[00:00:01]
I'D LIKE TO CALL THE FINANCE ADMINISTRATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING TO ORDER.
TODAY IS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2026.
IT'S 2:00 PM EVERYONE COULD RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE BROWN.
[3. STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE WITH FOIA]
ALRIGHT, MS. BROCK, UM, HAVE WE MET ALL THE COMPLIANCE, UM, REQUIREMENTS? YES SIR, WE HAVE.[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
I WOULD ASK FOR SOMEONE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT.
AND I THINK WE WANT TO ADD ONE QUICK DISCUSSION ITEM TO THAT.
IF I CAN ASK, UM, MS. TABER, IF YOU COULD ASK US TO AMEND THE AGENDA.
I MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA TO ADD A DISCUSSION ITEM ABOUT FEMA.
ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO DISCUSSION? WE WILL APPROVE THE AMENDED AGENDA.
AND ALL IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT, OBVIOUSLY NO OBJECTION.
ALL THE AMENDMENT HAS, UM, PASSED.
AND THEN, UH, THE AGENDA, WE WILL APPROVE OUR AGENDA AS AMENDED.
UM, ALRIGHT, WE ARE, UH, NOW UP TO OUR NUMBER FIVE ON OUR AGENDA, WHICH IS PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
UH, 15 MINUTES OF THAT IS THERE.
ALRIGHT, SO NO ONE SIGNED UP, NO ONE ONLINE.
UH, WE WILL CLOSE THEN OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
[6.a. Budget Report and Budget Adjustment Report as of 8/30/2026 (FISCAL IMPACT: ) - Sandy Novak, Finance Director]
AND GO ON TO NUMBER SIX ON OUR AGENDA, WHICH IS, UM, UH, OUR BUDGET REPORT THAT WE DO EVERY TIME WE HAVE A FINANCE MEETING, BUDGET REPORT AND BUDGET ADJUSTMENT, UH, REPORT AS OF, UH, AUGUST 30TH, 2026.AND UH, THIS IS MS. UH, SANDY NOVAK, WHO IS OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR.
THANK YOU MS. NOVAK FOR BEING HERE.
SO THIS IS FOR THE 27 BUDGET REPORT.
UM, AND I THINK WE'VE GOT EVERYONE ELSE HERE, UH, EXCEPT FOR I THINK MR. REITS IS THE ONLY ONE THAT IS, UH, UM, ABSENT TODAY.
UM, SO YOUR GENERAL FUND REVENUES ARE, ARE TRACKING IN AS NORMAL.
THIS IS, UM, THIS IS THROUGH AUGUST 30TH BECAUSE OF THE NEW DUE DATES.
UM, IT'S ALMOST, YOU KNOW, IT'S 21 DAYS LATE, BUT THIS IS THROUGH AUGUST 30TH WHERE WE WERE TRACKING VERY NICELY WITH, UM, ALL OF OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUES.
UM, UNDER EXPENDITURES, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE SOME PURCHASE SERVICES.
THAT'S BECAUSE OF ENCUMBRANCES.
THOSE ARE A COUPLE OF PROJECTS, THE BIGGEST OF WHICH IS IN SOLID WASTE.
FURTHER HICKORY HILL LANDFILL AND HAULING CONTRACTS ARE THE TWO LARGEST THAT ARE GOING ON THERE.
UM, ENTERPRISE FUND REVENUES, AGAIN, TRACKING PRETTY NORMAL THERE.
UM, ESPECIALLY THE AIRPORTS TAKE A LITTLE WHILE BEFORE THEY TRICKLE THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
SO THIS IS ALL THROUGH AUGUST 30TH EXPENDITURES, UM, ARE, ARE TRACKING AS EXPECTED FOR THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE, ON THE YEAR TO DATE BUDGET? ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
OUR NEXT ITEM ARE BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS.
YOU HAVE A COPY OF THOSE AND BECAUSE IT'S SO EARLY IN THE YEAR, UM, THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OVER A PAGE THAT YOU HAVE.
UM, AND THAT SHOULD BE IN YOUR PACKET.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THE TRANSFERS? WHAT, AND THAT'S OKAY? YES, MA'AM, GO AHEAD.
AND THEN, UM, OUR THIRD IS AN ORDINANCE FOR, UH, SECOND BUDGET SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET.
THIS IS TO TAKE, UM, FUNDS FROM A AND H TAX AND SET THEM ASIDE FOR THE TOURNAMENT COMPLEX.
INITIALLY, WHAT'S IN YOUR PACKET HAD 8,000, UM, FROM UM, A TAX AND 7,000 FROM H TAX.
NO, IT WON'T
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE THAT TO
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SEVEN AND A HALF EACH INSTEAD OF EIGHT AND SEVEN.UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND, BEFORE IT GOES TO FULL COUNCIL, IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER.
THAT'S WHAT AGENDA ITEMS? YEAH, THAT'S LATER ON THE AGENDA.
THAT'S JUST INFORMATION FOR YOU ALL.
AND THEN, SO THAT IS IT FOR FINANCE REPORT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MS. NOVAK? ALRIGHT, SO NO QUESTIONS.
WE'LL GO TO THEN, UM, OUR AMENDED DISCUSSION AND, UM, MR. MOORE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO HANDLE THAT FOR US, PLEASE.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MR. CHAIR AND COMMITTEE, UM, WE WANTED TO BRING AN UPDATE TO YOU ALL.
WE RECEIVED A NOTICE THAT THERE'S A FEMA MITIGATION GRANT THAT HAS, THE STATE HAS BEEN AWARDED FOR $10 MILLION TO ALLOCATE TO RESIDENTS WHO WILL BE NOTIFIED BY FEMA.
SO THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED.
THE COUNTY IS REQUIRED TO ACT AS THE PASS THROUGH.
AND SO WHEN THE APPLICANTS, WHEN THE HOMEOWNERS MAKE APPLICATION, IT WILL COME THROUGH THE COUNTY.
THERE'S A CONSULTANT THAT'S BEEN HIRED AND I WANTED TO PUT THIS, UH, ON YOU ALL, UH, PUT YOU ALL JUST MAKE YOU AWARE.
AND BACK IN, UM, WE WENT AND LOOKED THIS UP.
IN 2021 THERE WAS A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING FEDERAL MITIGATE FLOOD MITIGATION AS ASSISTANCE.
UH, THERE WERE TWO, UM, RESOLUTIONS RIGHT NOW.
WE WE'RE NOT SURE IF WE WOULD NEED TO UPDATE THOSE OR NOT, BUT WANTED TO PUT YOU ALL, JUST MAKE YOU AWARE THAT THESE WILL BE COMING FORWARD.
AND THAT DEADLINE FOR THE HOMEOWNERS TO APPLY IS ON OCTOBER 9TH.
AND I'VE GOT MR. KIDD OR MR. FREDERICKS HERE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFO AND ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
SO JUST WHAT WE'RE UNDERSTANDING IS, IS THAT IT'S OCTOBER 9TH, WHICH IS ONLY THEN TWO WEEKS AWAY, TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AWAY.
AND THOSE HOMEOWNERS HAVE ALREADY BEEN NOTIFIED THOSE, BUT SO THE HOMEOWNERS HAVE ALREADY BEEN NOTIFIED.
THEY'VE BEEN NOTIFIED AND THEN THEY, THEY'RE NOTIFIED HOW TO APPLY THEN.
IF, IF THEY DO APPLY, THE COUNTY WILL BE THE SUB APPLICANT ON THE APPLICATION.
THIS DOESN'T REQUIRE ANY FINANCIAL OUTLAY FROM THE COUNTY OTHER THAN IN THE FUTURE.
WE MAY HAVE TO FRONT SOME MONEY THAT IS ULTIMATELY REIMBURSED BY THIS FEMA GRANT.
SO IT'S NO INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE OF COUNTY FUNDS.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT WOULD BE IN FISCAL YEAR 28, RIGHT? YES.
SO WE HAVE TIME TO MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS ON THE BUDGET FOR THAT.
WHAT WAS THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT MARK? WHAT WAS THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT? SO THERE'S 10 MILLION.
THE STATE'S APPLIED, THEY'VE CAPTURED 10 MILLION.
AND NOW THE STATE'S ADMINISTERING IT TO ALL THE COUNTIES AND JURISDICTIONS, NOT JUST COUNTIES.
SO, UM, BEAUFORT COUNTY HAD 260 ADDRESSES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED DIRECTLY BY, UM, FEMA AS REPETITIVE LOSS.
SO YOU'RE ONLY ELIGIBLE IF YOU'VE RECEIVED A LETTER.
SO I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF AREAS THAT FLOOD THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
WE'VE HAD A FEW REACH OUT ALREADY THAT HAVE SHOWN INTEREST AND WE HAVE TO COORDINATE WITH THE STATE.
IT'S A, IT'S A LENGTHY, UM, APPLICATION THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNER HAS TO APPLY, BUT THE STATE CONSULTANT HIRED BY THE STATE WILL HELP FACILITATE THAT.
WE'RE BASICALLY A SUB APPLICANT TO SIGN ONTO IT BECAUSE THE FUNDS CAN'T GO STRAIGHT FROM THE STATE TO THE HOMEOWNER.
THEY HAVE TO RUN THROUGH THE LOCAL JURISDICTION.
SO THAT'S OUR PARTICIPATION IN IT.
SO PEOPLE DON'T NEED TO CALL US 'CAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN NOTIFIED AND THEY JUST, THEY WANNA FILL AN APPLICATION.
THEY WOULD THEN CALL US TO ASSIST OR HOW, IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE APPLICATION OR THE PROCESS, THEY CAN CALL US.
UH, ANNIE, UM, PFEIFFER IS OUR FLOOD GAIN FLOODPLAIN MITIGATION.
UH, OUR FLOODPLAIN MANAGER, UM, SHE WAS POINT OF CONTACT FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY SO SHE CAN HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS AND THEN COORDINATE WITH THE STATE.
UM, IF THEY'RE INTERESTED, THEY MAY RECEIVE IT AND NOT HAVE AN INTEREST TO PURSUE IT.
IT'S A LENGTHY PROCESS ON THE HOMEOWNER.
UM, WE'VE DONE THIS AS MENTIONED IN 2021, THERE WAS, IT COMES OUT PERIODICALLY AND WE HAD ONE HOMEOWNER PREVIOUSLY.
SO, UM, THAT'S ALL WE'VE BEEN A PART OF, BUT WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY WILL APPLY BEFORE AUGUST OR OCTOBER 9TH.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT LIST OF THE 261.
NO, THAT'S A LIST THAT THEY WOULDN'T SHARE WITH US.
IT'S, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHY I'M WHAT AJOY IN MY DISTRICT MIGHT HAVE THAT THAT WAS WHERE THE PREVIOUS HOME WAS IN AJOY FROM.
I THINK I REMEMBER THAT WAS TELLING TAB ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHY THEY DON'T SHARE THE LIST WITH US OF THE 260 ADDRESSES.
BUT THAT'S, IF, IF A RESIDENT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY RECEIVED THAT NOTIFICATION FROM FEMA, THEY ARE ELIGIBLE.
IF YOU DID NOT RECEIVE IT, YOU'RE NOT ELIGIBLE.
STAND, I'M SORRY FOR, FOR ME AND FOR THE PUBLIC, WHAT MAKES THEM ELIGIBLE? I MISSED THAT PART.
UH, REPETITIVE LOSS, UM, OR SEVERE REPETITIVE LOSS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED IN PREVIOUS EVENTS.
SO THEY'VE BASICALLY HAD TO, FEMA HAS TO HAVE SOME RECORD THAT THERE'S BEEN REPEATED LOSS
[00:10:01]
OR DAMAGE.I'M ASSUMING THAT MEANS REPEATED FLOODING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THEY HAVE THEIR METRICS AND I THINK ONE OF 'EM THAT WE HEARD FOR REPEATED LOSS WAS A MORE THAN ONE CLAIM OF OVER $2,000 WITHIN A 10 YEAR SPAN.
GOT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SURE.
UH, YEAH, WE GOT SOME FOLKS ON THIS SIDE.
UM, I'M WITH, UM, SOMEBODY WHO RAISED A QUESTION ABOUT NOTIFICATION AND YOU, YOU KNOW, SO I GOT YOUR ANSWER FOR THAT.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT CAN BE DONE? IT SEEMS TO ME THAT, UH, WE WOULD WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP IF THE FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY IMPROVE THEIR HOMES, UH, FROM DAMAGE.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE CAN'T, WE, WE DON'T HAVE AN ADDRESS, BUT CAN WE DO SOMETHING ELSE WE GOT MEANS OF COMMUNICATING? YEAH.
NOW IF I GOT ME A NOTICE FROM FEMUR, CHANCES ARE I MIGHT JUST THROW IT IN THE TRASH CAN.
UM, BECAUSE I, I CONSIDER THIS RED TAPE OR WHATEVER AND STUFF.
UM, THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF FOLKS WHO LOOK AT IT AND SAY, WHAT'D I DO WITH THIS? AND SO IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN REACH OUT TO PEOPLE JUST TO NOTIFY THEM IF THEY GOT SOME INFORMATION FROM FEMUR, UM, IT'D BEHOOVE THEM TO ACTUALLY COME AND TALK AND SEE WHETHER THEY REALLY WANNA PURSUE IT.
I THINK WE COULD COORDINATE WITH HANNAH PIO AND PUT SOME INFORMATION OUT THAT WE'VE GOT A FLYER FROM DNR.
UM, THE ONLY HESITATION THERE IS WE'RE GONNA SEND OUT NOTICE AND THERE'S ONLY A VERY SMALL SELECT FEW OF COUNTY RESIDENTS, UM, THAT ACTUALLY RECEIVED IT.
WE JUST DON'T HAPPEN TO KNOW WHO THEY ARE.
UM, BUT THAT WOULD BE PROBABLY OUR BEST METHOD IS TO MAKE NOTICE IF YOU DO HAVE QUESTIONS UNINCORPORATED, IT'S ALSO WENT ALL TO THE MUNICIPALITY.
SO IF CITY OF BEAUFORT OR OR ANY OF Y'ALL'S REPRESENTED AREAS IN THE MUNICIPALITIES, THEY WOULD HAVE A COUNTERPART JUST LIKE ANNIE FOR THE COUNTY THAT THEY WOULD REACH OUT TO.
BUT WE COULD PUT INFORMATION OUT THERE AT HOLE AND THEN REACH OUT TO US IF YOU, I I, I APPRECIATE THAT AND I, UM, I'M GLAD THAT THAT ANSWER I WOULD ASK, UH, HANNAH IN THIS CASE HERE, UM, IN DOING THAT NEWS RELEASE OR WHATEVER, UM, TO SORT OF DUMB IT DOWN FOR ME SO I CAN UNDERSTAND IT AND I CAN SHARE IT WITH OTHER FOLKS TOO.
UH, WHAT HAPPENS TO UNCLAIMED FUNDS? JUST STAY WITH THE GOVERNMENT.
SO THERE'S 10 MILLION FOR THE STATE.
UM, I WOULD ASSUME, I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY, BUT I WOULD ASSUME, UM, IF THEY GO UNUSED THEN THE FEDS WOULD RECLAIM THOSE BACK FROM THE STATE.
AND I, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY ON THE ONE AGAIN, IT WAS IN THE ALL JOY AREA, BUT, UH, I THINK THAT THEY QUALIFIED FOR 50% OF THE COST.
THERE'S, AND THE 10 MILLION ISN'T VERY MUCH FOR THE WHOLE STATE.
THERE'S SOME, UM, THERE'S FOUR DIFFERENT CATEGORIES ACQUISITION, UM, WHICH IS A STRAIGHT PURCHASE, UH, EV EL ELEVATION IF YOU NEED TO RAISE IT, UM, MITIGATION OR RECONSTRUCTION AND THEN DRAFT, UH, FLOOD PROOFING.
AND SO I THINK THAT ONE QUALIFIED UNDER THE MITIGATION AND RECONSTRUCTION AND THAT'S THE ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR THAT IS CAPPED IS CAPPED AT $220,000.
THE OTHER THREE PROGRAMS OUT OF THE FOUR ARE NOT CAPPED WITH A DOLLAR VALUE.
SO I THINK THAT PLAYED INTO EFFECT ON THE LAST ONE.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
AND JUST TO CLOSE, JUST ADMINISTRATION'S GONNA CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THIS PROCESS AND SUPPORT OUR RESIDENTS.
UH, WE JUST WANNA MAKE YOU ALL AWARE AND, UM, IF YOU GOT QUESTIONS YOU CAN REFER 'EM TO STAFF IF ANYBODY REACHES OUT TO YOU ON THIS.
[7.a. ABR Digital Solutions Award & Approval (FISCAL IMPACT: The lease, maintenance and print management services will be funded through the applicable departmental equipment rental and supplies accounts. The estimated annual contract cost is $154,013.40, which includes lease, maintenance, software and applicable taxes. ) - Shakeeya Polite, Information Technology Director]
MOVE ON THEN TO OUR AGENDA ITEMS. AND OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM WAS A A BR.I CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A MOTION TO, UM, TO, TO, ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
UM, UH, OUR AGENDA ITEMS A A BR DIGITAL SOLUTIONS AWARD AND APPROVAL.
