNIT ON THE GROUND, IF YOU SEEKING MARKET RATE, YOU CAN ABSORB ALL OF THOSE COSTS.
OKAY? I, I, I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT, UH, PSD, UM, HAS A VERY, VERY HIGH EXPENDITURE WHEN YOU WANT TO DO JUST ONE UNIT WHEN IT COMES TO CAPACITY, FEES
[02:25:01]
AND SO ON.SO ALL OF THAT IN MY MIND IS A DISCOURAGEMENT FOR FOLKS TO PUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON THE GROUND.
SO TO ME, THE LATERAL SEWER CONVERSATION IS A LITTLE DEEPER DIVE AS IT RELATES TO US PUTTING HOUSING THAT IS AFFORDABLE ON THE GROUND.
SO, UM, IT'S A DEEPER DISCUSSION.
UM, BUT I THINK LEVERAGING OUR PARTNERS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO, TO DO AT THIS MOMENT.
OKAY, NOW WE'LL JUMP TO SPECIAL REVENUES.
AS WE'VE DISCUSSED BEFORE, THERE'S MULTIPLE FUNDS THAT MAKE UP SPECIAL REVENUES THAT I KIND OF CALL IT THE HUB OF A LOT OF FEES THAT WE GET.
BEACH PRESERVATION HOSPITALITY.
I GOTTA, HE'S GOTTA LET MISS OH, WE'LL TAKE A QUICK FIVE MINUTE BREAK AND YEAH, YEAH, WHILE THEY, BUT WE NEED TO GET THE SCREEN BACK UP.
OKAY, NOW WE'RE BACK TO SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.
I'M JUST GOING TO SKIP REAL QUICK TO THE INCOME STATEMENT 'CAUSE THIS HAS THE OVERVIEW OF THE REVENUES THAT WE GENERATE.
UH, INSIDE THE FUNDS ARE DIFFERENT BEACH, PRE BEACH PRESERVATION, HOSPITALITY, TIFF, ROAD USAGE, DATA TAX, REAL ESTATE, PALMETTO, ELECTRIC, SHORT TERM RENTAL, LICENSE FI GRANTS AND INVESTMENT INCOME.
SO WE ARE PROJECTING AROUND 55 MILLION IN 27 COMING FROM ALL OF THESE, UH, UH, SEPARATE FUNDS.
UM, THE ONE COUPLE OF CHANGES THAT YOU'LL SEE THERE, UM, WE, AS WE MENTIONED, WE'RE NOT BUDGETING ANY GRANTS THAT ARE NOT SIGNED.
SO THAT'S ZERO UP IN OPERATING GRANTS AND ON THE FEDERAL GRANTS IT'S ZERO.
UH, THE 1 MILLION WE HAD IN THE PROJECTION FOR 26 WAS THE, UM, ARPA ARPA GRANTS THAT CAME THROUGH.
IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, THE BUDGET THERE, THERE, THIS FUND WAS NOT BUDGETED, SO YOU DON'T SEE ANY DOLLARS THERE.
SO THE COMPARISON WE DID FOR 26 TO 27 WAS TO THE PROJECTED NUMBERS.
AND, UM, SO THAT'S REALLY MODEST GROWTH IN THE, AS WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, FOR BEACH PRESERVATION FEES AND HOSPITALITY TAXES.
AND, UH, WE DID COME DOWN ON, UH, THE STATE A TAX, WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT.
AND THEN OUR REAL ESTATE TRANSFER FEE WE CAME DOWN AS WELL, PRIMARILY BASED UPON JUST TAKING A MORE CONSERVATIVE VIEW.
AS WE CAN TELL, WE DID ABOUT 4.9 MILLION IN 24, 5 0.2 AND 25.
WE'RE HAVING A REALLY, REALLY STRONG YEAR THIS YEAR, BUT WE SCALED IT BACK.
SO WE TOOK A CONSERVATIVE VIEW ON THAT.
UM, USE OF FUND BALANCES, WE DO THIS FUND, THE SPECIAL REVENUES FUND A LOT OF OUR OTHER FUNDS IN THE TOWN.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE HERE AND WHAT FUNDS THAT THEY'RE COMING OUT OF.
BUT WE ARE USING $27 MILLION OF FUND BALANCE IN THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.
AND AT THE END HERE WE HAVE THE FIRETRUCK LEASE PROCEEDS COMING THROUGH AS WELL, UH, FOR FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
AND THAT TOTALS THE 86 MILLION WHEN YOU LOOK OVER AT EXPENSE.
UM, THE MOST OF THE DIRECT EXPENSES ARE REALLY AT TAX GRANTS.
SO WE'VE GOT JUST UNDER FOUR 4.1 MILLION IN 2027 FOR AT TAX.
AND THEIR DMO IS AROUND 3.7 MILLION.
AND THEN WE DO HAVE $50,000 FOR THE BUFORT COUNTY, UH, DEED PROCESSING FEES THAT WERE ACCESSED FROM THEM.
AND, UH, BEACH CONSULTING SERVICES, UH, GETTING DOWN TO, UH, OUR TRANSFERS OUT.
