Styrofoam up in the air
A small debate ensued during the Council's first attempt to legislate trash on Folly Beach when Mayor Carl Beckmann introduced an ordinance to ban styrofoam on the beach.
The City seemed to be taking a small step in the war against trash at their September Council meeting in the form of an Ordinance introduced by Mayor Carl Beckmann that would have banned styrofoam on the beach. However, a two pronged argument criticizing the Council’s consideration of residents’ opinions and the Mayor’s alleged circumvention of the process stopped the ordinance in its tracks.
It began with a resident’s speech during public comment, accusing the City Council of making up their minds on how to handle the trash issue before residents even had an opportunity to speak. She pointed out that many of the new Council members were elected to replace existing ones because the Council was passing ordinances and not allowing residents to speak on the matter. However, the same mantra was used during the trash discussions, she said. At the work session that followed the Fourth of July trashing, residents were not allowed to speak, as is the custom during work sessions. That meeting, though, was followed by a City Council meeting which does permit public comment. At the time, however, Mayor Beckmann warned residents not to even mention trash during their public comments because the City was going to hold a public hearing on the issue the following week. At that hearing, the City presented its ideas for dealing with the issue, despite the fact that they had not yet heard from the public. The message from the Council to voters, this concerned resident said, is “We’re smart. You’re stupid. We don’t need to hear from you”.
In addition, Council member Eddie Ellis accused the Mayor of circumventing the process to which the entire Council agreed to adhere. According to Ellis, the Council agreed to attack the trash issue with a comprehensive plan out of which Ordinances could later be crafted and introduced. The Mayor’s Styrofoam Ordinance, he said, is nothing but a show to convince the public that the City is acting on trash, and its piecemeal approach to the problem, at that.
“Let’s do what we said we were going to do,” Ellis proclaimed. That process involves engaging the public, he said. Residents provided many suggestions and ideas during the public hearing; however, the City Council only received a summary of all those ideas the day before the August City Council meeting. The Council needs to digest the public opinions and agree on a comprehensive plan, Ellis said.
Although the Mayor abruptly interrupted Ellis’ argument during their debate in order to call a vote, he joined the rest of Council in a unanimous vote to postpone the Styrofoam ordinance until the Council discussed the matter and considered the suggestions offered by residents.
