Since May 2005 • Volume 20 • Issue 11 • mylolowcountry.com
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November 1, 2024
LOCAL NEWS
Dominion Energy to Remove Over 290 Palmettos on Isle of Palms page 3
PRESORT STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID CHARLESTON, SC PERMIT NO. 137
SULLIVAN'S ISLAND ISLE OF PALMS GOAT ISLAND DEWEES ISLAND
POSTAL PATRON
THE SLAND EYE Isle of Palms WFW Post Hosts Coast Guard for a Day of Fun and Camaraderie
How the Friends of Charleston National Parks Shape Our Heritage
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Candidates Debate Short-Term Rentals, Beach Erosion in Isle of Palms Special Election Forum By Joshua Uys For Island Eye News In a forum hosted at the Isle of Palms Exchange Club, three city council candidates—Josh Hooser, Susan Hill Smith, and Rusty Streetman—addressed key issues facing the community ahead of a special election following the resignation of former City Councilwoman Elizabeth Campsen. The event, hosted by Island Eye News, was moderated by the paper’s publisher, Lynn Pierotti. Josh Hooser is running on a “Putting Isle of Palms First” platform. “We need to explore ways to raise funds first from those who profit off of the island but are not residents,” he said, expressing strong support for residents’ rights to protect their property with sea walls, better manage short-term rentals, and control growth. “We’ve got to have comprehensive short-term rental reform,” he said. “There are a lot of people who are making money off the dirt on this island. I want my kids to grow up with other kids next door.” Susan Hill Smith, who served on the council from 2018 to 2021, focused her
campaign on environmental issues. She leads the Isle of Palms cleanup crew, which has partnered with the South Carolina Aquarium to collect more than 215,000 litter items since 2018. During her time on the council, she helped create the
is not entirely against revisiting the issue later. “Apart from the nuisance of a shortterm rental, it’s not just the noise; it’s the potential loss of neighbors and community as short-term rentals creep down the street where they didn’t exist before.” She felt that last year’s referendum was too strict, preferring a higher cap that would exempt condos and hopefully never be reached. Rusty Streetman, a longtime Isle of Palms resident and former city council member from 2020 to 2023, positioned himself as a pragmatic candidate focused on balancing residents’ quality of life with the economic interests of investors, businesses, and the tourism industry. (L-R) Hooser, Smith, Streetman Streetman took a hard stance against a Credit: Joshua Uys short-term rental reform, saying, Environmental Advisory Committee, which “Attempts to instill any type of cap, when not needed, would violate individual educates the community and advises the council on environmental and sustainability property rights and adversely affect property values.” issues. He attributed the decline in real estate Despite voting against a short-term (continued on page 6) rental cap during her time on council, Smith values on Folly
On Saturday, Oct. 26, the Isle of Palms Recreation Department held the Halloween Golf Cart Parade & Carnival. The winning golf carts were as follows (names were not available at the time of publishing): 1st Place – Hocus Pocus, 2nd Place – GI Joe, 3rd Place – Harry Potter
Credit: Isle of Palms Recreation Department