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ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCBD) – Some parking tickets on the Isle of Palms have reached $100 for minor infractions.

Now people say they’re concerned the island is price gouging.

From January 2020 to December 2022, records show that 14,000 parking tickets were issued on the Isle of Palms.

The majority were for $100 dollars, but none were issued for less than $50 dollars; prices members of the Charleston Beach Foundation say are way too high.

“I did an analysis, and found that the average ticket statewide is $30, not $100,” Founder of the Charleston Beach Foundation, Myra Jones said.

Jones filed a lawsuit against the Isle of Palms in 2020 over the ticket prices.

A judge eventually ruled that the city had the right to set the price at what they think is necessary.

“The judge noted that the state law, the South Carolina state law allows $100 fines,” IOP City Councilmember, Blair Hahn said.

However, Jones is fighting prices again, calling them excessive and unnecessary.

Jones said, “For comparison, tickets on Sullivans Island are $50 and on Folly Beach they’re $60.”

Jones is also concerned the high ticket prices could backfire and damage the island’s economy.

“We’ve hear from thousands of people who will not go to the Isle of Palms because of the $100 tickets,” Jones said.

Councilmembers aren’t concerned about the ticket prices driving people away.

Hahn said, “If you come out here on any weekend, the island is full. So, if our goal is to keep people, stop people from coming to the island, we’re doing a terrible job.”

Leaders say the ticket prices are a minor price to pay to keep the roads and citizens safe.

“We were not strictly enforcing parking, not as strict as we were this year. People were double parking, parking close to the road. Fire trucks couldn’t get through in a safe manner, police couldn’t get through in a safe manner,” Hahn said.

The Charleston Beach Foundation says they plan to take the issue to the Statehouse and introduce legislation that would not allow municipalities to write unreasonable tickets for minor parking infractions.

A total of 1,173 people on the Isle of Palms signed a grassroots petition to cap the number of investment short-term rentals on the island at 1,600.

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCSC) - A total of 1,173 people on the Isle of Palms signed a grassroots petition to cap the number of investment short-term rentals on the island at 1,600.

Petition creators, Catherine Malloy and Brian Duffy say it all started as a way to preserve the balance of people enjoying the town.

“We are absolutely in favor of short-term rentals. But we want to balance to maintain the equilibrium that we’ve had through the years. So it seemed like a good time to get involved with this,” Malloy says.

For former council member Duffy, it’s about being proactive, and he fears it’s already getting close to waiting too long to take action and be reactive.

“We’re just really asking the city to manage short-term rental licenses because you don’t know. Currently, there is no management of short-term rental licenses, there are no limits. So we could turn from the 1600 that we proposed in this ordinance to 3000 and no controls,” Duffy explains. “So that’s all that we were ever asking for. It is a little bit of management, a little bit of foresight, a little bit of planning.”

Under South Carolina Law, a petition signed by 15% of the voting population and verified by the county has to be considered by city council. The signatures on Preserve IOP’s petition represent about 27% of the island population, according to 2020 census numbers. City Council can approve the ordinance in the petition, or make amendments and put it to a city-wide citizen vote.

“The next steps really are in the hands of counsel. We as the group, Preserve IOP, have submitted this we are pretty much standing down, it’s their choice,” Duffy says.

Over the course of their work to gather signatures, Malloy and Duffy say they and the many volunteers who went door to door learned a lot about their island and their neighbors.

“They were so interesting the stories they told way before Hurricane Hugo before the connector bridge, and before even Wild Dunes when it was feature racquet club and that was all developed,” Malloy says. “So we’ve kind of really enjoyed it if you want to know the truth. Usually it’s not, it’s kind of labor. But it was a labor of love because these people were so fun, and so interesting.”

On July 11 at the Isle of Palms Recreation Center, the city council will hold a special meeting to address the petition.

On the agenda there will be public comment followed by discussion of the petition, consideration of sending petition to the Charleston County Board of Voter Registration & Elections for certification of signatures and consideration of first reading of the ordinance in the petition.

“It’s up or down vote, really it’s simple. It’s up or down. This is our wonderful gift to them because this is what residents want. And they all say when they got when they ran for office, we are for the residents. Well, the residents want this overwhelmingly so,” Malloy says.

Once the signatures are verified, council must accept the ordinance or put it to a island-wide vote. They have between 30 days and one year to schedule a public vote from the date city council takes any action on the verified ordinance.

You can read more about the roots of the petition and prior city council members’ reactions to the start of the campaign here.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCIV) — Currently, Isle of Palms has no limits on the amount of short-term rental licenses on the Island, which is something neighbors have been concerned about for years.

“We’re the only community in South Carolina coastal communities without limitations, and that includes all of the surrounding communities," Randy Bell, a former IOP councilmember, said. "You have 40 short-term rentals on Sullivan's island, 400 in mount pleasant, and maybe 100 in Charleston, but you have 1,800 here."

Isle of Palms residents rally for cap on short-term rentals: Referendum to hit upcoming ballot (WCIV)

Earlier in the month, Isle of Palms neighbors formed a grassroots petition to cap the number of short rentals at 1,600. The petition was signed by more than 1,100 residents. This led to the county verifying the petition forcing the city council to put a referendum on the ballot.

