Transcript

Event transcript
OK. 00:00:07
Oh good, that makes me feel better. 00:00:10
Call this work session to order. 00:00:13
And uh. 00:00:15
We're going to turn the floor over to. 00:00:16
Miss Fulham. 00:00:18
Hey y'all welcome so. 00:00:20
You may or may not know, but we have engaged in a process of a branding study and. 00:00:22
An RSVP study for Midtown. 00:00:29
The branding study is for our entire city. 00:00:32
And that is Phase 1. So I'm going to go through our findings from our public input sessions and our surveys. 00:00:34
And I guess you could maybe stop me if you have any questions. 00:00:41
So the. 00:00:48
First slide here just goes over who is on our steering committee. We have many members from our community. We tried to be diverse. 00:00:50
But yet, strategic they are. 00:00:57
Subcommittee under our Downtown Development Authority. 00:01:01
So we have. 00:01:04
Various people like our chamber president, we have some representation from base, which we thought was extremely important if 00:01:07
we're trying to brand our city and find out what we're missing and what we need for the future. 00:01:12
And various other members from other boards and just. 00:01:19
Business owners in Midtown. 00:01:22
So we will go over some of our public input results. 00:01:26
Some research findings and. 00:01:29
What to expect next? 00:01:31
So like I said, this is phase one. It is a three-part phase. We started this in February of 2025, although. 00:01:36
We brought this to our previous council probably a year and a half ago to two years ago, so we were on the waiting list for quite 00:01:44
a while. 00:01:48
These are the main questions that were covered in our public input sessions and our survey, and just by a show of hands. 00:01:56
Who in the audience? 00:02:05
Attended any of our public input sessions or. 00:02:06
Filled out a survey. 00:02:09
We really appreciate you. 00:02:11
So some of the common themes were. 00:02:16
You're going to have to get close to my screen so I can read. 00:02:20
That people were really attracted to Saint Mary's because of its natural beauty and coastal character. 00:02:23
The steering committee. 00:02:29
Committee mentioned numerous times about our marsh sunsets outdoor recreation. 00:02:30
And being grounded in our coastal identity. 00:02:36
Some of the other sessions emphasized our natural beauty, the access to the waterfront. 00:02:39
Our marshes and wildlife. 00:02:45
And the overarching theme was our proximity to Cumberland Island as one of the top reasons why people love Saint Mary's. 00:02:48
It was also mentioned our small town atmosphere and the peaceful pace. 00:02:56
So the steering committee. 00:03:02
Overwhelmingly praised our peaceful pace of life. 00:03:04
The welcoming community and our small town feel, which is what you think of when you think of Saint Mary's. 00:03:07
Some other things that were repeatedly referenced was how peaceful we were. 00:03:13
Multiple people referred to our community as very Hallmark movie like. 00:03:18
A little Mayberry, if you will. 00:03:23
And then again, the slower pace, but the strong connection and the overwhelming. 00:03:26
Pride and well-being for our community. 00:03:33
Walkability and desire for improved infrastructure was a common theme. 00:03:36
We, the steering committee, cited some. 00:03:42
Needed improvements for sidewalks. 00:03:45
Some hopeful trail connections in the future and bike infrastructure. 00:03:47
Let's see. 00:03:53
None of that's really relevant. 00:03:56
So then we also referenced that. 00:03:58
That we our need for things to engage our youth and military families. 00:04:00
Although they do have that on base, we would love to bridge that gap into our community. 00:04:06
So, umm. 00:04:13
And then one of our. 00:04:15
One of the other things was the deep sense of community and local pride. 00:04:17
Saint Mary's is often described as authentic, safe and. 00:04:23
Safe and grounded. 00:04:26
Lots of people referenced our ********* connection and that as our history. The Milltown was an overarching theme. 00:04:28
Our surveys and focus group participants referenced our friendly neighborhoods, our safety community, pride. 00:04:37
Strong military and historical roots. 00:04:44
So that's what you think of what? 00:04:47
When I think of Saint Mary's, anyway. 00:04:49
And then? 00:04:52
Another large concern was our concern for growth and planning and how we're going to maintain that for our future. 00:04:54
So our steering committee. 00:05:03
Also referenced the need for thoughtful planning as our city grows because growth is inevitable. 00:05:05
And then? 00:05:11
Other sessions. 00:05:13
Echoed the broader concerns. 00:05:14
Of light. 00:05:17
Over development and the desire to preserve our character while also improving our amenities. 00:05:18
So in our focus groups we heard from over 100 individuals. So these were our in person groups those. 00:05:28
Were people from our steering committee, which I referenced in the first slide. 00:05:36
People from the Navy. 00:05:41
Other city and government officials, Students. 00:05:44
Business owners, Property owners, Nonprofits. 00:05:47
And new and long term residents. 00:05:51
So we heard. 00:05:57
From a lot of different people in our survey, but the. 00:05:59
Overarching. 00:06:04
Percentage was. 00:06:05
White females. 00:06:07
And that's generally normal. 00:06:09
That when you do survey results, that's generally who you hear from the most. 00:06:11
We were really excited about the 34%. 00:06:15
Of military. 00:06:18
Affiliated. 00:06:20
Responses because we worked super hard to get those into their hands. 00:06:21
So we also really tried to hit. 00:06:26
Our youth, that's something that. 00:06:29
We'll try to do better at in the future. 00:06:32
But one of the things that our Carl Vinson group. 00:06:37
Told me was that. 00:06:41
We have a 95.3% satisfaction rate with our survey and focus groups, and that's the highest that they. 00:06:43
Ever encountered with any of the groups that they've worked with and they've worked with? 00:06:50
Multiple cities across the state of Georgia, so that's. 00:06:55
Very, very hopeful. 00:06:59