AS WE MENTIONED BEFORE, THESE ARE DOLLARS THAT WE'RE TRANSFERRING TO THE GENERAL FUND, OUR DEBT SERVICE, CIP AND FOR OUR HOUSING FUND.
UM, WE HAVE A TOTAL FUND BALANCE SURPLUS OF $10.5 MILLION.
AND THIS IS IN OUR NATURAL DISASTERS FUND.
THAT'S REALLY INVESTMENT INCOME THAT'S BEING ADDED TO THE FUND BALANCE AS WELL AS MONIES IN BEACH PRESERVATION.
SO WE COLLECT THAT 15 MILLION, WE ALLOCATE OUT, UH, MONEY FOR CAPITAL FOR DEBT, AND
[02:30:01]
NOW TO THE GENERAL FUNDS.SO WE'VE GOT ABOUT 4 MILLION LEFT OVER THERE.
AND THEN OUR REAL ESTATE TRANSFER, WE DON'T BUDGET ANY LAND OTHER THAN 250,000.
SO, UM, WE HAVE, UH, REAL ESTATE TRANSFER CONTINUING OUT TO THE FUND BALANCE.
UH, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS ON MONDAY, UM, OR TUESDAY, SORRY, BUT THIS IS JUST AN OVERVIEW OF THE STATE ACCOMMODATION TAX AND I THINK THE REALLY THE HIGHLIGHT THERE IS THAT WE ARE USING MORE DOLLARS FOR CAPITAL THAN WE HAVE IN PRIOR YEARS.
WE'RE USING $5.4 MILLION AND THEN WE'RE ALSO TRANSFERRING 600,000 TO HOUSING AS WELL.
SO THAT FUND BALANCE IS ROUGHLY GONNA END UP AT ABOUT 6 MILLION NEXT TUESDAY.
WHEN WE CLOSE OUT THE SESSION AFTER CIP REVIEW, WE DO HAVE A FUND BALANCE WALK THAT WE'LL GO THROUGH TO KIND OF SHOW YOU WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR ALL OF THE DIFFERENT FUNDS, INCLUDING THESE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.
AND THIS IS JUST A HIGHLIGHT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT ON TUESDAY OF THE STATE ACCOMMODATION TAXES, UM, WHERE THEY GO AND THE, AND THE ALLOCATION LOGIC FOR THEM.
AND THEN I'M GONNA JUMP IN, OH, HERE'S AN EYE CHART, BUT I'M GONNA JUMP INTO THE, UM, FUND, BA FUND BALANCE SHEET, EXCUSE ME, PROPOSED RESERVE POLICIES FOR OUR FUNDS.
AND SO WE'VE GOT THIS BROKEN OUT INTO OPERATING CAPITAL SPECIAL REVENUES AND UM, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
SO, UM, WHEN WE SPOKE ON, UH, TUESDAY, WE TALKED ABOUT THE METHODOLOGY CHANGES TO SOME OF THESE.
ONE OF THOSE IS ON THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, WE ARE CHANGING THE MINIMUM FUND BALANCE FROM 50 OR TO, EXCUSE ME, FROM CHANGING THAT, GROWING THAT TO 50% OF THE SPEND, THE EXPENDITURES FOR THE GENERAL FUND, FOR THE MINIMUM RESERVE OF THE FUND TO A MAXIMUM OF 55%.
OKAY? AND SO RIGHT NOW THAT 50% MINIMUM IN 2027 WILL BE 32 3 72.
AND UM, WE ARE JUST A SHADE ABOVE THAT IN OUR PROPOSAL FOR THE END OF 27 IN THIS BUDGET, ANY AMOUNT OVER THE 55% WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE NATURAL DISASTERS FUND.
HOWEVER, IF THERE'S ENCUMBERED DOLLARS THAT WERE NOT SPENT DURING THAT YEAR THAT ARE CAUSING US TO BE OVER THE 55% THAT WOULD BE, HAS BEEN SPENT IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, WE WILL NOT USE THOSE DOLLARS TO TRANSFER TO THE NATURAL DISASTERS FUND.
I THINK I SAID ALL OF THAT RIGHT? GOT IT.
SO, UM, ON STORM WATER WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, CHANGING THAT MINIMUM TO $3 MILLION AND UM, AND THEN THIS YEAR WE ARE PROPOSING $10 MILLION TO ACCOMMODATE FOR THE, UM, FIXED ASSET, UH, RE RESERVE AS WELL, WHICH WE CAN TALK ABOUT MORE IN THE REVIEW NEXT TUESDAY FOR STORM WATER ON THE CAPITAL FUND WE HAVE THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM FUND RESERVE OF $4.341 MILLION.
UH, THAT'S THE TOWN COUNCIL DESIGNATING THAT AMOUNT FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES GETTING DOWN TO REAL ESTATE TRANSFER FEE.
WE ARE NOT CHANGING THE MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY ON THE BOOKS TODAY ON BEACH PRESERVATION.
UH, WE ARE AT $20 MILLION CURRENTLY.
