City Council - Regular Meeting

All right, I would like to call this July 14th meeting of City Council to order. Adam Clark, would you please call the roll?

Here. I'd now like to call on Councilmember Polkay to lead everybody, to give the invocation and lead everybody in the Pledge of Allegiance. Sure.

At this time, please join me in a moment of silent reflection in memory of the deceased senior senator from South Carolina, Senator Graham.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Okay. Um, starting out tonight, we have three presentations and recognitions. Thank you. Uh, council member Polk for that, um, those words relating to the late Senator, uh, Senator Graham, we have a resolution here for him, uh, for all that he has done for this city. He was an incredible advocate for particularly bringing funding back for flooding and resiliency efforts. So he will be missed by the city of Charleston. Whereas Lindsey Graham was born on July 9th, 1955 in Central South Carolina and served the people of South Carolina and Washington for more than three decades, first in the Unite

Mr. Mayor, before you leave that, the way Senator Graham reached across the aisles was something to be admired. You know, Mayor Riley used to have something that would say on certain projects, does it pass the 50-year test? Senator Graham worked very hard with Congressman Clyburn to get the money to build What we now know is the Ravenel Bridge, which at that time was the largest infrastructure project in the history of the state of South Carolina. Ongoing projects, you mentioned the flooding. He was a strong advocate for that. Our bike pedestrian bridge, Mr. Somerville, who we recognized appro

Well said well said, okay. You mentioned. I won Robbie Somerville and it is my pleasure and honor to read this proclamation on his behalf, Robbie, as you all know, needs no introduction. Uh, is a staple in this community and part of this city and really has done incredible things in his. service and career. So if you would join me up and anyone else from TNT, why don't y'all come on up here as well? Come on, guys. Come on. Don't be shy. I'll put you in the picture. Come on, Matt. Whereas Robbie Somerville has proudly served the city of Charleston for over 30 years, starting out as traffic tech

All right. We have one more important recognition tonight. I would like to invite the members coaching staff of the James Allen charter high school Trojans baseball team up. Come on in guys. We've got the doors open. Look at this. Come on gentlemen.

Y'all know how to do a group photo. Come on up. Come on up. Come on in parents. Y'all got it lined up. All right. Whereas the James Allen Charter High School Trojans baseball team demonstrated exceptional skill, determination, and teamwork in capturing the 2026 Class 5A Division I State Championship, And whereas the championship marks the Trojans' third consecutive state title, second consecutive state championship in South Carolina's highest classification, and sixth straight regional championship, highlighting one of the state's premier high school baseball programs. I would say the premier

Leslie, come up. We're going to get a picture. Absolutely, yeah. I mean, guys. i'll take it easy on the other guys a little bit next year maybe but uh we'll see you next year right who's got a little brother there all right guys congratulations

Just rinse and repeat. Oh, wait. Coach. Coach. Here we go.

Yeah, man. Absolutely. Impressive. Impressive. All right. We are now on to public hearings. We've got three, four on the agenda. I'll call on Christopher Morgan to come up.

and any impact it may have on the neighboring property owners okay we now have public comment period yes we have people we have signed up to speak for um three in person and one online Okay, we'll give everybody a minute and a half on this one since there are only four, or four and five, four and one, is it?

So we'll give everybody a minute and a half since there are not that many folks. Do want to remind people that are coming to speak, the rules of decorum. We just ask that you maintain the rules of decorum. This is not a question and answer. This is for you to have your voices and opinions heard, for us to listen to you respectfully. If you do not follow the rules of decorum, I will give you one warning. If you can persist, you will be ushered out of the chamber. So, Madam Clerk, will you please call the first speaker that signed up?

Okay, open it up to any comments, questions from members of council. Councilman Bowman.