And um. 00:07:01
One of the things that came up often in our focus groups when we talked about taglines and branding and what. 00:07:04
You know, what do you think of when you think of Saint Mary's with People kept referencing that it was a slice of paradise, so we 00:07:09
thought this picture was very fitting. 00:07:13
So people who? 00:07:20
Love this place. 00:07:22
They gave us multiple reasons why, but. 00:07:24
There's a few on the screen. 00:07:26
And some other things that came out was. 00:07:28
Saint Mary's keeps me grounded. 00:07:31
Please don't make me cross the bridge. People reference that a lot about going to Kingsland. 00:07:34
This place is grounding. 00:07:40
Live while you have life. So that's. 00:07:43
One of the things that people mentioned a lot and. 00:07:45
That the whole ********* industry captures the essence of who we were. 00:07:48
And who we are. 00:07:53
And, umm. 00:07:55
One of the things that stuck out with our. 00:07:57
Big city group was. 00:07:59
That I made more friends when I moved here than I did in the 40 years where I used to live. So that's very sweet, I think. 00:08:01
That definitely is a great depiction of Saint Mary's. 00:08:07
And then they also polled people on where did they live? 00:08:11
Before they came here. 00:08:14
And these were the 2. 00:08:16
Demographics of where people came from Florida and South Carolina so. 00:08:19
You know, I think that. 00:08:25
People may think that that's opposite, but our results say. 00:08:27
That most of the people came from Florida and South Carolina. 00:08:33
An interesting fact is that. 00:08:37
Another large demographic was from California. 00:08:39
So that was. 00:08:43
Pretty interesting to me. 00:08:44
So we asked people who grew up in Saint Mary. 00:08:49
You know, what did they love about it and why did they stay? And it was really just. 00:08:54
We heard this is home, home, home. You know it's. 00:08:59
Not not too far from the large cities, but it's still quiet close enough to. 00:09:03
You know, go if you need to or want to. They really, really loved our historic presence and our historic charm. 00:09:08
And then we asked. 00:09:19
If you didn't grow up here, why are you here or why did you choose to stay? And umm. 00:09:20
The affordability and cost of housing. 00:09:27
Was a really big percentage. 00:09:30
And interestingly enough. 00:09:33
Everybody. Uh. 00:09:37
Was really umm. 00:09:38
Excited about our recreational activities? 00:09:41
But they refer to that in what we are. 00:09:44
Have access to through the water. 00:09:47
That a lot of people. 00:09:50
Don't always count in recreation which are outside activities like. 00:09:51
Our Trails. 00:09:56
The waterway fishing. 00:09:58
Kayaking and things like that. 00:10:00
So. 00:10:02
So then we have. 00:10:08
If you moved here, what do you love about Saint Mary's? And they said that they love that. It felt quiet, safe, friendly, a little 00:10:10
slower pace. They really liked our natural beauty. 00:10:15
Although it. 00:10:20
It's very hot right now. 00:10:21
Did love our. 00:10:23
Warm weather in mild winters. 00:10:24
And, umm. 00:10:32
One of our hidden gems is definitely our Rookery, and we had a ton of people comment on that in our surveys and our focus groups. 00:10:34
I learned a lot about our large birding community. 00:10:44
When during those sessions. 00:10:47
So. 00:10:48
Let's see. 00:10:53
All right, so. 00:10:56
Just as there are things that they love, there are things that people wish they could change. 00:10:58
Umm, the number one thing is that people want more restaurants. 00:11:05
So if you know any entrepreneurs that want to open a restaurant, please send them my way. 00:11:08
So and then. 00:11:12
They said that our limited walkability. 00:11:15
I think that's. 00:11:19
And neither. 00:11:20
Bike infrastructure. 00:11:22
Lack of activities and amenities for people under 30. 00:11:24
Because we do have a very large population that is in their mid 30s and under. 00:11:29
And then? 00:11:36
We had an overarching theme of. 00:11:37
Our local government issues people's. 00:11:42
Perception of. 00:11:45
Our taxes, the maintenance, and just. 00:11:46
Normal. 00:11:50
They put tire fire but. 00:11:52
Just really. 00:11:53
Normal day. 00:11:54
What we would call a dumpster fire situations we have to put out so. 00:11:56
That sort of thing. 00:12:00
And then blight. 00:12:01
Dilapidated buildings. 00:12:02
And vacant buildings in our midtown area. 00:12:04
Candice, did they? 00:12:08
Give any specific. 00:12:10
About that. 00:12:12
Activities or amenities? 00:12:12
That were missing. 00:12:15
Yes. 00:12:18
Bowling, uh. 00:12:19
You know. 00:12:21
Emphasis on our recreational sports. 00:12:23
Umm, people kept saying soccer, basketball. 00:12:27
You know, we have a large gymnastics community. 00:12:30
The ability to host things like that and welcome the. 00:12:34
Those people into our community, from around our community. 00:12:38
So that sort of thing. 00:12:42
So Saint Mary's uniqueness. 00:12:48
75% are not from here. 00:12:53
And out of that I'm sure contributes. 00:12:57
Our naval base, which we are so thankful for. 00:12:59
And then that we don't have a beach, we're a coastal community with. 00:13:02
No access to the water unless you own a boat. 00:13:07
Is some of the things that were said. 00:13:09
Umm, one of our uniquenesses is Cumberland Island, and we're so thankful for that. 00:13:14
Umm, we're very, very. 00:13:18
Undiscovered. 00:13:21
In a sense, people stumble upon us. That's part of our charm. That's a lot of what people loved about us. 00:13:22
Nature. 00:13:28
We're more affordable than. 00:13:29
Our competition, if you will. 00:13:32
And that we are on the cusp of huge growth. 00:13:35
So and they. 00:13:39
Did reference Pigmental Studios and the amount of housing that we have going up in our community. 00:13:41
And they really loved our cool coastal laid back small town by. 00:13:46
And they want to protect that cool coastal, laid back small town vibe. 00:13:51
So if you did the survey, one of the questions was. 00:13:58
Of Saint Mary's were a person. 00:14:02
