Accommodations Tax Committee - Regular Meeting

This conference will now be recorded. Let me say that I really encourage that we turn this chair over. So I am open the floor for nominations and I will gladly step aside. So with the floor open for nominations, the chair will accept.

Chairman, I'd like to nominate Mr. EJ servant as chair for the coming year. Uh, additional nominations. Is that you? Yes, ma'am. Okay. You're EJ. I am. Okay. I didn't know that. I I second that motion even if he doesn't want it. Uh, additional nominations. I move nominations. I have a second. I second it. All in favor say I. I Okay, nominations are closed. All in favor uh the election of myself say I opposed.

Okay, the eyes have it. So, vice chairman, I'll open the floor for nominations. Who is the vice chairman? I don't know. Uh Mr. Bass. Oh, okay. And you know I serve at the uh I serve at your all's beh okay. Okay. Um I nominate Mr. Basser as a vice chairman. Do I have a second? Second. Have a second. Additional nominations. Motion to close nominations.

I motion to Second. Second. Second. All in favor of the nomination of Mr. Basser for vice chairman say I. I. Opposed. Okay, the eyes have it. Congratulations, Mr. Basser. That was quick. I'll move to the minutes. Have you had a chance to review the March 5th minutes of the 2026 meeting? Well, we were all here, but um yes. Okay, I approve of the minutes. We have a motion to approve. Do I have a second? Second. Second. All in favor signify by saying I. I.

Opposed. All right. The eyes have it. Minutes are approved. Uh public comments. We have no general public comments here. Congressman, you have anything to say? Oh, I appreciate you all serving. Thank you. Thank you so much. We appreciate that. Okay. Communications oath of office. So Nate Anderson has agreed to come on to serve. Are you many familiar with Nate? Yeah. Yeah. So Nate is the uh he is the general manager of the three restaurants. Oh, okay.

Yeah. He's he's the owner of Dining by Design. Uh and uh he was also originally involved with uh the uh other restaurants down there. He actually came up with the design for Nacho Hippo, also the the hamburger place that's on the ocean front. He did the original design for that menus and so on. And anyway, he has agreed to serve, but he's out of town, was not able to come today. What is his name? Nate Anderson. Sure. So, he will take the oath of office at some point in time. I would assume at our next meeting, which will probably be next year,

you decide to have one sooner. Well, we were talking about it. Um, we just don't like to have it's like one meeting here it is and like we don't even get to discuss it between ourselves, you know, like even if we could just have one meeting before the meeting. Um, we were thinking that was a good idea, even maybe a sixmonth meeting, but then that might be well, as long as it's not like in the middle of summer. But what y'all's thoughts?

I think we need to have that. And I also think we all need to review what the state guidelines are for where we reissue the money because what I read and maybe I was reading it wrong, but from what I read, some things we approved may not fall follow fall under the categories or under may not be allowed, you know, and that's and I read these um I think this is my third year on um I read them the first year and I reread them last year before for the meeting and there were a couple things I was like, I don't know if we're allowed to do that.

If you have spec uh specific concerns on particular items, go get those to me. I'll be glad to take a look at them. Okay. Also, the the items are typically reviewed by Turk and yeah, our our finance director Melanie, she she reviews those with Charlie Baron who's with Municipal Association. So, we we double check to make sure that they but what I was reading I was like, you know, that's that's questionable. you know, there's a very thin line on some of the things that we approved last time. Very thin line. Yes, I'm a very flexible. Um some that we might could,

you know, think about this is monies that are for travel and tourism and marketing and things like that. And so I just I think personally that a quarterly meeting would not be out of hand to see where we are each and and see what's going on with the funds and making sure that that because who's going to be held accountable? The city will, but we will because we voted on it. So I want us to make sure that it's we all feel comfortable with what's going on. I I um keep in mind we're advisory only. So we can't be held responsible for anything. Who responsible be all we can do is make an an advisory

submission to town council. So really town council is the ones responsible. It's the first time I've ever have taken oath of office. Yeah. Was for this. Well, so that that means that it's more than just

Yes. And so I disagree with you on that, but I mean literally I've been I've done a lot of committee meetings, been part of a lot of committees for for government, but in North Carolina. So we have different rules, but um I would like for us to take the time to to really make sure that our eyes are dotted and our tees are crossed and we are feeling confident with the decisions that we make. Um and I have not thoroughly looked at them and I will, but I just think once a year and we just basically voted yes on everything without any question and we did not have time to really think about where that money was going and was it the best place to spend marketing dollars and tourism dollars and that's what this money this tax is. So, um I might be putting a monkey wrench in it. I'm sorry if I am, but I also feel like um I know where that money is coming from and it's coming from uh hotels and restaurants and things that are expecting that money back in some, you know, in a certain way,

you know, right?