Thank you, and I appreciate folks in support and against the 1025 Sam Rittenberg matter for being here tonight. I'm similarly situated. I have a young family. I go to bed at 9 p.m. I don't like loud noise. I don't like things that interfere with my property rights. Every Friday night in the fall, they play football at West Ashley High School. Christopher McConkey- it's loud I hear it in my neighborhood they hear it all over West Ashley. Christopher McConkey- doesn't mean they shouldn't get to do it. Christopher McConkey- I hear this. Christopher McConkey- You know that I think the question her

Councilman Tinkler. Well, just as a point of order, shall we vote on the first readings of the first one through three you're going to make a motion if you like all right okay well i'm just going to go because i would like to say something about about the 1045 sam randler but um i'll go ahead and move uh to take one two and three um to for approval for first readings take them together and for approval we have a motion made probably seconded all those in favor signify by saying aye aye opposed eyes have it madam clerk uh if i could just be noted as a nay on number one

Councilman Tinkler, did you want to follow up on item number four?

Sure, unless any other members want to talk. As a point of order, I'd move for approval, just so we can have discussion on the item.

I'm a parliamentarian. Move, properly seconded for discussion, Councilman Tinkler.

James Rattling Leafs- that's we're thinking just very briefly, I think, in the now number of years i've said here 17 I don't think i've ever seen a situation where we've gotten a claw back on a zoning exception or the changing of covenants so. without that clawback, I think this would be kind of a close call for me. But with the clawback, we get a free look at what goes on back there in an area of the city that really could use some revitalization. I get it. If I live back there and it's really a raucous and they've got some of the very specific requirements that are on them, if they're not in

Thank you, Mr. Eakings. Uh, I, I, I share your comments on that. Um, I do have some concern over some of the work that has been talked about. Uh, we're gonna look into that just for, for those of, uh, you that have come and spoken on that. Uh, but with that, I'll turn it over to, but, but I do appreciate the spirit of compromise and I do think, um, the clawback gives us some insurance, if you will. Councilman Waring.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, The covenants that have been amended and Ms. Copeland spoke about it at the beginning of the public hearing, almost worth reiterating. I put 17 years on the planning commission with city of Charleston. I've sat here 15 years next to my colleague, He's been here 17 years. He's the senior man on this body.

Touche, touche. I've never seen this kind of covenants put on one piece of property in the entirety of the city of Charleston. I mean, even to the tune of which direction speakers can be pointed. We've got the chief of police in here right now, and he's hearing it just like the rest of us. And if they get down there and start a party until the break of dawn, when I find this chief in the state of South Carolina and the nation, he and his team are going to see something, and they're going to do something about that. They're just not going to be able to do that. Landowners do have rights, just a

uh Councilman Tinkler unless there's any anybody else that wants to uh speak on this behalf thank you Mr Mayor um well obviously this is this is a tough issue for me um I as I mentioned last month at the meeting and I spoke for quite some time so I won't take up too much more of your time but I live in this neighborhood as well, and I think I'm going to be impacted by this as well. I understand the position that the city is in here, and certainly I've heard enough from my neighbors and friends, and I get it. And it's why I tried so hard uh to come up with the with the compromise and in fact yo

have the no further comments we have a motion that's been properly seconded uh all those in favor signify by saying aye aye opposed nay eyes have it all right moving on third move for third reading and ratification we have motion made for uh third reading replication all those in favor second papa saying aye opposed nay I just have it. All right. We're now on to approval of council minutes, May 12th, 2026. Can I get a motion for approval? Motion made probably seconded all those in favor, please signify by saying aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. All right. We are now on to citizens participation. Um

All right, 16, so we will go, let me do my math, I guess a minute. And again, just remind those coming to speak, the rules of decorum, we are here to hear you, for you to exercise your First Amendment rights. Uh, this is a not question answer. We look forward to quorum people to be respectful. And so, uh, madam clerk, would you please call the, uh, first speaker?

Thank you, madam clerk. Um, we are now on to petitions and communications. Uh, we have a few appointments, but before we get to that, I did want to just, uh, uh, take an opportunity to let council know that, um, and I know you all have been missing this, uh, the state of our city. address which is normally done in this chamber this year i'm looking at doing it on the road so we'll be coming to west ashley john's island james island daniel island and on the peninsula having a town hall state of our city address with constituents and just wanted to make you all aware of that you all will obvious

Thank you Mr. Mayor. The Committee on Public Safety met last week, July 7th at 4 PM. Charleston County Emergency Management Division did a very good presentation for us on how we're preparing for hurricanes and other disasters. We had several uh grants uh for the fire department that were submitted approved to be submitted uh one approval for a police department grant and a uh one approval to submit a grant and also the legal department had a grant all of those we saw earlier tonight so that concludes my report

I get a, there is some things to adopt here, so I get a motion.

