City of Folly Beach

PARKING PERMITS FOR FULL TIME RENTERS AND RESIDENTS OF FOLLY BEACH

Monday, March 01, 2010

Dear Property Owners, Full-Time Renters, and Residents of Folly Beach:

Approximately one month ago, Palmetto Parking sent out a letter, with my approval, stating only property owners would be allowed to apply and receive parking decals; that no matter “how many pieces of property are owned, a property owner could only obtain two parking decals or permits.” It also stated renters are not eligible for said parking decals. None of these statements are true. Yes, there were discussions about the Paid Parking Ordinance and yes, there were discussions of amendments; but, those amendments had not come before Council for their consideration and those amendments had not been adopted. However, when I approved the letter for Palmetto Parking to mail, I was convinced the city had already amended the ordinance and it had been adopted. I was also convinced we were doing the right thing by being more transparent and sending the letter out about the new amendments. I was wrong, not Buddy, not Palmetto Parking, but me Carl Beckmann, and for this I apologize. We all fall short at times and there is only one thing a person can do, admit the error and try to repair any damage it may have done. I hope in some small way this letter will do this.

If at any time any of you would like to discuss this, just give me a call at 513-1835 or drop by City Hall. I look forward to hearing from you. With kindest personal regards, I remain

Sincerely,
Carl B. Beckmann, Jr.
Mayor

DISPATCHERS ARE TRANSFERRING TO THE CHARLESTON COUNTY 9-1-1 CONSOLIDATED DISPATCH CENTER ON MARCH 1. A LETTER FROM THE MAYOR CONCERNING AFTER HOURS CALL

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

On or about March 1st, the Folly Beach dispatchers will join other dispatchers in Charleston County to form the 911 Consolidated Dispatch Center. Most of you are aware dispatchers are to be transferred; however, some of you were not aware it would be as early as March 1st. Director of Public Safety Boatwright is sending you a letter addressing the 911 system, what it will do, when to use it, and other information which will be valuable to keep for future reference.

The purpose of this letter is to assure everyone the most important aspect of all of this is you and your safety and well being, as well as, the well-being of your animals. I am committed to making this transition as easy for you as possible while giving this reassurance: Your needs, whether it concerns public works, public safety or anything else have always been and will continue to be my first priority.

I know one of the major concerns is our Folly Beach animals and what will happen if help is needed after 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and on the week-ends. I have met with Chief Boatwright to ensure animal related services after hours have been addressed in a way which will be satisfactory to our residents. All animal related service calls and non-emergency matters will continue to be taken and dispatched on a 24/7 basis. Citizens only have to call the number they are accustomed to calling for service, which is 588-2433. After-hours animal related service calls will be assigned to a Folly Beach shift supervisor to ensure the appropriate animal services response is taken. Animal Services Officer Ralph Bryan, working in partnership with Carol Linville of Pet Helpers, will continue to build a cadre of animal services volunteers so that “on-call” assignments can be shared.

Knowing you have other concerns about this transition, which you would like to discuss, I am available to meet with you during the week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For your convenience, however, I am extending my week day hours to be available from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and also on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. The only dates and times I will be out of the office is Saturday, March 13, 2010 and March 15, 16, 17, and 18. When we meet, I will do my best to address your concerns and answer questions regarding the transition of the on-site dispatchers to the Consolidated Dispatch Center and any other concerns you may have.

When Council and I first addressed the 911 Consolidated Dispatch in 2008, there were several reasons we made the decision to join other communities in Charleston County and transition to a Consolidated Dispatch Center: 1) the dispatchers in the Center will be well trained; capable of relaying information over the phone that could save lives; 2) Folly Beach had a significant number of turnovers in the Dispatch Department, as many as nine in one year; 3) the calls on non-emergency incidents will still be handled ultimately by the Folly Beach Public Safety; and 4) after a period of three years, Charleston County will be paying the entire cost of the dispatchers; Folly Beach will pay nothing. This is a significant savings for the City of Folly Beach and during these times of economic hardship, it is important the city make every effort to keep cost at a minimum without sacrificing or compromising the safety and well being of our residents.

I look forward to hearing from you and am hopeful this addresses some of the concerns you may have. With kindest personal regards, I remain

Sincerely,
Carl B. Beckmann, Jr.
Mayor

Folly Gras Parade 2010

February 13, 2010

Mayor and Mrs. Beckmann, with Elvis, having fun at the Mardi Gras.

