2026-10-13 - City Council

00:04Yes, sir.

00:08>> All right, everybody. I'd like to call

00:09this October 13th meeting of city

00:12council to order. Madame clerk, would

00:15you please call the role?

00:16>> Council member Greg, council member

00:18Sheileely

00:18>> here.

00:19>> Council member McBride, Council Member

00:21Poke

00:22>> here.

00:22>> Council member Brady,

00:24>> present.

00:25>> Council member Dalisandro,

00:27Council Member Wearing. Council member

00:29Seekings, Council Member Tinkler,

00:32Council Member Bowen, Council Member

00:34Appel, Council Member Scardan, Mayor

00:37Cogwell

00:38>> here. I'd now like to ask Council Member

00:41Balden to give the invocation and lead

00:43everybody in the pledge of allegiance.

00:48>> As we gather this evening to conduct the

00:50business of our city, let us take a

00:52moment to reflect on the

00:53responsibilities entrusted to us and the

00:55community we are privileged to serve. We

00:57keep in our thoughts and prayers those

00:59affected by recent storms and flooding.

01:01And we express our gratitude to the

01:02first responders, public safety

01:04personnel, and city employees who work

01:06to keep our neighbors safe. Grant us the

01:09wisdom to make thoughtful decisions, the

01:10humility to put the needs of others

01:12before our own, and the courage to do

01:14what is right, even when it's difficult.

01:16Help us to listen with open minds, to

01:18disagree without division, and to

01:20remember that our shared commitment to

01:22Charleston is greater than any

01:23difference of opinion. May our work

01:25tonight honor the trust placed in us and

01:27help build a stronger, safer, and more

01:29passionate city for generations to come.

01:32Amen.

01:34>> Pledge allegiance to the flag of the

01:37United States of America and to the

01:40republic for which it stands, one nation

01:43under God, indivisible, with liberty and

01:47justice for all.

01:51All right, we have

01:55two uh present recognitions tonight or

01:58proclamations.

02:00Uh one for father 360 and another for uh

02:05planning month. So I'd like to ask

02:08Wallace Evans and Dr. Lawrence Ford to

02:11join me up here on the DAS.

02:15>> Sir,

02:16>> Lawrence Ford,

02:17>> very good to see you. And there's

02:18actually uh uh Jay Ry, one of our board

02:21members here in Charleston.

02:22>> Okay.

02:22>> Mr. Evans could not make.

02:23>> That's all right. Very good to see you.

02:26I appreciate you coming.

02:27>> Thanks.

02:27>> Absolutely.

02:30Okay.

02:31Whereas fathers serve as foundational

02:34architects in forging strong and

02:36resilient families, providing unwavering

02:39love, steadfast guidance, and consistent

02:42support that shape the character of

02:44their children and strengthen the fabric

02:46of our communities. And whereas the

02:48influence of engaged fathers on their

02:50children's development is profound as

02:53they impart core values, build emotional

02:56resilience, and equip young people to

02:58thrive socially, academically, and in

03:01life. And whereas Father 360, a program

03:05of the South Carolina Center for Fathers

03:07and Families, has served more than

03:0935,000 Fathers since the cent's founding

03:13in 2002, equipping men with the tools,

03:16support, and resources needed to become

03:19strong, engaged fathers and build a

03:22healthier families. And whereas through

03:25strong partnerships with government

03:27agencies, community organizations, and

03:29private supporters, FA Father 365

03:33continues to expand its reach and

03:35impact, offering a proven model of

03:38fatherhood programming that communities

03:41across the nation can adapt and

03:43implement. And whereas when fathers are

03:46equipped and supported to take an active

03:48role in their families, children

03:50flourish, households gain stability, and

03:52entire communities benefit. And whereas

03:56recognizing and encouraging the vital

03:58work of forging strong fathers and

04:00families, stren strengthens the

04:03foundation of our society, and invests

04:06in the well-being of the next

04:08generation.

04:09Now, therefore, I, William S. Cogwell,

04:12Jr., Mayor of the city of Charleston to

04:14hereby proclaim October 2026 as Father

04:19365 pledge month in the city of

04:21Charleston and encourage all residents

04:23to honor the fathers and father figures

04:26in their lives. Support programs that

04:29equip men to lead with strength and

04:31integrity and actively participate in

04:34forging resilient families that will

04:36sustain our community for generations to

04:39come.

04:42Give him a round of applause.

04:47Well,

04:48>> thank you. I appreciate it. Let's get a

04:50uh picture here once we slide into the

04:52middle here.

04:53>> Okay.

04:58>> I want to spread the plate with you, but

05:00uh I'll cover.

05:07>> Thank you.

05:08>> Thank you, sir. Absolutely. Absolutely.

05:11Thank you for being here tonight.

05:21So,

05:23next up, I'd like to ask the city's

05:26planning and preservation department to

05:29join me on the dis for

05:32a proclamation honoring

05:36community planning month. This will be

05:38great. Y'all come on up.

05:40Sorry. [laughter]

05:42Might want to stay away over there.

05:48Yeah.

05:51>> Right. Like on your side.

05:52>> It's just allergies. [laughter]

05:56>> Mayor, introduce our new member of the

05:59team.

06:00>> Oh, I will. I will.

06:03Before we get started with the

06:05proclamation though, I do want to

06:07introduce everybody to our new section

06:10chief uh of planning, permitting, and

06:12engineering, Dave Patine. Right.

06:16Patent. Patent like I mean I got it

06:19stuck in my head the wrong way. Um Dave

06:22started uh on October 5th and has hit

06:25the ground running. He comes with an

06:26extensive background over 20 years in

06:28the planning departments of uh cities

06:31like Charlotte, York County, uh other

06:35municipalities where he's done a lot of

06:38incredible things both with the planning

06:39but also uh helping to restructure uh

06:42planning permitting u departments. So

06:45really excited to have him here

06:48[laughter] and my coughing does not

06:49signify anything but uh that I need to

06:53take some more Nyquil. So Dave, welcome

06:55and really appreciate and glad that you

06:57all are here and look forward to people

06:58in the community and members of council

07:00getting to know you uh better. So let's

07:03give Dave a round of applause.

07:09Okay.

