Dear Editor,
The next City Council Meeting is Tuesday March 23rd at 7 PM. Here are my top ten reasons ya’ll should join me there.
10. You get to see the mayor called out on issues by really pissed off residents. This is fun to watch in and of itself.
9. You can technically have an ‘open container’ in the room due to an old law that Councilman Stormer brought to our attention last meeting. However, there is a posted sign in front of the room that says no beverages. Bummer right…
8. You get to say the pledge of allegiance. Talk about old school, I haven’t done that since I was 17.
7. Councilman McCarty’s hearing aid is sexy. I know you think I’m joking, but seriously, there must be perks. Whenever someone starts rambling about something stupid, he could just turn it off. I wonder if that’s how he makes it through the longer meetings.
6. You can normally spot the candidates who are running for council in the audience and ask them questions about what is actually going on. FYI – if you want to vote for any of them, the deadline to register is March 6th and the election is April 6th.
5. The meetings are broadcast on channel 60. I totally didn’t know Folly was showing up CSPAN. If you stand up to make a statement during the citizen’s comment period, you can get on TV.
4. You occasionally get free stuff. Last time we got biodegradable trash bags to test out to see if the city should invest in them. Although, it does confuse me that they thinking of spending money on fancy bags instead of helping to adequately fund the current volunteer beach patrol with the basic tools needed to even collect the trash. I guess that’s just Folly. Holler at John Crisco if you are interested in volunteering; you can find him through City Hall or Facebook.
3. City Hall is within walking distance to a handful of bars, which is very convenient for pre-gaming or for post game rehash and gossip.
2. Councilwoman Beck is hot.
1. You get to see our tax payer’s money go to good use or down the drain, however you prefer to look at it.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Miller
316 E. Ashley Apt B
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To all residents of Folly,
I normally don’t respond to letters to the editor that are totally incorrect. However, I must respond to two of the letters in the last issue because they are very misleading and derogatory. Had Ms. Wilkerson checked her facts with City Hall, she would have found out the true story. Her accusations are totally false and very misleading. Unfortunately, she was provided some of this information as she is a member of the Folly Beach Parks and Rec. Board. This information was told to her in confidence and she used the information clearly to attack City Hall. If Mr. Marley had checked his facts, he would have known the City had applied for stimulus funds in May 2009. We are still waiting for an answer from Washington. Also, there are many options when it comes to paying for municipal projects. The type he mentioned is not in the best interest of Folly Beach. My statement concerning the application for these Stimulus funds has been in the news since last year.
If any residents would like a full explanation on these two subjects please feel free to come by my office.
I will be attending the Congressional City Conference of the National League of Cities beginning 12 March and while in Washington DC I will meet with Senator Lindsey Graham, Representative James Clyburn to see if we can’t shake some of these funds loose for our Public Safety Expansion project.
Best Regards,
Carl B. Beckmann Jr.
Mayor, City of Folly Beach
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Dear Editor,
As a member of the Charleston County Urban Grant Review Committee, I would like to set the record straight on how the Urban Greenbelt Grant funds are allocated. These funds are available to all municipalities inside the urban growth boundary. The allocations are based on population. The City of Folly Beach has $218,990 available for a qualifying project. The funds can only be used towards land acquisition or minor improvements on land acquired with greenbelt funds. The grant process requires the municipality to submit an application in order to request funding for land acquisition. One of the requirements of the grant is a resolution endorsing the project from the municipality. Grants are awarded if the proposed project meets all of the grant requirements; incomplete applications are not considered. After the municipality passes a resolution endorsing the project, applications must first be approved by the Urban Grant Review Committee, then by the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission, then by the Charleston County Council before funding can be allocated. The County provides the funds at closing, so the funds are never in the possession of the municipality.
The Urban Grant Review Committee has received only one application from the City of Folly Beach. That application was for the acquisition of Cummings Point (Morris Island) in partnership with The Trust for Public Land and Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission. That application was withdrawn when the City of Charleston unexpectedly purchased the property instead. The Greenbelt Advisory Board (GAB) recently took up the issue of the funding allocations to the beach communities because none have been able to afford parcels thus far through their limited allocations. The GAB encouraged pursuing conservation easements, partnerships, grants, and private donations to leverage the funds. For more information about the Charleston County Greenbelt program, visit www.smallchangeforbigchange.org/greenbelt
Julie Hensley
706 E Cooper Ave
