Folly Beach Civic Club meet the candidates

On Tuesday March 16, 2010 the Folly Beach Civic Club held a meet the candidates night at the community center on Folly Beach.  It was very well attended by about 100 citizens and everyone left with more knowledge of each candidate.  Each candidate addressed the crowd, then there was a break where residents questions were gathered to be presented to the candidates during the second half of the night.  There were many excellent questions, some personal, and people were not afraid to ask the tough questions.  The candidates did not avoid any issues and all handled themselves well.  There were some laughs, some "amens!", and plenty of discussion was acheived.  It will be a very tough choice between every well qualified candidate.

Christopher Lewis, a past president of the Civic Club, was the moderator for the event and handled the night perfectly.  He was introduced by Kathy Nicklaus, and the candidates were given a chance to speak and outline their platform for the crowd, and stayed available to talk directly to citizens during the intermission and after the presentation.  Below is a brief synopsis of each candidate, I attempted to write the important things down, but for a 2 hour presentation, there was no way I could record everything.  Please use this as a starting guide and research more if you have any questions.  Please feel free to contact me for further explanations.

First the mayoral candidates took the stage:

Tim Goodwin:  Spoke about his experience and service to the Folly community through City Council.

Eddie Ellis: Asked for the crowds' vote to further his service to the community on 3 major points, fostering a good working relationship with Council, altering the city's financial course, and safeguarding the quality of life.

Carl Beckmann:  Outlined his goals through a letter read by Lavern James.  The mayor was attending a Mayor's conference in Washington, DC and spoke about how his trip was an example of his leadership and the lengths he will go to serve the community.

To read each candidates bio and vision click here.

The City Council candidates were next to speak.

DJ Rich:  Spoke about being part of the community and serving the city he loves.  He wanted to ensure everyone that he is not pro-business and wants all businesses and residents to end the bickering and all work together.

Bob Hatcher:  Thanked the Civic Club and asked the crowd for their vote.  He gave his history of his time on Folly Beach since 1959, spoke about the fact that Folly is first in his heart.  He continued to outline his goals.

Paul Hume:  Talked about how the small town atmosphere drew him to Folly.  Common sense was his mantra and repeated it for several of the problems that plague Folly.  He wants to enforce the current laws we have before creating new ones, and wants to change the perception of Folly to the public.

Susan Breslin:  Spoke about how she was encouraged to run for Council because of her time spent addressing the council, and decided it was time to serve.  She represented the residents and believed that most were upset because their needs are not currently being listened to.

Pennell Clamp:  Began by thanking the elected officials for the many things they do.  Described City Council as being dysfunctional, and cited the increasing budget as a major concern.  Wanted harmony on Council, financial responsibility, and protection of the environment.

Laura Beck:  Spoke on her value as a unique vision on Council.  She views issues as a resident, attorney, facilitator, and a parent, which helps her solve problems by looking at it from many angles.

Joel Flores:  Gave his history of arriving on Folly.  Said he was not a business owner or a property owner, but a common man with an uncommon passion for Folly Beach.  He was upset that Council pushes aside vital decisions for ones that are not as important.  He works near Center Street and feels the pulse of Folly through comments and criticisms of the citizens and visitors.

For more information on the City Council candidates click here.

At this point there was a refreshment break while the audience wrote down their questions and the cards were gathered and organized by the members of the Civic Club.  The candidates worked the room speaking to the citizens.  Tom Scruggs asked for signatures on a petition to CARTA to extend bus service to the island.

The question and answer session began, and again it was difficult to write all the information, so I did the best I could.  Please contact me or the candidate directly for clarification on any question or answer.

How do you feel about the Charleston County Parks & Rec. Dept using tax dollars to buy the park at the FBI property?

Eddie Ellis:  He was amazed that it was not communicated to council, and believed that he needed to assess the revenues and recurring expenses before making an informed decision.  He felt it was not a good idea for the city to bring on recurring expenses.

Why did you vote against the C4 corridor annexation?

Tim Goodwin:  He voted previously for the Piggly Wiggly shopping center because it was a good idea, and he would not vote for more development unless it was warranted.

