Conservationist vs. Conservationist-In-Name-Only (CINO)

The SI mayoral election is now less than a week away! Election Day is next Tuesday, January 6. In the interest of getting information out to Sullivan's Island voters about this critically important election, SI CI is encouraging islanders to send in comments and candidate endorsements. Below is a letter from islander Norman Khoury. Norman chairs the Sullivan's Islanders Group, a group of islanders whose focus is conservation and preservation on Sullivan's Island. Here is the letter:
                      
There is a world of difference between a true conservationist and a CINO. Among those running for mayor of Sullivan's Island, let's see if we can tell the difference.

A true conservationist can always see the value in conserving the ever vanishing green spaces of our city and towns. The CINO might espouse conservation as long as it doesn't affect his personal self-interest or occur in his own backyard.

A true conservationist will be in favor of protecting our town owned protected maritime land. He would support a plan that included input from all interested town residents. He would base his decisions on science and the advice of experts. The CINO would always support as much cutting and vegetation clearing as possible. He might support conserving some of the maritime land in front of the school and Fort Moultrie, but the remainder of the maritime land between station 16 and 28 he would consider expendable.

A CINO conservationist would be in favor of "protecting" only three "priority" trees in the protected land that are larger that 16 inches in diameter. Whose "priority" is this? The true conservationist would know that there are 16+ species of trees that are of value in the land and that clear cutting these would do irreparable harm to the wildlife present there.

Most importantly, a true conservationist can recognize the unique treasure we have on this
Island, a maritime environment that is as much to be enjoyed as it is a place from which to learn and from which our children can gain an appreciation of nature close to their homes. The CINO, despite his rhetoric about conservation, acts as if the forest is a nuisance and will exaggerate any negative aspects to argue for ridding the forest of trees.

Everyone claims to be a "conservationist" at election time because they realize how  important this topic is to the residents of our wonderful island.

Look at the candidates' records and it will be easy to tell the true conservationist from the conservationist-in-name-only (CINO). True compromise is possible only when it is constructed
by a true conservationist and that person is Pat O'Neil.

 INTEGRITY - EXPERIENCE - LEADERSHIP

You can learn more about Pat's experience and those issues he hope to address, if elected, on his website. You can also call (843-670-9266) or email Pat if you wish to discuss the issues (oneilp@sullivansisland-sc.com). 

Sincerely, 

Norman Khoury (normankhoury@comcast.net)

The Sullivan's Islanders Group 
www.sullivansislanders.org

Right man for the job?

The time is getting close! The Sullivan's Island mayoral election is just two weeks away--January 6. In the interest of getting information out to Sullivan's Island voters about this critically important election, SI CI is encouraging islanders to send in comments and candidate endorsements. Posted below is a comment from islander Ad Ingle: 

I think that Jerry Kaynard is not the right man to be the mayor (although he has worked and planned for it for a long time) because of his large amount of property holdings in the Middle Street Area (Downtown SI). I think that there will be too many incidences of 'conflict of interest' that will come up.

Addison Ingle

Coming to a park near you?

While few SI residents seem to question the need to build a new Town Hall, many are concerned about design particulars: the 48' height of the building, the overall size and scale of the facility (especially as related to the adjacent Fire Station), the loss of public parking places, sewer issues, the planned Performance Lawn (amphitheater), and the cutting of trees in the park to accommodate the Town Hall project.

And that is not all that Town Council wants to do at the park! As we learned at the Town Council meeting on December 16, Town Council is also considering a long list of so-called park enhancements, including an in-ground slide down the face of the mound (visible from Middle St.), a maintenance plan for the bamboo forest (???), and terracing of the mound. (The full list is attached.) Does that all say "amphitheater" to you? Could lighting be far behind? 

And that's still not all!  We also learned at the Council meeting that Town Council wants to renovate the Island Club to the tune of about $100,000 (!!!), complete with cathedral ceilings. We learned there has even been some discussion of moving the Island Club to the park, although no one at the meeting could say where exactly where it would go. 

And there's even more! To go along with all of these new recreation facilities, Town Council plans to increase Town staff by hiring an events coordinator. 

And how does Town Council plan to pay for all of this? Through even more increases in fees and taxes. Question for readers: For whom is Town Council doing this? According to the Comprehensive Plan, the biggest population increase on SI has been in the 55-74 year-old age group--up a whopping 66% in recent years. The 25-54 year-old age group has actually declined by 28%. The number of children on SI has declined by 13%. Overall,  population growth on SI is projected to be less than 2% for the next 15 years. So how many residents would be sliding down the in-ground slide?

