Economic Development Committee

TOWN OF MOUNT PLEASANT, SOUTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Monday, October 2, 2017 Municipal Complex, Committee Meeting Room, 3rd Floor 100 Ann Edwards Lane Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 MINUTES Members Present: Mark Smith, Chairman and Will Haynie Excused Absence: John Burn Staff Present: Eric DeMoura, Town Administrator; Amy Livingston, Business and Tourism Manager; Brad Morrison, Transportation Director Others Present: Stuart Whiteside, Seamon & Whiteside; John Reed, CEO Tri-County Cradle to Career Workforce Mr. Smith called the meeting to order at 10:30 a.m. 1. Approval of Minutes from the September 5, 2017 meeting Mr. Haynie moved for approval; seconded by Mr. Smith. All present voted in favor. 2. Public Comments [None] 3. Presentation and discussion of Wando Park and Port Area Study final report Ms. Livingston stated that when Council heard that the State Ports Authority headquarters would be relocating to Mount Pleasant, they recognized a unique economic opportunity for the Town and directed staff to conduct a report of that area to look at infrastructure and any  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 2 of 26 other incentives needed to take advantage of this unique opportunity. She stated that Stuart Whiteside and Bill Eubanks from Seamon Whiteside are present and Mr. Whiteside will present the report. Mr. Whiteside stated that this is a great opportunity. He stated that the State Ports Authority (SPA) will be moving their offices to Mount Pleasant, and there are many businesses near their current offices downtown Charleston that prefer to be close to the SPA. He said that this is a big opportunity that needs to be approached in a thoughtful way and with the correct process. He said they looked at several aspects of this area and need to approach this as, “how do you guide development and redevelopment,” especially in this area. He said that there are a wide variety of uses in this area from single-family homes to light industrial to restaurants, and the area needs to be looked at as a whole. He said when they went through the process, they were provided input from the Economic Development Committee, the SPA, as well as the neighborhoods in the area. He stated that the study area itself is a fairly large area with the largest portion of the area being the Port, as shown on the left hand side of the next illustration. He stated that the study area includes Wando Park  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 3 of 26 Boulevard, the whole development along there, and the pieces along Long Point Road outside of Wando Park Blvd. He said there are also parcels that are not in the Town, but in the County. Mr. Whiteside stated that the next illustration indicates the current zoning in the area. He said the pink is the SPA, the green represents all the single-family neighborhoods and the blue is property in Charleston County, which has an overlay, but it is not fully development.  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 4 of 26 He added that the parcels in the blue area definitely have room for additional development as they are redeveloped. He stated the white area is the Belle Hall Planned Development, which has been there for quite some time. He stated that this Planned Development (PD) has been amended more than any other PD in the Town over the years. He said with all the different uses, this area lacks a sense of place when you get past I-526 on Long Point Road headed to the SPA. He stated that he is fortunate to have an office in Wando Park, and he lives in Hobcaw Creek Plantation; therefore, he understands very well the dynamics of the area and has seen many changes of the years. He stated that the results of their initial study is to come up with an Economic Development Port District (EDP), which would look at this whole area and address land uses, building heights, density, setbacks and other types of regulations that could help guide development in this area. Mr. Whiteside stated that one of the first things to consider is land use. He stated that this could have a variety of land uses that could support the SPA as well as their headquarters, such as additional office buildings, other port-related businesses, restaurants, etc. He said that there are  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 5 of 26 three or four local breweries in that area that are very successful and somewhat of a niche area for this, which could continue to grow. He stated that the Town must be careful on how the area is promoted so you do not hurt one aspect of the population while helping others. He said that the first item discussed was the annexation of parcels.  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 6 of 26 He reiterated that the SPA is one of the biggest pieces, but there are several pieces of land that are in Charleston County and ripe for redevelopment. He stated that this is one item they would recommend to the Town to continue to encourage annexation of those parcels. He said that if they do not get annexed, he suggests the Town work with the County to ensure controls are put in to ensure that it would be a seamless mix between the County and Town parcels, and one way to help control this is by the sewer infrastructure. He stated that there is a fair amount of sewer in this vicinity, but there are still a number of areas that are unserved by sewer. He stated that if the Town is able to continue the practice of requiring annexation for sewer service, this could help promote redevelopment of these parcels, as many of them are very under-utilized, as far as the property being this close to the port and SPA headquarters. He stated that these are really ripe for redevelopment. He stated that he has had some discussion with Mount Pleasant Waterworks (MPW) to consider putting sewer in some of these areas. He said that if this is accomplished, it will encourage redevelopment and annexation of those parcels. He stated that this is especially true for the parcels that are closest to the port itself. He said this would be a good opportunity to allow some of the warehouse  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 