07:12Whereas change is constant and affects

07:14all cities, towns, suburbs, counties,

07:16burrows, townships, rural areas, and

07:19other places. And whereas planners can

07:21help navigate this change with

07:22data-driven insights and expertise that

07:25provide better choices for how people

07:28work and live. And whereas community

07:30planning provides an opportunity for all

07:32residents to be meaningfully involved in

07:35making choices that determine the future

07:37of their community. And whereas the

07:39future benefits of planning require

07:41public elected officials

07:44uh who understand, support and demand

07:47excellence in planning and plan

07:49implementation.

07:55Give me a minute. [gasps]

07:57And whereas the month of October is

07:59designated as National Community

08:01Planning Month throughout the United

08:03States of America and its territories.

08:05And whereas the American Planning

08:07Association endorses National Community

08:09Planning Month as an opportunity to

08:11highlight how planning is essential to

08:13every community and how planners are

08:15uniquely positioned to identify

08:17solutions to communities most difficult

08:20housing, transportation, and land use

08:22questions. And whereas the celebration

08:25of National Community Planning Month

08:27gives us the opportunity to publicly

08:29recognize the participation and

08:31dedication of appointed planning

08:33commission members who have contributed

08:35their time and expertise to the

08:37improvement of the city of Charleston.

08:40And whereas we recognize the many

08:42valuable contributions made by the

08:44professional community [snorts] and

08:46regional planners of the city of

08:47Charleston and extend our heartfelt

08:49thanks the continued commitment to

08:51public service by these professionals.

08:54Now therefore, I William S. Cogwell Jr.

08:58mayor of the city of Charleston to

08:59hereby proclaim October 2026 as

09:02community planning month. Let's give him

09:04a round of applause.

09:11And I'm just going to let y'all get in

09:12the picture with this one. And uh

09:25>> thanks guys. I appreciate it.

09:29Okay.

09:31All right.

09:33Um,

09:35>> and

09:36>> we've got

09:37>> there are no public hearings. We are up

09:39to the council minutes. All right.

09:40Second. Okay. I need approval of

09:42September 22nd council minutes. A

09:45motion.

09:47>> Motion made. Probably second. Any

09:48further discussion on this? If none, all

09:50those in favor signify by saying I.

09:52>> I.

09:52>> Do you oppose? Eyes have it.

09:55>> We have citizens participation next. And

09:58we have 13 people signed up to speak.

10:01Let's give everybody a minute. Um, and

10:04uh, just remind everybody the rules of

10:06decorum. We ask that

10:11time with it and we're here to hear your

10:15uh, thoughts, ideas, etc. This is not

10:18interaction, question and answer though.

10:20So, Madame Clerk, if if if you do not

10:23adhere to the quorum rules, I'll give

10:25you one warning. If you persist, we'll

10:28we'll have you escorted out of the

10:29chamber.

10:30>> Madam clerk, you please call the first.

10:32>> All right.

10:33>> Yes. Um we will start with our um

10:37in-person list first and the time is one

10:40minute. Buff Ross,

10:45>> whereas my eyesight is horrible. I need

10:48to get readers ready. All right. Good

10:51evening, mayor, council members. My name

10:54is Buff Ross. I'm the executive director

10:56at Redux Contemporary Arts Center. I'm

10:58here tonight to advocate for Redux's

11:00increased financial inclusion and

11:03support in the city's upcoming 2027

11:06budget. For 24 years, Redux has served

11:09as a vital feeder for Charleston's arts

11:11community, cultivating artists whose

11:13influence extends far beyond our walls.

11:16Located at 1056 King Street, Redux

11:19Services serves as Charleston's uh

11:21creative community through three core uh

11:24programs, subsidized studio space for 42

11:27artists, arts education for adults and

11:29children, and four exhibition spaces.

11:32Becoming more integrated into the city's

11:33existing funding streams would make our

11:36impact even more profound throughout the

11:38Charleston's arts community. We support

11:40artists, educators, and creative talent

11:42that strengthen the very institutions

11:44that the or and organization that the

11:46city already invests in. I'm not here to

11:49advocate against those organizations,

11:51but rather to ask that Redux be

11:53recognized as an essential part of the

11:55same cultural fabric.

11:56>> Time

11:58Tracy Tap.

12:05>> Good evening, council members. My name

12:06is Tracy Tap. I'm a volunteer organizer

12:09for 50501. Thank you for making this

12:12time available. I'm here with citizens

12:14who have been negatively impacted by the

12:17Charleston First Amendment protest

12:19ordinance. And I've spoken at past city

12:22council meetings and public safety

12:23committees about the specific ways that

12:26the ordinance places a burden on

12:28citizens seeking to exercise their First

12:30Amendment rights. Tonight, my request is

12:33simple. Engage with the community on a

12:36deeper level. Limited public comments

12:39are not enough

12:41to let us know, let you know what our

12:43concerns are about this ordinance. The

12:46people behind me who have been

12:48negatively impacted by the ordinance

12:50have identified what's wrong and how it

12:53needs to be changed. We've researched

12:56best practices. We've studied case law

12:59and we've experienced how the ordinance

13:01is actually applied and enforced. And

13:04most importantly, we have concrete

13:05recommendations.

13:07A few tweaks will not fix the

13:10foundational issues with the ordinance

13:13and public comments are insufficient to

13:15fully express our concern and make

13:18recommendations. Thank you.

13:20>> And I believe the last name is Julius. I

13:23apologize. They are here to speak about

13:25closing the gap.

13:28I might have misread that name.

13:33Is anyone here for closing the gap?

13:38All right, Sam Carroll.

13:47All right, hey there everyone. Um,

13:49you've heard me speak plenty of times

13:51before. Um, so I'll try to keep this

13:53brief. Um, in the last couple of weeks,

13:56I know that uh every council member on

13:59this council has gotten uh somewhere

14:01around a dozen at least uh emails from

14:04constituents of theirs. Um, and time and

14:07time again uh the folks that have come

14:09here to these uh speakouts have uh in

14:12better words than mine uh annunciated

14:14the issues that we have with this

14:15ordinance. Um we understand that public

14:18comment or sorry, public safety is

14:20currently reviewing um the ordinance. We

14:23have some recommendations for that and

14:25we trust that with uh we trust and hope

14:28that um what we've laid out to you over

14:30the last six months uh rings true. Um

14:34thank you

14:35>> and I believe it was Mr. Dre. So I'm

14:38sorry

14:40that's who I called on previously.

