Okay. The October 3rd, 2024, special call meeting of the Florence County Council will now come the order. Before we begin, the day is October 3rd, 2024. This is the sixth anniversary of the vintage playshooting. We will be forever indebted to the selfless and brave actions of our first responders from that day. The lives that were lost, those that were injured, and the countless lives that were impacted on that day. I'd ask all of us now to just take a brief moment of silence for the for the them. Thank you. At this time I would ask Secretary Chaplin Mungfort to provide the invocation followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Vice Chairman Yorber. Let us pray, dear Redeemer, my heart bows in reverence for your redeeming grace, through the torment of the cross. Lord, your grace saved me. There was nothing I could do to merit your salvation. I thank you for the gift of life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the light 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. On behalf of the Florence County Council, I'd like to welcome all of you there here in attendance with us this morning as well of those that are attending online. The first order of business on the agenda is the ordinances and position. Council has one ordinance on the agenda for third reading. Madam Clerk, please publish a title of ordinance number 21-2024-25. Organist number 21-2024-25. Organists are authorizing and providing the issuance of not-is-seeking 50 million Florence County, South Carolina, Special Source Revenue Bonds, Savannah Grote, infrastructure projects. Her strawberry form of bonds, limiting the payment of the bonds solely from certain revenues derived from the payment of fees, a lieu of taxes from designated multi county parts, locating Florence County and pledging certain revenues of such payment, creating certain funds and providing for payments in two such funds and making other covenants and agreements and connections with the foregoing. to the government. The government is making the government's commitment to the government to make the government's commitment to the government's commitment to the government's commitment to the government's commitment to the government's commitment to the government's commitment to the government's commitment to the government's commitment to the government's commitment to the government property related to the projects and certain other matters related there too. Thank you Madam Clerk. Do I have a motion? Motion. Second. Motion in a second. Any discussion? Mr. Chair, I'd like to speak to you by my name. Go ahead Councillor Parle. This project I feel like has been, I guess, reluctant better work, heardly done. We have three years, is that right? Remaining on our lease with the Savannah Grove Church. I could be wrong, is it three years? Yes. Okay. Approximately. Approximately. Yeah, give it a little bit. Okay. And we're looking at spending $50 million. I know I'm standing at the schools will pay 35 million of that back to us. Cash over time. Correct. Correct. With interest or have us done. Normally when we spend $50 million, this council is well-apprised of what we spend it on, like plans for the parking deck, plans for the judicial center, anything like that capital expense, same thing with expansion of the Florence Center. I've had the process explained to me, but I haven't yet been convinced it's a good idea. I may be totally wrong. I mean, that's just my feelings about it. And also right now I feel like that the building cost or up interest rates are up. But I'm just wondering what the, what necessitates the, the heredness of this, of this product. I'm not, I'm not saying I've guessed it totally. I just don't know how this is going to benefit taxpayers from our skin. Mr. Yogan, would you, do you have a, do we have an idea on how long it would take for construction for a project like this? One more thing I made before he started. Plus, and I don't think I mentioned this in what I just said, but it looks like to me that the cost estimated cost increased $10 billion over the last month or so. And that's just, hmm, that's 20%. That's a lot of money or so. And that's just, that's 20%. That's a lot of money. Chairman, as far as the construction timeline, this ordinance today for third reading merely approves the issuance of the bonds. It will take probably two or three months to get the bonds issued and closed, try to get it closed by the end of the calendar year. At that point, assuming Council approves the issuance of the bonds, then we'll start working with architects, contractors, Nathan Dawson, his team, as far as the design of the proposed 40,000 square foot recreation space of which we currently have no indoor recreation space. If you ever been to Nathan's office to see the E-Sports program, which is one of the best up-and-coming programs we've got, they're crammed into a shoehorn at Laurel Street and it's Nathan's plan if this project moves forward to move the office space from Laurel Street to this new facility. I appreciate Councilman Cautill's comments. The impetus to get this moving primarily comes from school district one. They have plans to build a new Savannah Grove school but it's probably three, four, five years out given their plans. This accelerates that for that community. So that's really the impetus to move forward and I as I understand from Dr. O'Malley really the impetus to move forward and I as I understand from Dr. O'Malley the lands for the Savannah Grove Elementary School are going to be very similar to the North Vista Elementary School they just cut the ribbon on. But as far as the $15 million recreation building that the county will build certainly council be fully involved, fully a prize, be able to give whatever input they'd like to give into the programming, the construction, the design, as the other projects the Council and Codel has spoken to. I would imagine with today's times being with what we witness, and I'm sure you can agree that it takes a long time to build anything at this point. I don't know how long it took for one of the schools to recently be built, but we can't speak on that. But one of the issues I think we got here is contractors are currently so busy. The prices are up because they're so busy. It goes to reason that because of the price we we're getting on roads and