* 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. [1. CALL TO ORDER: ] [00:00:02] CAN YOU HEAR ME OUT THERE? YES. IT'S PM. LET'S START THE COMMUNITY SERVICES PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING. PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE. PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. [4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA ] THANKS, UH, FOR BEING HERE EVERYBODY. MS. BROCK, HAS THIS MEETING, UM, AGENDA BEEN POSTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH FOIA? YES, SIR, IT HAS. THANK YOU. CAN I HAVE A MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA? SO MOVED. I'LL SECOND. AND IT'S FIRST AND SECOND, OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? I THINK WE HAVE FULL. ANYBODY ONLINE? NO. YEAH, I DON'T SEE ANYBODY ONLINE. MS. BROCK, ANYBODY ONLINE? UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MCGOWAN IS STILL ONLINE. HIS, HIS VIDEO'S [5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES ] JUST NOT ON. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. UM, HOW ABOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 5TH? CAN I HAVE A MOTION FOR THAT? MOTION. OKAY, I'LL SECOND. YOU HAVE THAT? OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S UNANIMOUS. UM, WE'RE [6. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD – 15 MINUTES TOTAL ] NOW TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION. UM, ANYBODY SIGN UP? IS THERE ANYBODY HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? OKAY. WE'LL CLOSE THAT OUT. UM, [7. ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT ] ASSISTANT MANAGER'S REPORT IS UP NEXT, I BELIEVE. AND WHO'S GONNA START THAT? HE'S GIVEN THE REPORT. ALL RIGHT. MR. BOSWELL, COME ON UP PLEASE. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. HAPPY MONDAY. UM, GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY. I'M BEN BOSWELL, COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT. OH. MR. ADDIS, UM, JUST WANNA BACK UP A LITTLE BIT AND LET YOU GUYS KNOW. SO HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UH, OUR, OUR, UH, MISSION IS TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND TO ENHANCE THE HUMAN SERVICES NETWORK THROUGH EMPOWERMENT, UM, ADVOCACY AND COLLABORATION. UM, WE DO THIS THROUGH VOLUNTARY, UH, WRAPAROUND SERVICES AND CASE MANAGEMENT. AND, UH, THE DEPARTMENT REALLY STARTED, IT WAS CALLED COSY, C-O-S-Y. IT'S COLLABORATIVE ORGANIZATION OF SERVICES FOR YOUTH. UH, THAT WAS A CONTRACT WITH DHHS. UM, AND THEN OVER TIME, AS WE EVOLVED AND GREW, UH, WE MORE ENCOMPASSED A LITTLE BIT MORE HUMAN SERVICE NEEDS. UM, AND AS YOU GUYS KNOW RIGHT NOW, HOMELESSNESS IS A PREVAILING ISSUE, HOUSING INSECURITY. SO WE DELVE A LOT INTO THAT. UM, BUT GENERALLY ANY KIND OF HUMAN SERVICE NEED, UM, ACROSS THE GAMUT, AND THAT COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM CHILDREN TO, TO SENIORS. UM, OUR NETWORK INCLUDES ABOUT 161 AGENCIES. IT'S 134 NONPROFITS. THAT'S THE OVERARCHING NETWORK OF PEOPLE WE COMMUNICATE WITH. OUR MAJOR NETWORK OF THOSE WHO ARE ACTUALLY ON OUR RELEASE OF INFORMATION THAT WE WORK WITH ON A DAILY BASIS INCLUDES ABOUT 22 PARTNERS, UM, INCLUDING STATE AGENCIES, LOCAL NONPROFIT PARTNERS, AND THEN A COUPLE OF FOR-PROFIT MEDICAID, UM, SERVING THERAPEUTIC AGENCIES. UM, WE WERE ABLE TO RESTORE THE DHHS CONTRACT. THAT CONTRACT IS $207,232. UH, THAT IS MATCHED, UM, AT 103616, UM, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY PAYROLL. AND THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF MEDICAID. IT HAS TO BE REIMBURSED. IT CAN'T BE GRANTED. UM, SO THE WORK THAT WE DO, WE INVOICE FOR THAT. AND THEN WE PULL DOWN UP TO 207, 232, UH, FROM THE STATE. THAT STATE MEDICAID DOLLARS. UM, WE DID JUST, UH, FILL OUR OUTREACH COORDINATOR POSITION. UM, THAT IS ALEX DEL CHOPO, AND I HOPE I GOT HIS LAST NAME RIGHT. IF HE'S WATCHING, I APOLOGIZE, ALEX. UM, HE JOINS US FROM SEATTLE, UM, WHERE HE WORKED IN HOMELESSNESS UP THERE. UM, HE WORKED IN A, UM, A GROUP HOME, UH, FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. UM, SO HE'S GOT A LOT OF, A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH THAT. UM, REALLY INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE HE BRINGS. UM, SEATTLE'S ONE OF THE HIGHEST RATES OF HOMELESSNESS IN THE UNITED STATES. UH, SO HE'S GOT EXPERIENCE KIND OF WITNESSING WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE ON A FAR EXTREME. UM, ALSO WANNA KINDA GIVE YOU GUYS SOME UPDATES, UM, ON SOME COUPLE THINGS YOU GUYS ASKED ABOUT LAST TIME. UM, I KNOW MS. HOWARD BROUGHT UP, UM, A STUDY, I THINK THAT FRED DID BACK IN 2017. I FOUND THE REPORT. UM, AND I HAVE ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION SOME OF THESE VALUES. SO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME WERE, WHAT ARE THE, THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH HIGH NEEDS? UM, AT THAT PRESENTATION IN 2017, UH, WE HAD ONE INDIVIDUAL THAT WE ESTIMATED WAS COSTING THE COMMUNITY ABOUT $38,000, UH, ANNUALLY. UM, ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION IS CLOSER TO 56 TODAY. UM, THEN THERE WAS EXTREMELY HIGH NEEDS INDIVIDUAL, WHICH IS KIND OF A, AN EDGE CASE SCENARIO. UM, THIS IS THE GENTLEMAN WHO, UH, WAS ACTUALLY POSTED OUTSIDE, [00:05:01] UH, THIS BUILDING FOR QUITE SOME TIME. UM, WAS COSTING THE COMMUNITY AROUND $100,000 A YEAR. UH, A LOT OF THAT COMES IN DETENTION CENTER STAYS, UH, EMERGENCY ROOM SERVICES, ANY OTHER EMERGENCY SERVICES. THOSE THE, THE BULK OF THE, THE COST. UM, EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, EMS, UH, INTERVENTIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT FOR HIGH NEEDS INDIVIDUALS. UH, FOR OTHER COMPARISONS, I LOOKED AT SOME OTHER COMMUNITIES. UH, DENVER HAS A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE OF ABOUT SIX OR $7,000 A YEAR. THIS IS MORE OF YOUR AVERAGE ESTIMATE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH HIGH NEEDS. UM, AND THIS CAN INCLUDE PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS. IT CAN ALSO INCLUDE PEOPLE WHO ARE NAVIGATING SYSTEMS, UH, STRUGGLING WITH HOW THOSE SYSTEMS ARE, ARE, UH, GOING TO PULL RESOURCES FROM THOSE SYSTEMS, UH, POTENTIALLY DUPLICATING SERVICES, UH, GOING THROUGH SERVICES AND NOT SUCCEEDING. I'M HAVING TO REVIEW THOSE KINDS OF SERVICES. AND THEN, UH, SEATTLE, UH, ESTIMATES ABOUT $2,500 MONTHLY FOR SOME OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS AS WELL. SO THOSE ARE MORE THE CONCERN ARE CONNECTED TO SYSTEMS, UH, STRUGGLING WITH NAVIGATING, UH, SERVICES. UM, SOME UPDATES AND SOME STATS WE HAVE. UM, YOU KNOW, FOR FY26, WE HAD ABOUT 117 HIGH NEEDS CASES WE WORK WITH. UH, WE RATE PEOPLE AS THEY COME IN, WE DO TWO SURVEYS. THEY HAVE ONE SURVEY WHERE THEY COMPLETE, WHERE THEY ASSESS THEIR SATISFACTION WITH THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. AND THAT'S A ONE TO FIVE. AND WE, WE RATE ON LIKE 10 DIFFERENT AREAS. UH, THOSE INCLUDE LIKE, UH, FOOD SECURITY, UM, HOUSING SECURITY, HEALTH, UM, UH, GENERAL SOCIAL SERVICE KIND OF NEEDS. UM, AND I WAS REAL PLEASED, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE ROLLED OUT THIS SURVEY, UM, AND PEOPLE ON AVERAGE SCORED, CAME IN AT ABOUT A 20, 25, WHICH ON A ONE TO SCALE FIVE, UH, ONE TO FIVE SCALE, IT KIND OF REPRESENTS WE'RE NOT REAL SATISFIED WITH OUR LIFE. WE'RE FALLING AT A, A TWO OUT OF, OUT OF FIVE. AND WHERE PEOPLE WERE EXITING THE PROGRAM, THEY WERE AT A, A, A SCORE OF 40. UM, SO A FOUR OUT OF FIVE, UM, ON AVERAGE. SO WE'RE ALL PLEASED, PLEASED WITH THAT. UM, ONE OF THE TRENDS THAT