UM, AND THIS IS, UH, THE LEASE MAINTENANCE AND PRINT MANAGEMENT SERVICES WILL BE FUNDED THROUGH THE APPLICABLE DEPARTMENT TOLL EQUIPMENT RENTAL AND SUPPLIES ACCOUNT.
THE ESTIMATED ANNUAL CONTRACT IS 154,000, UH, $13 AND 40 CENTS, WHICH INCLUDES LEASE MAINTENANCE SOFTWARE AND APPLICABLE TAXES.
AND, UM, MS. POLITE IS SET WHO'S GONNA BE PRESENTING THIS IS, UM, ALRIGHT.
UM, AND OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE BACKUP INFORMATION.
UH, IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS FOR MS. POLITE? IF NOT, WE CAN, NO QUESTIONS.
WE CAN THEN GO AHEAD IS UH, WE'LL APPROVE THIS WITHOUT OBJECTION.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND TALK ABOUT IT? YEAH, I THINK JUST FOR THE PUBLIC TO SAY A FEW WORDS WHAT IT'S ABOUT.
YOU CAN JUST GIVE US THE BACKGROUND OF JUST IN CASE WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THIS IS AND WHAT THIS IS FOR.
SO, UM, THE IT DEPARTMENT IS REQUESTING YOUR APPROVAL TO PROCEED WITH THE AWARD FOR PRINTING, UM, COUNTYWIDE.
[00:15:01]
UM, IT'S $154,000 AND IT'S BASICALLY PRINTER EQUIPMENT SO WE CAN PRINT.IS THIS ELECTED OFFICIALS TOO? YES, YOUR HONOR.
JUST CURIOUS COUNTY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, UH, FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS? UH, ARE YOU SAYING THAT I DON'T NEED MY PRINT AT HOME? NOW? YOU PROBABLY STILL NEED YOUR PRINT AT HOME, BUT THIS IS FOR THE ONES UNDER A BR.
SO, UM, YOURS IS PROBABLY NOT UNDER A BR, BUT FOR THE ONES UNDER A BR, THIS IS WHAT THIS IS FOR.
UH, WE WILL APPROVE THIS WITHOUT OBJECTION.
AGAIN, MS. POLITE, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
SHOULD I INTRODUCED YOU BETTER? UM, MS. POLITE IS OUR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[7.b. Discussion regarding revisions to the Beaufort County Employee Handbook, specifically to section 1.6, Whistleblower Policy - Alice Howard, County Council Chair]
AND LET'S MOVE ON THEN TO OUR SECOND, UM, AGENDA ITEM.AND THIS IS B DISCUSSION REGARDING REVISIONS TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK, SPECIFICALLY TO SECTION 1.6 WHISTLEBLOWER POLICY.
AND, UM, AGAIN, WE HAD DONE THIS, UH, AS A, UH, AS A DISCUSSION ITEM BEFORE AND FOR US TO BRING THIS UP NOW, UM, CAN I HAVE IT'S, IT STILL IS A DISCUSSION.
UM, SO, UM, IF EVERYONE HAS A, HAS HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT, UM, AND GO THROUGH IT, AND I READ THROUGH IT AGAIN A COUPLE TIMES JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAS CLEAR ON WHAT WE WERE DOING WITH IT.
THE ONE THING THAT I WANNA MAKE SURE I BROUGHT THIS UP LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT IT IS THIS IS NOT FOR WORKPLACE, UM, UH, UM, HOSTILE WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT, I GUESS IS THE CORRECT WORD.
IF YOU GO THROUGH AND READ WHAT IS IN THERE, IT TELLS YOU EXACTLY WHAT THE WHISTLEBLOWER POLICY IS FOR AND WHAT KIND OF ITEMS WILL BE COVERED.
SO AGAIN, JUST FOR PEOPLE TO REALIZE THAT, THAT THIS IS NOT A WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT, UM, THERE IS NOTHING IN HERE THAT, UM, TALKS ABOUT, UM, IF YOUR BOSS IS MEAN, UM, IF YOUR BOSS, UH, TELLS YOU TO GO BACK TO WORK AND, AND WORK.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS, IS REGARDING BEING BULLIED AT WORK.
THIS IS ACTUALLY, UM, THE WHISTLEBLOWER POLICY.
AND IF YOU CAN GO DOWN FOR US, SARAH, AND GO TO THE ITEMS THAT THAT COVERS RIGHT THERE.
UM, MAYBE THAT WAS IT UP THERE.
THE A THROUGH H, UM, THAT YOU'VE GOT.
UM, WRAP IT DOWN A LITTLE MORE, SARAH.
SO START WITH THE, THE A DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO THESE, THOSE ARE THE THINGS AGAIN THAT IT, IT COVERS THAT A WHISTLEBLOWER, UM, WOULD, WOULD BE PROTECTED FROM WHEN THEY COME FORWARD WITH THESE ITEMS. SO AGAIN, JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS, IS AWARE OF THAT.
IS THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION WHENEVER YOU WE TALK ABOUT THIS OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT MS. TAVERN? GO AHEAD.
THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE A IS FIRM, I DO LIKE THE NAV NXX AND A VEX ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE EXPERTS.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE WELL WORTH OUR MONEY TO DO THAT.
I PLAYED AROUND WITH IT A LITTLE BIT.
I THINK THEY HAVE A GOOD WAY TO DO THAT.
SO YOU, YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT WE USE THEM AS THE I WOULD ADVOCATE USING THEM.
AND LET'S GO AHEAD AND HAVE MORE DISCUSSION THEN.
MS. GOOD, MS. HOWARD? UM, I, I'LL LOOK, I APPRECIATE STAFF, UM, CONTACTING THEM SPARTANBURG ABOUT IT, AND I THINK IT WOULD WORK WELL 'CAUSE IT'S ANONYMOUS.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S DIFFERENT TIERS AND LEVELS OF SERVICE THAT'S, THAT THEIR, THEIR SERVICE LEVEL IS I THINK LIKE PROBABLY THEIR MINIMUM.
I'M LOOKING TO, UM, I KNOW MIKE HAD TALKED AND STAFF HAD TALKED TO HIM, IF YOU WANT TO COMMENT ABOUT THAT.
AS A FOLLOW UP, WE HAVE HAD A DISCUSSION WITH NEX.
THEY DO OFFER, UH, A VARIETY OF SERVICES, BUT THEY DO HAVE COMPETITORS.
AND SO WE WOULD, WE WILL GET A, UM, PROPOSAL FROM THEM THIS WEEK.
BUT WE MAY NEED TO EVALUATE OTHER, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE SIMILAR SERVICES TO ENSURE THAT WE COMPLY WITH THE PROCUREMENT POLICY.
UH, JUST TO POINT OUT THOUGH, THEY DO NOT DO INVESTIGATIONS PER SE.
THEY ARE A, THEY MANAGE THESE COMPLAINTS AND IT'S A WORKFLOW TOOL, BUT IT'S, UH, HAVING AN INVESTIGATIVE SERVICE WOULD BE A SEPARATE FROM WHAT NEX DISCUSSED WITH US LAST WEEK.
JUST I WANT TO MAKE THAT POINT CLEAR.
ANY MORE DISCUSSION? WELL GO LARRY, THEN WE'LL GO TO, UM, GERALD, GO, GO TO GERALD FIRST BECAUSE I'M O OKAY.
I SENT YOU A COUPLE OF, UH, PAGES DEALING WITH, UH, THE PROTECTED PERSON AND THE INTEGRITY OFFICER.
WOULD THIS BE APP THE APPROPRIATE PLACE TO TALK ABOUT THAT? MM-HMM
UM, I DON'T, I'M NOT SURE I AGREE WITH, UH, WHAT WAS SAID HERE AS TO,
[00:20:01]
UH, IF PEOPLE ARE WORKING IN A PLACE AND WE HAVE 1200 EMPLOYEES, SOMEONE ASKED ME, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? IS THERE A CRISIS? AND I SAID, NO, IT'S NOT A CRISIS.IT'S JUST A MATTER OF SOMETHING FOR GOOD GOVERNMENT.
IF YOU HAVE A PROGRAM EVERY NOW AND THEN YOU HAVE TO REVIEW IT.
AND I THINK THAT I ALWAYS SAW THIS FALLING INTO TWO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
ONE WAS A CORPORATE CULTURE ISSUE WHERE PEOPLE HAD A MANAGEMENT PROBLEM OF SOME KIND WITH ANOTHER EMPLOYEE.
UH, IN COURT THEY WOULD USUALLY ASK FOR A RESTRAINING ORDER BECAUSE PEOPLE COULDN'T RESOLVE THE ISSUE BETWEEN OR AMONG THEMSELVES.
AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.
THEY DON'T WANT TO CONFRONT ANYBODY.
SO THEY WOULD MUCH RATHER REPORT, BUT THE THING IS THAT'S BOTHERING THEM TO ANOTHER PARTY AND THEN HAVE SOMEONE ELSE LOOK INTO IT FOR THEM.
AND THAT'S NOT A, UM, CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
IT'S CERTAINLY NOT AN ACTION DEALING WITH WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE, BUT RATHER SIMPLY AN ISSUE IN THE WORKPLACE WHERE, UH, IF YOU WERE AT THE BEACH, YOU WOULD CALL THE OTHER PARTY WHO'S IRRITATING YOU THE SAND IN YOUR VASELINE.
IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE PEOPLE AREN'T GETTING ALONG AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOME RELIEF.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COULD BE REPORTED FOR, UM, INVESTIGATION BY MANAGEMENT, NOT BY AN OUTSIDE COMPANY, BUT RATHER IT WOULD BE TIME FOR THE MANAGEMENT TEAM TO DEAL WITH, IF IT'S A SUPERVISOR SUBORDINATE OR TWO SUBORDINATES, THEY WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF A ISSUE, UM, UH, DISCUSSION TO TRY AND RESOLVE THE ISSUE SO THAT PEOPLE WERE COMFORTABLE AGAIN WITH THEIR WORK SITUATION.
SO THAT'S A, THAT'S NOT A MINOR ISSUE.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE, UH, TAKE THAT TO HEART BECAUSE THEY MAY WORK DAILY WITH SOMEONE WHO THEY FIND VERY IRRITATING FOR WHATEVER THE REASON IS.
AND I THINK THAT IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEY NEED TO SEEK SOME RELIEF AND THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO DO SO.
UM, WITH REGARD TO WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE, I HAVE IT BROKEN DOWN INTO TWO CATEGORIES.
ONE IS THE, UH, USE OF AN INTEGRITY OFFICER, WHICH IS NOT A POSITION WE HAVE YET, BUT WHICH I THINK WE NEED TO, UH, CONSIDER.
AND THE OTHER IS CON, UH, CONVERSATION ABOUT THE PROTECTED PARTY OR THE PERSON THAT'S OFTEN REFERRED TO AS A WHISTLEBLOWER, BUT I PREFER TO CALL HIM A PROTECTED PARTY.
UH, SARAH, WOULD YOU PUT UP THAT, UH, FIRST ONE? THE FIRST ONE I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS AN INTEGRITY OFFICER I PUT TOGETHER.
NO, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN MAKE THAT ANY BIGGER.
I STARTED WITH THE INTEGRITY OFFICER LOOKING AT THE PROGRAM, UH, FRAMEWORK, WHICH WAS TO, UH, THE PURPOSE IS DEALING WITH THE SERIOUS MATTER OF DETECTING AND PREVENTING WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE OF COUNTY FUNDS AND RESOURCES.
THE AUTHORITY IS TO HAVE THAT INTEGRITY OFFICER REPORT DIRECTLY TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND OR THE DEPUTY.
BUT CERTAINLY THESE THINGS, SUGGESTIONS ARE ALL OPEN TO NEGOTIATION.
IT WOULD COVER ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES, ELECTED OFFICIALS, CONTRACTORS AND VENDORS.
UM, THE REPORTING CHANNELS HOTLINE IS PROVIDED DEDICATED TOLL FREE NUMBER WITH VOICEMAIL RECORDING.
UH, HAVE AN ONLINE FORM TO CREATE A SECURE WEB FORM FOR 24 7 DIGITAL SUBMISSION.
YOU COULD ALSO MAKE THE REPORT IN PERSON OR BY MAIL, AND YOU COULD ACCEPT PHYSICAL LETTERS AND WALK-IN APPOINTMENTS AT A NEUTRAL OFFSITE LOCATION IF NEEDED.
AND PEOPLE WOULD BE, UH, GUARANTEED ANONYMITY.
AND IT WILL ALLOW WHISTLEBLOWERS OR PROTECTED PARTIES TO SUBMIT COMPLAINTS ANONYMOUSLY WITHOUT FEAR OF RETALIATION.
I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WOULD BE OPEN TO NEGOTIATION, WHETHER YOU WANT TO HAVE IT ATTRIBUTED TO SOMEONE OR IF YOU'RE WILLING TO TAKE THINGS, UH, ANONYMOUSLY.
UH, THE INTAKE AND TRIAGE, YOU HAVE TO LOG EVERY COMPLAINT, WHETHER IT'S A MANAGEMENT ISSUE OR A WASTE FRAUD AND ABUSE ISSUE.
RECORD THE DAYTIME SOURCE AND NATURE OF THE ALLEGATION IN A SECURE DATABASE.
THEN YOU HAVE TO ACCESS THE INFORMATION WITHIN THREE TO FIVE DAYS TO SEE IF IT'S CREDIBLE AND SPECIFIC.
ONCE YOU, UH, HAVE DONE THAT, THE ACTION STEPS INCLUDE OPENING AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION AND A DECISION HAS TO BE MADE THERE.
IT NEEDS TO BE DIRECTED TO MANAGEMENT.
IF IT'S SOMETHING LIKE WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE, IT MAY HAVE TO GO TO AN OUTSIDE AGENCY.
AND MIKE TALKED ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION PORTION OF IT.
I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT OTHER PARTY DOES OTHER THAN GETTING THE INFORMATION TO THEM.
AND THEN WHAT DO THEY DO? IT'S A, TO CLARIFY, IT'S A WORKFLOW TOOL THAT NAVX PROVIDES IS A WORKFLOW TOOL.
SO THE USER WOULD NEED TO SET UP ESSENTIALLY WHEN THE COMPLAINT COMES IN AND WHO IT GOES TO.
AND THAT'S VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT SPARTANBURG DOES, ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE A FULL-TIME INDIVIDUAL WHO I BELIEVE IS A CPA AND IS AN AUDITOR AND DOES AUDITS AS WELL AS AS, AS WELL AS MANAGE THE, UM, WORKFLOW PROCESS.
BUT THEY THEMSELVES DO NOT DO THE INVESTIGATION, DO THE INVESTIGATION.
SO IF IT'S A MANAGEMENT ISSUE, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE REFERRED TO THE, TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
THE DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR FOR INTERNAL DECISIONS AND, UH, AND ACTIONS.
IF IT'S WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE, YOU WOULD OPEN AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION AND THEN YOU WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO REFER THE CASE
[00:25:01]
TO AN OUTSIDE SOURCE.IF IT WAS, UM, A LESS SERIOUS MATTER OR TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE STATE AUDITORS.
IF CRIMINAL ACTS ARE SUSPECTED, YOU'D HAVE TO EITHER GO TO SLED OR TO THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND YOU COULD DISMISS THE COMPLAINT IF IT LACKS SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE.
THE INVESTIGATION STANDARDS REQUIRE CONFIDENTIALITY, KEEPING ALL RECORD RECORDS AND IDENTITIES PRIVATE DURING THE INQUIRY, GIVING ACCUSED PARTIES A CHANCE TO RESPOND TO FINDINGS BEFORE FINALIZED REPORT.
UH, PENALTIES, UH, INVOLVE ANYONE WHO RETALIATES AGAINST A, UH, WHISTLEBLOWER WILL FACE IMMEDIATE DISCIPLINARY ACTION UP TO AND INCLUDING TERMINATION AND POTENTIAL LEGAL PROSECUTION.
IF ALLEGATIONS ARE MADE IN GOOD FAITH, THE REPORTS MUST BE MADE WITH A REASONABLE BELIEF THAT THE INFORMATION'S TRUE.
EMPLOYEES WHO KNOWINGLY MAKE FALSE, MALICIOUS, OR FRIVOLOUS CLAIMS, CLAIMS ARE NOT PROTECTED BY THIS POLICY AND COULD FACE DISCIPLINARY ACTION.
UM, FILE REPORTS THROUGH THE SECURE ONLINE PORTAL HOTLINES OR MAILED LETTERS ADDRESSED TO THE INTEGRITY OFFICER AS FOLLOW UP.
THE INTEGRITY OFFICER WILL REVIEW AND LOG THE REPORT WITHIN FIVE DAYS TO DECIDE ON FURTHER INVESTIGATION.
