Pressure Washing in Seabrook Island, SC

SEABROOK ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Tidal flooding is pushing Seabrook Island officials to look at flood-focused measures, intended to ensure a safe and sustainable future for its growing community.

The Lowcountry’s unique landscape of coastline and marshland makes it no stranger to flooding. Seabrook Island is a prime example, being surrounded on all sides by a body of water.

While admired for its beauty, this can set the community up as a direct target for tidal flooding. On any given day, Seabrook Island Road could flood with little to no warning. The two-lane road is the only way in or out of the gated community.

Town Administrator Joe Cronin said it is a common misconception to assume the flooding is caused by storm surges. On the contrary, the issue most often occurs on sunny days.

Seabrook Island does not have in-house public safety personnel. The town relies on assistance from the St. Johns Fire District and Charleston County Sheriff’s Office during special weather events.

Jane Cottingham, who has lived on Seabrook Island for nine years, went out and became stuck in floodwater in January 2024.

“My car was just almost underwater. Tons of straw got in my motor. I was told by someone, ‘Do not get on the road.’ And I said, I think it’s okay,” Cottingham said.

Cottingham said she saw how the flooding “put a strain” on the island and its people. Community members feel that supportive infrastructure is needed as the population sits on a steady growth pattern.

The island is home to around 2,000 permanent residents, along with a slew of visitors during tourism season. The flooding can also impact those who own homes on the island but do not live there.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced earlier this month that the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program was ending. The program would have covered project costs for environmental programs across the country.

Cronin said the island had not yet applied for a grant, but they considered it to use for a project that would raise Seabrook Island Road. The town has roughly $3 million in the bank, but the complete project could be more costly depending on how the bids go.

“For a small community like ours, raising Seabrook Island Road, the cost of that project, is essentially about equal to one full year’s operating budget for the town. It’s disappointing to see funding opportunities like that go away,” Cronin said.

The town began discussions to address the tidal flooding issue five or six years ago, according to Cronin. Leaders are hopeful that after bidding and permitting, they can get the ball rolling on flood infrastructure in 2026.

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SEABROOK ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - The Town of Seabrook Island is considering changes to how its terms are regulated for elected officials.

Seabrook Island’s council is one of two Charleston County municipalities operating under a two-year, unstaggered term policy. The remaining 15 use a four-year, staggered term limit.

Mayor Bruce Kleinman believes amending the rule to allow the four-year staggered option would help streamline the learning process for those entering office, create efficient decisions and align policy with other local governments.

“The town has always had two-year terms of office. Our experience as of being elected almost two years ago is that it is an ineffectual means for the council. It is too short, and the shortness of the terms makes it very difficult to get important things done. To get big things done. Under state law, towns like us have two choices,” Kleinman said.

A staggered election is when only some sectors of an elected body are up for reelection at a time. Successive, or unstaggered, would mean all terms end on a strict date.

The suggestion was added to a strategic priorities list in January and voted through a first reading in March. Strategic priorities are used to provide a vision for the future actions taken by the council and can include topics like short-term rentals, flooding, road infrastructure, beach management and comprehensive planning.

Jo Faris moved to Seabrook Island in August. Keeping a watchful eye on the town’s priority list, she believes this effort would create transparency among those involved in town business and the community impacted by its decision-making.

“This was number one on that list. I really wanted to recognize how quickly they implemented priorities they adopted. It would give the town more continuity. If every person is up for election every two years, you could have five new people, and no one would know what was going on. You need that continuity for the town to function smoothly,” Faris said.

The policy would not affect the term limits of those currently in office if it is adopted. Each council seat would still maintain its limit until December 31.

In the upcoming election, Kleinman explains that the mayor and two councilmembers would be elected for four years, and two councilmembers would be elected for two years. Then, it would switch to balance the new cycle.

The seats would be “self-operating” after the initial adjustment phase.

This line of council said it is also pushing transparency and communication among its strategic plans for the office, encouraging outreach through face-to-face meetings. Kleinman intends for community members to participate in town business before the night policies are adopted to avoid what may feel like a rushed decision.

Both Kleinman and Faris were the only two who spoke in a designated public hearing on Wednesday, with an attendance total of three.

“To have something this important go before a public hearing and have only one person show up to speak. I would really love to see my fellow Seabrook residents become more involved,” Faris said.

“Today was their best opportunity to express an opinion. That is what a public hearing is for. We are here wanting to hear from our constituents,” Kleinman said.

The term limit item will move to a second reading on April 22 at 2:30 p.m., among a list of other topics on the agenda.

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