Two important meetings are on tap for this evening; Monday, November 16:
—Submitted by Tidelines Editor
In addition to Daylight Saving Time ending, the beach rules change for dogs.
As of Nov 1st, dogs are allowed off leash anywhere on the beach before 10:00am and after 5:00pm.
Dogs are allowed off leash at any time in the Designated Area of North Beach.
Dogs off leash must be under voice control of the person handling the dog.
You must pick up after your dog.
The original “dog ordinance” was adopted on May 23, 2006: over 9 years ago!! On January 24, 2012, the following sentence was added to the ordinance: No dog shall be allowed beyond the Designated Area on the Cap’n Sams Inlet side. Without this amendment, the US Fish & Wildlife Service would not sign off on the Cap’n Sams recut.
Thank you for your cooperation!!
Submitted by
Jerry Cummin
The October Safety & Security Committee meeting was held on October 7 at the SIPOA office on Landfall Way. The discussion topics and Chairman’s remarks included the following:
Storm Aftermath: The Committee discussed safety & security issues from the 1,000 year storm event which occurred in Early October. In summary:
o There were no medical emergencies on Seabrook Island arising from the storm.
o The dike at the Cap’n Sams cut was not breached, is intact and there was no significant erosion. Additional inspection will be done to verify the dike’s integrity.
o Tidelines bulletins were issued frequently to keep property owners updated on road conditions and other storm related issues.
o Some roads throughout the island had high water and were not passable. The Safety & Security staff marked hazardous areas with traffic cones to alert motorists. In spite of the warnings, problems encountered included:
* Several motorists moved barricades out of the way so they could drive through the water.
* There were a few incidents of motorist driving into property owners’ yards to get around flooded streets.
* Even though motorists were asked to stay off of the streets, a few vehicles continued to come through the gate.
* In the future the SIPOA will try to include more specific road locations in Tidelines communications.
o Overall, the island drainage system worked effectively and SI Road was cleaned up quickly.
o The SIPOA has received positive feedback from property owners.
o The Committee recognized the SI Security staff for their excellent work.
o While there was only minimal property damage reported by individuals, property owners can file claims with FEMA for any uninsured losses.
Safety & Security staff additions: The SIPOA approved the addition of two additional officers in the 2016 budget.
Seabrook Island Security report for September, 2015: There were 10 citations issued in September, which included the following:
o 5 speeding violations
o 1 no license/registration
o 3 parking violations
o 1 trailer violation
The committee reviewed all citation appeals and made decisions based on the facts and merits of each case.
The full Committee meeting minutes are available for review in the archives section of the SIPOA website http://www.associationvoice.com/ResourceCenter/15432/Library
Submitted by Bill Bryant, S&S Committee Secretary
The GOMC met on October 12th to review the performance of our structures and systems during the storm of October 2nd‐5th. We came through the storm in great shape, thanks to the work that’s been going on behind the scenes for the past years to keep our systems in top condition! The main points discussed were:
The new berm at Cap’n Sams Creek has been inspected by CS & E; no damage was seen.
The roof leaked at the Oystercatcher Community Center; we will evaluate whether to replace or repair. No other SIPOA buildings were affected.
No undercutting of any bridges has been observed; they will be fully inspected next year. One small section of asphalt on Coon Hollow was damaged and will be patched.
All storm drains and pump stations performed as designed; standing water was off the streets within 48 hours. One stormwater pipe required repair on Crooked Oaks 17. Debris and sand washed into storm drains will be flushed out on schedule, along with the leaf fall, next month.
King tides eroded dirt behind the Crab Dock bulkhead; this will be repaired and riprap added. The Marsh Gate bulkhead appears unaffected; it’s due for repair anyway later this year.
SIPOA needs more flood barriers and will budget for them in 2016.
-Submitted by Guy Gimson, Chair
The SIPOA Communications Committee held its meeting at the SIPOA Administration Building Conference Room on October 16, 2015, from 10:30 AM-Noon.
The first item of business pertained to a discussion of communications during the October 2-6 weather emergency, with a focus on (a) lessons-learned re: distribution, accessibility, and timeliness of emergency information (e.g., road closures, ponding, weather) to property owners; (b) importance of updating software to be able to access timely emergency information; and (c) critical mobile traffic and weather apps to download.
The Town of Seabrook receives information from Charleston County, which is then forwarded to SIPOA for distribution to property owners via E-blasts. Given the severity of the weather emergency, SIPOA issued during the emergency three E-blasts daily. In addition, Tidelines was identified as a most useful source of real-time information, particularly as related to road conditions, as conditions changed rapidly and on-the-scene property owners often had more current information than was distributed by either the Charleston Sheriff’s office or County.
In addition, mobile apps were identified as particularly useful during the emergency: WAZE (traffic conditions); NOAA Radar (weather conditions down to street level); and Live5News (traffic and weather conditions). It is critical going forward that operational software—particularly on standalone desktops and laptops—be kept up-to-date in order to receive useful information, especially in an emergency, in a timely fashion. If software is out-of-date, HTML communications may be unreadable.