things to do with capprach sales tax three is taking much longer and cost more or a lot more than they did in capprach sales tax one and two. And I just, you know, if we need to build a recreational facility, I'm not against that at all. But I mean, we got about three years to plan it and get it done and get it completed. And I'm not against the issue of bonds for the recreation facility. Thank you. Any other discussion? The only thing I'll say is that there's no doubt that there's a need for if nothing else in office for our first recreation department Department that's not a suitable place that they're in. I was first time I went in there I was almost embarrassed to say that's not having to work in every day and that comfort turn almost like a closet. There's no doubt that they need some more space there there's no doubt that we need recreational opportunities out in the Spanacorp community. I would hope that there's a way that we could work with the church to get the long-term lease that we present going after diverse places. I think that would be a much more feasible thing to do. But my other concern aside from what I mentioned in our last council meeting was, you know, we've got a lot of other needs that we know we're coming up in the next few months. You know, we've got the fire station, we've got an EMS station, we're looking to do it. We've got the evidence storage room for Sheriff's Office. These things are going to cost money too. We really need to, I feel like, stick to what we're responsible for. The school district, they're responsible for the schools. We're not asking them to help us build an evidence room for the sheriff's office. The school district is going to need to stick to what they've got and that's going to need to stick to what it's you know. What the county's responsible for. Any other discussion? I'm not sharing any over. The just to make it clear, the school district didn't approach us and we're not building a school. We're developing one piece of property as a joint effort. This is big. It checks off a lot of needs for the county. It checks off a lot of needs for that area. The school district was gracious enough to sit down and work with us on this. I appreciate everybody on council's opinion. I appreciate their concerns. The dish really is a benefit to the school district. It's a benefit to council. It's a benefit to the county. And it's a benefit to the individuals who live in Florence County. I'm good. Any other discussion? I might have had that when I was on school board we started the page you go in the construction of these schools in Clark County. This if I'm correct completes page two of out and grove. Probably NASA, maybe I would have school in Florence County. The population in that area is growing. You see, you homes being built, it's solely needs the new facility. The county is not putting or can you know our county is not putting one dime into that school. The school district is paying for it itself. This was an idea that they could expediently construct this school three four even five years earlier than they would be able to school district construct at some point in time. But we're not spending any money, and we're not adding any taxes to build a school. They'll be paying it back. They're paying for it. And the way that area's growing, you know we just got through not long ago, cutting the ribbon on south side high school, beautiful school. Built for 1200 students. With the growth in that area, as the school opened this year, they had 1200 and two students. To me, it's an opportunity for us to work with the school, to work with the people, to add a wonderful facility not only in school but bus for recreation that will go in that area, that will enhance that area. Hopefully we'll improve the quality of life in that area and all the Florence County and Best where I am on this is I think it's a win-win for everybody in the long run Any other discussion And I don't disagree with Mr. Comins at all that all. There's three of us sitting up here, Dr. Bradley, Councilman Gardy, myself, and also our legal council, Mr. McCann, all served on the school board, foreign school district, one school board, at one time or the other. And there may have been more of us. I don't know if that's the three, four I know of. And I understand it's how it works. And I think it was Mr. Dardy's concept before I got on school board on the page you get. It's brilliant idea. I guess I'm confused as why they can't do that now. Why they can't continue to do that. And you know, they have a way to borrow money. Like Mr. Yarbert, we're not building the school. We're just facilitating the funds for them to build it. And I just don't know why we can't just let them continue to operate like they operate. We continue to operate like we operate. And they go get the money from the county anyway. I understand that over time. But I just still not convinced and I could be totally wrong guys. I don't think I'm smarter than anybody sitting here. But it's just it's just doesn't I feel like it's a maybe not half hazard but a concept that's been accelerated and almost kept close to the vast and not really Explain to the council as well as we would When we're bossing 50 million dollars You say it fast you say it slow everyone say that's a lot of money that Somebody sponsor pay it back, and I it slow, everyone say it. That's a lot of money that somebody sponsor paid back. And I know we have an offset rule to regain the money if they fail to make payments. I mean, we don't want to refusesse the school obviously, come to wherever you use for it. But I'm just still not convinced, but whatever counts the decision is, go by by. Thank you all for your comments. The chair, I say one day real quick. Sure, go ahead. Yeah, I think this is one of the first, standard principles of government. We got nine people up here and we got nine different people with opinions. And I think that I don't, I just wanna thank everybody on council, because thus far, we had voted this last time yet but thus for there's been no name call and no threaten and then the stuff that you see in a lot of places are they won't think everybody would be very generally and everybody respecting everybody else's opinion as we go through this process. Thank you Councilman strings. Councilman I think that it's supposed to