Clearly, the new Town Hall project will have a major impact on Sullivan’s Island residents—financially and aesthetically—for generations to come. And all of the proposed enhancements will undoubtedly generate more traffic and more congestion from visitors to Sullivan's Island. 

So why is Town Council exempting the new Town Hall and the park enhancements from the normal design review process? Town Council has said on several occasions that it is putting itself in charge of design review for the Town Hall project because the site is not zoned. But is that reasoning in line with state law and Sullivan’s Island ordinances? 

Take a look at a document posted on the Town of SI website. The document reflects state law and outlines a specific process municipalities are required to follow when reviewing a public project such as a Town Hall or other municipal facility. As stated on pages 13 & 14 (attached), public projects must be submitted for review to  the Planning Commission and no new street, structure, utility, square, park or other public way, grounds, open space or public buildings for any use, whether publicly or privately owned, may be constructed or authorized in the geographic area within the jurisdiction of the planning commission until the location, character and extent of such activities have been submitted to the local planning commission. (S.C. Code § 6-29-540). 

That's a pretty comprehensive list--and a pretty comprehensive review process! The law would certainly seem to apply to the new Town Hall, as well as the park enhancements and the Island Club renovations. 

Also take a look at the attached article written by attorney Bradford Wyche in the Southeastern Environmental Law Journal.* Mr. Wyche states on page 5 (attached) that there are many places in South Carolina in which land is not zoned. He notes, however, that local zoning ordinances apply to public projects, regardless of whether a site is zoned.  The purpose of the state law is not to stop a Town Council from building a particular project, but to make the public aware that the project may be starting and to give the public the opportunity to decide whether to become involved politically and try to have the project stopped or modified. 

So the fact that the site for the new Town Hall is not zoned would not appear to be an appropriate reason for Town Council to put itself in charge of design review for the project.

Yes, SI needs a new Town Hall. And some residents may even want a slide down the face of the mound, a performance lawn in the park, $100,000 of renovations to the Island Club, and an events coordinator to manage all of the recreational activities. And they may even want to pay higher taxes and fees to fund it.

But shouldn't it be done the right way? As one council member pointed out at the Town Council meeting in November, there are different functions for Sullivan’s Island’s boards and commissions, set by state law.  So true!

Town Council should make sure all of the boards and commissions on Sullivan’s Island function as state law intends.  And also make sure that islanders are provided the inclusive, participatory review process intended by state law and repeatedly promised to us by Town Council.

Karen and Barbara

sicommunityimpact.com

Proposed Improvements to Stith Park

Planning Commission Review of Public Project

Southeastern Environmental Law Journal, pg 5

*Bradford W. Wyche, An Overview of Land Use Regulation in South Carolina, 11 Southeastern Envtl. L.J. 183, 192-193 (2003)

Letter from SI voter: Desperately Seeking Leadership

Our goal at SI Community Impact is to get information out to islanders about what is happening on Sullivan's Island and the impact of it all on the entire community.  To that end, we have encouraged islanders to send us letters and other information to post on SI CI. Our hope is that SI CI can become a forum for islanders to communicate with each other about significant issues in the community. 

SI CI does not plan to endorse a candidate for mayor, but we are happy to post letters and candidate endorsements sent to us by other islanders. Particularly as we enter the last weeks of this critically important mayoral race, we encourage islanders to write letters about the candidates and issues of concern to you. 

Below is a thoughtful letter from islander Ed Allen, endorsing Pat O'Neil for Mayor of Sullivan's Island. 

Karen and Barbara

sicommunityimpact.com

Here is Ed's letter:

At the December 3rd  town hall meeting to meet the mayoral candidates, Jerry Kaynard's sudden "man of the people" comment that he would like to have a town hall meeting for every issue was completely opposite to his track record. 

This is the man who fought tooth and nail to prevent a good faith petition for referendum (the ultimate town hall), and stated in an open council meeting that there was "a presumed majority" on that controversial issue when clearly there was not. He also once condescended at a Town Council meeting to point out that the council was allowing citizens to speak on a controversial issue at a time when it was not required to do so. The issues here aren't important, but rather the lack of real regard for an opposing view.

Conversely, from the time he took office on council, Pat O'Neil has regularly provided me (and I'm sure many others) with email updates on town matters and public safety issues, and solicited my opinion. He's the only council member that has ever done that. 

