Town Votes on Beach Restoration
Project
NOTE: A second
Special Town Council meeting on this topic will be held at Town Hall
on Thursday, February 23, 2006 at 5 pm. This meeting will follow a
4:30 pm Special Town Council Executive Session on contractual
matters.
The Town of Kiawah Island held a
Special Town Council meeting on Friday, February 17, 2006 regarding
its planned beach renourishment project at the eastern end of the
Island. As a rule, KPOG would report on this meeting in the next
issue of Kiawah Island TALK. We are providing special
electronic coverage of this meeting because of several items of note
resulting from the Town’s actions.
The
Town was in compliance with Freedom of Information Act
procedures; the meeting was posted at Town Hall and an e-mail or fax
was sent to those on such distribution lists. There was, however, no
additional notice provided to the community at large (i.e., posting
on the KICA sign boards, notice to the KICA list serve or
notification of the more than 100 people who attended the Town’s
information session and public meeting on January 31, 2006. At that
meeting, Dr. Tim Kana, the Town’s beach consultant, presented
possible steps the Town could take to address severe beach erosion
at the eastern end of the Island.) Both the notification process
and the number of people in attendance are in stark contrast to the
direct notification of all property owners in advance of the
standing room only January 31 information session and public
meeting. Since none of the approximately 15 property owners in
attendance at the February 17 meeting were permitted to ask
questions or to make comments at the end of the meeting – either in
support of or in opposition to the Town’s actions – there was no
opportunity to ask the Council why more was not done to publicize
the meeting.
The meeting notes below expand on
the summary the Town posted to its website after the meeting.
Any comments or questions about either the process or the
Town’s actions should be directed to the Mayor and Council.
Meeting Notes
There were two agenda items for the
Special Town Council meeting held on February 17. Councilman Charlie
Lipuma, who is also Chair of the Town’s Environmental Committee,
provided an update on what has occurred since the January 31
meeting. Since then, a private geologist and the Audubon Society of
South Carolina have expressed concerns about the Town’s plans for
beach renourishment and the impact of these plans on the piping
plovers which “winter” at the eastern end of Kiawah. Lipuma
complimented Town Biologist Jim Jordan on his work on behalf of the
Town with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to determine
what changes would be required for USFWS to approve the permit
requested by the Town. Jordan then reviewed the revised plan which
will be submitted to USFWS by Kana.
The second item on the agenda
addressed funding of the construction costs for the renourishment
project. The Mayor reported that the KICA Board of Directors voted
at its February meeting to fund 25%, up to a maximum of $500,000,
and the Resort (KIGR) has agreed to fund 15%, up to a maximum of
$300,000. The principals of the Developer (KRA/KDP), are out of the
country, so negotiations with them have not been concluded. The
Town would fund the remaining balance, currently 60%, of the
project.
After extensive
discussion by Council, Mayor Wert made a motion that the project
proceed with the funding as described above. By a vote of 2-3, the
motion was defeated. The Mayor and Councilman Alan Burnaford voted
in favor, and Councilmen Charlie Lipuma, Don McIver and Steve Orban
voted against. Stating, “I’m not convinced that simply because we
have the money, it’s the right thing to do,” McIver then made a
motion that the Town notify KIGR that the Town would be willing to
proceed with the project with a 25% contribution by KIGR, the
already promised 25% from KICA and the balance made up by the Town.
This motion passed by a vote of 4-1, with the Mayor voting against
it. Any contribution to be negotiated with KRA would reduce the
percentages of the other three contributors. |