SO THAT'S THE GENERAL FEELING I HAVE ABOUT WHAT AN INTEGRITY OFFICER WOULD DO.
AND I THINK THAT PERSON HAS TO BE, UH, WORKING IN THE EXECUTIVE STAFF.
UM, AND, UM, ALL OF THIS INFORMATION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPORTED TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
BUT THERE'S ALSO A ROLE HERE, I THINK, FOR THAT PERSON TO DEAL WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF COUNCIL, TO KEEP THE COUNCIL INFORMED THROUGH THE LEADERSHIP ON EXACTLY WHAT'S COMING IN.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE VOLUME IS.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S VERY, VERY LARGE OR IF IT ISN'T.
AND I, I, THIS IS JUST A REVIEW TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING WITH THE PROGRAM.
I DON'T THINK IT'S BECAUSE THERE'S 200 OF THESE THINGS COMING IN ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COUNT IS, BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER.
WHATEVER THE COUNT IS, THIS INTEGRITY OFFICER WOULD BE THE PERSON I BELIEVE WHO WOULD GET BOTH THE MANAGEMENT COMPLAINTS AND THE WASTE FRAUD AND ABUSE COMPLAINTS AND DECIDE ON WHICH WAY IT WAS GONNA GO.
NOW THE PERSON WHO MAKES THIS COMPLAINT'S, THE NEXT ONE, PROTECTED PARTY, UM, THE PURPOSE AND SCOPE HERE IS CLEAR.
THE COUNTY'S COMMITTED TO THE HIGHEST STANCES OF INTEGRITY, HONESTY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
THIS POLICY PROVIDES A SECURE PATH FOR EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AND RESIDENTS TO REPORT SUSPECTED WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE WITHOUT FEAR OF RETALIATION.
THIS POLICY APPLIES TO ALL COUNTY OFFICIALS, EMPLOYEES, DEPARTMENT HEADS, VENDORS, AND PARTNERS.
NOW, THIS WOULDN'T BE REPORTING A MANAGEMENT CONCERN OR SOMETHING THAT IS IRRITATING SOMEONE IN THE WORKPLACE.
THIS IS ACTUALLY PEOPLE WHO ARE REPORTING WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE.
THE PEOPLE WHO PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION ARE PROTECTED UNDER THIS POLICY.
IF YOU REPORT A GOOD FAITH SUSPICION OF FRAUD, WASTE, OR ABUSE, DELIBERATE DECEPTION TO SECURE, UNFAIR OR UNLAWFUL GAIN, UNNECESSARY, CARELESS OR EXTRAVAGANT EXPENDITURE OF COUNTY FUNDS OR RESOURCES, INTENTIONAL MISUSE OF COUNTY PROPERTY AUTHORITY OR POSITIONS OF POWER AND VIOLATIONS OF LOCAL, STATE, FEDERAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS.
UH, THE PEOPLE WHO PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION WILL DO, CAN DO IT ANONYMOUSLY.
AND I SAID THAT'S OPEN FOR NEGOTIATION.
BUT THEY CAN ALSO SUBMIT COMPLAINTS WITHOUT, UH, WITH PROVIDING THEIR NAME, EMAIL, AND IDENTIFYING INFORMATION.
IF YOU CHOOSE TO SHARE YOUR IDENTITY, THE INTEGRITY OFFICER WILL KEEP IT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.
YOUR IDENTITY WILL ONLY BE SHARED IF IT'S REQUIRED BY LAW OR BY COURT ORDER.
UM, THERE'S ZERO RE UH, TOLERANCE FOR RETALIATION.
I MENTIONED THAT, UH, EARLIER.
THE COUNTY STRICTLY PROHIBITS ANY FORM OF REVENGE HARASSMENT OR ADVERSE EMPLOYMENT ACTION AGAINST A PROTECTED PARTY.
NO SUPERVISOR OR COLLEAGUE MAY DEMOTE FIRE, SUSPEND, THREATEN, OR DISCRIMINATE AGAINST YOU FOR FILING A REPORT.
IN GOOD FAITH, ANYONE WHO RETALIATES AGAINST THE PROTECTED PARTY WILL FACE IMMEDIATE DISCIPLINARY ACTION UP TO AND INCLUDING TERMINATION AND POTENTIAL LEGAL PROSECUTION.
THE ALLEGATIONS MUST BE IN GOOD FAITH.
IF THEY'RE MADE IN BAD FAITH, YOU CAN BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND THE REPORTS CAN BE FILED THROUGH A, UH, SECURE ONLINE PORTAL AND MAIL LETTERS, UM, UH, ADDRESSED TO THE INTEGRITY OFFICER.
SO THOSE ARE THE SUGGESTIONS THAT I HAVE.
UH, WITH RESOLUTION AND REPORTING, A CLEAR SUMMARY HAS TO BE, UH, PREPARED, UM, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION.
UM, REGARDING PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY, WE SHOULD PUBLISH ANNUAL, UH, REDACTED ANNUAL REPORTS DETAILING THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS RECEIVED, SUBSTANTIATED CASES AND MONEY, IF ANY, RECOVERED.
AND WE HAVE TO WORK WITH COUNTY DEPARTMENTS TO CLOSE SECURITY LOOPHOLES THAT ALLOWED THE WASTE OR FRAUD TO HAPPEN.
SO I HAVE THOSE THINGS POSTED UP THERE.
[00:30:01]
UH, COPIES OF THIS FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THE, UH, TIME FOR A INTEGRITY OFFICER IS LONG OVERDUE.I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR ABOUT EIGHT YEARS, I THINK.
AND I THINK THAT WE REALLY NEED TO GIVE THIS CONSIDERATION IF WE ARE TO REMIX THIS, UM, WHISTLEBLOWER POLICY.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT FOLLOWING UP WITH MANAGEMENT COMPLAINTS FOR THE CORPORATE CULTURE AND ANYTHING ELSE REGARDING WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE.
THERE HAS TO BE SOME ACCOUNTABILITY AND A FINAL REPORT DONE ON ALL OF THESE THINGS TO SHOW HOW THIS WAS RESOLVED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER FOR THE GOOD OF THE COUNTY.
AND AGAIN, YOU DID SEND ME THAT AND I DID READ THROUGH IT AND WHEN I LOOKED AT IT, UM, I THINK THE, THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT MOST EVERYTHING YOU HAD IN THERE IS IN WHAT WE'VE GOT ONLINE OR, OR WHAT, WHAT'S SHOWING IN OUR BACKUP EXCEPT, UM, THE, UH, YOU HAVE SUGGESTED THAT WE ALLOW PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO, UM, REPORT ANONYMOUSLY.
I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF IT, BUT IT'S A POSSIBILITY.
SO, I MEAN, THAT'S THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IN THE NOTES YOU JUST SUPPLIED OF WHAT'S IN THERE NOW.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, I THINK, UH, WHAT WHAT TAB WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT WAS WHO WE REPORT TO, WHETHER IT'S AN INTEGRITY OFFICER OR WHETHER IT GOES TO A THIRD PARTY.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THIS DISCUSSION IS ABOUT.
AND I I THERE'S, THERE'S THINGS FOR BOTH SIDES.
SO YOU WANNA GO TO ADD TO THAT OR, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD LET THE EMPLOYEES HERE CONTACT AN OUTSIDE AGENCY DIRECTLY TO MAKE THE REPORT.
I THINK IT HAS TO BE CHANNELED THROUGH THE INTEGRITY OFFICER WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE HERE, WHO CAN THEN MAKE A DECISION AS TO HOW IT, THE FOLLOW UP WILL BE TAKEN.
BECAUSE, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CHARGES WOULD BE AND THAT'S REALLY NOT A CONCERN, BUT I JUST DON'T THINK PEOPLE SHOULD BE GIVEN ACCESS TO AN OUTSIDE ORGANIZATION TO FILE COMPLAINTS.
I THINK THEY NEED TO COME HERE SO WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH THEM FROM THE START OF THE INVESTIGATION, WHETHER IT GOES THE MANAGEMENT ROUTE OR WHETHER IT GOES, UH, THROUGH THE, THE, UH, WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE, UH, ROUTE.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR MR. MOORE, DID YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT, UH, YOUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THESE, WHAT, WHAT OUR COUNTIES ARE DOING? I KNOW YORK COUNTY DOES SOMETHING SIMILAR.
AND THEN, UM, WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YEAR AFTER YOU'VE RESEARCHED THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WE HAVE, UH, WHAT YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE? UNLESS THERE'S SOMEONE FROM COUNCIL THAT WANTS TO LARRY IF, IF I MAY, BEFORE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR SPEAKS, UM, THIS LARRY, I CALLED YOU LARRY'S.
CAN'T, CAN'T HURT MY FEELINGS, LARRY.
AND, AND LARRY'S COMMENTS, HE TOUCHED ON IT, UH, ON, ON MY CONCERN, UM, WHICH IS, UH, SARAH, IF YOU'D PULL UP, UM, SECTION FIVE PROTECTION FROM RETALIATION.
LARRY TOUCHED ON IT SEVERAL TIMES DURING HIS COMMENTS.
AND I, I JUST WANNA REITERATE MY, MY, UM, COMMENT THAT I MADE INITIALLY AND, AND MY CONCERN OF US CREATING A GOOD WORKING ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND, UH, UH, UH, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.
WHILE, WHILE SARAH IS PULLING THAT UP, UH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ IT.
UM, FIVE TALKS ABOUT, UH, PROTECTION FROM RETALIATION.
AND, UH, IT SAYS THAT ANY COUNTY EMPLOYEE WHO THREATENS OR RETALIATES AGAINST A REPORTING EMPLOYEE WHO HAS REPORTED A VIOLATION IN GOOD FAITH IS SUBJECT TO DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS.
AND I, I VOICED MY CONCERN INITIALLY WHEN WE DISCUSSED THIS, UH, DISCIPLINARY, DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS TO MY, UH, THE, UM, INTERPRETATION IS SOMEWHAT SELECTIVE.
IF WE'RE GOING TO, UM, CREATE A GOOD WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND CLEAN UP THE MESS THAT WE HAVE NOW, THEN I THINK WE SHOULD, UH, BE BLUNT AND TO THE POINT AND HAVE ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES, UH, UH, UH, DEPARTMENT HEADS, UH, ALSO REALIZE THAT, UH, RETALIATION WILL NOT BE, UM, UH, TOLERATED.
AND THAT DISCIPLINARY ACTION SHOULD BE SUBSTITUTED WITH TERMINATION.
KNOWING FROM THE START THAT IF ANYONE RETALIATES FROM SOMEONE WHO REPORTS, UH, A VIOLATION, THEN UM, IT, THE, THE CORRECTION ACTION IS NOT SUBJECTIVE TO, UH, DEPENDING ON WHO THE, WHO THE, UH, DEPARTMENT HEAD IS, IT COULD BE VERY SUB SUBJECTIVE.
IF WE MAKE IT PLAIN AND SIMPLE THAT YOU WILL BE TERMINATED, YOU WILL ELIMINATE THAT PROCESS OR THAT, UH, UH, THAT ATTEMPT TO ACTUALLY, UH, UH, ISSUE A DISCIPLINARY ACTION TO ONE INDIVIDUAL
[00:35:01]
AND ANOTHER, UM, OF SOME OTHER DISCIPLINARY ACTION.EVERYBODY GETS THE SAME, UH, UH, RESULT FOR, UH, VIOLATING THE POLICY.
UM, SO SARAH, YOU, YOU PULLED THAT UP.
SO YOU, YOU, IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL CHANGES THEN TO THE ORDINANCE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? UM, MR. YEAH, DAWSON, ARE WE RATHER THAN, RATHER THAN A DISCIPLINARY ACTION, JUST SUBSTITUTE THAT WITH TERMINATION SHALL BE TERMINATED DISCIPLINARY ACTION TO BE TAKEN OUT? OR DO YOU WANNA HAVE, UM, DISCIPLINARY ACTION OR UP TO TERMINATION? AGAIN, YOU ARE, YOU ARE DANCING AROUND, UM, PUTTING SOME TEETH INTO THIS POLICY TO MAKE EVERYONE UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT ORIA.
SO IF I VIOLATE THE POLICY, I GET ONE DISPARATE ACTION, LARRY VIOLATES THE POLICY, HE GETS ANOTHER DISCIPLINARY ACTION.
SO THEN THERE'S NOTHING CONSISTENT.
IF, IF, IF WE SEND A MESSAGE THAT, HEY, LOOK, VIOLATION IS A VIOLATION, YOU KNOW, UP FRONT YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO VIOLATED.
AND IF YOU PURPOSELY VIOLATED, THEN HERE IS THE RESULTS FOR YOUR VIOLATION.
THAT'S THE ONLY, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA CLEAN IT UP.
WE CAN DANCE AROUND THIS ALL WE WANT, BUT UNTIL WE PUT SOME TEETH INTO THIS POLICY, YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME.
UH, HOWEVER, SOMETIMES I CAN SEE IN SITUATIONS IN MY PAST DEALING WITH EMPLOYEES, IT'S NOT ALWAYS CUT AND DRY.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THE ISSUE THAT YOU'VE GOT.
IF IT, IF IT'S ANYTHING THAT COMES UP.
BUT AGAIN, UM, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH SHELBY TERMINATED ANY OTHER DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE GOT CURRENTLY.
I'M ALL ON BOARD WITH THAT CHANGE.
I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE WHO GETS TO DICTATE IF THEY REALLY DID RETALIATE AGAINST THEM? THAT WOULD BE MY QUESTION.
'CAUSE IT COULD BE ONE THING, ME RUNNING A BUSINESS AND I REPORT SOMEBODY, AND THEN THAT PERSON SAY, WELL, THEY PUT ME IN THIS, IN THIS SITUATION AND THEY THREATEN ME THIS WAY.
SO THAT STILL DOESN'T NULLIFY THE ACTION THAT THE INDIVIDUAL TOOK TO BEGIN WITH.
SO I WOULD JUST WANNA KNOW HOW THAT GETS DICTATED.
I'M ALL ON BOARD WITH IT, I JUST WANNA KNOW HOW AND WHO MAKES THAT DECISION OF WHAT IS A RETALIATION AND WHAT IS NOT.
I WAS JUST GONNA ADD IN TERMS OF THAT, YOU KNOW, OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS, IT'S UP TO THEM WHETHER THEY WANT TO TERMINATE OR NOT UNDER ADMINISTRATION.
I MEAN, YES, ULTIMATELY I WOULD MAKE THAT DETERMINATION.
'CAUSE WE DISCUSSED HERE, IT HAS TO BE DETERMINED THAT THEY RETALIATED FOR THAT PURPOSE, RIGHT? I MEAN, THERE COULD BE OTHER THINGS GOING ON.
AND I'M NOT TRYING TO DANCE AROUND, AND I'M JUST SAYING THAT EVERY, EVERY TIME ONE OF THESE COMES UP, IT PRESENTS ITSELF SOMEWHAT DIFFERENTLY.
BUT I, I WOULD SUPPORT UP, UP TO AND INCLUDING TERMINATION.
BUT AGAIN, YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY DIRECT ANOTHER ELECTED OFFICIAL TO TERMINATE ONE OF THEIR EMPLOYEES.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE Y'ALL ARE AWARE OF THAT AND IF IT'S GONNA BE THAT SEVERE.
I ALSO THINK THAT WE NEED TO THEN HAVE A BETTER DEFINITION OF WHAT RETALIATION IS BECAUSE WE'D HAVE TO HAVE IT DEFINITELY DEFINED.
IT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE FROWNING AT THEM OR GIVING THEM THE SIDE EYE AS RETALIATION THAT, OH, THEY LOOKED AT ME WRONG.
BUT, SO AGAIN, WE'D HAVE TO GIVE A BETTER DEFINITION OF, OF RETALIATION IN, IN HERE.
CATHERINE, I SEE YOU SHAKING YOUR HEAD OVER THERE, CATHERINE.
SO WHAT MAKES, THAT'S WHAT I WAS JUST SHARING.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS JUST SHARING WITH THE ADMINISTRATOR.
I JUST, TRUE WHISTLEBLOWER, WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I PERSONALLY HAVE EVER RECEIVED ONE OF THOSE IN HR.
WHAT WE NORMALLY SEE IS WHAT YOU ALL ARE DESCRIBING AS THE MANAGER COMPLAINTS.
OH, THEY RETALIATED AGAINST ME WHEN THEY REALLY DIDN'T.
THEY WERE HOLDING YOU ACCOUNTABLE TO DO YOUR JOB.
SO THAT DOES CROSS A DANGEROUS TERRITORY THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DEFINE SPECIFICALLY RETALIATION AS IT RELATED TO THE REPORTING EMPLOYEE MAKING A GOOD FAITH REPORT.
I, I, I CAN SEE MR. CUNNINGHAM AND SEE SOMEONE USING THIS TO GET THEIR BOSS FIRED BY THE WHAT, WHATEVER.
UM, CAN YOU HEAR ME LOUD AND CLEAR? YES.