He has always been open and willing to not just hear but actually consider my opinion. At the December 3 public forum, Pat had the humility, without prompting, to openly state he wished he could  take back his vote to accelerate the process for passing ordinances. 

That is leadership, and what this town desperately needs. It doesn't matter how many meetings someone has sat in or with whom, it's how well one represents constituents that measures leadership.

I am encouraging all SI Community Impact readers to please vote for Pat and begin the process of restoring the trust in Council that only Pat was willing to admit does not exist. We are all neighbors and we want a Mayor and a Town Council that will really welcome and value our thoughts on what is in the best interests of this special place we love.

Edwin H. Allen - 956 Osceola Avenue - Sullivan's Island,
 SC 29482 - 843.883.8109

What to do about coyotes?

To read the P&C this past week, one would think that Sullivan's Island residents are cowering in fear of salivating, 3-inch-fanged, packs of coyotes. We do have coyotes on our island. So do Mount Pleasant, Isle of Palms, and all of the other towns and cities in our area. 

There may well be more we all can do to effectively manage the coyote population. But are some politicians resorting to scare tactics to alarm island residents? Is this coyote issue being intentionally exaggerated? Could it possibly have anything to do with the upcoming mayoral election?

In spite of little or no communication to the public, the meeting of the SI Public Safety Committee on December 3 was well-attended by islanders. Perhaps we can thank the word of mouth among neighbors and the highly-viewed website, Sullivan's Island Community Impact. The agenda was packed with important issues: coyotes, the logistical operations of the upcoming Polar Bear Swim, and the St. Patrick's Day Festivities (which we islanders affectionately call The Nightmare on Middle Street).

The size of the audience was particularly noteworthy, considering the meeting was scheduled for 3:30 in the afternoon, when many working residents can't attend. Scheduling should be at the convenience of the people. Let's start having these meetings when everyone has the opportunity to participate!

Chair Chauncey Clark announced at the beginning of the meeting that the agenda had been changed and there would be no discussion about the St. Patrick's Day debacle until January 13.  The large audience was clearly disappointed and frustrated with the change in the agenda. One islander had even changed her flight plans to attend the meeting!

The coyote issue is significant. And islanders deserve to know the facts about them in our community. Mayoral candidate Jerry Kaynard spoke up and said that residents have called him about sensing an increase in danger to their children and pets. He stated that one caller "heard" a pack of coyotes on Halloween night while the children were Trick or Treating. Another resident stated that one coyote sits on the opposite side of her 5' fence, and she is in fear of the coyote scaling her fence and attacking her dogs. Another islander said that he saw a coyote on his beach path, and he was afraid of an encounter.

The Public Safety Committee needs to let the Public Safety officers do their jobs. Police Chief Danny Howard stated that there have been NO encounters with a coyote for over a year. He stated that no dogs have been attacked, although there have been some missing cats. He has 5 night-vision cameras placed in strategic spots on the island, and, upon their review, there appears to be no significant increase in the coyote population. Chief Howard offered to place a camera in the vicinity of any islander requesting one.

As was also discussed, there is a petition going around that was signed by 34 residents who support increasing the height of fences from 5' to 7'. (Thirty-four signers constitute less than 3% of the SI population.)  The idea was resoundingly negated by the crowd at the meeting. Chauncey Clark stated that request would have to go through the SI Planning Commission because it would require an ordinance change.

Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed when committee member Pat O'Neil introduced a motion that was originated by Chief Howard. This motion was to lower the threshold for contacting SI Police in case of a coyote encounter. Residents are encouraged to call 843.743.7200 to report a sighting. Call 911 for an emergency. If a coyote is located on a resident's property, and it appears to be threatening or standing its ground, that resident may take whatever means possible to ensure his safety, and the safety of his family and pets.

It is a wise decision to let our Public Safety officials do their jobs. That's what we pay them to do. They have good advice, effective tracking equipment, and are always around when you need them. It is foolish and harmful for island politicians to frighten our citizens with no facts to support that fear.

Lastly, a committee of residents and experts is being formed by islander, Andy McFarland, and committee member, Mary Jane Watson. The survey committee's job will be to examine the facts and issues of coyotes existing in our coastal region and how their existence should play out in our community. If you would like to participate in the creation of this survey, please contact either Andy or Mary Jane.

The Public Committee absolutely DID NOT vote to recommend a proposal to Town Council to increase fence heights on SI. So why would the P&C report that it did? According to a story by reporter Prentiss Findlay, the Public Safety Committee recommended a proposal to increase fence heights to SI Town Council and Council will be voting on the proposal at its December 16th meeting. What!?!

