City Council did not meet on July 13 because that was Election Day. Their next regular meeting will be July 27 at 7:00 p.m. in Council chambers. Agenda items were to include ordinances amending the current rules for dogs on the beach, requiring non-residents to purchase a license tag for pets they bring to the beach, and establishing rules for the use of golf carts within the City of Folly Beach, but Mayor Goodwin has decided to have a workshop on those issues so residents can come forward to express their ideas and opinions. The date of the workshop will be announced soon. On the agenda for the July 27 meeting are the repeal of the Red Bay Laurel Ordinance and discussion of the vacation rental management ordinance. Residents are encouraged to attend and speak their minds. To make a citizen comment, all you have to do is show up and sign in. It is not necessary to be placed on the agenda in advance.

Planning Commission

The Planning Commission met on July 12 and the first order of business was to swear in Elton Culpepper, Pennell Clamp’s appointee to the Planning Commission. Then the Planning Commission got down to business.

Zoning Administrator Aaron Pope introduced an ordinance he described as “a regulatory mechanism to manage short-term rentals and the problems associated with them” that will establish requirements for obtaining a business license to rent property on a short-term basis.

One of the issues discussed was limiting the number of occupants and including a list of all occupants on the rental agreement. Sam Robinson said there should be a maximum number of renters based on the number of bedrooms. “It’s a health issue because of the demands on the septic system,” he said, “and a safety issue in the event of a fire.” Kirk Grant thought it would be difficult to enforce occupancy limits, but LaJuan Kennedy said two guests per bedroom plus two additional guests conforms to maximum occupancy guidelines elsewhere and should be enforceable.

Another major issue was how to make sure owners as well as renters were aware of the rules regarding such issues as noise, trash, parking, animals, sea turtles and golf carts. “Some people don’t have a clue,” said Chairman LaJuan Kennedy. “The agents will abide by the rules, but we need to educate the people who don’t have agents.”

There was some squabbling about whether the rules should be included in the actual rental agreements that resulted in a vote of three for and three against with Kennedy recusing herself from the vote since she works for a rental agency. Tie votes fail, so the Planning Commission will recommend to City Council that the rules become part of the rental agreement vacationers must sign. The listing of all renters was scrapped, but Planning did vote to require the number of occupants to be included on the rental agreement.

The rules and regulations must also be posted in a prominent position in the homes. It was agreed that the door would be the best place to post the rules. “Keep it short so they will read and understand it,” said Millard Smith. Culpepper went even further. “It needs to be something a ten-year-old can understand,” he said. Grant suggested that the City provide a bulleted poster.

Carl Hally made the point that under current law, the owner is responsible for violations. “This will make the renters responsible, so they should know what the consequences are.” Culpepper agreed. “The owner is getting rental income, but he is not the one creating the problem.”

“How do we determine what constitutes a violation?” Pope asked. “That’s where we got derailed last time we tried to do this. The City has the right to revoke licenses, but we don’t have any parameters.”

“If we are going to have it this year, we have got to get something to City Council,” said Kennedy. “If we don’t have it in their hands by October, we will have to wait until next year.”

The Planning Commission voted unanimously to have their suggestions incorporated into the ordinance that will receive first reading at the City Council meeting on July 27. Council will hash it over and send it back to Planning for a public hearing. That’s when residents who will be affected by the new laws – and isn’t that just about everyone? – as well as owners of vacation rentals can most effectively contribute to the dialogue. The Planning Commission makes recommendations; City Council makes laws.

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Rich, the owner of Planet Follywood, received 54 percent of the vote and city planner Susan Breslin garnered 46 percent of the vote. Both Rich and Breslin were candidates in the April 6 election, but neither received enough votes to win. Breslin squared off against Council member Laura Beck in a runoff election on April 22 in which Beck was able to retain her seat on City Council.

Rich said he was excited about the win and ready to get to work on City Council. “We always knew the winner would be the one who could get the most supporters out to vote,” Rich said. “I was pretty sure I had 300 supporters who would definitely vote for me.” Rich received 317 votes.