SO I'M GONNA TAKE THE POSITION OF THE PUBLIC.
UM, I NOW REALIZE THAT THE PUBLIC CAN'T HEAR US WHEN YOU ARE SPEAKING, IF YOU'RE SPEAKING IN DIRECTLY INTO THE MICROPHONE, I HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.
THE MINUTE YOU WALK BACK, YOU CAN'T BE HEARD.
SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY COGNIZANT OF THAT.
[00:40:01]
TALK ABOUT THE OFFICE OF INTEGRITY AND THE INTEGRITY OFFICER.ARE WE GOING TO HAVE AN INTEGRITY OFFICER THAT IS IN AN OFFICE OF INTEGRITY? IF THAT IS THE CASE AS PART OF THIS, IS THAT PERSON GOING TO BE A COUNTY EMPLOYEE? IF THAT IS THE CASE, WE HAVE TO DECIDE WHO THAT EMPLOYEE REPORTS TO.
ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES ARE REPORTING TO SOMEONE SUPERVISED BY SOMEONE.
EVALUATED BY SOMEONE THAT IS EITHER THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR OR THE COUNTY COUNCIL.
SO ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS HAVE TO BE ASKED AND ANSWERED AS PART OF THIS POLICY.
NO, I THINK I, I I WANT PEOPLE TO COMMENT ON IF THEY WANT TO COMMENT ON WHAT MR. PASSMAN JUST SAID BEFORE I, UH, RAISE SOME OTHER CONCERNS.
SO I YIELD TO ANY COMMENTS TO THAT.
I THINK, AND THIS IS DISCUSSION, SO LER WITH THE INTEGRITY OFFICER, I SAW IT, UH, AS A POSITION THAT WOULD HAVE AN ACCRUAL OF DUTIES.
I WAS NOT TRYING TO RECOMMEND THAT WE CREATE ANOTHER DEPARTMENT OR A BUREAUCRACY WITHIN THE BUREAUCRACY.
I THINK THAT, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW BUSY THEY WILL BE.
UM, YOU MIGHT AND HOW MANY OF THESE REPORTS DO YOU GET ANNUALLY? THE, THE MANAGER COMPLAINTS? YEAH.
I'D SAY IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, I THINK WE'VE HAD AVERAGE 30, SO 10 A YEAR.
SO, UH, APPARENTLY THERE'S BEEN NO WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE, UH, REPORTS MADE TO ANYONE, ALTHOUGH A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE.
AND, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE BEEN PROSECUTED, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH, UH, UH, BY MANAGEMENT.
AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS OR RESIGNED BEFORE THEY LOST THEIR JOB.
SO WE APPARENTLY DO HAVE WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE, BUT I DON'T KNOW THE EXTENT OF IT.
I STILL SAY I, I'M NOT TRYING TO CREATE A BUREAUCRACY WITHIN OUR BUREAUCRACY.
I THINK AN INTEGRITY OFFICER IS SOMEONE WHO ALREADY EXISTS AND FOUND AND WILL GET AN ACCRUAL OF DUTIES.
BUT YOU NEED SOMEONE WHO'S SMART, WHO'S COMPETENT, WHO'S TALENTED, WHO CAN KEEP SECRETS, WHO CAN ACT CONFIDENTIALLY, AND SOMEONE WHO PEOPLE TRUST AND WILL GO TO TO MAKE A REPORT LIKE THIS THAT ELIMINATES A LOT OF PEOPLE
SO, BUT I, I THINK THE SEARCH CAN BE CONDUCTED AND I BELIEVE A PERSON CAN BE FOUND, UH, WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION ALREADY, WHO HAS THAT, THOSE TALENTS AND SKILLS TO BE THE RECEPTACLE FOR BOTH MANAGEMENT REFERRED TO MANAGEMENT AND WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE.
IF IT COMES IN, IT HAS TO GO TO AN OUTSIDE ORGANIZATION TO SLED TO THE SHERIFF OR THE FBI OR WHEREVER IT HAS TO GO.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE EVER GONNA GET TO THAT KIND OF A LEVEL ALL THE TIME.
BUT THERE IS, THERE IS AN OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION.
AND I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO FIND PEOPLE WHO DO THAT KIND OF WORK, WHO ARE RETIRED CRIMINAL INVESTIGATORS, WHO CAN INTERVIEW PEOPLE, GATHER EVIDENCE, AND FILE A REPORT.
KIND OF ONE THING BACK TO ME NOW.
UH, I, I'M CHANGING THE WHOLE SUBJECT, SO SPEAK ON THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE NEED, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC, UM, BUT I FEEL LIKE WE REALLY CAN'T, CAN'T FULLY ANALYZE THE REPORTING STRUCTURE AND FLOWCHART UNTIL WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NAVX, LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COST OF NAVX AND ANALYZE WHETHER AN OUTSIDE CONTRACT WITH ANOTHER, ANOTHER FIRM WOULD BE THE WAY TO GO OR IN-HOUSE.
I THINK THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S TOO MANY QUESTIONS IF WE'RE DOING, IF WE'RE GOING TO GET IT RIGHT, THERE NEEDS TO BE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PROVIDED.
UM, I THINK THAT NVE SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW THE COST OR THE, THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
I THINK THERE WERE, SOMEBODY SAID THERE WAS MULTIPLE TIERS THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PACKAGES ARE.
AND THEN ON THE FLIP SIDE, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA GET THAT ON WEDNESDAY.
AND THEN ON THE FLIP SIDE, YOU KNOW, OR DO WE NEED TO GO THROUGH THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT VIOLATING OUR OWN PROCUREMENT PROCESS AS IT IS RIGHT NOW? YES.
FROM WHAT WE DISCUSSED THE OTHER DAY.
BUT THEY HAVEN'T PRESENTED US WITH FORMAL PRICING, WHICH WE'LL GET WEDNESDAY.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S A, AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE ANALYSIS, BUT I THINK WHATEVER WE DO, UM, THERE NEEDS TO BE CONSISTENCY.
GOING BACK TO WHAT MR. DAWSON WAS SAYING, I, I KNOW CONSISTENCY AS FAR AS RETALIATION IS IMPORTANT AS WELL, BUT CONSISTENCY IN THE INVESTIGATION, WHERE THE COMPLAINTS GO, HOW THEY'RE INVESTIGATING AND HOW THEY'RE HANDLED.
UM, 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW, I I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S ALWAYS THE CASE, UM, REGARDING CONSISTENCY ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET THIS RIGHT.
THIS IS IMPORTANT, BUT I, I THINK THERE'S SOME, SOME VARIABLES OUT THERE THAT,
[00:45:01]
THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION FOR TO CLOSE IT OUT COMPLETELY.ALRIGHT, AND I, AND I AGREE, THERE'S ACTUALLY TWO PARTS OF THIS.
ONE IS THE, THE, UM, CHANGES TO THE POLICY ITSELF, AND THEN IT'S HOW IT'S REPORTED, WHICH IS WHAT LARRY'S TALKING ABOUT, DAVE WAS TALKING ABOUT, IS WHAT JOE TALKED ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE, THE OFFICER, THE INTEGRITY OFFICER, AND THE OFFICE OF INTEGRITY OF THOSE TWO THINGS IS HOW THAT WORKS THEN.
SO, UM, YORK, DO YOU WANNA ADD TO THIS? UM, NO, UM, OH MEAN TO THE, TO THE DISCUSSION? YES, SIR.
UM, I, I DO AGREE WITH, I LIKE THE, UM, UH, THE OFFICE OF INTEGRITY.
UM, SO, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.
I THINK INITIALLY, UM, LARRY TALKED ABOUT A PART-TIME PERSON, AND I THINK IF, BASED ON WHAT, UH, STAFF IS SAYING, YOU KNOW, 10 COMPLAINTS A YEAR ON AVERAGE, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY PART-TIME ITSELF.
BUT I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY THAT IT'S PROBABLY MORE, UM, FOLKS MAY BE HAVING SOME DISCRETION AND THEY WANT TO REPORT, BUT THEY DON'T FEEL CONFIDENT OR COMFORTABLE IN REPORTING.
SO IT'LL PROBABLY BE MORE THAN 10 ON A, ON AN AVERAGE, WHICH WILL HELP TO ME, THIS AGENCY, UM, UM, BECAUSE IF THERE ARE, UM, A LOT OF COM, UH, ISSUES OUT THERE, WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT AS A COUNCIL, AS A BODY.
UM, SO I DO, UM, I LIKE TO SEE BOTH THE, THE, UM, THE NUMBERS ON THE OFFICE OF INTEGRITY AS WELL AS THE, THE NA VAX UH, UH, REPORT.
UM, THE ONLY OTHER COMMENT I WOULD MAKE, UH, I THINK EVERYBODY HAS SAID WHAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE, UM, INCLUDED, UM, IN REPORTING TO COUNSEL, UH, THERE'S TWO THINGS.
UM, ONE OF IT SAYS A WRITTEN OR AN ORAL STATEMENT MADE, UH, IS, IS, IS SUFFICE.
I I I THINK THAT, UM, A WRITTEN STATEMENT SAYS IT BY ITSELF, UM, THAT YOU HAVE A SIGNATURE THERE.
TO ME, WHEN YOU DO AN ORAL STATEMENT, UM, I NEED TO KNOW THAT THAT PERSON IS ACTUALLY SAYING THAT.
SO THAT PERSON NEED TO SIGN WHETHER THEY WRITE IT OR NOT.
IF THERE'S A SUMMARY MADE ABOUT THE STATEMENT THAT A, THAT A PERSON MAKES, UM, I THINK THAT PERSON NEEDS TO PUT THEIR JOHN HENRY ON THAT TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT I SAID.
UM, UM, I, I, IF, IF NOT, THEN I, I I MUST RECEIVE THE REPORT AS DOCUMENTED AND IT MAY NOT BE TRUTHFUL.
SO I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST THAT PERSON'S SIGNATURE ON AN ORAL REPORT OR, UM, NOBODY LIKE TO RECORD, BUT AT LEAST HAVE A RECORDING SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE SOME KIND OF DOCUMENT THAT HAS CAME FROM LARRY WHO REPORTED THIS.
UM, AND SO THAT WILL MAKE IT AUTHENTIC.
UM, AND THE LAST THING IS THAT, UM, THIS IS A WHISTLEBLOWER POLICY AND WE WANT TO, TO, UM, ADHERE TO ALL WHISTLEBLOWERS AND WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE WHISTLEBLOWERS AND WE WANT TO PROTECT THEM.
UM, SO IN REPORTING, THERE MAY BE TIMES WHEN THERE ARE COMPLAINTS, THERE MAY, WE MAY END UP WITH MORE COMPLAINTS THAN WE ACTUALLY HAVE WITH WHISTLEBLOWERS.
I THINK THOSE COMPLAINTS SHOULD BE DOCUMENTED AND REPORTED.
UM, I THINK MANAGEMENT CAN USE THAT, UH, FOR THEIR, UH, IMPROVEMENT ON THEIR SYSTEM.
UM, THAT WE GETTING COMPLAINTS FROM GERALD, A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT GERALD, THAT THEY'RE NOT A WHISTLEBLOWER, BUT THERE ARE COMPLAINTS.
AND THEN MANAGEMENT CAN LOOK AND SAY, HEY, I NEED TO LOOK TO SEE WHAT GERALD IS DOING AND HOW, HOW CAN I HELP HIM BECOME A BETTER UH, UH, SUPERVISOR.
I JUST, YOU KNOW, TO ME THAT THOSE ARE THINGS THAT UM, WE DON'T WANNA PUSH ASIDE THAT WE HAVE COMPLAINTS.
UM, 'CAUSE WE MIGHT, MOST OF THESE WILL PROBABLY BE COMPLAINTS.
WE JUST NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
MANAGEMENT NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
I'M THROUGH CATHERINE, I WAS GOING TO, YOU'RE PROBABLY READING MY MIND.
SO IS THERE SHOULD BE A, A DIFFERENT SECTION.
'CAUSE AGAIN, WE'VE GOT THE WHISTLEBLOWER, WHICH AGAIN IS THOSE LISTED OF THINGS THEY CAN, THAT THEY'RE PROTECTED AS WHISTLEBLOWER.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE COMPLAINTS.
SO SOMEONE COMES IN AND COMPLAINS ABOUT THEIR BOSS.
SHOULD THERE BE ANOTHER SECTION? WELL, IF I COULD PULL YOUR ATTENTION BACK TO THE NX SOFTWARE PROGRAM OR ANOTHER SIMILAR PROGRAM, ONCE WE GO OUT FOR QUOTES, WE MAY FOUND SOMEONE THAT'S MORE COMPETITIVE.
BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THAT PROGRAM IS.
IT'S A TRIAGE SOFTWARE PROGRAM.
[00:50:01]
REPORTS.IT WILL MASSAGE IT OUT TO DETERMINE IS THIS WHISTLEBLOWER, IS THIS MANAGEMENT COMPLAINT.
AND IT REALLY HAD SOME INTERESTING FEATURES FOR SENDING OUT THAT DATA TO TELL YOU TARGETING DOWN MR. GLOVER HAD X AMOUNT OF REPORTS THROUGH THIS PERIOD SO WE CAN SHARE IT WITH MR. GLOVER'S MANAGER AND KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
SO WE WERE A BIG ADVOCATE OF THE PROGRAM.
IT'S JUST WE NEED TO FOLLOW THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE THE RIGHT ONE FOR US.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE OUR, ON OUR NEXT MEETING, WE THEN NEED TO BRING THIS BACK UP AS A DISCUSSION, UM, AND HAVE A, HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE NX AS OPPOSED TO HAVING A INTEGRITY OFFICER WHAT THE DIFFERENCES ARE.
UM, YEAH, YOU KNOW, BUT I, I THINK THAT WITH ALL THE OTHER BUSINESS THAT YOU HAVE GOING ON, UH, I, I THINK THIS NEEDS SPECIAL ATTENTION.
UH, I DON'T KNOW, HAVING IT AS AN AGENDA ITEM WITH OTHER AGENDA ITEMS IS REALLY HOW YOU WANNA PROCEED.
I THINK IF YOU REALLY WANT TO GET THIS DONE AND DONE PROPERLY, YOU SHOULD CONVENE A MEETING ONLY TO TALK ABOUT THIS AND GET IT DONE.
AND IT MAY TAKE MORE THAN 20 MINUTES TO GET IT DONE.
AND IF YOU HAVE, IF YOU HAVE THINGS HERE THAT ARE NEED TO BE DISCUSSED AS OTHER AGENDA ITEMS THAT DETRACT SOME THE TIME, I THINK YOU SPEND ADDRESSING THIS VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.
OH, WE, WE'VE JUST SPENT ALMOST HALF AN HOUR ON IT ALREADY.
UM, SO I, I THINK, I THINK WE NEED TO GET THE INFORMATION NEXT FROM, FROM, UH, MR. MOORE WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT THE COST IS FOR US TO THEN DECIDE WHICH DIRECTION WE'RE GONNA GO.
AND THEN AT THE NEXT MEETING, IF, IF, IF WE'RE NOT, 'CAUSE I THINK THE, THE LANGUAGE IS PRETTY CLOSE TO WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
'CAUSE AGAIN, I DON'T THINK WE JUST HAD A COUPLE CHANGES THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.
UM, SO IF IF, IF THAT'S THE CASE, WE'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND JUST PUSH THIS DISCUSSION TO THE NEXT MEETING.
YEAH, JUST AS WE GO FORWARD, THE ONE THING I'VE SAID OVER AND OVER, WE SHOULD NOT BE IN DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS.
I DON'T NEED A REPORT EVERY SINGLE MONTH OF WHAT WE'VE ELECTED OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO HANDLE.
SO US GETTING INVOLVED TO THAT, OUR JOB IS TO SET A POLICY, NOT BE INVOLVED IN THAT OPERATION OF THAT POLICY WHEN IT'S THERE.
SO THAT'S WHERE I STILL HAVE MY DISAGREEMENT AND THE WAY THIS IS GOING RIGHT NOW, IT'S GONNA PUT US IN THAT EVERY SINGLE TIME.
IF THERE IS A HUGE ISSUE IN THE COUNTY WITH AN EMPLOYEE WHERE THERE'S HUGE WASTE OR FRAUD, YES, THAT'S GONNA BE BROUGHT TO US BECAUSE THERE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE ACTION TAKEN AGAINST PROBABLY A SENIOR EMPLOYEE, BUT WE SHOULD NOT BE GETTING THIS REPORT AND GETTING MUDDLED DOWN INTO THE OPERATIONS THAT THEY'RE IN CHARGE OF DOING.
SO THAT, THAT'S MY ONLY RESERVATION.
IF IT MOVES FORWARD THAT WAY, WHICH THE WAY IT'S LOOKING LIKE, THEN IT'S NOT SOMETHING I'LL SUPPORT.
WE SHOULD, UH, THIS COUNCIL AND THE NEXT COUNCIL SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN THAT INFORMATION AND THOSE RESULTS.
IT'S NOT, THAT'S FOR THEIR JOB TO HANDLE.
