[0:03] This conference will now be recorded.
[0:34] Let me say that I really encourage that
[0:38] we turn this chair over. So I am open
[0:41] the floor for nominations and I will
[0:43] gladly step aside. So with the floor
[0:46] open for nominations, the chair will
[0:48] accept.
[0:50] >> Chairman, I'd like to nominate Mr. EJ
[0:52] servant as chair for the coming year.
[0:57] >> Uh, additional nominations.
[1:01] » Is that you? [clears throat]
[1:01] >> Yes, ma'am.
[1:02] >> Okay. You're EJ.
[1:03] >> I am.
[1:04] >> Okay. I didn't know that. I I second
[1:06] that motion even if he doesn't want it.
[1:10] >> Uh, additional nominations.
[1:15] » I move nominations.
[1:17] >> I have a second.
[1:18] >> I second it.
[1:20] >> All in favor say I. I
[1:22] >> Okay, nominations are closed. All in
[1:25] favor uh the election of myself say I
[1:28] opposed.
[1:29] >> Okay, the eyes have it. So, vice
[1:32] chairman, I'll open the floor for
[1:34] nominations.
[1:36] >> Who is the vice chairman?
[1:38] >> I don't know. Uh Mr. Bass.
[1:41] >> Oh, okay.
[1:43] And
[1:46] >> you know
[1:48] I serve at the uh I serve at your all's
[1:50] beh
[1:51] >> okay.
[1:53] Um I nominate Mr. Basser as a vice
[1:57] chairman.
[1:58] >> Do I have a second?
[2:00] >> Second.
[2:01] >> Have a second.
[2:03] Additional nominations.
[2:09] » Motion to close nominations.
[2:11] >> I motion to Second. Second.
[2:14] >> Second.
[2:15] >> All in favor of the nomination of Mr.
[2:18] Basser for vice chairman say I.
[2:19] >> I.
[2:20] >> Opposed.
[2:23] >> Okay, the eyes have it. Congratulations,
[2:25] Mr. Basser. That was quick. I'll move to
[2:28] the minutes. Have you had a chance to
[2:29] review the March 5th minutes of the 2026
[2:32] meeting?
[2:34] >> Well, we were all here, but um yes.
[2:37] >> Okay,
[2:38] >> I approve of the minutes.
[2:40] >> We have a motion to approve. Do I have a
[2:42] second?
[2:43] >> Second.
[2:44] All in favor signify by saying
[2:46] I.
[2:47] >> I.
[2:47] >> Opposed. All right. The eyes have it.
[2:49] Minutes are approved. Uh public
[2:51] comments.
[2:53] We have no general public comments here.
[2:56] Congressman, you have anything to say?
[2:58] [laughter]
[3:00] >> Oh, I appreciate you all serving.
[3:02] >> Thank you.
[3:02] so much. We appreciate that.
[3:05] Okay. Communications oath of office. So
[3:07] Nate Anderson has agreed to come on to
[3:10] serve. Are you many familiar with Nate?
[3:13] >> Yeah. Yeah.
[3:14] >> So Nate is the uh he is the general
[3:17] manager of
[3:20] the three restaurants.
[3:22] >> Oh, okay.
[3:23] >> Yeah. He's he's the owner of Dining by
[3:25] Design. Uh and uh he was also originally
[3:28] involved with uh the uh other
[3:32] restaurants down there. He actually came
[3:34] up with the design for Nacho Hippo, also
[3:38] the the hamburger place that's on the
[3:40] ocean front. He did the original design
[3:42] for that menus and so on. And anyway, he
[3:46] has agreed to serve, but he's out of
[3:47] town, was not able to come today.
[3:49] >> What is his name?
[3:50] >> Nate Anderson.
[3:51] >> Sure.