How would you describe them? Or something like that? And the larger the word on this screen, the more it showed up. 00:14:03
On the. 00:14:08
So you know. 00:14:09
All in all. 00:14:12
She's a pretty good person. 00:14:14
Not only did we gather this information and input from surveys. 00:14:20
And public input sessions, but we also used Esri. 00:14:26
Umm, it's. I'm sure Jamie could probably. 00:14:31
Explain it a little bit more, but it's. 00:14:35
It's something that. 00:14:36
Large developers and contractors. 00:14:39
Go. They use it to see what our. 00:14:43
Community is when they're thinking of moving there. 00:14:45
And again, we're very unique. 00:14:50
Because usually a community has one. 00:14:52
Maybe 2? 00:14:55
To identify them, but we have 3. 00:14:56
Though, and these are our three that Esri said identified us from. 00:14:58
The data. 00:15:04
That they pull. 00:15:06
And then the competition. 00:15:13
So, umm. 00:15:15
We have to. When we talk about branding, we have to know. 00:15:16
Who are we branding with? 00:15:21
Again, still alongside, so we have to think about the communities that surround us. 00:15:23
Competitor community research is a critical part of place branding, and one of the things that I want to make sure that everybody 00:15:31
knows is that what we did gather from this is that we're not really trying to do placemaking in Saint Mary's, we're trying to do 00:15:36
placekeeping. 00:15:41
Because everybody really loves a lot of. 00:15:46
What we are and who we are. 00:15:49
So although there will be small pieces. 00:15:51
In the RSVP part where we. 00:15:54
Add things to enhance us. 00:15:56
They really, really do love. 00:15:58
What makes U.S. special are small town, charming historic vibe. 00:16:01
So another thing that makes us very unique. 00:16:08
Is that not only do we compete with our neighboring cities, but we compete with neighboring? 00:16:12
States. So we compete with Georgia, we compete with Florida, and we compete with South Carolina. 00:16:19
When you think about our competition. 00:16:24
So just here, here's a little. 00:16:34
Who are top competitors are when we're trying to vie for residents and people to choose this as their home. 00:16:37
Umm, retirees, remote workers, young families. 00:16:45
So Fernandina beaches. 00:16:49
Obviously. 00:16:53
But umm. 00:16:55
More developed but similar in historic feel and waterfront living, we have Brunswick. 00:16:56
So we kind of position ourselves as the quieter alternative to Brunswick. 00:17:03
Which is. 00:17:08
Nice. And then Beaufort, SC. 00:17:10
Could appeal for the same creative retiree community. 00:17:14
But with less tourism pressure. 00:17:18
So that's that's. 00:17:20
And then Port Royal. 00:17:23
Or Bluffton, SC. 00:17:25
Never been to either so I couldn't really remark on them. 00:17:30
And then we have. 00:17:35
Our top competitors for tourism. 00:17:37
Ironically, Cumberland Island is one of our competitors. 00:17:41
Although we are the gateway, we. 00:17:46
Find from our. 00:17:48
Merchants that. 00:17:51
Cumberland brings in a ton of people to our community. 00:17:53
But we often aren't. 00:17:57
Branding in a way that they stop and spend a lot of money in our. 00:17:59
Merchant community so. 00:18:03
That's one of the things that we hope we take from this branding study to really. 00:18:05
Set a clear identity so they want to know more about who we are. 00:18:09
And then Fernandina. 00:18:14
Umm, we stand out. 00:18:16
Against them because we're a lot less commercialized, you know? 00:18:19
If you're reading anything about. 00:18:24
Fernandina Beach right now. 00:18:26
Parking is a big thing because of their growth. 00:18:28
So Saint Simons Jekyll. 00:18:31
They're known for their beaches and their historic district, Saint Mary's office. 00:18:35
Offer similar natural beauty without the resort development. 00:18:39
And then Darian. 00:18:44
You know we. 00:18:46
Kind of share the same. 00:18:47
********* and. 00:18:50
Coastal vibe with them. 00:18:52
And history. 00:18:53
So our top competitors for attracting industry. 00:18:55
Is obviously Kingsland and all of this information is relative because when we're branding, we're trying to brand. 00:18:59
To compete. 00:19:06
With this sort of thing to attract these type of. 00:19:07
People in our community. 00:19:10
So Kingsland is our competitor because it's right next door and it's right next to the Interstate. You know, they they have that. 00:19:13
Advantage, if you will. 00:19:21
Umm, so Brunswick. 00:19:23
We really just have to decide that Saint Mary's has to distinguish itself by quality of life and the proximity to our naval base. 00:19:27
So that's such a great advantage that we have right in our backyard. 00:19:37
Jacksonville, FL. It's very. 00:19:42
Very, very, very metro. So you know. 00:19:44
That's a huge competitor for industry because of. 00:19:49
The price of goods, the price of Labor there and that sort of thing. 00:19:53
And ironically, Palatka and Green Cove springs. 00:19:58
They're inland, but near the water. 00:20:03
We compete with them for blue collar jobs. 00:20:05
And then the next. 00:20:10
Slide is going to be Yes, we have a font issue. 00:20:11
Go back two more. 00:20:18
That residents, that's what I thought it was OK. 00:20:19
That showing up as goggly goop on her. Oh sorry. 00:20:22
It was like Arabic or something. Residents, resident residents, OK. 00:20:26
We're trying to be progressive. 00:20:31
All right. 00:20:33
All right, so. 00:20:35
A lifestyle brand is. 00:20:37
Is a brand that promotes our distinct way of life, so it's something that you think of. 00:20:39
That if someone were to come and visit us. 00:20:45
They would want to buy something with that brand on it to take back home. 00:20:48
Or as a. 00:20:53
So you know that. 00:20:55
Going to be a large part of our branding piece because we get. 00:20:57
A lot of questions about where can I buy something that you know, says Saint Mary's to take back home or. 00:21:03
We actually get emails wanting things shipped and things like that. So that's. 00:21:08
We're pretty excited about this. I know I can speak for Angela and I when I say that. 00:21:14
So then our next slide is going to be? 00:21:19