work. It is. I've been always been one of my favorite things about this council when my father is up here watching you gentlemen conduct business the way you do. Go ahead, Councilman Brown. We've been, I know I've been here in a lot of trouble and against here and some good arguments on both sides. And as you said, you know, whichever way it goes, we still gonna be a council working together for the betterment of the county. But then sometimes things just fall down to a gut feeling. And that's kind of like where I am right now. I'm voting on my gut because I hear, you know, I don't know everything, but I've been involved like Willett said when we started this pay as you go. I don't been around a long time. Twenty, one year in politics sitting around and telling you what was going and working with great men and women. But now, so just for people to know, there's nothing, you know, even though I hear both sides, I'm not on one side of the other, no, or tear motor, they're just a good feeling that I have to go on. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Bradley. Mr. Chairman. Sure, Miss Person. I'm a master of the, Dow, councilman Nails. Good feeling, my concern is you and I have had this discussion. Is the millage increase. The school won't cost anything. What we do today raise your meals two meals. There's never a good time to raise taxes. And now certainly not a good time in my opinion. That's all. Thank you, sir. I'm just going to revert back to some of the comments and then I'll call the question. There's never a better time for the county to begin intercollaboration with all government bodies in this county. It's high time that we all begin to work together as one team for one Florence and one goal to push this entire county forward together. We had a nice lunch yesterday with District 2 Superintendent and the chairman and I left there happy and hopeful for the future of this county. It was such a great meeting. Roger, you were there. Tony and Jerry. And the feedback we got from that is just amazing that this council is willing to collaborate with other governmental bodies. It's something that hasn't been seen. And I don't think this is necessarily going to be the last time that you see that with this council. I see it's collaborating more and more throughout the future of this county. But before I call the question, I would like to read a letter that Savannah Grove Community Action League laid up here on our DSS. You gentlemen, okay with that. Thank you. Dear Chairman Scofield, the Savannah Grove Community Action League, on behalf of the residents of the Savannah Grove Community, located in Effingham, South Carolina, thanks the Florence County Council for supporting our efforts to advocate for a new Savannah Grove Elementary School in Florence County Sports Complex. The inner agency collaboration between the Florence County Council and the Florence School District 1 to accelerate the construction of a new state-of-the-art elementary school and sports complex in Florence County is smart for thinking and optimizes the use of available resources to benefit county residents which make up the constituency of the Florence County Council. Since its incorporation by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1888, Florence County has experienced decades of progress. The recent 2023 unanimous council vote of the 10-year comprehensive plan demonstrates the progressive direction of the county and its plan continued growth. The county has increasingly become more attractive to newcomers as well as South Carolina residents because of its available landmass and tangible long-range growth. The addition of a new elementary school and a public county-owned sports facility would continue to enhance the rule infrastructure progress in Florence County. Some of those benefits include the inter-ad agency collaboration between Florence County Council and Florence One Schools among the largest employers since the 1990s. The demonstrated investment in the county's youth as they are the future and deserve a strong educational foundation in modernized, technologically sound environments where they have the opportunity to thrive in Excel. The promotion of healthy lifestyles and physical fitness maintained by public, county-owned and operated sports complex, accessible to Florence County residents and neighboring municipalities for sustainable health and wellness. Investing in where we live and work, enhancing livable communities for our children, families and seniors, ensures the future growth of Florence County and further improves community trust and engagement. Again, on behalf of the residents of Effingham, South Carolina and the Savannah Grove community, specifically, we thank you for your attention and support of community needs. Our hope is that social care for the needs of the constituents is inclusive in the decision-making process. Respectfully, Ms. Doris Lockhart, President, Savannah Grove Community Action League. At this time. Mr. Chair. Sir. Can you offer all the discussions, Will? I would love to call for the question as, I have a medical appointment to attend to. It's all in question. I don't know if I can or can. I have no clue. All right. May I, may I make another? No. medical appointment to I don't know if I can or can I have no clue Well, may I go ahead? I'd like to make a motion to abandon the ordinance number Excuse me. I'd like a motion to make a motion to table ordinance number 21-20-24-25 Until the regular regular county council meeting in November. Do I have a second? Second. Motion in a second. Those in favor as the motion as amended, please by raise of hands, say aye. Two. Those who against raise your hands. Seven. motion fails. Those in favor as the ordinance and then its original position by show of hands please say aye. Aye. One, two, three, four, five. Those against. He wrote vote at aye. He raised the same. Those against, please say, by raise of hands nay, four against motion passes. Our next regularly scheduled county council meeting is Thursday, October 17, 2024. Gentlemen, I know this has been tough on all of us but again my echo Jason's and Al's comments there's never been a final group of gentlemen to work with at this time I'll take a motion to to adjourn. I like a motion of adjourn. Second all is your favor. Aye aye. Council adjourned.