14:47I pass

14:49through the council

14:52and the mayor

14:53and I would like for all the councilmen

14:55to read the second page. It was done by

15:00a gentleman name uh Mr. Eugene Gap,

15:05pardon me, Mr. Eugene Platt. And it's

15:08about closing the unnatural wide gap

15:11between the rich and the poor.

15:14If we want to

15:17stop

15:19the

15:21unnatural

15:23division,

15:24we must

15:26close the unnatural

15:29wise gap between the rich and the poor.

15:34We have a a aid to the mayor that is

15:37making $250,000

15:40a year. When she leave here, she will be

15:44a millionaire.

15:46I helped him get elected.

15:49I did not get a quarter. That is not

15:53right. Thank you,

15:56>> Robin Condan.

16:06My name is Robin Condan. I founded the

16:08Charleston Visibility Brigade

16:10approximately 15 months ago. On

16:13September 28th, 2026, on the pedestrian

16:17bridge over the Septima Clark

16:19Expressway,

16:21Officer Peach repeatedly threatened

16:25costly citations and the confiscation of

16:27a sign belonging to a 79year-old man.

16:33The offending message read,

16:37"Register to vote by October 4th.

16:40SCvotes.gov

16:44sevotes.gov is of course a state

16:48government agency whose sole purpose is

16:52to help people register to vote in an

16:56election.

16:59When citizens cannot even proclaim

17:02governmental deadlines, that is voter

17:04suppression.

17:06When citizens cannot speak freely, no

17:09matter what their sign says, it is an

17:12illegal breach of the US Constitution.

17:16The public are here to remind you,

17:20whether you are the mayor or the police

17:23chief or a council member, that you

17:26serve the US Constitution.

17:30Griffin Specker.

17:37>> Good afternoon, uh, city councilors and

17:40mayor as well. Uh, I come to you as a

17:42concerned citizen as part of the first

17:45amendment restoration uh, ordinance. I I

17:48appreciate the open dialogue we I've

17:50had, well, our committee has had with

17:52many of y'all and I want to come here as

17:55uh someone who's been on the street as a

17:57canvaser speaking with members of the

17:59community. Uh those who I've spoken to

18:01on this ordinance have almost all

18:03unanimously agreed that this ordinance

18:06is an overstep and overreach in city and

18:09police uh power. And I encourage and uh

18:13implore you to um heed those concerns

18:16and comments. at the public safety uh

18:18committee meeting uh coming up uh soon

18:20and there are recommendations that are

18:22laid out and I hope will echo the

18:23sentiments of some of the previous

18:24speakers and I hope you heed our

18:26recommendations. I look forward to

18:28future uh dialogue between between you

18:30all and again uh hope you all continue

18:34to open your uh minds to our ideas and

18:38uh bringing back the first amendment to

18:40the city of Charleston. Thank you.

18:42Mallerie Balling.

18:47>> I'm here to speak against the so-called

18:48First Amendment demonstration ordinance,

18:50just as many have done and will continue

18:52to do so while this unconstitutional law

18:54remains in effect. We've heard some

18:55counselors and others say that it is

18:57constitutional. If the city is convinced

18:59of this, why is it that they always

19:00withdraw charges under this law rather

19:02than see it tested in court? Why

19:04reschedu and delay trials and hearings

19:06only to back down before a judge can

19:07weigh in on this law? If this law is not

19:10actively enforced in the courts, they

19:11can serve only one purpose. To chill

19:13undesirable free speech by intimidating

19:15dissenting voices with the threat of

19:17repercussions. Repercussions like legal

19:19limbo, lawyer fees, and the endangerment

19:21of one's employment or to keep people's

19:22mouths shut. This demonstration

19:24ordinance is dronian, demonstrabably

19:26uninforceable, and dead in the water

19:28when it comes to constitutionality. It

19:30cannot and should not remain on the

19:31books, and it's only a matter of time

19:32before it's struck down one way or

19:34another. Thank you,

19:37>> Lisa Jones.

19:42Hi, good evening, mayor, members of

19:44council. My name is Lisa Jones. I'm with

19:46Historic Charleston Foundation. We

19:48appreciate the work that's gone into the

19:51franchise agreement with Dominion

19:52Energy, and we recognize that some

19:54positive changes have been made that

19:56respond to some of our concerns. At the

19:59same time, we are disappointed that an

20:01agreement of this significance has not

20:03involved residents or any of us who pay

20:06monthly charges. um for these services.

20:10Several of our recommendations remain

20:12unressed.

20:14First, 20 years is too long for uh term

20:18uh for this agreement. Second, we are

20:20particularly concerned that the city's

20:22tree protection agreement has not been

20:25incorporated into the franchise

20:27agreement.

20:28Um and we do think that this is rare

20:31opportunity to strengthen the

20:33relationship between the city Dominion

20:35and the public. And we hope that you

20:37look into reviving the underground

20:39utilities advisory committee as a way to

20:42do that. And also just circling back

20:44wasn't sure if I would have time. I uh

20:46think it's great to have a workshop. It

20:48would be good as was mentioned in the

20:50Ways and Means Committee. It would be

20:52great that workshop could include the

20:54public.

20:55>> Colin Holloway.

21:03>> All right. My name is Colin Holloway and

21:04I'm here to and I'm here to speak on the

21:07first amendment ordinance as well. So,

21:10right now, we want to make our voices

21:11heard and that we want a full repeal of

21:14this unconstitutional amendment because

21:16how can our speech be free if we need to

21:19ask for permission to protest

21:22if if the if the like how is our speech

21:24free if the government and the police

21:26get to decide when we get when we get to

21:28meet, what we get to say, and how we get

21:30to dress.

21:32We want an end to the the conflict of

21:35interest in allowing the chief of police

21:38to decide when and where we get to

21:41protest and to get and to grant and deny

21:42these these permits. Protesting is a

21:45right and it's not a crime.

21:50>> Ben Frizzle Friselle,

21:54>> thank you for getting my name right. I

21:55appreciate that. Doesn't usually happen.

