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RESCHEDULED, UH, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS SPECIAL MEETING FOR THE BUDGET[Board of Supervisors Budget Meeting on February 13, 2025.]
ON THIS, UH, 13TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2025.AND IF YOU WOULD PLEASE, IF YOU WOULD STAND WITH US FOR INVOCATION AND OUR PLEDGE.
DEAR GOD BLESS US MEETING AND ALLOW US TO DO OUR WORK FOR YOUR WILL.
AMEN TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
ALRIGHT, UM, UH, NEXT IS CONSIDERATION OF, UH, CONSIDER OF, UH, REMOTE PARTICIPATION.
BUT TONIGHT WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY.
A SUPER, UH, SUPERVISED CHARGE WILL NOT BE WITH US TONIGHT AND WILL NOT BE ZOOMING IN OR ON THE CALL.
SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS A ONE FIVE ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA.
SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION, UH, PROPERLY.
ALL OPPOSED? AND THAT MOTION CARRIES.
UH, NEXT IS UNDER OLD BUSINESS, UH, DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED 2026 BUDGET.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
MIKE MASON, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
I THOUGHT WE WOULD START OFF BEFORE WE GOT REALLY BACK INTO THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF THE BUDGET BY, UH, ANSWERING SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD POSED AT PREVIOUS MEETINGS.
UM, THESE FIRST COUPLE OF SLIDES HAVE TO DO WITH VOLUNTEER FIRE AND RESCUE COMPANY FUNDING.
AND SO IT'S, WE HAVE TWO SLIDES PREPARED FOR THE BOARD'S CONSUMPTION.
THE FIRST ONE IS SORT OF A HIGHLIGHTING WHAT THE, THE AMOUNT OF SUPPORT THAT THE COUNTY CURRENTLY GIVES AND COMPARES IT TO NORTH HAMPTON 'CAUSE THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
AND THE SECOND IS A CHART OF INDIVIDUAL PAYMENTS TO FIRE COMPANIES ON AVERAGE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL FISCAL YEARS.
JUST AS A REMINDER, THE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEER FIRE AND RESCUE COMPANIES IN AKIMA QUITE A BIT LARGER THAN NORTH HAMPTON.
UH, BASICALLY THREE TIMES WHEN WE, WE GIVE THE BOARD GIVES IN IN TERMS OF APPROPRIATION, UM, A CASH CONTRIBUTION TO EACH COMPANY THAT IS ESTIMATED FOR THIS YEAR TO BE ABOUT 154,000 EACH.
UH, NORTH HAMPTON PROVIDES, ACCORDING TO THEIR FINANCE DIRECTOR, $75,000 CONTRIBUTION IN ADDITION TO THE 1 54.
AND THE REASON I HAD TO PUT THIS IN THERE IS BECAUSE HOW NORTH HAMPTON HANDLES IT, THERE'S A FUNDING STREAM CALLED THE A TWO LOCALITY FIRE GRANT.
AND, AND NORTH HAMPTON INCLUDED IN THE 75,000 IS ANY MONEY THAT'S COMING FROM THAT SOURCE HERE IN MACK.
UH, A TWO LOCALITY FUNDING IS BASICALLY GOING, MY UNDERSTANDING AT LEAST IS GOING TO ALL THE BUYER COMPANIES, BUT IT'S COMING FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES.
FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU'RE AN INCORPORATED, IF YOU'RE A FIRE COMPANY LOCATED IN AN INCORPORATED TOWN, THE TOWN IS GETTING THE A TO FIRE, UH, A TO LOCALITY FIRE GRANT.
AND PASSING THAT ON TO YOU, THERE ARE SOME VOLUNTEER FIRE AND RESCUE COMPANIES THAT ARE LOCATED IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS THAT DON'T HAVE A TOWN TO FUNNEL THOSE THAT MONEY TO.
AND SO WE, THE COUNTY, UM, OBTAINED AN A TO LOCALITY FIRE GRANT ON THEIR BEHALF.
AND WE INCREASE THIS 1 54 BY 15,000 FOR THEM.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S NEW CHURCH GREENBACK BILL AND ATLANTIC THAT, UH, RECEIVED THAT, UH, BOTH MACK AND NORTHAMPTON PAID FOR THE LINE OF DUTY ACT INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR VOLUNTEERS, UH, AMA OR AKAMAK DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN TERMS OF GRANTS, ALTHOUGH THERE'S SOME PROPOSED IN THE FY 26, UH, BUDGET PROPOSAL THAT I GAVE YOU FOR PPE, BUT NORTH HAMPTON, UH, 50% OF ITS CIGARETTE TAX IS AVAILABLE FOR GRANT TO VOLUNTEER FIRE AND, UH, FIRE COMPANIES.
AND SO JUST TO POINT OUT, NORTHAMPTON COLLECTED ABOUT 263,000 TOTAL IN CIGARETTE TAXES AND FY 24 ACCORDING TO THEIR ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT.
SO 50% OF THIS AMOUNT WOULD'VE BEEN AVAILABLE FOR CAPITAL GRANTS TO THE VOLUNTEER COMPANY.
UM, AND THEN, AND I, AGAIN, I BELIEVE THAT'S COMPETITIVE.
SO THAT WOULD'VE BEEN AVAILABLE, UH, TO ANY COMPANY THAT CAME FORWARD WITH A, WITH A, AN APPLICATION THAT WAS APPROVED, I ASSUME.
UH, SO THAT THAT'S A PROGRAM THAT THEY'RE DOING THAT WE'RE NOT CURRENTLY DOING.
BUT AGAIN, WE, AND, AND THE PROPOSED FY 26 BUDGET IS A $250,000 ALLOTMENT FOR PPE REPLACEMENT.
UM, THESE ARE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, BUT IF WE'RE GONNA PUT ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUPPORT, UH, THAT ARE PROVIDED, I THOUGHT I'D JUST REITERATE THE REDUCTION OF PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES FOR VOLUNTEERS IN NORTH HAMPTON.
IT'S A A HUNDRED DOLLARS MAXIMUM CREDIT ON THE INDIVIDUALS, THE VOLUNTEERS TAX BILL AND MACK ONE
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VEHICLE IS EFFECT, I SAY EFFECTIVELY TAX FREE, UM, CODE REQUIRES YOU TO HAVE A RATE AND, AND YOU HAVE SET THAT RATE FOR THE VEHICLES OF VOLUNTEERS WHO MEET THE CRITERIA TO 1 CENT.UM, AND THAT GENERATES A VERY, VERY, VERY SMALL TAX, SO SMALL THAT IT GETS WRITTEN OFF BY OUR TAX SYSTEM.
SO THAT'S WHAT I MEAN BY EFFECTIVE THERE IS THAT THEY DON'T EVEN RECEIVE A TAX BILL FOR THAT ONE VEHICLE.
AND, AND THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THE VALUE OF THAT IS.
A VEHICLE WITH A $35,000 VALUE WOULD SEE A THOUSAND OVER THE PERSON.
THE VOLUNTEER WOULD SEE OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS BENEFIT AND TAX SAVINGS FOR THAT VEHICLE EVERY YEAR.
UM, AND AND THE TOTAL COST, UH, CALCULATED FROM THE TAX YEAR 2024 FOR THAT PROGRAM WAS A LITTLE OVER 120,000.
UM, THIS IS PRETTY IMMATERIAL, BUT AGAIN, I, FOR FUTURE REFERENCE, I WANTED TO HAVE ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUPPORT ON THIS SLIDE.
SO WE ALSO, UM, GIVE CREDIT FOR THE VEHICLE LICENSE FEE FOR ANYONE WHO ANY VOLUNTEER IN, IN THE COUNTY.
SO THEY, THEY'RE NOT SUBJECT TO THAT $27 FEE.
UH, THE, THE ONLY OTHER THING TO POINT OUT IS, AND, AND THIS IS GONNA PROBABLY COME UP AT YOUR NEXT MEETING, IS WE DO, UH, WHEN I SAY ON AVERAGE EACH COMPANY GETS 154,000, THAT IS ONLY IF THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH COUNTY POLICIES, OR AT LEAST IN, IN THE CASE OF THE COUNTY, UH, AUDIT POLICY, WHICH APPLIES BY THE WAY TO ALL ORGANIZATIONS WHO, WHO RECEIVE COUNTY FUNDS OVER A CERTAIN THRESHOLD.
IF, IF YOU DON'T TURN IN YOUR AUDIT BASED ON THE POLICY TIMELINES AND FUNDING GETS STOPPED, IT GETS WITHHELD.
AND, AND THE WAY IT'S BEEN HANDLED BEFORE UNDER THE BOARD'S DIRECTION IS WE JUST CONTINUE TO SET THOSE, THAT FUNDING ASIDE UNTIL THE COMPANY, UH, BECOMES COMPLIANT ASSUMING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO.
AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TWO COMPANIES THAT ARE PRETTY DELINQUENT IN, IN SUBMITTING THEIR AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS TO US, TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE HOLDING $681,000, UM, RIGHT NOW WAITING TO, FOR THEM TO, TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE SO THAT WE CAN DISTRIBUTE IT.