7 of 26 structures and light industrial structures to be redeveloped and be more in keeping with the SPA headquarters building. He said other items to consider in addition to land uses are design guidelines. He mentioned that this area has not been developed very much in the Town, so there are a number of properties built in the County and annexed afterwards. He stated that the architecture and aesthetics are not what the Town would want to see in this type of overlay district. He stated that the Design Review Board (DRB) would continue to be the element that would review these areas. He said that one potential incentive would be to allow this create an advanced timeline through the DRB for economic development targets. He said this could be extremely important as some of these projects would likely be under short timeframes to make decisions, and if they are provided with a clear path going through the process, it may help them make their decisions quicker. He stated that the building heights in this area could be set to promote some redevelopment. He stated that the SPA headquarters office itself is 65 feet. He said there have been several other rezonings in the Long Point corridor that have already gone to 60 or 65 feet, so he feels this would be an appropriate height, but limited to four stories, which is what  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 8 of 26 the SPA building is. There would also be limitations of heights when properties abut residential uses. He added that the Town should continue its practice of having buildings address the streets, bringing them up to the build-to lines to improve the aesthetics of Long Point Road with parking and large buildings set well off the roads. He said that in reference to parking, they expect there to be opportunities for shared parking between different uses and this would  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 9 of 26 be an excellent way to get better utilization of these properties. He said that at some point in time, there may be structured parking going forward, because in the County areas, the properties are not large. He said in order to get more intense use on those properties, then there may need to look at structured parking. Mr. Whiteside stated that Long Point Road has always been protected with buffers on the properties that are within the Town and would anticipate that to continue from I-526 to the Port to have a nice inviting access to the Port as well as the other areas in that vicinity. Mr. Whiteside said that there are several things that can be done to assist with the traffic and transportation in the study area. He added that the first is the intersection of Wando Park Boulevard and Hobcaw Creek Plantation. He mentioned that he drives through that intersection three to four times a day, and unfortunately, they do not line up correctly, so there is split phasing on the traffic signal. If you attempt to leave Wando Park at 5 pm, you will need to go through three or four signals just to get through.  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 10 of 26 He stated that there will need to be modifications that will unfortunately take some right-of-way (ROW) to accomplish this in order for the traffic signal to function properly. He said another thing would be to explore the feasibility of putting a roundabout at Shipping Lane where it ties into Long Point Road. He said that Shipping Lane could provide another access as you get back to the Ports building, but it will also be difficult to signalize, because if  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 11 of 26 you have a lot of traffic coming out taking a left, trucks will begin backing up into the Port terminal. He stated that a roundabout would bring people out that would not have to stop, but they would have to begin slowing down. He said currently, they run the red light speeding to get out of the Port. He said that in addition, beautification to Long Point will enhance the corridor as everything is redeveloped. He stated that additional sidewalks, lighting and landscaping will enhance the appearance coming from I-526 to the Port making this one cohesive district, incorporating wayfinding so it feels like one district going forward. He stated that another aspect that should be explored is a connection from Shipping Lane into Wando Park. He stated that Wando Park has only one access. He stated that below are some options that will take some right of way, but should be considered. He stated that if the Town is able to accomplish this, in conjunction with the Shipping Lane roundabout, then not as much work will have to be accomplished at the Wando Park intersection, because there will now be two ways to get out of Wando Park. He said that both strategies need to be examined. He said that Shipping Lane is not an attractive road and could be enhanced to have a more beautiful access into Wando Park and the Port, to just have one district that has an identity to itself.  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 12 of 26 Mr. Whiteside stated that the final illustration summarizes the key points: Mr. Smith stated that the timing for this with the Comprehensive Plan could not be better. He stated that those people living and working on Wando Park Boulevard and Hidden Cove live this every day. He stated that any measure the Town is able to take to increase the quality of life, as well as opportunity and place, benefits all. He stated that there are so many components that are incorporated in this report and stated that this is a tremendous starting point. He stated that combined with collaborative efforts with the Town and the Planning Department, along with the Port, taking 25% of the trucks off of 526 by assisting them with the containers crossing over to the improvements being done at the Hugh Leatherman terminal. He said this is a significant reduction and improves quality of life. He said the challenge is finding the best possible way to intersect pedestrians, cyclists, cars and container trucks that must get in and out of the Port, how can we all work together to ensure the end result is the best possible. He stated this is to improve the quality of life in that area