January 07, 2021

Updates from Town Council

The following are announcements from Town Council’s January 5 meetings. Watch the meeting here.

Berkeley Electric 
Town Council held a special call meeting with Berkeley Electric officials to discuss the recent power outages. Watch the meeting here. Read their explanation here. 

New Flood Maps
Town Council discussed the new flood maps’ adverse effects on existing roof heights on new construction related to the new base flood elevations. They discussed the staff recommendation to create a new designation to preserve the existing roof heights lines by retaining the base flood elevation numerical value of the existing Flood Insurance Rate Maps dated November 17, 2004. This designation was presented to the Planning Commission for consideration on January 6.  

Flood Damage Prevention
Town Council approved the second and final reading for Ordinance 2020-14 to amend Article 14, General Regulations to exclude the exception that all new construction shall adhere to the more restrictive of the base flood elevations established in the FIRM dated November 17, 2004, or the FIRM date January 29, 2021

Meetings 
Town Council approved moving Ways and Means Committee meetings to the 4th Monday of the month and moved the Environmental Committee to the 2nd Wednesday of the month. 

Emergency Ordinance 
Town Council discussed the Town’s COVID Emergency Ordinance regarding enforcement measures. 

Administrative 
Town Council approved an amendment to the Town of Kiawah Island Employee Handbook to add a maternity/paternity leave provision and change the Town’s match to the employee (optional) 401k & 457b contribution.  

Appointments & Council Assignments 
Town Council appointed Dan Prickett as Mayor Tempore, Joe Wilson as Town Attorney, Dorota Szubert as Town Treasurer, Petra Reynolds as Town Clerk and Sandford Ain as Municipal Judge and the 2021 committees for Arts Council & Cultural Events Council, Audit Committee, Environmental Committee, Public Safety Committee, Public Works Committee, and SATAX Committee. 

Town Council approved their new committee and liaison assignments as follows:  

Town Council appointed Dan Prickett as Mayor Tempore, Joe Wilson as Town Attorney, Dorota Szubert as Town Treasurer, Petra Reynolds as Town Clerk, and Sandford Ain as Municipal Judge and the 2021 committees. Town Council approved their new committee and liaison assignments as follows:  

• Mayor John Labriola, liaison to Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority and the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. 

• Dan Prickett, Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and State Accommodations Tax Committee and liaison to the Community Association, Kiawah Partners, Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Freshfields, Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments, Off-Island Transportation Initiatives and serve as a proxy to the Charleston Area Transportation Study. 

• Maryanne Connelly, Chairman of the Public Safety Committee, Emergency Preparedness Committee, and the Audit Committee and liaison to the Arts Board. 

• Scott Parker, liaison to the Environmental Committee and Kiawah Conservancy. 

• John Moffitt, liaison to the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning and Appeals, and the Public Works Committee. 

Kestrel Court Recycling Center 
Town Council discussed the ongoing problems with the public leaving boxes outside the containers at the Kestrel Court Garbage & Recycling Center off of Sora Rail Road. Staff recommended that it is time to consider looking at an alternate garbage & recycling center to a location at the Municipal Center because the current location is no longer able to service the growing Kiawah community. Council agreed and instructed staff to move forward with considering plans to relocate the site to the Municipal Center to allow for improved service to the community.