BUT THIS, THIS WAS A SORT OF SNAPSHOT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING AS COMPARED TO NORTH HAMPTON.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS BEFORE I GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? WHICH IS, THIS IS THE FUNDING, UM, OVER THE YEARS, THE AVERAGE FUNDING PER COMPANY.
SO QUICKLY BEFORE, BEFORE I, YOU KNOW, JUST EXPLAIN THESE AMOUNTS.
UH, WE DID MAKE SOME, I PULLED OUT THE ARPA GRANT THAT THE BOARD GAVE TO THE COMPANIES A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, JUST TO MAKE THIS COMPARATIVE.
'CAUSE IT WOULD'VE, WHAT THAT WOULD'VE DONE IS BOOSTED 2022 WAY UP AND IT WOULD'VE MADE IT LOOK LIKE THERE WAS LIKE A LOT OF REDUCTION IN FUNDS THE NEXT YEAR, WHICH TECHNICALLY IT WAS, BUT IT WAS BY DESIGN.
'CAUSE THAT WAS A ONE-TIME GRANT.
AND THERE WAS ALSO, UM, LAST YEAR THAT THERE WAS AN OVERPAYMENT TO THE COMPANIES THAT WE HAD TO DEDUCT FROM THE FOLLOWING PAYMENT.
SO IN ORDER, UH, TO PRESERVE COMPARABILITY AMONG YEARS, WE TOOK ALL OF THOSE THINGS INTO ACCOUNT WHEN WE PULLED THIS CHART TOGETHER.
BUT IT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN ANYWHERE FROM, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN OVER 120.
IT'S GONE UP A COUPLE YEARS, IT'S GONE DOWN.
AND BY THE WAY, WHEN THINGS LIKE PUBLIC SERVICE CORPORATION VALUATION, WHEN WE TAKE A HIT, THE OVERALL COUNTY TAKES A HIT ON VALUATION OF PUBLIC SERVICE CORPORATION RESULTING IN A TAX DECREASE THAT THAT FACTORS, ITS, THAT MAKES ITS WAY DOWN TO THE FIRE COMPANY SINCE THEY SHARE, UH, A PORTION OF, OF THE TAX REVENUE THAT WE GENERATE.
BUT, UH, BUT 2025 IS ESTIMATED, WE'RE, WE'RE THINKING IT'S GONNA BE ABOUT $154,000, UH, TOTAL THIS YEAR.
UH, THE FINANCE OFFICE JUST CALCULATED THE FIRST INSTALLMENT PAYMENT, WHICH WAS $81,000 THAT'S GONNA BE MAILED TO THE COMPANIES THIS COMING FRIDAY, WHICH IS HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR.
UM, BUT THIS IS BASICALLY WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE, UM, FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS.
SO THIS IS, AGAIN, THESE WERE THE SLIDES WE PREPARED IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS THAT CAME FROM BOARD MEMBERS CONCERNING FUNDING AND, UH, AND, AND WHAT'S NORTHAMPTON DOING AND, AND THOSE TYPE OF QUESTIONS THAT CAME TO STAFF.
AND, AND THIS IS AGAIN, OUR RESPONSE IN TOTAL TO THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO IF THERE, IF THERE'S NO QUESTIONS FROM BOARD, WE'LL KEEP GOING.
SO MIKE, ONE POINT OF CLARIFICATION ON THE GO BACK, ONE, THE NUMBER PER FIREHOUSE, IT'S THE SAME FOR EVERYONE NO MATTER WHAT THEIR CAPABILITY IS.
UM, IT, IT VARIES A LITTLE BIT.
UM, AND THAT VARIES A LITTLE BIT ACCORDING TO
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THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S THE AMOUNT THAT'S DERIVED FROM THE TAX REVENUE AND THEN THERE'S A STATIC NUMBER THAT COMES FROM THE GENERAL FUND.THE GEN, THE GENERAL FUND AMOUNT IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER FOR, FOR A COMPANY WHO PROVIDES BOTH FIRE AND RESCUE THAN IT WOULD BE FOR SOMEONE WHO JUST PROVIDES RESCUE.
BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE REASONABLY CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER.
DID YOU WANT TO DEAL WITH THAT ISSUE NOW? ARE WE GONNA JUST WAIT AND GONNA GO THROUGH IT? YEAH, LATER.
SO, UM, HISTORICALLY AT THIS MEETING WE SORT OF JUMP INTO THE, UH, REQUEST WORKSHEET AND THE BOARD, UM, COMMUNICATES ITS DESIRES ON THOSE.
BUT BEFORE WE GET STARTED THERE, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS, UM, THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND, UH, THAT, WELL, THEY'RE BASICALLY THINGS THAT CAME UP IN THE LAST FEW DAYS.
I THINK WE, WE GOTTA ADDRESS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER AND, AND A COUPLE OF 'EM ARE GOOD.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALWAYS A GOOD START.
BUT IN, IN THE CASE OF WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO YOU, UM, WHEN I PROPOSED THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S BUDGET FOR FY 26, IT HAD REMAINING OPERATING FUNDS OF 83,000, 28,000 IN CAPITAL.
AND, AND HERE'S THE CHANGES THAT I'M RECOMMENDED.
ONE IS, AND I NOTED THIS WHEN I WAS DISCUSSING MEALS TAX, BUT WE, UH, WE REFORECASTED BASED ON SOME NEW DATA AND WE WERE ABLE TO INCREASE THE, THE REVENUE ESTIMATE FOR FY 26 BY ALMOST $36,000.
ONE THING THAT GOT LEFT OUT OF THE BUDGET, THAT CERTAINLY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS, AS REASSESSMENT COST EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT HAVING A REASSESSMENT THIS THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR, 'CAUSE WE'RE ON A BIENNIAL, UM, SCHEDULE, THERE WILL BE A REAL PROPERTY REASSESSMENT.
AND WITH THAT COMES SOME ONE TIME COST.
UM, MOST OF THIS IS POSTAGE FOR RA MAILING OUT THE 39,000, UH, REASSESSMENT NOTICES.
UM, AND, AND A FEW OTHER OPERATING COSTS ASSOCIATED.
AND THEN, UM, MIMI CJA NOTED THIS WHEN SHE WAS AT, UM, THE PODIUM DISCUSSING THE CSBS REQUIREMENT, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS RIGHT NOW WE ARE NOT MEETING THE MATCH REQUIREMENT, THE 10% LOCAL MATCH REQUIREMENT FOR THE CSB.
UM, AND HISTORICALLY WE HAD BEEN ABLE TO, UM, GET AWAY WITH THAT, IF YOU WILL, BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO WR WRITE A WAIVER STATING, YOU KNOW, AKAMAK HAS A PRETTY LOW PER CAPITA INCOME AND, AND JUST STATING A NUMBER OF FACTS.
AND WE HAD BEEN, UM, ALLOWED TO BE UNDER THE 10% MATCH.
THERE WAS LEGISLATION INTRODUCED THIS YEAR AND A GENERAL ASSEMBLY THAT BASICALLY WAS GOING TO FORCE LOCALITIES TO COMPLY, UH, ANYONE WHO'S NOT MEETING THE 10% MATCH REQUIREMENT, UM, TO COMPLY THROUGH SOME PRETTY DRASTIC MEASURES.
SO, UM, THIS DOES NOT GET US TO FULL COMPLIANCE AT THE 10% MATCH.
AND I JUST THINK THAT MAYBE, UM, BY PUTTING, TURNING IT INTO AT LEAST A, A FIVE YEAR PLAN TO REACH THAT 10% LOCAL MATCH AND SHOWING THAT THERE IS A COMMITMENT OF THE BOARD TO REACHING IT, THAT THAT WILL HELP US IN, IN THE LONG TERM AT THAT NUMBER ONE, AT THAT LEGISLATION PASSES.
AND I HAVEN'T BEEN CHECKED LATELY, BUT, UM, AND, AND NUMBER TWO, AND JUST TRYING TO GET UP TO THAT, THAT COMMITMENT, WHICH IS, IS BASICALLY A MANDATE.
SO IT, WHAT WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU RIGHT NOW IS THAT SAME WORKSHEET THAT I SENT THAT I, I DISTRIBUTED AT, AT THE MEETING, BUT IT, IT PUTS THESE IN AND, AND BRINGS YOU TO A TOTAL OF 75,000 AVAILABLE AND ONGOING OPERATIONAL FUNDING AND JUST A LITTLE OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS IN CAPITAL.
AND SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, WHAT I CAN DO IS NOW FLIP ON OVER TO THAT WORKSHEET.
AND, AND JUST NOTICE AT THIS TOP CORNER ARE THOSE NUMBERS THERE.
SO AS, AS THE BOARD, AS WE GO THROUGH THE, AND I'LL GET TO THE TOP, I'M NOT ON THE VERY TOP OF THE WORKSHEET RIGHT NOW, BUT AS THE BOARD GOES THROUGH AND ADDS AND SUBTRACTS, THESE NUMBERS ARE UPDATE, SO YOU CAN KEEP TRACK OF, OF WHAT, UH, WHAT FUNDING YOU HAVE, WHETHER IT'S OVER OR SHORT OF AVAILABLE FUNDS.
