2016-17 Budget approved, Festival dates set, and flags funded
By Lorne Chambers | Editor
WORK SESSION
The evening began with a brief work session where members of council discussed the criteria for approving special events on public property, a discussion on the Business License Ordinance, and a proposal by the Folly Green Team for an electric charging station.
REGULAR MEETING CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL
The regular Meeting of Council was called to order promptly at 7 p.m. by Mayor Tim Goodwin. All councilmembers except for councilmember Laurie Hull were present. City Administrator Spencer Wetmore, City Attorney Joe Wilson, Director of Public Works Eric Lutz, Planning Commission Director Beth Saunders, and Director of Finance Lee Gessner were also in attendance.
Before jumping into a busy agenda, Mayor Goodwin started the meeting with a moment of silence for the Orlando shooting victims.
MAYOR’S COMMENTS
Mayor Goodwin warned folks not to get too excited yet, but that the state budget includes $30 million for beaches throughout the state. He hoped Folly Beach would see $6 million dollars.
STAFF REPORTS
There was a recommendation from staff to remove a hazardous oak tree at Center and Erie; replacement with new Palmetto tree. Then Finance Director Gesner spoke to council about changes to the state retirement plans and what the City needed to do to be compliant.
Frank Pandullo, Stormwater Utility Manager Charleston County, and Chris Wannamaker, Stormwater Utility Operations Manager, spoke to council about the increase in the county’s stormwater utility rate.
PERSONAL APPEARANCES
Kelly Russ announced that Follypalooza would be held on Saturday, Oct. 22 this year but that she wanted to hold off in picking a date for 2017 until the Clemson and South Carolina home football schedules were released for that year. Council unanimously approved the 2016 date for Follypalooza.
Next, Folly Association of Business (FAB) president Lewis Dodson requested approval for the three festivals FAB organizes. Council unanimously approved Taste of Folly for Jan. 21, Folly Gras for Feb. 25, and Sea & Sand for April 8, with rain dates being one week after each date.
Dodson then shared FAB’s 2016 profit & loss for the three festivals this year. He and FAB vice president Ron Hill, secretary Lindsey Chambers, and festival organizer Ben Bounds presented a check to the city for $6,000 to go towards Center Street Beautification.
COMMISSION, BOARD, COMMITTEE REPORT
Following a unanimous vote from the Folly Beach Planning Commission, Planning Director Beth Saunders asked for council to adopt a resolution expressing concern that the proposed Lively development is too dense and will create an undue amount of traffic on Folly Beach.
She also gave a recommendation that council initiate traffic calming measures island-wide, including a request for lower speed limits and studying additional four-way stops on side streets. Both of the Planning Commission’s resolutions later passed first reading unanimously.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
The second reading for Ordinance 12-16, the adoption of the 2016-2017 Budget, including estimates of proposed revenues and expenditures and setting the mill levy for the City of Folly Beach, beginning July 1 and ending June 30, 2017, passed 4-2 with councilmembers Pennell Clamp and DJ Rich voting against.
Ordinance 13-16 and 14-16 which establishes the water and sewer utility budgets respectively and appropriating the necessary funds for the operation of these utilities –for 2016-2017, beginning July 1 and ending June 30, 2017. Both passed second reading unanimously.
NEW BUSINESS:
Two ordinances dealing with the rezoning of 114 East Indian from residential two family to downtown commercial, where the owners would like to create a wedding venue on the property next to the Folly River Park. Both the ordinances were remanded to the Planning Commission before council weighs in on them.
Ordinance 17-16 amends the Folly Beach Code of Ordinances to provide criteria for approval of special events on public property, and by amending another section to describe the factors that shall be considered in setting fees for special events. The ordinance passed first reading unanimously.
Council unanimously approved the first reading of ordinance 18-16, which would amend Chapter 110 (General Licensing Provisions) of the Folly Beach Code of Ordinances.
Council then unanimously approved the first reading of Ordinance 20-16, which deals with the adoption of the most recent State approved building codes in regards to mandatory building codes.
Resolutions 27-16 and 28-16 passed unanimously, which amended the Employee Handbook by adopting an official Travel and Emergency Responder Housing Allowance policicies.
Council then approved resolutions awarding $700 to the Charleston County Parks & Recreation and $500 to Folly Beach Parks & Recreation per recommendation of Community Promotion Foundation.
A Resolution by the Folly Beach City Council authorizing the expenditure of $1,000 from council discretionary funds to The Exchange Club for the placement of the American Flags on the pier was unanimously approved.
Lastly two resolutions were approved unanimously, one for setting fees for events approved on public property and the other for transferring funds From the 2015-2016 General Fund Budget to reserve accounts for carry-over projects.
CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS
City Councilmembers warned that the Fourth of July was just around the corner and with that traffic and the headaches that come with large groups of people on the island at the same time.
Councilmember Teresa Marshall took a moment at the conclusion of the meeting to say that she spoke with some young men at the skate park who had some good solutions on how to keep the skate park clean and she thanked them for their ideas and for helping clean the park.