All the pieces that come together to really form our brand. 00:21:22
So. 00:21:28
You know it's. 00:21:32
Definitely not. 00:21:34
On one session thing, A2 session thing, we've met some of these puzzle pieces and put them together. We've done a little research 00:21:35
we've. 00:21:39
Met with our steering committee multiple times. We'll meet again in the next week. 00:21:42
Umm, public input. We've got that. 00:21:47
One of the things we're really trying to focus on is our. 00:21:51
Brand message. 00:21:56
And. 00:21:58
Our like slogan, if you will. 00:21:59
So hopefully we'll have some. 00:22:01
News on that in the next. 00:22:03
Few weeks. 00:22:05
And last but not least, our project. 00:22:08
Timeline. Again, this is only phase one. 00:22:11
So. 00:22:14
Branding comes before. 00:22:15
The RSVP of Midtown. 00:22:17
We have to find out who we are before we can find out how we're gonna. 00:22:19
Mold us and make us all fit together. 00:22:23
So right now we are. 00:22:26
Moving into our July timeframe here, where we're going to meet next week for our brand position and tagline. 00:22:28
And I have. 00:22:37
Thank you. 00:22:39
You want to entertain any questions if anybody has any questions. 00:22:48
If I can answer them, I'll absolutely do that. Yes, Miss Troy. 00:22:51
Ask the community to donate to the tagline concept. 00:22:58
No, we don't have one. So that's what our survey is. 00:23:02
Was for so she asked if we were going to. 00:23:06
Seek input from the public. 00:23:10
To form our tagline. 00:23:12
And that that. 00:23:15
So so that. 00:23:20
Happen in the first phases of our study. 00:23:23
Like the February March to now. 00:23:26
Umm. Nothing set in stone. We can always. 00:23:30
Change when they bring it forward. 00:23:32
So I mean if you have a great tagline please e-mail me. Main Street at Saint Mary's, GA Gov and I hold. 00:23:35
Tag it, you know, pass it along to our. 00:23:41
Helpers at Carl Vinson. 00:23:45
Anybody else? 00:23:49
Candace when? 00:23:50
Talking about the areas that need improvement that you had local government, did they give any specifics on local government? Like 00:23:52
what? 00:23:55
There are issues with that. 00:23:58
I think a lot of. 00:24:01
Is perception. 00:24:03
That, umm. 00:24:04
What I gathered from the surveys in the public input is that. 00:24:06
Progress takes time. 00:24:10
Projects take time and that we may not be as transparent with the public on that timeline. 00:24:12
So that was a lot of what I got. 00:24:19
Yes, Sir. 00:24:22
Go ahead. I was just wondering is that the city of Saint Mary's, would that be included in your part of your branding? 00:24:25
And if not, would you? 00:24:33
Maybe put out there a? 00:24:34
Competition for people to submit branding ideas. 00:24:36
For the Submarine Museum, we had 200 people apply or submit the. 00:24:40
For the seal. 00:24:45
I'm Kathy Dempsey, 110 stowaway. 00:24:46
Saint Mary's, Georgia. 00:24:49
Our brand right now is. 00:24:53
For the city is our seal. 00:24:55
Tourism has a different brand. 00:24:57
Couldn't spit it off to you now. 00:24:59
If Angela was in here, she could. 00:25:02
But umm. 00:25:04
We want our silver official business and we want an actual brand for our city. 00:25:05
So, umm. 00:25:10
That's, I think, where people are getting a little bit confused. 00:25:11
And. 00:25:14
Of course, we would love the public to give some input. We've given that opportunity. 00:25:16
Numerous times and I think we had the surveys out for. 00:25:20
Right around 2 1/2, three months. 00:25:24
So again, if you have some ideas, yes, please send them to me. And there may be some things that we don't get to in this study 00:25:28
that we will. 00:25:32
Circle back to in the future to. 00:25:36
Have some competitions with the public. 00:25:38
We actually put it out on our Facebook page and that many people came. 00:25:41
With their ideas. That's amazing, fabulous. And we put the rules there with it. 00:25:46
And also our. 00:25:50
Prize money, so and we'll be awarding that soon. That's amazing. I can't wait to see who won. Yeah. 00:25:52
Thank you. 00:25:57
Good luck. Yes, Mr. Connor, what was the number of people polled in this thing that we're talking about? 00:25:59
Well over 1000. I think it was close to 1300. 00:26:05
So that is significant. 00:26:08
Yes, we really did try to get out there and push it out. 00:26:12
But you know. 00:26:17
That gives you the. 00:26:18
It gives you a true story for that amount of people. 00:26:19
I did come across an idea for, you know, we're talking about the seal and like we have a. 00:26:25
You know, a visual identifier. And this is public feedback. They're just not here but on the 4th of July. 00:26:29
A group of a table. There was a discussion. 00:26:35
And there. 00:26:37
People visiting from out of town and someone may come in that we actually have a Saint Mary's have their own. 00:26:38
City flag. 00:26:44
Right. We have a flag that's, you know, flies at the pavilion with the other state and the United States flag. 00:26:45
But we don't utilize that. 00:26:51
We do have a city flag and I googled it. 00:26:52
It's nowhere to be found, but you can't find the visual of that flag online. But there was actually a request and four or five 00:26:55
people spoke up that if we actually ordered extras and had them in tourism or whatnot, they would buy the flag. 00:27:00
And that could go on T-shirts, that could go on branding. So that's something we could utilize that. 00:27:06
We don't use. 00:27:11
Yes, yes, I knew that. 00:27:13
Well, good, because that just came up at the 4th and great ones think a lot. 00:27:15
Angela just thinks a little faster. 00:27:19
Yeah, I did call someone that day when it came up to see if it. I don't know if that came to her in the last week, but that's 00:27:23
where it came from. That's amazing. 00:27:26
Anything else? Anyone else? 00:27:32
Man, I did that good of a dog. All right. Thank you so much. 00:27:35
Appreciate their work. Look forward to. 00:27:38
Final results. 00:27:41
So we are adjourned until 6:00 for our. 00:27:45
Quarterly town Hall. 00:27:50