UM, NOW WE'RE LOOKING TO CHANGE THE AMOUNT TO HAVE A FUND BALANCE OF 40 MILLION MINIMUM, BUT TO BE ADJUSTED AS AVAILABLE EACH FISCAL YEAR TO THAT FUND BALANCE THAT'S AVAILABLE NOT TO EXCEED $60 MILLION AT THE END OF 2033.
AND SO THERE WILL BE MORE THAN LIKELY, HANG, HANG ON, HANG ON.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT, NOT TO EXCEED, CORRECT? IT'S THE MINIMUM WOULD BE 60 MILLION.
WELL, THEY TARGET RESERVE BALANCE OF 60 MILLION.
RIGHT, BUT NOT, I MEAN, BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE ACTUALLY MORE THAN THAT IN THERE.
THERE IS, BUT LET ME LOOK AT HOW I CAN, LET ME, LET ME HELP, YEAH, I'M TRYING TO READ THIS.
I CAN READ IT FROM RIGHT HERE.
THE TOWN SHALL MAINTAIN A MINIMUM BEACH PRESERVATION FEE BALANCE OF 40 MILLION TO SUPPORT THE LONG-TERM SHORELINE PROTECTION BEACH RE NOURISHMENT AND COASTAL RESILIENCY INITIATIVES.
EACH FISCAL YEAR, THE TOWN SHALL
[02:35:01]
RESERVE AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE AMOUNTS EXCEEDING THE ESTABLISHED MINIMUM EXCEEDING, RIGHT? SO EXCEEDING THE 40 WITH A TARGET RESERVE BALANCE OF 60 MILLION BY THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2033 TO PREPARE TO PREPARE FOR THE NEXT MAJOR BEACH RENOURISHMENT PROJECT.RESERVED FUNDS SHALL ONLY, OR EXCUSE ME, SHALL SOLELY SHALL BE USED SOLELY FOR BEACH PRESERVATION, RENOURISHMENT SHORELINE STABILIZATION AND RELATED COASTAL RESILIENCY EXPENDITURES APPROVED BY TOWN COUNCIL.
AND SO THE, THE STORY THERE THOUGH IS IT WAS 12 UPPER MOONS AGO, WE MOVED IT, YOU MOVED IT TO 20, AND RIGHT NOW IN THIS BUDGET, THAT 20 IS SHIFTING TO 42 8.
AND ON THE NEXT SLIDE, AND I DON'T WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE YET, YOU'LL SEE THE PROJECTION TO A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, UM, WITH A LITTLE BIT OF USE, I WOULD SAY, I SHOULDN'T SAY A LITTLE, BUT, UH, MINIMAL USE, UM, OVER TIME.
BUT, BUT THE POINT BEING IS THAT RIGHT? WE DON'T HAVE TO STOP AT 60, THERE'S NO, NO SIR, THAT'S, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY THAT ASPECT OF IT.
BUT WE PROPOSED A, WE, WE PROPOSED THIS WHERE THAT ANYTHING OVER 60 THAT YOU START MAKING DECISIONS RIGHT ON MAYBE, MAYBE THE NEXT BEACH IMPROVEMENT PROJECT PAST ISLANDERS FROM A RESILIENCE STANDPOINT, A PARKING, A USABILITY, UH, AN UPKEEP IS FISH HALL BEACH PARK, RIGHT? THERE'S, THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY THERE.
I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT DREESEN IS A VERY, UH, IMPORTANT, UH, OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.
SO WE DON'T JUST WANNA MOVE IT UP TO A HUNDRED AND THEN HAVE NO DOLLARS TO IMPROVE OUR ASSETS WHERE, WHERE FOLKS ARE VISITING A DA GOT IT.
ON THE NEXT ONE IS, UH, HOSPITALITY TAX AND THERE'S NO CHANGE RECOMMENDED FROM THE CURRENT $5 MILLION MINIMUM CURRENT POLICY.
AND THE LAST ONE WE HAVE IS NATURAL DISASTERS FUND.
UM, THE MINIMUM SHALL THE, THE, THE MINIMUM REQUIRED FUND BALANCE SHALL INCREASE ANNUALLY BY THE AMOUNT OF ASSIGNED GENERAL FUND BALANCE TRANSFERRED ABOVE THE 55% GENERAL FUND THRESHOLD.
AND BY INVESTMENT INCOME EARNED WITHIN THE FUND, THE NATURAL DISASTERS FUND SHALL HAVE NO MAXIMUM FUND BALANCE LIMITATION.
SO IT WILL GROW SLOWLY OVER TIME BASED UPON THOSE TWO OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND, AND A, A REMINDER, RIGHT? HOW DID, HOW DID WE GET HERE? IT, I BELIEVE IT WAS 20 AND IT REMAINED 20 FOR A LONG TIME.
AND TOWN COUNCIL WOULD ASK ME EVERY YEAR TO DO SOME ASSESSMENT ON WHAT WOULD IT COST IF RIGHT, BASED UPON INFLATION, BASED UPON ADDED SO AND SO, WHERE IT WAS 20, WE MOVED IT TO 36 IN THIS YEAR, JUST BECAUSE OF WHAT DAVE IS SAYING, UM, IT INCREASED AS AND POLICY AT LEAST TO 39 7 45.