So, just that's all I'm not making not trying to make a big deal out of it. I just want us to make sure we're educated. Well, let me say personally, I hear you loud and clear and uh I I actually have echoed the things previously that you're saying right now. So, I agree with a lot of what you're saying. Let me say that u just to go back to my advisory comment, that's actually in the law. So, whether you took an oath of office or not, it's in the law. We are purely advisor. We have no we have no authority whatsoever other than to make a list of things and a recommendation to council. They have full autonomy over what how that money spent.

We make no determination other than making it's not like that in the other state. So that's good in this. So well we'll be I'll be So let me go back to what you were saying. Mr. Servant, I may interrupt for a minute. Sure. To when you get to the business section, which is where we are, you need to do a motion to bring the subject matter to discussion. We're already discussing, so we kind of missed the part here. So, you just I guess I assume everybody got their packets with the information that's going to be changed. Well, we we haven't gotten to the we we we where it was just inside. We were talking about Nate Anderson. We didn't get to change.

I think we got off track. So, I think when it gets to committee comments, you can make those comments. And I will say this that we have talked about you guys having two meetings. Yeah. Now that we're not going to have it in January because we don't really get our true numbers till March. Maybe January would be a good time for you guys to get together, discuss the things that you want to. We can have some proposals in draft form, but the real numbers don't come till about March. And let me say this, we did have two meetings last year. So, we had the mayor was nice enough to say, "Let's have a first meeting to kind of go over to get a feel for that." That's what he proposed. I didn't attend that. Yeah. I wasn't aware of that other meeting. He he wanted he wanted to have another meeting

because I I wanted to be there. Yeah. But as far as I know, we didn't have another meeting. Yeah. He wants to have two meetings. So, I want to have the first meeting. It's like a workshop, right? Get a feel for what's going on. And in the second meeting, we'll actually go through and and listen to proposals and and make decisions as far recommendations. So I think we'll do that again next year. Okay.

Uh as far as a quarterly meetings concerned, I think that would be um we can do that and certainly we can consider that and I would suggest you send your recommendations in by email sharing. We can we can consider that. I don't know if we just have enough on the agenda to do that. recommendations been made. Staff won't even be close to making any additional recommendations uh until we get really until January of next year. But I do think we we need two meetings because it is too much to assimilate. Then you end up rubber stamping stuff and u and we don't want to do that. So like a private meeting without public and then I don't think we can do that.

If you have a quorum, it's a public meeting. Okay. So the first meeting is when we discuss it'll be anformational meeting, right? Get the packets, go through the information, take it home with you and digest it. Okay, that sounds good. Okay. All right, that sounds fair. Am I in discussion? Are we okay in discussion at this point? We need to move on. Okay, let's move on. We missed that. Yeah, we'll come back to this in committee comments in a minute. Let's let's go to uh the change in the bylaws. for passionate Anderson and got a change in the bylaws and the meeting schedule. Uh Sherry, you want to bring us up to date on that on what the recommendation is of staff

of staff? Yeah, I think this is staff generated. Well, just like Jerry just said, because we don't get the um true numbers until March, and even that's questionable as to if it's in the beginning or the end, that the language would change to say as necessary. That way, it would leave it up to to you to say when and and where where you'd have all the information. And I think it'll continue to be in March because the numbers just don't come in in January and February. So now the language is is marked in red. It says that you used to say on the 3rd Wednesday of January now to as necessary. So that's what you're voting on. So we're going to change it to as necessary. As necessary. Yes, sir. Meetings as necessary.

Meetings as necessary. Meetings as necess.

Well, it it's good for two meetings. So it said the committee shall meet as necessary. Okay. Okay. Perfect. Yeah. Do I hear a motion? I'll make a motion. A second. Second. Yeah. Have a motion, a second. Further discussion. All in favor say I. Opposed? You guys have it. Very good. Okay. Public comments. I do got one this time. Yes, sir.

Um, kind of along the same lines of what y'all were talking about, just from this is my first year through this process, through the whole budget process. And I think the thing that I would like to see, you know, I haven't had a chance to talk to Jerry yet, but um uh the entire how we elevate issues or consideration by the a tax committee and thank you. Sorry. And and and how they're vetted. Um, I want to there, if you recall at our ATAX meeting, one of uh we had a someone for the public that actually recommended some branding things along Highway 17. Well, they couldn't be included because they

they missed the deadline.