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Development Progress Update General Document

Transcript

Event transcript
OK. 00:00:07
Oh good, that makes me feel better. 00:00:10
Call this work session to order. 00:00:13
And uh. 00:00:15
We're going to turn the floor over to. 00:00:16
Miss Fulham. 00:00:18
Hey y'all welcome so. 00:00:20
You may or may not know, but we have engaged in a process of a branding study and. 00:00:22
An RSVP study for Midtown. 00:00:29
The branding study is for our entire city. 00:00:32
And that is Phase 1. So I'm going to go through our findings from our public input sessions and our surveys. 00:00:34
And I guess you could maybe stop me if you have any questions. 00:00:41
So the. 00:00:48
First slide here just goes over who is on our steering committee. We have many members from our community. We tried to be diverse. 00:00:50
But yet, strategic they are. 00:00:57
Subcommittee under our Downtown Development Authority. 00:01:01
So we have. 00:01:04
Various people like our chamber president, we have some representation from base, which we thought was extremely important if 00:01:07
we're trying to brand our city and find out what we're missing and what we need for the future. 00:01:12
And various other members from other boards and just. 00:01:19
Business owners in Midtown. 00:01:22
So we will go over some of our public input results. 00:01:26
Some research findings and. 00:01:29
What to expect next? 00:01:31
So like I said, this is phase one. It is a three-part phase. We started this in February of 2025, although. 00:01:36
We brought this to our previous council probably a year and a half ago to two years ago, so we were on the waiting list for quite 00:01:44
a while. 00:01:48
These are the main questions that were covered in our public input sessions and our survey, and just by a show of hands. 00:01:56
Who in the audience? 00:02:05
Attended any of our public input sessions or. 00:02:06
Filled out a survey. 00:02:09
We really appreciate you. 00:02:11
So some of the common themes were. 00:02:16
You're going to have to get close to my screen so I can read. 00:02:20
That people were really attracted to Saint Mary's because of its natural beauty and coastal character. 00:02:23
The steering committee. 00:02:29
Committee mentioned numerous times about our marsh sunsets outdoor recreation. 00:02:30
And being grounded in our coastal identity. 00:02:36
Some of the other sessions emphasized our natural beauty, the access to the waterfront. 00:02:39
Our marshes and wildlife. 00:02:45
And the overarching theme was our proximity to Cumberland Island as one of the top reasons why people love Saint Mary's. 00:02:48
It was also mentioned our small town atmosphere and the peaceful pace. 00:02:56
So the steering committee. 00:03:02
Overwhelmingly praised our peaceful pace of life. 00:03:04
The welcoming community and our small town feel, which is what you think of when you think of Saint Mary's. 00:03:07
Some other things that were repeatedly referenced was how peaceful we were. 00:03:13
Multiple people referred to our community as very Hallmark movie like. 00:03:18
A little Mayberry, if you will. 00:03:23
And then again, the slower pace, but the strong connection and the overwhelming. 00:03:26
Pride and well-being for our community. 00:03:33
Walkability and desire for improved infrastructure was a common theme. 00:03:36
We, the steering committee, cited some. 00:03:42
Needed improvements for sidewalks. 00:03:45
Some hopeful trail connections in the future and bike infrastructure. 00:03:47
Let's see. 00:03:53
None of that's really relevant. 00:03:56
So then we also referenced that. 00:03:58
That we our need for things to engage our youth and military families. 00:04:00
Although they do have that on base, we would love to bridge that gap into our community. 00:04:06
So, umm. 00:04:13
And then one of our. 00:04:15
One of the other things was the deep sense of community and local pride. 00:04:17
Saint Mary's is often described as authentic, safe and. 00:04:23
Safe and grounded. 00:04:26
Lots of people referenced our ********* connection and that as our history. The Milltown was an overarching theme. 00:04:28
Our surveys and focus group participants referenced our friendly neighborhoods, our safety community, pride. 00:04:37
Strong military and historical roots. 00:04:44
So that's what you think of what? 00:04:47
When I think of Saint Mary's, anyway. 00:04:49
And then? 00:04:52
Another large concern was our concern for growth and planning and how we're going to maintain that for our future. 00:04:54
So our steering committee. 00:05:03
Also referenced the need for thoughtful planning as our city grows because growth is inevitable. 00:05:05
And then? 00:05:11
Other sessions. 00:05:13
Echoed the broader concerns. 00:05:14
Of light. 00:05:17
Over development and the desire to preserve our character while also improving our amenities. 00:05:18
So in our focus groups we heard from over 100 individuals. So these were our in person groups those. 00:05:28
Were people from our steering committee, which I referenced in the first slide. 00:05:36
People from the Navy. 00:05:41
Other city and government officials, Students. 00:05:44
Business owners, Property owners, Nonprofits. 00:05:47
And new and long term residents. 00:05:51
So we heard. 00:05:57
From a lot of different people in our survey, but the. 00:05:59
Overarching. 00:06:04
Percentage was. 00:06:05
White females. 00:06:07
And that's generally normal. 00:06:09
That when you do survey results, that's generally who you hear from the most. 00:06:11
We were really excited about the 34%. 00:06:15
Of military. 00:06:18
Affiliated. 00:06:20
Responses because we worked super hard to get those into their hands. 00:06:21
So we also really tried to hit. 00:06:26
Our youth, that's something that. 00:06:29
We'll try to do better at in the future. 00:06:32
But one of the things that our Carl Vinson group. 00:06:37
Told me was that. 00:06:41
We have a 95.3% satisfaction rate with our survey and focus groups, and that's the highest that they. 00:06:43
Ever encountered with any of the groups that they've worked with and they've worked with? 00:06:50
Multiple cities across the state of Georgia, so that's. 00:06:55