21:57I live in district 8 and I'm here to

21:59speak out against the current first

22:01amendment demonstration ordinance.

22:03Whereas this ordinance criminalizes free

22:04speech, whereas protesting is not a

22:06crime. Whereas Marian Square must be

22:08recognized as the public forum for which

22:10it is. And whereas the police should

22:11never have final say over when, where,

22:13and how people are allowed to protest.

22:16This ordinance cannot stand. I love this

22:19city and I want to respect it. But I

22:21cannot do that until the city respects

22:23the rights of its people. Thank you.

22:27All right, we'll move to our online

22:29list. Um, if you are online, you can

22:31press star six to unmute yourself when

22:33you are called. Anthony Bryant.

22:39>> Anthony G. Bryant. Um, Dominion Energy

22:42is in the house. I've got two cases. Uh,

22:45one case in against Dominion Energy,

22:48their law firm will block every aspect

22:50of your life. Got 800,000 potential

22:54rateayers. next era is going to be

22:55coming in as well. 20 years is

22:58premature. Secondly, to have $15 million

23:01in your hand and I live in the city of

23:04Charleston and have endued undue

23:07scrutiny over my speech regarding

23:10Dominion Energy Corporation for years

23:12and to see you at the table with them at

23:14about $12 million for 20 years

23:17definitely is is is questionable and I

23:19definitely will continue to to have have

23:21my voices heard on the issue regarding

23:23that. And there's some serious serious

23:25issues in terms of separation of church

23:27and state regarding Dominion Energy as

23:29well and its representative and Anthony

23:32G. Bryant. Thank you and have a nice

23:33evening.

23:35>> Bonnie Cleveland.

23:40>> Hi, Mayor Cogwell and city council.

23:43You've seen my face many times. I am

23:45here to um express my extreme

23:49dissatisfaction with the First Amendment

23:51demonstration ordinance.

23:53Um, you've heard us say over and over

23:56again what our experiences are with this

23:57ordinance as activists, and we're

24:00starting now to get some data. So, right

24:03after attorney Copelan's presentation at

24:06the last public safety meeting, I

24:08submitted a FOYA. Um, the city 5 days

24:11after the deadline got me part of that

24:13data last night at 4:00.

24:15And so, I'm going to give you some

24:17preliminary information. Just know that

24:20this may change. Uh we didn't get all of

24:22the FOYA information that we requested

24:24yet.

24:27Um under the South Carolina

24:29Constitution, uh we also have a right to

24:33freedom of assembly and freedom of

24:34speech. And I'm not sure everyone is

24:36aware of that, that it's not just our US

24:38Constitution, but our very South

24:40Carolina constitution that um gives us

24:43these rights. And yet

24:46um I want you to think for a second.

24:48There were 15 Marian Square permits in

24:5025 2025 and 2026. I want you to just

24:53come up with the number.

24:56How many have been approved? It's one

24:59and about only about 25% of permits are

25:03approved as they are submitted. Um so

25:07the city changes the time and place of

25:09the vast majority of permits that are

25:11approved. So time

25:13>> seriously. Leanne Owens.

25:24My name is Leanne Owens. I'm a disabled

25:26hydrophalic who suffers from a rare

25:28neurological disease due to tumor

25:29cerebra also known as idiopathic

25:31inocraial hypertension while also

25:33suffering with fluctuations between slit

25:35ventricle syndrome and severe

25:37life-threatening hydrophilis. I've been

25:39seen by dozens of neurosurgeons from

25:41MUSC, Emory, UCSD, UCLA, Dr. Alan

25:45Friedman at Duke to Dr. Bennettstein who

25:47served Columbia University as chairman

25:49of the department of college decisions

25:51and surgeons many years. All

25:53neurosurgeons countrywide consistently

25:55referred me back to MUSC, Dr. Fann

25:58Perau, and Dr. Sunnil Patel who was

26:01originally Dr. Perau's chief resident.

26:04Dr. Patel specifically specializes in

26:07cerebrovascular surgery and micro

26:09neurosurgery. In fact, I had emergency

26:11surgery while in San Diego with a

26:13surgeon at UCSD

26:16who went to UCLA undergrad Duke for

26:18medical school to study under Dr.

26:19Freriedman but made a specific year of

26:21fellowship in Charleston with Dr. Patel

26:25in order to work under his specialized

26:27team and observe Dr. Patel's bedside

26:29manner and patient care. You will not

26:31find a finer neurosurgeon with the

26:32ability to maintain superior superior

26:35skills while also a connection to

26:37understanding the complexity of my

26:38disease.

26:39>> Fine.

26:42>> And I want to hand this over because

26:47a year.

26:49All right. Those were all of our um

26:51speakers for this evening. Is there

26:53anyone that I missed that I skipped

26:55over?

26:57All right. Um we did receive some

26:59comments online. Seven comments were

27:01received requesting the repeal the First

27:03Amendment demonstration ordinance. One

27:06comment was received from Maline Adams

27:08requesting that council review the

27:10Charleston Police Department's policing

27:12strategies for protests and ensure that

27:14they are following best practices. One

27:17email was received from Richard Cook

27:19expressing his agreement with an opinion

27:21piece in the Charleston City Paper

27:22calling for the repeal of the First

27:24Amendment demonstration ordinance. Nine

27:26emails were received requesting that

27:28council end its contract with flock

27:30safety. Two emails were received

27:33requesting that the city restart the

27:34Park Shore Park pickle ball court

27:38planning process and seek meaningful

27:40community input. One email was received

27:43from Ellie Nice requesting that the city

27:45perform sight specific wildlife and

27:48acoustic assessments of Parkhore Park

27:50and compare the current proposal with

27:52multi-use alternatives outlined in plan

27:55West Ashley. One email was received from

27:57Shereice Brochington asking council to

27:59reconsider the current plan for Parkhore

28:01Park. Five emails were received

28:03requesting that the city revisit and

28:05reconsider proposed zoning plans for the

28:07Cany Peninsula and Point Hope. and one

28:09comment was received from Anthony G.

28:11Bryant which was sent to council in full

28:13and um all of the comments were sent to

28:16council in full. Those were just a

28:18summary. That's all.