SO AT, AT THIS POINT, UM, IT'S, IT'S THE BOARD'S PLEASURE, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO PROCEED? HOW ABOUT IF WE JUST, WE'LL GO RIGHT DOWN THE LIST.
HOW ABOUT THAT? DO THAT, MIKE.
UM, GOOD FIRST THING ON THE LIST AND EVERYONE, UH, AIRPORT MANAGEMENT DON'T KNOW THAT ANYTHING ANYBODY WANTS TO ADJUST, CHANGE, TALK ABOUT NO COMMENTS.
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UH, HUMAN RESOURCES, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL TAKEN CARE OF.UH, SAME THING WITH THE, UH, IT DEPARTMENT.
UNLESS ANYBODY'S GOT ANY COMMENTS HERE.
WHICH ONE WAS THIS? UH, WE'RE UNDER, UH, CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER.
UH, CLERK OF COURT, NO COMMENTS.
COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE, AGAIN, THAT'S, UH, UNLESS ANYBODY HAD A COMMENT OR QUESTION THAT WAS ALL TAKEN CARE OF, COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? OKAY.
I'LL JUST, JUST SHARE, I'LL JUST ADD THAT.
AND I THINK I'VE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL OTHER BOARD MEMBERS THAT THERE IS SOME CON CONCERN.
I'VE HEARD VOICE FROM THE COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ABOUT FUTURE FUNDING AND THEIR ABILITY TO BE COMPETITIVE IN HIRES.
UM, SO I DEFINITELY, I THINK WE NEED TO GIVE 'EM WHAT WE CAN AND IN THIS REGARD, BUT PUT THAT OUT THERE THAT THAT MAY BE AN ISSUE GOING FORWARD.
ANYTHING ELSE UNDER THAT? UH, IF NOT, UH, COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, UH, PROGRAM? THIS IS YOUR COMMENT.
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, THAT'S, UH, WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED THAT ONE.
OR WE, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT NO PROBLEM, NO PROBLEM.
LOOK ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT.
ALL THE WAY TO ALL THE WAY OVER IS.
ALL THE WAY OVER IS WHERE HERE.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, THERE ARE ESSENTIALLY NO NEW POSITIONS IN THIS BUDGET.
JUST TRYING TO, TO KEEP THE BUDGET GAP AS SMALL AS POSSIBLE.
EVEN THOUGH THERE, THEY'RE CERTAINLY NEEDED IN, IN MANY DEPARTMENTS.
THERE'S ONE POSITION IN THERE.
THERE'S, UM, THERE'S, UH, A POSITION FOR THE EMS DRUG BOX PROGRAM.
THERE'S ALSO A POSITION FOR THE ANIMAL CONTROL, UM, RIGHT.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE ONLY TWO QUOTE UNQUOTE NEW POSITIONS, UM, IN THE BUDGET, UH, PROPOSED FOR THIS YEAR.
OKAY, MR. CHAIR, THAT REGARD, I WOULD JUST ADD, YOU KNOW, I TOTALLY APPRECIATE THE, THE CIRCUMSTANCE OF OUR CURRENT BUDGET DILEMMA, UM, AND THE, THE CURRENT ECO ECONOMY, UH, AND NOT ADDING POSITIONS.
THAT BEING SAID, I WILL JUST POINT OUT TO THE BOARD THAT THE GRANT MANAGEMENT POSITION OR CONTRACT, WHICH WOULD, I WOULD PREFER IF WE CAN FIND FUNDING, IS A POTENTIAL REVENUE CENTER FOR THE COUNTY AND FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES.
WE TALKED ABOUT AT OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING.
UM, AND, UH, I JUST, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR ME KEEP COMING BACK TO THAT BECAUSE I THINK ONE OF OUR ISSUES IS REVENUE CENTERS AND WHERE WE'RE GENERATING REVENUE AND, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY OUT THERE THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.
ALRIGHT, THAT'S, THAT'S A WASH YOU ON NEXT, YOU ON THE NEXT PAGE.
BUT UNDER COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
HAVE YOU GOT THE ONE? GIVE THE BOX YOUR THE NEW ONE.
BABO? YEAH, THAT'S THE OLD ONE.
LOOK IN THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT CON TOP CORNER IT BE RED.
THAT'S, I THINK SHE ASKED FOR TOO MUCH
UH, COURT SERVICES, UH, TO A DIRECTOR.
IF NOT, DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BUILDING PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
ANYBODY WANNA TAKE A SECOND GLANCE? ANY I COMMENTS? IS THIS WHERE, THAT'S A LONG ONE.
THE, THE LONG ONE IS, UH, BUILDING PUBLIC.
OH, THAT IS WASN'T OH, THAT WAS A SHORT ONE.
SO THE, UH, DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE, UM, PUBLIC WORKS AND FACILITIES, THAT'S THE LONG ONE.
THE ONLY THING WE EVER HEARD ABOUT WAS A NEW VEHICLE.
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QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? NOTHING WHATSOEVER.THANK YOU FOR THANK YOU STORK FOR PUTTING IN THE, UH, OUR, OUR GREAT A BOARDWALK IN CA IN
IF NOTHING ELSE ON THAT, THEN DEPUTY, UH, COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OF PUBLIC WORKS AND FACILITIES GOING TO THE, THE BLUE IF YOU WILL.
IF NOT DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR PUBLIC WORKS AND FACILITIES.
THAT'S, UH, THAT WAS A WISHLIST THAT WAS COMPLETELY COVERED, SO NO, NO COMMENTS ON THAT ONE.
UH, SAME THING UNDER THE FINANCE DIRECTOR AS WELL.
UM, ON THE FOR ARE, ARE WE ON THE PINK, THE WASTEWATER? UH, WE JUST PASSED.
CAN WE GO BACK? SURE, SURE, SURE.
UH, I, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERING THAT WE ARE, UM, IN, IN DISCUSSION OR WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION ON A TAX INCREASE AND GIVEN THE CURRENT ECONOMIC STATUS AND THE, OF THE COUNTY, AND I KNOW OF MY DISTRICT THAT SOME OF THE OTHER MEMBERS I'VE SPOKEN WITH, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE TO SEE IF WE COULD DEFER THE COST FOR THIS, THE NORTHERN MACK UH, WASTEWATER TREATMENT, UH, I GUESS THAT SEED MONEY ACROSS MULTIPLE YEARS AND TRY TO USE THAT FUNDING TO BALANCE OUR BUDGET.
AND I, I WOULD ADD THAT I DON'T THINK, AND I RECENTLY HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS, UH, WITH SOME OF OUR NEW COMPANIES DOWN AT WALLOPS FOR THEIR PERSPECTIVE, HAVING THAT WATER PLANT ISN'T GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR NEW BUSINESSES COMING INTO WALLOPS AT THIS PARTICULAR STAGE.
AND I DON'T THINK ANY DEVELOPMENT IS WAITING TO SEE THAT MONEY.
I THINK THIS MONEY IS IMPORTANT, BUT IF WE COULD DEFER THAT COST, AND I WOULD ADD THAT IF SOMEONE DID COME IN AND NEEDED, UH, IMMEDIATE FUNDING STREAM OF THAT MUCH, THAT WE HAVE OTHER OPTIONS POTENTIALLY WITH THE EDA AND SOME OF THE SOURCES THEY'VE TAPPED INTO THAT WE COULD, OR STATE RESOURCES TO COME IN.
BUT, UM, IN LIGHT OF HAVING TO RAISE A TO TAXES ACROSS THE COUNTY, UH, I WOULD, I THINK THAT WE POSSIBLY COULD USE THIS BY SPREADING IT OUT ACROSS MULTIPLE YEARS.
UM, AND UNDERSTANDING IT ONLY TAKES CARE OF THIS YEAR.
IT'S NOT A LONG TERM SOLUTION, BUT THIS YEAR IS WHERE OUR PROBLEM IS REGARDING THE, THE CURRENT ECONOMY INFLATION AND THE COST THAT WE'RE MEETING.
OKAY, MR. CHAIRMAN YES, MR. NOT ARGUING WITH, UH, WITH HIM, BUT THAT MONEY IS IN CAPITAL.
SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE, YOU CAN'T PUT IT IN OPERATING.
SO YOU, YOU, I'M JUST SAYING DID YOU REALIZE IT CA IT'S STAYING IN CAPITAL SO IT'S NOT GONNA HELP YOU ON YOUR OPERATING SIDE.
I'M JUST NO, I, WELL, I MEAN, I'M OPEN TO DISCUSSION.
I MEAN, I NO, I'M JUST SAYING YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T PUT THAT IN OPERATING, IT'S NOT GONNA HELP WITH THE OPERATING BUDGET IS WHAT HE'S SAYING.
UH, THERE'S ANOTHER SIDE ALSO, UH, MR. PARKS, UM, IF, IF, IF YOU WERE THINKING ABOUT USING THAT FOR EMS, WE CAN'T, BECAUSE SHTE HAS MONEY IN THIS, THEIR TAX SHTE DOESN'T PAY THE EMS TAX.
AND IF WE WERE TO MOVE CAPITAL, WHICH INCLUDES SHTE TAX MONEY INTO E-M-S-I-I, I THINK THAT'D BE PROHIBITED WHEN NOT MR. MASON.
