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 Inside the Island Connection...
 Volume 2 Issue 23
PRESORT STANDARDUS POSTAGE PAIDCHARLESTON SCPERMIT NO 437
age 12
 all seasons
age 10
seabrook art
age 5
sIPoa
March 6, 2009
FREE
O
ne o the many pleasures o springtime in the Lowcountry is the sighto an expanse o bright blue or purple owers with yellow and whiteaccents, overowing with spiky green oliage.
Iris virginica
, aptly called the Southern Blue Flag Iris, is a wetland species native to coastal plainsrom Virginia to Florida and west to eastern exas. Te Blue Flag returns yearater year along streams, in ditches, sparse woods, and meadows where thereis ull sun or partial shade and moist soil. In ideal conditions, it will grow toour eet. Normal height is one to three eet tall.Te plant grows rom rhizomes that spread underground and orm thick,strong mats that help stabilize edges around a variety o bodies o water, bothresh and brackish. Te leaves shoot up rom the base in a an and are at andpointed in the shape o a sword.Southern Blue Flag can be naturalized in the home garden i given theproper environment: plenty o sun and rich, moist soil. It is a perect plant orthe border o a marsh or lagoon, and it can be used to good eect in a watergarden with other native wildowers.Te root o the Blue Flag is toxic i ingested without proper preparation;however, Native-American tribes o the Southeast used it extensively ormedicinal purposes, including skin and liver ailments and shock ater alligatorbite.
Reerences: SC Native Plant Society: www.scnps.org, US Dept o Agriculture Plant Database: www.plants.usda.gov.
Kiawah’s native iris
By Sophia McalliSter
PHoto bY JIm CHItwoodPHoto bY Pamela CoHen
Blue Flag acts:
Flowers rom May to July.
•
 Although the seed is large and kernel-
•
like, there is no documentation o  wildlie consumption.
Iris versicolor 
•
is the northern versiono the Blue Flag Iris.Iris is Greek or “rainbow”.
•
Te name “Blue Flag” comes rom its
•
ower color and the old word or Iris.Other common names include:
•
 American Blue Flag, Dagger Flower,Dragon Flower, Flag Lily, HarlequinBlueag, Liver Lily, Poison Flag,Snake Lily, Water Flag, Water Iris.Te species has been implicated in
•
several poisoning cases o humansand animals who consumed therhizomes, which have been ound tocontain a glycoside, iridin.Te sap can cause
•
dermatitis insusceptible individualsPlant with other native wildowers
•
like Marsh Milkweed, False aster,Cardinal Flower, Blue Lobelia,Bunchower Lily, Foxglove Beardongue, Sweet Black-eyed Susan, andOrange Coneower.
 
2March 6, 2009
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Civic Calendar
The IslandConnection 
lnn ppubs 
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kristin@luckydognews.sc  
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cs lngnadsng
chelsea@luckydognews.sc 
innsJnnf M Bdg hnkbnB hnas andsnens cddkcnbuscs Bksann cndDd Fwlnd Fo FnDwg istm Kukcs lwsS Mas pubsd bluk Dg pubsngf Su cn, llcp.o. B 837Sun’s isnd, Sc 29482843-886-NeWS
Future deadles:Marc 11 fr submsss.
Lucky Dog Publishing, LLC
Publishers of 
 Island Eye News
,
The Island Connection
and
 The Folly Current 
.
Mday, Marc 9
St. Johns Fire District Commission
7pm, St. Johns Commission Building3327 Maybank Hwy, Johns Island.
Wedesday, Marc 11
Seabrook Island Planning Commission
 All Planning Commission meetings willbe held at 2:30pm at the own Hallunless noted otherwise on the ownbulletin board.
Mday, Marc 16
Kiawah Island Board o Zoning  Appeals
4-5pm, own Hall Council Chambers.
Tuesday, Marc 24
Seabrook Island own Council
 All own Council meetings will be heldat 2:30pm at the own Hall unless notedotherwise on the own bulletin board.
Wedesday, Arl 1
Seabrook Island Planning Commission – work session
 All Planning Commission meetings willbe held at 2:30pm at the own Hallunless noted otherwise on the ownbulletin board.
Tursday, Arl 2
 Johns Island Council Meeting 
7pm – 8pm, Berkeley Electric Co-Op onMaybank Rd.
Kiawah Island Arts Council
3pm - 5pmown Hall - 2nd Floor Conerence Rm.
