Town Council Approves Island-Wide Drainage Basin Delineation Agreement

James Island Town Council unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Charleston and Charleston County for an Island-wide drainage basin delineation.   The City of Charleston has already signed the agreement.   It now goes to Charleston County for final approval.

The plan is that Charleston County will manage a consultant contract with Thomas and Hutton, and the Town, County, and City will share in the cost based upon the area of each jurisdiction on James Island.  The Town will pay 24% of the total cost, which amounts to $13,645.

The consultants will delineate approximately thirty drainage basins on James Island.   The drainage infrastructure, such as ditches and pipes, owned by all jurisdictions will be included--Town, County, City and SCDOT.  This will allow drainage maps of James Island that show all infrastructure for the first time.  (Current Town maps show no City infrastructure even when our ditches and pipes interconnect with theirs.   Our maps show Town, County, and SCDOT infrastructure in the Town and unincorporated area.) 

The consultants will also look for opportunities to make cost effective improvements that will benefit many residents.   This project should be complete in approximately six months. 

This is only the first step.   Elected officials representing James Island will then pursue further analysis of particular basins.   The result will be a road map for future drainage improvements.  The long run goal is to determine what is needed for all of James Island. 

This is an important milestone in intergovernmental cooperation on James Island.

Vote Marilyn Clifford for JIPSD Commissioner

Marilyn Clifford will be an excellent addition to the James Island Public Service District Commission.   Marilyn served for many years as the representative from Centerville on the James Island Neighborhood Council.   A graduate of James Island High School, she also has a college degree in business administration.    She is the senior paralegal for a local law firm.   She will be able to represent the people of James Island effectively as she helps oversee the complicated budget and legal issues facing the District.    Marilyn is best known for her service to James Island Veterans organizations and for singing the national anthem at Lowcountry events.   She understands the need to limit property tax increases and also supports the effort to give residents in the unincorporated areas of James Island an opportunity to return to the Town.   Please support Marilyn Clifford for JIPSD Commissioner.

Elect Alan Laughlin JIPSD Commissioner

Alan Laughlin has a long record of volunteer service to James Island. Most notably, he served as Chairman of the James Island Neighborhood Council for many years. He is also a long time volunteer for the Community Emergency Response Team, serving first as leader for James Island and Folly Beach and now Deputy Director for the Lowcountry. He has the training and experience needed to work with the JIPSD fire chief, who serves as incident commander for all of James Island, preparing our people for emergencies such as the growing threat of storms and flood. For the last four years, he has attended all the James Island Public Service District Commission meetings. He has detailed knowledge of the JIPSD budget.   He is a retired Associate Hospital Administrator with a Masters in business administration. A Navy Vet, he is also the product of James Island public schools.   Alan understands the need to limit JIPSD property tax increases, and I am confident he will work with the Town on new funding solutions. A long time supporter of the Town, including a turn on the James Island Election Commission, we can count on him to support efforts to give residents of the unincorporated area of James Island an opportunity to rejoin the Town of James Island. Please give Alan Laughlin your vote for James Island Public Service District Commissioner.  Help him by sharing and liking Alan's facebook page.

More Trouble on Greenhill Road

The Town responded to the murder on Greenhill Road last summer by expanding the Island Sheriff's patrol by 50% and our coordinator, Sheriff's Deputy Sergeant Shawn James, has focused efforts on the "Down the Island" community.   Sadly, we had a second murder this fall and just last week, two were injured in a shooting.

The Town's goal has been to deter criminal activity.   The continued gun violence in the community shows that has not been fully effective.   Still, there has been improvement.   There has been strong cooperation by the community resulting in prompt arrests.   The more recent murderer was soon arrested and the two shooters from last week were taken into custody after two days.

Mayor Tecklenburg has offered the help of the Charleston City Police. While most of the Down the Island community is in the Town, as usual, there are a few residents who had annexed to the City.  Also, as usual, there are a number of new City developments on Dills Bluff and Fort Johnson bordering on the Down the Island community.

The Chief Deputy of the Sheriff's Office and the City Policy Chief are planning a coordinated effort with the Town's Island Sheriff's Patrol.   I hope that we will develop a memorandum of agreement between the Town and the City so that we can deepen law enforcement cooperation on James Island.

The James Island Neighborhood Council is also working on the problem;  Henrietta Martin represents the community on the neighborhood council.   There are street captains throughout the community.   They are working with the Town to target abandoned buildings and overgrown vacant lots.   Not only are these unsightly, cleaning up the area is a matter of public safety.

The Town just completed a sidewalk project on Seaside Lane and is already obtaining easements to improve drainage.   I strongly support a program of community improvement along with a commitment to continued law enforcement.

Vote Inez Brown-Crouch for JIPSD

Inez Brown Crouch has served our community for many years.   She serves with James Island Pride, on the James Island Arts Council, and the James Island Historical Commission.  She voted against the excessive 13% tax increase.  She willing to work with the Town to limit the burden on taxpayers while maintaining quality service.   She supports giving all residents of the JIPSD the opportunity to join the Town.  Inez deserves your vote.  Please return her to the James Island Public Service District Commission.   

Abuse of Power at the JIPSD Commission Meeting

JIPSD Chairwoman Sandi Engelman and Vice-Chairman Donald Hollingsworth both refused to respect the first amendment rights of Alan Laughlin, a candidate seeking election to the JIPSD Commission in November.

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Like most governmental bodies, the James Island Public Service District Commission allows citizen comments at their meeting.   This provides an opportunity for citizens to exercise their first amendment rights, specifically, the right to free speech and to "petition the Government for a redress of grievances."   