SO AGAIN, A, A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE MADE THAT 20 MILLION TO 36 MILLION JUMP BASED UPON OUR RECOMMENDATION.
AND THEN THE 36 MILLION CURRENT TO 30 39, ALMOST $40 MILLION.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE ROLL UP OF ALL OF THEM UNDER THE CURRENT POLICY, WE'RE AT 91,000,003 70, THE PROPOSED MINIMUM IS GONNA BE 1 23 9 63.
AND BASED UPON WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR 27, IT WOULD GO UP TO 1 3 5 7 67.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT OUR ENDING FUND BALANCE OF JUST UNDER 235 MILLION WILL BE AT 58% RESERVED.
UM, I THINK YOU NEED A TITLE CHANGE OVER THAT LAST COLUMN BECAUSE IT SAYS PROJECTED RESERVE FUND BALANCE, IT'S 6 30 20 27 AND THAT'S NOT, THAT'S THE PROJECT, THAT'S THE MINIMUM AMOUNT.
THE, SO WE'RE STARTING AT $254 MILLION IN OUR FUND BALANCE.
AND THEN YOU TALK ABOUT OUR CURRENT RESERVE POLICY TIES UP 91 MILLION, RIGHT? AND THAT THE PROPOSED MINIMUM FOR IS 124 MILLION, AND THEN YOU'VE GOT 136 MILLION.
BUT IT SAYS THAT'S THE PROJECTED RESERVE FUND BALANCE.
THAT'S THE, THE, THE 1 35 DIVIDED BY THE 2 35, THE PERCENTAGE THAT WOULD BE RESERVED, BUT THE, THE THIRD, BUT WITH THE TITLE, IT MAKES IT LOOK LIKE THAT'S ALL THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE IN TOTAL.
I WAS ASKING IF THAT COLUMN HEADER IS THE RIGHT TERMINOLOGY.
WHAT, WHAT SHOULD IT BE? WHAT WHAT WOULD YOU PREFER? IT SHOULD BE THE PROPOSED MINIMUM BALANCE POLICY AS OF 6 30 20 27.
I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO THINK THAT WE WE'RE GOING FROM 254 MILLION TO 2027.
[02:40:01]
WE'RE GOING TO 136 MILLION IN OUR TOTAL FUND BALANCE.SO IT'S JUST A, IT'S JUST A TITLING ON THE TOP.
UM, ONLY BECAUSE I HAD TO TRY TO MAKE A MOTION ON TUESDAY NIGHT BECAUSE WE HAD A REVISED, UH, PAGE ON THE RESERVE POLICY.
UM, AND I THINK I'M LOOKING AT THE ONE THAT I WAS LOOKING AT ON THE SCREEN ON UM, TUESDAY NIGHT.
BUT JUST LOOKING AT THOSE, UH, AND COMPARING THEM, AND I APOLOGIZE IF, IF, IF WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE US TONIGHT IS WHAT YOU SHOWED ON THE SCREEN TUESDAY NIGHT, THEN WE'RE, WE'RE GOOD.
BUT MY ONLY QUESTION IS, UM, AND MAYBE WE TAKE CARE OF THIS AT SECOND READING, UM, IS THAT THERE'S SOME NUMBERS THAT ARE DIFFERENT.
UM, AND, AND I WOULD CALL OUT THE ONES I CAN QUICKLY COMPARE EACH PRESERVATION FEE.
THE LAST REVISION I SAW WAS 40,000 PROPOSED MINIMUM BALANCE POLICY, AND THIS SHOWS A LITTLE OVER 42 8.
UM, THE OTHER NUMBER THAT'S DIFFERENT IS THE NATURAL DISASTERS FUND.
THE LAST NUMBER I SAW WAS 36,000 AND THIS IS 39,745 ET CETERA.
UM, AND THEN THAT CHANGES THE SUBTOTAL AND THE TOTAL.
UM, SO IF, IF THESE ARE THE ONES YOU WANNA REVISE, THEN I GUESS, AND I, I KNOW MR. COLTRANE IS SITTING BEHIND ME,
AND THAT, AS I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, YOU'RE ASKING IF IT'S A MATERIAL CHANGE BECAUSE THE TOWN COUNCIL ALREADY VOTED FIRST READING, WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT IT OR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF TERMINOLOGY, BUT THEN WE ALSO SAW SOME OPPORTUNITY TO CALIBRATE BASED UPON YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
AND SO WE MOVED THE, A COUPLE OF THOSE NUMBERS UPWARD.
IT'S, IT'S STILL, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE SAME AMOUNT OF DOLLARS IN THE BUDGET, JUST A DIFFERENT RESERVE POLICY.
IS THAT A MATERIAL CHANGE TO THE BUDGET? ESPECIALLY BECAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY HAD FIRST READING, I BELIEVE THAT IS WHAT YOU'RE GETTING TO.