I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING THAT I HADN'T EXPECTED TO SEE WAS THAT, UH, WHEN OUR STAFF DO AN INTERNAL SURVEY AS WELL, SO WE LOOK AT SECURITY. SO WE LET THEM REPORT THEMSELVES ON SATISFACTION AND THEN WE LOOK AT IT FROM A STANDPOINT OF, UH, DO WE FEEL THAT YOU HAVE SOME SECURITY ISSUES WITH THOSE ISSUES? UM, SO WE CAN KIND OF COMPARE, UH, WITH OUR STAFF. AND SOMETHING I NOTICED, A TREND THAT I NOTICED I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING WAS THAT AS PEOPLE WENT THROUGH THE PROGRAM, WE MIGHT IDENTIFY LIKE, OH, YOU HAD A HICCUP AND SO YOU, YOU LOST A LITTLE BIT OF SECURITY IN ONE PARTICULAR AREA. BUT WHEN THEY REPORTED THEIR SATISFACTION, IT STILL MAINTAINED HIGH. UM, SO I THOUGH THAT WAS INTERESTING. IT KIND OF REFLECTS THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY HAVE SEEN A, A SETBACK, UH, THEIR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PROGRAM HAS THEM FEELING LIKE MAYBE THINGS ARE GONNA BE OKAY. UH, SO THAT WAS NEAT TO SEE. UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 32 OPEN CASES. UH, WE'VE CLOSED 12. THERE'S 20, UH, OR 32, I'M SORRY. 32 HAVE BEEN OPENED. UH, 20 ARE ACTIVE. WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF REFERRALS WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH, UH, WORKING THROUGH. WE HAD, UH, THREE COME IN, I THINK JUST THURSDAY AND FRIDAY OF LAST WEEK. SO WE'RE FOLLOWING UP ON THOSE AS WELL. UM, ONE LAST THING I WANNA PROVIDE SOME UPDATES ON SOME STATS ABOUT, UM, HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS. UM, I PULLED SOME DATA FROM CHARITY TRACKER. AND SO CHARITY TRACKER IS A COMMUNITY, UH, DATABASE WE USE TO NAVIGATE, UH, DELIVERY OF CHARITABLE, UM, AID, AND WE HAVE ABOUT 90 AGENCIES ON THAT. MOST OF THE MAJOR CHARITIES ARE ON THAT. AND, AND, UH, WHILE THINGS LIKE SMALLER THINGS LIKE FOOD MAY NOT BE TRACKED, THEY DO USUALLY TRACK THINGS LIKE RENTAL ASSISTANCE. UM, IN 2020, UH, 2025, UH, 487 FAMILIES RECEIVED $591,000 IN RENTAL AND MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE.THAT'S ACROSS ALL THE CHARITIES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. UM, AND THEN EXPANDING THAT TO, UH, THE ENTIRE GAMUT OF HOUSING AND SECURITY, AND THAT OF COURSE INCLUDES UTILITIES, SERVICES IS ABOUT 1.2 MILLION, UM, IN CHARITABLE ASSISTANCE. UM, OF THOSE, 26% OF THOSE FAMILIES HAD BEEN RECEIVING HELP ACROSS MULTIPLE YEARS, UH, ABOUT 70, THE OTHER 70%, UH, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY'D RECEIVED ASSISTANCE. AND THAT MAINTAINS TR - UH, TRUE ACROSS THE DATABASE. USUALLY ABOUT 30% OF THOSE WHO NEED THOSE SERVICES, UM, ARE RECURRING, AND I LOOKED AT USUALLY RECURRENCE BETWEEN, UH, AT LEAST MORE THAN ONCE IN ABOUT FIVE YEARS. UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, I THINK ABOUT 14 OF THAT WAS RECURRENT YEARS BACK TO BACK. UM, I ALSO LOOKED AT SOME DATA FROM THE COURTS OF, UH, RULE TO VACATE, UH, THROUGH PRO - UH, PROBATE. AND SO WE AVERAGE ABOUT 1500 FILINGS IN A YEAR, AND THEN, UH, ABOUT, OF, OF THOSE, ABOUT 500, UM, RESULT IN A, IN A RULE [00:10:01] TO VACATE. UH, I JUST THOUGH IT WAS INTERESTING THAT THE NUMBERS KIND OF ALIGN THAT WAY. UM, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT EVERYBODY WHO RECEIVED AN EVICTION NOTICE, UH, GOT THE ASSISTANCE THROUGH CHARITY TRACKER. UM, BUT MOST OF OUR CHARITIES WILL ALSO REQUIRE THEM SORT OF PROOF OF NEED, UH, WHICH WOULD BE AN EVICTION NOTICE. SO WHILE I CAN'T PROVE IT, IT'S INTERESTING TO KNOW. UM, AND THAT'S THE RATE AT WHICH, I DON'T WANNA SAY PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE SYSTEM. SO IT'S ABOUT 500 FAMILIES IN ANY ONE YEAR WHO ARE PUTTING PRESSURE ON THAT SYSTEM WHO ARE, UM, SEEKING EVICTION NOTICES. ANOTHER THING THAT I CAN'T PROVE THAT I THINK WOULD BE INTERESTING TOO IS ALSO TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S A CORRELATION. CLOSER UP TO YOUR - I'M SORRY. YEAH. CLOSE UP TO YOU. YEAH. UM, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. CAN I ASK ANY, UH, ANY QUESTIONS? SURE. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS. MS. HOWARD. UM, GOING BACK TO THE, UM, CHAR- CHARITABLE ASSISTANCE TRACKING. MM-HMM. WHAT, DO YOU ALSO TRACK, LIKE, CHURCHES THAT HELP PEOPLE WITH THEIR - IF THEY PARTICIPATE. AND HOW, HOW DO THEY, UH, HOW DO THEY PARTICIPATE? I MEAN, HOW, HOW DO YOU, I GUESS, WHAT'S YOUR, UM, YOUR BA - YOUR DATABASE BASE? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. YEAH. UM, SO IT'S 90 AGENCIES. I DON'T KNOW THE BREAKDOWN OF, UM, HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE FAITH-BASED. I KNOW THERE IS A, A SIGNIFICANT FAITH-BASED REPRESENTATION IN IT. UM, IF I HAD TO MAKE A GUESS, I'D SAY, LIKE, AROUND 30%. UM - WHO DO THEY REPORT TO THAT... WHERE'D YOU GET YOUR DATA CENTRALLY? DO THEY REPORT TO YOU OR DO THEY REPORT TO, UM, UNITED WAY OR? YEAH, UNITED WAY MAINTAINS THE CHARITY TRACKER SYSTEM. OH, OKAY. UH, THEY PAY FOR IT. ALL RIGHT. UM, BUT IT'S A GREAT SOURCE OF INFORMATION, UM, AS FAR AS, LIKE, WHAT THE CHARITABLE ASSISTANCE LOOKS LIKE. OKAY. UH, WE'RE RELIANT ON AGENCIES TO PARTICIPATE AND RELY ON THEM TO ENTER THAT DATA. UM, AND SO WE DO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO USE THAT. UM, MOST OF THOSE WHO GIVE AWAY SIGNIFICANT, UH, AMOUNTS OF, UH, UH, OF RECIPIENT, UH, UH, UM, ASSISTANCE, WE'RE TALKING LIKE THOUSAND DOLLAR, UM, RENTAL ASSISTANCE, THINGS LIKE THAT, THEY USUALLY TRY TO GET ON THERE. TAM? I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. SO I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN ACTUAL DATA, WHICH IS WHAT I HOPE YOU WERE GOING TO PRESENT SO WE COULD LOOK AT ACTUAL NUMBERS OF THE PEOPLE YOU SERVE AND THE VALUE IN OUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR THIS DEPARTMENT. SO I WOULD ASK THAT YOU BRING THAT TO US, NOT, I'M NOT, I DON'T WANT ANECDOTAL DATA. I WANT NUMBERS. AND, UM, SO I WANT DATA POINTS. SO HOW MANY CASES DO YOU HAVE PER YEAR? HOW MANY PEOPLE, ACTUAL BODIES ARE YOU HAVING AN EFFECT ON PER YEAR? NOT REFERRING TO UNITED WAY OR SENDING THEM TO WHATEVER. YEAH. ON, ON AVERAGE, UM, WE... ONE TIME. AS FAR AS ACTUAL THROUGHPUT, I'D SAY IT'S AROUND 200, 250, UH, FAMILIES IN THE COURSE OF A YEAR. 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW YOU SAID YOU HAVE 32 OPEN CASES. YES, MA'AM. AND THE OTHER ISSUE, HOMELESSNESS IS, IS GROWING. UM, I'M, IT'S HAPPENING WHERE I AM. AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU DO WITH HOMELESS, BECAUSE FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, THEY CREATED A, A LITTLE CITY THERE, AND THEN WE HAVE TO CALL CODE ENFORCEMENT OR THE SHERIFF OR WHATEVER. SO WHAT DOES YOUR DEPARTMENT DO TO ASSIST WITH HOMELESSNESS? I DON'T WANNA KNOW WE COUNT THEM. I WANNA KNOW WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THEM? YEAH. SO THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO, WHO SEEK ASSISTANCE, AND OF COURSE WHAT WE DO IS VOLUNTARY, AND THAT'S ALREADY GONNA, UH - IT'S THE FIRST ISSUE. IMPACT WHO PARTICIPATES AND THE LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION WE HAVE. BUT OF THOSE WHO PARTICIPATE, I MEAN, THE, THE RESOURCES THAT EXIST ARE NEGLIGIBLE FOR BEAVER COUNTY. YOU KNOW, OUR SHELTER IS 180 PLACES IN CHARLESTON. THEY'RE THE FEDERALLY FUNDED SHELTER. UH, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO GET SOMEONE IN THERE. WHAT'S LEFT IS FAMILY PROMISE AND, UM, HOPEFUL HORIZONS IF YOU QUALIFY FOR THOSE. SO THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE WITH THEM COMES INTO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OR, UM, NAVIGATING OTHER RESOURCES. I MEAN, THE REALITY IS THAT IF YOU'RE HERE SEEKING A SHELTER, THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. BUT WHAT WE CAN HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IS HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD IN YOUR LIFE TO GET YOU TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS? AND TYPICALLY THAT INVOLVES WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. IF YOU GUYS, YOU GUYS NEED A JOB. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A JOB, THERE'S NOWHERE TO GO. UM, IF THEY CAN'T WORK, WE TRY TO GET THEM ON, UM, MEDICAID OR, UM, MEDICARE IF THEY'RE OLD ENOUGH, UM, SOCIAL SECURITY, UH, DISABILITY, WHATEVER, TO TRY TO GENERATE SOME SORT OF INCOME. AND EVEN THEN IT'S A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION BECAUSE THAT'S NOT ENOUGH TO LIVE ON, USUALLY. BUT YOU WORK WITH, YOU SAID, OVER 100 AGENCIES. MM-HMM. AND I'LL, I KNOW YOU LISTED A BUNCH. ALL OF THOSE AGENCIES HAVE OUTREACH. EVERY ONE OF THEM, UNITED WAY, LEFT IN SELF-HELP, LOW COUNTRY, WHATEVER. [00:15:01] THEY ALL HAVE OUTREACH. SO WHAT DOES YOUR DEPARTMENT DO THAT THEY DON'T? SO WHAT WE DO, UH, THAT THEY TYPICALLY DON'T DO IS WE HAVE THE CAPACITY FOR WRAPAROUND AND CASE MANAGEMENT. UH, MOST OF THOSE AGENCIES WHEN THEY DO CHARITABLE SERVICES, UM, THEY'RE JUST LOOKING AT, UH, MOVING DOLLARS. THEY'RE NOT DOING THE WRAPAROUND AND CASE MANAGEMENT. OF THOSE STATE AGENCY WHO HAVE, AGENCIES WHO HAVE CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, IT'S USUALLY RESTRICTED TO SPECIFIC CRITERIA. UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT'S, UH, DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH, THEY'RE GONNA BE CASE MANAGING AROUND MENTAL HEALTH, ALL THINGS PURSUANT TO MENTAL HEALTH, BARRIERS TO MENTAL HEALTH. UM, BUT IF ANYTHING FALLS OUTSIDE OF THAT SCOPE, IT'S GONNA BE DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO JUSTIFY SPENDING DOLLARS ON THAT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. WELL, I HOPE THE NEXT TIME WE TALK TO YOU, WE HAVE ACTUAL DATA POINTS. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE SERVED, HOW MANY ROLL OFF OUR SERVICE, HOW MANY COME OUT, THAT KIND OF THING. THAT HELPS ME UNDERSTAND OUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. YES, THANK YOU. UM. IT'S A CONCERN OF MINE, AND I DO KNOW THAT, UM, BEAUFORT COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE, UH, A SHELTER. UH, YOU TALK ABOUT THAT. UM, BUFORD COUNTY NEVER REALLY WANTED A SHELTER. NOW, IF YOU HAD, UM, YOUR WISHLIST, WOULD YOU BE RECOMMENDING TO THIS COUNCIL TO LOOK AT SOME FORM OF SHELTER FOR THE HOMELESS? A SHELTER IS SOMETHING I - HUH? A, A SHELTER'S SOMETHING I KINDA STRUGGLE WITH. UM - YOU STRUGGLE WITH IT? WOULD IT, WOULD IT HELP? ON SOME LEVEL, I THINK IT WOULD. I THINK THE COST VERSUS THE BENEFIT WOULD BE DIFFICULT, UM, BECAUSE THE QUESTION'S GONNA BE WHETHER OR NOT YOU CAN TRANSITION PEOPLE OUT OF THAT SHELTER. AND SO THE, I GUESS THE BIG QUESTION IS HOW MUCH CAPACITY WILL THAT SHELTER HAVE? UM, BECAUSE EVEN VERY LARGE SHELTERS, YOU TALK ABOUT CAPACITY OF 20 TO 40 PEOPLE. IF YOU HAD YOUR WISHLIST, I ASK YOU - YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR, BUT - IF... YOU STRUGGLE WITH IT, DON'T, DON'T, DON'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION THEN. NO, NO, NO, NO. I MEAN, I, THE QUESTION IS GONNA BE WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD REALLY HELP TOMORROW, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT WOULD BE. UM, YOU WOULD EFFECTIVELY WAREHOUSE PEOPLE IN A SHELTER IN THE ABSENCE OF EXIT OPPORTUNITIES. AND THAT WOULD BE - IF YOU SET IT UP THAT WAY, YES, I AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT 100%. YEAH. IF YOU SET IT UP THAT WAY, BUT, UM, IF, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT A TRANSITIONAL - UH-HUH. AND A SHELTER WILL HELP PEOPLE TRANSITION OUT - UH-HUH. YOU KNOW, THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY, BUT NO, WE'RE NOT, I WOULD NOT BE IN FAVOR OF WAREHOUSING ANYBODY - ABSOLUTELY. AT THIS TIME. SO, BUT, UM - YEAH, AND, AND TRANSITIONAL HOUSING AS FAR AS, LIKE, THAT'S CONCERNED. LET ME GO ON. I WANNA GET ON, I WANNA GO ON. YOU, YOU ANSWER. YEAH. UM, EXPLAIN TO ME, UM, I JUST GOT TWO QUESTIONS. UM, EXPLAIN TO ME THE, UM, THE, THE WAY YOU HANDLE THE REIMBURSEMENT. TELL ME, HOW DOES, HOW IS THAT FROM THE STATE LEVEL FUNDING SOURCE? OUR CONTRACT WITH DHHS IS MEDICAID ADMINISTRATIVE MATCH. COMES OUT OF THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE BUDGET, UM, THAT THEY'RE ALLOCATED FOR MEDICAID DOLLARS IN SOUTH CAROLINA, WHICH ALLOWS US TO DO SOME THINGS THAT MEDICAID WOULDN'T NORMALLY REIMBURSE FOR. AND SO, THIS CONTRACT FOR WRAPAROUND SERVICES IS NOT TYPICALLY SOMETHING MEDICAID REIMBURSES FOR, BUT THEY'RE USING THAT DISCRETIONARY BUDGET, UM, TO, TO LET US TO DO THAT. AND WE ARE RECEIVING, UH, ROUGHLY $200,000 FROM THE STATE? YES, SIR. OKAY. YEAH, WE INVOICE. UM, SO WE, WE INVOICE FOR THAT AMOUNT, UM, AND WE CAN INVOICE, WE USUALLY INVOICE AT THE END OF THE YEAR, UM, SINCE WE HAVE THE, THE FUNDS HERE ALREADY, AND THEN THEY'LL INVOICE US FOR THE MATCH. AND SO THE MATCH IS EFFECTIVELY OUR PAYROLL. UM, SINCE WE'RE A SPECIAL REVENUE FUND, OUR ALLOCATION'S 465, SO AT THAT 465, ONE TO THREE GOES UP, AND THEN WE PULL DOWN 207. OKAY. AND THE, UH, FINAL QUESTION IS, UM, YOUR, YOUR S - I CALL IT A SELF-EVALUATION. MM-HMM. UM, DO, DO YOU ASSESS YOUR CLIENTS, UH, BEFORE THEY COME IN OR WHEN THEY COME IN, AND THEN DO YOU ASSESS THEM AFTERWARD? WE DO. YES, SIR. OKAY. OKAY. I DIDN'T GET THAT. AND WE TRY TO DO THEM OVER TIME, UM - SURE. BUT IT DEPENDS ON HOW QUICK WE, UH, PROCESS SOMEBODY, UH, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD. IF, IF THEY HAVE AN EASY RESOLUTION, WE'LL DO AN ENTRY AND A EXIT. UH, IF WE WORK WITH SOMEBODY OVER A PERIOD OF TIME - SO WHEN YOU DO ALL THE SELF- SELF-EVALUATION - UH-HUH. UM, YOU HAVE A BASELINE DATA FROM IN-HOUSE AS WELL? WE DO. OKAY. YEAH, SO OUR IN-HOUSE, WE, WE ASK THEM ABOUT SATISFACTION, THEN OUR IN-HOUSE EQUIVALENT IS THEIR SECURITY. UM, SO IF THEY SAY, "HEY, I'M, I'M SATISFIED WITH, UM, LET'S SAY I'M SATISFIED WITH, WITH FOOD RIGHT NOW," BUT WE KNOW THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO PAY FOR GROCERIES, WE MIGH SAY, "OKAY, WELL, WE'RE GONNA PUT YOU LIKE A ONE OR A TWO BECAUSE YOU'RE STRUGGLING WITH FOOD, EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY ACTUALLY PERCEIVE THAT AS YOU'RE DOING OKAY." OKAY. I THANK YOU FOR THAT. YES, SIR. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? I, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE A HOMELESS, [00:20:01] UH, SITUATION. UH, FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, I'D SAY, UM, IT WOULD BE ABOUT 28 OF THE 32. 28 OUT OF 32? YES, SIR. OKAY. THANK YOU. MM-HMM. THANK YOU. TAB HAS SOME THOUGHTS. UH, WITH UH, CHARLESTON AND THE SHELTER THERE, WHAT TRANSITION RATE IS THERE TO GETTING PEOPLE OUT OF THERE BACK TO A NORMAL LIFE, LET'S SAY? DO YOU HAVE THOSE NUMBERS? I DON'T. I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO GET THAT FROM YOU. THAT'D BE GOOD TO KNOW TO WHAT YORK IS TALKING ABOUT AS WELL. BUT THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE IT. ANYTHING ELSE? [8.a. Presentation from Pockets Full of Sunshine - Karen Hazlett, Pockets Full of Sunshine ] ON THIS GOOD? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOU. WE'RE GONNA MOVE RIGHT INTO THE NEXT, UH, AGENDA ITEM. I BELIEVE IT'S EIGHT, AND THAT'S PRESENTATIONS. AND, UH, THE FIRST ONE UP IS MS. CARNES. YOU WANNA COME ON UP? YEAH, I'LL, I'LL SET THE STAGE REAL QUICK FOR YOU. IT WAS A COUPLE, THREE WEEKS AGO. I WAS AT A BOARD MEETING WITH THE AIRPORT AND MS. CARNES, OR CARNES WAS THERE DOING HER THING, AND I SAID, "THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN HAVE YOU PART OF, UH, A MEETING LIKE THIS." SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND MS. BROCK HAS THE BACKUP MATERIAL. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO START WITH WITH THAT? AND JAN, YOU'RE GONNA TALK AND INTRODUCE IT. THANK YOU. YEAH, THANK YOU. UM, I DO HAVE A SHORT VIDEO THAT I'M HAPPY TO SHARE. UM, I FEEL LIKE REALLY SHOWCASES EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT WE DO IN ALL OF THE SMILING FACES. BUT, UM, I WILL CHAT A LITTLE BIT FIRST. SO HI, EVERYBODY. UH, MY NAME IS CARNES. I AM THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR AN ORGANIZATION CALLED POCKETS FULL OF SUNSHINE. WE ARE A LOCAL NONPROFIT FOUNDED ON HILTON HEAD, AND THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE VIDEO. AND, UM, WE SERVE ADULTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS BY PROVIDING DIFFERENT SOCIAL AND VOCATIONAL PROGRAMMING FOR THEM. WE SERVE OVER 130 FAMILIES FROM HILTON HEAD ALL THE WAY TO RIDGELAND, BEAUFORT, HARDEEVILLE, BLUFFTON. UH, WE HAVE ADULTS THAT TRAVEL UP TO TWO HOURS JUST FOR OUR PROGRAMMING. UM, POCKETS WAS FOUNDED F - UM, FOR SOMETHING, BECAUSE OF SOMETHING KNOWN AS THE DISABILITY CLIFF. UM, ESSENTIALLY, WHEN INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, THEY AGE OUT OF SERVICES, AND IT'S BEEN COMPARED TO THE FEELING OF FALLING OFF OF A CLIFF BECAUSE YOU'RE LOSING ACCESS TO RESOURCES, SOCIALIZATION, PROGRAMMING, THERAPY SERVICES, MEDICAL SUPPORT, UM, AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE THESE FAMILIES AND THESE ADULTS ARE JUST KIND OF LEFT. AND SO POCKETS WAS FOUNDED ON THAT. WE STARTED WITH THIS LITTLE PIECE OF PLASTIC THAT IS ACTUALLY THE BYPRODUCT OF A CAR PART. SO IN JEEP, DODGE, CHRYSLER VEHICLES, THERE IS A LITTLE ROUND PLASTIC PIECE OVER THE BRAKE FLUID CAP, AND THIS IS ACTUALLY WHAT GETS PUNCHED OUT OF IT. AND IT HAPPENS TO LOOK LIKE A LITTLE SUNSHINE, AND THIS IS HOW OUR ORGANIZATION WAS FOUNDED. STARTED BY JUST CRAFTING WITH THIS LITTLE PIECE OF NON-RECYCLABLE PLASTIC THAT WAS ENDING UP IN LANDFILLS AND HAS SINCE GROWN INTO WHAT IT IS TODAY. OUR PROGRAMMING IS MADE UP OF, LIKE I SAID, VOCATIONAL AND SOCIAL PROGRAMS. AND THE VOCATIONAL PROGRAM IS A DAY PROGRAM. IT ALSO INVOLVES SCREEN PRINTING AND HEAT PRESSING CUSTOM APPAREL, BOTH FOR OUR SUNSHINE SHOP AND FOR OTHER BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS. AND OUR SOCIAL PROGRAMMING IS THE EVENINGS AND WEEKENDS, SO JUST AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE SPECIAL NEEDS ADULTS, WHICH WE CALL OUR RAYS, LIKE RAYS OF SUNSHINE, UH, TO GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY. SO I WOULD LOVE TO SHOW THE VIDEO NOW AND SHOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR RAYS, AND THEN I'M HAPPY TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE AFTER TOO. OUR GOAL WITH THE RAYS WHEN THEY WALK THROUGH THESE DOORS IS FOR EVERY DAY THEY'RE HERE WITH US TO BE THEIR BEST DAY EVER. YOU WALK IN HERE, THE WHOLE MOOD IS JUST LIKE, IT'S SUNSHINE IN HERE, YOU KNOW? AND POSITIVE ENERGY AND LAUGHTER. UH, OUR MAIN FOCUS IS TO HAVE FUN. IT COULD BE RAINING AND COLD OUTSIDE AND YOU WALK IN HERE AND YOU'RE JUST LIKE, LIKE YOU'RE SO PUMPED BECAUSE YOU CAN'T HAVE A BAD DAY WHEN YOU'RE WITH THE RAYS. IT JUST CAN'T HAPPEN. I MEAN, I COME AND I JUST, I WALK IN AND THERE'S NEVER A MOMENT THAT SOMETHING'S NOT GOING ON OVER HERE. I NEVER REALLY KNEW THAT WHAT UNCONDITIONAL LOVE WAS UNTIL I MET A PERSON THAT ALL THEY WANNA DO IS LOVE YOU AND ALL THEY WANNA DO IS BE LOVED. THEY DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE MAKEUP ON. THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR JEWELRY. THEY JUST CARE ABOUT YOU. [00:25:02] THEY ARE JUST REALLY SPECIAL PEOPLE. YOU COULD BE HAVING THE WORST DAY EVER, AND YOU GO AND YOU SPEND SOME TIME WITH THE RAYS, AND I PROMISE YOU, YOU'RE GONNA LEAVE MORE JOYFUL THAN WHEN YOU ARRIVED. I PROMISE YOU WILL. I THINK WE'RE DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE TRY TO BE MORE COMMUNITY MINDED AND, AND, AND THAT'S OUR FOCUS. AND AS A RESULT, UH, THE COMMUNITY'S BEEN UNBELIEVABLE. WE ARE THE OFFICIAL COOKIE OF THE HERITAGE CLASSIC FOUNDATION, OUR FAMOUS PEANUT BUTTER PUTTERS, UM, AND WE'VE BAKED THEM EVER SINCE. SINCE THEN, I'VE WORKED WITH THEM ALMOST EVERY SEMESTER TO BRING THOSE FOLKS BACK IN OUR KITCHEN AND - TELL YOU EXACTLY. THAT'S TURNED INTO ONE OF THE BEST THINGS EVER. WHO HAS A SMILE BAKING? THEY'RE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. THEY DO VOLUNTEER PROJECTS AND THEY'RE AT THE RESTAURANTS AND WE, WE WENT TO THE MOVIES AND THEY LOVE COMING AND BEING A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. SINCE AND THE RACE HAVE BEEN STUFFING OUR EASTER EGGS, UM, FOR OUR EASTER STRAVAGANZA EVENT IN APRIL, AND I KNOW THEY WORKED VERY HARD ON IT ALL YEAR ROUND. I, I THINK THE LOCAL AND THE COMMUNITY PIECE OF THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT BEING MET. WITH POCKETS, YOU FEEL, YOU FEEL EVERY CONNECTION WITH IT. YOU FEEL THE GRATITUDE, YOU FEEL THE INCLUSION, YOU FEEL THAT PIECE OF COMMUNITY. WELL, IT'S JUST THE VISIBILITY TOO OF POCKETS WHEN THEY GO AND WORK A FESTIVAL OR THEY VOLUNTEER SOMEWHERE. IT CREATES THIS OTHER LEVEL OF AWARENESS IN THE COMMUNITY. WE ARE HERE AT THE ITALIAN AMERICAN FESTIVAL, ONE OF THE MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORTS CHARITIES AND PARTICULARLY POCKETS FULL OF SUNSHINE. THEY'RE OUR FRIENDS AND IT IS A BEAUTIFUL DAY AND WE HAVE LOTS OF RAYS AND LOTS OF VOLUNTEERS WITH US AND WE'RE HAVING A GREAT TIME. YES, WE ARE. FULL POCKETS. . LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL IT CAN BE. RIDING THE WAVES WITH THE RAYS. POCKET FULL OF SUNSHINE. IT'S COMING RIGHT FROM UP THERE. IT'S A TOTAL FEELING OF LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE AND COMPASSION AND FUN. IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S THE KIDS, IT'S THE ADULTS, IT'S THE PASSION. UM, IT'S THE LOVE. WE ARE WAY OUT IN THE WOODS AND, AND REAL NEAR SANDFLY, GEORGIA, ACTUALLY. THAT'S, THAT SOUNDS PRETTY OBSCURE, DOESN'T IT? IT'S JUST A GOOD THING TO COME OUT AND SHOOT AND RAISE SOME MONEY AND HAVE FUN. GO BY THESE STATIONS, SEE HOW MUCH FUN EVERYBODY'S HAVING. WHY WOULDN'T YOU WANNA BE A PART OF IT? TODAY IS ALWAYS A GOOD DAY. IT IS AND THE SUN IS SHINING. IF YOU THINK YOU'RE HAVING A BAD DAY, YOU SPEND A DAY WITH THEM. YOU'LL BE SMILING AT THE END OF THAT DAY. I GO TO A LOT OF EVENTS WITH PARKERSVILLE SUNSHINE AND IT'S AN AMAZING THING. PEACE, LOVE, AND MUSIC AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. IT'S, IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE. I THINK IT'S JUST ALL ABOUT LOVE. IT'S ALL ABOUT KINDNESS. IT'S ALL ABOUT, UM, ACCEPTANCE. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE MEASURE SUCCESS BY THE NUMBER OF SMILES ON THEIR FACES. UH, WE MEASURE SUCCESS BY THE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS THAT COME. WE MEASURE SUCCESS BY THE, THE AMOUNT OF THE COMMUNITY GIVING, OPENING THEIR DOORS AND GIVING US OPPORTUNITIES TO COME WORK WITH THEM AND, UH, BE A PART OF THEIR PROGRAMS. WHEN I THINK OF ALL OF THOSE THINGS, IT'S VERY HARD TO PUT INTO WORDS THE MEANING OF WHAT POCKETS, UH, AND THE GROWTH THAT WE HAVE SEEN. BUT IT'S THOSE LITTLE SLIVERS OF EVERYDAY LIFE, THE PURPOSE, THE, THE JOY, THE FRIENDSHIPS. IT'S WHAT WE ALL WANT, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE A PLACE WHERE WE BELONG AND TO HAVE THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY, UM, TO BE WITH PEOPLE THAT YOU FEEL SEEN AND LOVED BY. BECAUSE THE BIG THING THAT PEOPLE FORGET IS JUST LIKE WE WANT A QUALITY OF LIFE, OUR YOUNG PEOPLE WANT A QUALITY OF LIFE. THEY WANT TO PURSUE THEIR OWN TALENTS AND INTERESTS. THAT'S WHAT THIS DOES. IT'S THE QUALITY OF LIFE PIECE. HAVING A JOY-FILLED DAY WITH HIS FRIENDS, WITH HIS PEERS, THAT ALONE IS JUST HUGE. IT'S HUGE. IT MEANS EVERYTHING TO US. AND IT'S MADE A DIFFERENCE IN SO MANY PEOPLE'S LIVES THAT YOU, IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO QUANTIFY. IT'S AN AMAZING PLACE WITH AMAZING PEOPLE. I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GONNA FALL IN LOVE THE WAY I DID WITH THESE PEOPLE.THIS IS JUST SUCH A GREAT PLACE TO BE. OH MY GOD, I LOVE THESE PEOPLE SO MUCH. THAT, THAT IS... DIDN'T EVEN THINK THAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN, BUT IT'S HAPPENED AND IT IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. [00:30:13] D LIKE WE ALWAYS SAY MUSIC IS AN INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE. WHEN I DANCE WITH THE RAYS, THEY GIVE ME SO MUCH ENERGY AND SO MUCH JOY. I DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING REALLY. ACTUALLY, THEY DRIVE ME. I ALMOST GET A CRY. YOU KNOW, WHEN THE ENERGY HAVE TO COME FROM ME ALWAYS TO FEED PEOPLE AND GIVE THEM HAPPINESS, IT'S GREAT BECAUSE I LOVE IT. THAT'S ME. BUT, BUT WHEN I HAVE THE RAYS HERE, THAT ENERGY IS COMING FROM ALL OF THEM TO ME AND IT'S LIKE, WOW, SOMEBODY'S FEEDING ME WITH THE ENERGY AND IT'S AWESOME. POCKETS IS EVERYTHING TO, TO US AND OUR FAMILY. UM, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE IT, THAT COME TOGETHER AND REALLY TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL, THAT, THAT IS AN AMAZING THING FOR ME. THAT IS WHAT I, IT'S WHAT KEEPS ME GOING. AND IT'S THE VOLUNTEERS, THE, THE PARTICIPANTS, THE FAMILIES, THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE THAT COMES TOGETHER. UH, THAT, THAT IS WHAT REALLY IS THE STORY OF POCKETS. HEY, THANK YOU. WANNA FINISH UP OR YOU WANT QUESTIONS OR? UM, I WAS JUST GONNA GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR PROGRAMMING, UM, TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT POCKETS, BUT I CAN JUST GO RIGHT TO QUESTIONS. YEAH, I CAN GO RIGHT TO QUESTIONS. WELL, IF YOU HAVE A QUICK SYNOPSIS, BY ALL MEANS, OR WE, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU. YEAH, PLEASE ASK AWAY. GO AHEAD, PLEASE OPEN IT UP. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING. ANYTHING? NO. NO. THEN TAKE A BRIEF SECOND AND DO YOUR SYNOPSIS, PLEASE. YEAH. UM, SO I FEEL LIKE THE VIDEO, UM, ALTHOUGH I KNOW IT'S A BIT LONG, IT DOES A GOOD JOB OF SHOWCASING THE RAYS AND OUR PARTICIPANTS IN THE COMMUNITY ASPECT, AND THAT'S WHY I THOUGHT IT WAS SPECIAL TO SHARE TODAY, UM, TO SHOWCASE THE PRESENCE AND THE BEAUTY OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WE LIVE IN. UM, AS FAR AS OUR PROGRAMMING GOES, WE HAVE PROGRAMMING SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND WE SERVE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 20 TO 30 INDIVIDUALS A DAY, WHETHER THEY COME IN FOR A DAY PROGRAM THAT'S COMMUNITY BASED WHERE THEY GET OUT IN THE COMMUNITY FOR PICKLEBALL AND WORKOUT CLASSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. OR THEY COME IN TO SCREEN PRINT CUSTOM APPAREL FOR OUR SHOP AND OTHER BUSINESSES LIKE I SHARED, OR THEY'RE GOING TO MUSIC BINGO OR MOVIE NIGHTS. UM, ANYTHING TO ALLOW OUR SPECIAL NEEDS ADULTS TO BE ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE WONDERFUL COMMUNITY THAT WE LIVE IN. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR LETTING ME COME IN AND SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEM. CARNES, UM, YOU, GO AHEAD, YORK. YES. UM, IS THERE A RELATIONSHIP BEING, UM, UM, PARK IS FULL OF SUNSHINE AND THE DISABILITY AND SPECIAL NEEDS PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE IN THE COUNTY. YEAH, I, WE ALL SERVE THE SAME INDIVIDUALS, BUT WE'RE NOT DIRECTLY CORRELATED. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. UM... AS I COME TO A CLOSE OF MY TERM ON COUNCIL, I COULDN'T THINK OF A BETTER WAY TO... UH, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA GET SOME PARTNERS FROM THIS. AND TO YORK'S QUESTION, I THINK THERE MAY BE SOME SYNERGIES THAT YOU CAN MAYBE WORK TOGETHER AND EVEN STRENGTHEN WHAT YOU DO, BUT I WANNA THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WE APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. GOD BLESS. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. QUESTION. YES. SURE. UM, THE POCKET'S FULL OF SUNSHINE. THEY DO THE COOKIES FOR THE HERITAGE. YES, MA'AM. RIGHT BECAUSE I REMEMBER THAT FROM GOING TO THE HERITAGE A FEW, COUPLE YEARS - YES. IN A ROW HERE. UM, DOES THE HERITAGE, HERITAGE IS, THEY RAISE A LOT OF MONEY, UH, FROM, FOR CHARITIES. ARE YOU ONE OF THE CHARITIES THAT RECEIVE, UH, FUNDS? WE ARE. SO WE ARE A PART OF THE HERITAGE CLASSIC FOUNDATION. OKAY. SO IF PEOPLE, UH, WHICH THEY DO CHARITABLE MATCHING. RIGHT. SO IF PEOPLE MAKE A DONATION TO US THROUGH THEM, THEY WILL MATCH IT. SO YOU DO GET SOME BENEFIT FROM THAT? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. PAUL, I HAVE BEEN A VOLUNTEER FOR THAT HERITAGE FOR SIX YEARS NOW. AND I DO GET THOSE COOKIES AND I'M TELLING YOU RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE SO GOOD. YOU CAN WANNA STAY AWAY FROM THEM, BUT TRY THEM. THEY'RE VERY GOOD. OH, OKAY. KARNS, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. IT'S INTERESTING, [8.b. Presentation from Novant Health - Joel Taylor, Novant Health ] BUT THE NEXT SET OF SPEAKERS, I MEAN, JUST FOLLOWS GREATLY WITH THIS THEME AND CONCEPT OF COMMUNITY. AND [00:35:01] MR. TAYLOR, DO YOU WANNA COME ON UP? I WANNA, I'LL SET THE STAGE VERY BRIEFLY IS, UM, WHEN I CAME ON COUNCIL, I THINK ALL OF US KNOW WHETHER IT'S IN BLUFFTON, BEAUFORT OR HILTON HEAD, WE, WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS DEMAND THAT ALWAYS INCREASES FOR SERVICES OF THIS NATURE. AND WHEN YOU HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON, WHERE THEY CAME FROM, NOVANT, AND WHERE THEY'RE GOING, AND THEN WE'LL FINISH UP WITH A COUPLE THOUGHTS I HAVE AT THE END, BUT PLEASE TAKE IT AWAY. THANK YOU. CERTAINLY. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN. YES, SIR. JOEL TAYLOR. I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SERVING AS THE MARKET PRESIDENT FOR NOVANT HEALTH HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, AND WE ALSO COVER JASPER COUNTY. AND SO JUST WANTED TO GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE ABOUT WHO WE ARE AS NOVANT HEALTH. BUT I WILL BRAG ON THE POCKETS FULL OF SUNSHINE TEAM. WE, UH, WE ARE COMMUNITY HOSPITALS AND THEY, UH, THEY, UH, DESIGNED AND PRINTED FOR US, UH, T-SHIRTS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES LAST YEAR. SO THEY DO A GREAT JOB. AND, UH, I'M PROUD OF THE PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE ACROSS, UH, ACROSS THIS AREA WITH GROUPS LIKE POCKETSFUL OF SUNSHINE. SO I'LL KIND OF CLIP THROUGH, UH, JUST WHO WE ARE, WHERE WE'RE HEADED. UM, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, DON'T, DON'T HESITATE TO INTERRUPT. SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT NOVANT HEALTH. I WON'T READ THIS TO YOU ALL, BUT I WILL, I WILL SHARE, UH, MOST ORGANIZATIONS HAVE A MISSION STATEMENT. NOVANT HEALTH HAS A SHARED CAUSE STATEMENT, UH, FOCUSED ON BRINGING HEALTHIER FUTURE AND REMARKABLE EXPERIENCES TO LIFE. WE BECAME PART OF NOVANT HEALTH IN 2024 AND, UM, UH, HAVE BEEN VERY PLEASED WITH EVERYTHING THAT NOVANT HEALTH HAS BROUGHT TO THE TABLE. THE INVESTMENT I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, BUT MOST NOTABLY, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY EACH AND EVERY DAY TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE HERE FOR YOU ALL, FOR YOU, YOUR CONSTITUENTS. UM, THOSE SAME PEOPLE ARE OUR PATIENTS. THEY'RE OUR NEIGHBORS, THEY'RE OUR FAMILY, THEY'RE OUR FRIENDS, AND, UH, WE TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY. SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO WE ARE AS THE HILTON HEAD MARKET FOR NOVANT HEALTH. UH, HILTON HEAD MEDICAL CENTER, LAST YEAR WE CELEBRATED OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY. WE ARE A 93-BED HOSPITAL ON A BARRIER ISLAND. YOU ALL KNOW IT WELL. UM, BUT NOT TOO MANY 93-BED HOSPITALS HAVE THE ADVANCED SERVICES THAT WE DO, UM, FROM CARDIOVASCULAR TO SPINE TO ORTHOPEDICS, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY, UM, A TWENTY FOUR SEVEN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. COASTAL CAROLINA BECAME PART OF OUR SYSTEM IN 2007, UH, BUILT IN 2004. AND IF YOU'VE BEEN BY COASTAL, UH, WHICH IS IN JASPER COUNTY, BUT HALF OF THE PATIENTS THAT ARE CARED FOR AT COASTAL LIVE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. UM, IF YOU'VE BEEN BY COASTAL AT ANY POINT RECENTLY, WE ARE VERY BUSY THERE. AND SO WE ARE EXPANDING. UM, EARLY NEXT YEAR, WE WILL BREAK DOWN, BREAK GROUND ON EXPANDED OPERATING ROOM, EXPANDING THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, IMPROVING THE PARKING THERE, UM, WHICH IS, UH, HEY, THAT'S A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE, UM, FROM MY VANTAGE POINT. BUT WE'RE THERE TO TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE AND VERY PROUD OF, UH, WHAT COASTAL CAROLINA, UH, BRINGS TO THE COMMUNITY. A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS ON THE, ALSO ON THE SLIDE. MOST NOTABLY, UM, THE, UH, TIDEWATCH EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT THAT IS AT THE BACK GATE OF SUN CITY THAT OPENED IN 2019, WE'VE REPLICATED THAT AND OPENED IN THE SUMMER OF THIS YEAR, THE BLUFFTON EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. AND ADJACENT TO THE BLUFFTON EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT IS THE WASHINGTON SQUARE MEDICAL PARK. SO THAT IS A 40,000 SQUARE FOOT MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDING THAT WILL BE COMPLETE IN APRIL, UM, AND WILL HOUSE OUR OUTPATIENT CARDIOVASCULAR, SO CARDIOLOGISTS, UM, VASCULAR SURGERY, UM, AS WELL AS GASTROENTEROLOGY, AND AN ENDO LAB, UH, WILL BE THERE AT THE WASHINGTON SQUARE MEDICAL PARK. AND THEN THE BUCKWALTER MEDICAL PARK ALSO OPENED, UH, THIS SUMMER HOUSES, UH, AN OUTPATIENT IMAGING CENTER, OUR ORTHOPEDIC OFFICE, PRIMARY CARE, UM, ALL LOCATED RIGHT THERE AT BUCKWALTER COMMONS, UH, IN WHAT WAS ONCE AN EVERCORE BUILDING. UM, AND SO IF THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE, UH, THAT BUILDING HAD SET, UH, UNLEASHED FOR SEVERAL YEARS. UH, WE TOOK IT, UH, COMPLETELY RENOVATED THE INTERIOR AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY NOW, HIGH FUNCTIONING. I, I PERSONALLY WAS A PATIENT THERE JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, A QUICK IN AND OUT SERVICE, UM, A GREAT TEAM THERE AT THE BUCKWALTER MEDICAL PARK. BUT THROUGHOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, WHEN I, I SAY THIS PRETTY ROUTINELY, WHEN THE ANNOUNCEMENT CAME THAT NOVANT HEALTH WAS PURCHASING OUR TWO HOSPITALS, I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF BEING HERE FOR, UM, 10 YEARS AND, UH, IT'S GOING BY FAST. WHEN NOVANT HEALTH ANNOUNCED THE PURCHASE OF THESE TWO HOSPITALS, I CALLED SOME COLLEAGUES IN NORTH CAROLINA TO FIND OUT WHAT, WHO IS NOVANT HEALTH? I HAD KNOWN THEM IN NAME ONLY, BUT THEY, UH, THEY, WHAT I HEARD FROM MY FRIENDS AND CONTACTS IN NORTH CAROLINA FOCUSED ON PATIENT EXPERIENCE, AND THAT'S THAT REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE I'M TALKING ABOUT, BUT ALSO THAT COMMITMENT TO QUALITY, UM, WHICH HIGHLIGHTED HERE, I WON'T READ THEM ALL TO YOU, BUT FROM [00:40:01] THE JOINT COMMISSION TO HEALTHGRADES, UH, TO, UH, THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION, A DISTINCT FOCUS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE DO, WE DO WELL, UM, AND WE EXCEL AT IT. AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, FROM MY VANTAGE POINT, TO PARTNER WITH PHYSICIANS, UH, THAT DESIRE TO LIVE IN THIS AREA, TO REALLY DELIVER THE HEALTHCARE, UH, THAT THIS, THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS AND DEMANDS. IT'S A VERY HEALTH LITERATE COMMUNITY ON THE WHOLE, AND SO THERE IS A HIGH, A HIGH DEGREE OF, UH, EXPECTATION FOR PHYSICIANS AND OUR TEAM MEMBERS, AND THESE AWARDS REPRESENT THAT WORK AS WELL. SO WE'RE NOT JUST HEALTHCARE FACILITIES. UH, AS I SAID, WE'RE COMMUNITY HOSPITALS. UH, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH BLUFFTON SELF-HELP. I HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO, UH, SERVE ON THAT BOARD FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. WE WORK WITH LOCAL CHAMBERS. WE ARE PART OF THE COMMUNITY. AND TO THAT END, UM, LATER THIS YEAR, UH, AFTER A LOT OF, UH, PAINSTAKING EFFORT, WE'VE HAD GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD. WE ARE IN THE FINAL STAGES TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION OF OUR ON-CAMPUS WORKFORCE, WORKFORCE HOUSING ON HILTON HEAD AT HILTON HEAD MEDICAL CENTER. THIS IS, UM, 13 ACRES THAT WE, THE HOSPITAL OWN. WE'RE DONATING IT TO THE COASTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION SO THAT THEY CAN, UH, BUILD A, APPROXIMATELY 100 WORKFORCE HOUSING UNITS FOR HILTON HEAD EMPLOYEES. SO CONTINUED FOCUS AND GROWTH, UH, AND I'LL HAVE TO TELL YOU, UH, THE, THE INTENTIONAL FOCUS ON WORKFORCE HOUSING, THE GROWTH IN THIS AREA, AND THE NEED FOR EXPANDED HEALTHCARE IS DRAMATIC. AND THIS PROJECT REALLY, UH, BRINGS A LOT OF THOSE PIECES TOGETHER, AND WE'RE PROUD TO BE A PART AND TO SUPPORT IT. SO LAST BUT, UH, NOT LEAST REALLY IS JUST THAT PHYSICIAN RECRUITMENT. SO, UH, I WAS TALKING WITH, UH, MR. PASSIMAN EARLIER, JUST THE GROWTH IN THIS AREA. UM, OUR RESPONSE IS TWOFOLD. ONE, MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE EASE OF ACCESS INTO SOME OF THE FACILITIES I REFERENCED, BUT ALSO EASE OF ACCESS WITH PHYSICIANS. AND SO THIS IS NOT THE LIST OF ALL THE PHYSICIANS THAT WE'VE RECRUITED IN THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS, BUT IT'S JUST A SNIPPET. AND THAT SNIPPET INCLUDES GOING FROM THREE PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS IN OUR NETWORK TO OVER 15, TO BRING THE AREA'S FIRST FULL-TIME ELECTROPHYSIOLOGIST WHO HAS JOINED OUR HEART AND VASCULAR PROGRAM TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND EXPAND OUR UROLOGY DEPARTMENT, OBGYN, ON AND ON AND ON. UH, THESE ARE GREAT MEN AND WOMEN THAT TRAINED AT SOME OF THE BEST INSTITUTIONS IN THE AREA THAT WANTED TO LIVE HERE, AND I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH THEM ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, UM, AND REPRESENTING THEM TODAY. SO WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT WHERE WE'RE HEADED. THE GROWTH YEAR OVER YEAR FOR OUR HEALTH SYSTEM