Harborview Road News

 

The Harborview Road Improvement project has been bid out, and the contracts should go before County Council on July 29.    Silt fencing should start to appear in late August or early September.
Since I was elected Mayor in 2012, I have cooperated with Charleston County and Councilman Joe Qualey to avoid delays and get the project started.   It has been delayed too long.   The road is falling apart.

The Town provided input on the more than 60 large trees and 150 smaller trees that will be planted to beautify the road.   I think that with the sidewalks and improved bike lanes, and the repaving, we will have a project of which all of us can be proud.

When I was first elected Mayor in 2010, the Town was suing Charleston County to block the Harborview Road Improvement Project.   I immediately began seeking a reasonable compromise with the County and settle the suit.   The County argued that due to SCDOT regulations, little change was possible.    The Town paid for a second opinion from an engineering firm, but they  mostly agreed with Charleston County.   Then, the Supreme Court came out with its order that the Town was improperly formed.   We asked for a reconsideration from the Supreme Court, and during that period withdrew our suit against the County.    The Town got nothing from suing the County.

I asked County Councilman Joe Qualey to work to for a compromise and agreed to give him my support.    The project is in his district.   Where we had the County and SCDOT insisting that no modification was possible when the Town was suing to force change, compromise became possible when it was requested by our representative on County Council.

I learned a lesson.   Fighting in court wastes time and money.  Working with our elected representatives gets results.

Gullah Cultural Center

The St. James Foundation is seeking to develop a Gullah Cultural Center on James Island.    The proposed location is a nearly 10 acre parcel on Grimball Road. (TAX PARCEL ID: 3340700048.)
It is located between Septima P. Clark Corporate academy and James Island Elementary School.
The Foundation hopes to purchase the property using Charleston County Greenbelt funds.    It has applied for a grant from the rural portion of the program.   It has also approached the Town, asking for a $200,000 match from the Town's allocation of Greenbelt funds to help reach the total $900,000 purchase price.  

The Foundation's application will be reviewed by the Greenbelt Board in early August and so if the Town is to the support the project, a decision must be made at the Town Council meeting on Thursday, July 17.

The Gullah Cultural building will take up two of the ten acres on the site.   Most of the grounds will be landscaped and open to the general public.   An interpretative walking trail tracing the history of the Gullah experience will be included on the grounds.   Space will be available for large picnics, school groups and farmers markets.   This open land and trail is very consistent with the Town's strategy for using its share of the Greenbelt funds.    

The building will include an auditorium, conference center, a teaching kitchen and  café.   The Foundation plans for a variety of educational and cultural activities at the Center, including story telling, sale of sea island crafts by local entrepreneurs, and food.

The Gullah Cultural Center will be located in a portion of James Island that was in the Town in the past but is now unincorporated.   We hope that this area can be returned to the Town soon.

I believe that that the Town should be proud to play a part in this exciting project, highlighting an essential part of the James Island experience.

Troy Strother, of the St. James Foundation, we be at the July Town Council meeting to make a presentation about the project.

If you have any concerns or questions about the Town's contribution to this project, please call me at 697-7020 or email mayorwoolsey@gmail.com.

Tax Credit Progress--Attorney General's Opinion

The South Carolina Attorney General's Office provided an official opinion that the Town's proposal to use LOST Property Tax Credit funds to reduce Charleston County property taxes is legal.   The Attorney General's Office also said that the Town could seek a declaratory judgment from a court to be sure.

The Town's proposal is to deposit funds that the Town received from the LOST property tax credit fund with the County Treasurer.  The County Auditor would calculate the property tax credit and apply it to each tax bill in the Town.  A municipal tax credit would appear at the top of each tax bill.   This would include tax bills for homes, businesses, cars, and boats.    Taxpayers in the Town would pay less to the County Treasurer by the amount of the credit.   With the amount budgeted now, the result would be a 16% cut for homeowners in the Town.