East Indian Project Notification

February 9, 2010

Dear Resident,

Gulfstream Construction Company, under contract with Charleston County Government’s Transportation Development Division, will begin construction of drainage improvements along East Indian Ave. This construction will occur from Center Street to the intersection of 2nd Avenue.

Construction is scheduled to begin the week of February 9, 2010, and last approximately two months. Construction of the project will require single lane closures from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. However, residents will have access to their property.

This work is funded by the Transportation “Half-Cent” Sales Tax Program. If you have any questions about construction, please contact me at (843) 202 - 7846 or by e-mail at hdukes@charlestoncounty.org.

Sincerely,

Harold Dukes
Construction, Engineering and Inspection Manager
Charleston County Transportation Development Division
www.ccroadwise.org

ZONING ORDINANCE READY FOR FIRST READING

Three years in the making, the new Zoning Ordinance is ready for adoption. The first reading will be held by City Council on Tuesday February 23, 2010. After this there will be a presentation by the Planning Commission on Monday March 1, 2010, at which time the public will have the opportunity to make comments and ask questions. The formal hearing will be held on March 8, 2010. There are many changes in the new code. All interested parties are encouraged to read the proposed code carefully. If you have any questions, please call Aaron Pope (588-2447 ext 1839) at City Hall.

PUBLIC NOTICE

This past fiscal year, Mayor Beckmann requested funding for several drainage projects and a road relocation project on Folly Beach from Charleston County. Charleston County secured 2009 funding through the County Transportation Committee (CTC). Folly Beach will receive approximately $400,000 in funding and/or projects requested. These particular projects include drainage improvements along West 9th Street, roadway and drainage improvements along West 9th Street Extension, and the realignment of Red Sunset Lane.

The Red Sunset Lane project includes relocation of an existing earth road from private property to a public right of way through a critical, or saltwater, wetland. TranSystem will provide engineering services for this project and act as the consultant. TranSystem, as the consultant, will review various wetland mitigation approaches.

The scope of work includes services for the three (3) projects and also full survey tasks, including wetland delineation. The proposed work will also include stormwater basin analysis, environmental impact evaluation, property boundary survey, and determination of the existing roadway and drainage characteristics.

There will be public meetings with property owners and City of Folly Beach staff to discuss the many aspects of these projects. Currently, the dates and times for those meetings have not been scheduled. However, as soon as the city receives this information, the date, time, and place of the meetings will be posted as follows: 1) on the bulletin board at City Hall, 2) front window of City Hall, 3)the board outside the Post Office, and 4) on the Folly Beach web site, www.cityoffollybeach.com.

Folly Beach Rabies Clinic

April 3, 2010, 9am to 12 Noon

Rabies Vaccination Clinic for Folly Beach will be on Saturday, April 3rd 9-12 noon at the Folly Beach Fire Station. Vaccination fee is $5.00 per animal. Call Public Safety, 588-2433, for more information.

Please protect your pet against rabies and have them vaccinated.

Events Calendar 2010

We will update as we get the dates.

January	July
January 23 - Taste of Folly	1st Saturday in the Park (Art Guild)
February	August
February 13 - Folly Gras	1st Saturday in the Park (Art Guild) Surfer's Healing for Autism Governor's Cup
March	September
March 13 - St. Patty's Pub Crawl March 13 & 14 - Tides of March	1st Saturday in the Park (Art Guild)
April	October
April 17 - Sea and Sand Festival April 30 - Palmetto 200 Relay	October 23 - Folly Palooza October 31 - Halloween Carnival
May	November
1st Saturday in the Park (Art Guild) Festival of the Arts Washine Classic	Surf Rider's Foundation Art Auction Turkey Shoot
June	December
1st Saturday in the Park (Art Guild) Esa Groom Fest	Christmas Tree Lighting Children's Christmas December 11 - Christmas Parade

For more information:
Call: 843-513-1836

Beach VITEX

September 28, 2009

ATTENTION RESIDENTS:

If you think you have BEACH VITEX growing on your premises, please DO NOT try to cut it down or spray it. Beach Vitex is harmful to our dune system and turtles. To find out whether or not you have Vitex, please access the link below which will give you some specific identifying features. If you are still unsure as to whether or not it is Beach Vitex after accessing the link below, call Toni Connor-Rooks, City Administrator, at 513-1834.

http://www.northinlet.sc.edu/beachvitex/identify.html