UM, IT, IT WOULD CERTAINLY DEPART FROM HOW YOU'VE HANDLED IT IN THE PAST, BUT IT WOULDN'T BE PROHIBITED.
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, OR IS THAT A LEGAL QUESTION? I THINK IF IT WAS, SO IF IT WAS FUNDS GENERATED FROM THE EMS TAX, YOU WERE TRYING TO USE HIM FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT EMS, IT WOULD BE RIGHT.
GOING THE OTHER WAY WHERE YOU'RE USING GENERAL FUNDS TO SUPPLEMENT AN EMS OPERATION.
I DON'T SEE ANY LEGAL BARRIERS TO, TO THAT.
THE, THE, THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS JUST NOT, I STAND CORRUPTED NOT TO DEBATE, UH, ISSUE OF CORRECTED, BUT THERE ARE PLANT, THERE ARE, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF THE RIGHT WORD HERE.
SPECULATIVE DEV HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD IN THAT AREA WITHOUT A, WITHOUT A WASTEWATER SOLUTION.
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UM, AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I WANT.UM, AND I WILL ECHO WHAT, UH, MR. HART SAID.
I MEAN, YOU CAN USE, YOU COULD TAKE THOSE MONIES AND CANNIBALIZE AND BASICALLY ALL SET THE TAX INCREASE FOR A YEAR, BUT IT WON'T BUY YOU ANY MORE THAN THAT ONE YEAR.
AND THEN WE'LL START NEXT YEAR WITH NO MONEY AVAILABLE FOR A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN AND STILL HAVE TO DIRECT THE ONGOING, DIRECT UP THE ONGOING OPERATIONAL COSTS OF EMS, WHICH IS WHAT IS DRIVING THIS TAX INCREASE, UM, THIS YEAR.
I, I, I, YEAH, I UNDERSTAND THAT NOW IT, WE WOULDN'T, HOW MUCH IS THE Z IS THE SHORTFALL FOR THE EMS FUND? UH, TWO, I BE JUST GENERAL, GENERAL PLEASE.
SO, I MEAN, MY THOUGHT WAS JUST TO TAKE FROM THIS YEAR WHAT WAS NEEDED FROM THE WASTEWATER.
SO THERE WOULD STILL BE A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS THERE ROUGHLY.
UM, SO, WHICH I THINK WOULD AT LEAST MITIGATE SOME OF YOUR CONCERN.
UM, AND I ALSO THINK THAT STILL HAVING THOSE FUNDS THERE WOULD DEMONSTRATE TO ANY LAND DEVELOPMENT SPECULATOR, SHALL WE CALL 'EM, UM, THAT THE COUNTY IS COMMITTED TO A WASTEWATER SOLUTION FOR THAT SIDE, THE SEASIDE OF NORTHERN AKIMA COUNTY.
UM, AND AS WELL AS, AND YOU AND I TALKED TO, AND WE, WE KNOW WE'RE WORKING MULTIPLE SOLUTIONS, STILL HOPING TO MAKE HEADWAY WITH NASA POTENTIALLY FROM THE CONGRESSIONAL SIDE.
IT'S ONLY, IT'S, IT IS A BANDAID AND WE AS A COUNTY AND THESE BOARD HAVE GOT TO WORK TOGETHER TO DEVELOP OTHER REVENUE STREAMS AND EXPAND.
BUT AGAIN, RIGHT NOW, I GOTTA LOOK MY CONSTITUENTS IN THE EYE WHO WERE, WHO WERE STRUGGLING TO BUY EGGS AND THIS MONTH THERE'S A, THE CPI WENT UP ANOTHER 3% AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE GONNA DO IT.
AND BY THE WAY, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN IN A YEAR OR TWO BECAUSE OF THE EMS STRUCTURE.
I'M ASKING TO CONSIDER METHODS THAT WE DEFER FROM HAVING IT RAISE THE TAXES THIS YEAR TO MAKE THE BUDGET HOLE.
WE'LL DEFINITELY CONSIDER THAT.
AND I WOULD OPEN THAT UP, MR. CHAIR.
AND I WOULD OPEN THAT UP TO SAY, OR IF THERE'S OTHER WAYS WE COULD OFFSET THAT FROM EXISTING, UM, PLANNED, WHETHER IT BE CAPITAL OR, OR NON-CAPITAL.
I MEAN, I, I LOOK AT THIS BUDGET AND THINK THIS, I AM INCREDIBLY IMPRESSED BY THE STAFF'S WORK, MR. MASON'S WORK.
I WAS ABLE TO SIT DOWN AND DIGEST IT QUICKLY AND CLEANLY.
UM, SO, AND I DON'T SEE ANYWHERE WHERE THERE'S ANY, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF FAT WE HAVE, BUT I THINK THE, THE TAXPAYER ALSO DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF FAT RIGHT NOW.
AND THE ONES WE'RE COMING AFTER ARE THE ONES THAT ARE CARRYING ALL THIS ON THEIR BACK.
IT'S NOT THE ONES WHO, WHO NECESSARILY AREN'T.
SO WHERE COULD WE POSSIBLY CARVE SOMETHING OUT TO, TO AVOID THAT TAX INCREASE? OKAY, MR. CHAIRMAN, MR. CHAIR.
OH, AND TO MR. PARK'S, UH, ARGUMENT THEN IS, WELL, IT IS WARRANTED.
I MEAN, UH, A TAX INCREASE IS NOT IN, IN THIS REALM OF THINGS IS NOT THE BEST THING.
UM, ALSO, I JUST DON'T WANNA PUT OFF THE INEVITABLE.
UM, MAYBE I DON'T KNOW HOW DETRIMENTAL THAT WOULD BE TO, UM, TO WAIT UNTIL, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP PUTTING IT OFF.
COULD KEEP PUTTING IT, YOU KNOW, AND YES, IT'S A HARD PILL TO SWALLOW.
IT'S A HIGH, EVERYTHING'S HIGH.
YOU TOUCH ANYTHING THIS DAY AND TIME.
UH, I WORK AT NORTHAMPTON SOCIAL SERVICES, SO I, I WORK WITH THE MOST VULNERABLE, SO I UNDERSTAND.
IT'S JUST THAT I DON'T WANT TO KEEP PUTTING IT OFF, PUTTING IT OFF THAT IT'S GOING TO NEXT YEAR.
IT MIGHT HAVE TO BE HIGHER THAN FIVE OR, YOU KNOW, I JUST DON'T, YOU KNOW, I JUST, IF THIS IS JUST A BANDAID, I JUST WISH IT COULD BE A GOOD FIX.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S JUST, THIS IS AT A, JUST A BANDAID, IT SAY, OKAY, WE WON'T DO IT THIS YEAR.
HOW ABOUT NEXT YEAR ARE WE GONNA BE FACED WITH THE SAME DILEMMA? UM, AND THAT'S MY ONLY CONCERN, UM, ABOUT DEFERRING IT THIS YEAR.
AND I AND MR. PARKS, I AGREE WITH YOU 110%.
IT'S TIMING IS TERRIBLE WHEN IT COMES TO, I MEAN, EVERYBODY THINKS GOVERNMENT'S CRAZY RIGHT NOW ANYWAY.
SO YEAH, I AGREE WITH YOUR POINT WHOLEHEARTEDLY.
[00:30:01]
IT'S JUST THAT I JUST DON'T WANT TO BE IN A PREDICAMENT THAT IT COULD BE WORSE.A SUGGESTION I WOULD HAVE, AND I'LL GO BACK TO, UH, AND MR. PARKS AND MR. WASHINGTON WASN'T HERE AT THE TIME.
AND MR. GEORGE WAS PREVIOUS BOARD WHEN WE, UH, MET AND HAD A, UH, A HUGE, UH, PUBLIC, UH, ATTENDANCE WHEN WE, UH, ADDRESS THE SALARIES FOR THE EMS PERSONNEL AND ALSO ADD ADDITIONAL, UH, MEMBERS TO THE EMS WITH, I THINK I FIGURED OUT WITHIN AN 18 MIN MINUTE, WITHIN AN 18 MONTH PERIOD, WE INCREASE THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY'S BUDGET BY 38% ADDRESSING SALARIES AND NEW POSITIONS.
THAT'S WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE DONE THE TAX INCREASE BECAUSE YOU HAD THE PEOPLE HERE TO SUPPORT THE MOVE AND YOU'RE FACING THEM, THEN THIS IS WHAT'S GONNA COST US TO DO THIS.
SO WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE IS WE MADE THE MOVE TO SPEND THE MONEY, UH, FIVE YEARS AGO.
AND NOW MR. NOW WE'VE GOTTA PAY THE PIPER.
AND WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IN FUTURE WITH FUTURE BOARDS, WHEN, WHEN YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS WHETHER IT'S EMS OR WHATEVER, UH, WHEN YOU HAVE TO INCREASE A BUDGET BY SO MUCH THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT, UH, A TAX INCREASE DOWN THE ROAD, DO IT RIGHT THEN ADDRESS THE TAX INCREASE THE SAME TIME AS OPPOSED TO WAITING FOUR OR FIVE YEARS LATER AND ADDRESSING IT.