IF WE HAVE TO MICROMANAGE IT, THEN WE DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT PERSON IN OFFICE OR IN THAT POSITION.
SO IF YOU'RE SAYING WE WANNA MICROMANAGE, I'M OUT, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR.
OUR JOBS IS SET POLICY AND THEN STAFF HANDLES THE POLICY.
AND I JUST WANT TO ASK, IT'S MY TURN, MR. OH, SORRY.
UM, I AGREE WITH LOGAN AND WE'VE SAID IT BEFORE.
HE SUPERVISES ALL THE EMPLOYEES.
THAT IS NOT OUR JOB FOR COUNTY COUNCIL TO PUT OUR FINGERS IN THE POT.
WE'RE GOING THAT WAY WITH THIS AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT OKAY WITH IT BECAUSE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO SET THE POLICY ADMINISTRATION IS TO ADMINISTER THE POLICY AND IF THERE'S A PROBLEM THEN IT FALLS BACK ON US WITH THE ADMINISTRATOR.
BUT I DON'T WANNA GET IN THE MID THE NITTY GRITTY HERE.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO YORK AND THEN LARRY, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA WRAP IT UP.
I, UM, JUST WANT TO ASK TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING I'VE SAID HERE IS DEALING WITH POLICY.
I I DON'T DEAL WITH, UM, UM, MICROMANAGEMENT, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
BUT I I DO BELIEVE THAT, UM, AS POLICY MAKERS, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO RECEIVE REPORTS THAT EVERYTHING IS GOOD, EVERYTHING IS SMOOTH.
WE DON'T NEED DETAILS, JUST REPORT.
WE HAD 10 WHISTLEBLOWERS AND THIS IS HOW THEY WOULD HANDLED.
I DON'T NEED TO KNOW WHO THEY WERE.
I DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHO THEY WERE.
BUT I THINK WE JUST NEED TO KNOW THOSE INFORMATION AND STUFF.
AND THAT'S, IF THAT'S GETTING INTO MANAGEMENT, I'M SORRY.
I THINK REPORTS IS WHAT WE USE TO EVALUATE OUR MANAGER.
LARRY, YOUR LAST ONE THEN WE'RE GONNA, IT'LL BE SHORTENED TO THE POINT.
UH, I THINK THAT THERE'S AN OBLIGATION, UH, THAT EXISTS WHEN IF YOU CREATE THIS WITH AN INTEGRITY OFFICER AND NOT A DEPARTMENT THAT THE INTEGRITY OFFICER HAVE, THE ABILITY ON A REGULAR BASIS COULD BE MONTHLY OR AS NECESSARY TO REPORT WHAT'S, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE AREA ONLY TO THE LEADERSHIP OF COUNCIL.
AND THEN THE LEADERSHIP OF COUNCIL
[00:55:01]
CAN DECIDE HOW MUCH DISTRIBUTION IT HAS TO GET.I'M NOT SAYING REPORT ALL THE MANAGEMENT ISSUES THAT THE ADMINISTRATOR HAS TO DEAL WITH BECAUSE THERE'S TOO MANY OF THOSE AND THERE'LL BE LESS OF WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE.
BUT EVERY ONE OF THOSE WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE COUNTY COUNCIL HAS THE HIGHER AUTHORITY HERE IN THE COUNTY HAS AN OBLIGATION TO HEAR IT.
AND IT CAN BE DELIVERED BY THE INTEGRITY OFFICER TO THE LEADERSHIP AND THE LEADERSHIP CAN DECIDE ABOUT DISSEMINATION.
UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND CLOSE DISCUSSION THEN AND WE WILL THEN BRING THIS UP.
OH NO, JUST DO WE NEED A MOTION TO STAFF NEED A MOTION COMING OUTTA THIS IN ORDER TO MOVE THIS TO THE NEXT AGENDA, A SPECIAL CALL MEETING OR EVEN A MOTION TO BRING FORWARD A PRESENTATION FOR NEX.
DISCUSSION ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
UM, WE CAN BRING IT BACK UP AS ANOTHER DISCUSSION ITEM ON THE AGENDA OR IF COUNSEL THIS COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE, I I'M JUST, I'M JUST ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION ON STAFF.
THAT WAY THERE'S A PROPER INDICATION ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
'CAUSE I I YOU NEED TO CALL A WORKSHOP THAT'S ALL.
WHAT I THINK HAS TO HAPPEN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CALL IT, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A MEETING OUTSIDE OF THE, OUTSIDE THE NORMAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS THAT HAVE ALL OTHER AGENDA ITEMS. THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I GO BACK TO, IS THERE A MOTION THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE? I'M NOT GONNA MAKE THE MOTION, I'M JUST ASKING IF THERE IS A MOTION THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE AS THE CHAIR.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA PUT THAT FORWARD OR STAFF WOULD LIKE TO, I THINK LEADERSHIP HAS THE ABILITY, ABILITY TO MAKE A DECISION TO CALL A WORKSHOP.
I DON'T, SO JUST A REMINDER, A WORKSHOP, WE CAN'T VOTE.
SO IF YOU WANNA REALLY NAIL THIS DOWN, IT'S GOTTA BE A SPECIAL CALL MEETING OF THIS COMMITTEE AND MOVE IT ON, UH, WORKSHOP.
WE'RE JUST GONNA BAT IT AROUND AGAIN AND WE CAN'T VOTE.
SO IF IT'S THAT SERIOUS, WE MOVE IT ANOTHER WAY AS OPPOSED TO DOING A WORKSHOP.
I KNOW LARRY WANTS A WORKSHOP.
I HAVE NO PROBLEM US BRINGING IT BACK UP THE NEXT MEETING AND, AND ALLOWING OURSELVES ANOTHER HALF HOUR.
YEAH, THE TIME TO DO IT IS KIND OF HOW I WOULD PREFER TO DO IT IF I COULD.
AND THE ONLY REASON I SAY WITH THE MOTION FOR A NX PRESENTATION, I BELIEVE WE HAD THE SAME CONVERSATION THE LAST TIME THAT THE NAVX WAS TO BE COMING FORWARD FOR TODAY, UH, WAS MY UNDERSTANDING.
BUT I DON'T THINK THERE WAS AN OFFICIAL MOTION THAT CAME OUT OF IT.
BUT I THINK THE CONVERSATION WAS THAT THE NXX PRESENTATION OR DEMONSTRATION MAKE THAT MOTION FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
WELL, YES, I I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT THE NX PRESENTATION SLASH DEMONSTRATION COME FORWARD AT THE NEXT, UH, EITHER SPECIAL CALL MEETING OR NEXT REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING.
NEXT FINE, NEXT MEETING, WHICH, WHICHEVER ONE IS DEEMED NECESSARY, I'LL SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? YEAH, WOULD THE MAKE OF THE MOTION INCLUDE UM, SOMETHING THAT WILL DEAL WITH THE INTEGRITY OFFICE OF INTEGRITY AS WELL? UH, BECAUSE WE ARE LOOKING AT DOLLARS AND CENTS RIGHT NOW AND DECIDING WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO MAY BE BASED ON THE COST.
AND, UH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT MOTION, UM, ALSO INCLUDE A POTENTIAL BUDGETARY BREAKDOWN OF EITHER A CONTRACT OR AN EMPLOYEE OR A, I GUESS, NEW EMPLOYEE OR ACCRUAL OF DUTIES INSIDE OF THAT ACCRUAL OF DUTIES, IF IS CORRECT.
AND, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE EVER IN THIS COUNTY, WHICH IS APPARENTLY THE CASE
A PERSON COULD BE IDENTIFIED THAT HAS STAFF MEMBERS AND THEY COULD HANDLE THIS.
UM, I THINK LOGICALLY IF, IF THEY CAN'T, WELL THEN YOU CAN GO AND MAKE IT A BUREAUCRACY.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, MAKING IT A BUREAUCRACY REALLY DOESN'T HELP US HERE.
YOU KNOW, I'LL SECOND THE AMEND THE AMENDED.
UH, I, THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL, THAT AMENDMENT THAT I LOOK AT THAT.
ALRIGHT, SO, UH, YOU'VE SECONDED THE ORIGINAL AMENDMENT.
UM, ALRIGHT, ANY MORE DISCUSSION? YEP.
WANNA COMMENT BEFORE WE VOTE? I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT ON THE NXX PRESENTATION.
AGAIN, THERE MAY BE OTHER VENDORS THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER.
SO I JUST, WE WILL ATTEMPT TO GET OTHER VENDORS AS WELL AS PART OF THE DISCUSSION FOR THE NEXT MEETING SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT COST VERSUS WHAT WE CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, GO FORWARD WITH IN TERMS OF PURCHASING.
BUT, AND OBVIOUSLY AS, AS MR. CUNNINGHAM MENTIONED, WE'RE LOOKING, YOU'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO IMPLEMENT THIS AS THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, WHETHER IT'S THE OFFICE OF INTEGRITY WITH AN INTEGRITY OFFICER, WHETHER IT'S A, A, UM, CONTRACTOR SUCH AS NAVI OR, OR SOMEBODY ELSE THAT, OR ACCOMMODATIONS.
SO WE'LL HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS OKAY.
AT THE NEXT MEETING FOR YOU ON THAT.
COULD YOU PLEASE RESTATE THE AMENDMENT SO EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE VOTING FOR? SO, SO THE MOTION WITH THE INCORPORATED, UM, I, I GUESS AMENDMENT, IF YOU WANNA CALL IT, THAT WOULD BE A PRESENTATION FROM PRESENTATION SLASH DEMONSTRATION FROM NXX OR SIMILAR, UH, REPORTING PLATFORM ALONG WITH A BUDGET ANALYSIS FOR OFFICE OF INTEGRITY OR ACCRUAL OF DUTIES.
JUST A, A BETTER UNDERSTANDING THAN WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT HERE.
ANY MORE DISCUSSION? SEE NO DISCUSSION.
WE WILL APPROVE THIS WITHOUT OBJECTION.
[01:00:01]
ALL RIGHT.AND AGAIN, WE'LL SEE THAT ON OUR NEXT, UH, UM, MEETING OR WORKSHOP IF WE DECIDE TO DO THAT.
[7.c. Amendment to BCEDC bylaws to increase private-sector board representation from seven to nine members. (FISCAL IMPACT: None) - John O’Toole, Executive Director, Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation (BCEDC)]
AND SEE UNDER OUR, UM, AGENDA ITEMS AND AMENDMENT TO, UM, BEFORD COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, PREPARATION BYLAWS TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR BOARD REPRESENTATION FROM SEVEN TO NINE MEMBERS.HI, UH, MY NAME IS KELLY BRUNSON.
I'M THE SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER FOR B-C-E-D-C.
UM, BEFORE YOU TODAY IS AN AMENDMENT TO OUR BYLAWS.
UM, WE ARE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
WE'RE GOVERNED BY A BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UM, AND WE'D SIMPLY LIKE TO INCREASE OUR PRIVATE SECTOR REPRESENTATION FROM SEVEN TO NINE MEMBERS.
UM, BEFORE YOU ON YOUR, ON THAT HANDOUT IS THE LIST OF OUR CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS.
AND, UM, THE REASON FOR THIS IS THAT WE NEED INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE WILLING TO SERVE IN LEADERSHIP ROLES AND ADDING TWO MORE MEMBERS, UM, TO OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS WOULD ALLOW US TO, UM, TO HAVE THOSE MEMBERS THAT COULD DO THAT FOR US.
SO, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
SO, AS LIAISON, FIRST OF ALL, I NEVER LIKE TO INCREASE THE BOARD.
IF YOU ALL CONSIDER THAT, I'M GOING TO REITERATE, AND I ALREADY SAID THIS AT THE LAST EDC, SO I'M NOT SPEAKING OUTTA SCHOOL.
I BELIEVE THE COUNTY NEEDS HAVE MORE REPRESENTATION.
WE PROVIDE WHAT, 90% OF THE FUNDING AND ALL OF THE JOB INSIGHT FUNDING.
AND WE HOLD ONE SEAT OUT OF 15, WHICH IS LESS THAN 7% OF THE VOTE, JUST SO YOU PUT IN THAT PERSPECTIVE.
AND, UM, 11 OF THE 15 SEATS HAVE NO FINANCIAL INPUT INTO THE FINANCES OF EDC, YET 11 PEOPLE CARRY, CARRY THE VOTE.
SO I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF UPPING THE 17 SEATS, BUT IF THEY DO, I'M GONNA SUGGEST AT LEAST ONE OF THOSE TWO GOES TO COUNTY.
WE NEED TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE PERSON ON THE BOARD.
AND IF WE TAKE ONE OF THOSE SEATS MAKING US HAVE TWO, WE WILL THEN HAVE A BETTER REPRESENTATION.
AGAIN, WE, AGAIN, WE FUND BCDC THE MAJORITY.
RIGHT NOW THE FOUR MUNICIPALITIES ARE IN THERE.
T-C-L-U-S-C-B-B-C-S-D, AND THEN THERE'S SEVEN FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
I, I DON'T LIKE GIGANTIC BOARDS.
I THINK THEY JUST SPIN THEIR WHEELS.
BUT AGAIN, WHETHER WE INCREASE IT OR NOT, WE NEED TO HAVE ANOTHER SEAT ON THAT BOARD.
UM, WOULD, ARE YOU GONNA MAKE THAT IN, IN THE FORM OF A MOTION TO AMEND THIS? WELL, WE'RE IN DISCUSSION THEN.
I I HAVE NO PROBLEM INCREASING THE NUMBER OF BOARD MEMBERS.
THIS IS, UM, PRIVATE INDUSTRY MEMBERS ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND THEY DO NOT CONTRIBUTE THE MONEY TO IT, BUT THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT IN MY VIEW.
UM, UH, MS. BLAKELY WILLIAMS IS HERE TOO, UH, REPRESENTING, UH, DOMINION TODAY, BUT SHE'S ALSO TEMPORARILY THE SECRETARY.
UM, INTERIM TREASURER OF THE ORGANIZATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF SHE WOULD, UM, LIKE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS TO, UM, I WOULD ASK THE CHAIRMAN IF HE COULD ASK HER TO COME UP.
SHE KNOWS THE HISTORY OF HOW WE GOT HERE AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE WENT THROUGH TO HAVE A, AN EDC AND HAVE A BOARD.
AND SHE MAY HAVE SOME INSIGHTS ON WHY WE NEED MORE MEMBERS TOO.
ANYTHING YOU CAN OR WANT TO ADD, YOU HAVE TO COME UP TO.
SHE'S LIKE, NO, I DON'T, YOU DON'T NEED, I MEAN, SHE LIKE, I'M PERFECTLY COMFORTABLE RIGHT HERE.
I CERTAINLY WASN'T PREPARED TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY.
BUT THE PRIVATE SECTOR DOES HAVE AN INVESTMENT, OF COURSE, IN, IN THE ORGANIZATION.
AND IT, THERE'S LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH A TRANSITIONAL PHASE TO LOOK AT ALL OF THESE THINGS.
INCREASING THE BOARD SIZE FOR PUBLIC SECTOR, PRIVATE SECTOR, I THINK EVERYTHING IS ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW, BUT THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS, UM, A REPRESENTATION OF YOUR CURRENT BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND THEY CERTAINLY CAN'T INFLUENCE THE DIRECTION THAT A, THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WILL GO.
SO WE DO SUPPORT THIS ADDING THE PRIVATE SECTOR MEMBERS TO THE BOARD TODAY.
UH, MS. BRUNSON, I GOT, I, I'LL GET YOU GUYS A COUPLE, PUT YOU ON THE HOT SEAT HERE FOR A SECOND.
SO, ONE QUESTION IS, IS WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT, AT DOING THIS? SECONDLY, WHAT IS THE MAJORITY OF THE, UM, OF THE, OF THE, OF THE, UH, THAT YOU NEED RIGHT NOW FOR A MAJORITY, WHENEVER, WHENEVER YOU VOTE? UM, BECAUSE I HAVE HEARD THAT, THAT, THAT YOU'VE HAD TROUBLE WITH ABSENTEEISM MM-HMM
UM, AND HAVE WE REPLACED ANY PEOPLE THAT JUST DON'T SHOW UP ANYMORE, OR, YES.
[01:05:01]
AND, AND SO MM-HMM'CAUSE AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WHAT I'VE HEARD IS THE FACT THAT THAT'S THE REASON FOR ADDING MORE SEATS IS, IS, IS BECAUSE WE HAVE A A, A ATTENDANCE POLICY.
SO, UM, WE DID HAVE SOME MEMBERS PREVIOUSLY WHO WERE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND THE MEETINGS.
WE HAVE REEVALUATED, WE'VE ADDED THREE NEW BOARD MEMBERS AS OF AUGUST, UM, WHO ARE COMMITTED AND ABLE TO SERVE AS BOARD MEMBERS AND THEN THROUGH SECESSION PLANNING.
SO OUR CURRENT CHAIR, UM, HE HAS BEEN CHAIR FOR TWO YEARS, WHICH WAS HIS TERM.
