* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:02] GROUP OF PEOPLE [1. CALL TO ORDER] HERE THIS MORNING. THANK Y'ALL FOR COMING. UM - SO FAR AWAY. SO FAR AWAY, DO YOU WANNA MOVE UP CLOSER? I TRIED ALREADY. OH, OKAY. IT'S CHURCH. UH, WE REALLY TA - APPRECIATE Y'ALL TAKING THE TIME TO COME FOR THIS AND LET'S STAND FOR THE PREJ - 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 FOR ALL. OKAY, WE DON'T, OF THE MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE [4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA] OF COUNTY COUNCIL, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. OKAY. WE HAVE A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN PASSIMENT. ALL IN FAVOR? AND WE ONLY HAVE [5.a. Discussion regarding Fire District Consolidation Study for North of the Broad] ONE ITEM. I'M GONNA LET OUR, UH, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR START OFF THE DISCUSSION REGARDING A FIRE DISTRICT CONSOLIDATION STUDY FOR NORTH OF THE BROAD. UM, WE COULD GO AROUND BEFORE WE START LET EVERYBODY INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. SO WE'LL START WITH CHIEF KLEIN. CHIEF KLEIN. UH, BURTON FIRE DISTRICT. THOMAS WEBB, DEPUTY CHIEF, BURTON FIRE DISTRICT. JIM STILL, ASSISTANT CHIEF, BURTON FIRE DISTRICT. CHRIS LEWIS, ASSISTANT CHIEF, RIP ISLAND FIRE. JOSHUA HORTON, FIRE CHIEF, RIP ISLAND FIRE. TIM OGDEN, FIRE CHIEF BUFORD, PORT WORLD FIRE. UH, BEN WILLIS, TOWN MANAGER, PORT ROLL. ERIC LAWSON, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER OF CITY BEAUFORT. NICOLE WOOD, DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. DALE GLASS, ASSISTANT CHIEF, SHELDON FIRE DEPARTMENT. BUDDY JONES, FIRE CHIEF, SHELDON FIRE DISTRICT. THEN WE HAVE, UH, GERALD DAWSON, TEP TAVERNICK, MYSELF, MIKE MOORE, UH, UM, JOE. OH, AND WE HAVE DAVID BARTHOLOMEW AND YORK GLOVER. SO YORK AND DAVID, WE ALREADY APPROVED THE AGENDA, SO HOPE Y'ALL ARE OKAY WITH THAT. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL TURN, I'LL TURN IT OVER FOR YOU, TO YOU, MR. MOORE. OKAY. UM, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. GOOD MORNING ALL. WANTED TO, UH, SET THE STAGE FOR A DISCUSSION THIS MORNING ON THE FIRE CONSOLIDATION STUDY. GLAD TO HAVE EVERYBODY HERE LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME DISCUSSION, BUT TO SORT OF TEE IT UP, I WANTED TO KIND OF GO OVER THE BACKGROUND AND WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW ON THIS, UH, INITIATIVE. SO COUNTY COUNCIL DURING OUR BUDGET RETREAT LAST YEAR AND, AND PREVIOUSLY HAD GIVEN DIRECTION TO ADMINISTRATION TO LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES TO STUDY FIRE CONSOLIDATION. THAT WAS IN, UH, 2025, RESOLUTION 2025-78. THAT WAS LAST NOVEMBER. AND, UH, SINCE THEN IT'S BEEN A, IT'S BEEN, UH, AN INITIATIVE WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON SLOWLY, BUT WE'VE GOTTEN TO A POINT WHERE I THINK WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH, WITH SOME DISCUSSION HERE. WE'VE DEVELOPED A SCOPE OF WORK, UM, AND THERE HAVE BEEN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CHIEFS. I KNOW MR. ROBINSON MET WITH YOU ALL, AND WE'VE HAD A SOLICITATION THAT'S GONE OUT AND THE COMMITTEE HAS RECEIVED IT AND REVIEWED AND WE'RE PENDING AWARD OF THE STUDY. AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THE SCOPE OF THE WORK. UM, THE SCOPE IS TO LOOK AT CURRENT AND ANTICIPATED COSTS FOR THE SHELDON, BURTON, BUFORD, PORT ROYAL AND LADIES ISLAND, ST. HELENA DISTRICTS, PROJECTED COSTS AND IMPACTS UNDER CONSOLIDATION. UH, THE FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS THAT INCLUDES FUNDING OPTIONS, DEBT SERVICE, WORKERS' COMPENSATION LIABILITY CLAIMS, UH, SERVICE DEMAND AND STANDARDS, UH, COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS AND THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO MEET THEM, UH, COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS, UH, DIFFERENCES IN PAY, BENEFITS AND RETIREMENT PLANS, OPTIONS FOR STANDARDIZATION. AND AS ADMINISTRATION, WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR, UH, GOVERNANCE AND OVERSIGHT? SO ADMINISTRATION'S GOAL IS TO GET INFORMATION TO PROVIDE TO THE GOVERNING BODY, TO THE COUNCIL TO GET, TO MAKE A DECISION. AND, AND OBVIOUSLY WHEN, UH, WE HIRE THE CONSULTANT, WE'RE GONNA NEED PARTICIPATION FROM FOLKS IN THIS ROOM, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GET, UH, DATA THAT, UH, IS, IS CLEAR AND THAT CAN BE USED TO MAKE A DECISION ON MOVING FORWARD WITH FIRE. SO FROM THAT, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITH ADMINISTRATION. HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONTINUE THE DIALOGUE. OKAY. QUESTION. YES, SIR. I DIDN'T HEAR YOU SAY FRIP. FRIP IS, UM - THEY'RE HERE. I KNOW FRIP IS HERE, BUT WHEN YOU WERE TALKING - WE DID NOT INCLUDE FRIP AS PART OF THE STUDY. WE LOOKED AT THE PUBLIC - OKAY. DISTRICTS. OKAY. UH, THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD LOOK AT. WELL. THEY'RE HERE, SO I WOULD SAY YES. HE, HE'S HERE. UH - I WOULD LET THEM SAY NO. I JUST, WHAT WAS THE THOUGH PROCESS BEHIND NOT INCLUDING THAT? AGAIN, WE WERE LOOKING AT THE, AT THE PUBLIC, UH, DISTRICTS THAT, UH - IF EVERYBODY WOULD PUT THEIR MIC CLOSE SO WE'RE BEING RECORDED. [00:05:01] I KNOW THAT WAY. GO AHEAD. FRIP IS A PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT. MM-HMM. WELL, I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER THEM. WE CAN ADD, IF THERE'S, UH, CONSENSUS TO ADD THEM, THEN WE CAN ADD THEM. I, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. YES. OKAY. WE'LL CONSIDER THAT, UM, AS AN ADDITION TO THE SCOPE. YES, SIR. MY QUESTION IS WHY IS BLUFFTON NOT IN THIS? BLUFFTON'S A COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT, JUST LIKE WE ARE. WHY IS NOT BLUFFTON INVOLVED IN THIS? OR DEFUSKY. OR DEFUSKY. INITIALLY, WE WERE LOOKING AT THE NORTH OF THE BROAD DISTRICTS. UM, THIS COULD BE SOMETHING TO, TO LOOK AT TO EXPAND, BUT, UH, OUR INITIAL, UH, SCOPE WAS TO LOOK AT, AT THIS PART. WE COULD ALWAYS LOOK AT THAT, UH, DOWN THE ROAD. COULD IT BE - AND WE COULD LOOK AT IT NOW SHOULD COUNCIL WISH TO DO SO. WOULD IT, COULD IT BE AN ADDENDUM AT, TO THE, I MEAN, NOT AN ADDENDUM TO DO AT THIS TIME, BUT AN ADDENDUM TO DO - YES. AS PART OF THE CONTRACT. IT COULD. WE COULD, UM, LOOK AT THAT. IT DOES CHANGE THE SCOPE. WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT WHETHER WE NEED TO, TO GO OUT ON A BID AGAIN, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT THAT. MR. MOORE, UM, ARE YOU RECITING THE RFQ? HAS THERE BEEN AN RFP? YES. AND WE'VE HAD, UM, THREE CONSULTANTS, I BELIEVE, AND THERE'S BEEN A PANEL TO REVIEW THOSE AND WE'RE PREPARED TO AWARD, BUT WE WANTED TO HAVE THIS MEETING TODAY TO MAKE SURE WE'VE CAPTURED EVERYTHING. I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT I'M DISAPPOINTED IN THE FACT THAT FOR THE RFQ, AND I WASN'T AWARE OF THE RFP, THERE WAS NO FIRE SERVICE INVOLVEMENT IN WRITING THE RFQ OR THE RFP, AND THERE'S NO FIRE SERVICE THAT I'M AWARE OF INVOLVED IN THE EVALUATION OF THOSE THAT SUBMITTED QUALIFICATIONS OR PROPOSALS. AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT SOMEBODY FROM THE FIRE SERVICE IS REPRESENTED IN THAT, THAT EVOLUTION. YEAH, I AGREE WITH THAT ALSO, BRUCE. AND THE SAME QUESTION AS, UH, CHIEF JONES IS WHY ARE WE NARROWING THIS TO NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY ONLY? IF WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT CONSOLIDATION, WHY ARE WE NOT LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY? BLUFFTON DEFUSKEY. I'LL GO ON TO SAY THAT WHEN WE LIMIT IT TO BEAUFORT COUNTY, NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY, I THINK WE LIVE IN IT, LIM- LIMIT THE REVENUE POTENTIAL IN FUNDING THIS EVOLUTION. UH, MY HOPES WOULD BE TO INCLUDE ALL OF UNINCORPORATED BEAUFORT COUNTY AND HILTON HEAD. THE MUNICIPALITIES HAVE THE OPTION TO OPT OUT. HILTON HEAD MADE IT VERY CLEAR AT OUR MEETING, OUR INITIAL MEETING WITH THE FIRE SERVICE AND, AND JOHN ROBINSON THAT THEY DID NOT WANT PART OF IT. SO I WOULD ASSUME YOU'D HAVE TO TAKE THEIR VALUE OUT AND THEN USE THE REST OF THE UNINCORPORATED AREA'S VALUE, UM, WHICH TAKEN HILTON HEAD OUT, TAKES OUT ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS IN VALUE PER MILL. UM, THAT WOULD LEAVE, AND I, LAST I KNEW THAT THE COUNTY'S MILL VALUE WAS 3.2 MILLION, SOMETHING IN THAT RANGE, UH, THAT WOULD LEAVE 2.2 MILLION DOLLARS. AND THEN WE COULD TRULY LOOK AT, IS THIS FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE? IS IT GOING TO BE MORE COST EFFECTIVE? UM, AND IF I MAY JUST MAKE A COUPLE STATEMENTS IS IF WE'RE NOT DOING THIS TO PROVIDE A HIGHER LEVEL OF SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS AT AN EQUAL COST OR BETTER, THEN WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING THIS. UM, IF THAT'S THE GOAL, THEN I WOULD THINK ALL FIRE CHIEFS ARE ALL IN BECAUSE ALL WE WANT TO DO IS PROVIDE A HIGHER LEVEL OF SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS AT A EQUAL RATE OR LESS. THAT SHOULD BE THE REASONING BEHIND THIS. AND, AND I HOPE THAT IS. S- SO IF, WHEN WE REMOVE DEFUSKY AND BLUFFTON, IT FURTHER REDUCES THAT GENERAL FUND MILL VALUE. AND, AND TO FUNDING OPTIONS, I THINK THE MOST FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE WAY IS GENERAL FUND MILL VALUE INSTEAD OF 232,000 MILL VALUE. AND I'M ONE OF THE HIGHER MILL VALUES. UM, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT. UM, AND, AND, AND AGAIN, I WILL TELL YOU THAT TWO YEARS AGO WHEN THIS WAS STARTED AND THEY, YOU PRESENTED, UH, A CONSULTANT, I THINK I TALKED COUNSEL OUT OF THAT IN OUR BUDGET PRESENTATION AND BASICALLY ASKED THAT, AND WE FAILED YOU, BUT BASICALLY [00:10:01] ASKED THAT ALLOW THE FIRE CHIEFS, UH, ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR AND CFO TO DETERMINE HOW WE WOULD FUND THIS AND WHAT IT WOULD COST THE CITIZENS. AND AGAIN, WE, WE FAILED YOU. WE DID NOT COMPLETE THAT. UM, AND I STILL THINK WE CAN DO THAT. I STILL THINK, UM, THAT YOU HAVE THE EXPERTISE IN THE ROOM TO DETERMINE VALUES AND WHAT IT WOULD ACTUALLY COST AND WHAT THE RATE WOULD BE AND IS IT A BENEFIT TO ALL CITIZENS OR NOT. AND I, I STILL THINK WE CAN DO THAT. UM, AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS. THE RFQ, UH, AGAIN, I HAVEN'T SEEN THE RFP, BUT THE RFQ BASICALLY HAD FIVE ITEMS AND MAJORITY OF THOSE WERE FINANCE RELATED, REVENUE