'CAUSE THAT'S, WE, YOU ALL DIDN'T WE PUT OURSELVES IN THIS POSITION.
AND, UH, AND I WOULD CERTAINLY SUGGEST HIGHLY THAT THE FUTURE BOARDS, WHEN THEY'RE FACED WITH, WITH INCREASES IN, UM, IN EXPENSES, TAKE CARE OF THE TAX ISSUE AT THE SAME TIME.
SO THAT'S JUST MY, MY SUGGESTION.
FORGIVE ME FOR BEING CAPTAIN OBVIOUS HERE, BUT I AM GONNA PUT
JUST, JUST REMEMBER WHAT YOU SEND A PUBLIC HEARING, YOU CAN ALWAYS DECREASE.
BUT IF, IF YOU GO TO PUBLIC HEARING AND YOU WANT TO INCREASE THE TAX RATE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO OUT FOR ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, SO, SO TRADITIONALLY WHEN THERE'S BEEN SOME, UH, DEBATE OVER WHAT THE TAX RATE'S GONNA BE, IT THE BOARD HAS, THE PREVIOUS BOARDS HAVE ADVERTISED SORT OF THE MAXIMUM AND THEN COME BACK AND REDUCED IT, UH, ALL ALONG, TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE PUBLIC INPUT THEY GET DURING THE HEARING.
BUT IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST AN, AN IDEA THAT YOU DON'T, I, I GUESS MY POINT IS YOU DON'T HAVE TO RESOLVE THAT TONIGHT.
YOU CAN COME BACK AND DO IT AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING IF YOU HAVE THE WILL TO SEND AN INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE TWO HEARING.
UM, ABOUT GENERAL DISTRICT COURT, I THINK WE JUST, UH, I DON'T THINK IT'S ANY COMMENTS THERE.
AND IN JUVENILE DISTRICT, UH, DOMESTIC RELATIONS COURT AS WELL.
MR. THAT WHICH ONE WAS, UH, CILA AND THAT'S IT.
AND THEY ASKED WHAT WAS THE TOTAL, SHE ASKED FOR 18 TWICE TOTAL.
IS THE BOARD, ANY OF THE BOARD FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD AT LEAST TRY THAT THEIR REQUEST? WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST AND MR. CHAIRMAN YEAH, SURE.
AND, AND I SUPPORT THIS, LET'S WAIT UNTIL WE GET THE END TO THE END OF THE WORK AND THEN SEE WHAT, WHAT NUMBERS WE HAVE LEFT AS FAR AS THE BALANCE.
IN OTHER WORDS, TO PAY FOR THIS.
'CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I SUPPORT IT, BUT LET'S SEE HOW MANY DOLLARS WE HAVE AFTER WE GET THE SHEET.
THE NEXT ONE OF THE COURSE IS THE OTHER EXTERNAL BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COUNCILS.
UM, GOOD JUDGE, I GUESS WITH THE EASTERN SHORE, YOUNG AGING, THEY WORKED WITH THE MOST VULNERABLE PERSONS AS WELL.
I KNOW SHE ONLY ASKED AT BUDGET.
WHERE WAS THAT AT? OR 2008 43.
BUT I THINK SHE ASKED FOR SOMETHING ADDITIONAL.
BUT SHE SENT, THEN SHE SENT ANOTHER.
MAYBE THAT WAS AFTER THIS WAS PREPARED.
AND I THINK IT WAS LIKE 6,500 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
YEAH, I THINK SHE DID SEND ANOTHER ONE.
EVEN IF WE CAN'T DO THE WHOLE 65, I WOULD'VE, I WAS STRONGLY PROPOSED.
ANYTHING ELSE UNDER THAT, ON THAT SECTION? ANYBODY'S? AND, AND, AND TO CLARIFY, YOU DID NOT WANT ME TO PUT THE NUMBERS IN FOR JD
[00:35:01]
AND R? NOT YET.EVERYBODY GOOD WITH THAT SECTION? IT'S THE LARGE
WAS THERE ANYTHING, DID VANESSA HAVE SOMETHING? VANESSA, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING? I'M NOT TRYING TO, I'M PUT WORDS IN.
EASTERN SHORE VIRGINIA HOUSING MISSION.
WHAT THAT I WAS GONNA ASK YOU THAT, THAT WAS THE MISSION.
YOU SEE THE RED? YEAH, IT RIGHT RED.
UM, DO YOU WANT TWO? YOU DON'T WANT THE EXTRA DOLLAR? YEAH.
THAT'S A, BUT OH, I GOT, I GOT IT.
I GOT, THAT'S AN HE CAN'T HAVE IT.
I I, IN OTHER WORDS, THE $1 WOULDN'T BE WORTH IT.
DID YOU WANT TO HANG ON TO THAT AT THE END? YES.
YEAH, WE WANT, YEAH, I WOULD AT THE END I WOULD BE, UH, I WOULD BE FOR THAT.
UH, UH, NEXT SECTION IS A, UH, OTHER NON-DEPARTMENTAL, OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
BUT THAT, THAT WHOLE SECTION LOOKS LIKE THAT'S A GO.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS IN, IN THAT AREA? UH, OKAY.
UM, PARKS AND REC QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, UH, MR. CHAIR? YES.
I'LL JUST CIRCLE BACK THAT ON MY EARLIER POINT ABOUT TRYING TO AVOID A TAX INCREASE.
AND, AND WE'RE FUNDING $65,000 FOR AN AMPHITHEATER HERE THAT I, I THINK COULD BE DEFERRED.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE BEEN A SUPPORTER.
I THINK IT, IT'S A GREAT IDEA, BUT IT'S A MATTER OF TIMING.
AND, AND YES, OUR TAX INCREASES FOR EMS, BUT YOU CAN LOOK AT IT, IT'S ALSO FOR AN AMPHITHEATER.
'CAUSE EMS IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO FUND.
UM, THE AMPHITHEATER MAY BE NOT SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO.
I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THAT.
I THINK THAT AN FIELD WILL BRING IN A LOT OF REVENUE AS WELL, THOUGH.
WE'LL, WE'LL DISCUSS, WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE THAT DISCUSSION.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT? OKAY.
UH, PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT, AND THAT'S PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT FIRST SECTION ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE? QUESTION FOR CHIEF.
PER, HOW MANY DRONES DO WE HAVE, COLONEL? RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ONE.
THE REASON THAT IS GREAT QUESTION.
RIGHT NOW, DRONE HAVE CAPABILITY TECHNOLOGY.
HOW ABOUT THE, UH, THE, THE NEXT SECTION, WHICH IS CONTINUATION OF THE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR, WHERE ARE YOU? TOP OF, TOP OF PAGE SEVEN.
UH, THE REGISTRAR, UH, THAT'S A WASH.
'CAUSE THAT'S A, THAT'S A, UNLESS ANYBODY'S GOT A COMMENT.
UNLESS THAT WAS, MAN, ANY, UNLESS ANYBODY'S GOT A COMMENT ON IT, THAT WAS ALL.
UH, SHERIFF'S OFFICE, I HAVE A COMMENT THERE.
MR. CROCKETT, MR. CHAIRMAN MEMBERS, I'VE, I'VE HAD SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH, UH, SHERIFF WES' SINCE OUR LAST MEETING.
[00:40:01]
AND HE'S EXPRESSED HIS CONCERN, UH, ABOUT ADDITIONAL, UH, SRO COVERAGE COVERAGE, UH, AT OUR SCHOOLS.AND, UM, AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE THE BOARD TO CONSIDER.
AND HE HAS OFFERED SOME HELP IN, UH, IN PAYING FOR THE, UH, THE EXTRA COST.
AND IT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE TIS SH TIS REQUEST, SH T'S REQUEST OF, UH, 63,000 AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, UM, REQUEST OF, UM, OF 290,000 FOR THREE AND A HALF POSITIONS, BUT WORKING SOME NUMBERS THAT, THAT TOTAL AMOUNT CAN BE BROUGHT DOWN.
UH, THE SHERIFF IS, IS WILLING TO SHOW HIS INTEREST IN THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS TO, UH, WITHDRAW HIS REQUEST FOR THE ANIMAL CONTROL POSITIONS POSITION.
AND WITH THAT, AND IF THE BOARD WOULD CONSIDER, RIGHT NOW BAKED INTO THIS BUDGET IS A 10 CENTS INCREASE IN THE CIGARETTE TAX, WHICH TAKES, IT, TAKES IT TO 30 CENTS.
IF THE BOARD WOULD CONSIDER ADDING ANOTHER 10 CENTS TO THAT, AND ALL OF OUR SURROUNDING AREAS HAVE IT AT 40 CENTS, AND WE WOULD JOIN THEM WITH THE 40 CENTS, THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH MONEY ALONG WITH THE, UH, UH, SHERIFF WES PULLING THE, UH, THE ANIMAL CONTROL POSITION OUT THAT WOULD BRING THAT TOTAL COST OF BOTH PROJECTS, SHTE PROJECT, UH, PROGRAM, AND THE, UM, AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, UH, PROGRAM DOWN TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT THE SCHOOLS MAY HELP PICK UP THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
NOW WITH THE CIGARETTE TAX, THAT WOULD GENERATE 10 CENTS ON TOP OF, OF WHAT WE'RE, WHAT'S BAKED IN HERE WOULD, WOULD GENERATE, UH, $300,000.
