Tell me about your professional background and how you feel it makes you a good fit to be a council member.
Since I was a child, my family really believed in civics and public service, particularly participating [in] local governments as early as I could. I wanted to take over the family business, as my dad passed away in 1996. A few years before, we took over our third-generation timber, land management and real estate business Tinkey Timberlands LLP. Over my working life, I’ve worked successfully with business owners and residents at the local, local town, state and national international levels.
When I first came to Mount Pleasant 40 years ago, I was hired to work at Wild Dunes Resort as the Tennis and Recreation Director, but I became their president. I was there through Hurricane Hugo and so I've dealt with a major disaster where I had yachts on the greens and buildings float over the tennis courts.
I've worked very closely with the Town successfully on the new noise ordinance. That was really a very contentious issue at first but we took a very deliberative approach. We were able to get the business leaders from Shem Creek, the Post House and other businesses to embrace and support what we collaborated on with the town residents that were most affected by noise and the town council passed that unanimously.
What do you feel is the biggest issue facing the town today, and what plans do you have to address this?
I'd like to see us follow the comprehensive plan that we have in place. I think it's important as we create more parks, green space and recreation. We need to be clean, green, pristine, clean water, clean air, great environment. Our tree canopy has diminished over the last decade which affects the cooling of the town, the water retention and just enjoyment. I think we need to be thinking about that tree canopy renewing and building more into that as we protect and grow our green space, parks and recreation, keeping in mind our cultural history.
The results of the Public Input Matters survey found that throughout all seven districts in town, respondents feel that traffic in Mount Pleasant needs to be improved. What are some concrete solutions that you feel can address this?
The Town hired the Stantec Corporation because they were already working with the One Region Roadmap and found very specific solutions based on substantive and exhaustive research. In other words, traffic patterns, the flow of lights, congestion and where accidents occur. I would work closely, hopefully on the Transportation Committee, to make sure we understand exactly where the issues are. We know Highway 41 is an issue. We know what some of the key ones are, but we would get public input on the plan. We prioritize it. We already have funding, a number of projects are already underway, and we'd implement that as quickly as funding and all the permitting would allow us to do so.
Another area Public Input Matters survey takers responded to was housing availability. 41% of respondents felt that affordable housing options should be increased. How do you feel this can be accomplished?
I would like us to take a holistic approach, guided by the comprehensive plan, economic growth plan and the future plan to think about policies. If we can have specific policies for attainable housing at all different levels. I think it starts with our programs for transportation because if we have neighborhoods where people live, work and play, they'd have less transportation costs. I would look closely at what zoning could be done to help with that. I know the Town is working on some of these now including workforce or attainable housing within existing buildings. In other words, the ratio of attainable, affordable housing, within the projects that are being built and incentives that go to the builders that do that.
Is there anyone who has served as a role model to you, either from politics, past experiences, or family members, that you look to and consider while you run for office?
When I came here, it was really a quiet, almost forgotten city. Nothing was really happening at Mount Pleasant to speak of. Then we had a person named Joe Riley, and Joe Riley came in and did amazing work with all different constituencies ... he wanted to have walkability and movability. He wanted to take into account the diversity of the city and celebrate that. So Joe Riley was a big one, but I would say next would be Ann Edwards. Ann Edwards has a history of lifetime, selfless service, charm, listening to people, understanding their needs and a sense of hospitality.