Mday, Arl 6
Kiawah Island EnvironmentalCommittee
3pm - 5pmown Hall - 2nd Floor Conerence Rm
Kiawah Island own Hall
21 Beachwalker DriveKiawah Island, SC 29455Phone: 768-9166Fax: 768-4764Email: cwilson@kiawahisland.org
Seabrook Island own Hall
2001 Seabrook Island RoadSeabrook Island, SC 29455Phone: 768-9121Fax: 768-9830Email:lmanning@townoseabrookisland.org
 Johns Island Council
Meetings are held at the Berkeley Electric Co-op located at 3351Maybank Hwy, John’s Island.Chairman Chris Cannon: 343-5113
Charleston County Council
4045 Bridge View Drive, NorthCharleston(843) 958-4700
City o Charleston
75 Calhoun St.(843) 724-3745
Financials
“One month doesn’t tell you much,”reported Mayor McNulty as he readthrough the own nancials or themonth o January. Revenues were$77,241.45, which is a positive variancerom the budget o $55,272.34. “Butso much o it is a matter o timingthat it doesn’t mean much,” McNulty explained. “We expected a all o inbusiness licenses, but they seem to beokay so ar.” Expenses or the month were $23,660.12, $15,639.15 less thanbudgeted, leaving the own with a totalo $53,581.33 in excess o revenues overexpenditures; a number comparable tothis same time last year, which camein at $55,940.24. “What’s a little scary is when you look at the income romthe investment pool,” said the Mayor.Te own had budgeted an incomeo $2,412.24, about hal o what they received last year at this same time, butonly received $898.14.“We could put the money under Joe’smattress and get more interest thanthat,” the Mayor joked. However, theCouncil is staying positive and own Administrator Randy Pierce notedthat home remodeling has gone upcompared to previous years. However,new construction has droppedsignicantly, with only hal the numbero houses being built in 2008 comparedto 2007, and the last permit ornew construction was applied or inNovember o last year. “We’ll just haveto track this as we go along,” said theMayor.
Comprehensive Plan progressing nicely 
 Jerry Cumming reported that the newchapters o the Comprehensive Plan were coming along nicely and wouldbe on time or a “timely ling”. “I wenish in April, we’ll have a ull monthto review all nine sections,” said own Administrator Peirce. Luckily, the Planis not a “major book” and not a wholelot has changed on Seabrook sincethe last Plan was drawn up ten yearsago. Seven out o the nine sections arealready complete and Peirce noted thatthey were pretty well into the eighthsection already.“Are we still going to hold a publichearing?” Asked the Mayor, reerencingdiscussions earlier last year whichinvolved public hearings as part o theComprehensive Plan’s approval. “Yes,”said Peirce, “Once all the sections aredone and reviewed, we’ll do somethingthrough the POA and
the Seabrooker 
.”
Hard driven road 
Councilman Holtz, Chair or theExternal Aairs Committee, reportedthat the Johns Island own Councilholds a meeting to discuss potentialsolutions to the road problems on JohnsIsland beore each monthly meeting,“But nothing’s happening, nothing’scoming out o it,” said Holtz. “Tey need more meat on the bones o thestatement ‘Fix Our Roads First’. I’mpushing politely at the meetings ora plan, but so ar, nothing concrete.”Mayor McNulty noted that he andMayor Wert o Kiawah were calledby the Urban Land Institute to speak at their recent panel hearing onMaybank’s development, but were toldthat they were only there to discussMaybank, and no other project. “I toldthem that we can’t look at this in avacuum,” said the Mayor. Holtz agreed,stating that ULI worked hard on theirsolution, but they didn’t look at thenetwork.
 What’s a Fourth o July without freworks?
Te POA has completed their budgetor the year and one o the items cut was the reworks on the Fourth o  July. “Tey came to me and asked i  we could do it,” said the Mayor. “Ithink it’s okay or the own to do thereworks.” Ater speaking with ownattorney Steve Brown, the Mayor oundthat they could pay or the reworksas long as the event was open to allSeabrook residents, including theones who live at Bohicket Marina.“I the POA won’t let them throughthe gate, though, we can’t pay or it,”Mayor McNulty noted. “But it’s my eeling that we’re a municipality, andmunicipalities have reworks. Tis isthe type o thing the POA won’t pick up again, and i we can do it legally, we should step up and do it.” Councilagreed unanimously to pay the $7,500or reworks on the Fourth o July aslong as all residents o Seabrook Island were able to attend.