Very, very hopeful. 00:06:59
And um. 00:07:01
One of the things that came up often in our focus groups when we talked about taglines and branding and what. 00:07:04
You know, what do you think of when you think of Saint Mary's with People kept referencing that it was a slice of paradise, so we 00:07:09
thought this picture was very fitting. 00:07:13
So people who? 00:07:20
Love this place. 00:07:22
They gave us multiple reasons why, but. 00:07:24
There's a few on the screen. 00:07:26
And some other things that came out was. 00:07:28
Saint Mary's keeps me grounded. 00:07:31
Please don't make me cross the bridge. People reference that a lot about going to Kingsland. 00:07:34
This place is grounding. 00:07:40
Live while you have life. So that's. 00:07:43
One of the things that people mentioned a lot and. 00:07:45
That the whole ********* industry captures the essence of who we were. 00:07:48
And who we are. 00:07:53
And, umm. 00:07:55
One of the things that stuck out with our. 00:07:57
Big city group was. 00:07:59
That I made more friends when I moved here than I did in the 40 years where I used to live. So that's very sweet, I think. 00:08:01
That definitely is a great depiction of Saint Mary's. 00:08:07
And then they also polled people on where did they live? 00:08:11
Before they came here. 00:08:14
And these were the 2. 00:08:16
Demographics of where people came from Florida and South Carolina so. 00:08:19
You know, I think that. 00:08:25
People may think that that's opposite, but our results say. 00:08:27
That most of the people came from Florida and South Carolina. 00:08:33
An interesting fact is that. 00:08:37
Another large demographic was from California. 00:08:39
So that was. 00:08:43
Pretty interesting to me. 00:08:44
So we asked people who grew up in Saint Mary. 00:08:49
You know, what did they love about it and why did they stay? And it was really just. 00:08:54
We heard this is home, home, home. You know it's. 00:08:59
Not not too far from the large cities, but it's still quiet close enough to. 00:09:03
You know, go if you need to or want to. They really, really loved our historic presence and our historic charm. 00:09:08
And then we asked. 00:09:19
If you didn't grow up here, why are you here or why did you choose to stay? And umm. 00:09:20
The affordability and cost of housing. 00:09:27
Was a really big percentage. 00:09:30
And interestingly enough. 00:09:33
Everybody. Uh. 00:09:37
Was really umm. 00:09:38
Excited about our recreational activities? 00:09:41
But they refer to that in what we are. 00:09:44
Have access to through the water. 00:09:47
That a lot of people. 00:09:50
Don't always count in recreation which are outside activities like. 00:09:51
Our Trails. 00:09:56
The waterway fishing. 00:09:58
Kayaking and things like that. 00:10:00
So. 00:10:02
So then we have. 00:10:08
If you moved here, what do you love about Saint Mary's? And they said that they love that. It felt quiet, safe, friendly, a little 00:10:10
slower pace. They really liked our natural beauty. 00:10:15
Although it. 00:10:20
It's very hot right now. 00:10:21
Did love our. 00:10:23
Warm weather in mild winters. 00:10:24
And, umm. 00:10:32
One of our hidden gems is definitely our Rookery, and we had a ton of people comment on that in our surveys and our focus groups. 00:10:34
I learned a lot about our large birding community. 00:10:44
When during those sessions. 00:10:47
So. 00:10:48
Let's see. 00:10:53
All right, so. 00:10:56
Just as there are things that they love, there are things that people wish they could change. 00:10:58
Umm, the number one thing is that people want more restaurants. 00:11:05
So if you know any entrepreneurs that want to open a restaurant, please send them my way. 00:11:08
So and then. 00:11:12
They said that our limited walkability. 00:11:15
I think that's. 00:11:19
And neither. 00:11:20
Bike infrastructure. 00:11:22
Lack of activities and amenities for people under 30. 00:11:24
Because we do have a very large population that is in their mid 30s and under. 00:11:29
And then? 00:11:36
We had an overarching theme of. 00:11:37
Our local government issues people's. 00:11:42
Perception of. 00:11:45
Our taxes, the maintenance, and just. 00:11:46
Normal. 00:11:50
They put tire fire but. 00:11:52
Just really. 00:11:53
Normal day. 00:11:54
What we would call a dumpster fire situations we have to put out so. 00:11:56
That sort of thing. 00:12:00
And then blight. 00:12:01
Dilapidated buildings. 00:12:02
And vacant buildings in our midtown area. 00:12:04
Candice, did they? 00:12:08
Give any specific. 00:12:10
About that. 00:12:12
Activities or amenities? 00:12:12
That were missing. 00:12:15
Yes. 00:12:18
Bowling, uh. 00:12:19
You know. 00:12:21
Emphasis on our recreational sports. 00:12:23
Umm, people kept saying soccer, basketball. 00:12:27
You know, we have a large gymnastics community. 00:12:30
The ability to host things like that and welcome the. 00:12:34
Those people into our community, from around our community. 00:12:38
So that sort of thing. 00:12:42
So Saint Mary's uniqueness. 00:12:48
75% are not from here. 00:12:53
And out of that I'm sure contributes. 00:12:57
Our naval base, which we are so thankful for. 00:12:59
And then that we don't have a beach, we're a coastal community with. 00:13:02
No access to the water unless you own a boat. 00:13:07
Is some of the things that were said. 00:13:09
Umm, one of our uniquenesses is Cumberland Island, and we're so thankful for that. 00:13:14
Umm, we're very, very. 00:13:18
Undiscovered. 00:13:21
In a sense, people stumble upon us. That's part of our charm. That's a lot of what people loved about us. 00:13:22
Nature. 00:13:28
We're more affordable than. 00:13:29
Our competition, if you will. 00:13:32
And that we are on the cusp of huge growth. 00:13:35
So and they. 00:13:39
Did reference Pigmental Studios and the amount of housing that we have going up in our community. 00:13:41
And they really loved our cool coastal laid back small town by. 00:13:46
And they want to protect that cool coastal, laid back small town vibe. 00:13:51
So if you did the survey, one of the questions was. 00:13:58
Of Saint Mary's were a person. 00:14:02