UM, WE, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH PERSONAL LIVES AND DIFFERENT THINGS, EVERYBODY HAS A BUSY SCHEDULE.
UM, SO HE DOESN'T FEEL THAT HE'S ABLE TO, UH, SERVE IN THE CHAIR ROLE ANY LONGER.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST LOOKING FOR THOSE MEMBERS WHO CAN COMMIT TO OUR BOARD AND SERVE AT, IN THOSE LEADERSHIP ROLES.
THE CHAIR, THE VICE CHAIR, SECRETARY AND TREASURER ROLES.
I SAW A COUPLE OTHER HANDS HERE.
HEY KELLY, HOW ARE YOU TODAY? UM, UNLESS I'M DOING THE MATH WRONG.
SIX ARE, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS.
AND THEN YOU HAVE NINE FROM PUBLIC SECTOR? NO, THERE'S FIVE ELECTED OFFICIALS, THREE, FIVE ELECTED OFFICIALS, THREE EDUCATION, AND THE REST ARE PRIVATE SECTOR.
AND WHO'D YOU PICK UP? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
SHE COUNTED THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
BUT THERE'S STILL NINE PRIVATE SECTORS, PRIVATE SECTOR PEOPLE, AND THEY WANTED TO INCREASE THEM SEVEN TO NINE.
UM, JOEL BLAKELY, ASHLEY, ANDREA MILITIA, SHE FALLS UNDER EDUCATION.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THIS MOTION.
YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I HAD THIS SAME ARGUMENT WITH USCB AND TCL BEFORE
UM, YOU GUYS, IT'S JUST, IF WE'RE FUNDING, IS THAT NUMBER ACCURATE? 90%? IT'S, WELL, WE DO ALL OF THE JOB IN SITE FUND.
LET'S, I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT INCREASING THE BOARD.
I SAID THE CONVERSATION, WHICH I WAS ABOUT TO SAY, WHICH IS ABOUT LACK OF REPRESENTATION WHEN WE'RE THE NUMBER ONE FUNDERS.
FOR EXAMPLE, USCB CAME TO US AND WANTED US TO FUND A PROJECT.
MAJORITY OF IT WHEN I ASKED 'EM TO GO HAVE OTHER PEOPLE KICK IN AND THEY DIDN'T TRY TO DO THAT.
SO THAT'S WHERE I WAS LEADING WITH THAT CONVERSATION.
IF I CAN CONTINUE THAT, UM, I WOULD DISAGREE WITH IT EXPANDING THE BOARD.
AND I ACTUALLY WOULD LIKE TO JUST TAKE A COUPLE SEATS TO BE HONEST.
IF WE REALLY ARE FUNDING 90% OF THIS, WHICH I WOULD LOVE FOR THAT TO BE MR. MOORE, IS THAT TRUE? AROUND 90%? I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S 90%.
BUT IT IS, THE MAJORITY OF THE FUNDING IS COMING FROM THE COUNTY.
AND WE HAVE ONE PERSON THAT SITS ON THAT BOARD.
AND THEN IT STILL COMES TO US, AND THEN WE DEBATE THIS OUT WITH 11 OF US.
SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET SIX VOTES HERE.
TWO, TO GET SOMETHING ACROSS THE LINE.
I WOULD SAY THAT YOUR GUYS' LOGIC'S THE SAME AS MINE.
THAT'S WHY YOU WANT TO ADD MORE PEOPLE TO GET SOMETHING ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
BUT WE REALLY HAVE NO WAY TO GET ANYTHING ACROSS THE FINISH LINE WHEN WE'RE THE ONES ACTUALLY FUNDING THE MAJORITY OF THESE PROJECTS.
SO, I MEAN, I'LL LEAVE THAT IN TABS HANDS, BUT I, I WILL SAY I, I DO DISAGREE WITH THE WAY THIS IS LAID OUT.
UM, I HAD THE SAME CONVERSATION WITH BEAUFORT MEMORIAL A COUPLE YEARS AGO, SO I WOULD LIKE TO JUST ADD THAT, UM, ANYTIME A COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE COUNTY STAFF COMES TO ENTER ANY OF OUR MEETINGS, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ALL HAVE ONE VOTE, BUT WE DO SEEK INPUT FROM ANYBODY WHO HAS COME TO OUR MEETINGS.
YOU, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME AND SPEAK.
THE LAST MEETING, THERE WERE FOUR OF US, MS. HOWARD, NICOLE, MIKE, MYSELF.
UM, IT'S UP TO, I'M THE LIAISON, SO IT'S UP TO ME TO CONVINCE THE BOARD ON THE TOPIC AT HAND.
AND IF NOT, THEN THEY'VE OVERRIDE IT AND THEY VOTE ON IT.
AND TO ME, WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THE JOB AND SITE FUND THAT WAS, REMEMBER WE PULLED THAT, BUT THERE'S MONEY IN THERE AND THAT'S AN EXPENDITURE.
YOU WERE GONNA, OH, JOE HAS HIS HAND.
AT, AT THIS POINT, SINCE WE KNOW THERE IS GOING TO BE A CHANGE IN THE LEADERSHIP OF, OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WE KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME TRANSITION.
WE KNOW THERE MAY BE SOME CHANGES COMING.
I DON'T THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE AT THIS TIME TO MAKE A CHANGE IN THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNTIL CERTAIN OTHER THINGS TAKE PLACE.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, MR. GLOVER? AND THEN I HEARD ALICE, AND I KNOW THAT YOU STARTED TO MAKE A, AN AMENDMENT.
[01:10:01]
AND ALICE IS, IS BETTER TO SPEAK ON THIS SUBJECT, THE HISTORY OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND WHY WE ARE HERE AT THIS TIME.UM, AS I CAME ON COUNCIL, THE FIRST YEAR THIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD STARTED, UM, WAS BEING PUT TOGETHER, THE BYLAWS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, THE OPERATION PROCEDURE.
AND MR. O TOOLE WAS HIRED, UM, SOMETIME IN SEPTEMBER, I BELIEVE.
UM, SO I WAS BIRTHED ALONG WITH THIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS A, A HEATED DISCUSSION AND WE DISCUSSING IT NOW WAS THE NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS REPRESENT BEING REPRESENTED ON THIS BODY.
AND AT THE TIME, UM, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER THAT EVERYBODY GOING ON THIS BODY FROM A A, A PUBLIC BODY, THE MUNICIPALITY AND THIS COUNCIL WOULD BE, UH, AS EQUAL ONE VOTE ONE PERSON.
UM, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, MAYBE FOUR YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A, A MOTION TO INCREASE THAT TO ONE MORE PERSON FROM COUNCIL FOR THE SAME ARGUMENT THAT WE EXPEND ALL THE FUNDS AND WE GET VERY LITTLE FROM THE MUNICIPALITIES.
WELL, THIS COUNTY BASICALLY HAS ALWAYS HAD AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
BRINGING THE MUNICIPALITY IN WAS TO ME A WIN-WIN SITUATION FOR THE COUNTY WORKING TOGETHER AS ONE, AS BEST THEY COULD.
THE, THE INITIAL AMOUNT FROM THE MUNICIPALITY, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WAS $10,000.
THE INITIAL AMOUNT, I I THEN IT HAD INCREASED TO 40,000.
UM, SO IT, IT, IT INCREASED ITSELF.
COUNCIL WAS ALWAYS RESPONSIBLE FOR, AND WE PAID THE COST OF THE, UM, APPETITE, THE ALLIANCE AND ALSO THE SIGHT AND SOUND FUNDS, UM, THE WORKFORCE FUNDS AND STUFF.
I DON'T SEE A PROBLEM WITH THE COUNCIL BEING, UM, UH, THE PERSON THAT SPENDS MOST OF THE MONEY BECAUSE IF THERE'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE MUNICIPALITIES ALL IN THE COUNTY, WE WILL BENEFIT FROM TAXES.
AND SO WE ARE THE RECIPIENTS AS A COUNTY OF MOST OF THE TAXES FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE STATE'S, THE NUMBER ONE BENEFICIARY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I THINK SOMEONE ELSE THEN IT WAS, UM, WAS IT ALICE? DID YOU NO, I SAID ANYTHING ELSE? ANYBODY ELSE BEFORE TAB? OH, I DID HAVE ONE MORE COMMENT.
I THINK JOE MAKES A GOOD SUGGESTION AT THIS POINT IN TIME, UM, BECAUSE OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, UM, WITH THE EDC AND THE, AND THE, UM, IN, WAIT, IF WE CAN I AGREE WITH JOE.
JUST WAIT, IS THAT A SECOND? WELL, NO, WE, NO, THAT'S JUST, WE'VE A MOTION OUT RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, I DON'T, I THINK WHEN YOU HIRE SOMEBODY NEW, YOU'RE NOT GONNA ASK 'EM WHAT SHOULD THE BOARD BE LIKE TO BE FAIR TO THE NEW PERSON.
YOU HAVE YOUR BYLAWS HERE, WHICH I HAVE A COUPLE OTHER SUGGESTIONS WE NEED TO CHANGE ON THE BYLAWS, MINOR ONES, BUT STILL.
AND SO TO BE FAIR TO A NEW PERSON, YOU SAY, WE HAVE A 15 MEMBER BOARD, OR WE HAVE A 17 MEMBER BOARD.
IF THEY WANNA LOOK AT CHANGING, THEY CAN ALWAYS BRING IT UP.
AGAIN, YOU DON'T PUT A NEW PERSON IN THERE AND SAY, WHAT DO YOU THINK? HOW MANY PEOPLE SHOULD WE HAVE? WHAT'S HE GONNA SAY? HE, SHE, SORRY.
UM, BUT I DO HAVE A COUPLE OTHERS, BUT IT'S NOT ON THIS PARTICULAR ONE.
AND I THINK YOU KNOW WHAT I'M GONNA SAY, BUT, SO RIGHT NOW THE AMENDED WAS IF WE GO TO 17, I WANT ONE OF THOSE SEATS TO GO TO COUNTY COUNCIL.
SO THERE'LL BE TWO FOR COUNCIL AND ONE MORE TO THE PUBLIC SECTOR.
AND BY THE WAY, I THINK BLAKELY AND, UM, KELLY WILL, WILL AGREE.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT THE OTHER DAY AND THEY WERE NOT ADVERSE TO THE COUNTY HAVING TWO SEATS.
AM I CORRECT LADIES? THAT IS A, THAT IS A MOTION.
IS THERE A SECOND FOR THAT MOTION? I'LL SECOND.
ALRIGHT, UM, SO WE HAVE A SECOND.
SO, UM, IF THERE'S NO MORE DISCUSSION, I THINK WE JUST GO AHEAD NOW.
UM, ONE OF THEM BE ATTORNEY COUNCIL AND ACTUALLY, UM, A VOTE, UH, ON THIS, UM, MS. BROCK, IF WE CAN DO A, COULD YOU DO A, COULD YOU RE UH, READ THE MOTION AGAIN FOR US? THE AMENDED EMO AMENDMENT IS GO TO 17 AS REQUESTED, BUT ONE OF THE TWO ADDITIONAL SEATS GOES TO COUNTY.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A COUNCIL MEMBER, IT JUST HAS TO BE A COUNTY VOTING MEMBER.
[01:15:01]
BASICALLY WHAT'S BEING VOTED ON IS WHETHER IF YOU VOTE FOR, THEY WILL GO TO 17 AND ONE WOULD BE A COUNTY PERSON.IF YOU VOTE AGAINST IT, THEY'RE GONNA STAY AT THE 15.
15 TO VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT FIRST BEFORE YOU, THAT'S, WE'RE VOTING.
SO THE VOTE FOR CLARITY, THE, THE ONE THAT WE ARE ADDING, REPRESENTING THE COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE TO BE OR WILL NOT BE A COUNTY OF COUNCIL, DOESN'T NECESSARILY BE THE CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL APPOINTS WHO SITS ON THAT COMMITTEE.
COULD BE ADMINISTRATOR, COULD BE WHATEVER.
SO AGAIN, WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS JUST WE'RE SAYING IF IT'S 17, ONE SEAT GOES, I, THAT GOES TO THE COUNTY.
WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THAT FIRST AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND VOTE ON YES OR DOWN ON MY, MY CONCERN IS WE DON'T NEED, WE DON'T NEED, WE HAVE ONE COUNCIL MEMBER SITTING ON THE BOARD AND I'M FINE WITH THAT.
BUT FOR US TO INCREASE THAT TO A SECOND AND A THIRD, AND AFTER A WHILE WE'LL BE, WE'LL BE DOMINATING THE, THE BOARD.
AS LONG AS IT'S NOT ANOTHER KIND OF COUNCIL MEMBER.
WELL, IT SAYS, I THINK IT SHOULD BE FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
IT SAYS THE CHAIRMAN WILL APPOINT SO SHE DOESN'T NEED TO APPOINT ANOTHER COUNCIL PERSON.
HOW FAST DOES THAT HAPPEN? HUH? IF THIS PASSES, HOW FAST DOES THAT APPOINTMENT TAKE PLACE? WELL THIS GOES THROUGH A SA WELL THERE'S TWO PARTS THAT WOULD GO THROUGH RIGHT AWAY.
IT HAS TO GO TO JUST A QUESTION FOR THE SPEAKER.
FOR KELLY, DOES THIS HAVE TO GO THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES OR IS IT JUST THE COUNCIL? JUST THE COUNCIL.
SO IT WOULD GO IN EFFECT, ESSENTIALLY YOUR BOARD WOULD STILL HAVE TO, COUNCIL HAS TO APPROVE IT.
FULL COUNSEL WOULD'VE TO FULL COUNSEL.
SO, UH, MS. BROCK, IF YOU CAN DO A ROLL CALL.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS, UM, SAYING IF IT GOES TO 17, THAT ONE WOULD BE A COUNTY MEMBER.
AND WE'RE STILL GONNA VOTE ON WHETHER WE GO TO 17 OR STAY AT 15.
COMMITTEE, VICE CHAIR CUNNINGHAM? YES.
BY THE WAY, WHEN EVERYBODY VOTED, I DIDN'T HEAR SEVERAL OF THEM AS TO WHAT THEIR VOTE WAS.
OH, THEY WEREN'T CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE MIC? CORRECT.
ALRIGHT, SO THEN LET'S GO ON TO THE, UM, ORIGINAL MOTION.
AND THAT IS, UM, WHETHER, UM, THE, UM, UH, WE EXPAND TO 17 MEMBERS.
UM, SO AGAIN, LET'S, UH, WHO, WHO WAS THE, UM, TAPER MOTION? OKAY, BUT IT'S TO, LET ME REPHRASE.
THE ORIGINAL MOTION IS TO EXPAND TO 17 WITH THE TWO EXTRAS GOING TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
SO THAT'S WHAT THE MOTION IS RIGHT NOW.
ALRIGHT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL VOTE.
THAT'S A WHAT? 5% REPRESENTATION US IF I DID THAT MATH RIGHT? RIGHT.
IF THIS PASSES, THAT'D BE 5% REPRESENTATION.
COMMITTEE, VICE CHAIR CUNNINGHAM? NO.
DID YOU ASK COUNCILMAN GLOVER? I DIDN'T HEAR.
YEAH, HE WAS, UH, NO, YOU, YOU CALLED ME THIRD.
YEAH, I'D SAY NO, I DIDN'T HEAR YOU.
SO MR. CHAIR, SINCE WE'RE ON BCDC, I HAVE A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS ON THE BYLAWS, WHICH IS NOTHING NEW EXCEPT FOR IF YOU LOOK AT SECTION SIX POINT.
UM, WELL, 6.2 WE JUST DOWN, SO I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THAT ONE.
THESE ARE MINOR THINGS, BUT I THINK THEY SHOULD BE IN THE BYLAWS.
I THINK WE NEED TO ADD IN A, IT'S ABOUT FINANCIAL REPORTS.
WE NEED TO ADD, WE REQUIRE AN ANNUAL OUTSIDE AUDIT OF THE FINANCES OF THE BCDC.
THEY DID IT THIS YEAR AND LAST YEAR.
I THINK IT SHOULD BE IN OUR BYLAWS.
[01:20:01]
SEE IT RIGHT THERE UNDER A, AND THE OTHER ISSUE THAT'S COME UP, COME UP WITH THE PUBLIC IS UNDER 7.1.AND I ASKED THIS QUESTION, THE AGENDA'S POSTED, BUT THERE'S NO BACKUP MATERIAL AND PEOPLE WANNA KNOW WHAT'S ALL ABOUT.
AND WE HAVE, AND NOBODY HAS A REASON.
THEY TOLD ME WHY THERE'S NO BACKUP.
SO I WOULD ADD TO 7.1 AGENDAS.
BACKUP MATERIAL WILL BE POSTED 48 HOURS BEFORE A MEETING.
EVERYONE, EVERY COMMITTEE DOES IT.
WHY WOULDN'T OUR CORPORATION DO IT? I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY PROBLEM WITH THAT.