[3:53] >> So, he will take the oath of office at
[3:55] some point in time. I would assume at
[3:57] our next meeting, which will probably be
[3:58] next year,
[4:00] >> you decide to have one sooner. Well, we
[4:02] were talking about it. Um, we just don't
[4:05] like to have it's like one meeting here
[4:07] it is and like we don't even get to
[4:09] discuss it between ourselves, you know,
[4:12] like even if we could just have one
[4:13] meeting before the meeting.
[4:16] Um,
[4:18] we were thinking that was a good idea,
[4:20] even maybe a sixmonth meeting, but then
[4:22] that might be well, as long as it's not
[4:24] like in the middle of summer. But what
[4:26] y'all's thoughts?
[4:29] >> I think we need to have that. And I also
[4:30] think we all need to review what the
[4:33] state guidelines are for where we
[4:35] reissue the money because what I read
[4:38] and maybe I was reading it wrong, but
[4:41] from what I read, some things we
[4:42] approved may not fall follow fall under
[4:46] the categories or under may not be
[4:48] allowed, you know, and that's and I read
[4:51] these um
[4:54] >> I think this is my third year on um I
[4:56] read them the first year and I reread
[4:58] them last year before for the meeting
[5:00] and there were a couple things I was
[5:01] like, I don't know if we're allowed to
[5:04] do that.
[5:05] >> If you have spec uh specific concerns on
[5:09] particular items, go get those to me.
[5:11] I'll be glad to take a look at them.
[5:12] Okay.
[5:13] >> Also, the the items are typically
[5:15] reviewed by Turk and
[5:17] >> yeah, our our finance director Melanie,
[5:19] she she reviews those with Charlie Baron
[5:21] who's with Municipal Association. So, we double check to make sure that they
[5:26] >> but what I was reading I was like, you
[5:28] know, that's that's questionable. you
[5:29] know, there's a very thin line on some
[5:32] of the things that we approved last
[5:34] time. Very thin line.
[5:36] >> Yes, I'm a very flexible.
[5:37] >> Um some that we might could,
[5:40] >> you know, think about this is monies
[5:43] that are for travel and tourism and
[5:46] marketing and things like that. And so I
[5:50] just I think personally that a quarterly
[5:54] meeting would not be out of hand to see
[5:56] where we are each and and see what's
[5:59] going on with the funds and making sure
[6:02] that that because who's going to be held
[6:04] accountable? The city will, but we will
[6:06] because we voted on it. So I want us to
[6:08] make sure that it's we all feel
[6:12] comfortable with what's going on.
[6:15] I I um keep in mind we're advisory only.
[6:19] So we can't be held responsible for
[6:20] anything. Who responsible be
[6:24] all we can do is make an an advisory
[6:28] >> submission to town council. So really
[6:30] town council is the ones responsible.
[6:31] >> It's the first time I've ever have taken
[6:33] oath of office.
[6:34] >> Yeah.
[6:34] >> Was for this. Well,
[6:36] >> so that that means
[6:38] >> that it's more than just
[6:41] >> Yes. And so I disagree with you on that,
[6:44] but I mean literally I've been I've done
[6:47] a lot of committee meetings, been part
[6:50] of a lot of committees for for
[6:51] government, but in North Carolina. So we
[6:54] have different rules, but um I would
[6:57] like for us to take the time to to
[6:59] really make sure that our eyes are
[7:02] dotted and our tees are crossed and we
[7:04] are feeling confident with the decisions
[7:06] that we make. Um
[7:10] and I have
[7:12] not thoroughly looked at them and I
[7:14] will, but I just think once a year and
[7:19] we just basically voted yes on
[7:22] everything without any question and we
[7:24] did not have time to really think about
[7:26] where that money was going and was it
[7:28] the best place to spend marketing
[7:31] dollars and tourism dollars and that's
[7:34] what this money this tax is. So, um I
[7:38] might be putting a monkey wrench in it.