RELATED. HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE DO THIS? UM, WE'VE TOLD YOU THIS BEFORE THAT IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO DO CONSOLIDATION TO SAVE MONEY, I DON'T SEE IT. I DON'T, I TRULY DON'T SEE IT. UM, YOU KNOW, JUST TAKING TODAY'S BUDGETS CURRENT, WHICH WILL CHANGE BECAUSE IF WE CONSOLIDATE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE, THIS IS THE FLAT RATE FOR A FIREFIGHTER. AND I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT THAT RATE HAS TO GO UP AS AN ENTRY LEVEL FIREFIGHTER TO BE COMPETITIVE IN OUR AREA, IN OUR REGION, IN OUR STATE. THERE ALSO HAS TO BE MANNING OF APPARATUS AND MINIMUM MANNING OF STATIONS, WHICH IS ALSO GONNA BE A BIG TICKET ITEM THAT'S GONNA REQUIRE MORE MILLS. SO AGAIN, THE MOST, IF POSSIBLE, THE, THE BEST WAY TO FUND THIS IS WITH A LARGER MILL VALUE, I.E. THE, THE COUNTY'S MILL RATE. SO I SAY ALL THAT JUST TO SAY IF WE TAKE ONLY A PORTION OF NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY, WE'RE LIMITING THAT VALUE. IF YOU EXTRAPOLATE OUT BLUFFTON, HILTON HEAD AND DEFUSKEY, IT REDUCES THAT MILL VALUE. SO I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF YOU CAN DO A MILL VALUE THAT'S SEPARATED AND REMOVED FROM HILTON HEAD, DEFUSKEY, BLUFFTON, AND JUST HAVE A NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY MILL VALUE, UM, OR YOU WOULD TAKE THE CURRENT MILL VALUES OF THE DIS- DISTRICTS AND PUT IT TOGETHER. I'M TELLING YOU, MY NUMBERS SHOW THAT THAT WOULD NOT BE A BENEFIT TO ALL FIRE DISTRICTS. THERE WOULD BE AN INCREASE OF ROUGHLY 10 MILLS FOR SHELDON AND 10 MILLS FOR LADIES ISLAND, SAY HELENA FIRE DISTRICT. I GUESS I WILL END MY COMMENT WITH, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT THE FINANCES AND I DON'T, I'M NOT SURE WE NEED TO PAY SOMEBODY TO DO THAT. YOU KNOW, UH, IF I COULD COMMENT, UM, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, CHIEF KLEIN'S RIGHT. UH, I RECALL SAYING IT SHOULD BE A DISCUSSION WITH THE CHIEFS, THE ACA AND THE CFO. THE CFO HAS A FINANCIAL WHEREWITHAL. AND WE TALKED ABOUT DOING THAT AND THEN IT WAS TASKED AND WE MOVED OUT OF IT. SO THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL. IF YOU REMEMBER, THAT WAS THE CONVERSATION. YES, MA'AM. 'CAUSE I MADE THOSE STATEMENTS. UH, LET THEM TAKE A CRACK AT IT FIRST BECAUSE THERE IS DIS - YOU KNOW, DISPARITY IN MILLAGE. I KNOW BLUFFTON IS WAY UP HERE. AND THEN YOU HAVE HILTON HEAD ON AN ISLAND OF THEIR OWN LITERALLY, AND YOU HAVE DEFUSKY. BUT IT WAS HAVING, UH, THE CFO, WHOEVER IT IS, INVOLVED IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO BECAUSE THEY CAN PLAY WITH THE MILLAGE AND KNOW WHAT TO DO. THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL PLAN. BUT NOW HERE WE ARE, UH, LIKE A YEAR LATER. TWO YEARS. TWO YEARS LATER. OKAY. AND WE'VE, WE'VE MOVED NOWHERE. IF I CAN, FROM, FROM THE BEAUFORT, UH, PORT ROYAL STANDPOINT, WE, WE'RE OPEN TO PARTICIPATING IN THE STUDY, OF COURSE. UM, I, I THINK IN MY OPINION, IT, IT, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO A LONG WAY TO MATCH WHAT WE ALREADY DO IN BEAUFORT AND PORT ROYAL, YOU KNOW, THE LEVEL OF SERVICE WE PROVIDE AT SUCH A REDUCED COST BECAUSE OF OUR SPLIT WITH BEAUFORT AND PORT ROYAL. BUT WE'RE OPEN AND, WE'RE OPEN TO THE STUDY. UM, BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE AN ELEMENT OF AUTOMATIC AID ADDED TO THE STUDY, TO THE REVIEW. WHAT COULD WE DO BETTER ON AN AUTOMATIC AID BASIS, UM, COUNTYWIDE? COULD, COULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT TO THE PUBLIC WHO WILL WATCH US LATER? BECAUSE THEY KNOW ABOUT MUTUAL AID, BUT - YEAH. AUTOMATIC AID IS WHEN IT'S AUTOMATICALLY PROGRAMMED INTO DISPATCH THAT THE CLOSEST UNIT RESPONDS TO CERTAIN CALLS. MM-HMM. WE CAN GET DOWN INTO THE WEEDS, WHETHER IT'S A MEDICAL CALL, A FIRE, WHATEVER. WE CAN FIGURE THAT OUT AMONGST THE DISTRICTS, BUT THERE'S A MODEL IN CHARLESTON THAT, THAT I ALWAYS REFER TO THAT CHARLESTON COUNTY DOES. UM, AND I THINK WOULD BE A GOOD MODEL FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY FOR AUTOMATIC AID. WE HAVE HEARD RECENTLY THERE'S A MOVEMENT AT THE STATE LEVEL TO, UH, MAKE THAT A STATE LEGISLA - THAT, USING THAT MODEL TO MAKE IT A REQUIREMENT. [00:15:01] HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THAT? I HAVE NOT. UM, I KNOW OUR CITY MANAGER HAS ENGAGED IN SOME CONVERSATION WITH THAT, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF THAT. IF, IF, IF I MAY. YES. PLEASE DON'T CONSTRUE ANY OF MY COMMENTS AS WE DON'T WANNA PARTICIPATE. NO. UM - WE DON'T. WE WANNA PARTICIPATE FOR THE RIGHT REASONS. AND, AND AGAIN, THAT'S THE PRODUCT WE PROVIDE TO OUR CITIZENS. YEAH. SO I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY BEING HERE TODAY, AND THIS IS SOMETHING... I'M NO EXPERT IN THIS. AND I'M, I'M GLAD Y'ALL ARE AROUND THE TABLE BECAUSE FROM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THE, THE AUTOMATIC AID IS ONE THING THAT WE ALWAYS HEAR ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OF, OF DISTRICTS RIGHT HERE NOT RESPONDING ACROSS THE STREET, X, Y, AND Z. UM, BUT THEN WE ALSO HEAR, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DISCREPANCY IN PAY. THOSE GUYS ARE RISKING THEIR LIVES. WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE TRYING TO, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH THE DETENTION CENTER, WE'RE TRYING TO GET EVERYBODY UP IN PAY AND AN EQUALIZATION AND STANDARDIZATION. UM, I UNDERSTAND IT MIGHT NOT FE - BE FEASIBLE, UM, BUT THEY'RE ALL PUTTING OUT FIRES. THEY'RE ALL SAVING LIVES. AND I THINK WE WANNA HONOR THAT. AND THEN WE ALSO WANNA LOOK AT WHAT CAN OUR EMS DO ON, ON FACILITY-WISE. IS THERE A, AN OPPORTUNITY TO CAPTURE SOME CO-LOCATION WITH EMS AND FIRE? IS THERE A BETTER WORKING ENVIRONMENT BETWEEN THOSE, THOSE AGENCIES? I DON'T KNOW. AND ONCE AGAIN, I'M NO EXPERT IN THIS, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL BEING HERE IN THE ROOM. UH, AND, AND THAT'S WHY Y'ALL ARE HERE. WE WANNA HEAR FROM YOU. YOU KNOW, Y'ALL ARE THE EXPERT AND I THINK Y'ALL NEED A SEAT AT THE TABLE AND HELP GUIDE WHERE THIS GOES. AND LIKE I SAID, GOOD IDEA, BAD IDEA, BUT WE WON'T KNOW UNTIL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS. I, I WOULD HOPE, IF ANYTHING COMES OUT OF THIS, IS EQUALIZATION OF PAY AND COMPENSATION. UH, I AGREE. IT'S THE SAME FIRE, SAME MEDICAL CALLS. UH, IN REGARDS TO CO-LOCATION, THERE ARE MULTIPLE SITES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY WHERE WE'RE CO-LOCATED WITH EMS. RIGHT. UH, AND, AND IF, UH, AND I DON'T WANNA BE THE ONLY ONE SPEAKING, BUT IF, IF YOU WOULD GIVE ME A MINUTE TO KINDA GIVE SOME HISTORY ON JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES. YEAH. YEAH. UM, SO INITIALLY JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES WERE ESTABLISHED IN THE '70S, UH, TO PROVIDE S - FIRE SERVICE TO THE UNINCORPORATEDS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY. PRIOR TO THAT, IT WAS THE COMMUNITIES. IT WAS ALL VOLUNTEER AND WITH NO FUNDING SOURCE. AND, AND IN THE EARLY '70S, UM, EITHER BY COUNTY ORDINANCE OR BY ENABLING LEGISLATION, DISTRICTS WERE FORMED, MILLAGE WAS APPLIED. UM, THESE JURISDICTIONS HAVE GROWN, THESE FIRE DISTRICTS HAVE GROWN WITH THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND YES, THEIR BUDGETS HAVE GONE UP AND THEIR MILLAGE RATE HAS GONE UP, BUT I THINK APPROPRIATELY SO TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF GROWTH. UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK, UH, WE ARE IN THE REARS AND SO FORTH. WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE BEHIND. WE CAN'T GET AHEAD. UM, THE BOUNDARIES HA - AND, AND THE BOUNDARIES HAVE DIMINISHED AND ERODED BY ANNEXATION, JUST A FACT. AND IN SOME CASES, ANNEXATION HAS CURATED THE ISSUES LIKE A FIREHOUSE BEING ON ONE SIDE OF THE STREET, NOT RESPONDING ACROSS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET BECAUSE THE ANNEXATION ONLY TOOK THE UNDEVELOPED PROPERTY ON THIS SIDE OF THE STREET DIDN'T TAKE THE PROPERTY ON THE OTHER. THAT'S NO FAULT OF THE FIRE DISTRICTS. UM, I HAVE OTHER OPINIONS AND, BUT I'LL, I'LL KEEP THOSE TO MYSELF IN REGARDS TO THAT. BUT, BUT BOTTOM LINE IS, UH, AND I DON'T THINK PURPOSELY DONE, BUT IT WAS SELF-INFLICTED, THOSE SITUATIONS, THOSE ISSUES. UH, AND EARLIER ON, ONE OF THE COMMENTS, EARLIER ON IN THIS PROCESS A COUPLE YEARS AGO, ONE OF THE COMMENTS WAS, UH, JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES AND DUPLICATION OF EFFORT. WELL, YES, A FIREHOUSE SITTING ON THIS SIDE OF THE STREET NOT RESPONDING ON THIS SIDE OF THE STREET COULD BE CONSIDERED A DUPLICATION OF EFFORT, BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT FIRE DISTRICT THAT HAD THAT FIRE STATION ON THIS SIDE OF THE STREET STILL HAD CITIZENS TO PROTECT ON THAT SIDE OF THE STREET. SO THEY, THEY HAD TO BE THERE. THEY HAD TO, UM, PROVIDE THAT SERVICE. SO THAT'S THE, THE BRIEF HISTORY ON, UM, BOUNDARIES AND, AND HOW THEY WERE ESTABLISHED AND, AND WHY THEY WERE ESTABLISHED. SO I OPEN IT UP TO ARREST OR WHATEVER YOU WANNA DO, MR. MOORE. IF I MAY - YES, SIR. JUST RESPOND A LITTLE BIT TO THAT. MM-HMM. YOU KNOW, YOU SAID WE'LL, WE'LL NEVER GET CAUGHT UP AND I THINK WE ALWAYS TRY TO CATCH OUR OW TAIL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO CATCH UP. I, I JUST THINK THAT'S GOVERNMENT. NO, AND, AND I THINK, AND I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE EXPONENTIAL GROWTH THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE COUNTY, UH, I THINK WITH THE, WITH THE MILLAGE RATE GOING UP, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO AT LEAST ANALYZE THIS. AND LIKE I SAID, WHETHER A GOOD IDEA OR BAD IDEA, I'M NOT TIED TO IT, BUT I WANNA KNOW, I WANT Y'ALL'S INPUT. I, I HATE SPENDING MONEY ON A CONSULTANT. IF WE DON'T HAVE TO, PERFECT. UM, BUT YEAH, I THINK WE NEED TO ANALYZE IT WITH THE EXPONENTIAL GROWTH AND THE, THE INCREASE OF THE MILLAGE TOO, BECAUSE [00:20:02] IF WE CAN TRY TO GET AHEAD OF IT, I DON'T THINK WE EVER WILL, BUT I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW TO DO THAT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM OTHER CHIEFS OR YORK, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? NO, NO, NO, NO. OH. I THINK, UH - OKAY. COUNCILMAN SMITH. I THINK THIS IS THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DISCUSS THIS. WE'RE GONNA BEGIN SHORTLY THE BUDGETARY PROCESS FOR THE COMING YEAR. IT IS INCUMBENT UPON US TO DO WHAT YOU ARE SAYING. IS THIS THE BEST MODEL THAT WE HAVE? IS THERE SOMETHING BETTER OUT THERE? HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE THE EXPERTS IN THE FIELD. YOU DO THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS. IT IS INCUMBENT UPON YOU TO PRESENT TO US AN ALTERNATIVE PLAN TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES NECESSARY FOR OUR COMMUNITY. ONE, CHIEF KLEIN, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IS WE HAVE DONUT HOLES ALL OVER THIS COUNTY AS WELL. AND THAT'S PROBLEMATIC FOR US, MUCH MORE THAN WE HAD ANTICIPATED IN THE PAST. SO IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH. SO I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF ALLOWING YOU AND THE REST OF THE CHIEFS TO COME AND PUT A PLAN TOGETHER FOR US TO DISCUSS, TO ADOPT, MODIFY, WHATEVER WE HAVE TO DO. MAYBE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO OUT AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, MAYBE. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT LEGISLATION MAY BE OUT THERE BECAUSE WE'RE FORMULATING RIGHT NOW LEGISLATION THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR LEGISLATORS PASS THIS COMING TERM. SO MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I CAN BRING FORTH FOR THE SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES AS WELL. SO, UM, I THINK EVERYBODY SHOULD BE INCLUDED. UH, I THINK OUR MUNICIPALITY SHOULD WEIGH IN. UH, CERTAINLY, UM, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING, THE TIME HAS COME FOR US TO DO IT NOW. NOT WASTE ANY MORE TIME BECAUSE IT'S GONNA TAKE YOU A FEW MONTHS TO PUT A PLAN TOGETHER AND WE'RE RIGHT INTO THE HEART OF BUILDING A BUDGET. IF I, I MAY RESPOND. UM, I'LL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING I GOT, BUT MY CAREER DISSIPATION LIGHT IS FLICKERING. I GOT TWO MONTHS AND, AND I'LL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING I GOT, UH, FOR TWO MONTHS. UM, BUT I THINK THE BURDEN IS GONNA BE ON THOSE TO MY RIGHT. YEAH. AND, AND, UM, AGAIN, I'LL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING I GOT, BUT IT'S FLICKERING. WELL, I ONLY HAVE - TWO MONTHS FROM TOMORROW. I ONLY HAVE A COUPLE MONTHS LEFT. I THINK ONE OF THE, SOMEBODY ELSE HAD THEIR HAND UP FOR YOU, YOUR, UM - I DID. I JUST WANTED TO - CHIEF ROUNTREE. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COUPLE QUICK COMMENTS ABOUT THE AUTOMATIC AID. WE'VE, AS A DEPARTMENT, WE'VE PARTICIPATED IN AUTOMATIC AID FOR, FOR YEARS, OFF AND ON, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THEY WERE CONTRACT-BASED, BUT, UH, WE HAD SEEN WHAT WAS GOING ON IN CHARLESTON AND WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN CHARLESTON IS AMAZING. AND IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY SHOULD LOOK AT. BUT THERE ARE STILL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE RESPONSES. WE WENT UP, UH, CHIEF WEBB AND I WENT UP TO CHARLESTON AND VISITED WITH THE FIRE CHIEFS THAT WERE PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICTS UP THERE, AND EVERY ONE OF THEM HAD ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES TO HELP OFFSET COSTS. ST. ANDREWS FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND I DON'T HAVE THE ACCURATE NUMBERS IN MY HEAD, BUT THEIR CALL VOLUME CHANGED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WHEN THEY STARTED PARTICIPATING IN THAT PROGRAM. AND WHEN I SAY CHANGED, THEY WENT FROM, AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE NUMBERS, DO YOU REMEMBER THE NUMBERS, TOM? IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE 800 CALLS A YEAR TO THOUSANDS OF CALLS A YEAR THAT THEY WERE PARTICIPATING IN. AND WITH THOSE ADDITIONAL RESPONSES COME WEAR AND TEAR ON YOUR VEHICLES, WEAR AND TEAR ON YOUR EQUIPMENT, UM, UH, UH, SOMETIMES OVERTIME IF YOU HAVE TO BACKFILL OR WHATEVER. THEY'RE AMAZING BECAUSE THEIR SYSTEM ALLOWED THEM TO HAVE FOUR FIRE TRUCKS AND TWO AERIAL, OR TWO LADDER TRUCKS, AND SEVERAL BATTALION CHIEFS. AND THE PROGRAM IS AMAZING AND THEY WERE FOUR OR FIVE STRUCTURE FIRES DEEP IN THE CHARLESTON AREA. BUT, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WE TALKED TO, THEY ALSO, THE PSDS NOT ONLY DID FIRE, BUT THEY DID SEWAGE, AND THEY WERE STILL MAKING MONEY ON SEWAGE. SOME OF THEM DID GARBAGE COLLECTION. THEY WERE STILL MAKING MONEY IN GARBAGE COLLECTION, WHETHER SOMETHING GOT ANNEXED OR NOT, THEY STILL GOT THOSE. SO, UH, ALL ABOUT IT, BUT THERE ARE STILL COSTS ON THE SMALLER DEPARTMENTS, ESPECIALLY THE PSDS, THAT ARE, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO CHANGE. IF ALL OF A SUDDEN I HAVE TO, IF, IF WE'RE INCLUDED IN AN AUTOMATIC AID AGREEMENT AND MY CALL VOLUME, WHETHER IT'S ONE TRUCK OR TWO TRUCKS, GOES UP 300, 400, 500 CALLS A YEAR, THERE'S COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. AND IF I, IF MY TAX BASE IS DWINDLING [00:25:01] ON A MONTHLY BASIS DUE TO ANNEXATION, THEN THOSE THINGS GET HARDER AND HARDER TO ACCOMPLISH. SO THOSE PUBLIC, LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION. THE PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICTS WEREN'T JUST PURE FIRE UP IN THE CHARLESTON. THAT'S CORRECT. THEY, SOME OF THEM DO GARBAGE, SOME OF THEM IN ST. ANDREWS WHEN WE TALKED TO THAT, WHEN WE SPOKE TO THAT CHIEF, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A MAINTENANCE FACILITY AND THEY DO MAINTENANCE FOR A LOT OF THE MUNICIPALITIES, THE VEHICLE MAINTENANCE FOR A LOT OF THE MUNICIPALITIES AND SO THEY HAVE OTHER SOURCES OF INCOME - PUBLIC SERVICES. WHERE I SURVIVE ENTIRELY ON THE MILL THAT'S LEVY. I, I THINK YORK WAS NEXT AND THEN - NO, NO, NO, GO AHEAD. OH, GO AHEAD, SIR. YEAH. GO AHEAD. MY QUESTION IS- IS THE AUTOMATIC AID TO ME, AND NOTHING AGAINST THE MUNICIPALITIES, BUT IT'S KIND OF LETTING THEM OFF OF HAVING TO BUILD STUFF BY AUTOMATIC AID AND YOU'RE NOT GETTING FUNDING BY IT. THAT'S THE AUTOMATIC AID AGREEMENT MEANS WE RESPOND TO SOME OF THEIR ISSUES AS WELL. YEAH. AND THEIR HEALTH. WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S - LIKE THE PLACEMENT OF THE FIRE STATION WE DID OUT ON 170, FOR THAT REASON. AND THE COUNTY HAVE TO PROVIDE IT. THERE MOST CERTAINLY CAN BE SOME TIT FOR TAT BASICALLY WHEN YOU'RE... BUT OUR EXPERIENCE IN OUR, IN OUR DISCUSSIONS IN THE PAST IS THAT WE WERE RESPONDING OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE ANNEXATION WAS, WE WERE RESPONDING MORE OFTEN, UH, FOR THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAN THEY WERE RESPONDING FOR US. BUT THERE ARE STILL AREAS DEEP THAT WE HAVE IN BURTON THAT ARE, I MEAN, BROTHERHOOD ROAD IS REALLY DEEP AND IT TAKES US A GOOD WHILE TO GET THERE. MM-HMM. AND, UH, AND, AND, AND, AND HONESTLY, THE CITY HANDLES A LOT FOR US. YEAH. IN THAT AREA. AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE A, IT'S NOT THE PERFECT SYSTEM IN PLACE, BUT, UH, WE CAN STILL CALL EACH OTHER IF WE NEED SOME ASSISTANCE AND THAT DOES HAPPEN. BUT MY WHOLE POINT WAS, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY REALIZED THAT IT, AUTOMATIC AID IS AMAZING, BUT THERE'S STILL POTENTIALLY A COST TO, UH, SOME OF THE SMALLER DEPARTMENTS. SO THEIR BUDGETS ARE GONNA BE AFFECTED BY IT. YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD POINT. COUNCILMAN DAWSON, I THINK YOU'RE NEXT. I, I WANNA FOLLOW UP ON JILL'S, UH, COMMENT ABOUT THE FIRE CHIEFS COMING TOGETHER AND ACTUALLY HAVING SOME INPUT AND A PLAN. BUT I, I WOULD, I WOULD GO A STEP FURTHER TO SAY THAT A PLAN OF THE CHIEFS PUTTING TOGETHER, UM, CONSOLIDATION OF THE FIRE DISTRICTS HAS TO INCLUDE ALL OF THE FIRE DISTRICTS. WE CAN'T SEPARATE, UH, BLUFFTON, HILTON HEAD, AND DEFUSKY. IF, IF WE, IF WE GO DOWN THAT RABBIT HOLE OF, OF JUST DOING A STUDY OF NORTH OF THE BROAD, THEN AFTER A WHILE, THIS COUNTY WILL BE SEPARATED IN OTHER ISSUES, UM, BECAUSE WE'VE SET THE PRECEDENT OF NORTH OF THE BROAD VERSUS SOUTH OF THE BROAD. UM, D- DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT, YORK, BEFORE DAVID? YEAH, GO AHEAD. YEAH. UH, YES, AND I PROBABLY LOST MY CHAIN OF THOUGHT, BUT THAT'S ALL RIGHT. WE'LL COME BACK TO IT. I'LL JUST TRY TO BRING BACK WHAT I CAN REMEMBER. FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA JUST THANK THE, ALL THE CHIEFS FOR BEING HERE. UM, I APPRECIATE, UM, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, UM FOR PROTECTING BEAUFORT COUNTY IN THAT, UM, UM, EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE BOUNDARIES, UM, I BELIEVE THAT ALL OF YOU WOULD NOT, UM, FIGHT A FIRE IF IT'S NOT IN YOUR JURISDICTION. YOU WOULD FIGHT WHEREVER. SO I APPRECIATE THAT ATTITUDE. UM, I INHERIT THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT CONSOLIDATION FROM THE DAY I BECAME A COUNCIL MEMBER 10 YEARS AGO. SO THAT CONVERSATION WAS ALWAYS THERE. NOW, WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW BECOMES, UM, UM, WHERE WE GO FROM HERE. UH, IN THE HISTORY, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I THINK LADIES ISLAND ST. HELEN WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE FIRST, UM, FIRE DISTRICT IN, IN THIS COUNTY. UNINCORPORATED AREA. UNINCORPORATED AREA. AND, UM, AND, AND THAT WAS BECAUSE WE NEEDED FIRE PROTECTION. