Dear Friends and Neighbors:
On April 6th you honored me by electing me as your mayor. I am very grateful for the vote of confidence and I will do my best to ensure your faith in me is not in vain. Please know I will always listen to your concerns and suggestions and be your voice in bringing concerns to staff and your suggestion to council for consideration. Together we can accomplish many things and I will be diligent in “keeping Folly – Folly.”
There are several items in the works which affect Folly; the new bridge is one of them. The City has a Bridge Committee consisting of residents; a council member, staff member, and city attorney. The Committee is drafting a letter to Department of Transportation (DOT) stating its desires. The consensus of the Committee is for the bridges to stay in the same foot print as they currently are but no formal vote has been taken. The Committee also would like to have models of the bridges so they can see the actual impact. I will be giving you an update as soon as an answer is received. We are also working on budget for next fiscal year. I can assure you no matter the state of the economy, you will receive quality service. I am also proposing no tax increase. Construction on the expansion of the public safety facility began April 24th. The projected completion of this project is the middle of December, 2010. If you need further information on any of the above, let me know and I will be happy to provide it.
The Loggerhead turtle season for the State of South Carolina begins on May 1st. The Department of Natural Resources has done some preliminary flyovers and turtles have been sighted offshore. The Folly Beach Turtle Crew will begin their early morning turtle patrols on Saturday May 8th. If you see any tracks or nest please report them to the Public Safety Department. Remember, “Lights Out on the Beach,” to help protect our turtles and their hatchlings.
As a final note, I want to remind you of the upcoming special election for the vacant council seat. If anyone is interested in being a candidate for this seat, filing opens April 30th. Packets can be obtained in the City Clerk’s office at City Hall. The election is scheduled for July 13, 2010.
Again, thank you for your vote of confidence.
~ Tim