[7:41] [clears throat] I'm sorry if I am, but I
[7:43] also feel like um I know where that
[7:47] money is coming from and it's coming
[7:48] from uh hotels and restaurants and
[7:52] things that are expecting that money
[7:54] back in some, you know, in a certain
[7:57] way,
[7:58] >> you know,
[7:59] >> right?
[7:59] >> So, just that's all I'm not making not
[8:02] trying to make a big deal out of it. I
[8:04] just want us to make sure we're
[8:05] educated. Well, let me say personally, I
[8:08] hear you loud and clear and uh I I
[8:12] actually have echoed the things
[8:14] previously that you're saying right now.
[8:16] So, I agree with a lot of what you're
[8:18] saying. Let me say that u just to go
[8:22] back to my advisory comment, that's
[8:25] actually in the law. So, whether you
[8:27] took an oath of office or not, it's in
[8:29] the law. We are purely advisor. We have
[8:32] no we have no authority whatsoever other
[8:34] than to make a list of things and a
[8:37] recommendation to council. They have
[8:39] full autonomy over what how that money
[8:41] spent.
[8:42] >> We make no determination other than
[8:44] making
[8:45] >> it's not like that in the other state.
[8:46] So that's good in this. So well we'll be
[8:49] I'll be
[8:50] >> So let me go back to what you were
[8:51] saying.
[8:51] >> Mr. Servant, I may interrupt for a
[8:53] minute.
[8:53] >> Sure.
[8:54] >> To when you get to the business section,
[8:56] which is where we are, you need to do a
[8:58] motion to bring the subject matter to
[9:01] discussion. We're already discussing, so
[9:04] we kind of missed the part here.
[9:06] So, you just I guess I assume everybody
[9:09] got their packets with the information
[9:12] that's going to be changed.
[9:14] >> Well, we we haven't gotten to the we we where it was just inside. We were
[9:19] talking about Nate Anderson. We didn't
[9:20] get to change.
[9:22] >> I think we got off track. So, I think
[9:23] when it gets to committee comments, you
[9:25] can make those comments. And I will say
[9:27] this that we have talked about you guys
[9:29] having two meetings.
[9:30] >> Yeah.
[9:31] >> Now that we're not going to have it in
[9:32] January because we don't really get our
[9:34] true numbers till March. Maybe January
[9:36] would be a good time for you guys to get
[9:37] together, discuss the things that you
[9:40] want to. We can have some proposals in
[9:42] draft form, but the real numbers don't
[9:44] come till about March.
[9:46] >> And let me say this, we did have two
[9:48] meetings last year. So, we had the mayor
[9:50] was nice enough to say, "Let's have a
[9:52] first meeting to kind of go over to get
[9:54] a feel for that." That's what he
[9:56] proposed.
[9:57] >> I didn't attend that.
[9:58] >> Yeah.
[9:59] >> I wasn't aware of that other meeting.
[10:00] >> He he wanted he wanted to have another
[10:02] meeting
[10:02] >> because I I wanted to be there. Yeah.
[10:04] But as far as I know, we didn't have
[10:06] another meeting.
[10:07] >> Yeah. He wants to have two meetings. So,
[10:08] I want to have the first meeting. It's
[10:10] like a workshop, right? Get a feel for
[10:12] what's going on. And in the second
[10:14] meeting, we'll actually go through and listen to proposals and and make
[10:19] decisions as far recommendations. So I
[10:22] think we'll do that again next year.
[10:24] Okay.
[10:25] >> Uh as far as a quarterly meetings
[10:27] concerned, I think that would be um we
[10:31] can do that and certainly we can
[10:33] consider that and I would suggest you
[10:35] send your recommendations in by email
[10:37] sharing. We can we can consider that. I
[10:40] don't know if we just have enough on the
[10:41] agenda to do that. recommendations been
[10:43] made. Staff won't even be close to
[10:46] making any additional recommendations uh
[10:48] until we get really until January of
[10:51] next year.
[10:52] >> But I do think we we need two meetings
[10:54] because it is too much to assimilate.
