Meetings to be open to public

Future meetings about a possible new road across Johns Island will be open to the public, a Charleston County official said.

The public wasn't notified about a meeting on the road Wednesday. That meeting, called by Charleston Mayor Joe Riley, included Riley and the mayors of Rockville, Kiawah and Seabrook islands, two Charleston County Council members and several community representatives.

Some Johns Island residents are angry that they weren't included in the discussion.

"It's a little insulting that they would make a plan for Johns Island without consulting Johns Island," said Bill Saunders, who co-founded the group Concerned Citizens of the Sea Islands with Thomas Legare.

Kurt Taylor, deputy county administrator and former county attorney, said in an e-mail Thursday that Wednesday's meeting was an informal gathering of elected leaders and several residents, not a public body or an advisory committee.

Informal groups are not required to comply with the state's open meetings law.

During the meeting, however, Taylor said "it became apparent that the group will continue to meet and possibly give recommendations to County Council." Therefore, future meetings of the group will be publicized.

Riley also said after the meeting Wednesday that future meetings will be open to the public.

He said he called the original meeting to try to defuse a contentious debate over a proposed toll road across part of the island, an idea which he doesn't think has the support of most Johns Island residents.

At Wednesday's meeting, most elected officials said they supported building another road that would run from the northern to the southern end of the island between River and Bohicket roads, but they weren't certain about the exact route or type of road.

Legare said most Johns Island residents don't support another road but instead want to see improvements on existing roads.

Legare said new roads would encourage more development and harm the island's rural quality of life.

"The hand of God could come down and give us the money, and I'd still be opposed to it," Legare said.

No elected city or county officials live on Johns Island, he said, so its residents are not adequately represented.

County Councilman Curtis Inabinett represents the island but lives in Hollywood. In October, Inabinett proposed forming a committee, which included island residents, to evaluate traffic problems on Johns Island, but County Council voted against the idea.

Inabinett also invited five residents from Johns and Wadmalaw islands to Wednesday's meeting.

Saunders said residents often learn about meetings on issues that affect the island after they happen. "And we're not brought in unless we raise hell," he said.

He said the island's residents have to take the time to attend public meetings so their voices can be heard. "It's a hardship to have no representation," he said.

Reach Diane Knich at 937-5491 or dknich@postandcourier.com.