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, UM, UM, WE SAVED MONEY. UH, WE INCREASED TAXES, BUT WE SAVED MONEY ON INSURANCE COSTS, UM, BECAUSE OF THE PROTECTION THAT THIS FIRE DISTRICT HAS GIVEN US. SO THERE'S A LOT OF BENEFIT, UM, AND WE, WE, I WOULD TELL YOU THAT WE ARE NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT OUR DISTRICT. UM, I WOULD TELL YOU THAT. UM, AND, UH, WE TRY TO KEEP UP, UH, THE CHIEF HAS BEEN TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH SALARIES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. BUT, UM, WE ALSO KNOW THAT SALARY CAN BE A MAJOR PROBLEM BECAUSE YOU GOT FIREFIGHTERS JUMPING FROM ONE FIRE, UM, DISTRICT TO THE OTHER. UM, SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF BENEFIT THAT WE CAN HAVE. UM, I AM HOPING THAT, UH, THIS COUNCIL WILL SUPPORT WHATEVER IT TAKES FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FIRE PROTECTION FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY, WHETHER IT'S IN THE UNINCORPORATED, UH, WELL, WE GOTTA DEAL WITH THE [00:30:01] UNINCORPORATED AREA. BUT WE HAVE, UM, UM, PORT ROYAL WAS SAYING THAT THEY WOULD WANNA BE A PART OF THIS STUDY. I THINK THAT'S A GREAT THING TO GET STARTED, TO KEEP MOVING. AND REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST, UM, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I WILL SUPPORT CONSIDERING CONSOLIDATION, BUT I AM NOT SOLE ON CONSOLIDATION. I JUST PUT THAT ON THE TABLE. UM, UM, BUT I AM THINKING THAT, UH, LIKE CHIEF HAS SAID, UH, CHIEF KLEIN HAS SAID, UM, IT HAS TO BE, UM, FEASIBLE, COST EFFECTIVE, AND IT BENEFITS EVERYBODY. AND SO WITH THAT, I DON'T THINK ST. HELENA WOULD BE, OR LADIES ALLEN WOULD BE, UM, NOT WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY INCREASE IN MILLAGE. UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'LL STAND WITH THAT. AND A COUPLE POINTS, MR. GLOVER. UM, IN MY OFFICE, I HAVE 40 PLUS YEARS OF CONSOLIDATION STUDIES. ALL THE WAY BACK TO WHEN, UM, HENRY CHAMBERS. HENRY CHAMBERS CHAIRED A COMMITTEE OF ABOUT 25 PEOPLE. AND THAT CONSOLIDATION STUDY LOOKED AT COUNTY GOVERNMENT PROVIDING EVERYTHING TO THE MUNICIPALITY. EVERYTHING. AND THEN THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL, SEVERAL SINCE THEN. AND IT, AND, AND NOT PUTTING ANY OF THOSE STUDIES DOWN, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THEM WERE DONE OR FOR THE RIGHT REASONS. PROVIDING PRODUCT TO OUR CITIZENS AT A HIGHER LEVEL, UH, AT A BETTER PRICE. UM, I DON'T WANT ANYBODY THAT'S GONNA WATCH THIS OR ANYBODY SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE TO WALK AWAY FROM THIS SAYING THAT WE HAVE INADEQUATE SERVICES. MY 41 YEARS OF FIRE SERVICE EXPERIENCE AND MY INVOLVEMENT IN THE STATE WILL TELL YOU THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS A FIRE SERVICE... LET ME CHANGE THAT. HAS AN EMERGENCY SERVICES WOULD INCLUDE EVERYBODY THAT IS ENVIED ACROSS THE STATE. WE'RE THE INNOVATORS IN LEADERSHIP, WE'RE THE INNOVATORS IN TRAINING, WE'RE THE INNOVATORS, UH, IN NEW TECHNOLOGIES. WE ARE LOOKED AT AND MANY TIMES EMULATED, UH, BECAUSE OF THE FIRE SERVICE WE HAVE. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A, UM, A FIRE SERVICE TO BE PROUD OF. BUT I WILL SAY TO YOU, WE CAN ALWAYS BE BETTER. WE CAN ALWAYS DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER. UM, RIGHT NOW YOU'RE UNINCORPORATED FIRE DISTRICTS, AND, AND I GUESS I WOULD INCLUDE THE MUNICIPALITIES IS, UM, WE KNOW OUR DEFICIENCIES. WE KNOW THE AREAS THAT WE WANNA DO BETTER. UNFORTUNATELY, REVENUE RESTRICTS THAT AND WE HAVE TO TAKE BABY STEPS TO GET THERE. BUT I, I DIDN'T WANT ANYBODY TO THINK THAT, "OH MY GOD, WE GOT A PROBLEM WITH OUR FIRE SERVICE." WE DON'T. UH, WE PROVIDE AS A WHOLE A VERY HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE, WHETHER YOU'RE IN SHELDON, FRIP ISLAND, CITY OF BEAUFORT, TOWN OF PORT ROYAL, LADIES ISLAND, DOESN'T MATTER. BURTON, DIDN'T WANNA EXCLUDE. BUT IT'S A HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT YOU, YOU'RE, THE CITIZENS ARE RECEIVING, UH, AND I THINK OVERALL FOR A, A PRETTY GOOD BANG FOR THEIR BUCK. AGAIN, I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULDN'T LOOK AT ALL THESE THINGS BECAUSE WE COULD ALWAYS GET BETTER. WE CAN ALWAYS DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND DO THEM BETTER. WE JUST CAN'T BUILD SOMETHING THE CITIZENS CAN'T AFFORD. THAT'S WHAT WE GOTTA BE CAREFUL WITH. WELL, THE FUNDING OF IT IS THE KEY POINT. COUNCILMAN BARTHOLOMEW. YEAH. I ECHO EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID. UH, THIS IS NOT ABOUT ANY, ANY LACK OF SERVICE, ALL RIGHT? THIS IS ABOUT, LIKE YOU SAID, HOW WE CAN MAKE THINGS BETTER. AND, AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE DRAW FROM THE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE SITTING, SITTING AROUND THE TABLE. UM, AND, AND AGAIN, SPITBALLING HERE, UM, YOU, YOU GOT ME THINKING WITH THE AUTOMATIC AID, COULD THERE BE A, A SEPARATE WAY TO, TO DO AN AUTOMATIC AID FUND THAT IS ON A PRO RATA BASIS BASED ON SERVICE CALLS, UM, THAT THE MUNICIPALITIES WOULD CHIP INTO, WE WOULD CHIP INTO, AND THEN Y'ALL CAN DRAW DOWN FROM THAT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR? THAT'D BE PART OF THE STUDY. UH, YEAH, I GUESS IT'D BE PART OF THE STUDY, BUT JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, I MEAN, BECAUSE I, I DON'T THINK Y'ALL WANNA GO PICK UP TRASH OR OR HAVE THAT BE PART OF YOUR, YOUR DISTRICT. WELL, IT, IT, AND MR. MR. MARTHA, I WOULD TELL YOU THAT CURRENT MUTUAL AID AND AUTOMATIC AID WORKS. UM, FRIP ISLAND, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO, HAD A MAJOR FIRE. AND WITHOUT AUTOMATIC AID FROM LISH AND MUTUAL AID FROM THE CITY OF BEAUFORT AND BURTON FIRE DISTRICT, WE WOULD'VE BURNT THE ENTIRE STREET DOWN. NO DOUBT IN MY MIND. WE, WE LOST HOW MANY HOUSES? THREE. AND NO DOUBT IN MY MIND, BECAUSE OF CODES AND HOW CLOSELY THEY ARE PLACED IN BASICALLY THREE STORIES, UM, WE'D HAVE BURNT THAT ENTIRE STREET DOWN. [00:35:01] AND, UM, AND THERE'S MANY EXAMPLES IN THE PAST. THE, YOU KNOW, THE NAVY BUS ACCIDENT IN SHELDON, THAT WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER TO, TO COME TO A GOOD RESOLUTION FOR THAT INCIDENT. UM, CAN IT BE BETTER? YES. DOES IT WORK TODAY? YES. AND IF I CAN JUST FOLLOW UP, JUST, I SEE THIS, YOU, YOU MENTIONED INNOVATION, AND I SEE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO INNOVATE AND SEE WHAT WORKS. IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO LEAD ITSELF TO, TO CONSOLIDATION, BUT MAYBE WE CAN HELP CLOSE THOSE GAPS, HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS NOW OPEN AND HONEST AND CLOSE ANY OF THOSE DEFICIENCIES AND MAKE THINGS BETTER. AND I THINK WE'RE ALL HERE TO TRY TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR THE TAXPAYER, BETTER SERVICE ACROSS THE BOARD, AND JUST SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP OUT. AND SO I, I THINK THAT'S MY OBJECTIVE WITH ALL THIS, AND I, AND I HOPE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE HERE. THIS IS NOT TRYING TO FORCE ANYBODY TO DO ANYTHING. IT'S ABOUT TRYING TO FIND THE BEST PATH FORWARD. COUNCILMAN. SO, UH, WE JUST ALL RECOGNIZED ALL OF YOU AT A COUNCIL MEETING, AND WE KNOW YOU DO EXEMPLARY WORK. WE GET NO COMPLAINTS. I MEAN, I, I, WE DON'T GET ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE FIRE SERVICE. SO WE KNOW YOU'RE SERVICING OUR CITIZENS. THE STUDY WOULD, WE'RE JUST LOOKING TO HOW TO IMPROVE REVENUE, BECAUSE I KNOW IT WOULD BE A BIG HIT TO SHELDON, BIG HIT TO BURTON, CAN'T JUST RAISE MILLAGE TO GIVE EVERY FIREFIGHTER THE SAME BASE PAY. AND IF YOU REMEMBER, EVERY TIME YOU STAND IN FRONT OF US WITH A BUDGET, I'M YOUR ANNOYANCE THAT ASKS YOU A MILLION QUESTIONS, BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED THAT YOUR FIREFIGHTERS AND BLUFFTON FIREFIGHTERS ALL GO IN WITH THEIR LIVES IN THEIR HAND, BUT DON'T MAKE THE SAME PAY. AND I UNDERSTAND WHY. I GOT THE REVENUE PART, BECAUSE I'M IN THE BLUFFTON DISTRICT. I GET IT. BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN IMPROVE ON THAT TO HELP ALL OF YOU, BECAUSE EVERY YEAR YOU STAND UP AND STRUGGLE WITH YOUR BUDGET. WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW YOU COULD BUY TWO FIRE TRUCKS, RIGHT? SO YOU STRUGGLE WITH HOW TO DO THAT, HOW TO MAKE PAY. WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW TO IMPROVE THAT. AND FRANKLY, I THOUGH A YEAR AGO WE PUT THAT IN MOTION. SO I'M DISAPPOINTED, BUT WE WANNA HEAR FROM YOU. THAT'S THE POINT OF ALL THIS. AND YOU HAVE MR. LAWSON. OH, COUNCILMAN LAWSON, WELCOME. YES. UM, AND I, SORRY, I MISSED THE, UH, THE FIRST, UH, COUPLE MINUTES OF THE MEETING, BUT, UM, I JUST WANTED TO CHIME IN. SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT EXACTLY I, I DIDN'T HEAR, BUT, UM, I JUST KNOW THAT, UM, UH, AS TAB JUST SAID, WE GET COMPLAINTS ABOUT EVERYTHING, BUT I HAVE NEVER HAD A COMPLAINT ABOUT OUR FIRE DISTRICT, OUR FIREMEN OR ANYTHING ELSE. AGAIN, YOU GUYS DO AN INCREDIBLE JOB. IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE VERY, VERY PROUD OF IN OUR COUNTY. UM, I DID WANNA JUST MENTION THOUGH THAT AS WE TALK ABOUT CONSOLIDATION, UM, YOU KNOW, I, WE PUSHED VERY HARD, UM, JUST A COUPLE YEARS AGO WHEN CHIEF THOMPSON WAS STILL WITH THE BLUFFTON FIRE DEPARTMENT TO, TO CONSOLIDATE THE DEFUSKY ISLAND FIRE INTO THAT. AND IT BECAME SOMETHING THAT WAS, WAS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT, NOT BECAUSE PEOPLE DIDN'T WANNA DO IT, IT WAS THE FACT THAT, UM, LEGALLY, UH, EACH FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS THEIR OWN AMOUNT OF DEBT THAT THEY'VE GOT. UM, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN AMOUNT OF, UM, UH, BILLIONS THAT ARE CHARGING THEIR, THEIR, UH, RESPECTIVE AREAS. AND BECAUSE OF THOSE, THOSE DEBT ISSUES, UM, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE AT THAT TIME TO BRING IN THE DEFUSKY ISLAND, UH, UM, FIRE DEPARTMENT. SO AGAIN, THERE, THERE, THERE ARE SOME, UM, LEGALITIES THAT IT'S NOT JUST AS SIMPLE AS SAYING, "OH, LET'S CONSOLIDATE THEM ALL. LET'S BRING THEM ALL IN IN THE SAME, UM, AND CHARGE ALL THE SAME." BUT, BUT AS, UM, EVERYONE HAS MENTIONED, WHAT WE'D LOVE TO DO IS, IS TO MAKE IT SIMPLER, MAKE IT, UM, LESS COSTLY FOR EVERYBODY AND BE ABLE TO SHARE RESOURCES AND, AND SOMEHOW GET ALL THESE FIREMEN SO THEY'RE GETTING THE SAME PAY. UM, SO AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT M- MR. BARTH- BARTHOLOMEW HAD, HAD MENTIONED. SO AGAIN, THERE, THERE'S MORE TO IT AND IT'S VERY, VERY COMPLICATED. SO AGAIN, THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO HAVE THIS, THIS STUDY DONE TO FIGURE OUT IF THERE'S A POSSIBILITY, IF THERE'S NOT A POSSIBILITY, THEN HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER, UM, TO MAKE IT FAIR? 'CAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME COUNTY EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT BE DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES, UM, THAT WE'VE GOT. UM, WELL SAID. COUNCILMAN LAWSON, I AGREE WITH YOU. I, THE BIGGEST THING TO ME IS THE EQUITY AND PAY. UM, IT'S, UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE SEE IN, WE SEE, WE HEAR STORIES AND WE KNOW IT'S THE TRUTH. WE HAVE PEOPLE LEAVING AND COMMUTING TO BLUFFTON BECAUSE THEY PAY MORE. UM, THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS NORTH TRAIN THEM, GET THEM UP TO, UP TO SPEED AND THEN, THEN THEY'RE GONE. UM, I, I UNDERSTAND IT. I, THAT'S THE BIGGEST ISSUE TO ME IS EQUITY AND PAY, UH, BECAUSE, UH, WE ALL LIVE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND IT, IT, IT'S A SHAME THAT THAT'S THE WAY IT IS, BUT THAT'S THE WAY IT IS WITH THE BLUFFTON FIRE DISTRICT. THEY'RE ABLE TO PAY MORE. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW, UM, THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE COME OUT OF IT, NOT SO MUCH THE CONSOLIDATION, BUT EQUITY AND PAY. UH, AND YOUR POINT ABOUT THE FUSKY, UH, IS, THAT IS IN THE SCOPE AND, UM - [00:40:02] YES, THE, THE DEBT, UH, FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS, FUNDING OPTIONS, DEBT SERVICE, WORKERS' COMPENSATION LIABILITY CLAIMS IS, WOULD BE PART OF THE STUDY. YES. UH, LISTENING TO EVERYBODY, I'VE COME UP WITH A PLAN, MY PLAN. SEE IF YOU LIKE IT. ONE, THIS SHOULD BE A FIRE SERVICE EMS STUDY. AMEN. IT DOESN'T MEAN CONSOLIDATION. IT'S A STUDY. TWO, ALL FIRE EMS DISTRICTS SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THIS STUDY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF HILTON ISLAND, WHO'S ALREADY SAID - THEY OPTED OUT. WE, WE'VE OPTED OUT. THREE, WE SHOULD HAVE PART OF THE STUDY, THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID, BUT TO ALSO INCLUDE AUTOMATIC AID USING POTENTIALLY THE CHARLESTON MODEL. WE SHOULD FOCUS ON EQUAL PAY AND COST EFFICIENCY. WE SHOULD UTILIZE, IF POSSIBLE, THE MILLAGE RATE OF THE COUNTY VERSUS THE CURRENT REVENUE STREAM. WE SHOULD START THIS FIRE EMS STUDY OCTOBER, WHATEVER, TOMORROW. IT SHOULD BE FINISHED NO LATER THAN DECEMBER TO BE PRESENTED TO COUNTY COUNCIL FOR ADOPTION, UM, REJECTION OR SOMETHING IN BETWEEN. WE SHOULD UTILIZE EXPERTISE OF OUR COUNTY PEOPLE, ANY STATE RESOURCES THAT WE NEED, OUR MUNICIPALITIES, WHOMEVER IS GOING TO HELP US PUT TOGETHER THE BEST STUDY POSSIBLE. AND FINALLY, WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE BOUNDARIES THAT WE HAVE TO SEE IF THERE IS SOME OTHER WAY TO BE COST EFFECTIVE. THANK YOU. UM, I HAVE ONE COMMENT, I THINK, AND THEN, UM, UH, GOING BACK TO YORK, WHEN YOU SAID 10 YEARS AGO, 14, 14 YEARS AGO WHEN I CAME ON, AND DARRELL PROBABLY REMEMBERS THESE DISCUSSIONS EVEN BEFORE - ONGOING. IT'S ONGOING, GOING BACK TO CHIEF KLEIN, HOW MANY STUDIES HAVE THERE BEEN? BUT, UM, COUN - I THINK VICE CHAIR HAS A COMMENT.THAT IS WHY I BROUGHT IT UP AGAIN, I THINK TWO YEARS AGO, BECAUSE WE LISTENED TO EVERY CHIEF STAND AND ASK ABOUT THEIR BUDGET. WE'RE NOT GONNA TELL YOU, YOU CAN'T DO IT, BUT I LISTENED TO THE DISPARITY BETWEEN BUF - BURTON, SHELDON AND BLUFFTON. OKAY? SO THAT DISTURBS ME. AND ALISON AND I, MS. HOWARD AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE PAY DIFFERENTIAL, BUT I'M GOING TO ASK MR. MOORE, AND CHIEF KLEIN BROUGHT IT UP, IS THERE ANY REASON WE CAN'T SHARE THE RFQ, RFP WITH THE CHIEFS? SURE. OKAY. THEY, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE IT, OKAY? AND I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE SOME INPUT AND ONE OF THEM CAN BE ON THE COMMITTEE, BUT I THOUGH ALL THAT WAS IN THE WORKS BECAUSE I MADE IT CLEAR THE CFO, THE ACA, I, I THOUGH THAT WAS HAPPENING. WELL, TO BE CLEAR, WE'RE PREPARED TO AWARD. WE HAVE, UH, SELECTED A CONSULTANT. IF WE WANT TO CHANGE COURSE, WE CAN. AND - WELL, I WOULD SAY AT LEAST TWO CHIEFS SHOULD BE TO LOOK AT THAT. THEY HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN THE RFP. WELL, I LOOK AT IT BEFORE YOUR VOTE ON IT, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. IS THAT, I MEAN, SO IT POSTPONES IT A, A COUPLE OF WEEKS. WE'VE BEEN, WE'RE TWO YEARS DOWN THE ROAD FROM WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT THE LAST TIME. WELL, THE DOLLAR THRESHOLD IS BELOW COMING TO COUNCIL, SO, BUT YOU ALL COULD STILL, WE CAN STILL BRING IT TO YOU SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO AWARD THE CONTRACT. WELL, AND, BUT TO BE FAIR TO THE CHIEFS, I THINK THEY SHOULD SEE THE RFP. YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY SHARE IT. YEAH. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. THE - CHAIRMAN. YOU KNOW, I, I HEAR EXACTLY WHAT, UM, MS. TABANEK IS SAYING, UM, BUT I'M ALSO HEARING WHAT THE CHIEFS ARE SAYING, THAT THEY WERE NOT INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS. SO IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO DELAY MOVING FORWARD WITH WHAT WE HAVE ON THE TABLE NOW AND INCORPORATE, UM, WHAT JOE HAS SUGGESTED, WHICH WOULD TAKE US TO DECEMBER THE 1ST, IF THAT TIMETABLE IS A, UH, IS, IS, IS APPROPRIATE? I THINK WE CAN DELAY. I CAN'T GUARANTEE WE'RE GONNA GET THIS DONE BY END OF THE YEAR IF WE HIRE A CONSULTANT. AND I'D DEFER TO FOLKS IN THIS ROOM IF THEY THINK THEY COULD GET IT DONE ON THAT TIMELINE. UH, AND, AND, AND I NEED TO BE FAIR TO THE ADMINISTRATION THAT THE RFQ BASICALLY TOOK THE INITIAL MEETING OR TWO THAT WE HAD WITH THE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR AND DEVELOPED THE SCOPE OF WORK. UM, MY COMPLAINT [00:45:01] INITIALLY WAS WE DIDN'T GET, WEREN'T INVOLVED IN THAT WRITING OF THAT RFQ OR THE EVALUATION OF IT OR THE RFP. UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO BE FAIR TO THE ADMINISTRATION THAT WE DID HAVE INPUT, BUT IT WAS ON THE FRONT END AND, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE IT TOWARDS THE END. UM, I, I WANNA, UM, AND I MAY BE WRONG, BUT DEBT. UH, AND I GOT, I GOT THE COUNCILMAN ONLINE AND THAT'S ALWAYS A CONCERN, BUT TO ME, AND I MAY BE OVERSIMPLIFYING THIS, BUT TO ME, UH, DEBT EITHER STAYS WITH THE DISTRICT UNTIL IT'S PAID OR THE COUNTY ABSORBS THAT DEBT, GETS A GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND, AND WE'RE DONE WITH IT. AND ANY NEW DEBT WOULD BE UNDER THE COUNTY AND UNDER GEN- GENERAL OBLIGATIONS BOND. UM, SO THAT, THAT, THAT'S ONLY COMMENT ON THE DEBT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S, IT'S DOABLE. IT, IT SHOULDN'T BE A, A STUMBLING BLOCK. UM, DAVID, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE? UH, Y'ALL HAVE HEARD FROM ME. I'D RATHER HEAR, HEAR FROM THEM. NO. YES, SIR. IF I CAN JUST TOUCH ON THE EMS COMPONENT, I'M ALSO IN SUPPORT OF ADDING THE EMS COMPONENT TO THE STUDY. UM, AS YOU MAY KNOW, WE'VE WORKED FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS TO GET AN AMBULANCE IN BEAUFORT AND PORT ROYAL. WE'RE, WE'RE THE ONLY FIRE DISTRICT, UM, OTHER THAN HILTON HEAD ISLAND WHO DOES THEIR OWN AMBULANCE SERVICE THAT DOES NOT HAVE AN AMBULANCE IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. UM, SO I THINK THAT CAN BE AN AREA OF IMPROVEMENT THAT, THAT SHOULD BE A PART OF THE STUDY AS WELL. HOW ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE THAT HASN'T SPOKEN? YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO TALK. WE'RE NOT GONNA EXECUTE YOU. I THINK THAT ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS YOU NEED TO CONSIDER IS KIND OF THE LEGISLATIVE/LEGAL PORTION OF THIS, BECAUSE WE HAVE DIFFERENT ENABLING LEGISLATION, THE DEBT ISSUE, OBVIOUSLY STATE VERSE, YOU KNOW, IT, YOU NEED TO CONTEMPLATE ALL THOSE THINGS AS WELL. AND, AND, AND IF I, IF I MAY FOLLOW THE TITLE MANAGER, UM, AND MOST OF YOU KNOW THIS, BUT, AND, AND IT SHOULD NOT BE A STUMBLING BLOCK. OKAY. BUT BECAUSE OF PRIOR TO HOME RULE AND BEING STATE ESTABLISHED AND APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR, THE COMMISSIONERS OF, OF, OF THE LADIES ISLAND FIRE DISTRICT, THERE'S TWO OPTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO THIS. ONE IS THE LAW SAYS YOU CAN ENLARGE, DIMINISH, OR CONSOLIDATE AN SPD. IF THE COMMISSION PETITIONS YOU TO DO THAT, IF THE COMMISSION DOES NOT PETITION YOU TO DO THAT, THERE'S ANOTHER OPTION, DISSOLUTION OF THE DISTRICT. I THINK THAT WOULD BE DAMN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE IT TAKES 40% OF THE ELECTORATE OF THAT DISTRICT TO VOTE ON THAT. AND, UH, IT, OBVIOUSLY, IF THE FIRE DISTRICT AND THE COMMISSIONERS WERE IN FAVOR OF IT, WE COULD HELP SELL THAT TO THE CITIZENS AND IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A INCREASE IN LEVEL OF SERVICE FOR A BETTER PRICE, BUT OBVIOUSLY IF THEY'RE NOT, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WORKS FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES, UH, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THE MUNICIPALITIES WOULD EVEN FUND THIS. UM, YOU HAVE YOUR MILL VALUES AND MILL RATES, BUT BECAUSE OF THE MAJORITY OF YOUR BUDGET IS OTHER THAN AD VALOREM TAXES, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THE COUNTY JUST SENDS YOU A BILL AND YOU PAY. I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WORKS. SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WOULD HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT, THE LEGALITIES OF THAT TOO. I LIKE THAT. WE'LL JUST SEND YOU A BILL AND YOU PAY IT. YEAH, THE MECHANICS ARE GONNA BE THE DIFFICULT PART, SO YEAH. WHAT WAS THAT THEN? MECHANICS OF HOW, HOW THIS WOULD BE STRUCK. RIGHT. YEAH. SO CHIEF KLEIN, YOU, YOU THINK IT CANNOT BE ACCOMPLISHED BY DECEMBER? I, I, I THINK IT'S A TALL ASS, SIR. OKAY. I, I REALLY DO. BUT - AND, AND I HATE THAT WE'RE, AND I THINK THERE'S WHERE MR. MOORE WAS... I HATE THAT WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA GO THROUGH ANOTHER BUDGET CYCLE AND, AND NOT HAVE THIS COMPLETED. IF YOU HIRE A CONSULTANT, IT'S NOT GONNA BE COMPLETED BY THE BUDGET PROCESS. RIGHT. AND, AND THE, THE, THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE WE WOULD HAVE TO PULL IN TO... I THINK FINANCING AND THE REVENUE OF IT, CAN WE DO THAT IN TWO MONTHS? UH, THAT COULD BE A TALL ASS TOO. UH, THE, ALL THE OTHER LEGAL ISSUES AND THE OTHER THINGS, THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT TO AND BRING IN, THE ASSOCIATIONS AND, AND DIFFERENT GROUPS, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S DONE BY BUDGET TIME. YES, DAVID. WE, WE STILL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME. DECEMBER STARTS THE BUDGET PROCESS. THE BUDGET PROCESS HAS TO BE DONE BY THE END OF JUNE OF NEXT YEAR. I HATE, I HATE TO WRITE A CHECK THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO CASH. YEAH. UM, BUT, UM, WITH ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT AND FINANCE AND WHOEVER WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO, I THINK YOU CAN GET A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT IT'S GONNA COST IN THE MILL RATE AND, AND HOW YOU'RE GONNA BREAK IT DOWN BY VALUES AND ALL THOSE THINGS. I THINK YOU CAN GET THAT DONE BY, BY BUDGET TIME. I THOUGH WE WERE GONNA HAVE THAT DONE SOON. BUT I, BUT I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THOSE