Town Council held their July meeting on Tuesday over video conference. The entire meeting is available to watch on the Town's YouTube channel
here
. Some important highlights are provided below.
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Kiawah Conservancy Environmental Research Projects
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Lee Bundrick, the Kiawah Conservancy's Land Preservation Coordinator presented to Council a status update on the Groundwater Table Study and the Marsh Vulnerability Study. You can view Lee's presentation
here
.
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Wildlife Biologist Jim Jordan updated Council on two recent adult bobcat fatalities likely due to second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGA), which are commonly used for rodent control. These fatalities included an adult male that died on May 19 and an adult female and her four kittens that died on June 10.
Additional Information
At Tuesday's meeting,
Town Biologists were waiting on the lab results from the most recent bobcat fatalities. Results for the adult female bobcat that died during labor, along with her four kittens was received yesterday. Tests indicated that this bobcat had high levels of four different rodenticides in her body and that the cause of death was rodenticide poisoning.
Efforts Moving Forward
The Town's initial presumption that
SGAs were having an impact
on Kiawah's bobcat population was
communicated earlier this year
.
At that time, only one bobcat had been tested and confirmed to have died from SGA poisoning. Biologists presume SGA poisoning is linked to the string of bobcat fatalities in the last two years.
Recent results confirm that these rodenticides are a major issue for Kiawah’s bobcats and are responsible for at least six bobcat deaths in the last year. The Town is working with industry and community partners to develop a plan to address this tragic impact on our island's bobcat population.
For clarification, the Town cannot ban SGAs by passing an ordinance because the state's
Department of Pesticide Regulation
solely regulates pesticides and their use.
Look for more information next week on this critical issue.
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Proposed Changes to Short-Term Rental Ordinance
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Town Council approved the first reading of proposed changes to the Short-Term Rental (STR) Ordinance resulting from a staff-led six-month
review of the current Ordinance. The proposed changes can be reviewed on
this redlined version
and are summarized below. The second and final reading will be at their August 4 meeting.
- STR owners are responsible for reporting all gross income generated from each STR property regardless of the source.
- Bicycles and beach gear must not be visible from the street side or adjoining property from dusk to dawn. No articles of clothing, beach towels, or other similar items can be draped over railings or deck chairs or be visible beyond property lines at any time of day or night.
- Regulations within the Ordinance regarding parking and driveways, trash collection, bicycles and beach gear, and exterior lighting apply to the STR property at all times, including when in use by owners, guests or renters.
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The Town is operating under
Emergency Ordinance 2020-06
which requires
face coverings to be worn in certain public areas and by employees that interact with the public within the Town of Kiawah Island:
Face coverings are required to be worn by the public while:
- Waiting to enter or entering a restaurant at all times except when seated for dining or beverage service
- Waiting outside or inside to pick up a carry-out order at a restaurant
- Entering or waiting to enter any business, club, or association facility
- Entering the Municipal Center (masks will be provided for persons who do not bring a personal mask)
There are exceptions for young children and persons with specific health issues that prevent wearing a face covering, and persons in private offices. This
Ordinance remains in place until July 28, but shall automatically extend for one successive thirty (30) day period until August 27, 2020 unless acted on by Town Council.
The entire Ordinance
and initial announcement is
available here
.
Face coverings are NOT required in open public areas such as parks, pedestrian paths, boardwalks, or the beach. However, you are strongly encouraged to wear one especially when you cannot maintain six feet of social distance.
This educational flyer
is being distributed at the main gate to visitors and has been provided to rental properties for their renters.
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The Town continues to monitor the spread of COVID-19 in our area, and has created
a dedicated webpage
with resources pertaining to COVID-19. On the
COVID-19 resource
page you can find:
- Updated statistics and DHEC reporting links
- Town Emergency Ordinances
- Recommended prevention measures
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Beach Safety Reminder | Portuguese Man-of-War
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During the summer months, Portuguese man-of-wars can be present in the water and
wash up on the beach. Man-of-wars can be recognized by their balloon-like float, which may be blue, violet, or pink and rises up to six inches above the water line. They can inflict extremely painful stings with their long tentacles. In the water, they are often mistaken for a plastic bag. Please look out for them while swimming. Severe stings can occur even when the animal is beached or dead. If you see one on the beach, notify Beach Patrol at 843-518-2880 so they can remove it.
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Hurricane Preparedness Tips
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Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30.
Remember:
Mobile networks can become overwhelmed during emergencies, making it hard to make and receive phone calls. Text messages require less bandwidth and be transmitted more reliably during situations when many people are trying to use their mobile phones at the same time. Also, make sure you have an emergency charging option for your phone and other mobile devices.
Hurricane Guides
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Notification
Sign up for the Town's emergency notification system CodeRED.
If you are unsure if you are registered, you can re-register without receiving duplicate notices.
Be sure to opt-in for severe weather warning alerts.
Register here
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Kiawah Island Turtle Patrol
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The current nest count is 261.
Nesting efforts are monitored by a group of dedicated resident volunteers each year. Due to COVID- 19, no new patrol volunteers or attendance of nest inventories will be permitted this season.
Help us protect our turtles:
- Take all items with you when you leave the beach (chairs, coolers, trash) and fill in your holes, as these can be big hurdles for turtles.
- Only use red lights on the beach at night. Artificial light disorients sea turtles as they try to find their way to the ocean. Free red flashlight filters are available at the Municipal Center.
- May - October all outdoor lighting facing the beachfront should be turned off from 9 p.m. to dawn.
- Never harass, touch or disturb hatchlings or eggs.
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Committee Meetings | Virtual Only
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Environmental – July 14 | 2 p.m.
Public Safety – July 15 | 11:30 a.m.
Arts Council Board
– July 20 | 10 a.m.
Board of Zoning Appeals – July 20 | 3 p.m.
Ways and Means – July 28 | 2 p.m.
Until further notice,
all committee meetings will be conducted over video conference and streamed to the Town's
YouTube channel
.
Agendas are
available here
. Meeting dates and times sometimes change. Before planning to watch a meeting, be sure to check
our website
.
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