AND I'M LOOKING AT THE TOTAL, IT'S A LITTLE OVER $6 MILLION, UH, ALMOST $6.6 MILLION DIFFERENCE IN THE TOTAL DOWN AT THE BOTTOM.
UM,
WE, WE, THE TOWN COUNCIL IN THE PAST HAS ADOPTED THE RESERVE POLICY AS A POLICY, BUT ATTACHED AS AN ATTACHMENT TO THE ORDINANCE.
I THINK IT WAS, IT MIGHT BE EXHIBIT EI CAN'T REMEMBER, RIGHT? YEAH, IT WAS PAGE, IT WAS PAGE FOUR EXHIBIT, BUT IT WAS PAGE FOUR OF EXHIBIT E AND WE WENT THROUGH, UM, WELL ACTUALLY SPOKE TO, TO MR. BURR ABOUT THAT A COUPLE OF TIMES.
NO, I DON'T THINK THAT WHAT YOU ARE PROPOSING TO DO BY THE, UH, RECALIBRATION OF THE NUMBERS ON THIS AMOUNTS TO A MATERIAL CHANGE BETWEEN WHAT YOU HAVE ADOPTED ON FIRST READING AND WHAT WILL BE ADOPTED ON SECOND READING.
I MEAN THE, THE GROSS NUMBERS, IF I UNDERSTAND MR. ORLANDO CORRECTLY, ARE ACTUALLY NOT CHANGING WHAT IS CHANGING.
THERE'S, UH, THE INTERNAL CALIBRATION OF HOW YOU GET THERE.
BUT WE'LL NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT SECOND READING HAS THESE NEW NUMBERS IN FRONT OF US, OKAY? MM-HMM
YOU WILL HAVE THIS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE, UH, WHAT, WHAT I WOULD CALL THE GUIDING POLICY DOCUMENT, WHICH ISN'T THIS, YOU, YOU'VE SEEN THAT AND YOU'VE ADOPTED IT AND IT'S PART OF YOUR FIRST READING PACKAGE THAT WILL BE CHANGED AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ADOPTING AS WELL.
WOULD IT MAKE SENSE TO HAVE THAT CHANGED DOCUMENT FOR THE NEXT WORKSHOP? BECAUSE, AND IF I UNDERSTAND IT CORRECTLY, THIS IS IN FACT STILL GONNA BE PAGE FOUR OF EXHIBIT E.
AS WE WERE JUST TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BEACH, THIS IS, UM, WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT BETWEEN NOW AND 2033 WITH OUR REVENUE STREAMS FOR THE BEACH PRESERVATION FEE AND INVESTMENT INCOME, LESS OUR OPERATING EXPENSES, OUR TRANSFER TO THE GENERAL FUND, CIP, WHICH WE HAVE HIGHLIGHTED.
'CAUSE UH, THAT'S STILL COULD BE MODIFIED AS WE GO THROUGH THE TIME.
AND THEN OUR DEBT SERVICE, WHICH, UH, THE LAST PAYMENT OF THAT WILL BE IN 2033.
SO THERE'LL BE THREE MORE MILLION ADDITIONAL DOLLARS AFTER THAT, BUT IT GETS US TO A VERY STRONG FUND BALANCE POSITION OF OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS BY 2033.
WE HAVE A STEP UP OF WHAT THAT PROJECTED RESERVE, THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY BEFORE TO GET TO 60.
UM, IT COULD GO HIGHER THAN THAT, BUT THAT WAS JUST THE MINIMUM WITH OTHER DOLLARS AVAILABLE AS NEEDED BASED UPON DIRECTION FOR ANY OTHER CAPITAL PROJECTS.
[02:45:03]
YEAH, BECAUSE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE MOVE UP TO THAT MUCH IS THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CAPITAL PROJECTS ASSOCIATED, UH, WITH THIS.YOU HAVE OUR REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT THAT WE PROVIDE, BUT UH, THERE'S NO LARGE PROJECTS ASSOCIATED IN HERE, SO IT DOES PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO YOUR POINT, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM.
WE, WE JUST PROJECTED LOW OF 470 OF 1.9 OF FOUR 70 AND, AND I CAN'T SEE THE SCREEN, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S UP, UP CLOSE TO $2 MILLION OVER THERE.
SO TO YOUR POINT, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY, BUT MOST OF THAT WOULD BE MAINTENANCE, NOT, UH, A MAJOR LIFT.
LIKE WE'RE LOOKING AT ISLANDERS BEACH PARK AND THIS IS JUST, UH, THE ROLLUP AT THE END.
THAT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR, OUR PRESENTATION.
ANY, UH, LAST COMMENTS, QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? ALL RIGHT, WELL, SEEING NONE, UM, MS. BECKER, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? NO, I'M GOOD.
I FINALLY GOT BACK ON AND WAS ABLE TO, AND I'LL GO BACK AND WATCH THE PORTION OF THE MEETING THAT I MISSED.
SO I'M GOOD FOR NOW, BUT I'LL HAVE QUESTIONS.
SO, UH, KIM, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGN UP TO SPEAK? WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE.