The Public Safety Committee did not even take a vote on increasing fence heights, much less recommend the proposal to Town Council.  Is Chair Chauncey Clark aware that proposal will be on the Town Council's agenda? How did that happen? What about the requirement that such a proposal would have to first go through the Planning Commission? Contact Chauncey at crclark4si@gmail.com and find out how this proposal wound up on Town Council's agenda!

The Polar Bear Swim was minimally discussed. It will be on January 1st, beginning at Noon and the Plunge will take place at 1 pm. It was suggested that the restaurant owners should take on more of the responsibility for security and sanity. 

The audience overwhelmingly supported no outside alcohol beverages, and no beer trucks.It was reported that the Polar Bear Plunge does not reach the dangerous levels of behavior as witnessed on Saint Patrick's Day. Insisting on tighter controls now will diminish that from ever happening.

Stay tuned...

Coyotes, St. Patrick's Day and Managed Parking

There is a critically important meeting of the Sullivan's Island Public Safety Committee on Wednesday, December 3,
at 3:30.  The meeting will be held at SI Town Hall on Middle Street.

On the agenda are three extremely controversial issues that impact 
all SI residents: Coyotes, St. Patrick's Day, and Managed Parking. So why schedule a meeting at a time that is decidedly inconvenient for most islanders?

No topic has generated more anger and controversy in the past year than the St. Patrick's Day drunken fiasco. Irate islanders filled Town Hall at Council meetings in March and April to insist that Town Council make substantial changes to the event. Chauncey Clark chairs the Public Safety Committee and promised to meet with residents and commercial district bar owners by the end of the summer to discuss possible changes. (Minutes linked here.) 

Chauncey did manage to meet with the bar owners, but the promised meeting with islanders never materialized. Chauncey said he just couldn't "find the time" to meet with residents. So once again, Town Council is giving the commercial district precedence over residents. 

As to the coyote issue--The last time Town Council took a vote on managing the coyote issue was last January. The vote was unanimous, with all council members in favor. Mayor Perkis noted that he preferred to get more education before the wholesale removal of the coyotes.

According to the minutes of that meeting, all members of Town Council:

1) voted  to adopt a report from  Public Safety Committee; 
2) to ask the Public Safety Committee to provide Council with recommendations on coyote issues; and 
3) to allow the Police Department to hire a trapper as needed. 

Note: It is not clear what the report from the Public Safety Commitee actually recommended, since the report adopted by Town Council was not a written report. In response to an email, Andy Benke stated that there was only a verbal recap from the police chief, who stated that coyote sightings were up from the summer months and that the department will continue to monitor the reports/sightings for signs of aggressive behavior. The Public Safety Committee was to review the coyote policy to see if aggressive behavior was being adequately addressed. 

Now we hear that Jerry Kaynard has told some residents that he will "get rid" of the coyote problem. In addition, there are some islanders who have signed a petition to be allowed to build SEVEN-FOOT privacy fences around their properties to keep these "dangerous" creatures out of their yards. 

Is this going to be recommended at the meeting on Wednesday afternoon, with no further input from islanders? Do a substantial number of islanders actually favor allowing residents to build 7-foot privacy fences all around their homes?  Have islanders been surveyed on this issue?

As to Managed (paid) Parking--Who knows what is really going on with that? Town Council continues to tell islanders that managed parking is a critically important issue, and that SI must make a decision about it before this summer, since IOP is doing that, and SI will be inundated with cars and traffic if we do not follow suit. IOP held a public forum on October 2 to get feedback from IOP residents on the parking issue.  

We discovered that Jery Kaynard and Susan Middaugh attended the IOP forum, but Town Council has chosen not to share with SI residents many of the complex issues involved with managed parking and how SI residents will be impacted when it is implemented. And we also discovered that Town Council is using a traffic plan from 2009 to make decisions for the Summer of 2015 and beyond.(Wouldn't a 5-6-year-old traffic study be somewhat dated? Does that make any sense?)

The Public Safety Committee meeting on December 3rd at 3:30 is an important meeting to attend. Islanders need to show up and speak out. 

Clearly, Chauncey Clark has time to listen to bar owners, but he has no time to meet with residents. He accepts a petition signed by about 25 residents on the coyote issue, but he hasn't the time to assess how other islanders all feel about the coyote presence on the island.

PLEASE TRY TO ATTEND THIS MEETING. IT IS TIME FOR THIS COUNCIL TO LISTEN TO THE RESIDENTS!!!