City Council - Regular Meeting

I'd like to call this August 18th meeting of city council order. Adam Clark, would you please call the roll?

Here, I'd now like to ask Councilmember Waring to give the invocation and lead everybody in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Let us pray. Eternally, Father, as we come before you today to do the people's work, help us to come with our best of abilities. On behalf of those who gave us the privilege to serve them. We pray for areas of strife around the globe, war zones. Help the better minds come together to build a bonding peace and do away with the hate and strife that creates war. We pray for those in our military who put themselves on the line protect the wall so we can be safe at home in America. Pray for them and their families that they get returned safely. We pray for the less fortunate a

family, as well as council members garden to join me up on stage here. We have a proclamation honoring the late Eugene Frazier. How are you, sir? You'll come on in, come on in, make some, we'll make some room. Whereas Eugene Frazier Sr. was born on James Island, South Carolina on May 7th, 1936, and passed away on Wednesday, August 5th, 2026, at the ripe age of 90. And whereas Mr. Frazier honorably served six years in the United States Army, rising to the rank of Sergeant E6, where as a drill sergeant, he trained and inspired recruits, including many from his native James Island. And whereas in

Mr. Mayor, before they leave, I was one of those kids that grew up admiring their father. She mentioned Officer Owens and one other that was Carol Gordon also was on that force. Far more than James Allen. Mr. Frazier represented the law across this region. Um, I knew him being West Ashley. Uh, my family had small businesses. All of them knew, uh, Mr. Frazier, uh, officer Owens, uh, Mr. Gordon, Mr. Strobel. I mean, those were legends in our community. I mean, prior to them, The law represented a lot of badness in our community. The professionalism that they came with Explain the law as being ou

Amen. Amen. Okay, so now I'd like for the emergency management staff to join me up on the dais. And we're going to sing happy birthday to Miss Emma because apparently it is her birthday today too. What a way to spend your birthday.

Okay. We're celebrating Emergency Management Awareness Month. Whereas emergencies and disasters can occur unexpectedly, posing significant threats to life, property, and the environment. And whereas local emergency managers, community leaders, state governments, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency dedicate countless hours to developing preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation programs to protect the lives and property of all persons living in the city of Charleston. And whereas emergency managers across Charleston are charged with establishing and maintaining capabilities neces

All right, we are now on to public hearings. There are five public hearings tonight. There's one amendment that needs to be made because it was previously advertised in the post and courier for this evening by the applicant, the extent exeget. never pronounce ex accident circumstances it ain't rolling off the tongue you know what i'm talking about um is that this applicant is seeking to remove and relocate an exposed grave site on their property at 13 east battery They have done everything that is required of them by state law and by what we traditionally have required. And the last step is co

Okay, we have a motion made probably second. Councilman Brady has a question.

Yes, Mr. Mayor, and I appreciate that. Thank you. um i i just want to get clarification on um from mr morgan so the properties that were re we're gonna up zone what what would stop that from how we've done in the past where uh once zoning gets up zoned we start saying oh well there's properties around it that are zoned to this I just I'm really hesitant if that's not a current zoning to vote to up zone something so that it'll just get more and more intense uses as we go along.

Any further questions, comments? We have a motion. I don't think we have a second on record. I seconded. You seconded? Yes. Okay. All those in favor, signify by saying aye. Opposed? Aye. Ayes have it.

Motion made. Five and third reading. And probably seconded. All those in favor, signify by saying aye. Opposed? Ayes have it.

I thought we just voted on that. Oh, sorry. Motion made. I'll second it. Any further questions, comments on that?

All those in favor, signify by saying aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Okay. Approval of council minutes. We should may probably second it. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Opposed ayes have it. We're now on citizens participation. Uh, madam Clark, how many people do we have signed up to speak?

Let's just stick with a minute and a half.

All right. Thank you, Madam Clerk. uh moving on we are now uh to petitions and communications we've got several appointments the commission of the arts resiliency and sustainability advisory committee tourism commission and livability review board any questions on any of these appointees if not can i get a motion motion made of a second is that for all of them for all Um, I have a second councilman Sheely. Uh, okay. No further questions, comments. I thank all these folks for being willing to serve, including our council members who, uh, have, have agreed to sign up for some of these. So all th

Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. We had a meeting of the Ad Hoc Rules Advisory Committee on July 30th. uh 2026 at 5 pm uh one of the features of discussion was around um as you've noticed around both city hall and in council chambers we do have um paintings of our past mayors. We wanted to make sure that we have a process in place because it's kind of been a little wishy-washy on how those get done. So the committee made a recommendation that the city contribute for Former Mayor Tecklenburg $20,000 towards his portrait to be included in the upcoming budget. And we're also going to outline a pro

Which one? So you've seconded Councilmember Scarton has seconded your motion for the amendment. Any further discussion on any of these items?