Breslin said she enjoyed the campaign and the opportunity to meet so many people and talk about their concerns regarding the direction in which Folly Beach was headed. But after three campaigns in four months, she said she was ready to move on to other ventures. She added that she would continue to attend city meetings and work behind the scenes. “I love Folly Beach,” she said. “Nothing will change that.”

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Blue Mountain front man Cary Hudson from Sumrall / Oxford, Mississippi, returns to Charleston to play the Surf Bar on Thursday, July 29, for his first show on Folly Beach.

Folly Beach attracts interesting characters from all corners of the world: authors, actors, artists, musicians, poets, athletes, politicians, diplomats, vagabonds and everything in between. This month, two highly-regarded singer-songwriters will make their first trips to the island – Cary Hudson of Blue Mountain and Bret Mosley.

“I played the Lowcountry for the first time in February of 2009, in Beaufort,” Mosley says. “Right after my set, a grinning six-and-a-half-foot tall Bubba in a tie-dye t-shirt walked up to me and said, ‘You in gee-tar country – WE LIKE YOU.’ I’ve been back every month or two since then. The soulfulness and the generosity of spirit in the south – that’s the thing about it that draws me, the audiences, the artists. Their hearts are available to one another. When I sing the words, ‘feel the Love, y’all’ down here, it lands and it sticks.”

Mosley hails from Brooklyn and plays a very original, hybrid brand of alternative rock, roots music and funk. Some critics refer to it as “Bluebilly Funkjam.” Touring tirelessly, he has shared the stage with Trombone Shorty, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, The Subdudes, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Garry Burnside, Jackie Greene, Outformation, Kaki King, Kelly Joe Phelps, Jerry Joseph and Stockholm Syndrome. Mosley has also drawn comparisons to Chris Whitley, Steve Earle, Van Morrison, Keller Williams, Ben Harper, Taj Mahal and Beck.

Cary Hudson comes from Sumrall, Mississippi, but has relocated a handful of times to Oxford, where he made his stand in the late 1980s as the frontman for the seminal blues-rock and alt-country act Blue Mountain (originally the Hilltops). The original lineup included Hudson and twin brother-sister duo John Stirratt (of Uncle Tupelo and Wilco) and Laurie Stirratt. After the divorce of Hudson and Laurie Stirratt, the band went on a decade-long hiatus, but has reformed in the past three years and toured nationally with a new energy, a couple of new albums and a rejuvenated fan base.

Hudson and Blue Mountain have been credited as being pioneers of the alt-country movement. The band graced the cover of the second issue of No Depression Magazine, and is perhaps most well-known for their hit songs “Soul Sister” and “Jimmy Carter.”

Follywood Productions strives to be the Lowcountry’s most complete event coordinating service, handling live entertainment and promotion for local and regional artists, venues, festivals, fundraisers, universities and special events. This is Follywood – This is The Edge.

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So it’s not against the law to . . .

A couple engaging in sexual relations on a blanket strewn with empty beer bottles was cited for glass on beach just after midnight on June 23. The officer asked for IDs and when he ran their information he discovered the 39-year-old man was wanted by Charleston County for check law violations. After being taken into custody and searched, a small amount of marijuana was discovered in his cigarette pack. The subject admitted to having more marijuana in the console of his truck, which measured in at 2.5 grams. The woman was ticketed for glass on the beach and the man was issued a summons for simple possession of marijuana and released to the Charleston County Sheriff’s Department on the outstanding warrant.

Sittin’ on the dock . . .

A 46-year-old man who reportedly stole a beer from a convenience store was arrested minutes later drinking the beer on a fishing pier. On June 24 about 9:00 a.m. Public Safety was dispatched to the Kangaroo by employees who said a man had taken a can of Earthquake Malt Liquor and left the store without paying for it. The manager of the Kangaroo followed the suspect to the Folly River Park where Chief Boatwright and the responding officer caught him at the dead end of the fishing pier, where he was arrested for open container. When asked when and where he had purchased the beer, the suspect said he had bought it an hour earlier, but the officer noticed the beer was still cold. Both the manager and the cashier at the Kangaroo positively identified the suspect as the one who had stolen the beer. The man was taken to jail and charged with the maximum fines on shoplifting, open container and giving false information to police.