[10:56] Then you end up rubber stamping stuff
[10:58] and u and we don't want to do that.
[11:00] >> So like a private meeting without
[11:02] [clears throat]
[11:03] public and then
[11:04] >> I don't think we can do that.
[11:07] >> If you have a quorum, it's a public
[11:08] meeting.
[11:10] >> Okay. So the first meeting is when we
[11:12] discuss
[11:14] >> it'll be anformational meeting,
[11:16] >> right?
[11:16] >> Get the packets, go through the
[11:18] information, take it home with you and
[11:19] digest it.
[11:20] >> Okay, that sounds good.
[11:21] >> Okay. All right,
[11:23] >> that sounds fair.
[11:24] >> Am I in discussion? Are we okay in
[11:25] discussion at this point? We need to
[11:27] move on. Okay, [laughter] let's move on.
[11:29] >> We missed that.
[11:31] >> Yeah, we'll come back to this in
[11:32] committee comments in a minute. Let's go to uh the change in the bylaws.
[11:37] for passionate Anderson and got a change
[11:40] in the bylaws and the meeting schedule.
[11:42] Uh Sherry, you want to bring us up to
[11:44] date on that on what the recommendation
[11:46] is of staff
[11:49] >> of staff?
[11:50] >> Yeah, I think this is staff generated.
[11:53] Well, just like Jerry just said, because
[11:55] we don't get the um true numbers until
[11:57] March, and even that's questionable as
[12:00] to if it's in the beginning or the end,
[12:02] that the language would change to say as
[12:06] necessary. That way, it would leave it
[12:07] up to to you to say when and and where you'd have all the information.
[12:13] >> And I think it'll continue to be in
[12:14] March because the numbers just don't
[12:16] come in in January and February. So now
[12:18] the language is is marked in red. It
[12:21] says that you used to say on the 3rd
[12:23] Wednesday of January now to as
[12:26] necessary. So that's what you're voting
[12:28] on.
[12:28] >> So we're going to change it to as
[12:29] necessary.
[12:29] >> As necessary. Yes, sir.
[12:31] >> Meetings as necessary.
[12:33] >> Meetings as necess.
[12:42] » Well, it it's good for two meetings. So
[12:45] >> it said the committee shall meet as
[12:47] necessary.
[12:47] >> Okay.
[12:48] Perfect.
[12:49] >> Yeah. Do I hear a motion?
[12:51] >> I'll make a motion. A second.
[12:53] >> Second.
[12:53] >> Yeah.
[12:54] >> Have a motion, a second. Further
[12:56] discussion.
[13:01] » All in favor say I.
[13:02] >> Opposed? You guys have it. Very good.
[13:05] Okay. Public comments.
[13:07] >> I do got one this time.
[13:08] >> Yes, sir.
[13:08] >> Um, kind of along the same lines of what
[13:10] y'all were talking about, just from this
[13:12] is my first year through this process,
[13:14] through the whole budget process. And I
[13:16] think the thing that I would like to
[13:19] see, you know, I haven't had a chance to
[13:21] talk to Jerry yet, but um uh the entire
[13:26] how we elevate issues or consideration
[13:29] by the a tax committee and
[13:34] >> thank you.
[13:34] >> Sorry. And and and how they're vetted.
[13:37] Um, I want to there, if you recall at
[13:41] our ATAX meeting, one of uh we had a
[13:43] someone for the public that actually
[13:44] recommended some branding things along
[13:47] Highway 17.
[13:48] >> Well, they couldn't be included because
[13:51] they
[13:52] >> they missed the deadline.