I just want to thank Chairman Brady and the Mayor and your team and Ms. Cook as well. I'm really excited about these updates to the Commission on Women. We drew a lot of inspiration from the Commission on Arts to make these seats based on organizations so we can bring in as much expertise as we can from Charleston to the Commission. And we've set up a really great cadence of meetings with designated topics so we can ensure that any proposals coming out of the Commission are done and consultation with council staff and the mayor's office so i'm really excited about this i think you'll see some

Um, so can I get a motion? We have motion seconded all those in favor, uh, signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Um, now I would like to call on council member Waring for a special perhaps motion regarding the pump station on UG street.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh, as many of y'all remember, uh, there was a, uh, housing development on huge street that was gonna be built and we had voted to honor, uh, council member, Robert Mitchell, who served, uh, 24 years. But if you talk to him, he said it may have been 25 years, but anyway, on, on serve this community, um, that project has been delayed and quite frankly, We don't know how much time, whether that will even take place. That said, we're proposing naming the pump station, which Councilman Sheila, you may remember often Council Member Mitchell would say that that's the only fire

motion made properly seconded i think it's a great honor and well deserved any further questions comments on this topic if not all those just really just got to say okay i'm here with you i confirmed this account my worrying i remember many a year ago when we had uh

50th high school reunion of Burke High School in these chambers and council members Gregory and Mitchell both went to school there and they recounted a tale, the entire class led by council members Gregory and Mitchell about going swimming 50 years ago at the corner of UG and Meeting Street. That was like, they would go swimming after school. So that's how long this issue has been going and how much he has been working on it for. So he has earned every bit of every letter that's going up on that pump station for sure. And that story has always stuck with me.

One other story, they used to earn a little money when unsuspecting people would come and flood out. They'd earn money pushing them out.

Yeah. all of that will be solved now um okay all that we have motion properly made probably seconded all those in favor of this great honor please signify by saying aye opposed ayes have it okay we have no council communications tonight we've got one report under consent agenda items for special facilities that does not require any action

okay um so moving on to committee reports call on councilman seekings for the june 11th tnt meeting thank you mr mayor if i might take l1 and three together which are both tnt reports just to move through this um we did meet on june 11th to take up the um vendor ordinance which came through um ways and means tonight so i would move approval of that we also um tonight met August 18th to talk about the USDOT ATTAIN grant, which came also, I think, through Ways and Means and was approved unanimously. I move approval of that. And then lastly, we had a discussion, preliminary, we'll have some more

Um, it's probably seconded. So open comment, uh, councilman Della Sandra, uh, real quickly.

Thank you. I have one comment on the vendor space, if I may. I appreciate you all coming out tonight. I appreciate your commitment and your entrepreneurial spirit. I want to be very clear that we are certainly open to conversations and ideas. We did get the report. And I think right now there are reservations on council, as you saw by the earlier vote. What I might recommend you do is come together and perhaps look at one space on King Street to look at as a potential alternative, something that might not be in front of bricks and mortar that could address some of the issues, the very legitima

I will limit my comments to this section and not hold them when we go back to the Ways and Means vote. Just very briefly, I do want to thank Mr. Padone for bringing his concerns to me. I'm his direct council member, and I think he has been extraordinarily respectful, kind, and diligent in bringing information and facts to the table. Because of that, we have changed some inconsistencies that were in the language. We have clarified that batteries are allowed So we have made progress and changes, but I am a no vote again tonight because I do see and understand his concerns about removing the King

Okay, motion made, property seconded. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed? so this if this is for the spots the vendor spots the ordinances ways or not or at all this is the vote to eliminate the two spots so yes give you the name okay all right so we eyes have it okay moving now to council member waring chairman waring uh public works and utilities report

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. All actionable items on this report pass unanimously on the, at the committee level. And I so moved the adoption of the report. Second.

Motion made probably second. Any further discussions on public works? If not all those in favor, please signify by saying aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Now on to council member, chairman Seekings.

okay um so moving on to committee on ways and means greg have a motion made properly second that concludes my committee report and is that as amended to include the deferrals uh as amended all those in favor signify by saying aye pose eyes have it and that includes the first readings as well and there were two nays on the mobile food vendor ordinance from council members pulque and garden record is clear that's third we have one bill up third reading but it has been deferred that's correct yes okay We have 13 bills up for second reading. We've got N4 is amended. Can I get a motion? Motion made

We have a motion made that has been properly seconded, and I'm going to slow this down now because all those in favor signify by saying aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. And I'm going to tell her on these papers for a minute. Almost done. We've got one bill up for first reading. Um, this is on, uh, item number one, I guess we have planning staff available, uh, for answer any questions. Not, can I entertain a motion? motion made probably second if no further discussion on this item all those in favor signify by saying aye aye opposed eyes have it we have an executive session um so on two legal uh ite