Nap attack

Public Safety was dispatched to the Folly Road Piggly Wiggly about 5:00 p.m. on June 25 to help with a medical call regarding a man passed out in his vehicle. The suspect told officers that he had been out on the beach all day and had drunk a few beers and thought he needed to get some rest. It was obvious to the responding office that the subject had been drinking heavily and he was issued a citation for disorderly conduct by intoxication. The subject graciously accepted the citation and apologized for the trouble he had caused and the officer called a friend to drive him home.

Road rage

Two men were walking down East Arctic about 6:30 p.m. on June 26 when a car following them started honking the horn and yelling at them to get out of the way. The vehicle passed them and stopped and the driver got out and approached one of the men and pushed him backwards causing him to fall to the ground, striking his head on a parked vehicle in the process. The driver returned to his car and drove off, but a witness got his license number. The victim suffered lacerations to his head and back. Damage to the parked vehicle was estimated at $500. Charges of assault and battery, 3rd degree, and vandalism will be served on the suspect when he is located.

Officer, I was just holding that post up

About 1:00 p.m. on June 27 Public Safety was dispatched to the Crab Shack because a 23-year-old woman was causing a disturbance with several patrons and had refused to leave. While officers were meeting with the Crab Shack employees, the woman came outside and had to hold onto a post to keep from falling down and it was apparent she was grossly intoxicated. The responding officer had dealings with the same woman the previous day at her residence when it was also apparent that she was grossly intoxicated. She was placed under arrest for disorderly conduct and transported to the Charleston County Detention Center for booking and to await a bond hearing.

Cracking the case

A vehicle with a cracked windshield was stopped on a safety violation about 6:00 p.m. on July 1 and the officer noticed that the driver and passenger appeared overly nervous. The driver stated that he and his girlfriend had an argument and he kicked the windshield in. When the officer walked around to the passenger side to get a better look at the windshield, he noticed that the passenger was breathing so heavily that his tee shirt was bouncing off his chest. The officer asked the driver if there was anything illegal in the vehicle and he said “Look for yourself.” The passenger was asked to step from the vehicle and the officer patted him down for weapons. As he was doing this the suspect began to sweat profusely and his legs started to shake, and the officer asked if he could search his person. During the search the officer removed the suspect’s baseball cap and when he turned it upside down and shook it, two white rock-like objects fell from under the brim. The suspect was arrested for possession of cocaine base and transported to Charleston County Detention Center.

Catch me if you can

On July 3 about 8:00 p.m. Public Safety was alerted to four cars leaving 10th Street East whose occupants appeared to be highly intoxicated. An officer stopped one of the cars and the others turned into the parking lot of 208 E Ashley. The officer responding to that address found the 19-year-old driver of one of the vehicles so intoxicated that he could not stand and the driver was not given the chance to take a field sobriety test due to concerns for his safety. He was placed under arrest for DUI, double-cuffed, placed in the back of the control car and belted in. While in route to the Charleston County Detention center the suspect bragged that he had been doing this for seven years without being caught.

When he blew a .18 on the Data-Master test, he was advised that his license was suspended and lodged into the detention center without further incident.

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Nicole Holofcener’s independent film entitled Please Give tip-toed recently onto the screens, it should conclude to rounding applause. Kate and Alex (Catherine Keener and Oliver Platt) are a couple living in New York. They own a successful business specializing in vintage furniture. Kate becomes consumed with guilt as she buys furniture from the recently deceased, and her husband Alex struggles with middle-aged infidelity. Their fifteen-year-old daughter, Abby (Sarah Steele), is confronting genetically bad skin and all the behavior challenges most teenagers don’t face well.

The family lives in a small apartment, feeling the lack of space. They own the property beside them, but have an elderly tenant, Andra (Ann Morgan Guilbert) occupying the space. Andra is an ornery old lady who calls it as she sees it. Consequently they are waiting for her to die. Racked with guilt over this thought, Kate tries to befriend Andra and her two granddaughters, Rebecca (Rebecca Hall) and Mary (Amanda Peet). Rebecca is fiercely protective of her grandmother and is not up for making new friends. Mary could care less about anything not related to her, but they soon find themselves entangled in each other’s lives. They are all flawed, insecure individuals to whom we can all relate. These true-to-life characters connect the audience immediately to the daily struggles of each story, but the main focus is Kate: a bleeding heart liberal who constantly hands money out to every homeless person she comes across.