[13:52] So I just want
[13:55] to make sure that we are within the
[13:57] administration and whatever involvement
[14:00] you all have with it to ensure that
[14:02] there is a a broader call potentially
[14:05] for for items for consideration because
[14:08] it's almost like administration came
[14:11] what I saw was administration came in
[14:13] and said hey we got this this this and
[14:14] this we have this much money um what do
[14:17] you guys think and it just kind of got
[14:19] approved. Um, so I would like there to
[14:22] I'd like to see if we can there may be
[14:24] some other things that we're not
[14:25] considering currently that that should
[14:27] be considered under this and and even
[14:29] those items if there if if if there's
[14:31] more that's asked for than what is
[14:35] funding is available. I think you all
[14:37] should get all of that and be able to
[14:40] make some decisions. You know, um, like
[14:43] I said, it just almost seemed like to me
[14:44] the administration said here, here you
[14:46] go. What do you guys think? So anyway,
[14:48] that's just my thought.
[14:50] I think the first
[14:54] Okay. Uh on the committee comments
[15:00] >> already said mine. [laughter]
[15:02] >> I'm finished. I'm done.
[15:04] >> Follow up on a few things you said. We
[15:06] did have the gentleman from the
[15:08] municipal association came and spoke to
[15:11] us and gave us an opportunity to ask
[15:13] questions about laws and things that
[15:16] pertain to uh the a tax committee and
[15:19] it's possible we could have him back
[15:21] again. Okay. Maybe ourformational
[15:23] meeting to start with.
[15:25] >> That would be nice.
[15:26] >> No, that would be good for those I mean
[15:28] I I've been on it I guess my third year
[15:31] now but there's still things that I I'm
[15:33] not really sure about, you know. So, I
[15:35] would like to hear that. I would like to
[15:36] be able to hear that and ask questions
[15:38] and things.
[15:39] >> And I'll see if I can't also, just for
[15:42] our own edification, I'll see if I can
[15:45] get with Tyler and have him get me the
[15:48] list of items that were approved by the
[15:52] county. Now, it won't be apples to
[15:54] apples as far as all the stuff we do.
[15:56] and we don't have the millions of
[15:58] dollars they get, but you can get a feel
[16:00] for what they approve and how their
[16:02] monies were spent and kind of compare
[16:05] what what we do on a much smaller scale,
[16:07] but money is money,
[16:08] >> right?
[16:09] >> And so if I can get that, I'll give it
[16:10] to you, Sherry, and you can get that out
[16:12] to everyone.
[16:13] >> Sure.
[16:14] >> Okay. I would also like, you know, as
[16:17] Rick was saying, I would love for some
[16:20] of these monies to be spent, and I know
[16:22] somebody has to bring it to the
[16:24] committee or bring it to the town, but I
[16:26] would love for there to be something
[16:28] like an arts festival or a or a um or
[16:33] you know, how like in um Edisto, they
[16:36] have the big turtles that artists paint
[16:40] and they had them stationed around town
[16:41] or if you're in Hendersonville, they had
[16:44] it bears. Um, something like that would
[16:46] be fantastic and that would be a great
[16:49] thing. People love to go take pictures
[16:50] of those and it's a photo op. There's so
[16:53] many ideas I have, but being on the
[16:55] committee, I can't do it, you know. But
[16:57] >> right
[16:58] >> but there are so many ideas that I have
[17:00] where we could bring it would bring
[17:02] tourism in in a non-traditional way and
[17:07] it would put people in the hotels would
[17:09] keep put people in the um you know in
[17:12] the rentals of things.
[17:15] >> Um so I wish that there would be more
[17:19] thinking outside the box. You know, also
[17:21] like home I'm a former art teacher, so
[17:24] there's homeschool events where they um they'll have like spelling bees
[17:31] or or things like that. You could bring
[17:33] the whole homeschool association would
[17:35] come and bring their kids, you know, and
[17:37] stuff and they would stay in hotels and
[17:39] they could come in the off season which
[17:42] would help the hotels and everything
[17:43] because their kids are not in
[17:45] traditional schools with traditional
[17:47] school schedule. So they can go anytime.
