The POA Board met April 18th at the Lake House. All Board members but one were present. Highlights of the meeting follow; they are not exhaustive. Official minutes will be posted by the Board at a later date on the SIPOA website.
Board President Janet Gorski reported that cameras have been installed at the recycling center. Several improper dumping incidents have been recorded and fines have been levied against the violators.
Mr. Gimson reported that the first Gateway reconstruction proposal came in over budget. The Board and contractor are investigating design options to reduce cost. A motion to approve POA participation in the shared cost of replacing riprap on the bulkhead of the creek along Marsh Gate was approved. Costs were apportioned according to ownership of affected properties.
St. Johns Fire Battalion Chief Gary Lore made an extensive presentation on the Smart911 service in light of April 30th being declared “Smart911 Day” in both Charleston County and the rest of the nation. [Because of its special value to property owners, TIDELINES will highlight this program in an upcoming separate post.]
Ms. McCulloch reported that the next popular Tech Forums series at the Lake House is being planned and organized in cooperation with the experts at the Post & Computer Center in Freshfields Village.
Mr. Bane reported that the ARC received 13 applications for construction and remodeling. All but one were approved.
Mr. Orris noted that an “all green” proposal for the wildflower field adjacent to the Lake House is under development in order to stay within the constraints of deed restrictions. He noted that April 22 is Earth Day; a program will take place at the Lake House from 9 AM to 12 PM that day. The marquee event will be NOAA coastal hazards specialist Doug Marcy speaking on the effects of climate change on beach communities.
Mr. Squire raised an objection from Spinnaker villa owners to overflow parking from Club events taking place on their lawns along Seabrook Island Road. Further discussion revealed uncertainty as to whether the Spinnaker Board had granted approval. The matter will be investigated.
Mr. Kortvelesy noted that the results of the nearly 1000 responses to the recent property owners survey are being analyzed. The response split was 55% resident/45% non-resident. Full results will be made publicly available once data crunching is complete.
Mr. Jones reported that the Town is now participating in joint collaborative meetings with the Club and the POA communication committees. Design work on a combined “landing page” portal for all three web sites is underway. The page will be geared to cutting through possible confusion caused by the three separate sites for visitors and Seabrook-curious web searchers.
Mr. Jones further reported that a “Seabrook Ambassadors” program is in its nascent stage. Its purpose will be to provide a way for visitors to gain access to and information about the Island by speaking directly with residents. TIDELINES community blog will make changes to its format on or about May 1st. The purpose is to better highlight its features and improve navigability. It will also institute a new “Letter to the Editors” feature around that time. TIDELINES will be publicizing these changes in the near future.
Ms. Gorski reported that an Open Forum Town Hall is being planned for Thursday, May 12th. It will feature state representatives and the SCDOT chief highway engineer. [TIDELINES has asked the Town for additional details and will post them upon receipt.]
In the public comments session, property owner Ellen Coughlin spurred a vigorous discussion on better accommodation of mobility-challenged people for access to Seabrook beaches. The notion generated immediate support from several Board members. The Safety & Security Committee was tasked with immediately investigating actions that can be taken before the high season visitor surge.
—Tidelines Editors