and have it be the international gateway that it will become once the Port headquarters are relocated. He added that  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 13 of 26 international leaders will be coming in and out of that building on a regular basis. He stated that the entire gateway must be transformed. He stated he hopes that the elected body will prioritize and work with the Town staff to ensure that this area, as well as all areas of the Town, continue to move forward. He stated that the request from the Economic Development Committee is for Council to consider moving forward. He asked Mr. DeMoura what the next step will be. Mr. DeMoura stated that there are two components. He said that there is tangible construction components and zoning components. He said that there are zoning recommendations in the report which was produced with the collaboration of the Town’s Planning Department and will be considered as a part of the Comprehensive Planning process for Council’s consideration. He said on the construction side (streetscape, potential roundabouts or intersection improvements), the Town has funding for. He stated that Town Council set aside funding, which was originally $2 million, but dropped it back to $1.5 million; however there is funding in place to do a considerable amount of what is reflected in the report. Mr. Smith stated that this will not be accomplished all at once, but the Town will be able to accomplish some items, based on Council’s action and planning up to this point. Mr. DeMoura stated that if this Committee and ultimately Council is comfortable with the report and since there is funding available for a larger project, staff can be directed, after Council weighs in, to move forward with the design for improvements. He stated that the Town can move forward with the construction elements; however, this required collaboration from Mount Pleasant Waterworks. Mr. Haynie asked if trucks carrying containers will be able to negotiate the roundabout. Mr. Whiteside stated that within the terminal itself, they are already incorporating roundabouts because they realize that it is a safer way to turn without having to take a left turn at the intersection.  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 14 of 26 Mr. Haynie stated that once the port is deepened and the larger ships come in, has the SPA released a number of what the increase at the terminal will be. Mr. Whiteside stated that the SPA is pursuing the possibilities of barge traffic for containers, and if this happens, it will be a real benefit for this area. Mr. Smith mentioned that at the State of the Port address, the past two years the Port has seen a 10% growth, and they are projecting it to be at 5% over the next few years for TEU’s. Mr. Haynie stated that the biggest drawback is that the Town does not have any railroads. He stated that he would like to refer back to his meeting with Ms. Livingston several months ago, to try and brand this area the “beers and gears” district. He said that every town has their motor mile or Town Centre, but not every town has a port. He said that this is a great opportunity for the Town. He said that Mr. Smith returned from San Diego with all the information about the Blue Economy and added that his son is a professional Captain working in the Blue Economy, and said that this could be a great opportunity to get young people in an area that specializes in this. He said all types of businesses will come to the area and will all be related to the Port. He stated that this is fantastic. He stated that when the Town received the regional economic report about the high impact sectors, one of those five were specialty logistics and said he can see this coming here as well. Mr. Smith asked who the stakeholders were. Mr. Eubanks stated that they met with all the neighborhoods, meetings with the Port, the Town’s Planning staff, MPW. Mr. Whiteside stated that there are very active Homeowners Associations from a residential standpoint and does not believe Wando Park has a big organization that controls all the different elements in there, as there is a wide range of uses in Wando Park. He said that if they would get some representation, it would be advantageous. He said going  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 15 of 26 forward, the Port will help direct what industries will follow them out to Long Point, and actively recruit them. Mr. Smith stated that Hidden Cove and Hobcaw have been communicating with Mayor Page regarding sound concerns. Mayor Page stated that she has been involved in the meetings, and they are requesting sound walls and have been for some time now. She stated that she has great relationships with the legislative body in Columbia and Washington as well. She stated that there are many infrastructure needs currently, but it needs to be considered going forward. She stated that the noise issue is not traffic related, but has to do with the activities at the Port. She stated that she will continue to stay involved. Mr. Smith asked Mr. DeMoura about the interconnectivity who the owner of Shipping Lane is and if those improvements could be made with the roundabout, and land acquisitions, to create that interconnectivity. He asked if this furthers the Town’s transportation long-term plans. Mr. DeMoura stated that a connection would serve the Town well. He stated that this was discussed and the road belongs to SCDOT (South Carolina Department of Transportation); however, believes they will sign off on any improvements that Town Council deemed appropriate. He stated that the connection is important. Mr. Haynie stated that with what is transpiring on Coleman Boulevard at this time, the Town would have to work with the SPA to get something accomplished. He said that he does not know how many trucks drive down that road. He said that the timing needs to be right. Mr. Morrison stated that there is a lot of discussion and positive points being made regarding coordination with the SPA, which would need to continue. He said that his last count was 30% truck traffic on this section of Long Point Road, so it is tremendous, and will need to be considered. He said that the roundabout design is already being