HE, HE ACTUALLY, WE'VE GOT, THEY'RE, THEY'RE BOTH SIGNED UP FOR THE BUDGET AND NON AGENDA ITEMS. WELL, THIS IS, THIS IS ON THE, THE, UH, THE AGENDA ITEMS. I'M SORRY, I DON'T, THIS IS ON THE AGENDA ITEM AND THEN WE'LL DO A CLOCK.
GIVE US JUST A SECOND, JUST JUST ONE MOMENT.
ALAN, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ALL THIS? AND PLEASE DON'T INTERRUPT ME AGAIN.
I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE THE TAXPAYERS OF THIS TOWN ARE NOT GETTING ANSWERS AND THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE.
COURT AND CITY DOGE AUDITS ARE COMING.
WHO GAVE THE LEGAL OPINION THAT A TAX FUNDS CAN BE USED THE WAY THEY ARE? NAME THE LAWYERS PRODUCE A WRITTEN OPINION OR ADMIT IT DOESN'T EXIST.
WHO TOLD THIS COUNCIL IT WAS LEGAL TO SPEND TAXPAYERS MONEY ON 600,000 OR DR.
HARBORTOWN 500,000 FOR HERITAGE GOLF SPONSORSHIP.
MILLIONS OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND TAXPAYER FUNDED LEGAL FEES FOR PRIVATE LAWSUITS BY LAWYER ALFRED AND TERRY FINGER'S CRIMINAL DMO CONTRACT.
BECAUSE IF THERE'S NO VALID LEGAL OPINION, THERE ARE NO MISTAKES.
THESE ARE JUST KNOWING VIOLATIONS.
WHILE WE'RE MULTI, MULTI-YEAR MULTIMILLION DOLLAR DMO CHAMBER CONTRACTS HAVE PROVED THAT VIOLATE 5 0 1 DASH C SIX TAX LAWS, SOUTH CAROLINA, A TAX CODE SOUTH CAROLINA CONSTITUTIONAL LAW THAT PROHIBITS THE USE OF PUBLIC MONEY FOR PRIVATE BENEFIT AND PROFITS.
WHY IS A TAX FUNDED CHAMBER AND OTHER NON-PROFITS OPERATING LIKE PRIVATE BUSINESSES, SELLING ADS, NO BUSINESS BUSINESS LICENSE GENERATING REVENUE, COMMITTING TAX EVASION, AND REFUSING TO DISCLOSE WHERE THE MONEY GOES? WHERE ARE THE FULL FINANCIAL REPORTS? WHERE ARE THE PROFIT REPORTS? WHERE'S THE TRANSPARENCY REQUIRED BY LAW? WHY DO TOWN OFFICIALS USE TAXPAYER MONEY TO JOIN THE CHAMBER, ATTEND THE CHAMBER BALL PARTY? THERE'S A DIRECT CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
PUBLIC FUNDS SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR PRIVATE MEMBERSHIPS.
WHY ARE THE FOER REQUESTS VIOLATED, DENIED AND INCOMPLETE? TRANSPARENCY IS NOT OPTIONAL.
WHY ARE TOWN LAWYERS DRAFTING APPROVING ILLEGAL CONTRACTS THAT BENEFIT PRIVATE ENTITIES? WHY TAXPAYERS PAY FOR IT? WHO WAS OVERSEEING THEM? WHY ARE THE LEGAL FEES OUTTA CONTROL LAWYER MALPRACTICE AND CRIMINAL CONTRACT FRAUD BY COLTRANE? WHO SHOULD BE SUED? THIS IS SIMPLE TO STOP.
FOLLOW THE MONEY, SHOW THE DOCUMENTS, NAME THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE.
IF YOU CANNOT DO THAT, THEN YOU'RE NOT GOVERNING YOUR PROTECTING.
I'M CALLING FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION.
FULL PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF ALL FINANCIAL RECORDS, ALL LEGAL OPINIONS RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC INDEPENDENT CPA, UH, UH, CITY DOGE AUDITS AND BUDGETS AND YEAR END YEAR-END AUDITS, A COMPLETE REVIEW OF A TAX AND DMO CONTRACTS AND LAWYERS LAW LAWS, THE TAXPAYERS ARE WATCHING AND THIS IS NOT GOING AWAY.
LAST PERRY, YOU SAID YOU SAW MILLIONS OF TAX RECEIPTS AND INVOICES WITH THE CHAMBER AND BILL MILES, INCLUDING CANADA.
WHERE ARE THEY? THIS IS CRIMINAL FRAUD.
ALEX BROWN MUST BE REMOVED FROM FINANCE COMMITTEE AND REPLACED BY CPA.
HOW WILL YOU ALL RESPOND UNDER OATH? IN YOUR DEPOSITION OF RISK OF PERJURY?
[02:50:02]
SUE COLTRANE AND REPLACE HIM WITH A FREE AI LAWYER ROBOT TO SIT IN HIS SEAT.NO ONE ESCAPES FORENSIC AUDITS BY THE FBI AND MANY ARE HANDCUFFED AND Y'ALL NEED TO PREPARE FOR THIS EPISODE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. BUSY.