WHAT I'M ASKING WITHOUT ASK THE BOARD TO CONSIDER TO USE 150,000 OF THAT FOR THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS AND THEN TO BE A BALANCE OF 150,000 LEFT OUT OF THAT
MR. CHAIRMAN, YOU FINISHED MS. STRIKE? YEAH, GO AHEAD.
MR. MR. UM, MR. CHAIRMAN, I WOULD LIKE TO, I BROUGHT UP AT THE LAST MEETING, AND YOU ALL KNOW THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN GOING TO VACO, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON ACROSS THE STATE AS FAR AS, UH, OUR VOLUNTEERS, UM, THE, THE THINGS THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR 154,000.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE THEIR AUDIT, FUEL, INSURANCE TRUCKS BUILDING.
ASK THIS MAN RIGHT HERE, HOW MUCH TRUCK COSTS ABOUT A MILLION BUCKS,
AND SO THERE WE HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN, IN MY OPINION, TO SUPPORT THEM.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE, THE 150 LEFT, WHATEVER THAT IS, TO GO TO THE VOLUNTEERS AND INCREASE THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE SUPPORT THEM AND KEEP THEM AS MANY, KEEP 'EM AS ACTIVE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BOARD THINKS THAT THAT 40 CENT WE GET, YOU KNOW, THE STATE OF VIRGINIA IS ALWAYS DOING UNFUNDED MANDATES.
THEY TELL US SOMETHING, THEY TAKE IT BACK, THEY WANNA DO OUR ZONING, THEY WANNA DO EVERYTHING.
WELL, THE STATE OF VIRGINIA IS THE ONE THAT SET THAT FAR SENATE, THEY SET THE FAR SENATE.
AND I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE NOT INTELLIGENT IF WE DON'T GO AHEAD AND TAKE IT BEFORE THEY, UH, DO SOMETHING ELSE AND CHANGE IT.
SO THAT'S MY OPINION THAT I THINK WE, BECAUSE I I SEE THE OTHER THINGS AS UNFUNDED MANDATES AND THAT THE STATE SET, THAT PARTY SENT ITSELF.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US DO THAT.
UM, MIKE, HOW MUCH WOULD THAT BE IF WE DID, IT'S 14 COMPANIES, RIGHT? IT'S UH, IT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE OVER 10,000.
A COMPANY, A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN 10,000 A COMPANY AND MEMBERS OF, UH, BILLY JOE, WHAT CAN YOU BUY FOR 10 GRAND? NOT ONE AIR PACK AND SEE NOT MUCH ONE AIR PACK.
BUT WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING FOR A LONG TIME.
AND UM, WE'VE GOTTA DO SOMETHING.
SO I MEAN THAT 10 GRAND, MAYBE WE BUY THE FUEL, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE WE PAY FOR THE INSURANCE ON THE COMPANY, ON THE TRUCK.
YOU, I'M JUST SAYING WE'VE GOTTA DO SOMETHING.
AND THIS MAY BE THE FIRST STEP, BUT WE'VE GOTTA GET OUR MINDSET TO HELP OUR VOLUNTEERS AND TO KEEP THEM ACTIVE.
OR WE'RE GONNA END UP, IF WE DON'T, WE'RE GONNA END UP BUYING TRUCKS, AMBULANCE, WE'RE GONNA END UP BUYING THEM OURSELVES AND PAYING FOR 'EM BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO.
I MEAN, HOW MANY OF YOUR VOLUNTEERS, IF YOU KNOW YOUR VOLUNTEER COMPANIES CAN AFFORD A MILLION DOLLARS FOR A TRUCK, VERY FEW T AND THEY'RE, THEY STRUGGLE, BUT THEY DO IT BECAUSE OF THE CARNIVAL.
I MEAN, SO VERY FEW COMPANIES CAN HACK CAN HACK WHAT? I'M SORRY? IES.
SO WE'VE GOTTA DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO HELP THE VOLUNTEERS.
SO I AGREE AT LEAST THIS FIRST STEP, IF WE GIVE EVERY COMPANY 10 GRAND PLUS TAKE THAT MONEY AND USE IT.
AND I THINK THAT SUPPORTS 'EM ANYWAY.
[00:45:01]
HAVE MANY OF THEIR CALLS AND THINGS ARE BECAUSE OF CIGARETTES, FIRES, YEAH.THEY'RE, THEY'RE BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND SO IT, I THINK IT WOULD JUST BE A FIRST STEP AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL REVIEW THIS LATER ON AT OTHER, UM, IN OTHER BUDGETS.
BUT, AND COURSE, AND COURSE WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE GRANT MONEY THAT'S GONNA BE AVAILABLE TO THEM AS WELL.
BUT THAT'S JUST FOR PPE, RIGHT? RIGHT.
FOR PP I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S JUST FOR PE BUT, BUT I'M SAYING YES.
AND I THINK TO GO ALONG WITH THAT, I THINK IT'D BE GOOD FOR US SO WE CAN SEE IT.
UH, JUST FOR, JUST TO WORK THE NUMBERS, WHY DON'T WE JUST ASK MIKE TO PUT THE $300,000 IN THERE.
I MEAN, THIS IS A WORKING PAPER HERE.
PUT A 300, PUT $300,000 IN THERE.
ADD THE 73,000 AND SOME ODD DOLLARS WITH THE SHERIFF PULLING OUT HIS REQUEST FOR THE, UH, FOR THE, UH, UH, ANIMAL CONTROL POSITION.
AND, AND THEN PUT PLUG IN THERE.
THE A HUNDRED, THE $150,000 FROM MR. HART'S REQUEST AND THE $150,000 FROM MY REQUEST FOR THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.
THAT WAY WE HAVE OUR, WE HAVE A WORKING NUMBER, IF THAT'S OKAY, BECAUSE IT GIVES US A WORKING NUMBER.
ALL WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW ANYWAY, IS TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING TO SEND A PUBLIC HEARING.
WOULD THAT BE OKAY? JUST THAT'S JUST TO WORK.
IT, IT SOUNDS A LOT BETTER THEN.
THANK YOU MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
SO, ALRIGHT, WELL WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE ON.
SHERIFF, WE WE'RE DONE WITH THE SHERIFF SECTION.
OH, I MEAN, ALRIGHT, TREASURER.
IT JUST, I JUST POST YOU GET SICK POSTAGE.
YOU CREW, YOU'LL COME AND HELP ME DOWN.
HOW ABOUT A VICTIM WITNESS PROGRAM? ANY COMMENTS THERE? WELL, I'M SORRY MR. CHAIRMAN, WHERE ARE YOU? I'M SORRY.
WELL, WE WENT TO T TREASURER WAS A WATCH.
WAS THAT, DIDN'T WE ADD FUNDING FOR THAT LAST YEAR? UHUH? WE DID NOT.
JUST TO CREATE A PART-TIME JOB.
I REMEMBER THAT REPORTS AND WE DID NOT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, GRAND TOTALS THERE AT THE BOTTOM.
SO WITH THAT, ANY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? WE'RE WAITING FOR MIKE TO, AND WHEN HE PLUGS IN SOME NUMBERS THERE, SO THE, IT THE LEVEL, THE PLAYING FIELD WITH THE SHERIFF, IT'S, IT'S 3.5 AT THE 3.5.
WHICH EQUALS TO ABOUT $290,000 I BELIEVE.
AND THEN THE ONE SH TANK COMBINED.
THAT'S A GOOD COMPROMISE, EVERYBODY.
I CAN SAY SOMETHING JUST, YEAH, SURE.
I CAN'T IN GOOD FAITH ASK THIS BOARD TO FUND THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL POSITION BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT FUNDING ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTY.
GET READY BECAUSE THEY HAD A, A BIG DEAL UP MOTION CITY THE OTHER DAY AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO, UH, KEEP IT IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND.
UM, HOW DO YOU WANT GO AHEAD AND PLUG IN THE OTHER I THE OTHER SMALLER ITEMS AS WELL THAT WE, WE, WE, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE JUDGES.
WE HAD THE JUVENILE THAT WAS EIGHT, 18,000.
AND CAN I MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT? YES.
CAN I MAKE A COMMENT? JUDGES, WE'VE NEVER HAD A JUDGE COME HERE BEFORE WE WE HAD TWO.
SO THAT, THAT, BUT IT ALSO SHOWS THE TOP SIGNS OF, AND JAN, I'M SURE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE AS FAR AS THE JUDGE
SO COULD YOU PLUG THAT IN, IN 30 WHAT WE HAD THE MR THE JUVENILE.
YEAH, I'M JUST SAYING IT ALSO, UH, DE NOTES THE SIGNS OF THE TIME.
ALRIGHT, WE HAD THE, UH, WAS THAT 18 OR, OR THE 36.
AND THEN THE E-S-A-A-A AND THEN I THINK HE DID ALREADY DO THE SAA HOW ABOUT THE ONE THAT HE DIDN'T DO THE 9 9 9 FOR THE HOUSE.