TO MY RIGHT. THEY'RE GONNA HAVE [00:50:01] TO PREPARE THEIR BUDGET ALONG WITH DOING THIS. OH, IT'S GONNA BE TWO TRACKS. DAVID, GO AHEAD. SO YEAH, JUST, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS. JOE, I, I LIKE YOUR COURSE OF ACTION. I, I DO AGREE THAT THE TIMELINE'S PROBABLY A BIT TOO SHORT. UM, BUT I TELL YOU, AS FAR AS TIMELINE, I, I DON'T MIND IF IT TAKES LONGER. I JUST WANT FORWARD PROGRESS. YES. I WANNA DO IT RIGHT. IT IS, LIKE, VAN, LIKE YOU SAID, THE MECHANICS OF THIS THING, IT'S GONNA BE AN EXERCISE IN COOPERATION. I MEAN, THERE ARE SO MANY MOVING PARTS TO THIS. SAY AGAIN? ALL THAT'S PART OF IT. AND SO, SO WHAT CHIEF JONES IS SAYING, IT'S JUST NOT THE FINANCES, IT'S JUST NOT THE SALARY. IT'S - WORKER'S COMP. IN MY, MY OPINION, IT'S RETIREMENT. IT'S THE ELECTED OFFICIAL'S DECISION TO MAKE OF WHAT IS MINIMUM MANNING? WHAT IS RESPONSE TIME? IS THERE NEW STATIONS THAT HAVE TO BE BUILT? IS THERE ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL TO HAVE TO HIRE? ALL THOSE THINGS ARE IN THE BIG PICTURE. RIGHT. AND THOSE ARE THINGS. MAYBE NOT THE REVENUE SIDE, BUT THE BIG, BUT THOSE ARE GONNA HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED BECAUSE THEY'RE BIG TICKET ITEMS IN THE REVENUE SIDE. YOU COULD TAKE CURRENT BUDGETS TODAY, IT'S GONNA CHANGE BECAUSE OF STAFFING AND SALARIES AND SO FORTH. AND NOW - AND WE COULD FORECAST THAT, BUT - AND NOW, TWO, TWO OTHER POINTS. UM, WHERE, WHERE'S THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FIT INTO THIS WITH THE, WITH THE MARINE CORPS? YEAH, SO, UH, YOU, PARRIS ISLAND AND MARINE CORPS AIR STATION, THEY, THEY CAN BE A GREAT AUTO, AUTO AID, MUTUAL AID PARTNER, BUT THAT'S - BUT ARE THEY KIND OF CARVED OUT OF THIS OR SHOULD, SHOULD BE BROUGHT INTO THE CONVERSATION? WELL - EXCEPT THE NAVAL HOSPITAL, CORRECT? I DON'T... WELL, THAT'S DUAL COVERED BY CITY OF BUFORD PORT ROYAL AND - YEAH, THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR OWN. I, I DON'T THINK THEY NEED TO BE A PART OF THIS, UH - NO. AS FAR AS THE STUDY STANDPOINT. NO, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO USE THEIR SALARY AS THE BASE, I THINK WE'D ALL BE FOR THAT. WE SHOULDN'T COMPARE THAT. AND THEY'RE NOT... WELL, IT, IT, IT, IT COULD BE PART OF THE COMPARISON. WE'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO TOUCH THAT. THE CITIZENS WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO AFFORD THAT. YEAH. THAT, THAT'S ANOTHER PLACE THEY GO. WELL, AND LAST, LAST POINT, UH, THAT I, THAT I CAN THINK OF, WHO'S GONNA, WHO'S GONNA QUARTERBACK THIS? MM-HMM. I, I THINK THAT'S BEEN PART OF THE PROBLEM THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THE LAST COUPLE YEARS IS WE GOT A LOT OF CHIEFS. WHO'S GONNA QUARTERBACK IT? IS IT GONNA BE STAFF? IS IT GONNA BE LED BY, BY Y'ALL? IS IT SOMEBODY AT THE MUNICIPALITIES? ARE WE GONNA CREATE A, AN AD HOC COMMITTEE FRO - UNDERNEATH COUNCIL? UH, WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE MOVING FORWARD? 'CAUSE THIS CAN'T BE THE, THE ONE AND DONE CONVERSATION. NO, THIS DOESN'T NEED TO BE ONE AND DONE. I, I WOULD, I WOULD THINK COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF WITH SPECIFIC ORDERS THAT THIS IS WHAT WE WANT AND THIS IS HOW, YOU KNOW, GET IT DONE AND, AND DO IT. AND GO FORWARD THERE. YOU'RE THE BIG PLAYER IN THE ROOM. MAKE IT A PRIORITY. YEAH. AND - WE CAN DRAG IN THIS. WITH THAT, UM, JOHN ROBERSON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING? CERTAINLY. MIRANDA TO THE FRONT SO I'M NOT TALKING TO EVERYONE'S BACK. I WANT TO ADDRESS THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE RFP, RFQ. SO THIS WAS SOLICITED AS AN RFQ, WHICH IS A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS. MIGHT WANT TO BEEN DOWN A LITTLE BIT, THE MICROPHONE. SO AS A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS WAS THE, UH, SOLICITATION. THE, UH, INPUT FROM THE FIRE CHIEFS WAS THE SCOPE OF WORK. WHEN WE BEGAN TO MEET, WE HAD 20 OR SO ITEMS, UH, THAT WE MET WITH, UH, WITH THE FIRE CHIEFS, AND WE BOILED THAT DOWN TO THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT IS IN THE RFQ. SO THOSE ARE MOSTLY WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT. THE FINANCIAL ISSUES THAT ARE THE MAJOR HURDLES THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO IDENTIFY TO EVEN BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT, UM, CONSOLIDATION. UM, SO THOSE, UM, ITEMS, OF COURSE, THE RFQ IS PUBLIC. IT'S OUT THERE. UM, ALL OF THE CHIEFS THAT WERE IN THE ROOM, UM, WERE, HAD DISCUSSION ABOUT THE SCOPE OF WORK BEFORE IT WENT FORWARD. SO THE ONLY THING IN THE RFQ THAT, UM, WOULD BE IT, THE LEGAL CONTRACTUAL THINGS IN THE TYPICAL RFQ. THE MEAT OF IT IS THE SCOPE OF WORK, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE FIRE CHIEFS WORKED ON AND WE DEVELOPED TO BRING FORWARD. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU WERE AWARE, UM, THE SOLICITATION PROCESS IS A TYPICAL COUNTY PROCESS. WE DO IT FOR EVERY RFP, RFQ, OR, OR, UM, OTHER TYPE OF SOLICITATION. AND THE WORK THAT WE GOT BACK FROM ALL OF THE, UM, PROPOSALS WAS AT LEAST SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS, IF NOT LONGER, TO GET THIS WORK DONE. AND IT WAS ALL FOCUSED ON THE FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF CONSOLIDATION, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE LEGAL ASPECTS WE TALKED ABOUT, THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ENABLING, UM, LEGISLATION FOR DEPARTMENTS. [00:55:01] SO THIS WAS US ASKING A COMPANY TO DELIVER THIS INFORMATION FOR US TO WORK WITH THE FIRE DISTRICTS AND COLLECT THAT INFORMATION AND BRING BACK OPTIONS FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION. I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE LEGAL ASPECTS THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP. WAS THAT, THAT WASN'T EXACTLY IN THE S- SCOPE? UM - NO. WELL, WHAT I, WHAT I MEAN THERE IS, UM, JOHN, I THINK IT WOULD FALL UNDER OPTIONS FOR GOVERNANCE AND OVERSIGHT. THAT'S CORRECT. THAT SECTION. OKAY. SO IT IS - IT'S NOT EXPLICIT, BUT... THINGS THAT WE, THAT WE LOOK AT, THE ENABLING LEGISLATION, HOW YOU WOULD GO ABOUT, UM, THE, THE DISSOLUTION, LIKE, UH, CHIEF TALKED ABOUT, UM, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, AS WELL AS OPTIONS FOR HOW WE MANAGE, UH, DEBT SERVICE, HOW DO WE MANAGE REVENUE? WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS? SO WE'RE NOT ASKING THE, THE PART OF THE RFQ WAS ASKING A THIRD PARTY TO EXAMINE OUR ORGANIZATION AND GIVE US SOME OPTIONS, UH, PERHAPS A RECOMMENDATION, BUT OPTIONS FOR, UH, FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER. JOHN, JOHN, UM, IF I MAY ASK. SO YOU REFERENCED THE RFQ, REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS. HAS THERE BEEN AN RFP? NO, SIR. A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS? NO, WE, WE SUBMITTED THE SCOPE OF WORK AS REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS, AND THE COMPANIES THAT PROVIDED THEIR, UH, PROPOSALS WERE RATED ON THEIR ABILITY, THEIR, UM, QUALIFICATIONS TO PERFORM THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT WE DELIVERED. UM - BUT, BUT THE RFQ WOULD NOW TAKE INTO PLAY COST TO DO THAT, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. SO AT THE, THE TYPICAL PROCESS, YOU RECEIVE THE PROPOSALS, YOU HAVE A TEAM THAT REVIEWS THE PROPOSALS, YOU, UM, CHOOSE THE MOST, SOMETIMES NOT MOST QUALIFIED, BUT THE, THE, UH, THAT'S NOT THE, THE RIGHT TERM TO USE, UM, THE BEST BIDDER, AND THEN YOU NEGOTIATE A COST WITH THAT BIDDER TO PERFORM THAT SERVICE. SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, IT WAS BASED ON BEST QUALIFIED TO PERFORM THE SCOPE OF WORK? YES. UM, MOST RESPONSIVE BIDDER, THAT'S THE CORRECT WORD, WHICH INCLUDES IN, IN A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS, PRICE IS NOT A FACTOR. PRICE IS NEGOTIATED AFTER YOU CHOOSE THE MOST RESPONSIVE BIDDER. HOW MUCH DOES IT DO? WE'RE GONNA GIVE THE CHIEFS THE RFQ. SO WHAT'S, WHAT'S A TWO WEEK DELAY? IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. THEY'RE NOT GONNA FINISH IT BY DECEMBER. I ALREADY PREDICTED THAT. IT PROBABLY IS NOT GONNA BE IMPACT NEXT BUDGET SEASON, BUT ONE OF THE REASONS WE BROUGHT YOU ALL TOGETHER WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS WAS TO GARNER YOUR SUPPORT OR YOUR FEELING OF SUPPORT, BECAUSE WHEN THIS GET OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, THEY'RE GONNA COME TO YOU AND THE OTHER CHIEFS AND THEY'RE GONNA SAY, "WHAT ARE THEY DOING? ARE THEY GONNA TAKE OUR DEPARTMENT? ARE WE NOT GONNA HAVE YOU ANYMORE?" AND WE WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD SUPPORT LOOKING AT THIS. MAYBE IT HAS TO GO TO A COUNTYWIDE MILLAGE. I DON'T KNOW. WE DON'T KNOW UNTIL THEY DO IT, BUT WE WERE HOPING TO GARNER YOUR SUPPORT TO MOVE FORWARD. ENOUGH TALKING ABOUT IT FOR 14 YEARS - RIGHT. AS MR. GLOVER SAID. I, I, I DON'T, I'LL, I'LL SPEAK FOR, FOR LADIES ISLAND SANTA LEADER FIRE DISTRICT. ABSOLUTELY. BECAUSE IN THE END, IF IT'S BETTER FOR THE CITIZEN AT A BETTER PRICE, YES. THERE'D BE, WE'D BE FOOLISH TO SAY NO. UM, AND THAT'S GONNA TAKE EVALUATION AND STUDY TO, TO GET THERE. BUT BASICALLY IF YOU'RE JUST EVALUATING ON QUALIFICATIONS, WE CAN REVISE THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY TO CONTEMPLATE THE VERY ISSUES THAT YOU WANT AND THAT YOU'VE REVISED. FOUND SOMEBODY THAT CAN DO THIS WORK AND THAT'S IT. WELL, AND I'VE HEARD SOME DISCUSSION OF EXPANSION OF THE SCOPE, QUITE HONESTLY, WITH EMS AND, UH, LOOKING AT SOUTH OF THE BROAD. SO I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT ANYWAY JUST BASED ON THIS DISCUSSION AND WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM COUNCIL TODAY. I WOULD SAY YOU, YOU CAN, YOU CAN ADD EMS. ADDING EMS WOULD DRAMATICALLY CHANGE THE SCOPE. OF COURSE. EMS IS ALREADY A COUNTYWIDE SERVICE. IT IS. SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, WE'RE FOCUSING ON FIRE SERVICE AND THE ABILITY TO, UM, IF WE CAN LEAP OVER THIS ONE HURDLE, UM, OF FIRE SERVICE CONSOLIDATION, WHICH IS A LIST OF THINGS TO DO, FINANCIAL CONCERNS AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, IF WE LEAP OVER THAT HURDLE AND WE FIND THAT THIS IS REASONABLE, IT IS FEASIBLE TO GET DONE, THEN WE CAN LOOK AT HOW, WHAT, WHAT DOES A PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, DEPARTMENT LOOK LIKE, UM, WITH A COMBINED FIRE AND EMS SERVICE? I, I