MADAM CHAIRMAN, COULD I ASK A QUESTION OF MRS. TABER? OKAY.
MS. BROWN'S GONNA GO AND YOU CAN GO MR. GLOVER.
KELLY, I BELIEVE I SENT YOU AN EMAIL LAST WEEK ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE I HAD A COUPLE CONSTITUENTS WANTING TO KNOW WHY WE DON'T HAVE A A, AN AGENDA PACKET LIKE WE DO HERE ON COUNTY COUNCIL.
WE HAVE THE AGENDA, WE HAVE AGENDA PACKET, BUT THAT'S NOT PUBLIC.
IT'S JUST SOMETHING WE HADN'T DONE IN THE PAST.
BUT I'M HAPPY TO TAKE A LOOK AT BACK MOVING FORWARD.
THAT'S AN ADDED EXPENSE TO THE CORPORATION, IS IT? NO IT ISN'T.
JUST PUT IT ON THE WEBSITE ONLINE.
I MEAN WE GET, SO I GET THE AGENDA PACKET LINK, MIKE AND EVERYBODY GETS IT.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF MAKING IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
YOU MADE THE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT THOSE HAVEN'T BEEN MADE IN A MOTION.
CAN WE DO THAT HERE? AND IS THIS IS HAVE TO COME BACK IN A, IT'S NOT REALLY AN AGENDA, CORRECT? WELL I'M DOING IT 'CAUSE WE'RE ON BCDC.
YOU MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS THEN IT CAN COME BACK.
AND IT'S GOTTA COME TO FINANCE.
CAN I ACTUALLY KIND OF TIE THAT IN TOGETHER TO CLEAN IT UP? GOOD.
FIRST THING, I KNOW YOU'RE IN A TOUGH SPOT AND YOU DO A HECK OF A JOB.
SO I, I APPRECIATE YOU COMING HERE TODAY AND DOING THIS.
UM, I THINK GROWING THE BOARD CAN BE DONE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR GUYS' THOUGHT PROCESS IS TO WHY, HOW WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO ANSWER THAT HERE IN PUBLIC.
I WANT YOU GUYS TO DISCUSS THAT AND HAVE YOUR CONVERSATION.
MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN BRING BACK FORWARD THAT IT'S ALREADY DONE THAT WAY IF YOU NEED 17 BECAUSE IT IS AN, IF IT'S AN ATTENDANCE PROBLEM OR IF YOU REALLY ARE JUST TRYING TO GET THE PUBLIC SECTOR OR WHATEVER YOUR GUYS' MINDSET IS BEHIND IT, I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING WE COULD BRING BACK AND DISCUSS AGAIN TO GET ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
I THINK THIS COUNCIL'S GONNA BE SPLIT BECAUSE THERE'S A THREE DIFFERENT OUTLOOKS ON IT.
THERE IS THE OPENING THERE IS GROWING IT AND NOT GROWING IT, AND THEN GROWING COUNCIL MEMBERS, OR NOT COUNCIL MEMBERS OR COUNTY EMPLOYEE, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.
SO WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT LOOKS ON IT.
MAYBE THERE'S A WAY YOU GUYS CAN BRIDGE THAT AND BRING IT FORWARD TO US.
SO IT'S ALREADY DONE WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO DEBATE THAT AND THEN WE CAN GET SOMETHING ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
WE'LL ADD IT TO OUR, UM, NEXT BOARD MEETING OCTOBER 15TH AND, UM, DISCUSS IT AT THE BOARD LEVEL, BRING IT BACK.
KELLY'S SPOT ON WITH THE AGENDA AND EVERYTHING, IT'S JUST THAT YOU GUYS CAN'T SEE IT.
YEAH, I MEAN I CAN GO ON DESIGN REVIEW BOARD AND SEE THE AGENDA.
I CAN GO ON ALL OF THEM, BUT IT SHOULD BE AVAILABLE.
AND THEN I, I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING AS FAR AS AGENDA ITEMS. I, I THINK A LOT OF TIMES YOU DO BUSINESS THAT ARE VERY SENSITIVE AND YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, UM, AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY YOU DO WHAT YOU DO.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, AS MUCH INFORMATION YOU CAN GIVE, THAT'S FINE.
BUT THERE ARE SOME INFORMATION THAT YOU DO NOT WANT TO SHARE AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S APPROPRIATE AND STUFF FOR ME.
UM, THE OTHER THING I I LIKE ABOUT THE INCLUSION OF TWO MORE, UH, OUTSIDE, UM, BUSINESS, UM, REPRESENTATIVE IS THAT IT WOULD MAKE THE BOARD MORE BUSINESS DOMINATED AND I LIKE THAT.
ALRIGHT, RYAN, YOU WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING ABOUT REGARDING THE YES SIR.
THE, UH, SUGGESTIONS THAT THE COUNCILMAN TABER HAS SHOULD REALLY BE MADE TO THE EDC BOARD AT OUR NEXT MEETING AND THEN THEY COULD BRING THEM FORTH AS FAR AS TO THE BYLAWS FORWARD.
UM, KELLY, UH, KELLY, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
UH, I KNOW IT'S NOT THE OUTCOME YOU WANTED, BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD AND WE'LL WE'LL FIGURE THIS OUT.
SHE, SHE'S VERY GOOD AT WHAT SHE DOES.
[7.d. Budget Amendment Ordinance to Fund Regional Tournament Complex (FISCAL IMPACT: $15,000,000; $8,000,000 from Local Accommodation Tax Fund Balance and $7,000,000 from Local Hospitality Tax Fund Balance.) - Sandy Novak]
ALRIGHT, LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR FINAL ITEM, UM,AND, UM, MS. UH, NOVAK, YOU'RE
[01:25:01]
COMING FORWARD AGAIN TO GIVE US A BRIEF UPDATE ON THIS AND I'M SURE THEN WE'LL GET A DISCUSSION, UH, HERE IMMEDIATELY.THIS IS THE, THE SECOND, UM, AMENDMENT TO THE 2027 BUDGET.
THIS IS TAKING A TAX MONEY, $15 MILLION FOR THE BEAUFORT COUNTY REGION'S TOURNAMENT COMPLEX.
ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE TO, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
UM, RESOLUTION 20 24 26 ADOPTED THE MASTER PLAN FOR PARKS AND RECREATION.
ON PAGE 20 OF THAT DOCUMENT, THERE IS INFORMATION ON PRIORITIES.
UM, I I, I KNOW THAT THIS WAS 2024 DOCUMENT, BUT IT WAS ADOPTED AND LOW PRIORITY.
UM, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF OUR HIGH PRIORITY THINGS.
WE'RE WORKING ON SEVERAL OF THEM.
UM, BUT THERE'S LIKE, OUR, OUR SENIOR PROGRAM HAS MADE GREAT STRIDES SINCE 2024, BUT I DON'T SEE AS A PRIORITY.
I SEE BASEBALL FIELDS, I SEE OTHER FIELDS.
I SEE SOCCER PROGRAMS. UM, SO MY BIGGEST QUESTION IS, UH, WHAT IS DRIVING THIS IF IT'S NOT OUR, OUR MASTER PLAN FOR PARKS AND RECREATION AND, UM, HOW IS THE MONEY GONNA BE SPENT? YOU CAN ANSWER THAT.
ARE ARE YOU AND HAS EVERYONE LOOKED AT THAT MASTER PLAN RECENTLY? I LOOKED AT, LOOKED IT RECENTLY, NO.
BUT I, IF, IF YOU LIKE, I CAN ANSWER SOME OF IT SINCE I'M THE ONE THAT WAS DRIVING IT.
UM, WHY IT'S BEING DRIVEN, I GUESS I WOULD SAY IT'S ME PUSHING IT.
UM, THE REASON FOR THAT IS, IS WE CONTINUALLY TO GIVE MONEY AWAY TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WITH A AND H TAX ONE CORRECTION.
IT WILL BE BOTH OF THEM THAT'LL BE PAYING FOR IT, WHETHER WE AMEND SOME OF BETWEEN SEVEN AND A HALF OR 8 MILLION.
UM, REASON FOR THAT IS WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT AN ECONOMIC DRIVER.
INSTEAD OF JUST SPENDING MONEY FOR SERVICES, WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING OUTSIDE THE BOX AND FORWARD THINKING.
WHEN THIS IS NOT IN USE FOR TOURNAMENTS, IT CAN ACTUALLY BE USED FOR OUR RECREATION IN OUR SCHOOLS.
SO THAT'S TWO SWORDS AT ONE TIME.
WE'RE ABLE TO GET BOTH ENDS OF IT.
WE HAVE BACKUPS ON BASEBALL FIELDS, WE HAVE BACKUPS ON SOCCER FIELDS.
WE ALLEVIATED SOME OF THAT PRESSURE ON SOCCER FIELDS.
AND OUR LAST APPROVAL, WE HAVE NOT TOUCHED BASEBALL FIELDS AT ALL.
I DO NOT HAVE A LOCATION SET IN STONE.
THIS IS NOT ENOUGH TO FUND THE ENTIRE PROJECT.
WE PROBABLY NEED ABOUT 25 MILLION TO DO THAT, WHICH I'M DETERMINED I'VE BEEN VERY UPFRONT TO GET THAT FUNDED BY THE END OF JULY AS WELL.
TO GIVE A LITTLE BREAKDOWN OF WHY THIS SHOULD BE A HIGHER PRIORITY OVER SOME OF THOSE OTHERS THAT YOU DID BRING UP THAT WE ALREADY HIT AND KNOCKED OFF THAT WERE A HIGH PRIORITY, BUT A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THIS COULD ACTUALLY BRING.
SO THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT THINGS YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT.
THERE IS DIRECT SPENDING AND THEN THERE'S ECONOMIC IMPACT.
THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT NUMBERS YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT.
DIRECT SPENDING IS THE PEOPLE THAT COME INTO THIS COMMUNITY THAT ARE NOT FROM HERE AND SPEND MONEY DURING THAT TOURNAMENT.
HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, GROCERY STORES, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.
ECONOMIC IMPACT IS WHEN THEY SPEND MONEY IN THOSE STORES AND EMPLOYEES GET PAID MORE OR BUSINESSES HIRE MORE EMPLOYEES.
SO WAGES GO UP, MEDIUM HOUSEHOLD INCOME GOES UP, OUR TAX REVENUE GOES UP.
THAT'S THE OVERALL ECONOMIC IMPACT.
SO TO BREAK THAT DOWN TO WHAT THAT COULD TRANSLATE TO, IF WE HELD JUST 20 TOURNAMENTS A YEAR IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, THAT MEANS 20 WEEKENDS, IF THOSE FIELDS WERE USED FOR THAT DIRECT SPENDING WOULD BETWEEN NINE AND A HALF AND $14.5 MILLION.
AND COULD YOU PROVIDE THAT DATA TO US? I DON'T IF YOU GO LOOK UP ABSOLUTELY.
IF YOU CAN GO AND LOOK UP ANY OF THE REGISTRIES TO HOW MUCH ECONOMIC IMPACT.
FOR EXAMPLE, I USED BURTON WELLS TOURNAMENT AS THE MOST RECENT ONE, AND THAT WAS FOUR YEARS AGO.
AND THAT TOURNAMENT WENT FOR FIVE DAYS.
THEY GENERATED 1.1 MILLION IN THAT ONE TOURNAMENT.
NOW IT WAS A BASEBALL TOURNAMENT, A BASEBALL TOURNAMENT, JUST THAT ONE THAT WAS HERE LOCALLY WITHOUT THE INFLATION, WITHOUT NEW NUMBERS AND WITHOUT A COMPLEX THAT'S ACTUALLY KNOWN IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THOSE NUMBERS CAME FROM DIRECTLY FROM THE STUDY DONE.
THAT WAS DONE BY A STATE THAT WE PAID FOR TO GET DONE.
SO ME SAYING THAT WE, US GENERATING A MILLION DOLLARS IN A TOURNAMENT IS NOT OUTRAGEOUS AT ALL.
TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR A YEAR MONEY SPENT BACK INTO OUR LOCAL ECONOMIES, BETWEEN 14 TO $24 MILLION IS WHAT WE COULD PUT BACK IN THIS ECONOMY.
JUST A AND H TAX ALONE, WE WOULD GENERATE AROUND 200,000 EVERY YEAR.
AND THAT'S WITH ONLY 20 TOURNAMENTS.
AND THAT'S SOFTBALL AND BASEBALL.
THAT DOESN'T EVEN INCLUDE IF WE GET INTO ADULT KICKBALL LEAGUES OR IF WE OUTSOURCE IT TO TRAVEL TEAMS OUTSIDE OF THAT, OR SCHOOLS HOLD TOURNAMENTS HERE OR SCHOOLS CAN USE THOSE FACILITIES INSTEAD OF US SENDING OUR KIDS OTHER PLACES TO GO.
SO THE REASON I PUSH IT TO THE TOP OF THE LIST, AND I THINK IT'S SMART, IS 'CAUSE ONE, IT ALLEVIATES PRESSURE OFF OUR REC CENTERS, OFF OUR SCHOOLS AND GENERATES AN INCOME FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY, WHICH NONE OF THE
[01:30:01]
OTHER LISTS ITEMS LISTED ON THERE HITS ALL THREE OF THOSE.I UNDERSTAND IT WASN'T NUMBER ONE ON THE PRIORITY, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO CHANGE FOR WHAT'S BEST FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS COMMUNITY.
I I APPRECIATE THAT MR. CUNNINGHAM.
UM, I DON'T REMEMBER, UM, THIS BEING A TOP PRIORITY, UM, OF THIS COUNCIL, BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANNA MOVE IT FORWARD, THAT'S, THAT'S ONE THING.
UM, I ASKED THE QUESTION, WHO'S GONNA BE IN CHARGE OF THIS REGIONAL COMPLEX? UM, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT TO BE A PART OF OUR BUDGET PROCESS.
UM, UM, AND THEN, UM, SO THOSE ARE NUMBERS.
I MEAN, THOSE ARE ISSUES THAT I HAVE NOT HEARD, UM, COME FORWARD.
I PRESENTED A PROPOSAL HERE THROUGH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, UM, LAST YEAR THAT THEY BROUGHT BEFORE US, UM, TO, FOR CONSIDERATION.
AND IN THAT DISCUSSION, UM, I, I SAID I USE THESE WORDS HERE.
UM, IT'S A SKELETON, IT'S A CONCEPT.
UH, IN THIS CONCEPT WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO ADD SOME MEAT TO THE BONE.
AND, UM, UM, RIGHT NOW I DON'T EVEN SEE THE SKELETON HERE.
I SEE A CONCEPT, I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER FACTUAL INFORMATION TO JUSTIFY MOVING THIS FORWARD.
UM, AND I DON'T SEE WHO'S GONNA BE IN CHARGE.
UM, AND WHO'S ASKING FOR THIS? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA CAME BEFORE US FOR THE CONVOCATION CENTER, THEY WERE GONNA BE IN CHARGE.
THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SIMILAR TO THIS ON THE COLLEGE LEVEL.
AND ONE OF THE COMMENTS YOU MADE, MR. CUNNINGHAM, WAS THAT IT WILL HAVE A IMPACT ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, UH, BECAUSE OF HOTELS AND, AND THE ROADS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
THIS REGIONAL TOURNAMENT COMPLEX GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S GONNA BE.
SO IT SEEMS TO ME THAT, UH, WE JUST NEED THE SKELETON AT THIS TIME BEFORE WE START ALLOCATING $15 MILLION TO SOMETHING THAT'S OUT THERE IN THE AIR.
WE GOOD? JUST TO PUT A LITTLE BIT MORE MEAT ON IT, UM, FIRST OF ALL, TO ME THE IMPETUS IS TO KEEP FAMILIES HERE.
I COULD TELL YOU WHEN I WENT TO THE BLUFFTON STATE OF THE GROWTH, EVERYONE'S CONCERNED THAT WE ARE BECOMING OVERWHELMINGLY MY AGE, 55 AND OVER AND WHAT'S HERE FOR PEOPLE WITH CHILDREN.
AND, UH, MR. BAROLO CAN TALK ABOUT THAT.
MR. LAWSON CAN TALK ABOUT THAT AND THE YOUNGER FAMILIES.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU, AUDRA PUT TOGETHER A REQUEST FOR STATE ATEX.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT.
ERIC BROWN PRESENTED IT AND THAT WENT TO STATE AT TAX.
MR. CHAIRMAN, UM, AUD CAM DISCUSSED.
THAT MIGHT GO TO THE STATE AT TAX, WHICH WOULD ACTUALLY BE A STUDY TO PUT MORE MEAT ON THE BONE, AS IN, IN STATE.
THEY PUT TOGETHER FOR ASKING FOR A FEASIBILITY STUDY, WHICH IF YOU RECALL, WE DID A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR OTHER EDC PROJECTS.
AND IT SHOWED A NO RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
IF THIS ONE COMES BACK, NO RETURN ON INVESTMENT, THEN IT GOES THE WAY OF THE OTHER ONE.