WE'VE CRASHED IT BUSY FOR A SECOND.
DID DID YOU PUT THE OTHER END THERE TOO? THAT IN THERE COULD BE, UH, AGENT MIKE WE TALKING ABOUT FOR WHO? VICE WHERE THE BAR COMPANYS AT.
I, I JUST ASKED YOU MADAM VICE CHAIRMAN.
WHAT'S THAT? NOW THE, THE OTHER PART THAT WAS FOR THE 5,000, FOR THE 5,000 AREA FOR AGENT AER AGENT 5,000 PUT IN AS WELL.
DID WE PUT THE BALANCE IN THERE AS WELL? WE, HE'S, YEAH.
I HE'S GOT IT ON THE LIST TO DO.
SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH WHAT I JUST, OKAY, SO I JUST, I JUST PUT IN THE REQUEST BOTH.
REQUEST FOR BOTH COURTS, FOR THE UH, FOR THE, UH, JUDGE.
[00:50:02]
I DON'T LOOK AT A SCREEN.AND THEN NEXT UNDER THE RED THERE IS THE WHERE THAT IN, THAT'S VANESSA'S? YEP.
9 9 9 9 9 THE MISSION AND THEN ES 5,000 RIGHT HERE, RIGHT? YEP.
AND THEN, UM, I THINK THAT'S IT, ISN'T IT? NO.
AH, ARE WE, ARE THEY GONNA PUT IN THE, AND YOU TOOK OUT THE RESOURCE OFFICERS AND ALSO TOOK IN THERE, YOU TOOK OUT THE ANIMAL CONTROL.
DID YOU TOOK OUT ANIMAL CONTROL.
SO ANIMAL CONTROLS OUT, OKAY, IT'S NO LONGER HERE.
THE VOLUNTEER, AND I'M JUST PUTTING A ROW IN, DON'T WORRY THAT IT'S THE SHERIFF, BUT IT'S SAYS VOLUNTEER FINE.
AND THAT'S ADDITIONAL, THAT'S ADDITIONAL ON TOP OF THE TWO 50 TPE GRANT.
UH, 63,000 REIMBURSEMENT TO THE TOWN OF
POSITION OR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO WHERE ARE YOU? SO YOU FOUR TO THE HUNDRED 5,000 NOW PUT IN THE, UH, CIGARETTE TAX HE ALREADY HAS.
YEAH, BUT WHAT, WELL THAT'S NOT GOOD.
THERE, THERE IS SOME CONVERSATION WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ABOUT HELPING.
HE COULD PICK UP HELPING FUND THE, UH, THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.
WE'LL, UH, WE'LL PROBABLY HEAR ABOUT THAT NEXT, NEXT WEDNESDAY.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING IF WE, IF THE, IF THE EXTRA 10 CENT WAS 300,000, HOW? 1 51 1 50.
NO, BUT I'M SAYING IF IT'S 300, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A CLOSER NUMBER THAN THAT.
YOU WHAT I'M SAYING? I'M SAYING IT'S A WORKABLE NUMBER.
ADDITIONAL FUNDS PLUS THE THREE, PLUS THE 73 51 50.
I CHECK THE CPA A OH, I DO TOO.
WELL, WHAT DO YOU SAY? UM, MS. LESLIE? HE'S RIGHT.
LIKE SHE GONNA SAY ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY.
SHOW ME WHERE THE 300,000 IS SIZE.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAYING MIKE'S WRONG.
I JUST WANNA 300,000 FORMULA 300.
WHERE IS IT ON THIS? ON OUR, ON OUR PAPER? WELL, THAT'S RIGHT HERE.
I'M NOT SHOWING, I'M NOT PUTTING IT AS A ROW.
THIS IS A FORMULA THAT SHOWS HOW MUCH MONEY'S AVAILABLE, LESS ALL THIS.
SO I HAD TO INCREASE THAT TO GET IT TO COME OUT.
HE'S ALREADY PLUGGED OUT 300,000 IN THERE.
SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, I MEAN, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT TAKING ANY ACTION TO SEND THIS TO PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT.
YOU HEAR FROM THE SCHOOLS AT YOUR REGULAR MEETING.
AND THEN AFTER YOU, THEN AFTER THEIR PRESENTATION LATER ON IN THE AGENDA, WE HAVE ANOTHER AGENDA ITEM.
SO YOU CAN COME BACK AND DISCUSS WHAT YOU HEARD FROM THEM AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION.
AND THERE MAY BE SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT, UM, ASSISTANCE, UM, FROM THE SCHOOLS DIRECT FUNDING TO HELP HIRE MORE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.
BUT, BUT THAT DISCUSSION WILL NEED TO HAPPEN.
UM, RIGHT NEXT WEEK, NEXT WEDNESDAY.
SO YOU, YOU'RE COMFORTABLE LEAVING IT LIKE THIS.
BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT SENDING IT TO THE PUBLIC.
AND WE'LL PICK UP RIGHT HERE WHERE WE LEFT OFF.
MAY I, MR. CHAIRMAN? ABSOLUTELY.
MAY I ASK THE CPA AS MS. MAJOR SAID,
WILL YOU ALL JUST LOOK AT IT AND SEE IF WE CAN GET A LITTLE BIT CLOSER? YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? RIGHT.
BEFORE WE START WORKING ON IT AGAIN, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO, MIKE IS MAGIC WHEN IT COMES TO FINDING HE, HE MIGHT FIND SOMETHING.
LESLIE'S GOING THROUGH IT TOO.
WE'VE, I KNOW WE'VE IDENTIFIED SOME VERY SMALL ITEMS, BUT NOTHING THAT WON'T DO IT.
WE CAN TAKE 20 FROM THE 24 MILLION SCHOOL BOARD.
[00:55:01]
SORRY, I WAS JUST MUMBLING.I'LL TAKE THE CHECK WITH ME TONIGHT.
VICE CHAIR, YOU HAD THE FLOOR.
HYPOTHETICALLY, I'M JUST CURIOUS IF WE DID WHAT MR. PARKS THE, UH, SUGGESTED, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? YOU MEAN TO BALANCE IT? TO BALANCE IT, IT WOULD, WOULD IT BALANCE IF YOU THERE'S ENOUGH IN THAT ONE ITEM TO OFFSET THE ENTIRE TAX INCREASE FOR ONE YEAR? WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT THAT OR JUST THAT? FOR ONE YEAR? FOR ONE YEAR.
WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT THAT? OR ONE YEAR RIGHT HERE? NO.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT GETS ME HEARTBURN ABOUT IT.
YOU KNOW, I, OKAY, I JUST WANT PAY ME NOW.
I I MEAN I JUST THINK IT'S HARD TO, TO DO THAT.
AND I REMEMBER SOMETHING THAT ROBERT SAID A WHILE BACK ABOUT CUTTING OFF A CATCH TAPE.
IF YOU KEEP, EVERY TIME YOU CUT A PIECE OFF SQUEEZE YEAH.
IT'S GONNA SCREAM ALL AT ONCE.
I JUST DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T, I JUST DON'T SEE IN A YEAR LATER YOU GONNA COME BACK AND THEN THAT'S THE ONLY I HAVE MIGHT FACE MORE MY IT, BUT MR. CHAIRMAN TO, BUT IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
WELL, I'D LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER THOUGH, AND THAT LAST YEAR WE SAID WE DIDN'T RAISE TAXES, BUT WE DID A REASSESSMENT.
AND MOST PEOPLE SEE THAT AS A TAX INCREASE.
THIS YEAR YOU'RE INCREASING, YOU'RE ASKING, WE'RE DEBATING, EXCUSE ME MM-HMM
I WOULD OFFER TO YOU THAT THAT TAX INCREASE IS ONLY GONNA COVER THE EMS FUND FOR MAYBE A YEAR OR TWO.
AND YOU'RE GONNA BE BACK HERE ASKING THE INCREASED TAXES AGAIN.
IT, IT'S ALSO THAT PLAYS BOTH WAYS.
UM, WELL I THINK I'M, I'M GONNA SAY THIS, I THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING, AND I'LL SAY THIS TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS AT THE PUBLIC HEARING, BECAUSE THIS BOARD HAS RAISED EMS TAX OVER THE YEARS, MANY TIMES.
NO ONE CAME ARGUING THAT AGAINST THE EM SI MEAN, Y'ALL HELP ME RUN.
IT MAY BE THIS YEAR YOU MAY BE FLOODED.
I THINK IT'S, BUT NO ONE HAS EVER COME AND ARGUED AGAINST THE E EM S TAX BECAUSE OF WHAT IT'S USED FOR.
IT'S HARD TO ARGUE IF YOU KNEW IT WAS ALL GOING TO EMS, BUT WHEN WE'VE GOT OTHER THINGS IN THE BUDGET THAT MAY OH YEAH.
OTHER PEOPLES MAY SEE AS NOT NECESSARY.
OR ACTUALLY, I, I THINK THAT I ABSOLUTELY WANNA BE ON THE RECORD AND SAY THE WATER TREATMENT, UH, WAY AHEAD IS NECESSARY.
AND NOT JUST THERE, BUT IN MY PART OF AC, NORTHERN AKIMA COUNTY AS WELL, WE'RE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT THAT YET.