28:21Thank you, Madam Clerk. Uh we are now on

28:24to petitions and communications. We have

28:26several appointments or reappoints up

28:28for consideration. Uh we have the ATAX

28:32uh committee. We have resiliency and

28:35sustainability advisory committee. And I

28:37believe we have is it Maya Hargrove?

28:41Amaya apologies. Um uh right here. She

28:45brings valuable perspectives on

28:47nonprofit businesses and community

28:49engagement as sust sustainability

28:51manager for Palmetto Palmetto Goodwill.

28:53She works on uh textile recycling, waste

28:56diversion, reuse, repair, circular

28:59economy practices, and public education.

29:01She is also a Charleston native with a

29:04background in geology, environmental

29:06science, sustainability, and urban

29:08planning. Thank you for your willingness

29:10to serve on the resiliency and

29:12sustainability committee. We also have

29:14Jacqueline Wilston. [snorts]

29:17Uh she brings a strong scientific and

29:20emerging professional perspective. She

29:21is a Charleston native as well and a

29:24radio chemist and an analyst at GEL Labs

29:28and is currently pursuing both a

29:29master's degree in environmental science

29:31and sustainability and a master's degree

29:34in public administration at the College

29:36of Charleston. Again, thank you both for

29:39serving agreeing to serve on the

29:41resiliency and sustainability committee.

29:44So, first up, we have appointments for

29:47the ATAX committee. Can I entertain a

29:49motion? Move for approval all all

29:51nominees

29:53>> on all nominees. All right. So we got uh

29:55resiliency uh and sustainability

29:58committee as well as code enforcement

29:59officers. Uh motion made properly

30:02seconded. Any further discussion? Again

30:04appreciate everybody and their

30:05willingness to serve. No further

30:07conversation. All those in favor signify

30:10by saying I.

30:11>> I opposed eyes have it.

30:14Well, we have uh two

30:18uh agreements from the police department

30:20that are being fasttracked uh due to

30:22time constraints. We've got items one

30:24and items I two and I3. One is an SOR, a

30:30school resource officer agreement with

30:32Berkeley County School District. The

30:34other is a law enforcement assistance

30:36and support agreement with SC State

30:39University. They can be taken separately

30:41or together. Smith, let's take them

30:43together. Uh, move approval of items I,

30:46two, and three.

30:48>> Taking them together. Move for approval.

30:49Motion made. Can I get a second? U Mr.

30:53Council member Tinkler seconds. Any

30:55further discussion? If not, all those in

30:57favor signify by saying I.

30:59>> I.

31:01Popped.

31:02Eyes have it. Okay. Now, on to uh

31:06council communications. We have one

31:09presentation tonight that I'm excited

31:11about at the request of Councilman

31:13Wearing. All of the great things that uh

31:18Miss Frankle and the board of the

31:20Gillyard Center are doing for our

31:23community. So, I'm going to turn it over

31:24to Councilman Wearing and then allow uh

31:27Miss Frankle to give a presentation. And

31:30we have a lot of board members from the

31:31Gayyard here. Really appreciate you

31:33all's service and all that you do and

31:35the time commitment. I know uh which is

31:38pretty heavy that goes into this. So uh

31:40we really appreciate it from the city of

31:42Charleston. Councilman Weary.

31:44>> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I want to start

31:45out by thanking you and our clerk, the

31:48council, and all members of council for

31:50entertaining uh the team, frankly, from

31:53the the Gillyard. Um

31:56two weeks ago, we recognized and

31:59celebrated one of the finest individuals

32:02ever to come through Charleston, South

32:04Carolina, and that was Mrs. Martha

32:06Rivers Ingram who along with Mayor

32:09Raleigh and a team of stakeholders

32:13saw the next best thing that needed to

32:16come to Charleston. Uh there were those

32:19who thought what's wrong with the

32:20Gillyard.

32:23She knew the level we needed to go. So

32:27it was referred to as the next best

32:29thing that's coming to Charleston. Well,

32:30that has actually evolved into one of

32:33the finest institutions that's been

32:35built into Charleston.

32:39It serves from preschoolers and I

32:42believe somehow uh council members

32:45around the chamber can speak to that to

32:48people in the middle and to somehow most

32:50senior citizens. It increases the

32:53quality of life

32:55and actually puts a stamp on the arts on

32:58how the arts can be an economic catalyst

33:02to raise a city quite frankly a nation.

33:05With that, I'm going to turn it over to

33:08right now one of the finest CEOs in the

33:11city of Charleston, Miss Lissa Franco.

33:14Thank you, Keith, and thank you, mayor,

33:16and thank you, council members, for

33:18having us here tonight to give you the

33:19state of the Gillard Center, which we

33:21love doing every year, and we really

33:23appreciate your support and partnership

33:25really on the city-owned building and on

33:27our institution. Um, so, as Keith said,

33:30it's hard to believe that it's been a

33:31decade since the building was rebuilt

33:33and we, our nonprofit was founded. And

33:36in the course of those 10 years, the

33:37Charleston Gillard Center has redefined

33:39itself as one of our community's most

33:41important cultural and civic gathering

33:42spaces.

33:44And as we thought about our next

33:45chapter, we've tried to articulate that

33:47role very simply. The Charleston Gillard

33:50Center builds bridges, bringing the

33:51world's cultures and thinkers to

33:53Charleston and Charleston to the world.

33:55That idea really sits at the center of

33:57everything that we do. We bring leading

33:59artists, authors, thinkers, and global

34:02perspectives to our community, creating

34:04opportunities for Charleston and our

34:05region's audiences to experience work

34:08they might otherwise have to travel to

34:09New York or London or some other

34:11cultural center to see. But the bridge

34:13goes in both directions. We also have an

34:16important role to play in elevating

34:18Charleston's extraordinary artists and

34:20stories, giving them a platform here at

34:22home and increasingly helping those

34:24reach audiences beyond Charleston. We

34:27also build bridges within the community

34:29because we believe that collaboration is

34:31the way to build a strong cultural

34:32community. And that vision shapes the

34:35programs we put on our stages, the work

34:37we invest in, and the partnerships we

34:39build as we work to reinforce the mayor

34:41and the city's goal to become the

34:43cultural capital of the south.

