OKAY, WE'LL, OPEN THE MEETING. [Call to Order] [00:00:02] WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THE DECEMBER 14TH, SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU FOLKS HERE. FIRST THING I'LL SAY IS WE DO HAVE A QUORUM TONIGHT SO WE CAN CONDUCT BUSINESS. IT'S OBVIOUS THAT WE NEED TO RECESS FOR A CLOSED SESSION. [1. Closed Meeting] MR. JOHNSON? YES, SIR, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO READ THE MOTION? I WOULD LIKE SIR. IT'S NECESSARY FOR THIS BOARD TO NOW CONDUCT A CLOSED MEETING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS SET OUT IN THE CODE OF VIRGINIA 1950 AS AMENDED FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES. NUMBER ONE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 2.2-3711A5. DISCUSSION WITH STAFF FROM FRANKLIN SOUTHAMPTON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INC. CONCERNING CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS AND NEGOTIATIONS WITH COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL PROSPECTS, OR THE EXPANSION OF EXISTING COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL BUSINESSES WHERE NO PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT HAS BEEN MADE OF THE PROSPECTS OR THE BUSINESS'S INTEREST IN LOCATING OR EXPANDING ITS FACILITIES IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY. NUMBER TWO, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 2.2-3711A3 AND 8, DISCUSSION REGARDING THE DISPOSITION OF CERTAIN PUBLICLY OWNED REAL PROPERTY LOCATED AT 29224 HUNT CLUB DRIVE. SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED UNDER THE ROBERT T. STAFFORD DISASTER RELIEF AND EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE ACT, WHICH RESTRICTS THE USE OF THE LAND TO OPEN SPACE IN PERPETUITY IN ORDER TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE NATURAL FLOODPLAIN VALUES. WHERE DISCUSSION IN AN OPEN MEETING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE BARGAINING POSITION OR THE NEGOTIATING STRATEGY OF THE PUBLIC BODY, AND CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING LEGAL MATTERS ASSOCIATED WITH DISPOSITION OF SUCH PROPERTY. NUMBER THREE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 2.2-3711A3 DISCUSSION OR CONSIDERATION OF CONTINUATION OF A REAL ESTATE PURCHASE OPTION FOR PROPERTY OWNED BY PAUL AND PATRICIA MILTEER ON ROSE VALLEY ROAD, KNOWN AS THE BEALE PROPERTY, WHERE DISCUSSION IN AN OPEN MEETING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE BARGAINING POSITION OR NEGOTIATING STRATEGY OF THE PUBLIC BODY AND NUMBER FOUR IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 2.2-3711A8, CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL EMPLOYED BY THE GOVERNING BODY REQUIRING THE PROVISION OF LEGAL ADVICE RELATED TO ZONING AND LAND USES ON PROPERTY. LOCATED AT 28873 LITTLE TEXAS ROAD. THANK YOU, MR. JOHNSON. ALL RIGHT, WE NEED A MOTION TO ACCEPT THAT. [INAUDIBLE] SECOND? ALL THE FAVORITE SAYING, AYE. AYE. OKAY, WE WILL GOING TO CLOSE SESSION. OKAY, WELCOME EVERYBODY WE RETURN TO OPEN SESSION SUPERVISOR GILLETT, COULD YOU READ THE [2. Certification Resolution] RESOLUTION, PLEASE? CERTAINLY. WHEREAS THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CONVENED A CLOSE MEETING ON THIS DATE PURSUANT TO AN AFFIRMATIVE RECORDED VOTE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE VIRGINIA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT. AND WHEREAS SECTION 2.2-3712D OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA REQUIRES A CERTIFICATION BY THE BOARD, THAT SUCH CLOSED MEETING WAS CONDUCTED IN CONFORMITY WITH VIRGINIA LAW. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AT THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HEREBY CERTIFIES THAT TO THE BEST OF EACH MEMBER'S KNOWLEDGE, ONLY PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS LAWFULLY EXEMPTED FROM OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS BY VIRGINIA LAW WERE DISCUSSED IN THE CLOSED MEETING TO WHICH THIS CERTIFICATION RESOLUTION APPLIES AND ONLY SUCH PUBLIC MATTERS, AS WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE MOTION CONVENING THE CLOSED MEETING WERE HEARD, DISCUSSED AND CONSIDERED BY THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. OKAY, YOU HEARD THAT WE NEED A MOTION TO ACCEPT THIS RESOLUTION. [INAUDIBLE]. SECONDED. [INAUDIBLE] SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OKAY NEXT IN THE AGENDA IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. WE USED TO DO THAT AT SIX O'CLOCK, BUT WE [INAUDIBLE] FOR EVERYBODY. AND LEAD US IN A SHORT PRAYER [INAUDIBLE]? YES, SIR. [00:05:05] THEE FOR BRINGING US TOGETHER, THAT WE MIGHT BE ON ONE LINE AND ON ONE ACCORD. WE ASK THAT YOU TO GIVE US AN OPEN HEART AND OPEN MIND THAT WE MIGHT BE REMINDFUL OF THE SEASON THAT WE ARE ABOUT TO CELEBRATE. THAT WE MIGHT BE REMINDFUL OF THE [INAUDIBLE] AND ALSO THAT WE MIGHT BE REMINDFUL OF THOSE THAT ARE LESS FORTUNATE THAN WE ARE. WE ASK YOU, GOD THAT YOU BLESS US INDIVIDUALLY, THEN BLESS US COLLECTIVELY, [INAUDIBLE] WOULD BLESS THOSE ON THE HILL IN WASHINGTON, D.C., AND ALSO ON THE HILL IN [INAUDIBLE] VIRGINIA, GIVE THEM A GREAT UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY MIGHT [INAUDIBLE] THIS COUNTRY A LOT BETTER THAN WHAT IT IS. IN THE NAME OF THE CREATOR WE PRAY. AMEN. THANK YOU [INAUDIBLE]. OKAY, WE HAVE TWO THINGS THAT, COME FROM THE CLOSED MEETING THAT [3. Actions Arising From Closed Meeting] WE NEED TO DISCUSS IN PUBLIC. FIRST, ONE IS THE CONSIDERATION OF A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH THE. ADRIAN DEAN KEETER. THIS INVOLVES ABOUT SIX POINT EIGHT ACRES OF PROPERTY, WHICH WAS ACQUIRED THROUGH THE HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT PROGRAM FOLLOWING THE 1999 FLOOD. THIS PROPERTY IS ADJACENT TO MR. KEETER'S RESIDENCE, AND THERE ARE OTHER PROPERTY OWNERS HERE WHO ARE AFFECTED BY IT, AND [INAUDIBLE] MANNER DIVISION. MR. KEETER HAS SOUGHT THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION IN RENEWING THE LEASE FOR ANOTHER THREE YEAR TERM. WITH THAT INTRODUCTION, DID ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? DISCUSSION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE GRANT HIM TO LEASE FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS. DO WE HAVE A SECOND TO THAT? SECOND. ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION DISCERNING THE LEASE? WHAT HAPPENED? I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I PUT IN FOR IT TOO. WE REALIZE THAT. OKAY. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT ISSUE? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSE NO. OKAY, WE'LL ENTER TO THE LEASE AGREEMENT WITH MR. KEETER. OKAY, THE SECOND THING, CONSIDERATION OF A CONTINUATION OF A REAL ESTATE OPTION AGREEMENT FOR AROUND TWO HUNDRED AND TWO ACRES ADJACENT TO THE TURNER TRACT, SO. NOW THAT, THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FOR A FEE OF FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A NON-EXCLUSIVE OPTION TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY ANYTIME DURING THE NEXT THREE YEARS. ANY ADDITIONAL YEAR AFTER THAT WILL REQUIRE THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR. WE FELT THAT THIS IS VERY NECESSARY TO HAVE THIS LAND AVAILABLE IN CASE WE GOT A HOT PROSPECT. PROSPECTS DON'T LIKE TO GO THROUGH. REZONING AND THAT SITUATION. SO, IF WE'RE SO INCLINED, WE NEED A MOTION TO REQUIRE AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE THE REAL ESTATE OPTION AGREEMENT. SO MOVE. IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT? I'LL SECONDED IT. ALL RIGHT. ANY DISCUSSION? I THINK THIS IS A VERY WISE THING TO DO. HAVE IT READY TO GO. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY, AYE, AYE. OPPOSED NO. OKAY, WE [INAUDIBLE] AUTHORIZED, MR. JOHNSON, TO EXECUTE THAT AGREEMENT. [4. Citizens Comment Period] OKAY. NEXT THING IS THE CITIZENS COMMENT PERIOD. ANYBODY LIKE TO SPEAK ON ANY SUBJECT CONCERNING THE COUNTY CAN COME FORWARD AND JUST GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, FOR THE RECORD, I MIGHT ADD JUST A MINUTE ONE SECOND [INAUDIBLE]. WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC HEARINGS TONIGHT SO LOOK AT YOUR AGENDA AND ANYTHING LIKE, YOU'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT GO AHEAD AND JUST DO IT IN THIS PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, PLEASE. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR, SIR. MY NAME IS WALT BROWN RESIDE AT 33334 SANDY RIDGE ROAD, FRANKLIN VIRGINIA. FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T CONGRATULATE SUPERVISOR UPDIKE ON A VERY CLOSE ELECTION, WHICH SPLIT THE TWO PRECINCTS. SHE TOOK THE NEWSOMS PRECINCTS, AND I TOOK THE BLACKWATER PRECINCTS WHERE WE HAVE THIRTY FOUR PERCENT APPROXIMATELY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT-- ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED KIDS OF THE 1900 KIDS THAT ATTEND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY. I WOULD ASSUME THEY [INAUDIBLE] PEOPLE TO GET A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT THE RESOLUTION WITH PARENTAL RIGHTS. [INAUDIBLE] SCHOOLS. DO I HAVE A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT THAT NOW? I WOULD USE THAT OPPORTUNITY NOW. I'M SORRY? NOW NOT LATER. DO IT NOW. WE'RE NOT-- WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC HEARINGS THROUGH THE NIGHT. THAT'S WHY I SAID, IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR AGENDA AND YOU LIKE TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING ON THE [00:10:01] AGENDA, PLEASE DO IT DURING THE COMMENT PERIOD, SIR. OK, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU THIS MR. CHAIRMAN. GIVE ONE TO EACH PERSON. I SEE MR. JONES IS NOT HERE. SO I ONLY HAVE SEVEN. THAT IS THE TRIBAL CALENDAR WHICH REFLECTS OF THE [INAUDIBLE] THAT WE SHARED ON SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF VIRGINIA AND ON THE HILL IN WASHINGTON, DC. [INADUIBLE] PRESENTATIONS AND OUR POWWOWS, ET CETERA. IN THAT CALENDAR, IT HIGHLIGHTS ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN TO INCLUDE WHAT WE HAVE UPCOMING IN 2022. I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT [INAUDIBLE]. OK, [INAUDIBLE] IS NEAR AND DEAR TO ME AND ALSO TO SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY, WE'RE ALL AWARE THAT THERE WAS A LITTLE MORE THAN THREE MILLION DOLLARS THAT WAS GRANTED TO SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY [INAUDIBLE] DOWN IN SUPPORT OF PRESIDENT BIDEN'S ONE POINT NINE TRILLION DOLLAR AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN. OK. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT MONEY WENT TO. I SAW SOMETHING IN THE PAPER THAT TALKED ABOUT THAT MOST OF IT WAS BEING SPENT TOWARD BROADBAND. BUT HOWEVER, ON DECEMBER 13, GOVERNOR NORTON PUSHED FORWARD ANOTHER SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWO MILLION DOLLARS OK TO BRING ABOUT UNIVERSAL BROADBAND FOR LOCAL LOCALITIES TO GET INVOLVED IN SUBMITTING GRANTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. NOW I HAVE A CONCERN BECAUSE WE HAD SUBMITTED A LETTER TO THE BOARD, A FORMAL LETTER AND AS A CONSTITUENT OF THIS COUNTY, IF WE SUBMIT A FORMAL LETTER, AT LEAST WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST A RESPONSE FROM THE BOARD IN WRITING OK, WE SUBMITTED A FORMAL LETTER TO THE BOARD PERTAINING TO THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, WHICH SOME ASPECTS OF THAT WAS SET ASIDE TO JUMPSTART BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN HURT DURING THE PANDEMIC TO INCLUDE ALSO INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS, ET CETERA. I HAVE MENTIONED SEVENTEEN THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND NINETY SIX PEOPLE IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY WHEN I CAME BEFORE THE BOARD, WHICH EQUATED OUT TO ABOUT SEVENTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS A PERSON. I READ IN THE PAPER THAT I WOULD ASSUME THE MAJORITY OF THAT WENT TO [INAUDIBLE] BROADBAND? AND IT'S SOMETHING LIKE TWO BILLION DOLLARS IS BEING ALLOCATED TO VIRGINIA, OK FOR BROADBAND TO BRING ABOUT UNIVERSAL BROADBAND IN VIRGINIA. AND I JUST MENTIONED THAT [INAUDIBLE], DECEMBER THE THIRTEENTH, SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWO ADDITIONAL MILLION DOLLARS IN GRANTS AND STUFF FOR LOCAL LOCALES TO GET INVOLVED IN BRINGING IN BROADBAND. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT PART OF THAT DID THE BOARD, WOULD GET OR THE COUNTY WOULD GET. BUT HOPEFULLY WE WOULD GET ENOUGH THAT IT WILL BRING ABOUT 90 PERCENT IN THIS COUNTY. BUT BROADBAND, ESPECIALLY IN THE BLACK BORDER PRECINCT? OK. WHERE WE HAVE THE MAJORITY OF THE THIRTY FOUR PERCENT OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS THAT ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED. OK, SO IT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BOARD TO TAKE CARE OF ALL THE CONSTITUENTS IN THIS COUNTY. THAT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, OK? AND TO BE ON TOP OF EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON. BUT I WOULD RESPECTFULLY REQUEST A RESPONSE TO THE LETTER, THE FORMAL LETTER THAT WE SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD REQUESTING A PORTION OF THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN. OK, BECAUSE OUR FOUNDATION WAS HURT, WE LOST ABOUT FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. OK. ACTUALLY, IT WAS. IT WAS LIKE 61-62 THOUSAND. THAT WE LOST [INAUDIBLE] IN THE PANDEMIC. WITH PRESENTATIONS THAT WE DO WITH EVENTS THAT WE HAVE ON THE TRIBAL LAND, ET CETERA? OK. SO. I'M HOPING THAT THE BOARD ACTUALLY GIVE US A COPY OF THAT LETTER. OKAY. MR. CHAIRMAN, DID YOU SAY THAT I COULD NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU'RE DOING ABOUT PARENTAL RIGHTS? NOW'S THE TIME TO DO IT. OH, THANK YOU, SORRY. I APPRECIATE IT. GREAT, OUTSTANDING. OUTSTANDING. I APPRECIATE THAT. I HAD A CHANCE TO READ THE RESOLUTION. OF COURSE, EVERYTHING IN THE CODE THAT WAS OMISSION IS PROMULGATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, OK? BUT PARENTAL RIGHTS ETC. OK. BUT THERE WAS SOME OF THE PARAGRAPHS IN THAT RESOLUTION THAT I TOOK ISSUE WITH. ONE OF THE PARAGRAPHS ALLUDED TO THAT ONE WOULD READ THAT THE BOARD IS GOING TO HOLD THE SCHOOL AND THE SCHOOL BOARD HOSTAGE AND NOT RELEASE MONEY TO SUPPORT THE TWO THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED KIDS IN THIS COUNTY, OF WHICH NINETEEN HUNDRED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS. I'M A PARENT. I HAVE TWO KIDS AT [INAUDIBLE] ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, A THIRD GRADE AND A FOURTH GRADE. I HAVE HAD FIVE OTHER KIDS TO COME THROUGH SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ALL OF WHOM ATTENDED COLLEGE. OK. ONE OF WHICH IS AN DIRECTOR OF IT FOR THE CITY OF CHESAPEAKE. GOT HIS MASTER'S DEGREE FROM OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY. MY OTHER DAUGHTER IS A MAJOR IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY. SHE'S A REGISTERED NURSE AT FORT BRAGG WOMACK ARMY HOSPITAL, AND MY OTHER DAUGHTER ATTENDED WILLIAM MARY. MY SON WENT TO BACONE COLLEGE IN OKLAHOMA. SO WE HAVE A SUPER SCHOOL DISTRICT. ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS, THE SEVEN SCHOOLS IN THIS COUNTY ARE ACCREDITED, WHICH MEANS SOMEBODY IS DOING A LOT OF HARD WORK, OK? BUT I READ THAT RESOLUTION AND I WOULD ASSUME WHEN I READ SOMETHING IN THE PAPER THAT IS A PARALLEL TO YOUR COUNTY, THAT YOUR COUNTY HAD A SIMILAR RESOLUTION THAT HAS SIXTY EIGHT THOUSAND PUSHING SEVENTY THOUSAND PEOPLE. TWELVE THOUSAND STUDENTS, WE'VE ONLY GOT TWO THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED STUDENTS IN THIS COUNTY. NINETEEN HUNDRED IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. [00:15:03] OK. THEY HAVE A FIFTEEN TO ONE RATIO. WE HAVE A SIXTEEN TO ONE RATIO OF TEACHERS TO STUDENTS IN THIS COUNTY. OK, NOW I WAS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR FOUR YEARS [INAUDIBLE], OK? AT THAT TIME, WE HAD 20-21 ONE KIDS IN THE CLASSROOM. SIXTEEN KIDS IS HARD FOR A TEACHER TO TEACH OK? BUT YET THEY ARE DOING A SUPER JOB. BUT THIS RESOLUTION ON PARENTAL RIGHTS? THE CODE IS THE CODE THAT'S EXPRESS AND PROMULGATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. MY CONCERN IS IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE CURRICULUM. THE BOARD IS NOT INVOLVED IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT. OK. I TAUGHT AT THE ARMED FORCES STAFF COLLEGE NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIVERSITY AND THAT'S WHAT I DID FOR THREE YEARS, OK? THE BOARD IS NOT INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT FOR THESE SCHOOLS. THAT'S THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. THEY ARE THE ONES THAT VET THE STANDARD, THE TEACHERS AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE SCHOOL BOARD. THEY WOULD HAVE TO FOLLOW THE STANDARD. OK, SO WHEN YOU PUT IN A RESOLUTION AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH PARENTAL RIGHTS, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE HAD PTA. I THINK THAT WENT BY THE WAYSIDE PARENT TEACHERS ASSOCIATION IN CASE SOMEBODY DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. OKAY? THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THAT HAS BEEN KIND OF LAX BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC. NORMALLY, THERE WAS A PARENT THAT WAS THE CHAIRPERSON OF THAT PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION AND OTHER MEMBERS THAT HAD INTERACTION WITH THE TEACHERS WHERE THEY CAN EXPRESS THEIR CONCERNS NOT ONLY WITH THEIR TEACHERS, BUT ALSO WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD. OK? AND AGAIN, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE PARENTAL RIGHTS. BUT HOWEVER, THE WAY THE RESOLUTION IS WRITTEN, IT NEEDS TO BE REVISITED. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT AS A BOARD TO HOLD ANY SCHOOL SYSTEM HOSTAGE OR TO INFER THAT IF YOU DON'T COME UP TO THE PARTICULAR STANDARDS, THEN WE'RE GOING TO TAKE MONEY FROM YOU. WE'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU THE MONEY THAT-- TAXPAYERS DOLLARS. NOW I SAY THIS BEFORE I CLOSE, THE MEDIAN INCOME IS SIX TO ONE THOUSAND IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY. THIRTY FOUR PERCENT ECONOMIC DISADVANTAGE, THAT MEANS A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTY ARE MAKING SIX FIGURES A BETTER TO INCLUDE MYSELF. OK? WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE ARE MAKING SIX FIGURES OF THAT IN YOUR COUNTY IS LIKE 50-57K MEDIAN INCOME. SO WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAKING SURE THAT OUR SCHOOLS ARE TAKEN CARE OF, THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE TAKEN CARE OF AND WE DON'T WANT TO PUT ANYTHING OUT THERE THAT WILL INFER. I USE THE WORD INFER, INFER THAT IF YOU DON'T MEET THIS STANDARD WITH PARENTAL RIGHTS, THEN WE'RE GOING TO WITHHOLD YOUR MONEY. OK? IT'S ALMOST SAYING LIKE, OK, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, IF YOU DON'T MEET THE STANDARDS OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND YOU DON'T DO WHAT WE WANT YOU TO DO, THEN WE'RE GOING TO COME FORWARD AND SAY WE'RE GOING TO WITHHOLD TAXES. WE'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE ANY TAXES TO THIS COUNTY. IT'S THE SAME PRINCIPLE, SAME PARALLEL. OK. SO PLEASE RECONSIDER THAT, REVISIT IT. OK. AND IF YOU TAKE-- IF YOU TWEAK ANY CLAUSE IN THAT PARAGRAPH, PLEASE TWEAK THAT, PLEASE TWEAK THAT ONE, OK? OH, BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT, AND IT LEAVES ALSO AND INFERS NOT SAYING THAT IT DOES. BUT IT INFERS ALSO THAT THE BOARD IS TRYING TO CONTROL THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY. NOT SAYING THAT YOU ARE DOING THAT, BUT THE WAY THIS IS WRITTEN, OK? IT CAN INFER THAT AND IF PEOPLE CAN INTERPRET THAT, IT SAYS, OK, SO PLEASE, PLEASE, WE VISIT THE RESOLUTION AND NEGATE OUT OR RETREAT THAT PARTICULAR PARAGRAPH THAT TALKS ABOUT, IF YOU DON'T COME UP TO THE STANDARD, THE STANDARDS PROMULGATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, THEIR THE ONE TO PUSH FOR CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT. OK? TEACHERS HAVE TO FOLLOW, THAT THEY DON'T FOLLOW THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT THEN THE SCHOOLS WILL NOT BE ACCREDITED. BUT EVERY SCHOOL IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY IS ACCREDITED. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR LISTENING TO ME. I HOPE I DIDN'T TAKE TOO MUCH TIME MR. CHAIRMAN, BUT THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. AND AGAIN, SUPERVISE UPDIKE. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY. GOOD EVENING. MR. CHAIRMAN, BOARD MEMBERS. I'M ERNEST CLAUD FROM THE CAPRON DISTRICT. DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE [INAUDIBLE] GILLETT AND I TOO COME OUT OF CONCERN. THINK A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, I APPEARED BEFORE YOU AND AT THAT TIME I SHARED THAT I WAS CONCERNED, ABOUT WHAT, AT LEAST WAS PERCEIVED AS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISOR AND THE SCHOOL BOARD, WHETHER IT WAS RIGHT OR NOT, THAT WAS THE WAY, IT WAS PERCEIVED. AND THAT NIGHT I HEARD SEVERAL OF YOU SAY THAT THINGS YOU WERE DOING TO TRY TO IMPROVE THAT RELATIONSHIP. AND I LEFT THERE BELIEVE IN THAT, HOPING ANY WAY, THAT WOULD HAPPEN. AND THEN WHEN, THINK IT WAS THURSDAY NIGHT, I WAS LOOKING AT THE SCHEDULE AND I SAW THIS [00:20:02] RESOLUTION. AND THAT SUGGESTED TO ME THAT I WAS WRONG IN ASSUMING THAT RELATIONSHIPS HAD GOTTEN BETTER. AND AS I READ THE RESOLUTION. AND LIKE THE SPEAKER BEFORE ME, I'M NOT AGAINST PARENTAL RIGHTS. I THINK PARENTS HAVE A TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITY. AND THEY SHOULD EXECUTE THAT RESPONSIBILITY. BUT AT THE SAME TIME. ON THAT RESOLUTION, I BELIEVE IT'S PARAGRAPH FOUR ON THE FIRST PAGE. I'M NOT SURE THAT, THAT AND THE PARAGRAPH ON THE-- SECOND PARAGRAPH ON THE SECOND PAGE SAY THE SAME THING. PARAGRAPH FOUR, I BELIEVE ON THE [INAUDIBLE] PAGE, INDICATES THAT YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS VIOLATING PARENTAL RIGHTS. I BELIEVE YOU SAID THE BOARD IS FULLY AWARE, THEIR PARENTAL RIGHTS ARE ALREADY BEING VIOLATED BY THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION. THEN IN THE SECOND PARAGRAPH. THAT WOULD REFER TO-- ON THE SECOND PAGE THAT [INAUDIBLE] REFER TO A FEW MINUTES AGO. I ASSUMED THE SAME THING THAT, THAT'S MAYBE AN ACT OF INTIMIDATION OR SOMETHING, YOU WILL SAY YOU'RE GOING TO WITHHOLD THE MONEY IF THEY DON'T DO IT. IF THEY HAVE ALREADY DONE IT, ACCORDING TO YOUR THINKING IN [INAUDIBLE] PARAGRAPH FOUR ON THE PRESS PAGE, NOW YOU SAYING IF THEY DO IT. NOW HAVE THEY DONE IT? IF SO, THEN-- THERE SEEMS TO BE A CONFLICT THERE. EITHER WAY, IT SUGGESTS THAT THERE IS STILL. ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO BOARDS THAT [INAUDIBLE] IN THIS COUNTY, ONE THAT APPROPRIATES MONEY FOR THE SCHOOLS AND THE OTHER ONE THAT EDUCATE THE CHILDREN OF THIS [INAUDIBLE]. AND I SAY THIS IN CLOSING. AND I THANK YOU ALL, ALL OF YOU KNOW THIS. WHEN MONEYS WILL PAY OFF FROM THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. IT DOESN'T HURT SCHOOL BOARD. DOES VERY LITTLE TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OR THE ADMINISTRATION. IT'S THE STUDENTS THAT, YOU HURT [APPLAUSE] THOSE 28 OR 29 HUNDRED STUDENTS THAT WERE MENTIONED A FEW MINUTES AGO. THEY ARE THE ONES THAT WILL FEEL IT [INAUDIBLE]. YOU DO NOT, I JUST HAPPEN TO KNOW [INAUDIBLE] NOT TO POINT OUT SPECIFIC, MR. CORNWELL, THAT YOU HAVE KIDS IN THE SCHOOL? YES, SIR. YOUR CHILDREN WOULD BE AFFECTED. IF Y'ALL WITHHOLD THE MONEY AND ALSO. EXCUSE ME? I HAVE TWO ALSO. SORRY SIR, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT, BUT YOURS [INAUDIBLE] THEY WOULD. GRANDCHILDREN. ANY CHILDREN. SO IN YOUR DELIBERATION, WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO MAKE THINGS WORK, CONTINUE TO WORK, AND I AGREE. BUT THINK OF IT FOR ME, IF THINGS ARE REALLY GOING GOOD. WE HAD A ROUGH TIME SOME YEARS AGO. I WAS PART OF IT. IN THE 70S, SCHOOLS WEREN'T [INAUDIBLE] IT WAS RAINING [INAUDIBLE]. THAT'S RIGHT. IT WAS RAINING THE BUILDING. NOW WE HAVE NICE BUILDINGS. [INAUDIBLE], OLDEST ONE. CAPRON WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE 50S. IF YOU LOOK AT IT, IT'S PROBABLY STILL ONE OF THE BEST BETTER BUILT BUILDINGS IN THE COUNTY. BUT WE HAVE GOOD SCHOOLS WHERE YOU HAVE CLOSE TO 50 PERCENT OF YOUR GRADUATES GRADUATED WITH HONORS. YOU MUST HAVE A PRETTY GOOD SCHOOL SYSTEM. AND WE HEARD SOME THINGS, AND I HEAR THEM, TOO. I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYBODY SAY [INAUDIBLE] LEARNING. NO BODY SAY TEACHERS NOT TEACHING. LET'S NOT HURT OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM BECAUSE OF DISAGREEMENTS. BETWEEN ADULTS THAT SERVE IN ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS. [00:25:03] THANK YOU, SIR AND MA'AM, FOR YOUR TIME. YOU'RE WELCOME. ALL RIGHT. ANYBODY ELSE? GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. [INAUDIBLE] TO CHANGE THE TONE A LITTLE BIT. MY NAME IS ORRIS LANE, I LIVE ON SHADY BROOK TRAIL. MOST OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW THAT I HAD AN INITIATIVE TO PASS THE NO FOOD TRUCK [INAUDIBLE] FOR THEM NOT TO COME DOWN MY STREET. THE 18 WHEELERS. THERE WERE NUMEROUS 18 WHEELERS COMING DOWN MY STREET, SO I ASKED THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO RECOMMEND THAT THEY DO NOT COME DOWN MY STREET AND IT PASSED. [INAUDIBLE] HAD A STUDY OF NINE MONTHS. AND IT PASSED [INAUDIBLE] SITUATION. AND NOW WE HAVE THE SIGNS UP AND THEY GO DOWN MY [INAUDIBLE]. WITH THAT SAID, I NEED TO RECOGNIZE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BECAUSE THEY HELPED ME THROUGH THIS SITUATION. THEY HELPED ME THROUGH ALMOST OVER A YEAR OF GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH, THE BOARD SUPERVISORS, THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, AND [INAUDIBLE] WITH THIS PASS? OH, I [INAUDIBLE] GIVE THEM A SMALL GIFT IF YOU DON'T MIND. OK? MR. EDWARDS. MRS. UPDIKE. THANK YOU. MR. GILLETTE, MR. WHITE, MR. FAISON, MR. CORNWELL, AND I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE MR. JOHNSON, THIS YOUNG MAN RIGHT HERE, HE KEPT GOING BACK AND FORTH IN EMAILS AND TELLING ME THINGS I NEEDED TO KNOW. AND I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE HIM, TOO. ANOTHER THING ABOUT THE TRUCKS ON MY ROAD, I HAVE TO ASK THE BOARD ONE QUESTION. ARE TRASH TRUCKS EXEMPTED FROM COMING DOWN MY ROAD? NO, MA'AM. OK. [LAUGHTER] THEY'RE STILL COMING DOWN OUR ROAD. WE'LL TAKE CARE OF THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MR. JOHNSON. ONE LAST THING. MY HUSBAND AND I ARE DOING A PROJECT IN MY YARD. WE HAVE TREES THAT LINE OUR-- PINE TREES THAT LINE OUR YARD. SO AFTER 20-30 YEARS, TREES PUSH UP THE CEMENT THAT'S IN OUR YARD. AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT SITUATION, BUT THE PINE TREES ARE ALSO PUSHING UP AND PAVEMENT IN THE [INAUDIBLE]. SO I WANT TO RECOGNIZE VDOT, FOR COMING AROUND IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE AND FIXING THAT SITUATION BECAUSE IT WAS A REALLY BAD SITUATION, IF ANY VDOT PEOPLE ARE HERE I WOULD LIKE [INAUDIBLE]. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. AND MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR'S. SAME TO YOU, MA'AM. WELL. ALL RIGHT, ANYBODY ELSE? GOOD EVENING, MY NAME IS YVONNE ROSE, I LIVE HERE IN PORTLAND, VIRGINIA. AND I JUST WANT TO DITTO MR. BROWN AND MR. CLAUD'S STATEMENTS. I WON'T GO THROUGH THE WHOLE SCENARIO OF HAVING READ THE RESOLUTION AND PUT MY OPINIONS OF THE LAW, BUT I WAS HERE THE LAST MEETING AND I TOO HEARD THEY'RE SAYING AN OLIVE BRANCH WAS BEING EXTENDED, BUT FROM THE RESOLUTION, IT APPEARS THAT THE OLIVE BRANCH IS MORE LIKE A TROJAN HORSE. AND MY LATE BISHOP ONCE SAID, THAT WHEN YOU'RE POINTING AT SOMEONE ELSE. YOU HAVE THREE FINGERS POINTING BACK AT YOU. WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT IS AT THE LAST MEETING, WE HAD A GENTLEMAN WHO SPOKE ABOUT THE TWO HUNDRED DOLLAR ASSESSMENT. OK. THAT ASSESSMENT HAS BEEN AN ASSESSMENT FOR YEAR AND AN ASSESSMENT GENERALLY HAS A FINITE PERIOD FOR WHICH IT COVERS A SPECIFIC PURPOSE. I WANT TO KNOW WHEN IT'S GOING TO STOP. I'M LIKE THAT GENTLEMAN.[INAUDIBLE] NECESSARILY MICROMANAGING THE SMOOTH [INAUDIBLE]. LET US TRY TO DO MORE IN TERMS OF INFORMING THE PUBLIC, AND LET US KNOW WHAT WE GOING TO DO ABOUT THIS. [INAUDIBLE], BUT IT HAS TO BE BUILT. IN TERMS OF FINANCING, HOW IS IT GOING TO BE FINANCED? WHERE'S THE MONEY GOING TO COME FROM? ARE ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE INCREASING TAXES, ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS? LET US LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO AND NOT NECESSARILY WHAT OUR FINGER SEE WHAT SOMEBODY ELSE DO. NEXT. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS. WE DO ALL RIGHT BUT COULD BE DONE BETTER BECAUSE TOO MANY OF OUR CHILDREN ARE HAVING TO LEAVE HOME TO GET JOBS ONCE THEY FINISH COLLEGE. WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF THAT, SO HEY, LET EVERYBODY DO THEIR OWN JOB AND NOT WORRY [00:30:04] ABOUT SOMEBODY ELSE'S JOB, AND MAYBE WE CAN ALL COME TOGETHER AND WORK TOGETHER. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? GOOD EVENING CHAIRMAN AND BOARD. MY NAME IS BRANDON COOKE PRESIDENT OF SUNDAY EVENT'S A SMALL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION IN SEDLEY, [INAUDIBLE] DR. RAIFORD-- RUFUS RAIFORD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AT SEDLEY AND I HAVE A LATE IN-COMING MATTER. OH, [INAUDIBLE] TO OUR GOLF PARK COMMUNITY. YOU'LL SEE BEFORE YOU TONIGHT. HOPEFULLY [INAUDIBLE] VOTE ON IT, TO HAVE OUR COMMUNITY PASSED AS A GOLF CART [INAUDIBLE] COMMUNITY. I'M ALSO PUTTING FORTH THE EFFORT TO DO GARDEN [INAUDIBLE] ESTATE AS WELL. IT IS A COURTLAND AREA, BUT BECAUSE OF THE CLOSENESS OF THE TWO. I'M TRYING TO DO [INAUDIBLE]. I WOULD LIKE TO GET WITH THE WOMAN SPOKE BEFORE TO SEE ABOUT OUR SIGNAGE BECAUSE IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE SIGNAGE FOR THIS. SO WE ARE GOING TO BE CREATING A. TYPE OF GOFUNDME ACCOUNT TO PROVIDE THE FUNDING FOR THIS, BUT IF THERE'S ANY GRANTS OR ANYTHING OUT THERE PERTAINING TO THIS, I WOULD LOVE THE INFORMATION, BUT I AM PUTTING FORTH THE EFFORT TO TRY TO HAVE OUR COMMUNITY [INAUDIBLE] A GOLF [INAUDIBLE] COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. MR. COOKE. WE ACTUALLY HAVE YOU DOWN ON LATE ARRIVING MATTERS IF YOU WOULD STICK AROUND A LITTLE BIT FOR THAT. THAT'S OKAY. WE'LL DISCUSS IT FULLY AT THAT TIME. THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS FLOYD COX AND I'M WITH VIRGINIA LAND AND LIBERTY COALITION. THE LAND AND LIBERTY COALITION IS A DIVERSE GROUP OF FARMERS, LANDOWNERS, STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT PROTECTING PRIVATE PROPERTY, INCREASING LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF THE LAND. WE SUPPORT RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT BY BUILDING GRASSROOTS SUPPORT THAT IS BASED ON FACTS AND NOT FEAR. WE UTILIZE COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY RELATIONSHIPS AND DIRECT ON THE GROUND ADVOCACY TO PUT RURAL COMMUNITIES WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO ENGAGE IN UTILITY SCALE SITING EFFORTS IN A WAY THAT IT BENEFITS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY WHILE HONORING INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS. I KNOW WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SOLAR TONIGHT, BUT I WANTED TO COME HERE AND INTRODUCE MYSELF AND OUR COALITION TO YOU. WE HOPE TO BE A RESOURCE TO THE BOARD AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON THE CONVERSATION SURROUNDING SOLAR DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTY. THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH SOLAR PROJECTS ARE PROFOUND. SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY HAS A POTENTIAL TO GENERATE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN NEW TAX REVENUE FROM SOLAR THAT WILL BENEFIT EVERY RESIDENT IN THE COUNTY. THIS ADDITIONAL TAX REVENUE CAUSES NO STRAIN ON PUBLIC SERVICES LIKE OTHER TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT. THESE TAX DOLLARS CAN HELP THE COUNTY LOWER TAXES ON CITIZENS OR GO TO REPAIRING ROADS, INFRASTRUCTURE, FUNDING OUR SCHOOLS OR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. WE URGE YOU TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE CONSIDERATION APPROVAL OF SOLAR DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY SO LANDOWNERS MAY MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE PROJECTS AND THE BENEFITS OF ENERGY DEVELOPMENT MAY BE FULLY RECOGNIZED BY THE COUNTY. OF COURSE, CONSIDER EACH PROJECT ON ITS MERITS. THE COUNTY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE A LEADER IN VIRGINIA FOR RESPONSIBLE SOLAR DEVELOPMENT. THANK YOU, GUYS. JUST GONNA LEAVE YOU WITH A LETTER HERE THAT KIND OF DETAILED A LITTLE BIT MORE OF WHAT I'VE SAID. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, ANYBODY ELSE? GOOD EVENING CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEMBERS AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF. I'M CHUCK EDWARDS FROM [INAUDIBLE] TRACK ROAD. I WAS HERE LAST MEETING AND [INAUDIBLE] EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR YOUR ACTIONS AND HELP US OUT WITH THE ISSUE [COUGH]. I KNOW A VISIT WAS PAID. WE FOUND OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT. SO I JUST WANT TO COME IN PERSONALLY, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR EFFORTS. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, ANYBODY ELSE. ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK ON ANY ISSUES? OLD ONES, NEW ONES? NEW ONES [COUGH] MY NAME IS JOE VICK. I'M FROM THE CABRON DISTRICT ON INDIAN TOWN ROAD. AT THIS RESOLUTION THAT [INAUDIBLE] MUCH TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT, PARENTAL RIGHTS RESOLUTION, I GUESS YOU ALL KNOW THAT YORK COUNTY THAT THIS IS BASED ON. THEY TABLED THIS RESOLUTION INDEFINITELY AT THERE LAST MEETING. [00:35:03] SO I'M HOPING YOU'LL DO THE SAME THING. THE OTHER OPTION FOR YOU IS TO. WELL, TOTALLY FAIL IT. I WOULD ASK YOU TO DO THAT OR TABLE IT, BUT IF YOU PASS IT, LET'S DO A LITTLE THOUGHT EXPERIMENT AND SEE WHERE WE GO FROM THERE. LET'S SUPPOSE THE GOVERNOR AND GOVERNMENT DOESN'T STEP IN AND CHANGE ANYTHING IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY, AND YOU FIND YOURSELF IN MAY OF TWENTY TWENTY TWO WITH NOTHING HAVING CHANGED IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY. ARE YOU ALL SERIOUSLY GONNA CUT THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY FUNDING TO SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY SCHOOL? I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU WOULD DO THAT. I REALLY CAN'T. SO. WHAT DOES THIS RESOLUTION REALLY MEAN, UNLESS YOU'RE PREPARED TO STAND [INAUDIBLE] CUT OFF THE FUNDING TO YOUR OWN STUDENTS? I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU ALL WOULD DO THAT. SO THAT WAS JUST MY THINKING. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS IN THIS RESOLUTION THAT I CAN SPEAK TO, BUT I THINK THAT'S JUST THE BASIC WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IS IT UNLESS YOU'RE REALLY PREPARED TO CUT THE FUNDING TO SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY SCHOOLS YOU DON'T NEED TO BE CONSIDERING THIS. AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT ANY OF YOU MUCH LESS THE MAJORITY OF YOU WOULD VOTE TO DO SOMETHING [INAUDIBLE]. SO THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE TO SAY. OH, EXCEPT, MR. BROWN, WHEN YOU SAID THAT BROADBAND WAS NEAR AND DEAR TO THE CITIZENS OF SOUTHAMPTON, YOU WERE HALF RIGHT. IT IS DEAR TO US, BUT IT'S NOWHERE NEAR [INAUDIBLE]. SO I DO HOPE YOU ALL GET MOVING ALL THAT WHEN THIS MONEY COMES AROUND AND YOU TRY TO LOOK INTO IT. I SAW A MAP TODAY THAT HAD SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY IS COVERED WITH BROADBAND BY NEXT YEAR. I'LL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE. ALL RIGHT, ANYBODY ELSE. ALL RIGHT, LAST CALL. ANYBODY ELSE? ALL RIGHT, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION AND WE'LL MOVE ON. NUMBER FIVE CONSIDERATION OF OUR RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT PARENTAL RIGHTS. [5. Consideration of a Resolution in Support of Parental Rights] EVERYBODY'S PROBABLY HEARD THE BACKGROUND BY THIS. THIS IS A MOVE THAT'S GOING AROUND THE COUNTRY. WE OBTAINED A COPY OF THE RESOLUTION FROM YORK COUNTY AND ASKED OUR ATTORNEY TO TWEAK IT A LITTLE BIT AND MAKE IT MORE FRIENDLY TO SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY. NOT SAYING IT'S A PERFECT DOCUMENT. I TAKE A LOT OF US UP HERE HAVE STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT THIS AND ALSO STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT SUPPORTING THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. MAYBE THAT'S WHY THIS RESOLUTION HAS COME. OUR CONCERN FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. THERE'S NO OTHER REASON FOR US TO HAVE THIS RESOLUTION. WE DID INVITE THE SCHOOL BOARD, AND THE SUPERINTENDENT TO COME BE WITH US TONIGHT TO DISCUSS THIS. AND I DON'T THINK, MR. JOHNSON, WE HAD A REPLY, DID WE? WE DID. I FORWARDED IT TO YOUR EMAILS THIS AFTERNOON. OKAY, SO THEY DECLINED TO COME. BUT THEY DID OFFER TO HAVE A WORKSHOP WITH US. YEAH, WE CAN COVER THAT [INAUDIBLE]. IN THE EMAIL, I MEAN, I JUST WANTED TO-- RIGHT. I READ THAT, SO I'M FINE WITH THAT MYSELF. SO I'D LOVE TO GET TOGETHER WITH THEM AND WORK ON IT. ALL RIGHT, WE CAN COVER THAT. ASK MR. JOHNSON, IF HE'D READ THE RESOLUTION. YES, SIR. A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF PARENTAL RIGHTS RESOLUTION OF THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. WHEREAS THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS RESPECTFULLY SUBMITS THAT SECTION 1-240.1 OF THE NINETEEN FIFTY CODE OF VIRGINIA AS AMENDED ENTITLED RIGHTS OF PARENTS EMPHATICALLY STATES A PARENT HAS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO MAKE DECISIONS CONCERNING THE UPBRINGING, EDUCATION AND CARE OF THE PARENT'S CHILD. AND WHEREAS THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BELIEVES THAT ALL ACADEMIC SUCCESS BEGINS BY EMBRACING THESE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS IN OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. AND WHEREAS ONE OF THE MISSIONS OF THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH FAMILIES AND OUR COMMUNITY, AND PROMOTE POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN AND AMONG STAFF, STUDENTS AND FAMILIES. AND WHEREAS THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IS VERY MUCH AWARE OF THE [00:40:05] CONCERNS OF PARENTS, STUDENTS AND TAXPAYERS, THAT THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS IGNORED THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF PARENTS TO MAKE DECISIONS CONCERNING THE UPBRINGING, EDUCATION AND CARE OF THEIR CHILDREN. AND WHEREAS THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BELIEVES THAT EDUCATION MUST FOCUS ON ACADEMIC SUBJECTS AND WITHOUT EXCEPTION, TO NOT INCLUDE THE PROMULGATION OF SOCIAL EXPERIMENTS AND OR OPINIONS NOT BASED ON FACTS. AND WHEREAS THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BELIEVES THAT ANY PARENT OR TAXPAYER HAS THE RIGHT TO SEE AND EVALUATE ALL SURVEYS, DATA COLLECTION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILING BEFORE THEY ADMINISTERED TO SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY STUDENTS, AND THAT PARENTS SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO OPT OUT OF ANY OR ALL SUCH TESTING PARTICIPATION IN AND OR DATA COLLECTION. AND WHEREAS THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BELIEVES THAT TEACHING SOCIAL SKILLS TO HELP STUDENTS MAKE POSITIVE BEHAVIOR CHOICES AND EMBRACE A STRONG WORK ETHIC TO DEVELOP INTO GOOD CITIZENS IS DESIRED AND MUST BE ONE OF THE MISSIONS OF SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND TEACHING IDEOLOGY THAT SETS STANDARDS ABOUT WHAT A CHILD SHOULD THINK AND FEEL IS EMOTIONAL INDOCTRINATION AND MUST STOP. AND WHEREAS THE BEGINNING OF THE PROBLEM OF EDUCATION HAS INSTITUTED MANDATORY CULTURAL COMPETENCY TRAINING AND EVALUATION OF ALL EMPLOYEES WITHIN ITS EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, WHICH HAS BEEN DEFINED AS AN INTELLECTUAL THEORY THAT IS NOT SUPPORTED BY FACTS, THAT SEEKS TO TEACH THAT RACE IS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT AND THAT RACISM IS NOT MERELY THE PRODUCT OF INDIVIDUAL BIAS OR PREJUDICE, BUT COLLECTIVELY AND SYSTEMATICALLY EMBODIED IN AMERICA'S LEGAL SYSTEM, INSTITUTIONS AND POLICIES. AND WHEREAS CULTURAL COMPETENCY TRAINING PROMOTES THE TEACHING OF IDEOLOGIES THAT LIKELY CONTRADICT THE SOCIAL, MORAL AND RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF THE PARENT'S CHILD IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF SECTION 1-240.1 OF THE NINETEEN FIFTY CODE OF VIRGINIA AS AMENDED. AND WHEREAS THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IS FUNDAMENTALLY OPPOSED TO THE OFFERING OF TAXPAYERS DOLLARS TO SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, IF IT WILL NOT ADHERE TO SECTION 1-240 OF SAID CODE AND ALL OF ITS PRACTICES. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HEREBY PLACES THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ON NOTICE AND DEMANDS THAT THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL CEASE ITS VIOLATION OF THE LAW AND THIS COMMONWEALTH AND ADHERE TO SECTION 1-240.1 OF THE CODE AND ALL OF ITS PRACTICES. AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BOARDS, ADMINISTRATION AND EMPLOYEES DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER TO RESTORE THE TRADITIONAL PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TEACHERS, STUDENTS AND PARENTS BY DIRECTLY COMMUNICATING WITH PARENTS AND STUDENTS BEFORE TEACHING ANY SUBJECT THAT DOES NOT ADDRESS THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS OBJECTIVES, WHICH, INTER ALIA, IS TO TEACH EVERY STUDENT TO ACHIEVE THEIR HIGHEST ACADEMIC POTENTIAL. IT IS COUNTER TO THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS MISSION TO DESIGN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES THAT ALLOW STUDENTS TO MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS AS PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS. IF THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TEACHING INCLUDE PERSONAL BIAS OR PERSONAL POLITICAL OPINIONS OR INDOCTRINATION. THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL NOT ACHIEVE ITS MISSION BY INCLUDING CONVERSATION, LESSON PLANS, LITERATURE, PERSONAL STORIES OR OTHER MEANS TO TEACH STUDENTS TO IDENTIFY THEIR PLANS. OR THEIR AGENDA DENOUNCE THEIR AMERICAN CULTURE AND PATRIOTISM, APOLOGIZE FOR THEIR RACE OR RELIGION, OR TO HAVE TEACHERS ENCOURAGE THEIR STUDENTS TO KEEP SECRETS FROM THEIR PARENTS. THANK YOU, MR. JOHNSON. ALL RIGHT, WE'LL OPEN THIS UP FOR COMMENT FROM THE BOARD. I [INAUDIBLE] SAY I'M VERY MUCH OPPOSED TO THIS BECAUSE I THINK IT MAKES ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT I JUST DON'T READ IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. I JUST DON'T SEE WHERE THESE THINGS THAT WE WERE SAYING ABOUT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS PRESENT IN OUR SYSTEM. AND THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS REACHED OUT TO US FOR US TO MEET, AND I THINK THAT IS VERY [00:45:05] GOOD. BUT WHEN WE MEET, WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE A BOARD. THEY ARE A BOARD. TWO INDEPENDENT BOARDS CAN GET TOGETHER AND DO IT, AND WE CAN'T DO IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE ARE IMPOSING OUR PLANS ON THEM. THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EDUCATION OF OUR STUDENTS, NOT US. AND SO-- AND THEY DO. THEY GO BY-- THEY DON'T MAKE THE GUIDELINES THAT THEY FOLLOW, THEY'RE HANDED DOWN BY THE STATE. AND AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED ABOUT SCHOOL SYSTEM, AS LONG AS I'VE KNOWN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. IT'S EDUCATED, OUR KIDS, OUR KIDS HAVE DONE WELL, THEY DO WELL, AND I GUESS I GOT TO SAY I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE THIS COME FROM. WHAT IS THE REAL CONCERN HERE? I DON'T THINK IT'S ABOUT THE EDUCATION OF OUR KIDS BECAUSE OUR KIDS ARE BEING EDUCATED. WHAT IS THE REAL CONCERN? [INAUDIBLE] WELL, I'D LIKE TO RESPOND TO THOSE COMMENTS, IF I COULD. I AGREE. SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY HAS A GOOD REPUTATION FOR EDUCATING STUDENTS. I DON'T THINK THAT'S ANY QUESTION. AND YOU REFERRED TO FACTS. BACK IN JULY, I'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS ONCE BEFORE AS A BOARD MEMBER IN THESE PUBLIC MEETINGS. BACK IN JULY, WE SAW THE NEED TO MEET WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, VICE CHAIRMAN AND SUPERINTENDENT. MR. JOHNSON AS OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, DR. EDWARDS AS CHAIRMAN. AND I'M VICE CHAIRMAN. THAT WOULD BE A PANEL OF SIX PEOPLE TO SIT AROUND THE TABLE AND GET ISSUES OUT ON THE TABLE. AND IN THAT MEETING IN JULY, WE HELD IT DOWN AT THE SCHOOL BOARD, I FORGET THE NAME OF THE BUILDING, BUT IT WAS IN THEIR SCHOOL BOARD SECTION AND IT WAS A VERY GOOD MEETING. WE DIDN'T REALLY GET TO A WHOLE LOT OF ISSUES BECAUSE IT WAS RECOMMENDED BY DR. GOODWIN THAT WE SET UP A PROCESS TO FOLLOW, AND THE AGREEMENT OF THE SIX PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE WAS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH DEVELOPING A PROCESS THAT WE COULD CONTINUE TO MEET ON A FAIRLY REGULAR BASIS, WHICH WE DID AND DECIDED TO DO IT QUARTERLY. THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT CAME UP AT THAT MEETING, WHICH WERE ENUMERATED IN THE FORM OF A LETTER TO DR. GOODWIN FROM MR. JOHNSON AFTER THE BOARD HAD VOTED ON THE LETTER TO SEND WITH THOSE ENUMERATED QUESTIONS AND THAT ADDRESSED SOME ISSUES THAT HAD COME FORWARD TO US FROM PARENTS AND TEACHERS ALIKE. SO THAT LETTER WENT OUT UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE FULL BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. WE DID GET A RESPONSE, BUT IT WAS NOT COMPLETE. THE THINKING WAS THAT WE WOULD WITHHOLD COMMENT CONCERNING THE ANSWERS THAT WE GOT UNTIL THE OCTOBER MEETING AND HAVE A CHANCE TO SIT DOWN AND GO OVER THEM. AND THE THINGS THAT WERE MISSING FROM THE ANSWERS, WE'D HAVE A CHANCE TO DISCUSS AND MOVE FORWARD THIS ATTEMPT TO RECTIFY THE PERCEPTION THAT THE TWO BOARDS ARE NOT GETTING ALONG AND THAT LETTER WAS MAILED OUT ON SEPTEMBER THE 28TH OF TWENTY TWENTY ONE AND NINE DAYS IN OCTOBER, WERE SUGGESTED THAT WE MEET. TO THIS DAY, WE HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THAT LETTER. SO, WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE MEANTIME, GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO ALMOST A YEAR AGO, AS I STATED LAST MONTH, I BELIEVE, I MET-- BECAUSE OF A THING-- PARTICULAR CURRICULUM, NOT ONLY IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUT ALSO IN OUR MILITARY, WHICH HAS RUN RAMPANT THROUGH THE MILITARY. AND YOU CAN FOLLOW THE NEWS AND KEEP UP WITH THAT. CONCERNING CRT AND CONCERNING THE INCLUSION OF THAT CURRICULUM IN PUBLIC EDUCATION AND SOME PRIVATE SCHOOLS, I MIGHT ADD. [00:50:02] I WENT TO MY COUNTY COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY. AND VISITED WITH HIM IN HIS OFFICE TO ASK HIM HAD HE HEARD OF CRT? DID HE KNOW WHAT IT WAS? HAD HE DONE ANY RESEARCH ON IT AT ALL? AND HE SAID, WELL, I'VE HEARD OF IT, BUT I REALLY DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT IT. AND I ASK HIM TO FAMILIARIZE HIMSELF WITH IT. I WANTED TO KNOW SOME FACTS. NOW, THE MOST SERIOUS THING THAT I HAD TO DO TO OBTAIN THIS CHAIR WAS TO BE SWORN IN TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION OF VIRGINIA AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. WHICH I DID. SO DID MY COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY. SO I WANTED TO KNOW FROM HIM, WE WERE SWORN IN TO BE ON GUARD FROM ENEMIES, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC. I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT A DOMESTIC ENEMY WAS. BECAUSE THE RESEARCH THAT I HAD DONE ON CRT WENT BACK TO A CURRICULUM OF SOCIALISM WHICH LED TO COMMUNISM, AND IT WAS SWEEPING THE COUNTRY AT THAT TIME. NOT VERY MANY PEOPLE IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY HAD EVEN HEARD OF IT. AT LEAST THE PEOPLE I TALKED TO. SO WITH THAT, WE EXCHANGED TEXT INFORMATION AND, HIS OPINION WAS HE SAW NOTHING IN THE DOCUMENTS THAT WERE CRIMINAL. THEY WERE OPINION. NOW ON THIS POINT, I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WITH THE PEOPLE HERE IN THIS ROOM AND WITH SUPERVISOR FAISON THAT WE NEED TO BE TEACHING OUR STUDENTS FACTS, NOT OPINIONS. AND FOR THAT REASON, HAVING THAT DEFINITION RENDERED TO ME BY MY TOP LEGAL AUTHORITY IN THE COUNTY, I AGREED THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM SHOULD NOT BE TEACHING OPINIONS. NOW THAT GETS BACK TO OUR QUARTERLY MEETINGS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, IS IT INCLUDED IN THE CURRICULUM? AND WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO MEET BY VIRTUE OF THE FACT THEY DIDN'T RESPOND TO A REQUEST TO FOLLOW THE PROCESS THAT WAS SET UP IN JULY. AND SO WE HAVEN'T MET TO GET ANSWERS TO A LOT OF QUESTIONS. ANOTHER ONE IS SELS. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY IN THIS ROOM UNDERSTANDS WHAT SEL STANDS FOR, BUT IT STANDS FOR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING, WHICH PUTS TEACHERS IN A CAPACITY OF BEING COUNSELORS RATHER THAN TEACHERS. SO THESE ARE SOME QUESTIONS THAT I THINK ARE FAIR. I THINK THEY'RE REASONABLE FOR THIS BOARD TO BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN AND MEET WITH LEADERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD TO GET ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS. YES, WE ARE THE APPROPRIATING AGENCY. WE DO NOT, AS IN OUR VIRGINIA GOVERNMENT, WE DO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO RUN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. WE'RE NOT HERE TO DO THAT. WE WOULD JUST LIKE SOME HONEST ANSWERS ABOUT A CURRICULUM THAT PERTAINS TO FACTS. AND SO HERE WE ARE WITH A RESOLUTION. WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY OTHER WAY TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS. AS YOU CAN TELL, MOST OF THESE PARAGRAPHS DEAL WITH THE LAW AND WHAT THE LAW SAYS. AND THAT'S MY CONCERN, AND IT CERTAINLY HAS HAPPENED IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA. NOBODY IN HERE CAN SAY IT HASN'T. YOU HAVE ALL WATCHED THE NEWS AND SEEN THE REACTION OF PARENTS. I DON'T WANT, AS I EXPLAINED A YEAR AGO WITH THE MEETING, I DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT COME TO SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY. SUCH HAS HAPPENED IN OTHER COUNTIES IN VIRGINIA. SO TO STAY ON TOP OF THINGS, AS IT WAS POINTED OUT IN PUBLIC COMMENT, WE NEED TO JUST GET SOME ANSWERS FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD AND WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND SO FAR THEY HAVEN'T BEEN FORTHCOMING. SO. BUT I DO AGREE WITH MR. [00:55:01] FAISON, WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED WITH FACTS, AND I AGREE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS DONE A GOOD JOB WITH THAT, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO VENTURE OFF INTO CURRICULUMS THAT ARE STRICTLY RELEGATED TO THE [INAUDIBLE] OF OPINION. AND THAT'S ABOUT ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT. WELL, I WOULD LIKE THAT SAY, AS FAR AS CRITICAL RACE THEORY GOES, THERE ARE A LOT OF OPINIONS ABOUT THAT AND THE OPINIONS WE GET VERY OFTEN, I THINK, IT'S JUST WHO WE LISTEN TO. WE LISTEN TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE GOT DIFFERENT OPINIONS ABOUT IT. AND AS FAR AS CRT IS CONCERNED. I DON'T SEE IT AS A TERRIFYING THING AT ALL. WHAT IT DOES IT RECOGNIZES THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. AND OUR COUNTRY HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN KIND TO EVERYBODY. AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT IT. WE NEED TO KNOW THE FACTS ABOUT IT AND WE NEED TO GO FORWARD FROM HERE. NOBODY IN THIS BUILDING TODAY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FUTURE. AND WE CAN--, BUT WE CAN'T ERASE A HISTORY OF PEOPLE. BECAUSE IT'S STIRS UP EMOTIONS IN OTHER PEOPLE. WE CAN'T DO THAT. OUR HISTORY IS WHAT IT IS. AND WE NEED TO KNOW OUR HISTORY. AND WE NEED TO KNOW IT TO THE POINT THAT WE ARE NOT GENERATING HATRED FOR ONE ANOTHER. BUT UNDERSTANDING. AND UNDERSTANDING THAT, YES, THAT HAPPENED, BUT HOW CAN WE GO FORWARD MAKING THIS A BETTER COUNTRY BY LEARNING FROM THE MISTAKES THAT WE MADE IN THE PAST? WELL, CAN I RESPOND TO THAT? YES SIR. I WOULD LISTEN TO ANYBODY THAT CAN NAME ANOTHER COUNTRY THAT HAS A DOCUMENT, TO SET UP THEIR GOVERNMENT AND FOLLOW IT, THAT HAS MADE THE ADVANCES THAT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAS WITH ITS CONSTITUTION. THE CONSTITUTION HAS MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR MANY CHANGES. YES, IT TOOK YEARS FOR A LOT OF THOSE CHANGES TO OCCUR. BUT BECAUSE OF THE DOCUMENT IT HAPPENED, AND WE DON'T HEAR VOICES FROM PEOPLE LIKE JUSTICE THOMAS, LIKE SHELBY STEELE, LIKE ROBERT WOODSON, LIKE CONDOLEEZZA RICE, AND I COULD GO ON AND ON AND ON. WE VERY RARELY HEAR OR EVEN LEARN ABOUT THAT PART OF IT. OUR CONSTITUTION ALLOWS THAT AND THERE'S NO OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD THAT I CAN THINK OF THAT WOULD ALLOW A BODY PUBLIC TO GAIN AND ADVANCE AND THRIVE AND MOVE FORWARD, SUCH AS THIS ONE, AND IT WAS DONE SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE CONSTITUTION. SO. FACTS ARE FACTS. YES, WE NEED TO TEACH HISTORY AND IT NEEDS TO BE FACTUAL, AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH TEACHING HISTORY, BUT CRITICAL RACE THEORY IS NOT HISTORY. THE DERIVATIVE IS CRITICAL THEORY, THAT'S WHERE IT COMES FROM, AND THE BACKGROUND OF THAT IS NOT PRETTY. YOU KNOW, I FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION AS YOU DO [INAUDIBLE]. I THINK WE HAVE A GREAT COUNTRY. AND IT'S FOUNDED ON A GREAT CONSTITUTION. BUT THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN WE HAVE DEVIATED FROM THAT CONSTITUTION. OUR CONSTITUTION DOES NOT SET UP A RACE WHERE PEOPLE OF [COUGH] PEOPLE [INAUDIBLE] SLAVES. OKAY? THAT'S-- OUR CONSTITUTION DOESN'T DO THAT, AND THANK GOD, IT DOESN'T. AND SO THERE ARE THINGS IN OUR HISTORY, WHEN YOU READ OUR CONSTITUTION, IT DOESN'T EVEN SOUND LIKE OUR HISTORY. WE HAVE A GREAT CONSTITUTION, AND IF WE FOLLOW THAT CONSTITUTION, WE AGREE. AND AS WE GO FORWARD, I REMEMBER TALKING TO MY GRANDPARENTS, MY GRANDPARENTS TALKING TO ME AND THEY TALKED ABOUT WHAT THEIR PARENTS WENT THROUGH. THEIR PARENTS WERE SLAVES. AND HOW GREAT THEY FELT THAT THEY COULD TALK TO ME AND WE COULD LOOK FORWARD TO A GREATER FUTURE. THAT'S THE COUNTRY WE LIVE IN. BUT WE STILL CAN'T FORGET OR ERASE A HISTORY OF PEOPLE. [01:00:08] MY GREAT, GREAT GRANDFATHER WAS A SLAVE. OK. AND I'M A FREE MAN. WE WERE BORN IN THE SAME COUNTRY. SO THERE HAVE BEEN GREAT CHANGES, GREAT PROGRESS, BUT CRT, OKAY, WE SEE-- PEOPLE SEE IT IN DIFFERENT ASPECTS, OK? ONE THING IT DOES, ONE THING I'M AFRAID OF WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IT SO MUCH. I'M AFRAID THE PEOPLE WANT TO ERASE OUR HISTORY. THAT'S MY VIEW. THAT'S MY HOPE-- MY FEAR ABOUT IT. AS FAR AS THE WAY IT'S TAUGHT OR WHATEVER. AND IT'S NOT TAUGHT IN OUR SCHOOLS, MY UNDERSTANDING, IT'S NOT TAUGHT IN OUR SCHOOL. THERE ARE COLLEGES THAT HAVE IT IN THEIR CURRICULUM. BUT NOT HIGH SCHOOLS AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE. AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE A WAY OF GOING FORWARD. I RECOGNIZE WHAT MR. GILLETT SAYS ABOUT US NOT BEING ABLE TO MEET IN THE-- MEET BEFORE, BUT NOW THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS SUGGESTED THAT WE MEET. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. SO WE CAN'T HAVE DIALOG THAT IS ON AN EQUAL BASIS. NOT ONE SPEAKING DOWN TO THE OTHER OR WHATEVER, BUT JUST ON AN EQUAL BASIS WHERE WE CAN TALK AND DISCUSS THINGS AND COME UP WITH RESOLUTIONS, THAT'S FOR THE GOOD OF THE COUNTY. I'D LIKE TO COMMENT, I AGREE WITH SOME OF THE STUFF YOU SAID, BUT IN REFERENCE TO THE CONSTITUTION, IF YOU READ CRT. CRT DEFINITELY SAYS OUR CONSTITUTION IS NOT A GOOD DOCUMENT, IT IS FLAWED. THAT'S IT. IF YOU READ IT, YOU GOT TO STUDY IT AND LOOK AT IT. OKAY? CRT WAS DEVELOPED BY A MARXIST LAWYER IN HARVARD LAW SCHOOL IN 1974. IT WAS THEN TWEAKED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO WHERE THEY STARTED PASSING IT OUT ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. IT IS A MARXIST DOCTRINE-- DOCUMENT. IF YOU KNOW WHAT MARXISM IS. IT'S-- MARXISM IS ONE STEP FROM COMMUNISM. IN 1846, ENGELS AND MARX PUT OUT A PAMPHLET, WAS FINALLY PUBLISHED AT 1848 IN GERMANY. THEY WERE PHILOSOPHERS. OKAY? AND IT WAS THE SOCIALISM, A SOCIAL DOCUMENT. IN 1909, A FELLOW BY THE NAME OF LENIN IN RUSSIA TOOK IT AND TWEAKED IT TO FORM THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO. THAT'S WHAT SCARES ME. CRT IS DEFINITELY A MARXIST DOCUMENT THAT TEACHES CLASS WARFARE, DIVERSION, IT TAKES AWAY INDIVIDUALITY OF STUDENTS. YOU ARE A CLASS, YOU'RE NOT AN INDIVIDUAL. AND HISTORY IS FINE. I THINK WE OUGHT TO TREAT HISTORY, BUT WE DON'T GO BACK AND CHANGE HISTORY TO SUIT THIS DOCUMENT. NOW IT ALSO TEACHES KIDS WHAT TO THINK. WE SHOULD NOT BE TEACHING KIDS WHAT TO THINK, WE SHOULD BE TEACHING THEM HOW TO THINK, HOW TO GO ABOUT REASONING, NOT WHAT. THIS DOCUMENT TEACHES THEM WHAT TO THINK. THAT YOUR CLASS-- YOU'RE IN A CLASS. YOU'RE NOT AN INDIVIDUAL. AND IT TEACHES CLASS WARFARE. THIS DOCUMENT SCARES ME. NOW I RESEARCHED THIS. I DID A RESEARCH PAPER WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE ON COMMUNISM. CRT IS ONE STEP BELOW COMMUNISM. NOW, IF YOU WANT TO GO TO CHINA AND EXPERIENCE THAT, THAT'S FINE, I THINK WE OUGHT TO GIVE YOU A FREE RIDE AND FLY YOU OVER THERE. OKAY. I THINK I SEE SOME OF THESE PEOPLE PARADING SIGNS, YOU KNOW, WE WANT COMMUNISM. OKAY, I THINK WE OUGHT TO PUT THEM ON A PLANE, GIVE THEM A FREE RIDE. BUT THAT'S WHAT CRT IS ABOUT. IF YOU REALLY LOOK AT IT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT. ALSO I'D LIKE TO EMBELLISH THIS. WE HAVE TRIED OUR BEST TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT. WE INVITED THEM TO COME. WE WANTED TO, MR. GILLETT AND I, TO SIT DOWN AND TALK WITH THEM IN OCTOBER. [INAUDIBLE] NO. NOW, WHY? NOW, I'M ALSO CONCERNED WITH THE SCHOOL SITUATION, I GET A LOT OF CALLS FROM PARENTS. [01:05:06] WHO CALL THE SCHOOL AND ASK FOR INSTRUCTIONS, ASK QUESTIONS AND THEIR NEVER CALLED BACK. NOW, THIS SUMMER I HAD EXPERIENCED MYSELF, I DIDN'T SAY, OKAY, THESE PARENTS ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, FLIPPING OUT, OKAY? MY DAUGHTER HAD A SCHEDULING PROBLEM. SHE HAD TO CHANGE ONE CLASS. YOU KNOW, IT TOOK ME THREE WEEKS AND ABOUT 15 PHONE CALLS TO GET THAT CHANGED. NOBODY WOULD CALL ME BACK. FINALLY, THE ACTING PRINCIPAL AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. CALLED ME AND SAID, WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM? I TOLD HER, SHE SAID, I'LL HAVE IT SOLVED BY EIGHT O'CLOCK TOMORROW MORNING. THIS IS AFTER THREE WEEKS. SCHOOL IS STARTING IN ABOUT TWO DAYS. SHE CALLED ME BACK AND HAD IT SOLVED. NOW, THIS IS WHAT PARENTS ARE RUNNING INTO. LACK OF COMMUNICATION. THAT'S THE PROBLEM IN THE WAY I SEE IT, AND IF YOU STUDY CRT, I THINK YOU'D BE VERY FRIGHTENED. THAT'S ABOUT ALL I SAY. AND, YOU KNOW, HISTORY IS FINE. YOU KNOW, HISTORY NOT PERFECT. THE LONE RANGER WAS ACTUALLY A BLACK GUY. BY THE NAME OF REESE. OKAY, SO NOW WE RECOGNIZE THAT. YOU KNOW, BACK IN THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES, YOU DIDN'T YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT. BUT HIS NAME WAS DAVID REESE. SO THESE THINGS ARE COMING TO LIGHT. WE'RE RECOGNIZING THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY PLAYED A PART IN THIS COUNTRY. SO I'LL JUST-- I'LL SHUT UP AND LEAVE IT OPEN TO ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO TALK. MR. CHAIRMAN, [INAUDIBLE] INTERRUPTED YOU, BUT SINCE YOU GOT ON THE QUESTION AND THE DIALOG ON CRT CRITICAL RACE THEORY, WOULD YOU ENTERTAIN A COMMENT FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOARD, PERTAINING TO CRITICAL RACE THEORY? SINCE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT NOW. WELL-- IF I MAY? LET ME INJECT