Holofcener creates a film with hints of laughter mixed with an in-depth look at what motivates us and what defines being a “good person.” Like most of her films (Friends With Money), Holofcener’s characters are real, struggling with their selfish wants and desires, but never ridiculing them; a tactic which allows the audience to truly connect and not feel bad for their own humanity. It is a beautiful combination of the hilarity and sorrow that comes with life.

What Holofcener does best is allow her phenomenal cast the room to delve deeply into their characters and do what they do best. Keener and Hall have standout performances and Guilbert’s portrayal of Andra is nothing less than perfect. I cannot think of a film recently that was so perfectly cast. If nothing else, do not miss the performance of this unparalleled cast.

Please Give is a snap shot of real life and real people, and because of this many might find the weight of this film too much to bear. But isn’t that what life’s about, bearing the unbearable?

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Two strikes, you’re out

A man who had been previously told not to return to the Sand Dollar was involved in a fight there with another customer when Folly Beach Public Safety arrived on the scene just after midnight on June 5. He was arrested for trespassing and transported to the county jail.

It’s the real thing

On June 5 Public Safety was dispatched to Rose Hardware in reference to vandalism of the Coke machine. Police were advised that employees had restocked the Coke machine the previous evening and emptied the change receptacle, but apparently the drink machine had been pried open during the night and the change canister, which was estimated to contain $10, had been removed.

High school drunks next door?

A high school graduation party on June 6 was thwarted when Public Safety stopped a car driving down Center Street about 10:00 p.m. without its lights on. Further investigation revealed a case of beer and two bottles of vodka in the back seat. The suspects, neither of whom had ID on them, claimed to know nothing about the alcohol and the driver said it must belong to his girlfriend, who was the owner of the vehicle. When the suspects were ordered out of the car, it was discovered that both were hiding open containers of an alcoholic beverage. The driver finally admitted to having purchased the alcohol in Irmo for their high school graduation house at 1689 East Ashley. The driver was arrested and taken to jail. The passenger was charged with Open Container and Minor in Possession of Alcohol and released.

Let me check my pockets

On June 10 about 10:00 p.m. Folly Beach Public Safety was dispatched to a suspicious group of people around a pickup truck in the rear lot of McKevlin’s Surf Shop. There was a cooler in the truck bed and an open Bud Light in the rear console cup holder. One of the suspects admitted the beer was his and when the responding officer asked if he had anything else illegal on him, the suspect thrust his hands into his pocket. The officer pulled his hands from his pocket upon seeing a knife and then discovered a bag containing a green leafy substance. The suspect was arrested and taken to jail where the green leafy substance tested positive for marijuana and weighed in at three grams. The suspect was arrested for Open Container and Simple Possession of Marijuana.

Boys will be boys

One of the two men fighting on the sidewalk in front of Lazo’s around 9:30 p.m. on June 11 was found to be wanted by Charleston County. After talking to witnesses, it was determined that the two were equally involved in the fight and it was hard to place blame on who struck the first blow. Both suspects were issued citations for Simple Assault and one was transported to the Charleston County jail on the outstanding warrant.

Where’s the gun?

At 2:30 in the morning on June 17, officers were dispatched to 219 East Arctic due to a white male who did not live at the residence threatening the renters with a gun. The suspect and a friend had followed the complainants to the residence from a Center Street establishment and began making racial slurs towards the renters, who were black. The complainant tried to leave, but the suspect grabbed him and would not leave. When he was asked again to leave and would not go, the complainant punched the suspect, who then informed the group he was going to his truck to get his gun and it was at that point that the rest of the males at the residence jumped on the suspect and held him down. The friend said he had just met the suspect earlier in the evening at a bar. The officers were unable to locate a gun, but decided the suspect was on some kind of drug due to his behavior and he was arrested for Disorderly Conduct and transported to the Charleston County jail.