Has the value of Folly Beach's energy resources been looked at?

Eddie Ellis: He has not looked at it but would be open minded to looking at recurring revenue streams.  He also commented on the C4 corridor annexation.

How can you be subjective regarding development when you own a property management company?

Tim Goodwin:  He wanted to make sure everyone realized that he was retired first, and had a part-time job as a property manager to make extra money and it was not a business he is interested in growing.  He commented that because of that new development does not impact him, he is fine managing what is there now.

Do you support a traffic light at Indian & Center?

DJ Rich:  He talked about how the city has contacted DOT numerous times with no success.  He agrees a light would be better than a circle and promised to continue to push for it at the DOT.

What plans are in the works to shrink government?

Susan Breslin:  She was astonished that Folly Beach government has been growing while the number of residents has not.  She would go through the budget line by line and ask the right questions to bring the best efficiency to Folly Beach.  She also wanted to market Folly Beach as a great place to live to bring residents back to Folly.

Will you enforce PSD employees living within a certain distance from Folly?

Pennell Clamp:  He was not aware of the standards but was amazed that Folly citizens don't work here.  He said out of 58 employees only 2 were residents.  He mentioned that there is difficulty finding the right person who wants to do the job in such a small community, but also wondered if the employee's hearts were at Folly Beach or not.

Are you in favor of the events on Center Street and stopping alcohol at 2 AM?

Joel Flores:  He is in favor of the events because the revenue outweighs the issues.  He believed that this was another example of how the current ordinances could be better enforced and everyone could work together for a common goal.

What are the major impediments to enforcing ordinances?

Laura Beck:  One major impediment was manpower.  She applauded the volunteer corps and encouraged more residents to get involved.  She also spoke about teaching people to respect our beach, and through education we could change minds which could lead to less enforcement needed.

Will you have printed material available at Council meetings?

Bob Hatcher:  He believed that everything could be handled electronically through the city's website and email.  He wanted to ensure that before an issue is discussed at Council that everything was published on the website so everyone could review it.  Further, if any changes were made it would be republished prior to a vote so every citizen would have the chance to review it.  He wanted to make sure everyone knew what was going on.

What will you do to help move traffic on and off the island?

Paul Hume:  He agreed that this was a problem and he would use common sense to fix it.  Some of his ideas were changing 2nd street East to a thruway similar to the west side.  He was not convinced traffic circles would help, and suggested police direction of traffic during peak times, and wanted to talk about while we are expanding the bridge to creating two lanes going off the island in bad traffic times.

What will you do to open the city's Council business?

Susan Breslin:  She would publish business on the website, applauded the coffee with the candidates program at Bert's and suggested continuing that after the election.  She would establish a structured way for people to talk to her as a representative, and encouraged people to attend and participate in Council meetings.

Will you let citizens vote on PSD expansion?

Pennell Clamp:  He has no objection to a referendum, however before the vote he felt the population should be well informed of the options and consequences.  He went on to say that they do need relief, but wanted to make sure that accurate information is given out to ensure an informed vote.

Will your position on Council create a conflict of interest since you are a business owner?

DJ Rich:  He assured everyone that he will absolutely have no conflict.  He is a resident too, and wants to work together to find common ground and common goals.

How are you aware of summer problems if you rent your house out during the summer?

Bob Hatcher:  He summarized again that he has been involved with Folly Beach for 50 years and has seen all the problems that have come and gone.  Even when he is renting his house out he comes and goes on Folly very often.  "You don't have to sleep here to know whats going on".

What is your choice for Folly, drunken parties or families?

Laura Beck:  She did not believe that they were mutually exclusive.  She talked about responsibility and moderation, and that a fun atmosphere can be created which includes everyone having a good time.

What procedure would be put in place for a cohesive Council?

Joel Flores:  He would encourage exercising the traits that he was brought up with, rapport, tact, cohesiveness, and diplomacy.  He wanted to make sure that all Council was on the same path.  He proposed that Council could meet seperately outside their chambers to discuss issues and ways to achieve the goals of the community.