The Chairwoman of the JIPSD, Sandi Engelman, and the Vice Chairman, Donald Hollingsworth have decided to impose censorship on citizen comments to prevent all criticism of any Commissioner or the Commission.

What is their rationale?   The JIPSD rules of procedure which include:

Rule 23  Purpose of Public Comment.  It is the purpose of this agenda item to
permit the public to address the Commission, not to debate or berate the Commission or
its employees.  

Rule 25  Decorum.   Any person making impertinent or slanderous remarks or
who becomes obnoxious or disruptive while addressing the Commission may be barred
from further presentation before the Commission by the presiding officer. 

Chairwoman Engelman and Vice Chairman Hollingsworth have interpreted these rules to prohibit all criticism of any Commissioner or the Commission.

There are two problems with this censorship.   Most importantly, the JIPSD is an elected, governmental body fully subject to the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution.   Any JIPSD rule that prohibits citizens from sharing concerns about the actions of  a Commissioner or the Commission is unconstitutional.

However, the existing JIPSD rules do not come close to prohibiting criticism.  Chairwoman Engelman and Vice Chairman Hollingsworth are violating the Commission's own rules as well as the U.S. Constitution.

To "berate" is to scold or criticize angrily.   Even harsh criticism can be delivered in a reasonable and calm matter.   "Impertinent"  means rude or showing disrespect.   Again, criticism may be provided in a respectful manner.  "Slanderous" means false and malicious.   A truthful criticism can never be slanderous.

What happened?

At the August meeting, Alan Laughlin was recognized for his three minute public comment.   He began to address the Commission.   He stated Commissioner Kay Kernodle was at the August meeting of James Island Town Council.  As soon as he mentioned her name, Chairwoman Engelman interrupted and said that he could not criticize any Commissioner.   Laughlin then began without using Kernodle's name, stating that a Commissioner had attended the August Town Council meeting.  Engelman again interrupted stating that she would not allow anyone to criticize any Commissioner. 

Alan Laughlin wasn't even given the opportunity to make any criticism, much less berate the Commission or be impertinent or slanderous.     It was obvious that Engelman had a good idea what Laughlin was going to say, and she was going to prohibit him from speaking.

At the September meeting, Laughlin tried again.   He prefaced his remarks by saying that he wanted to bring up a concern about the behavior of the Commission's official liaison to the Town at the August James Island Town Council meeting.  Engelman told him that he could not criticize the Commission or any Commissioner.

Commissioner Kathy Woolsey stated that Engelman was violating Laughlin's first amendment rights.   Vice Chair Hollingsworth said the Commission rules prohibit any criticism of the Commission.   Commissioner Woolsey asked what rule states that no criticism is allowed and asked that it be read.  Hollingsworth then read the rule 25.   Since Laughlin hadn't done more than mention the Commission liaison, he had no opportunity to be impertinent much less slander anyone.  Engelman said that Commissioner Woolsey was out of order and pointed to the sheriff's deputy at the back of the room and said that she would have her removed. 

What grievance was Alan Laughlin trying to share with the Commissioners?

At the August Town Council meeting, Commissioner Kay Kernodle signed up for the Town's public comment period.   She handed a letter to the members of Council and then turned her back and began to address the audience.    I asked her to address Council.   She refused, stating that she didn't want to address Council and wanted to address the audience.  Rather than insist that she follow the Town rules, I just let her go on for her three minutes.   She spent the three minutes thanking Mayor Tecklenburg for agreeing to adjust the City's boundary with the Town so that the new JIPSD fire station would be entirely within the Town. I thought she made a fool of herself with her impertinent behavior.  I was just baffled that she failed to use this opportunity to request that Town Council agree to a boundary adjustment.

Alan Laughlin believes that Commissioner Kernodle's lack of respect for Town Council was inappropriate, especially because such behavior would never be tolerated at a Commission meeting.   I imagine that is what he planned to say to the Commissioners at their August and September meetings.  I think it is highly likely that is what Engelman expected him to say as well. 

Surely, that is why she censored Alan Laughlin in clear violation of his first amendment rights.  And her vice Chairman, Donald Hollingsworth, backed up her abuse of power.

Isn't it time for a change?

Ethics Problems at the JIPSD

Conflict of Interest is a serious problem at the James Island Public Service District. 

JIPSD Commissioner Kay Kernodle was found to be in violation of South Carolina Ethics law.   She tried to have the JIPSD hire her husband to do legal work.  The South Carolina Ethics Commission determined that by participating in the selection process and rejecting other applicants, she sought to narrow down the field to leave her husband as the only candidate.   She claims that she did not intend to cause the District to choose her husband and that the other candidates were unsuitable.   She admitted that no one would believe her, so she decided not to fight the charge.

Here is the consent order.

When Trent Kernodle was the only applicant left, Commissioner Kernodle must have known that she could not get away with voting to appoint her husband.   With the Commission deadlocked 3 to 3, she instead voted to give up the Commissioners' role of voting for the General Counsel and instead turned the decision over to District Administrator Robert Wise.  The District Administrator has continued to approve payments to the Kernodle Law Firm, funneling taxpayer money to Commissioner Kay Kernodle's family.

It is up to the voters of James Island to decide whether they want this kind of insider dealing on their Commission.  Commissioner Kay Kernodle and her two allies who joined her in those votes--Commissioner Wilder and Hollingsworth--are up for election in November.

Isn't it time for a change?