Yeah. I make a motion to adopt this report.

The second motion may probably second. There's no further discussion on this. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. We now, or let me call on, uh, uh, chairman Appel for community development report.

All right. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The Community Development Committee met twice since my last report, back on June 25th and again on July 9th. I'm going to do my best to give it a quick run through, but I have to say we are Turn it in burning over at the community development committee. We're there's a lot of exciting stuff happening. So buckle up. First thing we talked about on June twenty fifth was we received a presentation from city legal on both the state and city requirements for construction on known and potential burial sites on the peninsula. Staff walked us through the respective role

It was unanimously approved to send out a letter of intent. This non-binding LOI lets the city broker redevelopment of the vacant Haygood office tower and its 600 space parking garage. We have a 90 to 120 day study window and the right to assign the contract to a private partner if we so choose to move forward. We then received a project 3500 update from Mr. Martin. This was specifically an update on the Western and Eastern Peninsula, including the RFP process, architects of record, landscape architecture, and civil engineering services. So that project and effort is moving along. We then had

with that I appreciate everybody's patience and indulgence um a lot going on that concludes um my report and I ask that all actionable items be approved the motion may probably second it any further comments questions on this Councilman has his light on no thank you I just wanted to just confirm since it's not on the agenda that the item pertaining to chapter two would be approved as amended and committee Uh, councilman Waring.

Well, thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, I wasn't a member of the committee, but they allowed me to sit in and I appreciate that. Mr. Chairman, um, the presentation on, um, removing graves and subsequently reinterring those graves. Um, Ms. Copeland did a wonderful job on it. Uh, There are a number of recommendations that was part of that presentation that are just that, recommendations. I would like to call the attention that those recommendations should be codified.

But just for clarity, and if I may, council member Waring recommendations were really things that we have been doing historically uh uh as a city but or not to your point copyright as a matter of fact it was pointed out correctly a number of times that there's a gold standard that has been set by this city and I do believe it's a gold standard

for the state. I don't know any other municipality. I think there's something like 400 municipalities, believe it or not, in the great state of South Carolina. Some of them have a population of 400 people, but they're a municipality. That said, we need to make it part of our ordinance. it's one person's opinion I think those audience years and decades ago were written purposely to be vague and we just can do better than that so um that's a recommendation I certainly I'll be coming forward with working with staff and hopefully you all will work we can work together on this but um the gold stand

So we have motion made to adopt this report. Any actual items? There's been probably seconded. No further comments on this. All those in favor of adopting both reports, I guess. Please signify by saying aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Thank you, Chairman Appel. Now I would like to call on Chairman Waring for Committee of Public Works and Utility.

Move for approval. I agree with councilman. I agree with this. Let's move for approval. There are a lot of good projects on there that all of them passed unanimously. And I agree with the motion that was made.

Motion made probably seconded all those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed? Ayes have it.

That includes the first readings, as my clerk has pointed out. Now I'm just trying to all go on so quick. I got to find my place here in transportation. So Councilman Seekings, Chairman Seekings, all for traffic and transportation report.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The Committee on Traffic and Transportation met today. There were a number of items that we undertook. The first was to recognize Mr. Somerville sitting in the audience for the first time as a civilian and not as a member of staff.

That's not why I'm celebrating. I'm celebrating Rush.

There you go. Right. Well, we're going to miss him. And, you know, he was our guiding light for a long time. We got an update, Mr. Mayor, led by you on the S River crossing. Many of you cross the bridges and see that project ongoing. The mayor broke his presentation down into segments of the bridge so we could sort of see from West Ashley to downtown where we were in real time as of today. Um, the project is moving along, albeit, maybe a little slower than we'd love, but it is getting there. The biggest thing I think that's between us and really getting to the finish line is the final design f

Well, if I may, um, for clarity, there is a design for the Eastern landing. The question is whether or not we amend or change order that design to tie in with, uh, asher of a walk.