discussed within the SPA’s internal circulation and they have an RFP out for this. He said that this is a possibility which would have to be a dual lane and accommodating of two trucks going through it. He said that there is a  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 16 of 26 great deal of design and concepts that will need to be considered, but is a good start. He added that inter connectivity is great and was discussed with the Port’s office complex whether it was a possibility. He stated that they discussed some of the improvements for the Port office and this is certainly possible at Wando Park Boulevard, which is one of the projects that Mr. DeMoura is referencing to take on quickly. Mr. Santos stated that in 1980, there were a number of businesses down around the Ports main office. He said that they were not there because of the Port’s office, but because of the Customs House. He said that during that time, everything was done manually. He said that as technology evolved, everything was done electronically. He said that technology now allows those people who were once close to the Customs House, to work from their home. He said that he does not believe there are going to be many offices moving to Long Point to be near the SPA, because many of the brokers now work electronically. He said that truck traffic is heavy and said that there are 45-foot-long trucks, and he has reservations that trucks are going to be able to maneuver the roundabout. He said that another interchange prior to Long Point Road needs to be developed in order to put these trucks right into the back of the Port. He said that there is already a gate at the back of the Port. He said that he would like to see truck traffic taken off Long Point Road altogether. He said he would like to also comment on barging. He said that this has been discussed for a number of years; however, the expense is too high. He added that if the cost was reasonable, this would have been done years ago. Mr. Haynie asked Mr. Morrison about the possibility of a new interchange off I-526. Mr. Morrison stated that one of the things he failed to mention was the Phase II of 526 widening is now starting. He said that everyone has heard of the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) process and what this entails. He said that he believes they are going to have to look hard at this option as it pertains to the existing interchange. He said that if they are able to address the truck traffic and not have to put a tremendous  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 17 of 26 amount of money into the existing interchange, this is certainly something that could be looked at and should be considered in the study to discuss as it relates to that study that CDM Smith is doing. Ms. Livingston stated that Mayor Page initially suggested that an additional interchange be reviewed. She stated that there were several engineering reasons why this was not feasible. She said that there is a certain height that is required coming over Wando Park Boulevard to enter the Port and because of where the interchange would have to come off of I-526, you cannot get the needed height over Wando Park Boulevard to land into that particular gate. She stated that this was one of the challenges. She stated that they sought an engineer’s expertise and the engineer stated that it was not feasible. She said that this was the initial wish list to get the trucks off Long Point Road. Mr. Haynie asked if the funding that is being spent there now to improve everything is coming out of the bill that passed after the gas tax. Mr. Morrison stated that it certainly advanced the start of the study. Kevin Cunnane, 3032 River Vista Way, stated that the slides look like a nice little city within a town. He said that he looks at the road and the roundabout, stating that it is able to take 18 wheel trucks around it. He said that his concern is getting a firetruck around it. He said the Town does not have a two-piece ladder truck and something that may need to be considered, because of the hazards at the Port. He said additionally, there is a single engine company in the Belle Hall fire station with three firefighters and the national standard is four firefighters and there is only one engine. He said that the Town currently does not have the firefighting capacity to put anything in such an isolated place. He said that it can be done and should be part of the discussion. He suggested a two- piece ladder truck with adequate staffing. He said that the Port may represent the worst case scenario. He stated that there was a terror threat there and listening to the radio traffic, Mount Pleasant was uncovered while this was going on and that this is troubling in a Town of 86,000 residents. He said he realizes there are mutual aid agreements, but we have all seen the roads, and if you are not able to get there in a  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 18 of 26 car, you cannot get there in a firetruck. He said that this is part of the discussion that really needs to happen. Mr. Whiteside stated that the scope of this study they did, to date, was not a design study, but a planning study, so this is an option for further exploration. He said that it is a four-lane roundabout, two lanes each way, and the geometry was borrowed from the Port in California. Mr. Eubanks stated that he did research on US Highways that have fairly high traffic and truck volumes and looked at some of the design criteria that they used and modeled this after that. He said that this is not a design effort, but providing ideas. Mr. Haynie stated that there is a Committee member missing today and there are a lot of dynamics to this and asked how to move forward without committing to spending any additional funding. He asked if this should be received as information, have additional discussions and then discuss funding and funding sources at a later date. Mr. DeMoura stated that this is an option. Mr. Smith stated that if this is only received as information, then it stays with this Committee; however, if it is sent to Council for discussion, it can always be voted up or down and allows Council members to weigh in on the discussion as to possible next steps, if any. He said that he would like to continue moving forward. Mr. Smith made a motion to move this forward to full Council for discussion on possible next steps for Wando Park Port Area study as presented; seconded by Mr. Haynie. All present voted in favor. Mr. Smith asked to have all the information emailed to Council members for review. He asked Mr. Whiteside and Mr. Eubanks if Council members could reach out to them for questions or concerns. Mr. Whiteside and Mr. Eubanks responded in the affirmative.  