How would you describe them? Or something like that? And the larger the word on this screen, the more it showed up. 00:14:03
On the. 00:14:08
So you know. 00:14:09
All in all. 00:14:12
She's a pretty good person. 00:14:14
Not only did we gather this information and input from surveys. 00:14:20
And public input sessions, but we also used Esri. 00:14:26
Umm, it's. I'm sure Jamie could probably. 00:14:31
Explain it a little bit more, but it's. 00:14:35
It's something that. 00:14:36
Large developers and contractors. 00:14:39
Go. They use it to see what our. 00:14:43
Community is when they're thinking of moving there. 00:14:45
And again, we're very unique. 00:14:50
Because usually a community has one. 00:14:52
Maybe 2? 00:14:55
To identify them, but we have 3. 00:14:56
Though, and these are our three that Esri said identified us from. 00:14:58
The data. 00:15:04
That they pull. 00:15:06
And then the competition. 00:15:13
So, umm. 00:15:15
We have to. When we talk about branding, we have to know. 00:15:16
Who are we branding with? 00:15:21
Again, still alongside, so we have to think about the communities that surround us. 00:15:23
Competitor community research is a critical part of place branding, and one of the things that I want to make sure that everybody 00:15:31
knows is that what we did gather from this is that we're not really trying to do placemaking in Saint Mary's, we're trying to do 00:15:36
placekeeping. 00:15:41
Because everybody really loves a lot of. 00:15:46
What we are and who we are. 00:15:49
So although there will be small pieces. 00:15:51
In the RSVP part where we. 00:15:54
Add things to enhance us. 00:15:56
They really, really do love. 00:15:58
What makes U.S. special are small town, charming historic vibe. 00:16:01
So another thing that makes us very unique. 00:16:08
Is that not only do we compete with our neighboring cities, but we compete with neighboring? 00:16:12
States. So we compete with Georgia, we compete with Florida, and we compete with South Carolina. 00:16:19
When you think about our competition. 00:16:24
So just here, here's a little. 00:16:34
Who are top competitors are when we're trying to vie for residents and people to choose this as their home. 00:16:37
Umm, retirees, remote workers, young families. 00:16:45
So Fernandina beaches. 00:16:49
Obviously. 00:16:53
But umm. 00:16:55
More developed but similar in historic feel and waterfront living, we have Brunswick. 00:16:56
So we kind of position ourselves as the quieter alternative to Brunswick. 00:17:03
Which is. 00:17:08
Nice. And then Beaufort, SC. 00:17:10
Could appeal for the same creative retiree community. 00:17:14
But with less tourism pressure. 00:17:18
So that's that's. 00:17:20
And then Port Royal. 00:17:23
Or Bluffton, SC. 00:17:25
Never been to either so I couldn't really remark on them. 00:17:30
And then we have. 00:17:35
Our top competitors for tourism. 00:17:37
Ironically, Cumberland Island is one of our competitors. 00:17:41
Although we are the gateway, we. 00:17:46
Find from our. 00:17:48
Merchants that. 00:17:51
Cumberland brings in a ton of people to our community. 00:17:53
But we often aren't. 00:17:57
Branding in a way that they stop and spend a lot of money in our. 00:17:59
Merchant community so. 00:18:03
That's one of the things that we hope we take from this branding study to really. 00:18:05
Set a clear identity so they want to know more about who we are. 00:18:09
And then Fernandina. 00:18:14
Umm, we stand out. 00:18:16
Against them because we're a lot less commercialized, you know? 00:18:19
If you're reading anything about. 00:18:24
Fernandina Beach right now. 00:18:26
Parking is a big thing because of their growth. 00:18:28
So Saint Simons Jekyll. 00:18:31
They're known for their beaches and their historic district, Saint Mary's office. 00:18:35
Offer similar natural beauty without the resort development. 00:18:39
And then Darian. 00:18:44
You know we. 00:18:46
Kind of share the same. 00:18:47
********* and. 00:18:50
Coastal vibe with them. 00:18:52
And history. 00:18:53
So our top competitors for attracting industry. 00:18:55
Is obviously Kingsland and all of this information is relative because when we're branding, we're trying to brand. 00:18:59
To compete. 00:19:06
With this sort of thing to attract these type of. 00:19:07
People in our community. 00:19:10
So Kingsland is our competitor because it's right next door and it's right next to the Interstate. You know, they they have that. 00:19:13
Advantage, if you will. 00:19:21
Umm, so Brunswick. 00:19:23
We really just have to decide that Saint Mary's has to distinguish itself by quality of life and the proximity to our naval base. 00:19:27
So that's such a great advantage that we have right in our backyard. 00:19:37
Jacksonville, FL. It's very. 00:19:42
Very, very, very metro. So you know. 00:19:44
That's a huge competitor for industry because of. 00:19:49
The price of goods, the price of Labor there and that sort of thing. 00:19:53
And ironically, Palatka and Green Cove springs. 00:19:58
They're inland, but near the water. 00:20:03
We compete with them for blue collar jobs. 00:20:05
And then the next. 00:20:10
Slide is going to be Yes, we have a font issue. 00:20:11
Go back two more. 00:20:18
That residents, that's what I thought it was OK. 00:20:19
That showing up as goggly goop on her. Oh sorry. 00:20:22
It was like Arabic or something. Residents, resident residents, OK. 00:20:26
We're trying to be progressive. 00:20:31
All right. 00:20:33
All right, so. 00:20:35
A lifestyle brand is. 00:20:37
Is a brand that promotes our distinct way of life, so it's something that you think of. 00:20:39
That if someone were to come and visit us. 00:20:45
They would want to buy something with that brand on it to take back home. 00:20:48
Or as a. 00:20:53
So you know that. 00:20:55
Going to be a large part of our branding piece because we get. 00:20:57
A lot of questions about where can I buy something that you know, says Saint Mary's to take back home or. 00:21:03
We actually get emails wanting things shipped and things like that. So that's. 00:21:08
We're pretty excited about this. I know I can speak for Angela and I when I say that. 00:21:14
