Letters to the Editor
Thank You
Dear Residents of Folly Beach,
I’d like to personally thank Mayor Tim Goodwin and the City of Folly Beach for their quick response to a major issue we recently had on the beach.
As many of you know, we had a terrible odor on our beach during the last week of June due to millions of tiny dead shells washing up on the beach in two different areas. The smell was almost toxic and the odor was so strong that residents and guests were unable to enjoy our beach for several blocks. By Tuesday afternoon, news of the odor was being broadcast on local radio and an erroneous rumor of a massive sewage leak was making its way through Charleston.
The City responded quickly and began working to eliminate the source of the odor by 7:00 am the next morning. By midday, the smell began to dissipate and residents and visitors were once again able to enjoy the beach. This would not have been possible without the quick response time by our City officials and staff. Thank you again.
Jonathan Weitz
Avocet Properties, Inc.
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Truth about red bays
Dear Editor,
I am writing to clear up any misunderstanding which may have been created by a letter to the editor regarding the City of Folly Beach’s diseased Red Bay trees. First, some background: in early January of 2009, it came to the attention of the former Mayor and a Council member that a disease called the Laurel Wilt Disease was attacking red bay trees on Folly Beach. At that time, the disease was confirmed in eight counties in South Carolina, including Charleston.
The City of Folly Beach decided to take the necessary steps in an attempt to slow it down, so City Council adopted an ordinance to remove and dispose of the diseased red bay trees in a manner which hopefully could keep the disease from spreading. If the property owner thought a diseased tree was in his yard, he would call the city and someone would go to the site and confirm it. Thereafter, the property owner or his agent would call someone who could cut it down properly, leave it in the right of way for Folly Beach Public Works to pick up where it would be taken to the selected burn site and the Folly Beach Fire Department would burn them on a certain day. If the property owner did not call the city and diseased trees were spotted, then a registered, return receipt letter was sent to the owner giving a certain amount of time in which to cut the trees and place them in the right of way. If said owner did not respond, then the city had the tree(s) removed and disposed of in the proper manner by a trained individual. Then the City was supposed to try to collect the cost from the property owner, which didn’t work out so well. Long story short: last fiscal year, the cost to the City was about $5,000.
Now back to the present. The red bay tree ordinance is still in full force and effect. City Council has not repealed this ordinance, nor has anyone suggested it be repealed. That process would take the adoption of another ordinance by City Council. Also, the “burn site” has not gone back to the owner nor did the owner ask for it back. The only site that went back was one too close to a residence because the resident could not tolerate the smoke. The site the city has always used is ready to use again; it has not been returned to the owner. The arrangements for using the two burn sites were made by the former mayor. I had absolutely nothing to do with making the arrangements for the trees to be removed and burned, nor did I speak with the property owners involved in this matter. I am not and have never been the property manager for either of the two lots that were designated for the burn sites. Sometimes, rumors are just that: rumors with no basis in fact.
The cost to the City just to remove and dispose of the diseased red bay trees in the right of way will be about $10,000. There also will be a cost for other properties whereby the owner or agent refuses to pay the cost or take responsibility for cutting said trees. The former mayor did not recommend funds be put in the budget at the inception of this program or later. The question is this: do we continue this program and appropriate the funds to pay for it or do we just take care of the diseased trees in the right of way and shut the program down? This is a question which needs to be answered by our citizens. David Whitaker, S.C. Department of Natural Resources Deputy Director of Marine Resources, states “The red bays are dying all over James Island and the coastal area. No matter what they do on Folly, these trees are probably doomed. You’re probably fighting a losing battle on a small scale like Folly.” The blight has been confirmed as far north as Horry County and as far west as Orangeburg County, according to Lurie Reid, S. C. Forestry Commission entomologist.
This is our community, our funds, and our trees. What would you like to see happen. Please e-mail your opinions to timgoodwin@bellsouth.net. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Tim Goodwin
Tim Goodwin
MayorThank You
Dear Residents of Folly Beach,
I’d like to personally thank Mayor Tim Goodwin and the City of Folly Beach for their quick response to a major issue we recently had on the beach.
As many of you know, we had a terrible odor on our beach during the last week of June due to millions of tiny dead shells washing up on the beach in two different areas. The smell was almost toxic and the odor was so strong that residents and guests were unable to enjoy our beach for several blocks. By Tuesday afternoon, news of the odor was being broadcast on local radio and an erroneous rumor of a massive sewage leak was making its way through Charleston.
The City responded quickly and began working to eliminate the source of the odor by 7:00 am the next morning. By midday, the smell began to dissipate and residents and visitors were once again able to enjoy the beach. This would not have been possible without the quick response time by our City officials and staff. Thank you again.
Jonathan Weitz
Avocet Properties, Inc.