UM, BUT IF WE DON'T CHALLENGE SOME OF THESE THINGS, UH, AND THIS ISN'T JUST FOR OUR OUTSTANDING COUNTY STAFF, BUT FOR, FOR US AND ANYONE OUT THERE WHO'S WORKING IN THESE ENDEAVORS TO LOOK FOR OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, THEN THEY'RE JUST GONNA KEEP COMING BACK AND WE'RE JUST GONNA KEEP LOOKING AT TAX INCREASE.
SO WE GOTTA PUSH BACK WHERE WE CAN AND LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE FUNDING.
WE'VE GOTTA FUND EMS NOT AN OPTION.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S I'LL MANDATE, BUT WHAT ELSE HAS GOTTA GO WITH IT? AND SO THAT'S THE, THE WHAT I'D SAY.
'CAUSE UM, AGAIN, WE'VE GOT, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS OUT THERE THAT WE'RE NOT EVEN ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THAT WE KNOW ARE COMING THAT ARE GONNA NEED FUNDING AS WELL.
AND, AND THE QUESTION TOO IS WHAT WOULD WE, WHAT BREAKS WOULD WE PUT ON IF WE TOOK THAT MONEY OR MOST OF THAT MONEY FROM THE WASTEWATER NEEDS FROM THE NORTHERN END? YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE STOPPING THERE? IS THAT PROGRESS THAT WE, THAT WE COULD GET REVENUE? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GENERATING REVENUE.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT COULD GENERATE REVENUE FROM THAT? YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, YEAH.
I I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA HAPPEN A YEAR THOUGH.
AND HOPEFULLY IN A YEAR WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BETTER ECONOMY AND INFLATION'S NOT GONNA BE REPLACED.
WELL, HOPEFULLY, LIKE, LIKE THE VICE CHAIR SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S CRAZY.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S CRAZY RIGHT NOW.
COUNTY, COUNTY GOVERNMENT DIDN'T CRAZY COUNTY, WE'RE THE ONLY ONES IN NOW.
SO, I MEAN, TO EVERYONE'S POINT THOUGH, AND I, I THINK ABOUT IT, YOU CAN'T SIT HERE AND GUARANTEE THAT IF WE DO THAT, WE'RE NOT GONNA COME BACK FOR ANOTHER TAX INCREASE IN TWO YEARS.
ACTUALLY, WE'VE ALREADY LOOKED AT THAT.
YOU KNOW, ASSESSMENT MAY BRING THINGS UP.
AND, AND THEN ON A SIDE NOTE WITH ANOTHER ISSUE, UM,
[01:00:02]
THE WAY I LOOK AT EMS AND PUBLIC SAFETY IN GENERAL, IF, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS, AND I'LL TAKE PUBLIC SAFETY ON, ON THE SHERIFF'S SIDE AND SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.UH, AND, AND THE WAY I LOOK AT THAT ISSUE IS SUPPOSE, HEAVEN FORBID, SUPPOSE THREE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD WE DID NOTHING TO INCREASE
AND SUPPOSE HEAVEN FORBID WE HAVE A ACTIVE SHOOTER IN ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS WON'T BE GOOD.
AND SUPPOSE MR. WESTON, MS. JOHNSON, MR. PARKS, MR. PHILLIPS, MYSELF, MR. TAR AND MS. MAJOR.
MR. HART, ONE OF US WILL BE CHAIR.
AND IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS, THAT CHAIR IS GONNA BE ASKED A QUESTION.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SUPPORT THE SHERIFF IN HIS SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM? NOTHING.
YOU KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS NOW? ZERO.
THE HALF A POSITION THAT THEY HAVE THAT'S PAID FOR IS PAID FOR BY THE SCHOOLS.
HE HAS FOUR DEPUTIES AT THE SCHOOLS.
THREE AND A HALF IS TAKEN OUT HIS BUDGET, THE OTHER HALF COMES FROM THE SCHOOLS.
THIS BOARD HAS PROVIDED ZERO AS FAR AS SALARIES.
SO WHAT'S THE CHAIR? WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE CHAIR'S ANSWER GONNA BE WHEN THEY'RE ASKED? WHAT DID YOU DO TO SUPPORT IT? NOTHING.
I DON'T WANNA BE IN THAT POSITION, THAT'S FOR SURE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S HOW I LOOK AT IT.
AND I LOOK AT IT WITH EMS ALSO, YOU KNOW, IF, IF HEAVEN FORBID, IF, IF ONE OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS NEED A, NEEDS AN AMBULANCE RIGHT AWAY.
I, YOU KNOW, WANT, I WANT THEM, I WANT 'EM TRAINED, I WANT 'EM EQUIPPED.
I DON'T WANT 'EM TO GET THERE.
SO, AND I THINK THAT, I THINK THE PUBLIC HAS A GENERAL CONCEPTION OF THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S HOW THEY, THAT'S HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT IT.
MAY I SAY SOMETHING? SURE, GO AHEAD.
UM, THE ACCIDENT THAT HAPPENED DOWN AT KELLER WITH THE GAS TANK, JUST TO SHOW WHAT OUR VOLUNTEERS AND OUR EMS DO.
THAT GAS, THAT TRUCK WAS LEAKING GAS THAT COULD HAVE EXPLODED AND THAT COULD HAVE, THEY EVACUATED PEOPLE ON 13 YEP.
BUT IF THAT HAD EXPLODED, IT WOULD'VE BEEN CATASTROPHIC.
AND THEY HAD TO KEEP SPRAYING WATER FROM THEIR TANKERS, I BELIEVE, OR FROM THEIR TRUCKS TO KEEP IT FROM, TO KEEP IT FROM EXPLODING.
SO THAT COULD HAVE BEEN, UM, I HAD A FIREMAN SAY TO ME THAT IT'S THE FIRST TIME SINCE HE HAS BEEN AS A VOLUNTEER, FIRST TIME THAT HE'S, SINCE HE'S BEEN A MEMBER OF THE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY THAT HE HAD, THEY HAVE A METAL, UH, A DOG, A METAL TAG.
HE MADE SURE THAT METAL TAG WAS IN HIS POCKET.
HE WAS THAT WORRIED AND THAT HE WAS THAT SCARED ABOUT IT.
FIRST TIME HE'S EVER BEEN WORRIED ABOUT IT, SITTING ON THAT SITUATION.
Y'ALL REMEMBER RENITA REMEMBERS DOWN IN PAINTER WHEN THAT GAS TRUCK, MR. GUY, MR. UH, MR. GUY.
IT DIDN'T EXPLODE, BUT THERE WAS FIRE SHOOTING OUT THE BACK.
I MEAN, THAT WAS A BAD SITUATION, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THAT'S HOW MUCH THESE, OUR VOLUNTEERS AND THESE, OUR EMS PUT THEIR LIVES IN DANGER EVERY DAY.
THAT WAS A MEMBER OF MY CHURCH WHO WAS DRIVING THE UH, UH, CHRIS MATTHEWS.
BUT IT WAS, UM, IT'S JUST SOMETHING WE GOT.
WE GOTTA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN.
I MEAN, THE END, I THINK MR. CHAIR, I JUST THINK EMS IS LIKE A NO-BRAINER.
I MEAN, I, IT'S LIKE OUR MANDATE KIND, YOU KNOW, SO TO SPEAK, THAT WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, PROTECT, UH, CITIZENS AND YES.
UM, I MEAN THAT'S, THIS IS WHAT WE, I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST, WE HAVE TO, IF ADDS AND BUT ABOUT IT, WE HAVE TO GO.
EVERY, EVERY TRUCK AT THAT SCENE WAS OWNED BY A VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY.
EVERY TRUCK, EVERY AMBULANCE AT THAT SCENE WAS OWNED BY A VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY.
WHO, WHO OWNS THEM AND WHO'S RUNNING IT FOR US.
10 YEARS AGO WHEN I'VE GOT ON THIS BOARD, WE HAD A PUBLIC HEARING TO PUT EMS AND TAN, UH, UM, GREEN CODE GREENVILLE.
AND OVER IN, UH, SAXES, WE PROBABLY HAD 10 SPEAKERS.
EIGHT OF 'EM ASK US FOR RAISE THEIR TAXES.
WE WILL SEE ANY OTHER, UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ARE WE DONE WITH MR. CHAIRMAN? WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO FROM THIS POINT? WE'RE GONNA MEET WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD AT OUR REGULAR MEETING.
THEY'RE GOING AND THEN WE, WE'LL SET, WE'LL SET A DATE AT THE REGULAR MEETING AND THEN WORK AGAIN.
THE IDEA WAS TO SET THE DATE FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING AT YOUR REGULAR MEETING AND TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE AT YOUR REGULAR MEETING AFTER THE SCHOOL WAS PRESENTED.
IT WAS, I IT WAS A GOOD DISCUSSION.
SOME GOOD STUFF LAID ON THE TABLE.
UM, SO WE DO NEED TO ADD NO, WE DON'T NEED TO DO THAT ONE
SO, UM, WITH THAT, UNLESS ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, ADJOURN.
[01:05:01]
HAVE A MOTION.