They missed the deadline. So I just want to make sure that we are within the administration and whatever involvement you all have with it to ensure that there is a a broader call potentially for for items for consideration because it's almost like administration came what I saw was administration came in and said hey we got this this this and this we have this much money um what do you guys think and it just kind of got approved. Um, so I would like there to I'd like to see if we can there may be some other things that we're not considering currently that that should be considered under this and and even those items if there if if if there's more that's asked for than what is funding is available. I think you all should get all of that and be able to make some decisions. You know, um, like I said, it just almost seemed like to me the administration said here, here you go. What do you guys think? So anyway, that's just my thought. I think the first Okay. Uh on the committee comments

already said mine. I'm finished. I'm done. Follow up on a few things you said. We did have the gentleman from the municipal association came and spoke to us and gave us an opportunity to ask questions about laws and things that pertain to uh the a tax committee and it's possible we could have him back again. Okay. Maybe ourformational meeting to start with. That would be nice. No, that would be good for those I mean I I've been on it I guess my third year now but there's still things that I I'm not really sure about, you know. So, I would like to hear that. I would like to be able to hear that and ask questions and things.

And I'll see if I can't also, just for our own edification, I'll see if I can get with Tyler and have him get me the list of items that were approved by the county. Now, it won't be apples to apples as far as all the stuff we do. and we don't have the millions of dollars they get, but you can get a feel for what they approve and how their monies were spent and kind of compare what what we do on a much smaller scale, but money is money, right? And so if I can get that, I'll give it to you, Sherry, and you can get that out to everyone. Sure.

Okay. I would also like, you know, as Rick was saying, I would love for some of these monies to be spent, and I know somebody has to bring it to the committee or bring it to the town, but I would love for there to be something like an arts festival or a or a um or you know, how like in um Edisto, they have the big turtles that artists paint and they had them stationed around town or if you're in Hendersonville, they had it bears. Um, something like that would be fantastic and that would be a great thing. People love to go take pictures of those and it's a photo op. There's so many ideas I have, but being on the committee, I can't do it, you know. But

right but there are so many ideas that I have where we could bring it would bring tourism in in a non-traditional way and it would put people in the hotels would keep put people in the um you know in the rentals of things.

Um so I wish that there would be more thinking outside the box. You know, also like home I'm a former art teacher, so there's homeschool events where they they um they'll have like spelling bees or or things like that. You could bring the whole homeschool association would come and bring their kids, you know, and stuff and they would stay in hotels and they could come in the off season which would help the hotels and everything because their kids are not in traditional schools with traditional school schedule. So they can go anytime. So there's so many things that can be that can happen to bring people in in offseason and nobody's looking at that and I I know that's not what we can do but I'm just trying to put this out there. Maybe somebody can you know maybe it can start somebody thinking who knows somebody who knows somebody and think start the ball rolling on things like that because it has to start somewhere. Those are great really are great ideas. And as we were talking about the kite festival um this weekend, the second annual kite festival which was a tremendous success. I had people from our corporate offices who were staying came to the hotel for different reasons and they were like wow we're coming back next year

to the kite fest. It'll keep getting bigger and bigger and that that will do that and and I think that it will put heads on beds and and and excuse me butts and seats and restaurants as well uh going forward. Um there are not always a lot of those things that do that. you know, they a lot of what we see happen, which I think is great for the town of Surfside Beach and for the people who live here, but a lot of things become local events, you know, they and they're great, don't get me wrong. Again, it it brings in a little bit for us, but if you want to take a local event and make it regional, then that's where you've got to have somebody just just like the the surf contest, it becomes a full-time job for somebody to put that together, market it, and and then produce the event. Not only just market it, but then make it a success after you market it. And um the the I know it wasn't that simple, but the kite festival it was I think the beauty of it is that it doesn't from my perspective I didn't see it having to be a huge amount of burden on on the town. uh and we were able to get the vendors in where they were and the additional uh PlayStations and and the phone deal and all those things which are just I mean great you know and uh you know I just think that there are those other opportunities but when you start talking about like you say you don't have the time to do it well guess why because it's a full-time job to put on that and ask our friend with the with the surfing contests. I mean, that's all he does. You know, he's in Virginia Beach right now. He's going to be, you know, in Florida and then he's going to be here for for his event and and that's a that's a huge on take down. Of course,

it's also great occupation for him and he gets he gets to make a living doing what he loves to do and be around kids he loves to be around. that's in itself much worth not necessarily being as much work but that that's one of the things we need you know and uh I I think I think I think the town has done a good job of taking with what they have the family festivals we have the family festival the barbecue festival along with those things I mean I just think you know that that do well you know

I'm gonna go back again to what you said though I do agree with you that that some things may be marginal But marginal or not, we are spending competations accommodations tax dollars in places where they probably should be going to generate more tourism. And we sat up here in February or March and discussed over and over again about the Fourth of July week and it fell on deaf ears. Yeah. Yeah. And now we've got worst Fourth of July week coming up in occupancy we've had. I agree. In forever.