34:47Um, so how do we do that? Probably the

34:49most visible way of doing that is to

34:50curate a series of uh worldclass

34:54programs across a season. This is

34:56usually about 50 different programs and

34:58it always starts the low country jazz

35:00festival over Labor Labor Day and um

35:03represents a range of genres. This is

35:06intentional. We want someone to be able

35:08to look at the Gillyard season and find

35:10something that they already love, but we

35:12also want them to discover something

35:14that they never expected to love. And

35:16that's a big part of what a great

35:17cultural center should do. Some of these

35:20programs pay for themselves and some of

35:22them even make a little bit of money.

35:24But most of them require an investment

35:26and we're committed to curating and

35:28investing in programs that strengthen

35:29the arts in our community. Dance is a

35:32great example. We saw a real gap in

35:34Charleston in the cultural landscape.

35:37Despite a vibrant community of dancemies

35:39and programs, no one was presenting

35:41yearround national and international

35:43dance here. So, we made the deliberate

35:45commitment to bring those companies to

35:47our stage. And now five years in, we're

35:50one of the most recognized commissioners

35:52and presenters of dance in the

35:53southeast. And that is good for

35:55Charleston.

35:57We've also expanded our speakers and

35:59conversation series, creating

36:00opportunities for our community to

36:01engage with some of the leading

36:03thinkers, writers, and voices addressing

36:05the most important um ideas of our time.

36:08This is Justice Katanji Brown Jackson,

36:10who came last season to a soldout

36:11audience and also addressed a group of

36:131,500 students.

36:16And increasingly we're investing in

36:18special projects that place local

36:19artists alongside international talent.

36:22Philip Glass's Etudes, the concert

36:24coming up, is a wonderful example of

36:25that work. That project features eight

36:28international pianists from around the

36:30globe and puts two of our local

36:31pianists, the leader of the

36:33international piano recital program at

36:35the College of Charleston and Demetrius

36:37Doctor, one of our uh best jazz

36:39pianists, up on stage with those

36:41international luminaries, providing them

36:43a platform to re um to further elevate

36:46their careers and expand opportunities

36:48for them and also creating something

36:50distinctive for Charleston.

36:53And while we bring the stories the world

36:55to Charleston, we're equally committed

36:56to telling Charleston stories. We live

36:58in a community with an extraordinary

37:00history that deserves to be explored on

37:02our stages. Projects like Dark Water, a

37:04new ballet and symphonic work that we

37:06produced last season with the Charleston

37:08Symphony was inspired by the special

37:10types of water that make the Low Country

37:12special. and our theatrical work around

37:15the story of Robert Smalls allows us to

37:17use the performing arts to illuminate

37:19the people, history, and experiences

37:21that have shaped this place. In 2028,

37:24we'll tour the play about Robert Smalls

37:26around the country, sharing this

37:27important story with kids and

37:29communities far beyond Charleston and in

37:31the pro in the process strengthening

37:33Charleston's reputation and brand

37:35nationally.

37:37And none of this work happens in

37:38isolation. We believe believe very

37:41strongly that Charleston's cultural

37:42community is strongest when its

37:43institutions work together and that the

37:45rising tide really does raise all ships.

37:48So we invest heavily in partnerships and

37:50these are just some of them up on the

37:52slide. Not all of them. Partnerships

37:54represent 25% of our programs. And

37:57nowhere is that commitment more

37:58significant than in our relationship

38:00with um our two resident organizations,

38:02the Charleston Symphony and the Spo

38:05Festival. this um Spalo and the Symphony

38:09have 45 prime performance days at the

38:11Gillard Center every year and we provide

38:13significant operational support to both

38:15of those institutions. We make that

38:17commitment because that their success

38:19strengthens Charleston's entire cultural

38:21community and we believe in that

38:25and we are going to see that in action

38:27this November. On Wednesday, November

38:2918th, we are as as Keith mentioned, we

38:32are um the the Gilliard, the Symphony,

38:35Spo, Ashley Hall, and the Rivers

38:37Performance Hall Foundation are coming

38:39together to honor Martha Rivers Ingram

38:40and the extraordinary vision she had for

38:42this institution and for Charleston's

38:44cultural community. Martha helped

38:46established our nonprofit, as Keith

38:48said. Um and she did that to provide

38:50arts and arts education programming year

38:52round. She did that to steward the

38:54extraordinary facility that would help

38:56the symphony and spo thrive and the rest

38:58of our community. And she did that to

39:00strengthen the broader aristic

39:01community. This concert will certainly

39:03be a tribute to Martha, but I also think

39:05it will be a wonderful demonstration of

39:06the unity, collaboration, and cultural

39:08stewardship that she envision envisioned

39:10for the arts in Charleston. And there's

39:12an invitation to all of you to come to

39:14that concert in your program. Please let

39:15us know if you can come. I hope I hope

39:17you'll attend.

39:19Also, in keeping with Marsha Martha's

39:21vision, each year alongside our public

39:23performance season, we carried an entire

39:25season specifically for students and

39:26teachers. These are not simply

39:28discounted versions of public

39:30performances. These are programs

39:32intentionally selected and developed to

39:34support what happening in our schools.

39:36Our staff works closely with educators

39:38to understand where the needs are to

39:40develop develop curriculum materials

39:42that connect performances to classroom

39:44learning, bring teaching artists

39:45directly into the stu schools and remove

39:47barriers that might otherwise prevent

39:49students from participating for the

39:51title one schools and honestly really

39:53anyone who asks. The program is

39:55completely barrierfree. We pay for the

39:57tickets and we pay for the buses so that

39:59every student can come and participate

40:01in this program. The goal is not simply

40:03to give the children a field trip. It's

40:06to use the arts as another way to teach,

40:08to inspire, and to strengthen the

40:10educational experience for students

40:12across our community.

40:14At over 11 years, oh no, those this you

40:17can't see this very well, but I'll tell

40:18you what it says. Um, the Giller's

40:20Education Program has now served more

40:22than 225,000

40:24students.

40:26Yeah, looks crazy.

40:30And we've served 100% of the Charleston

40:33County schools. Um, so that is I mean we

40:37feel extraordinarily proud of that. We

40:38feel extraordinarily proud of our

40:40relationship with students and teachers

40:41and that they keep coming back every

40:42year. And it's grown to the extent that

40:45we now invest $850,000

40:48a year from the Gillard Center through

40:50philanthropy in our education system

40:52through its arts programming.