[17:50] So there's so many things that can be
[17:52] that can happen to bring people in in
[17:55] offseason and nobody's looking at that
[17:57] and I I know that's not what we can do
[18:00] but I'm just trying to put this out
[18:02] there. Maybe somebody can you know maybe
[18:04] it can start somebody thinking who knows
[18:06] somebody who knows somebody and think
[18:08] start the ball rolling on things like
[18:10] that because it has to start somewhere.
[18:13] Those are great really are great ideas.
[18:15] And as we were talking about the kite
[18:18] festival um this weekend, the second
[18:21] annual kite festival which was a
[18:24] tremendous success. I had people from
[18:26] our corporate offices who were staying
[18:28] came to the hotel for different reasons
[18:31] and they were like wow we're coming back
[18:34] next year
[18:35] >> to the kite fest. It'll keep getting
[18:37] bigger and bigger and that that will do
[18:40] that and and I think that it will put
[18:42] heads on beds and and and excuse me
[18:45] butts and seats and restaurants as well
[18:48] uh going forward. Um there are not
[18:51] always a lot of those things that do
[18:53] that. you know, they a lot of what we
[18:57] see happen, which I think is great for
[18:59] the town of Surfside Beach and for the
[19:01] people who live here, but a lot of
[19:02] things become local events, you know,
[19:06] they and they're great, don't get me
[19:08] wrong. Again, it it brings in a little
[19:10] bit for us, but if you want to take a
[19:11] local event and make it regional, then
[19:13] that's where you've got to have somebody
[19:16] just just like the the surf contest, it
[19:20] becomes a full-time job for somebody to
[19:22] put that together, market it, and and
[19:25] then produce the event. Not only just
[19:28] market it, but then make it a success
[19:30] after you market it. And um the the I
[19:33] know it wasn't that simple, but the kite
[19:36] festival it was I think the beauty of it
[19:39] is that it doesn't from my perspective I
[19:42] didn't see it having to be a huge amount
[19:45] of burden on on the town. uh and we were
[19:49] able to get the vendors in where they
[19:51] were and the additional uh PlayStations
[19:53] and and the phone deal and all those
[19:56] things which are just I mean great you
[20:00] know and uh you know I just think that
[20:03] there are those other opportunities but
[20:04] when you start talking about like you
[20:06] say you don't have the time to do it
[20:07] well guess why because it's a full-time
[20:10] job to put on that and ask our friend
[20:13] with the with the
[20:17] surfing contests. I mean, that's all he
[20:19] does. You know, he's in Virginia Beach
[20:22] right now. He's going to be, you know,
[20:24] in Florida and then he's going to be
[20:26] here for for his event and and that's a huge on take down. Of course,
[20:30] it's also
[20:33] great occupation for him and he gets he
[20:35] gets to make a living doing what he
[20:37] loves to do and be around kids he loves
[20:38] to be around. that's in itself much
[20:41] worth not necessarily being as much work
[20:43] but that that's one of the things we
[20:45] need you know and uh I I think I think I
[20:50] think the town has done a good job of
[20:52] taking with what they have the family
[20:54] festivals we have the family festival
[20:56] the barbecue festival along with those
[20:59] things I mean I just think
[21:01] >> you know that that do well you know
[21:04] >> I'm gonna go back again to what you said
[21:05] though I do agree with you that that
[21:07] some things may be marginal But marginal
[21:10] or not, we are spending
[21:13] competations accommodations tax dollars
[21:15] in places where they probably should be
[21:19] going to generate more tourism. And we
[21:22] sat up here in February or March and
[21:29] discussed over and over again about the
[21:31] Fourth of July week and it fell on deaf
[21:33] ears.
[21:34] >> Yeah.
[21:35] And now we've got worst Fourth of
[21:38] July week coming up in occupancy we've
[21:42] had.
[21:43] >> I agree.
[21:44] >> In forever.
[21:45] >> And it's the 250 a year. We could have
[21:47] really done something extraordinary.