I WANT TO BEGIN TODAY WHERE I LEFT OFF ON TUESDAY, UH, BEFORE THE MAYOR ABRUPTLY CUT ME OFF.
I HAD CLEARLY STATED THAT I HAD ONE FINAL COMMENT, BUT THE MAYOR CHOSE TO BANG HIS GAVEL AND ORDER ME TO SIT DOWN.
WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY WAS THIS, WHILE IT'S COMMENDABLE THAT THE PROPOSED BUDGET DOES NOT INCREASE THE MILLAGE RATE, THAT'S ONLY HALF THE EQUATION.
BUT IF THE MILLAGE RATE REMAINS AT 19.4 AND YOUR PROPERTY CAPPED VALUE INCREASES, YOUR TAXES WOULD INCREASE.
AND KEEP IN MIND THE NEXT ASSESSMENT, WHICH I BELIEVE IS TWO YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, UH, YOUR TAXES WOULD INCREASE BY AS MUCH AS 15% WITH NO MILL RATE INCREASE.
THE GOAL OF THE TOWN COUNCIL SHOULD BE TO DECREASE TAXES.
REMEMBER IN 1983, WE WERE SET UP AS A LIMITED GOVERNMENT.
A STATEMENT FROM TUESDAY'S MEETING, UH, GOT MY ATTENTION.
ALEX BROWN TALKED ABOUT HOW THE BUDGET PROCESS HAD CHANGED AND HE PROUDLY STATED THAT THERE'S NO MORE HORSE TRADING AT THE DAIS.
BUT PERHAPS THAT'S BECAUSE THIS TOWN COUNCIL CONDUCTS BUSINESS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS THROUGH WHAT I BELIEVE ARE ILLEGAL.
TWO BY TWO MEETINGS, THE TOWN MANAGER AND THE MAYOR MEET PRIVATELY WITH TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS AT A TIME TO DISCUSS THE BUDGET, FOLLOWED BY ADDITIONAL MEETINGS WITH DIFFERENT COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THESE ROLLING QUORUMS ARE DESIGNED TO AVOID PUBLIC SCRUTINY.
I KNOW THAT THESE SECRET BACKDOOR MEETINGS, THEY'VE BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS AND IN FACT, MY REP TAMMY BECKER, BELIEVES THEY'RE LEGAL AND ANYONE WHO QUESTIONS THEM IS JUST PLAIN WRONG.
IN FACT, SHE'S OPENLY PARTICIPATED IN THESE SECRET MEETINGS AS ALL OF YOU HAVE, BECKER BELIEVES THEY'RE NORMAL, AND THAT WAY YOU CAN ADVOCATE FOR THE THINGS YOU WANT AND FIGHT THINGS YOU DON'T AGREE WITH.
BUT ALL OF THIS TAKES PLACE IN PRIVATE, OUT OF THE PUBLIC VIEW.
SO WHILE SOME BELIEVE HORSE TRADING OF THE PAST IS ENDED, I SUSPECT IT HAS SIMPLY MOVED BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
AND MANY OF YOU HAVE PRAISED THE BUDGET PROCESS AS TRANSPARENT.
I BELIEVE THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE.
ALL OF THE QUESTIONS I RAISED TUESDAY NIGHT, THAT TO ME, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT REMAINS UNANSWERED.
DOES THE TOWN USED ZERO BASED BUDGETING OR DOES IT SIMPLY ADD TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S BUDGET? I'VE SENT ALL MY QUESTIONS TO MR. ORLANDO AND THE TOWN COUNCIL TUESDAY NIGHT AS I PROMISED, BUT NO RESPONSES SO FAR.
AND THE ISSUE OF GOVERNMENT IS SPENDING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THE STATE LEVEL, AND THE TOWN LEVEL.
THIS TOWN COUNCIL SHOULD EXPLORE ANY AND ALL WAYS TO DECREASE SPENDING.
THAT'S ALL WE HAVE ON THE BUDGET.
OKAY, SO NOW WE MOVE ON TO NON AGENDA ITEMS. MR. HOAGLAND, UH, SKIP HOAGLAND, WINDMILL HARBOR, RUNNING FOR HONEST WATCHDOG MAYOR FOR ALL TAXPAYERS.
THE TOWN LAWYERS FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS HAS SEVERELY VIOLATED OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY HAVE COMMITTED CRIMINAL DMO CONTRACT FRAUD AND MALPRACTICE APPROVED THE ILLEGAL USE OF MILLIONS OF TAX FUNDS LIKE THE 600,000 TO DREDGE HARBOR TOWN AND WORSE CRIMINAL USED TAX FUNDS FOR THEIR PRIVATE POCKETS AND CLIENTS.
THEY ALSO USE A JOB TO PROFIT THEIR PRIVATE PRACTICES AND LAWYER FRIENDS.
THE TOWN HAS VIOLATED PROCUREMENT LAWS FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS.