Fair enough. Yeah. Fair enough. And and how we pay for all that, I think was still part of it too. So we had here no fair point. We had here to answer some questions for us, but particularly on how we're interfacing with the for the landing when we get to, um. the peninsula on that slip lane, which is going to take some SCD02 work. But anyway, the project is moving along. It will conclude probably at 2027ish at the end. We undertook a request to approve a mini roundabout on James Island, maybe our first ever mini roundabout that was approved unanimously and received with great fanfare by the r

Yes, thank you. I just wanted to send out a big thank you to the Charleston City Traffic and Transportation staff for working so closely with us on this mini roundabout. This is an incredibly confusing intersection in the heart of District 12 and came up many, many times. Um, and my door to door communication with residents, um, the design is really innovative, so it won't impact any surrounding property. Um, we are funding it within our current budget. Unfortunately, that means there's not a extra budget for sidewalks, but it's, it's moving forward and, uh, I think a pretty quick timeline, wh

Just nodded over to comms. Looks like we've got a video opportunity at the baby roundabout. There we go. Starring Councilwoman Scarton. Councilman Waring.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I was just asked that if the landing spot for the bike pedestrian path on the Peninsula side could be sent out to via email to members of the two options.

Yeah, absolutely. We can make sure that circulated.

It's in the Tnt packet. We'll get it set up. Yeah, no problem. Thank you.

Okay. So we've had a motion made, probably seconded. No further discussion on this. All those in favor, please signify by saying aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. We are now 1-2.

I'm going to ask that you go back on something that I did speak about at Public Works.

And it was a miscellaneous, but it was naming the King-Hugee drainage improvement, having that added to our agenda for next month's meeting, to name it after Councilman Robert Mitchum. You all may remember that we uh did vote to name i think 75 huge street 375 375 i'm sorry thank you 375 uh huge street which is a affordable housing development but that contract has gone away and they're probably trying to reconstitute that but that's a housing uh authorities uh project uh the uh king street uh drainage project actually councilman member can throw a council member Mitchell can throw a rock from

I want to thank Council Member Waring for assisting me in completing with your initiative the very first pledge I made after I was elected, which was to pursue the naming of this very drainage project after Council Member Mitchell. Now, I wouldn't own the council yet when you all jumped the gun and named 275 Hugie Street after him. But I'm happy to be here to help shepherd through what I believe, as the council member Waring said, since it's proximate to his house, a better option, which was the option that I mentioned on election night. Thank you.

great uh again wholeheartedly support it and appreciate uh Councilman Waring you bring it and uh Councilman pulque for uh your uh support and commitment as well just shows character and Grace I think which we could use a lot more of in uh politics today uh so we have a motion did we vote on this Mayor Mrakas, Adopting you know we're on the ways and means we're on the ways and means.

Mayor Mrakas, I would miss there no movement is there no way we could just vote unanimously this has been rules or whatever. Mayor Mrakas, I'm sorry.

Okay, I want to ways and means I would move for adoption of the report of ways and means which includes deferral of item number 23 deferred item number 23, which is the vendor vendor ordinance vendor ordinance with some of those came and spoke on tonight, and we are glad to get together. I think the suggestion that we work with some of the vendors directly and code enforcement is a good one so we will circle up with you all uh and arrange for that to happen we really appreciate you all coming out and speaking uh on this and we look forward to again working with you so we have a motion made pro

Hang on. Nobody's opposed, so motion passes. Let me get through that.

While you're signing, Mr. Mayor, if you don't mind, just very briefly as a point of explanation as to why number 21 is going to be held back, and I don't know if our legal department wants to jump in, and Councilmember Gregg's not here, it's in his district, but adjacent to mine, that is still a piece of property that sits in the County of Berkeley, owned by the County of Berkeley, where legal proceedings are continuing on some issues relating to the right-of-way through that property so third reading may take a minute before until what happens in Berkeley County is concluded and my understand

For those of you in the audience that wonder why we're in this intermission, if you will, I have to sign all of these while we are in session after third reading before we adjourn.

All right, before we, uh, I've done the signatures guys. We've got one, uh, bill up for first reading from the recreation department. Um, this is, uh, reservation permit for reserved use. Move for approval. Okay. Um, any, we have motion made properly seconded any further discussion on this? this is just an update um if none all those in favor please signify by saying aye opposed ayes have it and our next council date will be on August 18th and there's no further questions comments for the good of the body meeting is adjourned