The Committee will take to the Board at its November 16 meeting for Board approval a short communications survey for property owners on lessons learned during the weather emergency. A standalone Tech Forum will be scheduled that will focus exclusively on emergency communications, and the SIPOA Communications Committee will do a brief Tech Forum teaser at the November 16 “Get the Scoop” meeting. The Tech Forum will focus on Tips and Tricks—the variety of tools that need to be monitored during an emergency ((e.g., NOAA, Live5News, WAZE, SIPOA E-Blasts, Town Website, Tidelines, and Club Communications)—and what to do to access information when electricity or Internet is down.
Continue reading “SIPOA Communications Committee Posts Results”
The Environmental Committee of the POA met on October 7, 2015. Below is an outline of the minutes.
The Greenery
Leaf collection will begin soon and continue for four weeks. An e-blast will ask residents not to blow leaves into the street.
Wildlife Mapping
River otters have been seen near The Haulover and Wood Duck Rd. It was misreported that one of the piebald deer had died. The experts are not sure it’s a piebald, but it was an eight point buck.
Turtle Patrol
There was a record 75 nests. Unfortunately, eight nests were over washed and lost to the high tides.
Deer Management
The September deer survey was completed. It was estimated that there are 450 deer on the island.
Wild Things
Over 40 people have shown interest in starting a birding group.
Lake House Wild Flower Field
The Greenery has submitted a conceptual design and cost estimate.
Submitted by Jane Marvin
Charleston County was here today to treat standing water for mosquito larvae. They will be back tonight (10-16-15) to spray for adult mosquitoes.
The mosquito spraying will begin at 11:00 PM and could last until 7:00 AM. Please be aware of this and do not disturb the spraying activities if you see them on the island.
Submitted by Steve Hirsch, PE, PMP
Director of Engineering
Seabrook Island POA
The next COVAR meeting (Developing and Funding Reserves for Property and Landscaping Improvement for Associations/Regimes) will be Saturday, December 12 from 10 AM to 12 Noon at the Lake House. All Seabrookers are welcome to attend.
It is with great pleasure that I announce the adoption on July 28 of Town of Seabrook Island (TOSI) Ordinance 2015-02, amending, updating and significantly strengthening Section 32 of the Town Code, Waterways and Beaches. This event marks the achievement of a significant step in COVAR’s collaboration with TOSI and Seabrook Island Property Owners Association (SIPOA) in an effort to address Seabrook Island beach matters during the course of the last three plus years. Continue reading “COVAR Meeting Announcement and New Dog Beach Rules”
An additional brown and white pickup has been scheduled for next Monday, October 12th.
Submitted by Shawna Jarrett
Garbage and recycling pickup will be moved to TUESDAY.
We are working on scheduling a second yard debris/brown and white pickup for storm-related items. We will advise on the details at a later time.
The SIPOA office will be CLOSED tomorrow.
The Lake House will be open as of this writing, but all classes are CANCELED
The Town remains at OPCON 4 to monitor local flooding. SIPOA Security reported early Saturday morning that the loop intersection of Seabrook Island Road (near Lake House, Tennis Center and Equestrian Center) is impassable and that deep water covers the intersection of Seabrook Island Road and Oyster Catcher Court. Driving within the Town is discouraged. The Johns Island Fire Department also discourages driving on Bohicket Road. We urge you to stay off the roads, but if you must drive, watch for water covering roadways and avoid driving through water of unknown depth.
The Lake House is in after-hours access mode from 11:00 am today until 10:00 am tomorrow (Sunday).
The Brown & White pickup is still scheduled for Friday, October 2, despite the rainy conditions.
Furniture, appliances, etc., may be put out curbside (by 7:00 am). Hazardous materials (batteries, paint, etc.) may be brought to the maintenance facility (SBI Rd, behind the Garden Plots) for safe disposal.
What is the purpose of Brown & White pickup?
This pickup is intended for those larger items which are not acceptable for the standard weekly pickup and would normally have to be taken to the County landfill facility on Bees Ferry Road in West Ashley. SIPOA offers this special pickup quarterly, as a convenience to our owners.
What is okay to put out curbside?
Furniture (all sorts), appliances (provided they were not removed as part of a contractor job, see below), lawn equipment, most other large-size goods which would not be acceptable for the regular weekly pickup
What is NOT okay to put out curbside?
– Hazardous waste such as paint, fluorescent lights, and batteries (take these to the maintenance facility on the same day, Priority-1 personnel will be standing by from 7:00-3:00 for collection and safe removal)
– Waste generated by contracted workers in the course of doing a job (contractors are responsible for removing their own project waste, such as carpet, floor boards, cabinets, etc., from Seabrook Island property)
When is the next pickup?
The next pickup will be scheduled to correspond with the Annual Meeting weekend in February. We move the January pickup to this date because so many owners are on the island, allowing us to offer this service to a wider group.
– Submitted by Shawna Jarrett, SIPOA