If the Town comes to an agreement with Charleston County, then as each tax bill is paid and processed, funds from the Town's deposit would go to Charleston County's general government fund to cover the amount of the credit on the bill.   Charleston County would receive the same amount of revenue as before.

Hopefully, this opinion by the Attorney General's Office will pave the way for the taxpayers in the Town to pay less taxes on the bills going out this Fall.

Muphy Oil -- "News" from 2012

On July 5, 2012, I was copied on an email from Dan Pennick to County Councilman Joe Qualey.   Pennick, Director of Charleston County Planning, wrote Councilman Qualey:

Dear Joe:

An application for a zoning change at 1182 Folly Road (TMS# 4251300024) from Residential Office (OR) to Neighborhood Commercial (CN) was submitted by the attorney for the property owners on May 25, 2012 for the July Planning Commission meeting. Shortly thereafter, the engineers for Murphy Oil Express gas station and the attorney for the property owners, Randolph Cooper, informed us that they would like to pursue a Planned Development because their proposed site design was hindered by the required land use buffers. Members of their project team have indicated that they would prefer to have the rezoning completed with Charleston County.

On that same day, I emailed Dan Pennick the following:

Dear Dan:

It seems that this property is in the Town of James Island.

While I don't officially have any authority until after August 2 (and only then on the assumption I don't get beat by a write in campaign) I don't think that the planned development to allow a gas station, or even a rezoning from office residential, would be appropriate.  

The effort to complete this rezoning before the Town opened failed.   I believe that the primary reason was the good relations between Charleston County and the Town and between Councilman Joe Qualey and myself. He and I have worked closely together on many issues since he took office in January of 2011.  His help was essential during the period the Town was closed and for the last two years as the Town has rebuilt its strength.   If I am reelected, we can build upon this strong relationship for the next four years.

Deadline for Voter Registration for Town Election is Saturday, June 28.

The deadline for registering to vote for the Town election on July 29 is Saturday, June 28.  That is one week from today.

If you live in the Town of James Island and are registered to vote, then you are eligible to vote in the Town election.

If you are not registered to vote, we have registration forms at Town Hall, but you can also register online or by email or fax.  Go to the South Carolina Election Commission website to find out more.

If you have moved here from outside of Charleston County, then you must register again.   If you moved to your current residence from somewhere in Charleston County, please update your registration.   This can be done online or by completing a form.

James Island Library Branch

 

The Post and Courier wrote that  "Charleston County Officials" suggested that they might donate the building and property of the James Island Branch of the Charleston County Library to the Town of James Island.  The article from the Post and Courier is here. 

We contacted Charleston County.   If the referendum passes and a new library is built on James Island, then there is some support by County staff for donating the existing building and land to the Town.   It would require approval by Charleston County Council.

The Town would gratefully accept the donation of the building and property.   If the referendum passes in November, we will have plenty of time to think about possible uses for the property before the new library opens.

The Town sent  a resolution to the members of County Council asking that the branch be kept open as well as a new library be constructed on James Island.   The article in the paper was about how the referendum language approved by a majority of County Council will close the existing branch and replace it with a new library on James Island.  Councilman Joe Qualey voted against closing the existing branch, consistent with the Town's resolution.

County staff continues to look for a specific location and has several under consideration.   Hopefully, that will be settled before the referendum in November.

Emergency Drill Today

Charleston County Emergency Management Division and local governments, including the Town of James Island, held our annual disaster drill this morning, June 19. Town Hall was set up to provide support services for the Incident Commander on... James Island, Chief Seabolt of the JIPSD Fire Department.. We were set up to have Red Cross, Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy and Coroner’s office representatives to assist with family re-unification and next of kin notification. We were also set up to handle media interviews and Public Information Officer operations as needed. The simulated emergency event occurred at the James Island Youth Soccer Club fields on Fort Johnson Road.

 

At Town Hall ready for relatives of victims.

 

 

 

At the James Island Youth Soccer Club fields speaking to Chief Seabolt.

 

 

Talking Emergency Preparedness with County Coroner Rae Wooten.