Talk of the Town

The new good ole’ boy politics

Town Councilman Bob Jackson, who Talk of the Town usually agrees with especially with his editorial in Wednesday’s Journal Scene, caught Talk of the Town off guard Wednesday night.
While discussing an annexation on Droze Road, Jackson made the statement: “I would move to send this to the planning commission, but I don’t have the votes.”
Well, to know he doesn’t have the votes, he has to have taken an informal survey of council.
Jackson is part of Summerville’s power quartet. They’re trying to push, according to them, managed, controlled growth. Their opponents say they are trying to limit and restrict growth. That is neither here nor there for this post. The power quartet also says they want a more open, responsible government.
Talk of the Town admonished them for their secret vote for town attorney, but understood they were not trying to embarrass a long-time public servant. But, with this comment, it is quite evident most discussions are happening behind close doors of Town Hall.
The power quartet is trying to say the time for good ole’ boy politics is over, but what they don’t understand is they are operating with the new good ole’ boy politics. Until all votes are cast in the open and informal surveys aren’t taken behind close doors, the good ole’ boy politics, regardless of who does it, will never leave politics.

Pay to park at Flowertown?

The price to park in Summerville’s new parking garage for this year’s Flowertown Festival will be $10, Town Council decided Monday morning.
The town’s Finance Committee passed the motion at the recommendation of staff.
Town Administrator Dennis Pieper said the funding is needed to maintain maintenance, especially during what is being projected as a high-use weekend.
“All we collect is going to offset all the maintenance,” Pieper said. “Once [Council] decides on the fee then we can come up with a plan to implement it.”
The Flowertown Festival, scheduled for April 4-6 in and around Azalea Park, is sponsored by the Summerville Family YMCA. The annual event is listed as a must-attend in nationwide travel guides and it is estimated the event draws more than a quarter of a million visitors each year.
The fee will be a $10 flat fee, regardless of how long someone parks.
The town’s first municipal parking garage, which is adjacent to Town Hall, opened in November just in time for the busy holiday shopping season. The garage is a fee free facility.

The parking garage

Talk of the Town hopes use of the town's new parking garage picks up. It was used by Talk of the Town the last two nights to visit downtown Summerville's fine establishments. Tuesday evening, the first night it was open, we were one of only two cars. Wednesday evening, we were one of only four cars. Granted, it's new, but those numbers don't scream that it was worth the $5 million.
But, then again, if each night the number of cars parked there doubles, like it has, then we can expect the garage to be fulled in just over a week.
The top level is really nice and provides a nice scenic view, which some people may rent out, but why is there such a rush to get money.
The garage was paid for with hospitality tax, a user excise, and maintainence can be paid for using up to 10 percent of the same tax. The point of the garage is to bring in more hospitality tax through more people frequenting downtown restaurants and bars. So, if they would've charged a fee, which they didn't, they would be making the same people who paid for the garage also pay to park, so the town can collect more money to put somewhere else.
The users of the garage will pay for the maintenance and building of it, it's called hospitality tax they pay when they spend money downtown.

A true embarrassment

In one of the most extraordinary acts of cowardice Talk of the Town has ever seen, the power quartet, which runs Town Council, should be embarrassed and ashamed.

To not have the guts to show your vote in public makes anybody unfit to be an elected official. How can the public hold you accountable if they don’t know whom you voted for?

This flies in the face of open government and reeks of Town Council becoming a good ole’ boy system --- the same thing the power quartet claims to be fighting against.

Good ole’ boy politics is when a select few has power and runs around without being held accountable.

While Talk of the Town has no idea whether Walter Bailey or Mark Stokes would’ve made a better town attorney, what is known is the votes should’ve been public.
To not elect somebody because he’s from Summerville is absurd. If the real reason is because the power quartet believes Mark Stokes will be a better attorney, then have the guts to stand up and say so.

Who is going to be town attorney?

Summerville Town Council meets tomorrow night in executive session to discuss the town attorney's position. Town staff says they've recieved several applications for the position, but Talk of the Town's question is honestly who would want that headache for $35,000 a year?
Sources tell Talk of the Town former State Sen. Mike Rose will soon be announcing his bid for State Senate, taking him out of the running for the job.
Another name being floated around inner circles is Summerville attorney Brandt Shelbourne. Brandt's parents are Linda and Peter Shelbourne of Linwood, who have been extremely active in growth issues with Town Council's new power quartet. So involved, Talk of the Town has learned, the group with an aim towards placing stringent restrictions on growth held interviews with each House District 94 candidate at Linwood.
A name being floated around that could draw acclaim from both sides of the aisle on Town Council is former 1st Circuit Solicitor Walter Bailey. Bailey used to be the town attorney, so he has experience in municipal law. Talk of the Town has talked to sources that say Bailey would not afraid to voice his opinion on legal matters to Town Council in public, something Kelly Knight Byrd wanted to do in executive session, as is her right with lawyer-client confidentiality.
Then, again, councilmen have talked about the idea of casting a "wider net," which could be an effort to get somebody from Charleston, Columbia or Beaufort, who has more experience in growth and development laws. Stay tuned to find out who it may be!