A case of he-said, he-said

Public Safety officers responding to a fight in progress at Mariner’s Cay Marina at 8:30 a.m. on June 17 were flagged down by one of the combatants who showed them a contusion on his head and requested medical attention. He stated that a man he did not know approached him aggressively as he was parking his car at the marina and began “putting his hands on him” and accusing him of driving recklessly. He said the man began striking him and put him on the ground, causing the injuries he had sustained.

While the officer was talking to the victim, the other half of the fight approached and said he was on his bicycle with his dog on a leash in front of his residence when a white Cadillac sedan “came tearing through the parking lot” and nearly struck him and his dog. He said he went over to the Cadillac and the driver got out and shoved him with both hands and they began exchanging blows.

A crew trimming trees nearby said they did not see the start of the fight, but thought both men were equally disorderly and advised the officers that they thought both men should be charged. Witnesses from across the parking lot stated both men were swinging on each other. Both subjects were cited for Disorderly Conduct and the bicycle rider was transported by EMS to a local hospital.

What were they doing on that car?

While on patrol about 11:30 on June 19, a Folly Beach Public Safety officer was flagged down by a man who stated that while he was playing music at Lazo’s someone vandalized his 2009 Jeep. The officer observed dents in the hood, the antenna broken off, and a crack in the windshield and the windshield wiper broken off on the passenger side. While speaking with the victim, a deputy arrived who said he had run off a couple he had seen lying on the hood earlier in the evening who had also been involved in a disturbance at Snapper Jack’s. The suspects were known to be staying at 110 East Ashley, but it was unknown which unit so no action was taken at the time.

Acrobatic thief makes off with umbrella

Be on the lookout for a “Red Stripe” umbrella stolen from the patio at Lazo’s early on the morning of June 20. The manager said someone had apparently scaled the wall of the locked rear patio and made off with the eight-foot umbrella with a wood and brass pole. Luckily, there was an identical umbrella at an adjacent table so the cops got a good picture of the one that wasn’t stolen. If you think you’ve spotted the stolen merchandise, come by and check out the photo.

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The first month serving as your mayor has been interesting with many issues to address. One, which has been the focus of some of our residents, is the proposed new bridge over the Folly River Creek. The Bridge Committee, as stated in last month’s letter, is recommending the new bridge stay in the same footprint as the current one.  There had been no new occurrence to report since the Bridge Committee’s letter was sent.  In light of this, I called DOT and requested a meeting with the Program Director which will happen within the next two weeks.  Also, it is my understanding that a response to the Bridge Committee’s letter is forthcoming.

Another matter which has been a dilemma for many of our citizens has been the difficulty in reaching the Folly Beach Public Safety Department for information or just to address administrative matters; in other words, calls that don’t fall into the category of being non-emergency with the need for a Public Safety officer to respond either in person, by phone or by an emergency 9-1-1 call.   Hopefully, the following information will help resolve some of the other problems:

Beginning Monday, May 17, the Public Safety office will be opened from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. If members of the public have an administrative matter which needs to be discussed, i.e. party permits, dog tags, lost or found articles, times dogs can be on the beach, or other types of information, they can reach Folly Beach Public Safety at 588-7003 from 7 a. m. to 7 p.m. If there is a non-emergency matter which requires a public safety officer to respond either in person or by phone, call 588-2433. For all emergencies, immediately dial 9-1-1.

Another matter which will be coming before Council is the relocation of the sewer force main. The city had initially planned to do this project in 2011; however, due to the break in the sewer main located on the Folly River, it is just not cost effective for the City to wait on this project. City staff is working on the best way to proceed financially and the engineer on the project is preparing specs for the bid packets.

On a final note, the FY 10-11 Budget has been given to City Council and a public hearing is scheduled for June 22, 2010, at 7 p.m. There is no tax increase proposed. Please call me if you have any concerns or if there is anything you would like to suggest.  I can be reached at 513-1835.
Sincerely,

(SIGNATURE) Tim Goodwin
Tim Goodwin
Mayor

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