I like trees. All varieties: palm, live oak, hardwood, tulip, magnolia, Charlie Brown Christmas. But a tree I find fascinating these days is the family tree, the genealogical diagram of family ancestry. Wildly popular, charting one’s ancestry and the relationship of all members within a family can be a rather daunting undertaking, an endeavor which only a few years ago required a great deal of time and research. There are library records, court house documents, cemetery ledgers, ships’ passenger lists and government files. Now the internet grants almost instant access to these genealogical resources and more. Answers to all kinds of lineage questions- the good, the bad and the unexpected.
Not always neat and tidy, a look up into the ol’ family tree sometimes brings down a rain of nuts. Passed down from one generation to the next, we all are the recipients of family recipes and oral histories, DNA genetic codes and various disorders, plantations or plantars warts, as it were. But it is so interesting, and invaluable, to see how the branches connect us to so many other people we may not even know.
The day my great grandmother Dora Boggs wordlessly placed a cherished gold ring into my eight year old hand, I started on a path to learn all I could about her storied past. An avid golfer, she died at 101 in Kansas after a childhood in Princeton, Montana, an education from Stanford University, a marriage to a dashing country doctor, two babies, travel, volunteerism and too many bridge games to count. Instead of Great Grandmother, I had called her “For Pity’s Sakes” because as a two year old that’s mostly what I remember her saying aloud. And for all her propriety, she didn’t seem to mind. In my keeping I have all her baby pictures as well as her babies’ baby pictures, her college years scrapbooks, her monogrammed table linens, her love for the sport of fencing and that gold ring.
If you’re curious about your branches, go on and ask your parents, your aunt and uncles, cousins and grandparents. Turn on the tape recorder or video camera, write down the bigger details and tuck them away for the next generation. Or squeeze every last detail from their collective memories and start printing up your own fabulous family tree. Be generous with your own history and share some of it with the young people who ask. They honor you with these queries and they in turn will use your words to tell their own stories to their grandchildren. |
New City employees
The Isle of Palms has hired five new employees for the City, two of whom were inducted at this night’s meeting.
First up, Jessica Edwards, a new police dispatcher from West Virginia, was sworn in by Mayor Sottile. “It’s always nice to have good people and good voices [at the police station]”, said the Mayor. “It gets pretty busy this time of year.”
Sergeant William O’Donnell was also inducted into the Isle of Palms police department. “I’m very pleased to present to everyone our new livability officer,” said Mayor Sottile as he shook Sergeant O’Donnell’s hand. “Hopefully you’ll help us calm down some of these crowds!” The Mayor noted that his position had been a long time coming and that he looked forward to Sergeant O’Donnell’s service to the city. Sergeant O’Donnell had recently moved to Pawley’s Island from Suffolk, NY, and will soon be moving into town.
Turtles terrified of terrestrial trash
Beverly Ballow of the Island Turtle Team stood up during the citizen’s comments section of the meeting to point out the growing problem of debris left on the beach. “This is a problem that has gotten extremely worse [over the summer],” Beverly pointed out. “The beach is littered in debris in the form of chairs and tents left out overnight. We believe one of the obligations of the city, citizens and government is to protect the beach for the turtles; it is a moral obligation. We need to keep the debris off the beach since it could kill [nesting turtles]. We’ve had a number of nesters run into these tents and turn around and go back. If they don’t nest, they could lose up to 126 eggs that will never live.”
Mayor Sottile responded by stating that he would like Public Works and Public Safety to look at the issue. “We need both commissions to look at this at their next meeting, “he said. “Our beaches are the best thing we have. They are the crown jewel of the island.”
Beverly also noted that the debris also caused a problem for people walking on the beach in the evening. Leftover wires, holes and beach equipment could potentially cause serious injury.
Councilman Betelli, chairman of the Public Works committee, later commented that they would take the Turtle Team’s points under advisement. “There are laws about debris on the beach and we need to look into specifying was ‘debris’ is,” he stated. ‘We collect metal refuse once a week on the beach but the problem is that we’ve become a disposable society. When people leave, their canopy stays on the beach. We need to get more aggressive and take care of this problem.” Councilman Betelli also said that at a recent meeting, Public Works discussed the problem with “umbrella people”. According to the Town Code, personal umbrellas are not allowed on the beach; they are only allowed to be rented and the rental companies are required to personally drop off and pick up their umbrellas.
Resolution and approval of the 2008 CARTA budget
“As everyone knows, the eight municipalities of Charleston County need to approve the budget each year for CARTA,” said Mayor Sottile, addressing Council. “I believe that CARTA’s new express route really got off the ground well last year and this past month they have started working on the new inter-modal center in North Charleston. This year, CARTA will be adding another express route from downtown to Summerville.”
Leola Hanbury also pointed out that Howard Chapman, the director for CARTA, would be pleased that “our Mayor Sotille is a member of the CARTA board”. Mr. Chapman, who arrived soon after the approval for CARTA’s budget passed unanimously, thanked Council for passing the 2008 budget.
Kudzu and roll-out carts
Councilman Betelli stated that either a drafted newsletter or one page mail-out would be sent to customers of the water department concerning the use of roll-out trash carts on the island. The newsletter would provide the guidelines of roll-out carts, including their visibility, enclosures and corrals. Councilman Betelli pointed out that corrals for roll-out carts are not really in accordance with the City’s ordinance, so Public Works will be looking into slowly phasing them out.
