* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY. THIS, UH, SPECIAL CALL MEETING OF COUNTY COUNCIL TO ORDER, UH, OCTOBER 19TH, 2026. WE ARE, WE ARE NOT, WE'VE ALREADY DONE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AT THE OTHER MEETINGS, SO WE ARE GOING, UM, BY THAT AND SAVING TIME AND THERE IS NO INVOCATION TONIGHT. UH, THIS MEETING, I WILL CONFIRM WITH MS. BROCK WAS ADVERTISED IN COMPLIANCE WITH FOIA? YES, MA'AM. THANK, THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PUBLISHED. I'LL MOTION. SECOND. AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA? AYE. BY SHOW OF HANDS, WE HAVE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS ONLINE, UH, COUNCILMAN REEDS AND COUNCILMAN MCELLAN, AND THEY BOTH VOTED AFFIRMATIVELY. NOW I'D LIKE TO HAVE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE FOLLOWING. UNDER SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS, SECTION 30 - 4-70A-1, DISCUSSION OF PERSONAL, PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATING TO AN INQUIRY BEING CONDUCTED PERSUADED TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE FOUR - 9-60 WITH, UH, THE QUICK GROUP. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO DO THAT? I'LL SECOND. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION BY, UM, COUNCILMAN, UH, BARTHOLOMEW AND A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN LOGAN. UH, ANY DISCUSSION BEFORE WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION? AND THERE MAY, UH, BE MATTERS ARISING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION. WE WILL GO INTO THE, UM, ECR AT THIS TIME. OH, WE HAVE TO VOTE. WE HAVE TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION BY SHOW OF HANDS. AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU. UM, GOOD EVENING. WE ARE OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION AND THERE IS ACTIONS COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION. DO I HAVE A MOTION? YES, MADAM CHAIR. UH, I MOTION TO - LARRY, CAN YOU HEAR ONLINE? I'M SORRY, WHAT, TOM? OKAY, GO AHEAD. CAN YOU HEAR US NOW, TOM? YES, THANK YOU. PERFECT. THANK YOU, SIR. OKAY, GO AHEAD. I MAKE THE MOTION TO RELEASE THE QUICK GROUP REPORT TO THE PUBLIC NO LATER THAN NOON, AND WE ALSO AGREE TO WAIVE OUR ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE AS TO THE MATTER OF THIS REPORT. I'LL SECOND IT. WE HAVE A SECOND BY - I'LL SECOND IT. I THINK I HEARD VICE... WHO DID I, WHO, WHO MADE IT? NOON TOMORROW. OH, WE'RE GONNA ARGUE WHO SECOND IT. OKAY. WHO SECONDED IT? ALL RIGHT. JESUS. IT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME. JUST GET IT DONE. OKAY. COUNCILMAN BARTHOLOMEW SECOND. VICE CHAIR. OH, YOU HEARD VICE CHAIR FIRST? OKAY. VICE CHAIR, UM, SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR BY SIGNING HANDS. CAN I DISCUSSION FIRST PLEASE? YEAH. DISCUSSION AND DISCUSSION. THANK YOU. YEAH. SURE. UM, I JUST WANT IT TO BE KNOWN THAT THERE IS NOT A CLEAR AGREEMENT ON WHAT STEPS TO BE TAKEN AFTER THIS. I ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO READ THIS REPORT. UM, LOOK BACK AT THE EVENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THIS COUNTY FOR THE PAST 12 MONTHS. JUST BECAUSE NO ACTION IS TAKEN TODAY DOES NOT MEAN ANY OTHER ACTION OR QUESTIONS CANNOT BE TAKEN FURTHER. UM, BUT AT THIS TIME, THERE IS NO OTHER ACTION THAT WE CAN TAKE BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A CONSENSUS. BUT I DO ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO TAKE THE TIME. THERE'S A REASON THAT WE USE TAXPAYER FUNDS FOR THIS, AND I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO READ IT, AND I HOPE THAT IT GETS OUT TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS? HOW WILL THE PUBLIC GET IT TOMORROW? OKAY. UM, IT WILL, IT WILL BE RELEASED TO EACH INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBER, AND I WILL ALSO FURNISH A COPY TO OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER AND OUR ADMINISTRATOR. AND THEN SHE WILL DO WHAT WITH IT? SHE, SHE'LL GIVE IT TO THE PRESS? SURE. YEAH. OKAY. JUST TO BE CLEAR. MM-HMM. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEP. OKAY. UM - SHE GAVE IT TO HER FIRST. SHE STAYED THE LONGEST. OKAY, WE HAD DISCUSSION. NOW WE CAN VOTE. ALL IN, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN. MOVED. WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AND WE ARE NOW ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. [00:05:20] THANKS FOR WATCHING BCTV. EARLY VOTING IN SOUTH CAROLINA IS OPEN FOR TWO WEEKS. VOTERS CAN VISIT ANY EARLY VOTING CENTER IN THEIR COUNTY DURING THE EARLY VOTING PERIOD, PRESENT THEIR PHOTO ID, AND VOTE USING THE VOTING SYSTEM, LIKE THEY WOULD AT THEIR POLLING PLACE ON ELECTION DAY. FOR STATEWIDE GENERAL ELECTIONS, EARLY VOTING IS MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, 8:30 AM TO 6:00 PM. VOTING IS CLOSED SUNDAYS AND STATE HOLIDAYS. FOR ALL OTHER ELECTIONS AND PRIMARIES, EARLY VOTING IS MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, 8:30 AM TO 5:00 PM. VOTING IS CLOSED WEEKENDS AND STATE HOLIDAYS. FOR RUNOFFS, EARLY VOTING IS WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, THE WEEK BEFORE THE DAY OF THE RUNOFF. VISIT SCVOTES.GOV FOR MORE VOTING RESOURCES. THE COUNTY IS ONE OF THE OLDEST FORMS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED STATES. EARLY SETTLERS FROM ENGLAND BROUGHT THE TRADITION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO AMERICA. TODAY, MORE THAN 3,000 COUNTY GOVERNMENTS PROVIDE SERVICES THAT AFFECT ALMOST EVERY CITIZEN'S LIFE. SOUTH CAROLINA'S 46 COUNTIES ARE VERY REPRESENTATIVE OF HOW COUNTY GOVERNMENT HAS EVOLVED NATIONALLY. THE COUNTY UNIT IN SOUTH CAROLINA WAS REGARDED AS A LOCAL EXTENSION OF STATE GOVERNMENT, BUT A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM MOVEMENT IN THE EARLY 1970S LED TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY PASSING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAW, ALSO KNOWN AS THE HOME RULE ACT IN 1975. THE HOME RULE ACT GREATLY EXPANDED COUNTY AUTHORITY AND CHANGED THE NATURE OF COUNTY ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION TO WHAT WE KNOW TODAY. BEAUFORT COUNTY WENT FROM HAVING A BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO A COUNTY COUNCIL. MEMBERS OF THE 1975 COUNCIL INCLUDED CHAIRMAN ARTHUR HORNE, VICE CHAIRMAN GRADY THAMES, LEROY BROWN, GARY FORDHAM, WILLIAM GRANT, HARRIET KEISERLING, DAVID JONES, BILL MCBRIDE, AND BOOKER WASHINGTON. AS THE NEW COUNCIL SOUGHT TO DISTINGUISH ITSELF, COUNCIL MEMBERS DESIRED AN OFFICIAL SYMBOL THAT WOULD REPRESENT THE JURISDICTION'S IDENTITY AND UNIQUE CHARACTER. COUNCIL APPOINTED AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO UNDERTAKE THE TASK AND CARRY OUT A CONTEST FOR THE BEST COUNTY SEAL DESIGN. HARRIET KISLING WAS A MEMBER OF COUNTY COUNCIL, AND IT WAS HER IDEA BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT COULD SIGNIFICANTLY IDENTIFY OUR BEAUTIFUL BEAUFORT COUNTY. WE MET THEN UP AT, UH, I THINK IT WAS THE CAROLINA BANK AND SOME YEARS AGO BACK THERE ON WEST STREET, AND THEN WE PUT THEM IN PILES, YOU KNOW, LIKE GOOD, BAD, MAYBE, UNTIL WE FINALLY GOT IT DOWN TO THE ONE THAT WE NOW USE. COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVED THE SEAL COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION, WHICH REFLECTED THE COUNTY'S HISTORY, TRADITIONS, AND NATURAL BEAUTY. THE SEAL'S COLORS OF BLUE AND GREEN REPRESENT THE COLORS OF THE COUNTY'S OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT WITH ITS MANY WATERWAYS, MARSHLANDS, AND MARITIME FOREST. THE FIVE IMAGES WITHIN THE SEAL DEPICT SOME OF THE COUNTY'S DISTINGUISHING FEATURES, ANCIENT LIVE OAK TREES, THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY, RICH NATURAL RESOURCES AND A RARE MARINE ECOLOGY, LOW COUNTRY ARCHITECTURE, AND MILES OF RIVERS, CREEKS, AND INLETS. I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED. I THOUGH IT ENCOMPASSED WHAT THE, WHAT WE AS A BODY WERE LOOKING FOR, A SEAL THAT WOULD, WHEN YOU LOOKED AT IT AND JUST THOUGHT ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT, IT REALLY COVERS THE ASPECTS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY. SO WE DID A GOOD JOB OF BRINGING TOGETHER THE THINGS THAT WE, UH, HOPE SO DEAR AND WHAT WE REALLY LIKE ABOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY. COUNCILMAN BILL MCBRIDE WAS IN OFFICE WHEN THE CONTEST WAS HELD AND WAS PRESENT WHEN THE COMMITTEE REVEALED THE WINNING DESIGN. I THINK COUNCIL WAS ECSTATIC ABOUT IT. UH, WE THOUGHT THAT THE, THE SIMMERS ON THE SEAL REPRESENTED, UM, ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. THERE IS A [00:10:01] SLIGHT CHANGE IN THE ORIGINAL, UH, DRAFT THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US WHERE YOU HAVE THE SHRIMP BOAT TODAY. INITIALLY THAT WAS A PLEASURE CRAFT, A SAILBOAT AND YACHT TYPE BOAT. AND, UH, IT WAS CHANGED BY COUNTY COUNCIL BECAUSE WE FELT THAT THE SHRIMP BOAT WAS A BETTER REPRESENTATION, UM, OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, ASPECT OF BEAUFORT COUNTY LIFE BECAUSE YOU HAD OTHER THINGS ON THE SEAL THAT REPRESENT THE PLEASURE AND RECREATION, THE FISHING, AND THE BEACH. SO THEY THOUGH THE SHRIMP BOAT, WHICH WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF BUFORD COUNTY CULTURE, SHRIMPING, ESPECIALLY AT THAT TIME, WOULD BE REFLECTED ON THE SEAL. THE WINNER OF THE CONTEST WAS AN ARTIST FROM HILTON HEAD ISLAND, THE LATE LEE PAYNE, WHOSE DESIGN WAS SELECTED FROM MORE THAN 126 CENTURIES, SUBMITTED FROM AS FAR AWAY AS INDIANA AND TENNESSEE. HE WAS AWARDED $250 FOR HIS DESIGN, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE CAPTURED THE LEGACY OF OUTDOOR BEAUTY, CULTURE, AND HISTORY THAT HELPED TO DEFINE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS, GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB. * 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.