AND JUST ONE FOLLOW UP, THIS CAME FROM DISCUSSION AT THE, AT TAX CORRECT MEETING, UH, WHICH WE HAD HERE IN COMMITTEE SEVERAL WEEKS AGO.
WE DID SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR THE, AT A, AND IT'S FOR A SITE SELECTION.
IN THAT STUDY, IT WILL TELL US EVEN IF A TOURNAMENT COMPLEX IS NEEDED IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND WHERE THAT WILL BE.
SO THEY PRESENTED, IT WAS PRESENTED ON FRIDAY AND I THINK IT HAS CLOSED.
SO, YOU KNOW, ONCE THEY VOTE ON IT, AND OF ALL THE INDIVIDUALS ORGANIZATIONS THAT THEY'LL, YOU KNOW, ALLOCATE MONEY TO, HOW MUCH WAS THAT FOR 200,000? OCTOBER 4TH.
OCTOBER 4TH IS, YEAH, I HAVE A SITE FOR YOU.
HOW ABOUT, I UNDERSTAND COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM SAID THERE'S PRIVATE MONEY POSSIBILITIES.
WOULDN'T, WOULDN'T IT BE PRUDENT TO FIRST DO THE STUDY AND AND THEN ALLOCATE THE 15 MILLION? YEP.
YOU ASKING THE ADMINISTRATION OR YOU ASKING COUNCIL? I'M ASKING FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I AGREE WITH YOU, BUT I I, I MEAN I, I'D LOVE TO SEE THIS STUDY BEFORE THE ALLOCATION OF A MONEY OF 15 MILLION.
[01:35:01]
THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY ATEX UNTIL WE ALL VOTE ON IT SOMETIME IN DECEMBER.I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG A STUDY WOULD TAKE.
WHAT, TWO MONTHS, THREE MONTHS WAIT, SURE.
JARED, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA? I, LET'S SAY THREE OR FOUR MONTHS.
SO IN THE MEANTIME, THIS MONEY SITS IN A BANK ACCOUNT.
WE'RE NOT GONNA BUILD A THING WITHOUT THE FEASIBILITY STUDY.
AND IF THE STUDY SHOWS NO GO, MONEY GOES RIGHT BACK TO ATEX.
IT'S WHAT'S OTHER THAN SANDY'S GOTTA MOVE IT.
ONE, THIS IS JUST A PLACEHOLDER, WHICH WE KNOW, BUT I'M ALLOCATING THE FUNDS NOW TO GET THIS BALL ROLLING.
IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE DID FOR THE HILTON HEAD BRIDGE.
WE PUT OUR 80 MILLION UP FRONT SO THE S-C-D-O-T AND THE SIB WOULD WANT TO GET ON BOARD UNTIL WE'RE WILLING TO PUT TEETH INTO THIS, NOBODY ELSE IS GONNA TAKE US SERIOUSLY.
SO WE CAN GO BACK AND FORTH WITH THIS ALL DAY.
BUT REALISTICALLY, WE HAD $20 MILLION SITTING IN ACCOUNT CONTINUING TO GROW.
THAT WAS TAX DOLLARS THAT OUR RESIDENTS THAT WE REPRESENTED HAVE BEEN SITTING THERE FOR YEARS.
UH, YOU SAID WE GET, WHAT, 3 MILLION A YEAR? ROUGHLY TWO AND A HALF TO 3 MILLION A YEAR IN AT TAX AND H TAX.
AND IN 25 WE GOT 3.2 IN LOCAL HT TAX.
SO ROUGHLY ABOUT 5 MILLION A YEAR BETWEEN THE TWO OF 'EM.
SO THAT MEANS FOR FOUR YEARS WE DIDN'T SPEND A DIME OF OUR TAXPAYERS DOLLARS IMPROVING ANYTHING WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN.
SO THAT CONTINUED TO GROW FASTER THAN WE WAS SPENDING IT.
THAT'S HOW IT GOT TO THIS POINT WHERE IT'S AT $20 MILLION.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE WHERE WE CAN COMPETE WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES AND ACTUALLY KEEP OUR FAMILIES AT HOME AND KEEP THE TAX REVENUE HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY WHERE RIGHT NOW THEY'RE TRAVELING TO OTHER STATES.
SO OUR HARD EARNED MONEY IS LEAVING THIS AREA AND GOING TO GEORGIA, GOING TO NORTH CAROLINA, GOING TO CHARLESTON, GREENVILLE, COLUMBIA, GOING TO ALL THESE OTHER PLACES EXCEPT HERE AT HOME.
I I, I'M JUST, I WAS LOOKING AT PAULA.
I IF YOU BE FINISHED, I'LL WAIT.
LET ME, AND I'LL GET YOU, I'M GOING TO HAVE A COMMENT MYSELF BECAUSE I ADMIRE YOUR ENTHUSIASM.
YOU ARE CORRECT IN THAT MONEY SITTING THERE.
I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU'RE TRYING TO GET THE BALL ROLLING WITH THIS, THIS VOTE.
AND I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT.
IS THIS A FEEL GOOD MOTION THAT WE FEEL GOOD THAT WE'RE GONNA PUT ASIDE $15 MILLION? OR IS, I MEAN IF, YOU KNOW, THE FEASIBILITY STUDY WILL EITHER SAY YAY OR NAY AND WHERE THE POSSIBLE SITES MIGHT BE.
I ADMIRE YOUR, YOUR ENTHUSIASM FOR IT.
I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE DOING THIS MOTION WHEN WE NEED TO DO THE FEASIBILITY STUDY FIRST, LET ME DIRECT TOWARDS ME.
CAN I COMMENT BACK TO THAT ONE COMING FIRST? YEAH, DEFINITELY NOT A FEEL GOOD MOMENT.
UH, WHEN YOU GO TO BUY A HOUSE, YOU START SAVING UP AND YOU PUT MONEY TO A SIDE FOR IT.
IF WE HAVE A BIG PROJECT WE WANNA DO, WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN I GOT ON COUNTY COUNCIL, YOU GUYS WERE ALL GUNG-HO ABOUT GETTING A, UH, CENTER FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT WITH NOT A DIME TO GO TOWARDS IT.
JUST A PIPE DREAM THAT YOU NEED 70 TO $120 MILLION FOR AND NOBODY ALLOCATED ANYTHING TOWARDS IT.
I'M TRYING TO ALLOCATE SOMETHING TOWARDS A BIG PROJECT THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTS THIS COMMUNITY.
INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE COMMUNITY AND SAYING, WE NEED $30 MILLION.
HEY GUYS, WE ALREADY HAVE 15, WE ALREADY HAVE 20.
THAT'S A SMALLER BITE TO TAKE IN THE FUTURE SO WE CAN START NOW.
SO IT'S NOT A FEEL GOOD MOMENT.
IT'S ACTUALLY GETTING SOMETHING ACCOMPLISHED AND NOT WAITING FOR SOMEBODY ELSE TO DO IT.
AND LET ME, LET ME JUST SAY THIS ON, ON MY, MY PART IS THAT I TRAVELED, I DID THIS WORLD FOR 10 YEARS WITH MY KIDS CHILDREN.
BASEBALL, TRAVEL, BASKETBALL, TRAVEL VOLLEYBALL.
UM, I HAD PROBABLY SOME OTHER TRAVEL THINGS I'M FORGETTING RIGHT NOW THAT, THAT I DID.
AND, AND YOU GO PLACES AND SPEND THE WEEKEND AT A HOTEL THAT YOU DON'T EVEN LIKE AT A LOCATION YOU DON'T EVEN LIKE, YOU DON'T LIKE AND YOU'RE BUYING DINNER.
YOU'RE, YOU LIKE YOUR KIDS THOUGH, BUT YOU'RE WITH, WITH YOUR CHILDREN.
SO, UM, BUT YOU PROBABLY DON'T EVEN LIKE THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT, UM, A TAX MONEY IS MEANT FOR, IS FOR US TO SPEND IT ON THINGS THAT'S GONNA PROMOTE TOURISM.
IT'S GONNA BRING MORE PEOPLE HERE.
SO WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT A FACILITY LIKE THIS, I'VE BEEN TO AIKEN, I'VE BEEN TO CHARLESTON, I'VE BEEN TO MYRTLE BEACH.
UM, I CAN KEEP NAMING OTHER, OTHER PLACES I'VE GONE THAT HAVE BUILT THESE MULTIPOLE FIELDS THAT ARE USED BY THE KIDS, LOCAL KIDS DURING THE WEEK.
AND THEN THEY BRING IN THE TRAVEL BALL ON THE WEEKENDS, WHICH BRING, AND AGAIN, YOU RUN THOSE TOURNAMENTS ON THE WEEKENDS THAT YOU NEED THEM.
HILTON HEAD BEAUFORT, YOU HAVE THE, THE, THE, UH, MARINE GRADUATIONS.
YOU DON'T NEED A TOURNAMENT THAT WEEKEND.
YOU DON'T NEED 'EM IN THE SUMMERTIME WHENEVER THE HOTELS ARE FULL AT THE BEACH.
BUT THERE ARE WEEKENDS THAT WE NEED
[01:40:01]
JANUARYS AND, AND, AND AUGUST THAT PEOPLE STILL PLAY BALL AND PEOPLE COME IN.UM, BUT, BUT AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GET THE BALL ROLLING.
UM, WE CAN WAIT FOR THE STUDY AND OBVIOUSLY THE STUDY SAYS NO.
WELL THEN WE CAN GO BACKWARDS.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, IF OBVIOUSLY THERE'S ANY MORE DISCUSSION, THIS IS OUR LAST ITEM HERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE NOT USED TO FINISHING EARLY.
I STILL GOT 20 MINUTES JUST JOKING.
BUT LOGAN, LOGAN, HOW SUPPORTED IF, IF WE, UH, SELECT BURTON WELL AS A SITE? WELL, I CAN'T TELL YOU WHERE THE SITE WOULD BE 'CAUSE IT HAS TO BE THE BEST LOCATION.
I I, AND THAT'S WHY I SAID UP FRONT, I'M NOT COMMITTING TO A LOCATION.
I, I SAID COOLER TRACK THAT ONE TIME JUST 'CAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE A CENTRAL LOCATION AND THERE'S THREE WAYS IN AND THREE WAYS OUT AND DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING ON ONE 70.
BUT THEY, THEY MIGHT COME BACK AND SAY, THAT'S NOT THE BEST SPOT AND THAT'S FINE.
I'M SET ON BRINGING THIS TO BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND IF I COULD SAY ONE MORE THING, I'M TRYING TO LOCK IT IN.
I JUST HAVE ONE COMMENT ONCE AGAIN.
AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, WE'RE BEING ASKED TO HAVE A VOTE WITHOUT HAVING ALL THE RELEVANT INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.
UH, I HAVE BEEN DECRYING THAT PRACTICE FOR EIGHT YEARS AND I JUST CAN'T GET ANY TRACTION.
BUT HERE'S ANOTHER PERFECT EXAMPLE.
MY LAST COMMENT WAS LIKE, COOLER TRACK TO ME IS NOT A PLACE BECAUSE THERE'S NO HOTELS AROUND THERE.
YEAH, THERE'S NO FOOD AROUND THERE.
THE POINT OF THIS AROUND THERE IS AN ECONOMIC DRIVER.
SO COOLER CHECK IS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.
I CAN TELL YOU GUYS, IF WE DON'T DO THIS, SOMEBODY ELSE IS SOMEBODY ELSE AND WE'RE GONNA LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY.
RIGHT? ALRIGHT, SO LET'S UH, CALL THE QUESTION, UM, LET'S DO A ROLL CALL.
VOTE ON THIS PLEASE, MS. SARAH, WHAT'S THE QUESTION NUMBER HERE? TO APPROVE THE, PUTTING THE MONEY ASIDE A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO PUT SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION FROM LOCAL AT TAX AND SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION FROM LOCAL H.
TAX ASIDE, SHE WANTS SEVEN AND HALF.
HE CAN YOU WANT COUNCIL MEMBER CUNNINGHAM? YES.
CAN WE, DO YOU WANT IT TO STAY EIGHT AND SEVEN OR CAN WE AMEND IT TO 7.5 EACH? I WAS SAYING 7.5 TO MAKE YOU HAPPY.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? GOT A ONE PERSON DECISION.
YOU GOTTA AMEND THE ORDINANCE.
I, I'LL MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO PUT SEVEN AND A HALF FROM LOCAL AT TAX.
SEVEN AND A HALF FROM LOCAL H TAX TOWARD THIS.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALRIGHT, SEE NO DISCUSSION.
WE WILL THEN CALL THAT VOTE FIRST.
AGAIN, THIS IS THE AMENDMENT TO INSTEAD OF BEING 7 MILLION, 8 MILLION FOR A TOTAL OF 15 MILLION.
VICE CHAIR KAEPERNICK? UH, YES.
COUNCIL MEMBER BARTHOLOMEW? YES.
ALRIGHT, SO THE NEXT QUESTION IS, UM, TO, UH, PULL THESE FUNDS, UM, AND HOLD THEM, UH, FOR A, UH, A RECREATION TOURNAMENT COMPLEX.
UM, SO AGAIN, LET'S, UM, GO AHEAD AND CALL THAT QUESTION PLEASE, MS. BROCK.
SO, APPROVAL OF THE MOTION AS AMENDED COMMITTEE.
COUNCIL MEMBER BARTHOLOMEW? YES.
UM, THAT CONCLUDES OUR AGENDA.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT NEEDS TO COME BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE? FIVE.
I WAS FINE WITH 7.5 BUT I WASN'T FOR THE MAIN MOTION.
NO, NO, THAT WAS THE MAIN MOTION.
I VOTE IT WAS THE MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED.
SHE, THAT'S NOT WHAT SHE JUST SAID.
WELL, I VOTED NO ON THE MAIN MOTION.
[01:45:01]
FIVE FIVE, RIGHT? YEAH, IT'S FIVE FIVE.BUT THE MAIN MOTION ISN'T THERE ANYMORE.
SO THE, SO THE QUESTION IS, DO YOU WANT IT TO DIE HERE IN COMMITTEE OR TO GO FORWARD WITH A, UH, NEGATIVE VOTE? UH, TO COUNCIL? WE'VE BEEN DOING IT ALL YEAR AS IT GOES FORWARD, EXCEPT FOR WE SWITCHED IT JUST RECENTLY TO WHERE IT WAS SOMETHING THAT, THAT WAS VOTED DOWN AND COMMITTEE DIDN'T GO FORWARD.
I WANNA MAKE SURE OUR 11TH MEMBERS OUR 11TH MEMBERS RIGHT THERE.
JUST DON'T, CAN I CLARIFY? THE LAST VOTE WE TOOK WAS ON THIS MOTION AS AMENDED.
SO THE MOTION, THE LAST ONE IS NOT WHAT'S HERE? IT'S 7.5.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW IT CHANGED FROM THE AMENDED.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS JUST TO AMEND THE ORDINANCE TO READ THAT.
BUT THEN TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE, THE VOTE WAS TIED.
BUT WE'RE NOT APPROVING THE ORDINANCE LISTED HERE.
WE'RE APPROVING IT AS AMENDED.
BUT YOU DIDN'T APPROVE IT AS AMENDED.
YOU, YOU'RE QUESTIONING WHETHER OR NOT WE GO BACK AND WE APPROVE THE ORDINANCE PRIOR TO IT BEING AMENDED.
MY QUESTION IS, WE APPROVED THE AMENDED.
SO HOW COULD IT CHANGE TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AS AMENDED WHEN WE ALREADY APPROVED THE AMENDMENT? ME IS A MEMBER CHANGED THEIR VOTE? YES, BUT I, SHE SHE THOUGHT WE WERE VOTING ON THIS.
YOU SAID MS. HOWARD? NO, I KNEW EXACTLY WHAT I WAS VOTING ON.
WE AMENDED THE LANGUAGE OF THE ORDINANCE TO 7.5.
AND SO THE UNDERLYING, THE UNDERLYING MOTION.
SO CAN I GET A MOTION TO AS TO WHETHER OR NOT TO FORWARD THIS TO COUNSEL FOR FINAL? IT WILL GO FORWARD.
WE'VE BEEN MOVING 'EM FORWARD.
WE HAVEN'T STOPPED THAT PRACTICE YET SINCE THEY HAVEN'T UPDATED THEIR RULES AND PROCEDURES.
UNLESS MR. PARLIAMENTARIAN YOU WANTED TO? IT IS FINE.
MR. REEDS? IT'S WHAT? IT'S, I MEAN HE'S RIGHT THERE.
LET'S, UM, YOU WANT BREAK IT DOWN? NO, NO, NO.
HE WAS NOT A PART OF THIS MEETING.
ALRIGHT, LET'S, UM, SO GOES FORWARD TO COUNCIL WITH A NEGATIVE VOTE.
THOMAS, SEE YOU AT THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING.
UM, ANYTHING ELSE TO COUNCIL BEFORE THIS COUNCIL, THIS COMMITTEE? EXCUSE ME.
UM, AND, AND 13 MINUTES BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING STARTS.