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VOLUME 17 ISSUE 17
SEABROOK ELECTION RESULTS
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n Tuesday, November 7, the Town of Seabrook Island conducted a municipal election to fill the positions of Mayor, Town Council Members and Utility Commissioner. The results of the election were certified by the Charleston County Board of Canvassers on November 9 as follows: Mayor Bruce Kleinman - 705 * Jeri Finke - 562 Write-In - 1 Town Council Members Chuck Cross - 553 Ray Hamilton - 860 * Dan Kortvelesy - 627 * Darryl May - 760 * Paul McLaughlin - 626 Gordon Weis - 689 * Sharon Welch - 374 Write-In - 11 Utility Commissioner Robert Aaron - 814 * Write-In - 3 Statistics Registered Voters (Total) - 2,432 Ballots Cast (Total) - 1,272 Voter Turnout (Total) - 52.30% The town will host a swearing in ceremony for Mayor-Elect Bruce Kleinman; Town Council Members Ray Hamilton, Dan Kortvelesy, Darryl May, and Gordon Weis; and Utility Commissioner Robert Aaron on January 2, 2024 at noon at Town Hall. For more information, please contact Seabrook Island Town Hall at 843-768-9121 or by email at kwatkins@ townofseabrookisland.org.
Short Statement from Bruce Kleinman, Mayor-elect I am proud and humbled to have been elected to lead our great town in an election in which almost 1,300 voters participated. I intend, along with the new Town Council, to continue to spread the positive message of change, which has been the foundation of my campaign. We will immediately take steps to foster greater buy-in by Town residents in the actions of its municipal government by improving communication and participation as a means of forging consensus on major issues.
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NOVEMBER 17, 2023
Keep Betsy Beautiful
PRESERVING CRITICAL LANDS ON JOHNS ISLAND
BY JENNIFER WOODY
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For The Island Connection
ohns Island is one of the few places in Charleston where you can still find dove fields, agricultural land, wild turkeys and a vibrant rural community. It is a unique and special place. Furthermore, it is the gateway to Kiawah and Seabrook and an integral part of the local watershed (Bohicket Creek, Stono River, and Kiawah River) which supports both humans and wildlife communities. Ultimately, everything that happens on Kiawah, Seabrook, and Johns Islands has an impact on our respective communities. The islands are inextricably linked through the watershed. Healthy watersheds not only help protect water quality but also provide benefits to the habitats, wildlife and people that live within them. Preservation of land is our greatest tool to protect these natural resources as well as travel corridors and muchneeded places to rest, nest and feed for the wildlife we all love. Our bobcats, birds and more depend on these critical areas for survival. The pressure of development on Johns Island and Betsy Kerrison Parkway, in particular, is growing at an alarming rate. We know that growth is inevitable, but smart growth that protects wildlife and their habitats and preserves culture is crucial. If this land is not protected now, it will only be a matter of time before development begins to dramatically impact it. This is why the Kiawah Conservancy has launched the Keep Betsy Beautiful Campaign. The Kiawah Conservancy is excited to announce the recent preservation of two key properties on Johns Island: 4368 and 4346 Betsy Kerrison Parkway. These properties serve as a cornerstone for conservation on southern Johns Island. The Kiawah Conservancy is actively working with landowners on Johns Island to place additional properties
under conservation easement, and when easements aren’t possible, we are working to purchase properties for preservation. Looking to the future, we envision portions of these preserved lands being open for public access. We hope to provide nature trails, a natural community gathering area and native plant demonstration gardens that will connect people with the land itself and celebrate the rural nature of Johns Island. This is a natural extension of the Kiawah Conservancy’s mission to measure, manage, improve, and advocate for the ecological health of Kiawah Island and its environs. Our conservation work on Johns Island can’t be done alone. Join us for a Keep Betsy Beautiful Information Session to learn more about our conservation efforts on Johns Island. Register your attendance here: kiawahconservancy.salsalabs.org/kbbinfosession. Please consider making a gift today to Keep Betsy Beautiful and to ensure this critical area is preserved now for generations to come. Donate online at kiawahconservancy.org. By the end of 2023, the Kiawah Conservancy will have reached a new milestone - 3,880 acres of vital land preserved in perpetuity. Your support helps us reach this milestone achievement.
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SEABROOK ADDRESSES NUISANCES AND NOISE BY THERESA STRATFORD For The Island Connection
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uisances are finally being addressed by the Town of Seabrook Island. For the first time, the Town has taken on a nuisance and noise ordinance to cover any and everything annoying, irritating and down right inconvenient. The work can be attributed to the Short-Term Rental Ad Hoc Committee, who has been working on a short term rental agreement for the past two years or so. During that time, the committee also came up with a nuisance and noise ordinance, which happens to coincide with some of the short-term rental issues. Presented at the October 24 Seabrook Island Town
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Council meeting by Council Member Jeri Finke and Town Administrator Joe Cronin, the ordinance, which was only presented to council and the community for consideration, will not only cover nuisance issues but also noise issues. “So much of this was taken out of the current DSO and reorganized to be placed in this ordinance,” Finke explained. “It made sense to have those provisions in this ordinance, like fireworks, firearms and dumping. We added noise ordinance issues that address things like landscaping, recreational or noises that could be a problem like music at your neighbor’s rental unit.” (continued on page 2)
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