What is your plan for year round residents leaving their garbage cans out permanently?

Paul Hume:  He believes that common sense means looking out for your neighbors.  Helping each other out could solve the problem.  If it is reported, he will come by and talk to the resident after several complaints, and consistently and nicely ask people to do the right thing.

How will you fix the 911 system for Folly?

Tim Goodwin:  He outlined the current system and the reasons for the change, but made sure that everyone understood that whenever a call is made there is a human being on Folly who answers the phone.

How much revenue is generated by parking permits and policies?

Eddie Ellis:  He did not know the exact amount because it was a moving target due to the agreement being a percentage of collections.  As mayor, he would negotiate a set amount so they could evaluate the budget impact effectively.  He also stated that he voted no against the enforcement agreement.

Are there any plans to make the website more informative?

Tim Goodwin:  He is an advocate for getting the website more up to date, and believes that distributing the information prior to Council meetings is critical.  He would also design an email system that would alert the public to any changes or news.

Why did you vote to spend money on a civic center when the referendum was no?

Eddie Ellis:  He clarified that the referendum was to break the contract with the city which could have lead to lawsuits and extra expenses.  The issue on the referendum was not the same as his vote for the civic center.  In the end he felt he made the best decision for the Folly residents.

Folly Council used to have votes twice a month and now has one, what do you favor?

Laura Beck:  She agreed that it slows things down, but also pointed out that ordinances used to take 3 readings for approval and now only take 2, which could help even out the timing.  She proposed bumping meetings up to 3 a month and continuing important work sessions.

What is your opinion of closing Center Street regularly for festivals and the traffic control that accompanies that?

DJ Rich:  He stated that the festivals typically leave more streets open than closed and would continue to work toward smaller festivals leaving the back streets available for traffic.  He also talked about how the festivals are scheduled during the off-season when traffic is lighter.  He felt like this was an example of compromise allowing the best for everyone.

What specific skills do you bring to Council?

Bob Hatcher: He spoke about his life experience and his time in the Navy crafting his organizational skills, and his encouragement and support for employees.  He was also a Scoutmaster which developed his coordination skills with the numerous trips they went on with high numbers of kids and their families.

Would you oppose any greater density on Folly Beach?

Joel Flores:  He would oppose that and would strongly oppose that.  He thinks we are the size we should be and does not want to change the fabric of Folly.

Since you were an outspoken proponent of the smoking ban, what kinds of things go beyond the limit of government?

Susan Breslin:  In spite of her beliefs on the smoking ban, she was still against the way the ordinance was proposed.  She agreed it was too far reaching, and knows it is a sensitive issue and should be handled carefully.

What laws do we not need and what is your solution for enforcement?

Paul Hume:  He believed that some problems are intertwined such as parking, noise, and trash, all being one big problem.  They should not be separated and we already have laws dealing with them.  He talked about common sense and possibly asking for help from outside such as the parking enforcement currently.

What is your plan for reducing City employees?

Pennell Clamp:  He talked about how in the businesses he runs, he looks at the whole scope of the issue, defines whats going on, and then attacks the problem.  He would study and look for answers.  He could go on and on about spending but he ran out of time.

How would you invest in funding the Beach Management Patrol?

Tim Goodwin:  It was funded this year as a test and it has been a success.  He believed that Public Safety budget funds could be moved around.  He said the citizens volunteer patrol was a big help and encouraged everyone to sign up.

Eddie Ellis:   He would like to take seasonal augmentation money and lower the time needed from Charleston County officers, and would increase auxillary officers.  He believed that much of their needs were not too heavy of monetary supplements and could use donations such as tools and resources to help them.

There has been an increase of single-family dwellings turned in multi-family properties under the radar.  How would you eliminate this practice?

Eddie Ellis:  He does not support this practice .  The building inspector does a good job of going by the book and finding and reporting them, but he is only one man and the neighbors can help by reporting it to the authorities.

Tim Goodwin:  He could encourage a community watch program where the authorities can be informed and promises that when it is reported it is investigated.

The meeting was adjourned and all went on their way.