A personnel situation

Summerville Town Council passed first reading to an ordinance changing the title of Charlie Miller's job on Wednesday night. He is going from Operations Director to Director of Planning and Economic Development. Councilmen say this is to direct Miller to get more economic development, such as office and corporate parks.
The decision was after an approximate two-hour executive session, where Council originally went in with only outgoing Town Attorney Kelly Knight Byrd. Town Adminstrator Dennis Pieper, Asst. Town Administrator Lisa Wallace and Miller, all who usually accompany Council in executive session were excluded. After a long while, Pieper was asked to come in, then about 10 minutes later, Miller was asked to enter. After about another 15 minutes, Council reemerged and changed the title, but no responsibilities or pay changes.
Council's minds must've been changed because the proposed town government restructuring proposal floating around the audience while Council was in executive session, showed the Town Engineer's office, Streets department and Stormwater Department being taken out from under Miller's control and reporting directly to Pieper. Ultimately, Council must've decided against that and just changed the job title.
With the power of Town Council lying in the band of four, Howard Bridgman, Aaron Brown, Mike Dawson and Bob Jackson, speculation has been since the May election that there could be personnel changes within Summerville's government. So far, no department head has been fired or resigned.
Town Council has the ability to hire and fire every department head in town government.

Moratorium public hearing scheduled

The Summerville Planning Commission moratorium public hearing has been scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 3 at Town Hall. That is the same night as the House District 94 Republican debate, which starts at 7 p.m. at Summerville High School auditorium.
So, go state your peace about the moratorium, then head over the high school to hear a night full of hard questions and hopefully straight answers.

Now, that's a long meeting

When you order pizza for a Town Council meeting, you know you're going to be there for awhile. Actually, no one at Summerville Town Hall ordered pizza, but it did take the audience by surprise. A Domino's pizza delivery guy showed up at Town Hall during Wednesday's meeting, where Town Council passed a moratorium without using the word moratorium. But while in what may be an illegal executive session, the pizza guy showed up claiming a Town Councilman ordered the pizzas. When no one claimed the pizzas, the phone number was finally traced. It turns out a Lincolnville councilman ordered it for the fire department. The delivery guy was at the wrong Town Hall.

APFO opinions

I actually am taking great satisfaction when talking to people about the APFO. Those for the ordinance ask me why I am against it. Those against the ordinance ask me why I am for it. I have not made up my mind as I am debating whether it isn't a good ordinance in its present form or if it isn't a good ordinance at all. When both sides think you're against them, I guess that's as fair as I can be.

The root of Summerville's growth

The root of Summerville’s growth

I am sitting here at my desk contemplating the question that runs through my mind everyday. How did Dorchester County get so far behind on infrastructure? How are our schools busting at the seems and our roads gridlocked?
Well, today, I have been thinking, whom can we blame?
Is it the 2003 County Council that approved the sewer bond referendum? Is it council from the 1990’s that approved all of these neighborhoods?
I am starting to believe it may be the Charleston County School District. Follow me, through my logic.
The reason why our infrastructure lags is because everyone moves here. Why does everyone want to move here? Our school system is the best place in the tri-county area to raise kids, meaning it’s ahead of Charleston and Berkeley counties.
Nobody wants to live hours away from civilization except for a reason. Some say the rural atmosphere, but that’s not the case in Summerville; it’s no longer rural.
Summerville’s problem exists because no one wants to go to Charleston County schools. The lack of reputation is has caused suburban sprawl. If the downtown Charleston and North Charleston schools were stellar, no one would care to live in Summerville, but because the education suffers, the market pushes the development movement into sprawl.
My parents were part of the problem. When we moved to the Lowcountry in 1997, we we’re told there’s only two places to live and send your kids to public school. Summerville and Mt. Pleasant. If you live on James Island or in West Ashley, send them to Porter-Gaud or Bishop England was what everyone told us.
Well, so we settled on Summerville, just as many do.
Why, because the Charleston County schools do not have a good reputation.