[21:50] >> And it's really worked against us
[21:52] because it's on a Saturday.
[21:53] >> Yeah.
[21:54] >> And people aren't coming. They're
[21:56] getting and there's no reason for them
[21:57] to stay because
[21:59] >> like Surfside that well Surfside didn't
[22:02] do anything to even try and make them
[22:03] stay even to come to start with.
[22:06] >> You could have something on Friday to
[22:07] give him a reason to stay. We didn't
[22:10] used to have to necessarily promote the
[22:12] Fourth of July and the summer season,
[22:15] but it's a different
[22:17] >> There's a lot more competition out there
[22:19] now.
[22:20] The thought in town hall from what I've
[22:22] been told is
[22:24] >> you don't need any help this summer.
[22:25] >> Yeah.
[22:26] >> Your book.
[22:27] >> And right now every rental company that
[22:31] I know of is running a six day week for
[22:34] the 4th of July.
[22:37] >> Well, when when we consider that that
[22:40] it's the time that the taxes on it are
[22:42] >> rent Saturday to Friday. That's where we
[22:45] are. That's I know that's where Dunes
[22:47] is. I know that's where Garden City is.
[22:48] We've been that way for 45 days trying
[22:50] to get people to come.
[22:51] >> I thought it was Saturday to Saturday.
[22:53] >> It was normally is but
[22:56] >> we're trying to lure people to come to
[22:58] stay till Friday.
[23:00] >> There's hundreds of vacancies. Well, I
[23:03] just hope that powers be realize that,
[23:07] you know, it's wonderful for us to do
[23:10] things for the off season, but you got
[23:12] to remember that rates are between 30%
[23:16] 40% or 50% less for that time period.
[23:20] And that means that the tax dollars that
[23:23] are collected are 30, 40, and 50% less.
[23:28] >> It's still money, right? Well, the big
[23:31] picture in the long run is let's fill
[23:32] them all up.
[23:33] >> I mean, because we have worked very hard
[23:37] to not lay folks off because you have to
[23:40] have them
[23:41] >> in the in the summer season. It it's
[23:44] hard to ask somebody to work for four or
[23:46] five months and then say bye and you're
[23:49] on. So, we don't but with we work our
[23:54] butts off trying to find ways to put
[23:58] them to work.
[24:00] So, I would absolutely love to have this big event that
[24:07] uses all of us needs everybody's space,
[24:11] both hotels and and the air the uh
[24:14] rentals.
[24:15] >> Yeah. I don't think it's a either or
[24:17] proposition. I think we can have it all.
[24:19] >> You know, we but but
[24:21] >> but you know, it's and when I was saying
[24:23] that I can't do it, it's not that I
[24:25] don't have time or something. I don't
[24:26] have the knowhow to put a event like
[24:28] that together and I'm on a committee
[24:31] that provides money for that for those
[24:33] events. I can't do it. You know, I mean,
[24:35] you know, it's one of those things I
[24:36] totally understand that. Um
[24:41] >> I don't want to be crucified on
[24:42] Facebook. Let's put it that way. You
[24:44] know, the the Surfside Facebook police
[24:46] would get me and I don't want that. So,
[24:48] um so um I've got too thin skin for
[24:51] that.
[24:51] >> You can take the pressure off of me and
[24:53] do that. [laughter]
[24:56] I know y'all all get crucified on a
[24:57] daily basis and I'm the one who likes
[24:59] y'all like me where the looks so I can
[25:02] make sure I don't get shown up on
[25:04] [laughter]
[25:04] >> but but what I'm just saying is I don't
[25:07] think it's I don't think we have to
[25:09] choose whether we have them in the
[25:11] summer or we have them in the offseason.