UnCERain uture
 Although CER voted to disbandtheir corporation in order to be insuredindividually through the own, they hit a snag when they ound that, by law, they couldn’t keep their assets:they would have to be distributed toa similar non-prot organization ormunicipality. “So the assets will haveto go to someone else,” said MayorMcNulty, “or back to us. Last month,
Council 
continued on page 3
Correction: Te Kiawah Conservancy and Heron Park Nature Center 
 As a clarication rom the article “Island wide recycling” in Volume 2 Issue 22 o 
Te Island Connection,
it needs to be pointedout that Te Kiawah Conservancy and the Heron Park Nature Center are separate entities.
Te Heron Park Nature Center
 is run by the Kiawah Island Gol Resort, which runs several nature programs and has many naturalists on sta to speak withproperty owners and guests alike.
Te Kiawah Conservancy 
is a non-prot “Land rust” that is dedicated to the preservationo natural ora and auna on Kiawah Island and its environs. Recycling o varied materials, including uorescent bulbs, canbe dropped o at
the Heron Park Nature Center
or specic materials (paper, aluminum, glass...) can be placed in the labeledrecycling dumpsters on Sora Rail Road. Te Kiawah Conservancy is located at 80 Kestrel Court on Kiawah Island.
Seabrook Town Council – February 24, 2009
 
 we said we didn’t want that equipmentback, but it seems more and morethat with each step, the own getsmore involved in CER than anyoneintended it too.” McNulty explainedthat when CER was started, everyoneagreed it was a good idea as long asthe volunteers were not attached to theown. “I elt it should stay that way, soI met with some CER people [JohnTompson and Ron Bourne], and toldthem that as ar as I was concerned,they should get their own insurance,”said the Mayor. “Tey can always cometo the own and ask or a donationor CER and i the own decides todonate money to them, that wouldhelp cover the cost o insurance. I can’tmake any promise that the own willpay the insurance, though.”Peirce stated that he spoke with JohnTompson, who agreed that the ideao getting their own insurance andasking the own or donations romtime to time would be ne. McNulty also pointed out that CER could usethe $5,000 some odd dollars let intheir account to pay or their rst year’sinsurance.“Te [CER] board met anddissolved the non-prot,” CouncilmanSavin, a ormer member o CER,stated. “And as ar as I know, yourmeeting has not been communicated tothe board o CER and the agreementhas not been approved.”“It’s up to them, i they want todo it,” said the Mayor. “I think whathappened is that no one realized thatthe assets would have to go back tothe municipality. Te board decidedto dissolve the corporation, but whenthey ound they didn’t have carteblanche to do what they wanted withthe equipment, that triggered theproblem that took place ater the boardmeetings. So as ar as I’m concerned,it’s in their court. Tey can keep thecorporation as it is and come to theown or donations.”Councilman Savin, however, arguedthat the problem was, and still is, thati they remain a not-or-prot, thevolunteers will become personally liableor insurance situations. “Tey can beinsured, but someone could sue themcollectively and individually. With theown’s insurance, only the own wouldbe liable, but this way, there’s a doubleliability i you are a member o thecorporation.”“But we can’t put them under ourpolicy as a corporation,” explained theMayor. “Tat was part o the problem.Te corporation was dissolved so wecould insure them individually.” Savinargued back that i the corporationremained a not-or-prot, they wouldstill be individually liable.“Why doesn’t the town want CER?”Savin asked.“Te own doesn’t want theresponsibility or CER,” the Mayorreplied. “I wasn’t too happy with that[the individual insurance throughthe own] to start with, but Steve[Brown, own attorney] said it wasokay.” Te sticking point was whenthe own would have had to takeresponsibility or CER’s equipment, which more or less would have madethem a committee o the own, “andit was never planned that way,” saidMcNulty.” I it had been proposedthat way in the rst place, the own would have said no. Tere’s some point where we have to say no. You guys haveto get your own insurance.” Ideally,the Mayor explained, the corporation would solve their insurance problemand would be able to stay the way they are. “I’m not saying their not valuable,they are. But i there is a disaster onSeabrook, it’s going to be all o JohnsIsland and how many remen do wehave? By the time the re departmentgets here, and God knows how longthat will be, we’ll need them and that’show CER ts in. Tey’re the rst onesin and will get things done beore there department gets here. But they’rehere to assist the re department.”“Strange way to look at a saety organization by Council,” said Savin.Te Mayor oered that Savin couldpropose that CER be made a part o the own, though he remarked that“I don’t eel it should be, and I don’tthink Council elt that way in the rstplace.” Savin replied that Council seemsto be out o touch with what’s goingon in the country in term o preparingor disaster. “As it stands now, there isa Citizen’s Reserve Corp, CER andthe Lowcountry Medical Reserve Corp,all prepared to respond to disaster.”However, he made the motion, which was not seconded and ailed.