Secondly, Councilman Betelli stated that there have been complaints about an overabundance of kudzu at Breach Inlet. “We are going to contact SCDOT and get some suggestions to see how we should handle it,” Councilman Betelli said.
The Mayor agreed with Councilman Betelli’s decision to consult someone before removing the kudzu vines. “It (the kudzu) has been there since day one and it helps hold in the dunes. We need to watch out and make sure we don’t create more of an erosion problem than we have.”
Finally, Councilman Betelli reminded Council that this year’s Beach Sweep would be held on Saturday, September 15.
June employees of the month
Lt. Wright of the Isle of Palms police department recommended both patrolman first class James Ryan and patrolman Craig Thompson for June’s employees of the month.
Three first reading ordinances - storm water management
According to the minutes f the Public Works committee on July 17, City Administrator Tucker reported that there were three ordinances and one resolution that needed to be passed at the July Council meeting. The ordinances all deal with the storm water management plan and state the following:
Ordinance 2007 - 14: This ordinance establishes a storm water management utility for the purpose of planning, designing, funding, constructing and maintaining storm water management, sediment and erosion control, flood and storm water discharge programs, projects and facilities and reviewing ad approving storm water management and sediment control plans for land disturbing activities, and providing for the administration and enforcement thereof.
Ordinance 2007 - 15: Establishes storm water management utility fees, providing for the classification of real property subject to such fees, establishing the amount of interim storm water management utility fees and providing for the use of such fees by the storm water management utility of the City of Isle of Palms.
Determining your storm water management fee
As of the first reading of this Ordinance, the equation for determining property owner’s storm water management fee is as follows:
* Single family residential: Base Rate ($36/year) times one (1) Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU), regardless of the size of the parcel or improvements.
* Vacant/undeveloped property: Base Rate times one half (½) ERU, regardless of size of parcel.
* Playgrounds/park property: The runoff coefficient (C-Factor), which is .11, is used in an equation to relate the C-factor to the base ERU. That sum is multiplied by the acreage of the property and that ratio is multiplied by the Base Rate to determine their annual fee.
* Special Use Properties: The same equation as Playgrounds/Park Properties with a C-factor of .50.
* Multi-Use Residential Property: Same as Playgrounds/Park Properties, with a C-factor of .64.
* Non-Residential/Commercial Property: Same as Playgrounds/Park Properties, with a C-factor of . .82.
Example calculation:
Commercial Property of 1.5 acres:
ERU = $36/per year.
C-factor ratio of commercial to ERU = .82/.40 = 2/05
ERU/acre = 2.05 x 3 = 6.15 ERU/acre
ERUs for 1.5 acre commercial property = 1.50 x 6.15 = 9.23 ERUs
Utility fee = 9.23 x $36 = $332.28/per year
In no case shall a Utility customer be billed a fee for less than one half (½) the Base Rate.
Ordinance 2007 - 16:Establishes the storm water management program (SWMP) for the City of Isle of Palms.
Ordinance 2007 - 17: Alters the zoning code to say that properties must meet requirements to be in compliance with land development plans.
Administrator Tucker stated that the storm water management plan is a federal requirement passed to the state and then passed to local subdivisions for better management of the state’s storm water. “The results should be a good thing, but getting from the requirements to implementation will be something we have to struggle through,” she said, as well as noting that Charleston County will be managing the program for Isle of Palms.
The reason for the rush on the first passage of the above ordinances is because the City needs to have the ordinances read and passed by September to be in compliance with permit. “There will be modifications at the second reading,” said Administrator Tucker. “We will be meeting with the County to discuss any further changes, but this gets us started for the deadline.”
To emphasize the necessity of being in compliance with the storm water management act, Councilman Cronin pointed out that one county in Columbia had already received a $700,000 fine for non-compliance with the act.
Councilman Betelli also agreed, but pointed out that the storm water management plan “will have a good impact on water quality, but this came to us because our senators passed this in Washington and then passed it on to us to fulfill. This is a tedious, huge program. City Council is doing this because your senators and congressman voted on it.”
“This goes back to 1990 by the EPA National Pollutant Discharge System ,” Councilman Cronin noted. “Phase Two was enacted in 2000 and now we’re being given 60 days to do something that we’ve had two and a half to three years to deal with. It will cost money to monitor and manage and it will be costly relative to its benefit in the near term, but in five to six years we should see some benefit.” In relation to the cost of the project, Councilman Cronin also pointed out that “if we had to bring people over, it would cost much more than $36 a year.”
Second reading of the historic tree removal ordinance and the front yard setbacks for GC-1
The ordinance regarding the removal of historic trees, ordinance 2007 - 12, passed unanimously, without comment, its second reading and the ordinance regarding the front yard setbacks, 2007 - 13, passed 8 - 1, with Councilman Marino stating his objection. “I think we should keep GC-1 the same for now,” he said. “This is a big step for a large area of the island. A pretty big move. We should consider other options, such as the zoning of two city parking lots in GC-4 or whatever it may be and keep the setbacks the same until we can study the impact on shopping centers and others.”
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