So then our next slide is going to be? 00:21:19
All the pieces that come together to really form our brand. 00:21:22
So. 00:21:28
You know it's. 00:21:32
Definitely not. 00:21:34
On one session thing, A2 session thing, we've met some of these puzzle pieces and put them together. We've done a little research 00:21:35
we've. 00:21:39
Met with our steering committee multiple times. We'll meet again in the next week. 00:21:42
Umm, public input. We've got that. 00:21:47
One of the things we're really trying to focus on is our. 00:21:51
Brand message. 00:21:56
And. 00:21:58
Our like slogan, if you will. 00:21:59
So hopefully we'll have some. 00:22:01
News on that in the next. 00:22:03
Few weeks. 00:22:05
And last but not least, our project. 00:22:08
Timeline. Again, this is only phase one. 00:22:11
So. 00:22:14
Branding comes before. 00:22:15
The RSVP of Midtown. 00:22:17
We have to find out who we are before we can find out how we're gonna. 00:22:19
Mold us and make us all fit together. 00:22:23
So right now we are. 00:22:26
Moving into our July timeframe here, where we're going to meet next week for our brand position and tagline. 00:22:28
And I have. 00:22:37
Thank you. 00:22:39
You want to entertain any questions if anybody has any questions. 00:22:48
If I can answer them, I'll absolutely do that. Yes, Miss Troy. 00:22:51
Ask the community to donate to the tagline concept. 00:22:58
No, we don't have one. So that's what our survey is. 00:23:02
Was for so she asked if we were going to. 00:23:06
Seek input from the public. 00:23:10
To form our tagline. 00:23:12
And that that. 00:23:15
So so that. 00:23:20
Happen in the first phases of our study. 00:23:23
Like the February March to now. 00:23:26
Umm. Nothing set in stone. We can always. 00:23:30
Change when they bring it forward. 00:23:32
So I mean if you have a great tagline please e-mail me. Main Street at Saint Mary's, GA Gov and I hold. 00:23:35
Tag it, you know, pass it along to our. 00:23:41
Helpers at Carl Vinson. 00:23:45
Anybody else? 00:23:49
Candace when? 00:23:50
Talking about the areas that need improvement that you had local government, did they give any specifics on local government? Like 00:23:52
what? 00:23:55
There are issues with that. 00:23:58
I think a lot of. 00:24:01
Is perception. 00:24:03
That, umm. 00:24:04
What I gathered from the surveys in the public input is that. 00:24:06
Progress takes time. 00:24:10
Projects take time and that we may not be as transparent with the public on that timeline. 00:24:12
So that was a lot of what I got. 00:24:19
Yes, Sir. 00:24:22
Go ahead. I was just wondering is that the city of Saint Mary's, would that be included in your part of your branding? 00:24:25
And if not, would you? 00:24:33
Maybe put out there a? 00:24:34
Competition for people to submit branding ideas. 00:24:36
For the Submarine Museum, we had 200 people apply or submit the. 00:24:40
For the seal. 00:24:45
I'm Kathy Dempsey, 110 stowaway. 00:24:46
Saint Mary's, Georgia. 00:24:49
Our brand right now is. 00:24:53
For the city is our seal. 00:24:55
Tourism has a different brand. 00:24:57
Couldn't spit it off to you now. 00:24:59
If Angela was in here, she could. 00:25:02
But umm. 00:25:04
We want our silver official business and we want an actual brand for our city. 00:25:05
So, umm. 00:25:10
That's, I think, where people are getting a little bit confused. 00:25:11
And. 00:25:14
Of course, we would love the public to give some input. We've given that opportunity. 00:25:16
Numerous times and I think we had the surveys out for. 00:25:20
Right around 2 1/2, three months. 00:25:24
So again, if you have some ideas, yes, please send them to me. And there may be some things that we don't get to in this study 00:25:28
that we will. 00:25:32
Circle back to in the future to. 00:25:36
Have some competitions with the public. 00:25:38
We actually put it out on our Facebook page and that many people came. 00:25:41
With their ideas. That's amazing, fabulous. And we put the rules there with it. 00:25:46
And also our. 00:25:50
Prize money, so and we'll be awarding that soon. That's amazing. I can't wait to see who won. Yeah. 00:25:52
Thank you. 00:25:57
Good luck. Yes, Mr. Connor, what was the number of people polled in this thing that we're talking about? 00:25:59
Well over 1000. I think it was close to 1300. 00:26:05
So that is significant. 00:26:08
Yes, we really did try to get out there and push it out. 00:26:12
But you know. 00:26:17
That gives you the. 00:26:18
It gives you a true story for that amount of people. 00:26:19
I did come across an idea for, you know, we're talking about the seal and like we have a. 00:26:25
You know, a visual identifier. And this is public feedback. They're just not here but on the 4th of July. 00:26:29
A group of a table. There was a discussion. 00:26:35
And there. 00:26:37
People visiting from out of town and someone may come in that we actually have a Saint Mary's have their own. 00:26:38
City flag. 00:26:44
Right. We have a flag that's, you know, flies at the pavilion with the other state and the United States flag. 00:26:45
But we don't utilize that. 00:26:51
We do have a city flag and I googled it. 00:26:52
It's nowhere to be found, but you can't find the visual of that flag online. But there was actually a request and four or five 00:26:55
people spoke up that if we actually ordered extras and had them in tourism or whatnot, they would buy the flag. 00:27:00
And that could go on T-shirts, that could go on branding. So that's something we could utilize that. 00:27:06
We don't use. 00:27:11
Yes, yes, I knew that. 00:27:13
Well, good, because that just came up at the 4th and great ones think a lot. 00:27:15
Angela just thinks a little faster. 00:27:19
Yeah, I did call someone that day when it came up to see if it. I don't know if that came to her in the last week, but that's 00:27:23
where it came from. That's amazing. 00:27:26
Anything else? Anyone else? 00:27:32
Man, I did that good of a dog. All right. Thank you so much. 00:27:35
Appreciate their work. Look forward to. 00:27:38
Final results. 00:27:41
So we are adjourned until 6:00 for our. 00:27:45
Quarterly town Hall. 00:27:50