NO OPPORTUNITY FOR LOCAL LAWYERS WHO PAY TAXES HERE AND ALLOWING THE SAME CORRUPT LAWYERS TO CONTROL OUR LEGAL SERVICES WITH OUR COMPROMISED TOWN MANAGERS, INTERNAL CPAS AND OUTSIDE AUDIT FIRMS. ALSO, LEGAL FEES BURIED IN THE PUBLIC VIEW IN OUR BUDGETS AS AS AS MAYOR WITH A CITY DOGE.
ALL LEGAL SERVICES AND CONTRACTS WILL BE REVIEWED BY INDEPENDENT LOCAL VOLUNTEER CPAS SERVING ON THE CITY DOGE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
AND THIS WILL END ALL THE LEGAL ABUSE.
NO MORE ILLEGAL CONTRACTS, NO MORE MALPRACTICE AND NO MORE ILLEGAL FUNDING BY THE LAWYERS OF THIS TOWN COUNCIL ABUSING TAXPAYERS.
MR. PERRY, YOU UNDERSTAND THIS.
PLEASE STOP YOUR ILLEGAL VOTES.
TAKE A TOWN OATH TO FOLLOW ALL LAWS INCLUDING STATE AND FEDERAL THAT PREVAIL OVER LOCAL, ESPECIALLY WHEN OUTSIDE LAWYERS PRESENT HARD EVIDENCE TO STOP THE NEW HIRED LAWYER USING THIS TOWN JOB TO PROFIT HIS PRIVATE PRACTICE AND HIS LAW PER PARTNERS AND FRIENDS, WE NEED TO HIRE A YOUNG IN-HOUSE LAWYER, PAID AN AI RECOMMENDED SALARY.
THIS NEEDS TO BE A HILTON HEAD RESIDENT LAWYER THAT HAS HIS COMMUNITY BEST INTEREST IN MIND
[02:55:01]
AND PAYS TAXES HERE WITH AI.LEGAL ANSWERS, LEGAL FEES WILL BE REDUCED.
I DON'T EVEN USE LAWYERS THAT MUCH MYSELF.
SO WE ALL HAVE TO, WE SO WE WILL HAVE AN HONEST AI ROBOT LAWYER SITTING IN CURTIS COLTRANE'S CHAIR THAT WILL ANSWER EVERY LEGAL QUESTION THIS COUNSEL WANTS TO KNOW FOR FREE SOON.
AI WILL ELIMINATE BOTH LAWYERS NEEDS FOR JUDGES, JURIES, AND DECIDE MOST CASES IN A FEW MINUTES BASED ON LAWS AND FACTS, NOT EMOTIONS, ASSUMPTIONS OR FAILED WEAPONIZED LEGAL, JUDICIAL, AND POLITICAL SYSTEM.
CURTIS COLTRANE SHOULD BE SUED FOR HIS LEGAL ADVICE AND HIS MALPRACTICE INSURANCE COMPANY PAID THE 600,000, THE OVERCHARGED LEGAL FEES AND EX AND EXPLAINED THESE IN THE ISLAND PACKETS EXPLAINED THESE IN THE ISLAND PACKET PROVIDED.
THIS INCLUDES LAWYER ALBERT AND, UH, COLTRANE'S FIRM LAW PARTNER WHO ROBBED THIS COMMUNITY BLIND OF 200,000 AND FRAUD.
TERRY FINGERS' FIRM, UH, DRAFTED THE ILLEGAL DMO CONTRACT.
HE IS CORRUPT AND HE IS NOT QUALIFIED TO APPLY TO BE THE NEW TOWN LAWYER.
IF YOU DO IT, I'M GONNA GET ON YOU HARD, HARDER THAN YOU'VE EVER SEEN.
THANKS FOR EVERYBODY BEING HERE TONIGHT.
I AM MEMORY CAMPBELL AND THIS IS BEAUFORD COUNTY MOMENTS.
I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FOOD TODAY.
THE FOOD HAS BEEN A GREAT PART OF OUR LIFE IN TERMS OF GATHERING FOOD AND PREPARING THEM.
OUR FOOD IS BASED ON THE LAND AND THE SEA.
THE LAND FOOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN RICE.
WE DON'T FEEL WE HAVE EATEN DINNER UNLESS WE'VE HAD RICE.
RICE WAS MIXED WITH VARIOUS ITEMS FROM THE SEA, LIKE OYSTERS OR SHRIMP.
AND WHEN THEY'RE COOKED WITH RICE IN ONE POT, WE CALL IT A RICE OR SHRIMP OR AN OYSTER PERLOW.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE WATERMELONS AND THE SWEET POTATOES.
SWEET POTATOES WAS ALWAYS EATEN WITH FISH AND FRESH FISH WITH GRAVY AND A SWEET POTATO.
OKRA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR FOOD WAYS.
WE, WE, WE RAISE THEM AS WELL AS WE PREPARE THEM WITH SHRIMP AND TOMATOES.
AND SOME PEOPLE WOULD CALL THAT A GUMBO.
AND THAT'S WHAT EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
AND SO ENJOY THE FOOD OF THE LOW COUNTRY BECAUSE IT'S BEEN VERY MUCH A PART OF OUR HISTORY.
THIS HAS BEEN YOUR BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT.
TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.