 Work beginning at Royal Pine
In the midst o the CER discussion, Joe Hall gave a quick report on therepair work on the repair work at thenumber one pump at Royal Pine. “Lastmonth I sent in a written report andI lied,” he apologized. “Tree daysater I turned it in, we ound thatthe new control cabinet had not yetarrived rom the manuacturer.” Sincethe contractor must have all materialson site beore beginning work on thepump, the project was delayed by the cabinet manuacturer until thecabinet arrived on the 15
th
. “Work hasnow begun,” Hall assured Council.Hall also reported that the Utility Commission was taking steps to protecttheir customers rom identity thet and would be discussing plans at their nextmeeting, which was held the day aterSeabrook own Council. “It should beairly simple since we don’t take creditor debit cards and that’s 90% o thet,”said Hall, but the process might requirean approval rom the own. He notedthat he would send the inormation toCouncil as soon as he ound out.Councilman Holtz asked Hall what would happen with the own’s water and sewer in case o a disaster/emergency, and Hall replied that, inthe event o a disaster, all the water,electricity and sewer would be turnedo and would not be turned back onuntil all the circuits were checked.However, the process o checking, which would normally have takenseveral months, has been greatly improved by new technology andbuilding materials so that the owncould potentially be “back online”ater a ull tidal surge in roughly three weeks. “My best guess, though, is thati there is a major disaster, it wouldbe about three months beore people would be allowed back on the islandand or everything to be back online,”said Hall.
Rumple strips
own Administrator Peirce reportedthat he had ound potential rumplestrips or the crosswalk at BohicketMarina. It would be a series o vestrips, each strip our inches wide and¼ an inch tall, spaced out over oureet. “Te vibration would let driversknow that something was coming up,”said Peirce, “and the rst thing they  would see is a sign that says ‘PedestrianCrossing 500 t.’.” Te strips would beplaced in both directions, both goingon to and coming o o the island.Peirce also noted that this was the leastaggressive way to let drivers know thatthey were coming into a certain area.Councilman Holtz noted that he wouldlike to test the strips beore agreeingto install them, jokingly remarkingthat, “I my car can handle it, anyone’scan.” Peirce said that he had requesteda location o an example and wouldnotiy the Councilmen once one wasound in the area.
Disaster Awareness Day 
Piece also asked i the own wouldagain be contributing $1,500 to theDisaster Awareness Day which was held jointly with Kiawah Island last year.Te Mayor asked that Peirce nd outrom Kiawah i anyone rom Seabrook had attended the estival last year beorecommitting to this year’s contribution.
Master list o own entities’evacuation plans
Mayor McNulty noted that itbothered him that all o Seabrook Island’s entities’ evacuation plans arenot in one place. “We need a ownplan that incorporates all o theseplans,” he said. In the event o anemergency, the Mayor would becomethe director or the own and wouldhave to make sure that all evacuationplans took place. Councilman Holtzremarked that what bothered him was the lack o implementation. “Wedon’t have the sta or it,” he said.Savin replied that this issue was whatCER was started or. ”Tey’re very dedicated and very honest,” said Holtz,“but I don’t think they [CER] coulddo much.” Mayor McNulty agreed,stating that all CER could do is helpthe re department. Councilman Savin
www.sndnnn.s
March 6, 2009
 
3
Council 
continued rom page 2
Council 
continued on page 5
Sullivan's Island/Isle of the Palms
2nd and 4th Thursday of the monthExchange Clubhouse 201 Palm Blvd.For more information call Jim Raih 886-5224.
Kiawah/Seabrook
1st and 3rd Wednesday of the monthmeetings rotate between Kiawah and Seabrook.For more information call Frank Farfone 768-1105.1st Thursday of the monthExchange Hut 206 W. Indian Folly Beach.For more information call Mary Homes 558-9238.
Folly Beach
IslandExchange Clubs
Folly’s First Quarter dues only $30!Offer ends March 31, 2009
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