40:54So that's we can just pause on that for

40:56a moment.

40:58That deserves a round of applause.

41:00[laughter]

41:04>> And of course, we love it when the kids

41:05gather, but there are many other people

41:07who al also gather at the Gillard

41:09Center. And any given week, the

41:10building, it can transform completely.

41:12So events like Charleston Food and Wine

41:14Classic and the Charleston Library

41:15Conference are important economic

41:17drivers for our community. And the

41:19revenue generated from these programs

41:20goes right back into the building and

41:22right back into our schools and our

41:24community.

41:25that all this activity has a significant

41:27significant economic impact on

41:29Charleston in the region. An independent

41:31economics impact study conducted through

41:33the College of Charleston says that we

41:35have a $76.5

41:37million annual economic impact on the

41:40region from our performances and all of

41:41our rental events. We generate 500 jobs

41:45for the for the community and a total

41:47taxes of $9 million including $2.1

41:51million in local taxes. So, it's not

41:53just fun and games. Um,

41:57and um, as a public facility and a

42:00nonprofit organization, we also believe

42:01strongly that access matters. We never

42:04want to the price to be a reason that

42:06someone feels that Gillyard is not for

42:07them. So we have intentionally developed

42:09multiple pathways into the building from

42:10our vet tix programs which provides

42:13complimentary tickets to veterans and

42:14active duty members and their families

42:16to community and student access tickets

42:18will provides um evening uh tickets for

42:21students and their families to pay as

42:23you wish or community access tickets

42:25which are just $10. Over the last 5

42:27years we've provided 23 over 23,000

42:30tickets to community members to provide

42:32access for them to our programs

42:34including to 15,000 veterans and their

42:36families. That's over a million dollars

42:38over five years in reducedpric access

42:41tickets.

42:43And none of this is possible without the

42:45building itself. The Gilliard represents

42:47one of the city of Charleston's most

42:48significant civic investments. And we

42:50take the responsibility of stewarding

42:52that public asset extremely seriously.

42:54Over the past 5 years, we've invested

42:56approximately 3.4 million in the

42:58facility and its custodial care, working

43:00handin glove with the city to ensure

43:02that this extraordinary building is

43:04maintained at the standard our community

43:05deserves. We consistently hear from

43:07patrons, visiting artists, touring

43:09companies how beautifully maintained the

43:11building is even more a decade after

43:13it's opened. That's a major point of

43:16pride for us and I hope it is for all of

43:17you guys.

43:19And finally, as I talk about impact, it

43:21feels appropriate to come back to

43:23education. Our founder envisioned the

43:25Gillyard as the community's largest

43:26classroom, and we have taken that charge

43:28very seriously and actually the demand

43:30is extraordinary. I told you about the

43:3225,000 to 30,000 kids we serve each

43:35year. Well, this year on the day we

43:38announced our program and registration

43:40opened for the new season, teachers

43:42signed up nearly 20,000 kids on the

43:44first day in one day. It it literally

43:48broke our website. [laughter]

43:50Um it just says something pretty

43:52remarkable about the value how much

43:54these programs are valued by our

43:55teachers. And I just want to invite one

43:58of the members of the Charleston County

43:59School District, um, Shelley Goau or,

44:04um, to come up. I'm sorry, I always mess

44:05up her last name. Um, to come up and

44:08tell us how meaningful it is for her.

44:12>> Thank you. I'm Shelley Gobnau. I am the,

44:15uh, director of visual and performing

44:16arts for Charleston County School

44:17District. Um, and in my role, I get to

44:20see how partnerships like this make a

44:22difference for our students firsthand. I

44:25can't say enough about the Gayliard's

44:27education program and what an important

44:29resource it has become for our students,

44:31our teachers, um, and our schools. One

44:35of the things I appreciate the most is

44:37that we consistently count on the

44:38Gilliard to provide highquality

44:40programming across all grade levels. And

44:43these aren't simply just opportunities

44:44for the students to attend a

44:46performance. their thoughtfully designed

44:48educational experiences with curriculum

44:51guides and supporting materials that

44:53align with academic standards. The

44:56Gileard also funds teaching artists who

44:58visit the classrooms and help teachers

45:00connect these experiences to classroom

45:02learning. In doing so, they provide

45:05valuable learning opportunities for both

45:07students and teachers. What makes our

45:10partnership especially meaningful is the

45:12ongoing conversation behind it. The

45:15Galliard team maintains an open and

45:17ongoing dialogue with me and our

45:19teachers. They want to know what's

45:21working, where the gaps are, what the

45:24needs are, and then they respond. This

45:26kind of partnership is incredibly

45:28valuable because it means that the

45:30Gilead is not simply providing programs

45:32for our students. They're working with

45:35us to strengthen arts education for our

45:37students.

45:39Um, one area where I've seen that

45:42partnership grow this past year is

45:44through teacher professional

45:45development. Um, supporting teachers is

45:48a big part of my work and it's something

45:50I care deeply about. One of my personal

45:52goals has been to provide meaningful,

45:54engaging opportunities for teachers to

45:56learn, feel supported, and connect

45:58creatively with our community. Last

46:01year, I specifically asked the

46:02Galileiard to help with teacher

46:04professional development. and Sterling

46:06Dere, the Gayliard's vice president of

46:08education, um, immediately made that one

46:11of their priorities. As we prepared for

46:13our back- tochool professional

46:15development day this past August, I

46:17asked if the Gilead could provide

46:18learning opportunities specifically for

46:20mutter, music, theater, and dance

46:23teachers. Um, there was no hesitation.

46:25The response was simply, "How can we

46:28help?" Um, they thought carefully about

46:30what would be useful to our teachers. um

46:33how to give them practical tools to take

46:35back to their classrooms. I appreciate

46:37how willing the Gilead team has been in

46:40supporting our teachers. The feedback

46:42from teachers has also been

46:43overwhelmingly positive and I'm excited

46:45to see the work continue. Building on

46:48that response, Sterling and the Gilead

46:50are developing a pilot statewide arts

46:53education conference. This event will

46:55bring educators from across South

46:57Carolina to Charleston to learn from

47:00teaching artists, share best practices,

47:02and take inspiration from Charleston's

47:05arts and culture back to their own

47:07schools and communities. I'm excited

47:10about what this could mean for our

47:11teachers and for the Charleston

47:13community. Based on the care and the

47:15thoughtfulness that I've seen in our

47:16education partnership, I believe this

47:19would become a tremendous resource for

47:21educ educators across the state. Thank

47:24you.