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 19 of 26 4. Workforce Update from Cradle to Career CEO, John Reed – Mr. Smith stated that we continue to hear repeatedly from the Hospitality Alliance the concern regarding workforce. He stated that this is a regional issue. He added that with this comes workforce readiness and development. He stated that this Committee has extended a hand out to Cradle to Career to provide an overview on the great work they have been doing in terms of advancing the Cradle to Career collaborative initiative, which has been studied for quite some time. He stated that this is for information only for the elected officials and staff to understand what is being done out in the community to address the issue we have here in the Town as it comes to workforce readiness. Ms. Livingston stated that there is absolutely no economic development without workforce development. John Reed, thanked the Town for having him here and stated that he is a Mount Pleasant alumni and lived in the Creekside neighborhood in the 1980’s. He said that he is going to speak about public education in the region and asks the Committee to consider the school and to extend down and into the period of zero to 5 years in a child’s life and up to and through two- and four-year degrees and certificates as infrastructure. He said to further consider the talent supply chain the fuels and funds of economic development. He said that human capital is going to be the driving force in this region for the continuation of this growth or not. He said that he is going to discuss this supply chain from the north and south; from the very popular and highly focused upon relationship between the workplace and high school and college graduates, and then back down and into the remainder of the supply chain. He asked Committee to suspend what they think they know about the education of children from raising their own, because there are aspects of what is happening here that are beyond the experience of many of the people who are also involved in trying to improve it. He stated that if you begin with the workforce, this region, which is the infrastructure, he does not believe the requirements for further growth in Mount Pleasant are going  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 20 of 26 to be fueled by the schools in this region, and he does not believe there is a great deal of difference between what is occurring in the Mount Pleasant schools from what is happening at other schools around the region. He said that Mount Pleasant is more fortunate with a narrow bell curve and the higher end of the CCSD continuum of education attainment. He said that all of the things he is going to address are found in the Mount Pleasant School just as surely as they are in rural Dorchester. He mentioned that approximately 43% of the population here have two- or four-year degrees and the target they have set is to get to 50% and not by importing retirees to Daniel Island between now and 2025. He said the One Region Report has identified those areas where workforce gaps exist and opportunities for our students from our schools to fill them. He said that he has added one, because there is an acute shortage of teachers, particularly math teachers. He said many of the gaps will not be filled if we cannot bring the teaching of math to all the schools in the region. He  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 21 of 26 said at the bottom of the illustration is the opportunity which is substantial at 25,000. He said if you look at the success in post-secondary institutions, we know that of the 100 students who enter the freshmen class of high schools in this region, 24 will graduate on time from a two- or four-year degree or certificate institution anywhere in the country. He said that this is insufficient to support what we know are the certificate and degree requirements of the jobs that are open here. He said that businesses can import talent for a certain period of time before it becomes economically impossible to sustain those rates and will cap their growth and move facilities elsewhere. Mr. Reed added that 35% of graduates do complete their degree or certificate with the difference being the number of those students who drop out during the course of the year. He said that high school graduation rates in this region are relatively high and Mount Pleasant is higher. He said that 84% of the students who enter, graduate from high school on time. He said this does not mean that these students are ready for the world of work or post-secondary education. He stated that fewer  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 22 of 26 than half of them are in fact ready for post-secondary education and 67% are ready to be hired somewhere, but this standard is below what a company such as Boeing would require of their students. He stated that when you begin to use this data for a root cause analysis to understand what this is and where the problems are, of the 5,500 students who graduate from high schools in this region, 1,000 will attend Trident Technical College the following year. He said that of those 1,000 students, 900 of them will be forced to remediate math and a significant number in reading, which means they will spend their Pell Grant funding and borrowed funds to take non-college bearing courses while they remediate. He said that those same students are certain to drop out a year or so later, because of financial reasons. He said that this is where you begin to see weaknesses of the supply chain that we are not preparing students well for the world of work or for post-secondary. He stated that if he were to look at the supply chain from a manufacturing lens and speak about its capability to deliver to the customer, to the world of work or the employers here in the region, or into a place where they are ready to be their best selves, we would discuss the incapability of that system. He said there are four areas which we need to pay attention to.  