GO BACK TO OUR INITIAL DISCUSSION OF UH, THIS CANNOT BE, [01:00:01] UH, UH, NORTH OF THE BROAD ISSUE. WE HAVE TO CONSOLIDATE THE FIRE DISTRICT COUNTYWIDE. NOW, HILTON HEAD HAS OPTED OUT, SO NOW WE INCLUDE THE OTHERS, BUT IT HAS TO BE A COLLECTION OF ALL THE FIRE DISTRICTS. AND THE QUESTION THERE IS, IS THAT WITHIN THE SCOPE OR WOULD THAT BE A LOOK AT? THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE CAN NEGOTIATE WITH A CONTRACT, THE ADDITION OF, UM, MORE FIRE DEPARTMENTS FOR THEM TO LOOK AT. SO WE'VE HEARD FRIP PLUS THE SOUTH OF THE BROAD MINUS HILTON. AND I, I, TO YOUR POINT, COUNCILMAN DAWSON, I HEARD THAT LOUD AND CLEAR TOO. I AGREE. YES, SIR. YOU, YOU HAD COMMENT, CHIEF? CHIEF JONES. CHIEF JONES. IF THE SCOPE CHANGES, DOES THE COST? YES. WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL HAVE TO NEGOTIATE. BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE, WE CAPTURE EVERYTHING COUNCIL WANTS AND, AND LEADERSHIP WANTS. I THINK I SAW IT DOWN. OKAY, GO AHEAD, JOE. I UNDERSTAND THIS. THIS RFQ IS FOR THAT PERSON OR COMPANY TO LEAD THE STUDY. EVERYBODY'S GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY, BUT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, WELL, WHO'S GOING TO BE THE POINT PERSON? WHO'S... THAT'S WHAT THIS RFQ IS SAYING. THEY'RE GOING TO BE THE EXPERT AT LEADING THIS STUDY, MAKING SURE PEOPLE ARE ON TIME, ON TASK, PERFORM THE SERVICE, DONE EVERYTHING THEY HAVE TO DO. THEY THEN TAKE ALL THAT INFORMATION, SORT IT OUT, AND MAKE THE PRESENTATION SAY, "BASED UPON THE STUDY, HERE ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS." AND THAT WAS VERY CLEARLY, JOHN CAN BACK ME UP IN THE STUDY OF WHAT THE, OR WHAT THE PROPOSAL THE CONSULTANT'S GOING TO DO. HE IS GOING TO GO, OR SHE OR WHOEVER IS GOING TO GO TO ALL THE FIRE DISTRICTS. IT IS A TEAM OF FOLKS. SO THEY ARE... IT INCLUDES, UM, CONVERSATION WITH EACH, WITH EACH DEPARTMENT'S REVIEW OF BUDGETS, REVIEW OF POLICY PROCEDURE, REVIEW OF STATE LAW, LOCAL LAW, UH, JUST E- EVERYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF. THIS IS A LARGE PROFESSIONAL TEAM OF, OF FOLKS THAT, UM, THEIR FUNDAMENTAL PRACTICE IS TO LOOK AT, UM, LOCAL GOVERNMENT PRACTICES. THAT'S WHY THE, THE REQUEST FOR QUAL- QUALIFICATIONS WAS DONE THIS WAY. SO IT'S NOT FOCUSED ON A SPECIFIC FIRE DISTRICT OR FIRE DEPARTMENT SPECIALIST. THIS IS A GROUP OF FOLKS THAT HAVE RETIRED FIRE CHIEFS ON THEIR TEAM, BUT ALSO CFOS, FINANCIAL SPECIALISTS, AND, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERTS. I, UH, DAVID HAD A COMMENT. NO, IT WAS ACTUALLY MORE TOWARDS, TOWARDS YOU, ALICE. SHOULD WE, UH, SET UP AN AD HOC COMMITTEE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS TO HAVE DELIVERABLES COME BACK AND HAVE, UH, FURTHER DEDICATED COMMUNICATION WITH THE, THE FIRE CHIEFS THROUGHOUT OR DO YOU THINK THAT JUST COME BACK TO THE REGULAR COMMITTEE? I, I THINK WITH THE ADMINISTRATOR, WE, WE CAN COORDINATE THAT AND HAVE A S - UM, SINCE WE, WE HAVE EXPANDED THE SCOPE BY INCLUDING BLUFFTON AND DEFUSKY TODAY, IT SOUNDS LIKE. SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE CHANGE RIGHT AWAY. RIGHT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS HAVE THE CONSULTANT COME AND PRESENT, DO A KICKOFF MEETING AND, AND WE CAN - HAVE THE CHIEFS AND US - HAVE THE CHIEFS AND ADMINISTRATION. JOHN, I THINK THAT COULD BE DONE, RIGHT? YES, SIR. THAT, THAT IS PART OF THE, UH, OF THE PROPOSAL THAT THEY WOULD BEGIN THAT WORK. WELL, FIRST WE HAVE TO NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH THAT PROVIDER AND THEN THAT WORK HAPPENS. AND I DON'T, I DON'T MIND THE AD HOC COMMITTEE, UM, IDEA, BUT I WOULD ASK WHAT IS THE, UH, WHAT IS THE INTENT AND THE OUTCOME? WHAT DO YOU EXPECT AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO, TO PROVIDE? I THINK, I THINK REVIEWING THAT INFORMATION AS IT COMES IN, I'M ASSUMING THAT CONTRACTS DON'T HAVE X, YOU KNOW, DELIVERABLES THREE MONTHS IN, SIX MONTHS IN AS IT PROGRESSES. AS THOSE DELIVERABLES BECOME AVAILABLE, THEY CAN COME PRESENT TO THE AD HOC. I THINK - AND THEN WE CAN SHAPE THE REST OF THE, THE PROGRESS. I, I, I THINK THE AD HOC IS BASICALLY THE CHIEFS. IT'S THE CHIEFS. YEAH, I THINK THEY WOULD BE THE AD HOC. OKAY, FAIR ENOUGH. DOES THAT SOUND LIKE A - LET THEM DO IT. THE CHIEFS WOULD BE THE AD HOC, SO. Y'ALL ARE THE EXPERTS. BY, BY POSITION. YEAH. I WOULD AGREE. NO OBJECTION TO THAT. DOES THAT SOUND OKAY? UM, YOU'RE ALL APPOINTED. WE ALSO HAVE A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. SIR? THAT'S - THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE COMMITTEE. THAT'S THE OVERSIGHT. THAT WAS THE OTHER THING I WAS GOING TO SAY. I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WANTED TO GO SPECIALIZE BRINGING THEM ON BOARD OR, OR HOW WE CAN - I THINK THEY SHOULD BE INVOLVED BEFORE IT COMES TO YOU ALL. YEAH. WE CAN - SO THAT THE FIRE CHIEFS CAN LOOK AT IT. WE CAN MAKE IT OFFICIAL, YOU KNOW, AS THE CHIEFS ARE, ARE, ARE THE COMMITTEE. PART OF THE PROCESS WOULD REQUIRE, UM, COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THIS THIRD PARTY COMPANY AND EVERY FIRE CHIEF IN THEIR DEPARTMENTS. THERE'S NO WAY FOR THEM TO COLLECT APPROPRIATE AND ACCURATE DATA WITHOUT COMMUNICATION OF FIRE CHIEFS. [01:05:01] AND, AND HERE'S, IF I MAY, PART OF WHY I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE, THE QUARTERBACK ASPECT, I JUST DON'T WANT THIS TO DIE AGAIN. I DON'T WANT IT TO SIT THERE FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS. IF IT TAKES TWO YEARS, THAT'S FINE. BUT I WANT FORWARD PROGRESS ON IT. OF PAYING FOR A THIRD PARTY COMPANY AND HAVING A DEFINED SCOPE OF WORK IS WE CAN HOLD THEM RESPONSIBLE FOR DELIVERABLES. YEAH, LIKE DELIVERABLES. YEAH. BUT ALSO COUNTY COUNCIL NEEDS TO KEEP IT IN THE FOREFRONT. I MEAN, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS. ONE THING I, I DON'T LIKE IS HOW SLOW GOVERNMENT WORKS. I GET IT. I GOT IT. I DON'T HAVE TO LIKE IT. BUT TO SIT HERE AND TALK ABOUT THIS FOR, FROM TWO YEARS FROM WHEN WE STARTED, WE JUST, IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE ADMINISTRATION MOVES IT FORWARD. THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO IT. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS MEETING TO TELL THE CHIEFS WE WANT TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD WITH YOUR SUPPORT AND YOUR INPUT. AND, AND WHAT I HEAR TODAY, ALL THAT WE, WE HAVE THE SUPPORT. SO THAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO COME OUT OF THIS, UM, THE COOPERATION AND SUPPORT. AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF LIKE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FINAL GOAL, WE DON'T, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FINAL END OF THIS STORY IS, BUT WE GOT TO GET THE DATA TO GET THERE. AND THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IS GETTING THE DATA, UM, TO ME. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I W - I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY. I HEAR, I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID, JOHN, ABOUT EMS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO ADD ON, UM, AS WE GO THROUGH THE PRO- PRO - AS WE GO THROUGH IT. BUT YOUR, YOUR COMMITTEE WILL BE - WELL, THAT'S, I'M FINE WITH THAT. THAT'S FINE. UM - BUT YOUR COMMITTEE WILL BE THE OVERSIGHT. THAT'S, THAT'S PERFECT. I'M FINE TO HAVE Y'ALL IN, IN, IN THE COMMITTEE. OTHER LITTLE WRINKLE TO ADD IN THERE, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ANALYZED UNDER THE DISPATCH AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS? NEVER THOUGH OF THAT. DISPATCH IS RIGHT NOW A FUNCTION OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. YEAH. I WAS GOING TO SAY WE DON'T HAVE, UM, IT'S NOT WITHIN OUR JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARY. HOW'S THAT SOUND? AND HILTON HEAD HAS THEIR OWN DISPATCH, CORRECT? LET ME FOLLOW UP. THAT DIDN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION. YEAH. DOES IT NEED TO BE CHANGED? ARE THERE AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT WITH DISPATCH? AND I SEE A LOT OF SILENT, SILENT FOLKS IN HEAD SHAKES. THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY TO YOU, AGAIN, EVERYTHING CAN GET BETTER, ALWAYS. UM, THE SH - DEPARTMENT MANAGES THE DISPATCH CENTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. YOU OWN IT. COUNTY COUNCIL, YOU OWN IT. WE PAY FOR THAT. YEAH. AND SO - I THINK, I THINK I GOT THE WRITING ON THE WALL THERE, BUT - WELL, THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY, JUST TO BE FAIR, IS THEY'RE REALLY GRADED WHEN IT COMES TO OUR ISO, UH, RATING. AND THEY'RE GETTING 10S. SO, AND THAT'S THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF POINTS. I, I'M HOPING WITH THE NEW SHERIFF THAT WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INVOLVEMENT WITH, WITH DISPATCH. AND WE DO MEET, BUT I'M HOPING THAT WITH THE NEW SHERIFF THAT WE, WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INVOLVEMENT. AND I'M NOT POKING AT THE CURRENT SHERIFF OR THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION. UM, BUT WE'VE HAD A MEETING WITH THE ELECT - THE INCOME, THE POTENTIAL INCOMING SHERIFFS AND, AND THAT'S BEEN ONE OF OUR MESSAGES IS, IS WE WANTED OURS AGAIN. OKAY. SIMPLE. OURS. JUST ON A SIDE NOTE, HOW'S YOUR ALARM SYSTEM GOING? IS THAT ALL SET? ALL FINISHED? WHAT WAS THAT? YOUR ALARM SYSTEM GOING.THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION TOO. WHAT? BRIT, YEAH. OKAY, BECAUSE I WAS SITTING AT THE BLUFFTON MOMENT ONE TIME AND IT WENT OFF AND I'M LIKE, "OH, THAT'S KIND OF INTERESTING." SO IT'S ALL SET? THE KI - OKAY, GOOD. LET'S DO, UM, A ROUND ROBIN. EVERYBODY HAVE, WE'LL START WITH VAN WILLIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY ANYTHING? WELL, THE, THE ONLY THING I WAS THINKING ABOUT IS HOW YOU KIND OF BIFURCATE THAT MILLAGE. IF YOU EXCLUDE HILTON HEAD FROM THE DISCUSSION AND YOU'RE CONTEMPLATING A COUNTYWIDE MILLAGE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET TO THE MECHANICS OF THAT AS WELL. MM-HMM. VERY COMPLICATED. ALL RIGHT. UH, ERIC? NO. NICOLE? OKAY. LET'S GO. ANYONE? NO? CHIEF? WELL, I THINK WE'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION LOOKING AT ALL THIS. I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THE WORD CONSOLIDATION PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE NOT SAID MUCH WITH IT. AGREE. I AGREE WITH THAT. AND LET'S LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHAT'S BEST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN MAKE CHANGES AND ALL THE DISTRICTS STAY THE SAME. OR WE CAN MAKE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER'S BEST FOR THE CITIZENS. IT'S COLLECTION OF DATA AND, AND ANALYZING. THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD - IF YOU GET A GOOD CONSULTANT TO DO IT, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANNA GET SOMETHING IN A BOOK THAT AIN'T WORTH ANYTHING LIKE WE GOT LAST TIME WHEN WE DONE ONE. BUT YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE ON THE AD HOC, SO YOU'RE IT. THAT'S ALL I GOT. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN, ANYTHING? NO, I, I THINK IT'S BEEN A WORTHWHILE DISCUSSION TODAY AND I, I THINK WE GARNERED A LOT OF INPUT. AND SO I JUST, UH, [01:10:01] SUPPORT THAT ADMINISTRATOR MOVING FORWARD WITH THE INFORMATION WORKING WITH THE CHIEFS TO ACTUALLY BRING THIS ALL TO FRUITION. I THINK WE'VE ALL SPOKEN. THE ADMINISTRATOR WILL SEND YOU ALL, I GUESS, ELECTRONICALLY, THE RFQ. YEAH, WE CAN SEND THAT OUT ELECTRONICALLY. OKAY. AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ALONG FROM THERE. BUT I WANNA SEE THIS KEEP MOVING AND I'M GONNA KEEP HARPING ON IT BECAUSE THE BALL HAS NOT MOVED FORWARD FAST ENOUGH FOR ME. IF IT WERE UP TO ME, WE'D HAVE DONE THIS A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, BUT OKAY. SO I'VE GOT A LOT OF NOTES. UH, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE, UH, SCOPE WE DISCUSSED. I'VE HEARD A LOT OF INPUT ON THAT. WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT EXPANDING THAT TO THE AREAS WE DISCUSSED, WHICH WERE THE OTHER FIRE DISTRICTS SOUTH OF THE BROAD, NOT, NOT INCLUDING HILTON HEAD ISLAND. AND, UH, WE WILL WORK WITH THE CONSULTANT TO GET THAT, UH, CONTRACT, UH, LET, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA FORM THE AD HOC COMMITTEE AS PART OF THE IN PROCESS REVIEW. WE'LL ESTABLISH MILESTONES FOR THE CONSULTANT TO MEET WITH THE, WITH THE FIRE CHIEFS AND, UH, MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. OKAY. YEAH. I, I LIKE THE DIRECTION WE'RE TAKING. UM, WE, WE'VE CHANGED THE SCOPE TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER. UM, IT IS A STUDY. IT'S NOT A QUOTE UNQUOTE CONSOLIDATION. IT IS A STUDY WHEREVER THAT LEADS US. IT MAY LEAD US TO DO SOMETHING WITH EMS AS WELL. IT, IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE, UM, A LOT OF WORK. WE UNDERSTAND THAT. I'M OKAY WITH THE DIRECTION WE'RE TAKING. YOU HAVE MINE. THANK Y'ALL FOR, THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE. AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT. SO HOPE WE CAN, SOMETHING POSITIVE CAN COME OUT OF THIS. HM? WHAT TIME IS IT COMING? OKAY. YES SIR, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. I WAS CHECKING ABOUT LUNCH. I' SORRY. THAT'S RIGHT. 'CAUSE YOU'RE ALL. THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT. THAT'S TRUE. YEAH, WE ARE. NOT YOU, VAN, BUT EVERYBODY ELSE. OH. GO AHEAD. I, I, I DO, UH, APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION AND, UM, THE, THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT'S BEING, UH, ON THE TABLE AT THIS TIME. I, I WOULD, UM, GO A LITTLE F - I WOULD ADD THIS TO IT. UM, BECAUSE THINGS ARE CHANGING, UM, I WOULD - COUNTY COUNCIL, YOU MEAN? NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. WHICH IS? IN THEISCUSION OF THE CONSOLIDATION. OKAY. I WOULD AT LEAST INVITE HILTON HEAD TO BE AT THE TABLE. THEY DON'T NEED TO... THEY CAN SAY N - YES OR NO, BUT AT LEAST BE AT THE TABLE FOR INPUT. I'LL TALK TO MR. ORLANDO AND MAKE SURE HE'S AWARE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING. GOOD POINT. YES, SIR. CHIEF? MR. LAWSON. OH, JE - OKAY. COUNC- COUNCILMAN LAWSON. YEAH. IT'S, AGAIN, THANK, THANK YOU ALL, UH, TO THE CHIEFS AND, AND ALL OF OUR, UM, FIRE AND, AND EMS PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO DO SUCH A GREAT JOB BECAUSE AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, IT'S ONE OF THE FEW THINGS THAT WE NEVER HEAR, UM, BAD ABOUT. AND IT'S ALWAYS GOOD. AND AGAIN, YOU GUYS DO A WONDERFUL JOB. BUT, UM, YEAH, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A, A LOGICAL STEP OF WHAT THE NEXT STEP IS, AS EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT, BECAUSE AGAIN, I, I WENT, I MENTIONED PREVIOUS GOING THROUGH THIS WITH THE DEFUSKY ISLAND FIRE, TRYING TO CONSOLIDATE THEM INTO, TO BLUFFTON FIRE AND FOUND OUT, AGAIN, ALL THE, ALL THE DETAILS AND LITTLE THINGS. AND I THINK, UM, UH, MR. WILLIS MENTIONED IT AS WELL, THAT IT, IT GETS VERY, VERY COMPLICATED. SO I THINK THAT'S WHY THIS HAS TAKEN SO LONG. IT'S WHY IT WAS DELAYED, UM, FROM YEARS AGO. SO AGAIN, WE NEED TO, TO, TO TAKE PRACTICAL STEPS AND, AND DO THIS ONE STEP AT A TIME, UM, AND LOOK FOR, LOOK FOR THINGS THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH WITH A LONG-TERM GOAL AND PLAN. BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. I THINK THIS IS WONDERFUL AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S, UM, COOPERATION BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE WE ALWAYS NOTICE AS THE FIRE CHIEFS, UM, UH, DO GET ALONG AND THEY WORK TOGETHER. THEY MIGHT NOT AGREE ON EVERYTHING, BUT AGAIN, THEY, THEY DO WORK TOGETHER AND, AND IT MAKES IT, UH, A VERY, VERY, UM, EASY, UH, PROCESS. AND AGAIN, THEY, THEY MAKE THINGS, UM, GREAT FOR US AND MAKE US LOOK GOOD. SO THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. UM, OBVIOUSLY I'VE SAID ENOUGH BECAUSE MY PHONE IS BLOWING UP IN MY POCKET RIGHT NOW. UM, SO AGAIN, I DON'T WANNA WRITE ANY MORE CHECKS THAT I'M NOT GONNA CASH, SO I'LL PASS IT TO THE, THOSE THAT ARE GONNA BE HERE. LORD. UH, JUST A COUPLE THINGS. AGAIN, THANKS FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE AND BRINGING US ALL TOGETHER. THAT WAS, THAT WAS AMAZING. I, THERE WAS A COUPLE THINGS I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ON. UM, I PERSONALLY AM A BIG FAN OF AUTOMATIC AID. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE GOING INTO IT AND REALIZING EVERYTHING, BUT THERE'S NO BETTER, UH, THING TO IMPLEMENT. IF WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN, IT WOULD BE AMAZING. THE CLOSEST ENGINE RESPONDING, UH, THERE ARE NO BOUNDARIES. IT IS AN AMAZING, UH, SCENARIO. AND IF WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THAT, WE COULD. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY REALIZES THAT EVERYTHING, THERE'S SO MANY LITTLE PIECES [01:15:01] TO THAT, BUT CHARLESTON'S DOING IT RIGHT. I MEAN, AND, UH, BUT, BUT THEY'VE FOUND WAYS OF MAKING IT HAPPEN. AND IT'S A, IT'S A PRETTY AMAZING THING. WE HAVE SOME LITTLE THINGS ABOUT DISPATCH. I THINK THEY'RE DOING AMAZING JOBS, BUT SOME OF THE THINGS WE WANT ARE GONNA REQUIRE SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM Y'ALL. SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT A- A- AS WE PUSH, UH, FOR CHANGES IN DISPATCH THAT, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE CHANNELS, THE, THE, HOW MANY DISPATCHERS THEY NEED, SOME OF THAT IS COMING FROM OUR PUSH. SO, UM, DEFINITELY IF YOU, IF, UH, IF EVERYBODY'S ON BOARD WITH THAT. AND, UH, EMS, THERE'S NOT A FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THIS COUNTY THAT DOESN'T RESPOND TO EVERY EMS CALL THAT GOES OUT. AND SOMETIMES WE SEND TWO PEOPLE, DEPENDS ON THE DEPARTMENT. SOMETIMES THERE'S FOUR PERSONS, THERE'S THREE PERSONS. AND BURTON, IF YOU HAVE A FULL ARREST, THERE'S TWO ENGINE COMPANIES THAT ARE GOING TO THAT CALL TO ASSIST EMS. SO WE'RE OFTEN LOOKED AT AS SEPARATE AND TWO DIFFERENT ENTITIES, WHICH OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE THE, UH, EMS IS A COUNTY AGENCY, BUT WE'RE ALL GOING. WE'RE ALL INVOLVED. MANY OF US HAVE PARAMEDICS, MANY OF US HAVE ADVANCED EMTS. A LOT OF US HAVE EMTS ON OUR, OR THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT IS A MINIMUM OF EMT. SO, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S, THE MORE WE CAN BRING THOSE TOGETHER, THE BETTER OFF WE WOULD BE AS WELL. AND RIGHT THIS MINUTE, I WOULD ENVISION THAT THERE IS A LOT OF FIREFIGHTERS THAT SAW ON FACEBOOK THAT THERE WAS A MEETING TODAY THAT WAS GONNA BE BROADCAST ON THE CONSOLIDATION AND, UH, JUST TO, THERE'S SOME, SOME FEAR THAT. SOME DON'T KNOW WHO THEY'RE GONNA BE WORKING FOR IF WE CONSOLIDATE. SOME OF THEM DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR PAY IS GONNA BE. THEY DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GONNA GO FROM A FOUR, A FOUR FIREFIGHTER ENGINE TO A THREE FIREFIGHTER ENGINE. THERE'S SO MANY QUESTIONS, BUT JUST TO, I, I HOPE IF THEY STUCK IT OUT THROUGH THE WHOLE MEETING THERE, THEY, UH, FEEL A LITTLE BETTER ABOUT, ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE WATCHING. BUT, UH, BEYOND THAT, UH, THANKS FOR HAVING US HERE. AND, UH, WE APPRECIATE, UH, WHAT IT'S GONNA... HOPEFULLY IT'S GONNA BE A VERY PRODUCTIVE SCENARIO AND THAT EVERYBODY'S GONNA GET A LOT OUT OF IT IN THE END. SO THANK YOU. THAT'S WHY YOU ALL ARE INVOLVED. MM-HMM. YEAH. OKAY. I THINK, UH, ANYTHING? NO? NO? UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, UM, THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE. AND EVEN THOUGH WE MAY HAVE DIFFERENCES THAT NO ONE EVER SEES, AND WE ARE PRETTY GOOD AT KEEPING THOSE TO OURSELF, YOU WON'T FIND A MORE PASSIONATE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHEN IT COMES TO EMERGENCY SERVICE DELIVERY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. UM, THE ONLY THING I'LL ADD IS WE REFERENCED THE CHARLESTON, UM, AREA AGREEMENT. I HAVE A COPY OF IT. I'LL LEAVE IT WITH THE CLERK FOR THE MINUTES JUST SO EVERYONE CAN REVIEW IT. THAT'D BE GREAT. UM, IF THEY WOULD LIKE. SO THANK YOU. THAT'S WONDERFUL. WE'LL PUT IT IN THERE. WHAT'S INTERESTING IS WHEN D- DEREK CHURCH WAS THE INTERIM AT BLUFFTON AND I MET WITH HIM, HE PROVIDED THAT INFORMATION. HE'S BIG ON THE CHARLESTON MODEL. YEAH. THEY MODELED IT AFTER US. UM, ANY, ANY LAST THINGS? UM, SO IS IT HERE? OKAY. WE CAN AD- ADJOURN TO THE, UM, ECR ROOM RIGHT HERE, PLEASE. WE'D LIKE FOR YOU TO JOIN US. UM - MAKING HIS WAY OVER. YEAH. I THINK YOURS GETTING TO THE HEAD OF THE LINE. I NEED A, I NEED A MOTION TO CONCLUDE THE MEETING. ALL RIGHT. I'LL SECOND. THIS MEETING WORKSHOP IS ADJOURNED. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.