47:30>> Thank you again so much. We really

47:32appreciate it.

47:34>> Let's give Gayyard another round of

47:35applause.

47:39>> Mr. Mr. Mayor, before you leave, uh

47:41listen, and again, I thank you all for

47:43your indulgement. Listen, will you

47:45introduce your team and certainly uh our

47:49board members?

47:50>> Absolutely. So, we have a ton of board

47:52members here. here. I don't know if you

47:53want me to say everybody's name, but

47:54maybe if the everybody could stand up.

47:56>> They deserve it. Go ahead.

47:57>> They they deserve it. Okay. So, we have

47:59David Birmingham, Ted Legacy, Nella

48:02Barkley, Kathy Marino, George Benson,

48:06Stephanie Ship, our vice president of

48:08marketing and sales, Nicole Tiny, our

48:10head of programming, Alicia Gregory on

48:12the board as well, Mason Holland on the

48:14board, Mary Holland, who's here along

48:16for the ride and also amazing. Did I

48:19miss any? Oh, Sterling Deere, our head

48:21of education, and Whitney, our um

48:24education manager, and Delita

48:26Hammarland, our our um development

48:28director, and of course, Keith.

48:30>> Yeah. Thank

48:35>> Thank you so much. And I'll tell you

48:37what, the board of directors, we see a

48:39lot of board of directors that come

48:41through here, but this board of

48:43directors has Fortune 500 experience

48:45that they bring to share to uplift this

48:48institution that I alluded to earlier.

48:49So again, thank you all.

48:51>> Absolutely. Again, thank you all for

48:53what you do, the time you put into this,

48:55it really shows. This is impressive.

48:57Very impressive. And appreci look

48:59forward to seeing all the great things

49:00to come in the coming year and uh

49:02hearing about it uh in a year's time

49:04when you come back. So thanks to all. Um

49:07okay, moving on. We are now on to

49:12what are we on to? Um consent agenda. We

49:16have one item on recreation doesn't

49:19require any

49:22uh action and our chairman is is he

49:25online? Any anything you wanted to add?

49:28Uh chairman McBride?

49:30>> No, nothing to add, Mr. Mayor. Thank

49:32you.

49:33>> Okay. So now on to committee reports.

49:35We've got Councilman She Chairman

49:38Sheileley with public safety.

49:40>> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. We had two uh

49:43school resource officer memorandum of

49:45agreements. One with Charleston County

49:47School District for the 2026

49:5020227

49:512027 2022 and the 2028 to 2022 school

49:57year. And then one with James Allen

49:59Charter High School for the 2026 20 27

50:04uh school year and that ends my report.

50:09>> Okay. There was no action on yours.

50:12>> We voted we voted on it earlier today in

50:15ways and means.

50:17>> So we need to vote on it here too.

50:18>> No. Or did we not?

50:20>> All right. Can I get a motion?

50:25>> Motion made properly seconded. All those

50:27in favor signify by saying I.

50:28>> I. Eyes have it. Now on to call on uh

50:32chairman wearing for public works.

50:35>> All items if you see printed on your

50:38public works and utilities uh agenda

50:42pass unanimously and I move the adoption

50:44of the report.

50:46>> Motion made properly second. Any gave me

50:47a second?

50:48>> Second.

50:49>> Motion properly seconded. All those in

50:51favor signify by saying I.

50:54>> Opposed. Eyes have it. Now on to ways

50:57and means. Um, you'll take it,

51:00Councilman Wearing.

51:01>> Mr. Mayor, I have the awesome

51:02responsibility of not only stepping in

51:05for Councilman Boyd Ray and his vice

51:09chair, uh, Councilman Michael seekings,

51:12but with all your help, I hope we can

51:14move the adoption of the Ways and Means

51:17uh, report with all the amendments that

51:19were uh, doing Ways and Means. motion

51:23made I mean as amended on the um and

51:27properly seconded all those in favor

51:29signify by saying I

51:32>> both eyes have that's probably the

51:33longest uh report out we have one

51:35>> recusal

51:36>> um recusal with council member

51:40>> I should report that the only reason

51:43councilman see is not here is he's at

51:45Charlestown neighborhood

51:46>> Charlestown neighborhood association

51:48okay um

51:51okay Uh, we've got

51:55only bill up for third reading has been

51:57deferred. We got seven up for second

51:59reading.

52:01Um, can I get a motion on these seven

52:04bills?

52:06Motion for approval on all seven.

52:09Uh, seconded. All those in favor signify

52:12by saying I.

52:14>> Opposed. Eyes have it. And then

52:18third reading. Move adoption for third

52:21reading.

52:22>> Motion made. Can I a second?

52:26>> Motion made, properly seconded. All

52:27those in favor signify by saying I.

52:30>> Opposed. Eyes have it. And

52:34you wanted to go.

52:39Do we have an executive session?

52:43No.

52:46We can think about it because I got to

52:48sign some papers for

52:49>> [laughter]

53:04>> I guess the question is we we voted to

53:07approve reports out of both way uh real

53:11estate and ways and means. I don't know

53:13if that if that requires another vote,

53:16but it's on the agenda.

53:21Madam guard, do you have an opinion on

53:23that?

53:24>> So I I believe it would be covered under

53:27ways and means. So I think you're

53:31I think you're good.

53:33Should should we unless you should we

53:35move just to I'll go ahead and move to

53:38um to adopt the the um the terms as

53:42proposed to Charleston County as

53:46uh P2. Oh, excuse P1. Um

53:51just to be safe.

53:54Can I get a We have a motion second on

53:57that one. Uh belts and suspenders here,

53:59but I think it's good.

54:02and I'm not going to be upset by

54:04shortening the meeting. So, u all those

54:07in favor signify by saying I.

54:09>> I

54:11have it. If there's nothing further to

54:13come before this body, we stand a journ.

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