Members of the Isle of Palms City Council heard from local residents on two diverse subjects during the citizens’ comments part of their Jan. 24 meeting. Ted McKnight voiced his concerns with the ongoing South Carolina Department of Transportation survey about proposed re-striping options for the IOP Connector, while Kathy and Mike Campbell both addressed the Council with complaints about the way the city distributes the funds it receives from the state’s 2% tax on short-term rentals.
The survey, posted online since Jan. 18, gives local residents the opportunity to answer questions about five different options presented by SCDOT in December. The controversy over accommodations tax funds has lingered for well over a year, during which time five members of the Accommodations Tax Advisory Committee have turned in their resignations.
McKnight said the SCDOT survey is “a stacked deck” with several flaws, including that people can voice their opinion more than once about the five options offered by the Department of Transportation. He said there should be sixth option: none of the above.
“None of SCDOT’s proposals provide for a safety barrier between vehicular traffic and the pedestrians and bicyclists. If intelligence, common sense and decency aren’t enough to convince you of the need for a safety barrier, then look no further than the Ravenel Bridge.”
“Why isn’t safety the main issue on our bridge?” McKnight asked. “Why would we ever forfeit our right to guarantee our safety to the state, which has demonstrated that our safety is not their No. 1 concern. When you lose home rule, this is an example of what happens.”
“Do your jobs and put safety first. Ignore the survey and don’t let SCDOT hoodwink the Council,” he said. “How many deaths are acceptable in order to have convenience for pedestrians and bicyclists when crossing our bridge?”
Kathy Campbell pointed out that the city has been sending its 30% ATAX funds to the Charleston Visitors Bureau for more than a quarter of a century without competitive bidding or a contract, which she said are required by state law. She added that there is no transparency from the CVB and no metrics to measure how it spends the money it receives from IOP – and that its employees “travel to Europe, stay in $1,000 a night hotel rooms and have parties with pictures on the internet.”
“Money is spent by CVB to pay for their brick-and-mortar buildings, pricey printed brochures, to promote downtown events like SEWE and Spoleto, a Kiawah golf tournament and downtown hotels. Money spent on IOP goes almost solely for Sweetgrass Hotel, while short-term rental owners get nothing,” she said.
“The CVB has been our DMO – destination marketing organization – for 25 years, and they don’t even know us,” Mike Campbell added.
In other action at its Jan. 24 meeting, the IOP Council elected Jimmy Ward to serve as mayor pro tem and heard from Randall Rudd, director of the Charleston County Environmental Management Department, who said recyclables would be picked up on Thursdays instead of Wednesdays on IOP, beginning April 1.
The Council also unanimously approved the ATAX Advisory Committee’s recommendation to give the Exchange Club $30,000 in ATAX funds to help pay for the construction of a seawall and walkway. Club President Robbie Berg said the entire project will cost $261,000.
The Council accepted two recommendations from the Environmental Advisory Committee: to keep spots on the Committee for a high school and a college student but to designate them as nonvoting members; and to participate with Smart Recycling in a food composting program. The project will cost the city $240 a month for two bins, at the Marina and Carmen Bunch Park. The cost could go up to $480 monthly if it becomes necessary to add a bin at each location.