IS DRAMATIC. OUR INVESTMENT IN THE COMMUNITY IS DRAMATIC. UH, WHEN I TALK ABOUT CAPITAL INVESTMENT, WE HAVE INVESTED OVER $300 MILLION JUST SINCE NOVANT PURCHASED THESE TWO HOSPITALS. WE HAVE INVESTED IN OUR EXISTING FACILITIES WITH NEW EQUIPMENT, NEW PHYSICIANS, UM, AND OBVIOUSLY A NEW FACILITY. SO A LOT GOING ON, BUT WE ARE COMMUNITY HOSPITALS HERE TO SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR, UH, YOUR CONSTITUENTS. AS I SAID, THEY'RE OUR PATIENTS, OUR FRIENDS, OUR NEIGHBORS, AND OUR LOVED ONES. SO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. I BELIEVE WE HAVE A COUPLE, MAYBE ANYBODY. YES. CHAIR, UM, YOU SAY YOU'RE INVESTING. HOW ARE YOU INVESTING? SO NEW FACILITIES, UM, I, I MEAN, YOU, I CAN RUN THE LIST, BUT THE NEW, NEW FACILITIES I LISTED EACH OF THOSE IS 40 MILLION PLUS. UH, WE WILL, UH, NEW EQUIPMENT THIS YEAR, WE'LL SPEND OVER $4 MILLION IN NEW EQUIPMENT. OH, OKAY. WITH THE HOSPITAL? YES, MA'AM. WITH HOSPITALS. I USED TO WORK IN THAT BUILDING IN AVICORE. OH, YOU DID? AND THE C-SUITES ON THE OTHER SIDE. OKAY. YEAH. SO YOU SAID YOU REDID IT. WE, UH - YOU TOOK THE CALL, DID YOU TAKE THE CALL CENTER OVER? YES, MA'AM. YOU DID? EXACTLY. YEAH. UM, COMPLETELY GUTTED IT, MOVED THE ELEVATORS - OH, OH. WHICH WAS IT'S - OH, YOU DID? YES. YEAH. IT WAS A, A DRAMATIC - STILL HAVE THAT GREAT BIG, UH, UH, WHAT IS IT CALLED? THE, UM, I'M TRYING TO THINK. THE, UH, THE GREAT BIG, WE CALL IT, USED TO CALL IT THE GREAT BIG BATTERY OUTSIDE BETWEEN THE TWO BUILDINGS. YES. WE STILL HAVE THAT. SO WE REDESIGNED THE FRONT ENTRANCE. OH, YOU DESIGNED THAT TOO? OH MY GOSH. WELL, AND WE HAD TO SHIELD IT, SO - OH, YEAH. YEAH. SO IT'S, UM - I'M JUST CURIOUS. THANK YOU. YEAH, OF COURSE. ANYBODY ELSE? NOPE. MR. TAYLOR, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M GONNA WRAP THIS UP, BUT I HAVE TO DO IT QUICKLY, I'M TOLD, BUT THAT'S ALL GOOD. BUT THANK YOU. WHEN I STARTED THIS COUNCIL POSITION, WE S - WE TALKED QUITE A BIT AND WE TALKED RIGHT THROUGH THIS. AND ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT I'VE NOTICED THAT I WANNA GIVE YOU CREDIT AND YOUR COMPETITION A LITTLE BIT CREDIT ON TOO IS THE RESPECT YOU HAVE FOR EACH OTHER. I BELIEVE WITH YOUR ADVANCES IN YOUR, UH, BUILDING, YOU GUYS ARE, YOU GUYS ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO BETTER OUR COMMUNITY OVERALL. AND, UH, HOW'S THAT NOT A GOOD THING? SO I, I BROUGHT YOU TOGETHER [00:45:01] HERE TODAY, UM, BECAUSE THIS COUNCIL, UH, LED BY CHAIRMAN HOWARD, UM, HAS DONE SOME GOOD THINGS WITH THE COMPETITION. BUT TO ME, IT'S A VERY PLEASANT, POSITIVE ONE THAT YOU'VE ACTUALLY DONE SOME GREAT THINGS. SO, UM, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO WORK WITH YOU. AND, UM, I KNOW YOU'RE WELL TAKEN CARE OF WITH THE MUNICIPALITY DOWN THERE ON THE ISLAND WHERE WE ARE. AND, UM, I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE... I WANT YOU TO COME BACK HERE, UH, FROM TIME TO TIME TO DO YOUR THING TO SHARE WITH US. FAIR? FAIR. WILL DO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU ALL. I APPRECIATE THE TIME. NO, GOD BLESS. [9.a. Authorize the County Administrator to enter a contract with Beaufort Memorial Hospital for Mental Health Care services for inmates in the care of Beaufort County Detention Center. (FISCAL IMPACT: The annual contract amount is $209,165.04 for minimum hours. Contract is flexible to account for the changing inmate population. The current contract is funded via ARPA dollars through December 2026. The last 6 months of the contract for the current FY will be funded by the general fund via Acct # 1000-20-1250-51160 $413,220.56 available balance.) - John Robinson ACA 3 Min ] UM, THE NEXT, WE'LL GO RIGHT INTO THE AGENDA ITEMS, AND AS WE DO THAT, IT WILL TRANSI- TRANSITION OVER TO TAB TO START READING NUMBER, WHAT'S THAT? NUMBER - 9A. 9A. THANK YOU. YES, MR. REEDS HAS ASKED ME TO DO THIS. AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO ENTER A CONTRACT WITH BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOR MENTAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES FOR INMATES IN THE CARE OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY DETENTION CENTER. THE FISCAL IMPACT, THE ANNUAL CONTRACT AMOUNT IS $209,165.04. FOR MINIMUM HOURS, CONTRACT IS FLEXIBLE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE CHANGING INMATE POPULATION. THE CURRENT CONTRACT IS FUNDED VIA ARPA, THAT'S THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, DOLLARS THROUGH DECEMBER 2026. THE LAST SIX MONTHS OF THE CONTRACT FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, WHICH WILL MOVE INTO NEXT YEAR, WILL BE FUNDED BY THE GENERAL FUND ACCOUNT, AND THE NUMBERS ARE LISTED THERE, $413,220 AVAILABLE BALANCE. AND MR. ROBINSON WILL GIVE A, AN OVERVIEW. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. SECOND. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR? OH, LET'S HAVE MR. ROBINSON. 'CAUSE YOU KNOW I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, RIGHT? OKIE DOKE. THANKS SO MUCH. I THINK YOU DID A GOOD JOB GIVING THE OVERVIEW ALREADY. UH, YOU COVERED ALL THE - NO, YOU COVERED ALL THE MATERIAL THAT'S IN THE AIS VERY WELL. UH, THAT'S EXACTLY, UH, WHAT WAS THERE. SO THIS CONTRACT WAS PUT OUT FOR SOLICITATION IN, UM, DECEMBER. UH, AND, UM, WE RECEIVED THOSE, UM, PROPOSALS BACK IN FEBRUARY, AND THIS WAS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MEDICAL SERVICES CONTRACT. UH, SO THE TEAM, UH, EVALUATED ALL THE PROPOSALS AND SELECTED, UH, BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AS THE MOST RESPONSIBLE BIDDER FOR THIS PORTION OF THAT. SO AGAIN, WE EVALUATED MEDICAL SERVICES, UH, PHARMACY, DENTAL, AND, UM, MENTAL HEALTH. MR. CHAIR, I HAVE A QUESTION. SO WHAT IN THE AIS, I WAS READING IT, UM, I'M GLAD YOU GOT FIVE PROPOSALS. THAT'S GOOD NEWS. UH, YES, MA'AM. AND THEY DIDN'T ALL MEET THE CRITERIA, BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN YOU SAY IT'S CONSISTENT WITH NEEDS OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY DETENTION CENTER? THE, THE CONTRACT ITSELF. SO SOME OF THE OTHER PROPO... IN 24 HOURS CARE, UH, DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SERVICE THAT WAS MUCH MORE THAN THE, UH, THE NEEDS OF OUR DETENTION CENTER. SO THE PROPOSAL THAT WE RECEIVED FROM, UH, BEAUFORT MEMORIAL WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE NEEDS OF THE FACILITY. NOT TOO MUCH, NOT TOO LITTLE, JUST RIGHT, AND A GOOD PRICE. AND I NOTICED IN THE PACKET, SO I'M ON PAGE 44. MM-HMM. I LIKE THAT YOU LISTED THE MINIMUM ON-SITE AND ON-CALL STAFFING LEVELS. YES, MA'AM. AND ALL OF THE, UM, YOU HAD THE RFP IN HERE AND HOW THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES WERE SCORED. SO I DO APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE WE COULD GET A REAL OVERVIEW OF WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR AND WHAT THIS CONTRACT WILL COVER. I WAS INTERESTED IN, ON PAGE 46, SUBMIT MONTHLY PERFORMANCE AND UTILIZATION REPORTS TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND FACILITATE INDEPENDENT REVIEWS, QUARTERLY EVALUATION MEETINGS. SO THERE ARE DATA POINTS IN HERE AND WAYS TO EVALUATE IF THE CONTRACT'S WORKING THE WAY IT SHOULD. SO I DID APPRECIATE THAT. BUT IT WAS INTERESTING TO LOOK AT YOUR SCORING MECHANISM, WHAT PERCENT WAS QUALIFICATION, WHAT PERCENT CLARITY. SO I APPRECIATE YOU PUTTING ALL THAT IN HERE. THANK YOU. GOOD. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. NEXT ONE. AND LISTEN, BY THE WAY, MR. TAYLOR, KARENS, I KNOW YOU HAVE A CRAZY BUSY AGENDA. IF YOU NEED TO GO, BY ALL MEANS, DO IT. WE APPRECIATE IT. I HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE. OH, LET'S... OKAY. LET'S TAKE A VOTE ON WHAT MR. ROBINSON PRESENTED. ALL IN FAVOR? THANK YOU. THAT LOOKS UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU. ALL [9.b. Resolution to create a Fire Service Consolidation Study Ad Hoc Committee. (FISCAL IMPACT: na) - John Robinson ACA 5 min ] RIGHT. NEXT WE HAVE A RESOLUTION TO CREATE A FIRE SERVICE CONS- CONSOLIDATION STUDY AD HOC COMMITTEE. FISCAL IMPACT IS NOT APPLICABLE. AND MR. ROBINSON, YOU'RE UP AGAIN, SO GOOD THING YOU JUST STAYED IN THE FRONT. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. [00:50:01] THANK YOU. I'LL SECOND. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. MR. DAWSON? THIS WAS, UM, THIS WAS DIRECTION FROM COUNTY COUNCIL DURING A, UH, WORKSHOP SPECIFICALLY FOR THE FIRE SERVICE CONSOLIDATION TO CREATE AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO REPRESENT EACH OF THE FIRE DISTRICTS, UH, TO ACT AS THE LIAISON BETWEEN THE, UM, COMPANY THAT WILL PERFORM THE FIRE SERVICE CONSOLIDATION STUDY AND THE FIRE CHIEFS. UM, ANY QUESTIONS? I DO. GO AHEAD. OF COURSE. SO AT THE MEETING, UM, WE DID NOT HAVE BLUFFTON THERE AND WE DID NOT HAVE HILTON HEAD, BUT THEY WILL BE PART OF THIS AD HOC COMMITTEE? YES, MA'AM. THAT IS CORRECT. AND JUST FOR THE PUBLIC, IT ALSO INCLUDES DEFUSKEY ISLAND AND FRIP? YES, MA'AM, IT DOES. OKAY BECAUSE I KNOW FRIP WAS AT THE MEETING. THAT'S CORRECT. AFTER, AFTER THAT - UM, HOW ARE THESE PEOPLE GONNA BE CHOSEN? THEY ARE THE FIRE CHIEFS, WHICH WAS THE - OH, THE ACTUAL CHIEFS? YES, THAT WAS A DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL THAT THE FIRE CHIEFS... AND THERE IS A PROVISION THAT IF THERE'S A CHANGE IN FIRE CHIEFS OR THE FIRE CHIEFS THEMSELVES, UM, CAN, UM, PRESENT SOMEONE - YEAH. TO REPRESENT THEM. OKAY. OKAY. THAT LOOKS UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU, JOHN. AND WE'LL GO TO C. WE'LL JUST QUICKLY, UM, JUST MAKE SURE - THE, THE CONSOLIDATION STUDY DOESN'T REALLY TALK A - REALLY FOCUS TOO MUCH ON CONSOLIDATING THESE A - THESE FIRE DISTRICT. IT'S MORE OR LESS, UM, PROVIDING SOME GUIDELINES FOR SERVICES, UM, SALARIES AND ET CETERA, ET CETERA, MOVING FORWARD AND STUFF TOO. THAT'S CORRECT. I, I BELIEVE IT'S THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, UH, THAT - YEAH, IT'S COMING. THAT IS HERE. UM, BUT YES, IT DOES FOCUS ON THE FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF CONSOLIDATION MORE THAN OPERATIONS. THANK YOU. [9.c. Authorize the County Administrator to enter into a contract with Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI) for RFQ 070926 Fire Service Consolidation Study. (FISCAL IMPACT: Contract amount $156,535.00 Procurement and legal recommend a small contingency 5% ($7,826.75) Contract amount plus contingency divided as follows: $52,178.33 from 1000-10-1100-51160 Professional services (Administrator) available $59,230 $52,178.33 from 1000-10-1000-56000 general contingency (County Council) available $75,000 $30,002.55 from 2001-10-0000-51160 A-Tax Professional Service $26,089.17 Local Accommodation Tax + 2.5% ($3,913.38) contingency $30,002.55 from 2002-10-0000-51160 H-Tax Professional Service $26,089.17 Local Hospitality Tax+ 2.5% ($3,913.38) contingency The H-Tax Prof Serv account does not currently exist but will be created upon approval. Total $164,361.76 ] I'LL GO INTO THE NEXT ONE. UM, LETTER C, AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH EMERGENCY SERVICES CONSULTING INTERNATIONAL FOR RFQ 09, 070926, FIRE SERVICE CONSOLIDATION STUDY. THE FISCAL IMPACT CONTRACT AMOUNT IS $156,535, AND PROCUREMENT AND LEGAL RECOMMEND A SMALL CONTINGENCY OF 5%, WHICH WOULD BE 7,800. THE CONTRACT AMOUNT PLUS CONTINGENCY IS DIVIDED AS FOLLOWED RIGHT THERE ON THE AIS. SOME OF IT'S FROM ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESS- PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. SOME IS FROM COUNTY COUNCIL GENERAL CONTINGENCY. THEN WE HAVE LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS TAX, LOCAL HOSPITALITY TAX. SO YOU CAN SEE HOW IT'S BROKEN UP THERE. SO YOU NEED A MOTION. CAN WE GET A MOTION FOR THAT? SO MOVED. AND SECOND? I'LL SECOND. ALL RIGHT. PLEASE. ALL RIGHT. AGAIN, THANK YOU. YOU READ RIGHT THROUGH THE AIS, SO MOST OF THE INFORMATION IS THERE. UH, AND THIS, UH, IS A, UM, CONTRACT AWARD OR RECOMMENDATION FOR A CONTRACT AWARD. SO THIS WENT THROUGH THE NORMAL SOLICITATION PROCESS. SO IT WAS SOLICITED EARLY IN THE YEAR. WE HAD SEVERAL PROPOSALS THAT CAME FORWARD. THOSE PROPOSALS WERE EVALUATED BY A COMMITTEE. UH, WE NARROWED THE NUMBER OF PROPOSALS DOWN AND THEN CONDUCTED INTERVIEWS WITH, UH, WITH THOSE AGENCIES. AND THIS FIRM WAS, UH, DETERMINED TO BE THE MOST RESPONSIVE BIDDER. NOW, THIS WAS AN RFQ, SO IT WAS A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS. MM-HMM. SO WE LOOKED AT EACH OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS AND THE TYPE OF EXPERTISE THEY COULD BRING. UH, SO THIS, THIS COMPANY OFFERED, UM, FINANCE EXPERTS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXPERTS, AS WELL AS EXPERTS IN THE FIRE SERVICE FIELD. SO WE FELT LIKE FOR THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO DO, AS MR. GLOVER MENTIONED, UH, THE SCOPE OF WORK HERE IS FOCUSED ON THE FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF, UH, CONSOLIDATION OF THIS TYPE OF WORK, AS WE FELT LIKE THIS IS THE LARGEST HURDLE FOR US TO OVERCOME, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT FIRST, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S AFFORDABLE AND FAIR TO CITIZENS BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD LOOKING AT OPERATIONAL THINGS. UH, SO THIS COMPANY PROVIDED THOSE, UM, UM, THINGS THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR MOST. TAB, YOU WANNA START OFF WITH SOME QUESTIONS? YEAH. SO I DO APPRECIATE YOU PUT ALL OF THE INFORMATION IN HERE, AND I APPRECIATE THE THREE PEOPLE THAT EVALUATED THESE ALL MADE COMMENTS. TO ME, THAT'S IMPORTANT. THINGS LIKE THEY SET A SOLID TIMELINE OF NINE MONTHS, SO YOU KNEW WHEN, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT. OR THEY RECOGNIZE THAT CONSOLIDATIONS CAN TAKE YEARS TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT THE WILL OF COUNCIL AND THE FORTITUDE TO MOVE FORWARD. SO THAT'S ALL IN HERE, AND I SAY THAT FOR THE PUBLIC. SO IF THEY WANNA KNOW WHAT EXACTLY WAS EVALUATED, [00:55:01] IT IS ALL IN THIS PACKET. THERE'S... UH, EVERY ONE OF THEM'S IN HERE, AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT BEING HERE. IT ELONGATES THE PACKET TO 149 PAGES. IT DOES. BUT I THOUGH IT WAS IMPORTANT INFORMATION SO THE PUBLIC CAN READ THAT. THANK YOU. TAB, YOU GOOD? MM-HMM. ANYBODY ELSE? JUST QUICKLY, UM, UH, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE FINANCIAL END, UM, MOST OF THE FIRE CHIEF TALKED ABOUT COMPETITION AMONG THEMSELVES, AND HOPEFULLY THIS WILL HELP RESOLVE THAT SO THAT THERE'S A STANDARD THAT THEY CAN ALL, UM, HAVE FOR SALARIES. YES, SIR. I THINK IF THE OUTCOME IS SOME TYPE OF CONSOLIDATION, YOU WOULD SEE, UH, A CONSISTENT COMPENSATION ACROSS, UH, THE COUNTY AS FAR AS FIRE SERVICES. MM-HMM. THANK YOU. CAN ADJOURN THIS MEETING. THANK YOU. OH, WE HAVE TO VOTE. OH, VOTING. SORRY. YEP. HEY, ALL IN FAVOR. THAT'S UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU, JOHN. LISTEN, THANKS FOR EVERYBODY BEING HERE. WE APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT. THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. * 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.