[25:13] I think we can have it all. I think
[25:14] we've got to start thinking outside the
[25:16] box and having um and and not just just
[25:20] focus on summer, which I know that's our
[25:21] bread and butter, but if we they still
[25:25] pay money in the offse and and same
[25:28] thing with um with you know I I grew up
[25:31] in South Carolina and um and then lived
[25:35] in North Carolina for 25 years and
[25:39] people from those states come to come
[25:42] here they can drive in and the I'm sorry
[25:45] but the um
[25:47] powers that be have focused on Michigan
[25:51] and Ohio and everything people that
[25:54] would come through the airport for years
[25:58] and I think they're forgetting about
[26:00] people who can drive in and we have had
[26:03] thousands and thousands and thousands of
[26:05] families, tens of thousands, maybe even
[26:07] hundreds of thousands move to South
[26:09] Carolina and North Carolina in the past
[26:11] five years and they may not know about
[26:14] Surfside Beach. And so that that was a
[26:17] question that I always have when they
[26:18] come in and they speak to us about what
[26:20] they're doing um as far as pushing
[26:23] tourism, but they're forgetting that
[26:24] people can drive in too. And they spend
[26:26] their their money spins just the same as
[26:29] somebody from Michigan. Our drive-in
[26:32] market for the hotel is 400 miles. I
[26:35] send out 36,000
[26:37] emails
[26:39] once a month.
[26:41] Well, actually I send out 67,000 but
[26:44] 37,000 of it is within 400 miles.
[26:48] >> Yeah.
[26:49] >> And so
[26:51] they come that there are people coming.
[26:54] But how much are we missing because
[26:57] that's just one hotel.
[26:58] >> Well, and I think that's where this
[27:00] committee can kind of dwell into and
[27:02] look at the money being spent. But that
[27:04] the amount of of Tabitha's I'll call it
[27:07] Tabitha's budget because it falls in her
[27:09] department. Uh, I think she does very
[27:12] well with the money she's got. I think
[27:13] there should be more.
[27:15] >> Absolutely.
[27:15] >> And and I think we all see that. That's what we lobby for. It didn't
[27:19] happen. But I don't think we give up. I
[27:22] think we dwell into it more and see if
[27:23] we can't do more to promote not only
[27:26] offseason, but promote the summer, too,
[27:28] because it's getting more competitive.
[27:30] >> Yeah. And I'm sorry to interrupt, but I
[27:32] wasn't referring to to Tabitha or the town. I'm referring to the um
[27:37] >> we did
[27:39] >> chamber of commerce. Thank you.
[27:40] >> I knew you.
[27:41] >> Yeah, that that's what I was making
[27:42] reference to. And that's what I've
[27:44] argued for the last several years when I
[27:46] was on business committee, too. When
[27:48] they make presentations, I'll be like,
[27:49] "Wait, what about the local, you know,
[27:51] or the the state people that drive in?"
[27:53] >> Yeah. Okay. Great comments. I'll get
[27:55] that. Uh I really appreciate everybody's
[27:58] input. Uh, I I [clears throat] hate I
[28:00] had to campaign for this position
[28:02] chairman again, but [laughter]
[28:05] >> expect your check in the mail.
[28:07] >> I didn't see your sign in the mail.
[28:09] It'll it'll be in by 2030. I'm sure you
[28:11] receive. [laughter]
[28:13] >> Okay. If there are no other comments, I
[28:15] do appreciate it. We will we we'll work
[28:17] on those two meetings at least and we'll
[28:19] see about getting a gentleman from the
[28:22] uh
[28:23] association where
[28:26] come and speak to us again and I'll see
[28:28] if I can get that stuff from Tyler from
[28:31] the uh county. Any other comments?
[28:33] Anything for anybody? Motion to motion
[28:37] to second.
[28:38] >> Second it.
[28:39] >> Second. All in favor.
[28:41] >> Thanks for coming. I really appreciate
[28:42] it. I started with saying Nate could be
[28:45] chairman since he wasn't here.
[28:46] [laughter]
[28:47] He might quit on me and not show up from
[28:49] the restaurant.