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"The residents put forth a petition, and that’s how democracy works, and we'll put that on the ballot," Mayor Phillip Pounds of Isle of Palms said. "So it’s to cap what they call investment short-term rentals. So non-full-time rental properties to cap that at 1,600, and that will be the simple question on the ballot: a simple yes or no."

With the decision now up to voters, former Councilman Randy Bell hopes the council learns to listen to their constituents moving forward.

“We’re the dry sponge in the middle of a puddle, and we don’t want to be the dry sponge anymore. We would like to have reasonable limitations well thought out by council. It should have avoided a referendum, but here we are," Bell continued. “I was on council, and I don’t care what every councilperson’s opinion is, but you’re there to represent the people that put you in office."

For the next upcoming election, there are four council seats open.

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Grab your bestie and let the games begin.

James Brian “Huddy” Hudson did just that when he saw an ad on Twitter advertising a trip of a lifetime to an adult summer camp with your best friends. The Isle of Palms resident didn’t know it was for a new CBS show hosted by “Transformers” actor Josh Duhamel.

Hudson and his three best friends from Oklahoma will be among the first six teams to take on the taxing mental and physical challenges in Duhamel’s “Buddy Games.” The first episode of the new game show airs at 9 p.m. on Sept. 14 on CBS and will stream on Paramount+.

Charleston Scene

Viewers will watch as Hudson and Team OK will compete against five other teams for a cash prize of a yet-to-be-announced amount, a trophy and bragging rights. Hudson’s team includes Justin Palmer, Stephen Craig and Yue Pun Szeto from Edmond, Okla. Hudson grew up in Oklahoma and has lived in the Charleston area for about a decade. Other team names include Derby Squad, Chicago’s Finest, Team Pride, Pageant Queens and Philly Forever.

The four Oklahomans sport cowboy attire in promotional material for the show filmed in Bogota, Colombia.

“We grew up in Oklahoma so we got a little cowboy in us,” he said.

The new series on CBS adapts Duhamel’s own real life feats of strength he grew up doing every year with his friends into a reality TV game show. The “Las Vegas” actor later turned the experience into the 2019 gross out comedy film of the same name starring himself, Olivia Munn and Dax Shepard. A sequel, “Buddy Games: Spring Awakening,” was released earlier this year. Both were rated R, but the new show on CBS scales back from raunchier bits in the films for network television.

The series has ties to “The Real World” and “The Challenge” through Bunim Murray. Murray, who was a producer on both shows, helped create this show for CBS.

Hudson said a highlight of the trip last November was spending time with Duhamel, who had a habit of getting in trouble for “distracting” the cast offscreen.

Officials are addressing safety preparations for beachside communities ahead of Tropical Storm Idalia.

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCSC) - Public safety officials are addressing safety preparations for beachside communities ahead of Tropical Storm Idalia, which is set to hit the Lowcountry late Wednesday.

Representatives with the Isle of Palms and Folly Beach say high winds, heavy rainfall and high tides could mean bigger concerns for safety along local beaches.

“Being out here on the edge, we are very susceptible to flooding issues and storm surge,” Folly Beach Director of Public Safety Andrew Gilreath said. “We have to be extra cautious to make sure we communicate with our citizens and visitors.”

Live 5 News meteorologists are tracking the storm and say we can expect 4-8 inches of rain, along with eight-foot tides.

READ MORE: FIRST ALERT HURRICANE CENTER

They say the abnormally high tide is due to a combination of the effects from Idalia and the potential for a King Tide.

King Tides happen during a full moon and can heavily influence the strength of tides, rip currents and waves.

“We’re approaching a full moon as we get to the end of August here,” National Weather Service Charleston Representative Steven Taylor said. “Influences on the tides are at its greatest. Unfortunately, even without wind, without heavy rain, our tides would have already been causing problems.”

Beach officials warn residents and visitors to avoid entering any flood waters during the storm.

“90% of the island is on septic so the water is not something you want to play in or be in just by the nature. That’s something we try to keep people up to speed on,” Gilreath said.

They also strongly urge people to avoid the ocean during this time due to strong rip currents and high tide.

“With rip currents projected and the marine environment looking extreme. Please stay out of the ocean,” Gilreath said. “In certain situations, I will not put my employees at risk just to save someone out there to have fun.”

Gilreath says Folly Beach is already in the early stages of prep, which includes sandbagging operations, securing beach access areas, and monitoring bridge spaces for high winds.

The Isle of Palms released the following statement earlier today:

City of Isle of Palms officials are closely monitoring Tropical Storm Idalia and its impact on the island. According to the National Weather Service, heavy rainfall and tropical storm-force winds are expected to reach the South Carolina coast on Wednesday, August 30, 2023. Other risks along the coast include rip currents, high surf and the potential for beach erosion. The city is resuming normal operations until further notice.

City leadership encourages its residents and visitors to prepare for the storm now. Residents should remove or secure any items around the home that could cause damage due to the potential for strong wind gusts. It is recommended that citizens assemble an emergency supply kit that includes at least a three-day supply of water, non-perishable food, a first aid kit, prescription medications, batteries and other essentials. More information on emergency kits and overall storm preparation is available on the city’s website: iop.net.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.