And it's the 250 a year. We could have really done something extraordinary. And it's really worked against us because it's on a Saturday. Yeah. And people aren't coming. They're getting and there's no reason for them to stay because like Surfside that well Surfside didn't do anything to even try and make them stay even to come to start with. You could have something on Friday to give him a reason to stay. We didn't used to have to necessarily promote the Fourth of July and the summer season, but it's a different There's a lot more competition out there now. The thought in town hall from what I've been told is you don't need any help this summer. Yeah.

Your book. And right now every rental company that I know of is running a six day week for the 4th of July. Well, when when we consider that that it's the time that the taxes on it are rent Saturday to Friday. That's where we are. That's I know that's where Dunes is. I know that's where Garden City is. We've been that way for 45 days trying to get people to come. I thought it was Saturday to Saturday. It was normally is but we're trying to lure people to come to stay till Friday.

There's hundreds of vacancies. Well, I just hope that powers be realize that, you know, it's wonderful for us to do things for the off season, but you got to remember that rates are between 30% 40% or 50% less for that time period. And that means that the tax dollars that are collected are 30, 40, and 50% less. It's still money, right? Well, the big picture in the long run is let's fill them all up. I mean, because we have worked very hard to not lay folks off because you have to have them

in the in the summer season. It it's hard to ask somebody to work for four or five months and then say bye and you're on. So, we don't but with we work our butts off trying to find ways to put them to work. So, I would absolutely love to have this this big event that uses all of us needs everybody's space, both hotels and and the air the uh rentals. Yeah. I don't think it's a either or proposition. I think we can have it all. You know, we but but

but you know, it's and when I was saying that I can't do it, it's not that I don't have time or something. I don't have the knowhow to put a event like that together and I'm on a committee that provides money for that for those events. I can't do it. You know, I mean, you know, it's one of those things I totally understand that. Um I don't want to be crucified on Facebook. Let's put it that way. You know, the the Surfside Facebook police would get me and I don't want that. So, um so um I've got too thin skin for that.

You can take the pressure off of me and do that. I know y'all all get crucified on a daily basis and I'm the one who likes y'all like me where the looks so I can make sure I don't get shown up on

but but what I'm just saying is I don't think it's I don't think we have to choose whether we have them in the summer or we have them in the offseason. I think we can have it all. I think we've got to start thinking outside the box and having um and and not just just focus on summer, which I know that's our bread and butter, but if we they still pay money in the offse and and same thing with um with you know I I grew up in South Carolina and um and then lived in North Carolina for 25 years and people from those states come to come here they can drive in and the I'm sorry but the um powers that be have focused on Michigan and Ohio and everything people that would come through the airport for years and I think they're forgetting about people who can drive in and we have had thousands and thousands and thousands of families, tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands move to South Carolina and North Carolina in the past five years and they may not know about Surfside Beach. And so that that was a question that I always have when they come in and they speak to us about what they're doing um as far as pushing tourism, but they're forgetting that people can drive in too. And they spend their their money spins just the same as somebody from Michigan. Our drive-in market for the hotel is 400 miles. I send out 36,000 emails once a month. Well, actually I send out 67,000 but 37,000 of it is within 400 miles.

Yeah. And so they come that there are people coming. But how much are we missing because that's just one hotel. Well, and I think that's where this committee can kind of dwell into and look at the money being spent. But that the amount of of Tabitha's I'll call it Tabitha's budget because it falls in her department. Uh, I think she does very well with the money she's got. I think there should be more. Absolutely. And and I think we all see that. That's that's what we lobby for. It didn't happen. But I don't think we give up. I think we dwell into it more and see if we can't do more to promote not only offseason, but promote the summer, too, because it's getting more competitive.

Yeah. And I'm sorry to interrupt, but I wasn't referring to to Tabitha or the the town. I'm referring to the um we did chamber of commerce. Thank you. I knew you. Yeah, that that's what I was making reference to. And that's what I've argued for the last several years when I was on business committee, too. When they make presentations, I'll be like, "Wait, what about the local, you know, or the the state people that drive in?" Yeah. Okay. Great comments. I'll get that. Uh I really appreciate everybody's input. Uh, I I hate I had to campaign for this position chairman again, but expect your check in the mail. I didn't see your sign in the mail. It'll it'll be in by 2030. I'm sure you receive.

Okay. If there are no other comments, I do appreciate it. We will we we'll work on those two meetings at least and we'll see about getting a gentleman from the uh association where come and speak to us again and I'll see if I can get that stuff from Tyler from the uh county. Any other comments? Anything for anybody? Motion to motion to second. Second it. Second. All in favor. Thanks for coming. I really appreciate it. I started with saying Nate could be chairman since he wasn't here. He might quit on me and not show up from the restaurant.