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 23 of 26 He stated that there is the opportunity gap, which is a polite term of what happens to children who are black or Hispanic in our schools, is visible throughout the supply chain. He stated that if you look across the first bar, you are able to see their success rates from third on up. He said those numbers are higher than the same set of numbers for either African American or Latino children. He said that the white populations does well and those terms are used  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 24 of 26 and described as high income and low income. He said that it is broken out like this because they want to indicate that income and race are important factors in establishing this opportunity gap, but they are separable. He stated that after high school when the transition to work or college is most critical, there is a significant gap. He said that the school principals are held accountable for what happens to that child until they either drop out or graduate. Once they graduate, the college-ready student is on their own to make their way to college to get through the FASFA paperwork and address the issues that prevent them from getting into college level courses or to persist. He said the situation in a high employment economy in which students are struggling in college are able to get a job and make some money as they run out of their college funds is acute and is what causes a lot of students not to be successful. He said that he can assure that this is as true at Wando High School as it is a Burk or Timberland. He stated that finally there are approximately 108,000 adults in this region with some college and no degree, have children and under employed somewhere. He said that this is a great potential opportunity for this region to encourage and support those adults to come back to get their degree. He said that there is nothing in place that  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 25 of 26 addresses this. He said that the comment on the bottom of the previous illustration having to do with closing these occupation gaps, which are the real opportunity for the region, that those efforts are insufficient, is in their judgement, because you can surface skim what it takes to have the right number of engineers coming out of Clemson, USC, the College of Charleston or Trident Technical, available for Boeing, Volvo or Mercedes, by saying that the college provost is saying they are producing engineers. He said that the issues that separate their capacity to produce high school and college students to match what Boeing, Mercedes, Volvo and the rest desire, does not lie at the degree level or the curriculum level, but the syllabus level. He said that the capacity of our higher education institutions to communicate with the employers of this community at that level is lacking. He said that this is further work that must be accomplished. Mr. Smith asked Mr. Reed what the Town can do to move forward on this issue. Mr. Reed stated that he would say that the Town is part of a large school district and enjoys a population with a healthy tax base of wealth. He said that if he were the Mayor, he would not want what Wando High School has to go into the Peninsula or to North Charleston, because we are happy with what we have. He said that in this region, what equity is and what it should come to mean is that the resources of the district should go where they are most needed and this is not the case. Mr. Haynie stated that his wife is a 5th grade STEM teacher with no teacher’s aide or assistant. He said that she comes home frustrated each day, because we have a district with such crowded classrooms in Mount Pleasant, with no assistants. He stated that this school district has a rigid program of inclusion and they are doing this at the expense of the highly capable students that we have. He said there is overcrowding, which is a function of growth. He urged Mr. Reed to gather his group and all their work to get some sense in Charleston County School System about the way we are educating students – not at the high school level – but at the elementary school level, because this is where the students are getting  Economic Development Committee October 2, 2017 Page 26 of 26 lost and less individualized instruction and where the teachers are the most frustrated. He stated that the one size fits all approach is not working. He stated that he would hate to think that the best thing we are able to produce is Charleston County is good food and beverage industry workers, which is a great profession, but it is not the highest aspiration of our educational system. Mr. Reed stated that those students that Mr. Haynie is concerned about are coming to kindergarten unready to learn and staying that way. He said that the weak link in this supply chain is actually from infancy to age five. He said that we are dealing with systems failure – a system that is failing to bring all students to education attainment and as is true with systems in all three sectors in which he has worked, teachers, principals, and those at 75 Calhoun are working really hard, but are working against a system that is not serving students and as a consequence, we find ourselves in the business of concluding what is wrong. He said that this is a systems failure that this community in its entirety needs to own and until it does and we get off the blame placing mode, progress is not going to be made. Mr. Smith thanked Mr. Reed for choosing to make a difference. He stated that Mr. Reed’s material reads, every child, every day, from cradle to career deserves an opportunity to change their life trajectory through education, regardless of their zip code. 5. Adjourn There being no further business, meeting adjourned at 11:32 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Barbara Ashe October 2, 2017