THIS HERE, WHAT DOES THE STATE EDUCATION BOARD SAY ABOUT WHAT YOU TWO ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT? WHAT DO THEY SAY? [INAUDIBLE] DOWN AND SAY-- YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK OUT. I MENTIONED THAT IN THE CITIZENS COMMENT. OKAY, THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC HEARING. SINCE WE'RE TALKING CRITICAL RACE THEORY [INAUDIBLE], CRITICAL RACE THEORY WAS NOT ENTERED IN THE BEGINNING. PLEASE? OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE? WELL, IT ENTERED AS A QUESTION THAT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANSWERED FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THERE WERE A FEW OTHER QUESTIONS AS WELL. AND THE RESPONSE WAS WE'RE NOT GOING TO COME AND GIVE A REPORT. SO. I WAS HOPING THAT THE PROCESS WAS GOING TO WORK, WHICH WAS A RECOMMENDATION BY THE LEADERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD, WHICH WE AGREED TO, AND WE NEVER GOT OFF THE SECOND MEETING. AND THAT IN ITSELF IS A PROBLEM, AND FOR ME, IT WAS A PROBLEM BECAUSE IT WAS NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED TO MR. JOHNSON, WHICH WAS PART OF THE PROTOCOL THAT THEY RECOMMENDED WAS FOR HIM TO DIRECT HIS ATTENTION DIRECTLY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, WHICH HE DID. IT WAS NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED. THAT LETTER HAS NOT BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED TO THIS DAY. ANOTHER LETTER WAS WRITTEN THIS AFTERNOON. I GOT IT ON MY EMAIL SAYING THAT THEIR RECOMMENDATION WAS TO HAVE A FULL MEETING WITH THE FULL BOARD THAT SUPERSEDED THE PROCESS THAT THEY WANTED TO FOLLOW. AND SO I'M LEFT WONDERING, HOW DO THEY WANT TO RESOLVE OR JUST ANSWER SOME SIMPLE QUESTIONS? THAT'S ALL. THAT'S MY POSITION. THAT'S ALL I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW. AND I DON'T-- I WOULD LIKE TO GET IT FROM THEM, FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH, SO TO SPEAK. [01:10:06] AND THAT JUST HASN'T HAPPENED. SO WE'VE GOT A DECISION TO MAKE TONIGHT ON THIS RESOLUTION. THEN WE'VE GOT A DECISION TO MAKE ON THE, I GUESS, THE FULL MEETING, AND WE'LL DO THAT. I HAVE A MOTION I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE. OKAY, THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS PRESENTED THIS, WHICH IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TRY TO RESOLVE SOME ISSUE. AND SO. I MOVE THAT WE TABLE THIS, AT LEAST TABLE, THIS UNTIL WE PLAN A MEETING WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD SO WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION AND SEE WHERE THAT GOES. THAT'S MY MOTION. [INAUDIBLE] SECOND. I'D LIKE TO SAY FAISON MOTION. MR. CLAUD, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE FACT THAT I DO HAVE THREE YOUNG BOYS IN OUR SYSTEM. I ACTUALLY HAVE A SON IN EACH SCHOOL. AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, A MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND A HIGH SCHOOL. VERY PROUD OF THEM. THEY'RE DOING VERY WELL AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS SERVED THEM WELL AT THIS JUNCTURE. AT THIS POINT. I GUESS THAT'S WHY I'M BOTHERED SO MUCH AND TAKEN ABACK BY THE FACT THAT IT TOOK THE PROPOSAL OF SOMETHING SO STARK AS THIS [INAUDIBLE] SHOCKING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE WHEN YOU READ IT. IT TOOK THIS DOCUMENT TO GET THEM TO EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE OUR PRESENCE IN THE ROOM. I MEAN, ZERO PROFESSIONAL COURTESY AND WE'VE GOT THESE FIRST, WHEREAS IS REALLY SPOKE TO ME AND THE PLIGHT THAT I HAVE SUFFERED MYSELF PERSONALLY AND I HAVE, IT'S JUST ECHOED AND CORRESPONDENCE I'VE HAD WITH OTHER CITIZENS AND PARENTS. AND IT JUST GOES TO THE FOSTER AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES TO PROMOTE POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN AND AMONG STAFF, STUDENTS AND FAMILIES. WE CAN'T PROMULGATE THAT IF THE [INAUDIBLE] DON'T GET ANSWERED AND THE EMAILS DON'T GET RESPONDED TO, AND THERE'S NO RESPONSE TO OUR QUEST FOR INFORMATION TO INCLUDE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE BURDEN OF PROOF LIES. IS IT UP TO THEM TO PROVE TO US THEY'RE NOT TEACHING CRT? OR IS IT UP TO US TO PROVE TO EVERYBODY ELSE THAT THEY ARE? AND I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, BUT I THINK THAT IT WOULD BEST BE RESOLVED BY US ALL COMMUNICATING TOGETHER. I WAS AS WELL ENCOURAGED AND OPTIMISTIC ABOUT A TURNING POINT IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WHEN THE COMMITTEE WAS ESTABLISHED. OUR CHAIRMAN, VICE CHAIRMAN, THEIR CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN, MR. JOHNSON IS OUR LIAISON AND THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS IS THEIRS. AND THEY MET. THEY HAD A GOOD, POSITIVE MEETING AND HAD LOTS OF GOOD, POSITIVE FEEDBACK. I WON'T REHASH ALL BUT MR. GILLETT SAID. BUT WE WERE ENCOURAGED AS A RESULT OF THAT AND THE DIRECTION THAT IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GOING. AND THEN JUST A FEW SHORT MONTHS LATER, IN OCTOBER, LIKE HE INDICATED, WE SENT REQUEST, WE SENT REQUEST AND IT ALL FAILED AND WE DIDN'T EVEN SO MUCH GET AN ACKNOWLEDGED RECEIPT OF THE REQUEST TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE MEETING PER THEIR GUIDELINES. THIS IS SOMETHING THEY SET UP THE [INAUDIBLE]. THEY DIDN'T WANT US TALKING TO THEM DIRECTLY. THEY WANTED US TALKING THROUGH MR. JOHNSON TO THEIR SCHOOL, SUPERINTENDENT, AND WE AGREED TO OBLIGE BY THAT, AND WE WERE PLAYING BY THEIR RULES IN SETTING ALL THIS UP, AND YET WE WEREN'T ABLE TO ACTUALLY MAKE AN ADDITIONAL MEETING OF THAT COMMITTEE HAPPEN, WHICH WAS DISHEARTENING AND DISCOURAGING FOR ME AT THAT TIME. AND THAT'S ONE REASON I WAS IN SUPPORT OF THE DECISION WE MADE AT OUR LAST MEETING, FOR THE TWO BOARDS TO MEET. I'M LIKE, OK, WELL, THE COMMITTEE IS NOT GOING TO MEET NOW PER THEIR GUIDELINES. LET'S TRY GETTING EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM TOGETHER TO HAVE A CIVIL CONVERSATION ABOUT JUST WHAT IS GOING ON. REALLY, I THINK IT'S JUST A TOTAL LACK OF COMMUNICATION. I THINK A LOT OF PROBLEMS START THERE WITH COMMUNICATION. SO I WAS IN FAVOR OF THAT. MR. JOHNSON SENT A VERY NICE REQUEST TO THEM, I FELT, THAT MANY OF THEM HAD NOT EVEN BEEN MADE AWARE OF UNTIL LAST NIGHT'S SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. IT WAS APPARENT IN THEIR CORRESPONDENCE THERE DURING THEIR MEETING THAT IT WAS THE FIRST TIME ANY OF THEM HAD EVEN SEEN THE INVITATION. BUT WE GOT THE RESPONSE WE DID, GRACIOUSLY DECLINING TO JOIN US HERE TONIGHT, WHICH AGAIN WAS DISCOURAGING. AND WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING. BEFORE I GET INTO THAT, THOUGH. CARL, I TOO-- HISTORY IS VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER IT AS ACCURATELY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN SO THAT WE CAN TEACH IT TO OUR CHILDREN'S GENERATIONS . CRT, IN MY OPINION, ISN'T HISTORY. HISTORY IS HISTORY. YOUR GREAT GRANDFATHER'S HISTORY IS MY HISTORY AS WELL. [01:15:02] IT'S ALL OUR HISTORY. IT'S THE WAY I SEE IT PERSONALLY. THAT'S MY OPINION. WE ALL HAVE A HISTORY TOGETHER, AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TEACH IT AS IT WAS. YEAH, IT WAS SOME UGLY STUFF IN OUR HISTORY, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER IT AND THAT WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN. I CAN REMEMBER SOME OF YOUR COMMENTS WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT CHANGING THE ROAD NAME, AND SOME OF THEM WERE IN OPPOSITION OF DOING SO BECAUSE OF THE OPPORTUNITY THAT PRESENTED ITSELF WITH JUST THAT RELIC BEING THERE. IT WAS AN IT WAS A TEACHABLE MOMENT, IF YOU WILL. AND I UNDERSTOOD THAT. BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER OUR HISTORY AS IT IS. I DON'T SEE OUR HISTORY IN AND OF ITSELF AS BEING DIVISIVE IN ANY WAY WHEN YOU TEACH IT AS IT WAS, REALLY, IT'S NOT DIVISIVE, LIKE I FEEL LIKE CRT IS INTENDED TO DO. SO, THAT'S JUST MY OPINION WITH IT. I REALLY-- I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY. I WOULD-- I HAVE CONCERN ABOUT MEETING WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD AS THEY'RE SUGGESTING NOW BECAUSE THEY MADE IT CLEAR IN THEIR MEETING LAST NIGHT WHEN THEY WERE DRAFTING THIS PROPOSAL THAT THEY WANTED IT TO BE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. THEY WANTED IT TO BE A PRIVATE MEETING THAT WE DIDN'T NEED TO BE DISCUSSING THESE MATTERS IN THE EYES OF THE PUBLIC, AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT PORTION OF IT MOVING FORWARD, IF WE CAN EVEN DO THAT IS A LEGAL QUESTION, THAT'S GOING TO NEED TO BE ANSWERED AS FAR AS A WORK SESSION THAT'S CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC WITH OUR ENTIRE BOARD PRESENT AND THE ENTIRE SCHOOL BOARD PRESENT. BUT I BELIEVE IN COMPLETE TRANSPARENCY AND I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND I THINK YOU SHOULD AS WELL KNOW WHAT THE SCHOOL BOARD IS TALKING ABOUT. AND I THINK YOU SHOULD ALL KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TOGETHER. I DON'T THINK IT'S ANY NEED FOR IT TO BE PRIVATE. I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE-- IT COULDN'T BE A PRIVATE MEETING. OK WITH OUR WHOLE BOARD AND THEIR WHOLE BOARD COULDN'T BE A PRIVATE MEETING. WOULD THEY AGREE TO IT IF IT'S PUBLIC. I'M SURE THEY WOULD. OKAY? THE PROBLEM IS THEY DIDN'T WANT THEM COMING TO OUR BOARD, RIGHT? NOR WOULD IT BE OKAY FOR US GOING TO THEIR BOARD. WE MEET AS TWO BOARDS. AT A PLACE WHERE WE CAN ALL MEET AND HAVE AN EQUAL, I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE AN EQUAL SETTING, WHERE WE CAN DISCUSS THIS AS ADULTS. MR. RAILEY, COULD YOU COMMENT ON THE LEGALITY OF THAT? I'M UNAWARE OF ANY EXCEPTION TO [INAUDIBLE], WHICH WOULD ALLOW YOU TO HAVE A PRIVATE WORKSHOP. NOW, SOMEBODY CAN PULL THE CODE UP AND I HAVE TO READ IT EVERY TIME. BUT RIGHT NOW? WELL, I HAVEN'T THE CODE IN FRONT OF ME, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN HAVE A PRIVATE WORKSHOP LIKE THAT. WELL, EVERYBODY'S EDIFICATION TO MY UNDERSTANDING OF [INAUDIBLE] LAWS, STATE LAWS: TWO OF US CAN MAKE, THREE US IS ILLEGAL. THAT'S WHY WE HAD TWO ON TWO WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD. WITH CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS, JUST LIKE YOU HAD YOUR CLOSED SESSION. SO THAT'S THE BACKGROUND OF THE TWO ON TWO SITUATION. I TOO, WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE TWO BOARDS GET TOGETHER. I DIFFER A LITTLE BIT ON HOW MUCH INPUT THIS BOARD HAS, 60 PERCENT OF THE COUNTY'S TAXPAYERS MONEY GOES TO SCHOOL. AND TO SAY THAT THE CITIZENS OF SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY DON'T HAVE A GOOD PLACE-- COULD YOU PLEASE SIT DOWN SIR? DON'T HAVE A SAY IN THAT IS, I DON'T THINK IT'S CORRECT THAT-- WE DON'T HAVE ANY COMMENT, PUBLIC COMMENT RIGHT NOW, AND NO, DON'T TELL US HOW TO RUN THE MEETING. OKAY? [INAUDIBLE] THERE'S NO SECOND NOW. ALL RIGHT. IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? [INAUDIBLE] I'LL SECOND IT. ALL RIGHT. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? AND THE A MOTION, WOULD YOU STATE YOUR MOTION AGAIN? [01:20:01] SUPERVISOR FAISON, I MOVE THAT WE TABLED THIS UNTIL AFTER WE HAVE A MEETING OF THE BOARDS TOGETHER. [INAUDIBLE] WHEN ARE WE GOING HAVE TO BE [INAUDIBLE]? WELL, ONCE WE DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT, THEN IT WOULD HAVE, I GUESS, MR. JOHNSON AND SUPERINTENDENT. MY BIGGEST CONCERN BEING THAT ONCE THE LEVERAGE TO HAVE THE MEETING IS OFF THE TABLE. WHO'S TO SAY THEY DON'T STONEWALL US AGAIN WITH ANOTHER DOZEN MEETING REQUESTS IN THE COMING YEAR? [INAUDIBLE]COME BACK AND MAYBE WE'LL HAVE A LOOK AT THIS AGAIN. YOU CAN TAKE IT OFF THE TABLE ANY TIME. THAT'S WHEN YOU SAY YOU AREN'T VOTING IT DOWN YOUR TABLING IT. YEAH, THAT'S WHY HE TABLED IT SO YOU CAN COME BACK. I AGREE WITH YOU MR. CORNWELL. I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TAKE IT OFF ANY TIME, BUT FROM OUR PAST EXPERIENCES. AND YOU LEARN FROM YOUR PAST EXPERIENCES NOW, THEY REALLY WILLING TO COME AND SIT DOWN. I BELIEVE SO. I MEAN, WHY DID IT TAKE THIS LONG TO GET THEIR ATTENTION? I CAN'T ANSWER THAT, BUT I BELIEVE THIS WILL BE A PRODUCTIVE MEETING. I TALKED TO MY REPRESENTATIVE ON THE SCHOOL BOARD THIS MORNING. HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THESE MEETINGS. THESE MEETINGS HAD NOT BEEN SHARED WITH THE REST OF THE SCHOOL BOARD. SO WHAT'S GOING ON THERE? WELL-- [INAUDIBLE] KNOW ABOUT IT, THE DEADLINE SET LAST NIGHT AT THE MEETING, THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING, I WASN'T THERE, SO I DON'T KNOW. THE COMMITTEE MEETING, THE ONE THAT TOOK PLACE IN THE ADDITIONAL REQUEST THAT HAD BEEN MADE. I DON'T-- I'M TALKING ABOUT AT THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING LAST NIGHT. RIGHT? DID THEY KNOW? DID THEY DISCUSS THIS? TONIGHT? YES, SIR. OKAY, SO THEY ARE ALL AWARE OF IT NOW. OH YES, SIR. YES, SIR. THEY DISCUSSED AND CAME TO THE COLLECTIVE DECISION TO NOT PARTICIPATE IN TONIGHT'S SESSION, AND THAT'S WHEN THEY OFFERED US THE ALTERNATIVE-- JANUARY TWENTY TWENTY TWO. RIGHT. NEXT MONTH. WELL, I CALL FOR A QUESTION. I THINK, WE OUGHT TO JUST TRY TO GET IT DONE NEXT MONTH. SOME TIME. I MEAN, THEY ARE AMENABLE TO A MEETING NEXT MONTH, RIGHT? OKAY. GUESS WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THIS FIRST. YOUR MOTION IS TO TABLE THIS TEMPORARILY,OKAY? A PUBLIC MEETING, IT HAS TO BE PUBLIC. RIGHT? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THAT. YEAH. OKAY. IT'S BEEN SECONDED. WHO SECONDED THE MOTION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. OKAY, SO BE IT. OKAY, THAT OUT OF THE WAY WE'LL MOVE ON. EASIER THINGS TO COME. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. [6. Approval of Minutes] IF I HAVE THE PROBLEM OF THE MINUTES OF THE NOVEMBER TWENTY THREE AND NOVEMBER TWENTY NINE SESSIONS MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND. LET'S TAKE TWO MOTIONS. ONE FOR-- LET'S DO ONE AT A TIME. NOVEMBER TWENTY THREE TWENTY TWENTY ONE. MOTION AND SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ALL RIGHT, ANY CORRECTIONS ON THE NOVEMBER TWENTY NINE MEETING? IF NOT-- MOTION TO APPROVE. A MOTION, SECOND? SECOND. ALL RIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OKAY, NUMBER SEVEN, HIGHWAY MATTERS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I THINK I DON'T HAVE ANY. [LAUGHTER] ANYBODY HAVE ANY? MUST BE THE GOOD WEATHER THEN, HUH? THE ROADS ARE STAYING TOGETHER. OKAY. IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY, WE'LL MOVE ON TO MONTHLY REPORTS, I'M GOING TO GO DOWN THESE [8. Monthly Reports] JUST STOP ME IF YOU WANT TO JUMP IN AND SAY ANYTHING. TREASURY'S OFFICE. [INAUDIBLE] USUALLY HERE [INAUDIBLE]. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. BLACKWATER REGIONAL LIBRARY. SOLID WASTE QUANTITIES. PERSONNEL, MR. JOHNSON? YES, SIR, AND YOU MENTIONED THE TREASURER'S REPORT, THE TREASURER DID EMAIL YOU ALL A WRITTEN REPORT TODAY AND INDICATED THAT SHE HAD A CONFLICT I JUST WANTED TO GO INTO THAT. PERSONNEL, WE HAD FOUR EMPLOYEES HIRED DURING THE MONTH EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER, THE 15TH IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE LANESHA JOHNSON. ANNUAL SALARY THIRTY FIVE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED THIRTEEN DOLLARS. JOHN MCGIFFIN ALSO NOVEMBER THE 15TH IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ANNUAL SALARY THIRTY FIVE [01:25:04] THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED THIRTEEN DOLLARS. EFFECTIVE DECEMBER THE 1ST IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. NAKIA ADAMS ANNUAL SALARY THIRTY EIGHT THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS AND PEYTON SEAL EFFECTIVE DECEMBER THE 1ST AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ANNUAL SALARY THIRTY FIVE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED THIRTEEN DOLLARS. THERE WERE FOUR EMPLOYEES THAT SEPARATED SINCE NOVEMBER AVIVA ARTIS, EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER THE 9TH AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, LINDA FOWLER, EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER THE TWENTY SIXTH IN THE TREASURER'S OFFICE. SAMANTHA HOWELL EFFECTIVE DECEMBER THE 5TH IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. AND KIMBERLY BELL EFFECTIVE DECEMBER THE 13TH IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO DIGRESS AND GO BACK TO THE NUMBER FIVE AGAIN. DID WE HAVE A MOTION AND VOTE ON THE COMBINED BOARD? I THINK WE NEED TO DO THAT. IF WE DIDN'T, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT WE DIDN'T DO IT. OKAY. MR. FAISON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ARRANGE FOR A PUBLIC? I THOUGHT WE DID THAT. I'M NOT SURE WE VOTED ON IT OR ANYTHING. OKAY, SO WE GOT THAT STRAIGHT. OKAY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAD THAT DOWN. ALL RIGHT. FINANCIAL MATTERS, REGULAR APPROPRIATION YOU HAVE THERE. [9. Financial Matters] THAT'S THE BLUE SHEETS. ANYBODY HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT [COUGH] NINETY SEVEN THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED FIFTY SIX DOLLARS AND SIXTY FOUR CENTS. MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ALRIGHT, B THE APPROPRIATIONS RESOLUTION FOR THE SCHOOL FUND, WHICH IS THE YELLOW SHEETS, WHICH IS ABOUT THREE HUNDRED AND NINETY ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS. MOTION TO ADOPT. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY, AYE. AYE. ALL RIGHT. NO C, APPROPRIATION RESOLUTION THE GREEN SHEETS, WHICH IS ABOUT FORTY ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED FORTY NINE DOLLARS AND EIGHTY ONE CENTS. THE CARES ACT FUNDING. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? MOTION TO MOVE WITH THAT? SO MOVE. SECOND? SECOND. OKAY, DOWN TO D. WE NEED TO VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. DOWN TO D, PINK SHEETS. I HAD A QUESTION. GO AHEAD. THE FORTY FIVE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX DOLLARS THAT WAS THE LITTER CONTROL GRANT. WHERE DID THAT COME FROM AND WHAT DID IT GO FOR? THE STATE PROVIDES LITTER CONTROL GRANT ANNUALLY TO THE COUNTY, AND A PORTION OF THAT IS EARMARKED FOR EACH OF OUR SIX TOWNS AND THEN THE REMAINDER GOES TO THE COUNTY. ALL RIGHT, THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE DOWN TO D THEN, PINK SHEETS. APPROPRIATION OF THE GENERAL FUND. ONE MILLION, FOUR HUNDRED FORTY TWO THOUSAND SEVENTY FOUR DOLLARS AND NO CENTS TO THE SCHOOL FUND AND SIXTEEN MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED AND FORTY THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY SIX DOLLARS AND NINETY THREE CENTS TO THE BUILDING FUND FOR THE COURTHOUSE RENOVATIONS. MOTION TO APPROVE THAT? SO MOVE. SECOND. SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE DOWN TO PAY THE BILLS. PAGE TWENTY SIX. ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BILLS? I MOVE. I SECOND THE MOTION. ALL RIGHT. ANY DISCUSSION ON THE BILLS, IF NOT ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. OKAY WE'LL PAY THE BILLS. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE DOWN TO APPOINTMENTS. [10. Appointments] THE IDA, THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. MR. CLAUD IS REPRESENTING THE CAPRON DISTRICT AND HIS TERM WILL EXPIRE DECEMBER THIRTY ONE, TWENTY TWENTY ONE. HE IS ELIGIBLE FOR REAPPOINTMENT. AND I GUESS CLAUD IS WILLING TO BE REAPPOINTED. YES, HE IS. OKAY. MAKE A MOTION NOW? [01:30:01] WELL, I MOVE THAT WE CERTAINLY APPROVE MR. CLAUD CONTINUING OKAY, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. MR. CLAUD BEEN REAPPOINTED. CITIZENS TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE. VERY IMPORTANT COMMITTEE TO THE COUNTY. THAT'S MADE UP OF ONE MEMBER FROM EACH DISTRICT AND TWO PEOPLE AT LARGE. TERMS ARE THREE YEARS. AND WE HAVE THREE PEOPLE THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR REAPPOINTMENT. NUMBER ONE TOMMY POTTER FROM THE NEWSOMS DISTRICT IS ELIGIBLE. HAS HE BEEN ON THAT THREE YEARS? TIME FLIES. I LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO REAPPOINT HIM. SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. STEVE WATSON FROM THE DREWRYVILLE DISTRICT, STEVE WALTON. WALTON, EXCUSE ME, ELIGIBLE FOR REAPPOINTMENT. ANYBODY KNOW ABOUT THAT? WE NEED TO TABLE THAT UNTIL WE FIND OUT IF HE'S WILLING OR? I'M PRETTY SURE HE'S WILLING. YEAH, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING DIFFERENT, SO I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE HIM. OKAY. SECOND? SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. [INAUDIBLE] ROBERT WHITE, FRANKLIN DISTRICT. ELIGIBLE FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT, ARE YOU WILLING FOR THAT JOB, SIR? YES. OKAY, I MAKE A MOTION WE REAPPOINT HIM. SECOND. SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT, LET'S SEE, I THINK WE HAVE A VIRTUAL MEETING COMING UP HERE WITH MRS. [11. FY 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report] KIM, JACKSON FROM CREEDLE, JONES, AND ASSOCIATES ABOUT OUR COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT. KIM, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. HI. WELCOME TO SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY. I'M KIM FROM CREEDLE, JONES, AND ASSOCIATES. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. WE'RE MUTED, SHE CAN'T HEAR US. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. YES. I THINK` IT'S MUTED THE MICS MUTTED. THERE YOU GO. WE COULD HEAR YOU, KIM, GO AHEAD. OKAY. WE HAVE FINISHED THE FY 21 AUDIT AND HAD UNMODIFIED [INAUDIBLE] OPINION WITH NO AUDIT FINDINGS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR. THE DETAILED SCHEDULE OF LONG TERM DEBT CAN BE FOUND BEGINNING ON PAGE FORTY ONE WITH FOOTNOTE 11. THE LEGAL DEBT MARGIN IS ON PAGE FORTY SEVEN, WHICH SHOWS ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY [INAUDIBLE] COUNTIES IN A GOOD POSITION. THE GENERAL FUND CHANGE [INAUDIBLE] FUND BALANCE WAS APPROXIMATELY A MILLION FOR FY TWENTY ONE, WHERE GENERAL FUND REVENUES INCREASED APPROXIMATELY FOUR POINT FOUR MILLION FROM THE PRIOR YEAR. THE COUNTY'S LARGEST REVENUE SOURCE IS STILL PROPERTY TAXES, BUT THE MAIN REASON THAT THE GENERAL FUND REVENUE INCREASED THE FOUR POINT FOUR MILLION, SIXTY NINE PERCENT OF THAT WAS DUE TO THE CARES FUNDING THAT THE COUNTY RECEIVED. THE TOTAL GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES INCREASED APPROXIMATELY THREE POINT FIVE MILLION, WITH THE EDUCATION SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTING ONE POINT SIX MILLION, OR FORTY SIX PERCENT OF THAT DIFFERENCE. PUBLIC SAFETY REPRESENTED AN INCREASE OF TWO MILLION, WITH EMERGENCY SERVICES REPRESENTING SEVENTY THREE PERCENT OF THAT INCREASE, WHICH WAS AGAIN THE CARES FUNDING [01:35:02] MONEY. THE ENTERPRISE FUND'S TOTAL NET POSITION INCREASED APPROXIMATELY THIRTY NINE THOUSAND. HOWEVER, DEPRECIATION IS IN THAT NUMBER, WHICH DEPRECIATION REPRESENTS ONE POINT TWO MILLION. SO WITHOUT DEPRECIATION, THAT POSITION WOULD INCREASE APPROXIMATELY THE ONE POINT TWO MILLION. PAGES 19 AND 20 ARE FIDUCIARY FUND STATEMENTS, WHICH WAS A NEW REQUIREMENT IN [INAUDIBLE] IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE [INAUDIBLE] STATEMENT NUMBER EIGHTY TWO, WHICH WAS EFFECTIVE FOR FISCAL YEAR TWENTY ONE. THESE FUNDS INCLUDE THE COUNTY'S [INAUDIBLE] TRUST FUND, THE SPECIAL WELFARE, THE COUNTY ESCROW FUNDS AND THE BLACKWATER REGIONAL LIBRARY, SIMILAR TO THE SCHOOL ACTIVITY FUNDS IN THE SCHOOL BOARD. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE SHOWN NOW AND ARE REPORTED IN THE COUNTY'S FINANCIALS. WE DID NOTE ONE RECOMMENDATION IN A MANAGEMENT LETTER THAT THE COUNTY WILL RECEIVE, AND OUR RECOMMENDATION IS IN REFERENCE TO THE TIMELINESS AND APPROVAL OF BANK RECONCILIATIONS, AS THIS IS A CRUCIAL PART OF THE COUNTY'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE ACCURATE FINANCIAL INFORMATION AT A POINT IN TIME DURING THE YEAR AND TO REMAIN UP TO DATE. THE BANK RECONCILIATIONS SHOULD BE PREPARED EACH MONTH AFTER THE PREVIOUS MONTH'S BANK STATEMENT IS RECEIVED PRIOR TO THE COUNTY RECEIVING THE NEXT MONTH'S BANK STATEMENT. ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? [INAUDIBLE] THANKS A LOT KIM. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD EVENING, A NICE CHRISTMAS. MERRY CHRISTMAS. YOU TOO. BYE. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT, NUMBER 12. WE DO NEED A MOTION MR. CHAIRMAN TO RECEIVE AND ACCEPT THAT AUDIT REPORT. MOTION TO ACCEPT THAT REPORT. SOME MOVED. SECOND. SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY, AYE. AYE. OKAY, REPORT IS ACCEPTED. NUMBER 12 CONSIDERATION OF AUTHORIZATION TO PROCEED WITH REMOVAL OF A PUBLIC NUISANCE IF [12. Consideration of Authorization to Proceed with Removal of Public Nuisance, if Necessary] NECESSARY. I'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE IN [INAUDIBLE] AND I THINK THEY ALL ARE IN AGREEMENT. IT NEEDS TO GO. EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT THAT IS, IN SEDLEY. NO DOUBT IT'S A HEALTH HAZARD. IT'S A SAFETY-- SAFETY HAZARD, ALL SORTS OF HAZARDS. THAT WILL COST ABOUT FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS IF THE BOARD-- IF THE OWNER FAILS TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION, WHAT IS THE SPECIFIED COMPLETION DATE, MR. JOHNSON? I'M NOT SURE THE DATE HE SIGNED FOR THE LETTER, BUT THE LETTER WAS MAILED BACK ON THE 16TH OF NOVEMBER, SO I WOULD ASSUME SOMEWHERE, PROBABLY AROUND THE 18TH. I'D HAVE TO CHECK WITH MR. GOODWIN IT WAS MAIL CERTIFIED MAIL, SO HE'LL HAVE THE RECEIPT. SO HE'LL ONLY HAVE A COUPLE OF DAYS THEN? CORRECT. OKAY. MOTION TO GO WITH THAT, SO MOVED. SECOND. SECOND THAT MOTION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR TO PROCEED WITH THE PLAN, AS WE'VE STATED, SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED, NO. ALL RIGHT, NUMBER 13. [INAUDIBLE] SEE. YEAH. 13 ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS. [13. 2022 Organizational Matters] DO YOU WANT TO HAVE AN EARLY MEETING OR YOU THINK WE CAN GET EVERYTHING DONE ON TUESDAY, JANUARY, THE TWENTY FIFTH AT SIX O'CLOCK? MIKE, WHEN WILL WE GET SWORN IN? I WAS GOING TO LET YOU ALL ARRANGE THAT INDIVIDUALLY UNLESS YOU WANT MR. FRANCIS TO COME TO YOUR MEETING. IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THIS TIME. SINCE WE HAVE STAGGERED TERMS, WE'VE NEVER HAD THAT BEFORE, SO I CAN DO IT EITHER WAY, YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO DO IT. I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE MR. FRANCIS COME TO THE MEETING. I CAN ARRANGE THAT IT JUST CUTS IT CLOSE. THE STATUTE MAKES IT VERY CLEAR THAT YOU HAVE TO BE SWORN IN ON NO LATER THAN THE DAY OF THAT FIRST MEETING. I CAN TELL YOU THERE WAS A CASE IN A COUNTY IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE STATE ABOUT A DECADE AGO, WHERE THEY FAILED TO DO THAT AND THEY HAD TO HAVE A SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL THOSE SEATS AGAIN. SO. SO AND WE NEED TO MEET HIM DOWN HERE BEFORE THAT? [INAUDIBLE]. WOULD YOU ALL LIKE TO DO IT ALL AT ONCE, OR DO YOU JUST WANT TO ARRANGE AN INDIVIDUAL APPOINTMENT? YOU CAN DO IT AT MR. FRANCIS'S OFFICE. [01:40:02] I'D LIKE TO DO IT ALL AT ONCE. YEAH, YEAH. SO WE'VE GOT UNTIL JANUARY TWENTY FIFTH TO GET IT DONE. CORRECT. THAT'S WHEN THE MEETING IS. CORRECT? SUPPOSE IT SNOWS? SO WHAT DO YOU ALL WANT TO DO? MS. UPDIKE, I'LL APPOINT YOU COMMITTEE ONE TO MAKE THOSE RESERVATIONS AND MEETING PLANS FOR US TO MEET WITH FRANCIS. CAN YOU DO THAT? YEAH. ALL RIGHT. SHE'S GOOD AT THAT. THANK YOU. YOU CAN DO LIKE FOLKS, [INAUDIBLE]. GO AHEAD AND GET MARRIED AND HAVE A BIG SHOW. IS EVERYBODY OKAY WITH THAT? YES. OKAY. WE MADE IT HERE ONE NIGHT. SO WE'RE CHANGING THIS MOTION? I MAKE THAT MOTION. NO, THE OATH IS SEPARATE FROM THE ORGANIZATIONAL MATTER. OKAY. WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION ON THE [INAUDIBLE]. WE HAVE TO MAKE ONE ON THE ORGANIZATIONAL MATTER, SO. WE'LL JUST BE NOTIFIED WHEN THAT MEETING IS? YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT. MR. FAISON. [INAUDIBLE] IT'S ONLY THOSE THREE WHO WERE ON THE BALLOT THIS TIME. OKAY, YOU WANT TO HAVE THE ORGANIZATION MATTERS DONE ON TUESDAY, JANUARY THE TWENTY FIFTH AT SIX O'CLOCK. I MOVE, WE ACCEPT JANUARY TWENTY FIFTH AT SIX O'CLOCK. ALL RIGHT, SO SECOND? SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. SO MOVED. WE'LL DO THAT AT THE REGULAR MEETING ON JANUARY TWENTY FIVE. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE JANUARY TWENTY TWENTY TWO HOLIDAY SCHEDULE. WE NEED TO SET ASIDE ONE LEGAL HOLIDAY, WHICH WILL OCCUR PRIOR TO THE ORGANIZATION MEETING ON THE 25TH, AND THAT'S MONDAY, JANUARY 17TH, WHICH IS MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY. I MAKE A MOTION WE GO AHEAD AND SET THAT ASIDE. SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OKAY, SO MOVE. I GUESS IT'S JUST REST OF FOR INFORMATION HERE. EVERYBODY CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE AND SO BE PREPARED TO DO THAT. ALL RIGHT. PROJECT UPDATES. [14. Project Updates] COURTHOUSE RENOVATION. ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENT ON THAT? [INAUDIBLE] A LITTLE BIT OF SETBACK, WHICH IS PROBABLY EXPECTED, SO THE WAY THINGS ARE, WE'RE PROCEEDING WITH THAT. ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT BEFORE WE MOVE ON? INSURRECTION TRIAL PROJECT. LOOKS LIKE THAT'S MOVING ON. ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS? MR. JOHNSON, ANYBODY? WE'RE STARTING A MAJOR FUND DRIVE IN TWENTY TWENTY TWO. ALL RIGHT. THE NEWSOMS HOUSING AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS PHASE ONE. MR. JOHNSON, YOU FEEL LIKE A BROKEN RECORD. WELL, WE'RE STILL WAITING ON THE CONTRACT FOR EXECUTION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF THINGS LINED UP READY TO ROLL JUST AS SOON AS WE GET ON THE CONTRACT. WE HAVE ARRANGED SUBCONTRACTS WITH THREE CONSULTING FIRMS, SOME IN ENGINEERING FOR GRANT MANAGEMENT. SOUTHEAST RCAP WILL BE DOING THE HOUSING REHAB PORTION FOR US. AND THEN WE HAVE B&B CONSULTANTS WHO WILL BE DOING THE DESIGN ON THE DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS OVER THERE. SO WE HAVE ALL THREE OF THOSE CONTRACTS LINED UP. WE'RE JUST WAITING ON THE APPROVAL FROM DHCD TO GIVE US THE MONEY BEFORE WE OBLIGATE OURSELVES TO PERFORM THE WORK. UNDERSTOOD ANY QUESTIONS? MAYOR [INAUDIBLE] MAY HAVE A COMMENT HE'D LIKE TO MAKE ABOUT IT. THANK YOU. FIRST OF ALL, I APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPTING. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT, SIR. I JUST TO SAY THAT I'M WANT TO THANK [INAUDIBLE] SEATED IN FRONT OF THE BOARD. [INAUDIBLE] THAT HE HAD WORKED. I [INAUDIBLE] HE MUST BE LIKE [INAUDIBLE] ENERGIZER BUNNY. HE WORKS ALL THE TIME. [INAUDIBLE] ABREAST OF WHAT'S GOING ON. [01:45:04] HE'S [INAUDIBLE], BUT HE'S CERTAINLY DOING A LOT OF WORK AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL. WE HAVE SUCH AN INDIVIDUAL WORKING [INAUDIBLE] THIS PROJECT. ONE REASON FOR THE DELAY [INAUDIBLE], YOU ALL KNOW THE PANDEMIC, [INAUDIBLE] . THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON. [15. Miscellaneous] MISCELLANEOUS ANNUAL FILING THAT PLEASANT FORM [INAUDIBLE] WE SENT OUT TO US BY DECEMBER 17TH AND IT HAS TO BE TURNED BACK IN BY FEBRUARY ONE. PLEASE NOTE, IT CANNOT BE TURNED IN UNTIL AFTER JANUARY ONE. OKAY, WHAT'S THE PENALTY FOR TURNING IT IN BEFORE JANUARY? I WILL NOT ACCEPT IT. [LAUGHTER] OKAY, ALL RIGHT. ITEMS CARRIED OVER. BRIEFING FROM ALIGN RENEWABLE GAS. THE GAS HAS BEEN PUT OFF UNTIL JANUARY MEETING, AND THE UPDATED EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN IS ALSO POSTPONED UNTIL THE JANUARY MEETING. SO WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO GOING THROUGH THOSE. ALL RIGHT, ANY CORRESPONDENCE ANYBODY WANTS TO COMMENT ON? IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO LATE ARRIVING MATTERS AND MR. [16. Late Arriving Matters] BRANDON COOKE, SORRY TO KEEP YOU WAITING ALL THIS TIME. IF YOU'D LIKE TO PRESENT YOUR PLAN. YOU'RE WELCOME. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN. SO WHAT I HAVE [INAUDIBLE] IS SOME DOCUMENTS THAT MR. [INAUDIBLE] GOT TOGETHER BACK IN 2011 TO TRY TO GET THIS [INAUDIBLE] BOARD AS A GOLF CART COMMUNITY IN SEDLEY, AND NOW THAT IT'S BEEN BESTOWED UPON ME TO TRY TO GET THIS DONE. I'M GOING TO PUT FORTH THE EFFORT TO GET [INAUDIBLE] SEEN AS A GOLF CART COMMUNITY AS WELL. I BELIEVE IT WILL BENEFIT THE CITIZENS, AS WELL AS PROVIDE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND UPCOMING FOR MORALE BOOSTER OF THE SURROUNDING AREAS. AND IT MAY BE A STEPPING STONE FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES LIKE OURS THAT MAY WANT TO DO THIS. THE AREA NOW IS VERY SATURATED WITH GOLF CARTS, AND IT PUTS THE LAW ENFORCEMENT IN A DIFFICULT POSITION TO ENFORCE THE LAW TO SOME OF OUR CITIZENS THAT ARE UPSTANDING CITIZENS OF THE LAW TO ENFORCE IT. SO I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO TAKE [INAUDIBLE] TONIGHT TO PASS THIS. [INAUDIBLE] THE EFFORT TO TRY TO GET THIS COMPLETED AND RAISE THE FUNDS TO HAVE THE APPROPRIATE LITERATURE AND SIGNAGE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT. ANY QUESTIONS [INAUDIBLE] MR. COOKE? DO WE NEED A MOTION TO GO AHEAD WITH THE [INAUDIBLE] ADMINISTRATION TO DRAFT THIS AND BRING IT BACK TO THE NEXT MEETING? I'LL MAKE A MOTION. CAN WE DO THAT? SECOND? SO YOU DON'T WANT TO REFER TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OKAY, BEFORE WE ENTERTAIN A MOTION, I JUST LIKE TO SAY TWO THINGS ABOUT THE YEAR. I LIKE TO THINK OUR ADMINISTRATIVE PEOPLE, MR. JOHNSON, THESE PEOPLE SITTING OUT HERE, THESE PEOPLE WORK HARD, THESE PEOPLE WORK LONG HOURS. THEY WORKED A LOT OF TIMES WITHOUT GETTING PAID FOR IT. AND I REPORT [INAUDIBLW] I CITIZENS OF SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT DURING THIS PAST YEAR, THE BOARD FACED A LOT OF DECISIONS, A LOT OF CRITICAL DECISIONS, HARD DECISIONS, CONTROVERSIAL DECISIONS LIKE TONIGHT. AND, I THINK, MAKE THE BEST DECISION FOR THE FOR THE COUNTY, SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY AND THE CITIZENS OF SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY. I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT THIS BOARD, I DON'T THINK AT ANY TIME KICK THE PROVERBIAL CAN DOWN THE STREET. WE SAT ON THE FACTS AND MADE A DECISION AND MOVED ON. THAT'S A REAL STRONG PLUS. I WANT TO SAY THAT I MYSELF FEEL VERY PRIVILEGED TO BE A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD. AND I ALSO FEEL VERY HONORED TO BE A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD. WITH THAT BEING SAID, ALL OF US BEING COMMUNITY LEADERS, WE NEED TO GO BACK TO OUR COMMUNITIES AND MAKE SURE NOBODY FORGETS THE REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS, THE BIRTHDAY OF OUR SAVIOR AND LORD JESUS CHRIST. WITH THAT, I'LL SEE IF ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENTS. [01:50:08] WE NEED A MOTION TO CONTINUE. [17. Motion to Continue the Meeting to Thursday, December 16, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. to meet with the executive search consultant and develop the candidate profile for the next county administrator] YES, SIR. AT THIS TIME, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO CONTINUE TONIGHT'S MEETING TO THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16 2021 AT 5:30 P.M. TO MEET WITH THE EXECUTIVE SEARCH CONSULTANT AND DEVELOP THE CANDIDATE PROFILE FOR OUR NEXT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. IT WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING, RIGHT? WE WILL BE IN PERSON, THE CONSULTANT WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY. ALL RIGHT. SECOND. SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION ANYBODY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? THEN WE'LL SEE YOU. [INAUDIBLE] IT IS OPEN MEETING. RIGHT HERE AT 5:30 SHARP. ANYBODY HAS ANY CONFLICTS OR PROBLEMS, PLEASE LET US KNOW. EVERYBODY HAVE A GREAT CHRISTMAS. IF WE DON'T SEE YOU AGAIN. ALL YOU PEOPLE TO SHOWED UP TONIGHT. ALL YOU PEOPLE WHO COME TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR LOCAL GOVERNMENT. I ALWAYS SAY THIS THE ONLY PLACE YOU CAN DO IT. YOU CAN'T DO IT. WASHINGTON, YOU CAN'T DO IT IN RICHMOND, BUT YOU CAN COME HERE AND GET UP AND SPEAK. SO WE APPRECIATE IT. AND THANKS A LOT. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.