[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6362404,"mediaKeyId","2167977-ac3abbad97c9f96b4727a4485a129160","parentId",2167977,"title","Residents press council on Elbit Systems incentives; Kiawah Conservancy clarifies gravesite concerns","audioSeconds",532,"startMs",3845000,"endMs",4377000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2167977-ac3abbad97c9f96b4727a4485a129160&start=3845&end=4377","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2167977-ac3abbad97c9f96b4727a4485a129160/thumbnail_3845000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6362404/Charleston-County/South-Carolina/Residents-press-council-on-Elbit-Systems-incentives-Kiawah-Conservancy-clarifies-gravesite-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6362404-ee55292c152585c51e05556e5cb27167/orig.mp4?Expires=1773632793&Signature=O57laBBKQxZjFJfEIfTx0Jv~Syk0wQi8rhjmgN-LbI-90LK0eBK~AQdSkhvodRJGf4r2YGYuhPUxKUFYKHOq6GsaWJroibaobzF4-VJbnK4DDCJKHTL59yT-wkLLfA9s4ZJMdjEDzn3irSmNnE4nYSSQ59Lo-Rmx3jmZW4T8LnrhIZLXuHbk0sd5CrOdebIfOYNZJgCgjy2blNca1HDyFCGAKrajEHyiP7-Owzkh-ybFT1ys72E2GKHHBU9LaFRZpItIGGFEJ0pUcD7QnOeQU5fSf9GKo3E48FWtx2WVkc6wtumqVo-aoKLZCGNBJL2C-~IXED8pCBHnwFjzpO3G3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-01-29T12:22:04Z","article","A string of public comments at the Jan. 14 Charleston County meeting focused on a dispute over Elbit Systems and on a separate land-preservation question.

Members of the Elbit Out of South Carolina coalition and other residents urged the council to reconsider financial incentives and local agreements with Elbit Systems, which several speakers said supplies weapons used in conflicts abroad. Alfred Peeler told the council the coalition has staged weekly pickets and that coalition members had been struck by a car during protests; he said the group had filed police reports and asked for a meeting with Chairman Kylan Middleton. \"We can't ignore this pretend like our county is not subsidizing a genocide when it is,\" Peeler said.

Other speakers echoed the same demand. Julian Bergeron said Elbit's presence diverted public funds that could otherwise support schools, transportation and affordable housing. Matt Mossberg described specific weapons he said were made at the Charleston facility and called for the county to reconsider incentives.

Representing the Charleston Jewish Federation, Brandon Fish urged restraint in protests and defended Elbit as a local employer and part of the county's aerospace and defense manufacturing base. Fish said the company had invested about $30 million in the community and would employ roughly 300 people at the Charleston facility. \"They're great people,\" Fish said, adding that incentives are an industry tool to reduce tax burdens and encourage local job creation.

Speakers on both sides requested meetings with council leadership. Several public-commenters said they had emailed council members without receiving responses and asked for a direct conversation with the chair.

Separately, Collie Farrell of the Kiawah Conservancy read a letter clarifying that the conservancy does not believe its property at 4346 Betsy Carson Parkway encroaches on the Greater Saint John's AME Church graveyard and said the conservancy would study and protect any burial sites on its holdings. \"To the best of both the conservancy's and the church's knowledge, no graves belonging to the Greater Saint John's AME Church are located on the property at 4346 Betsy Carson Parkway,\" Farrell read.

Ending: Chairman Middleton invited those who requested meetings to contact the clerk to schedule time with him; several speakers said they would follow up with the clerk.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","01/28/25 - Charleston County Council","oneSentenceSummary","Members of the public urged Charleston County Council on Jan. 14 to end county incentives for Elbit Systems; other speakers defended the company as a local employer. The Kiawah Conservancy clarified that a questioned parcel does not encroach on a nearby church cemetery and pledged to protect any burial sites.","taxTitle","Charleston County, South Carolina","taxId",3700,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6362406,"Council committee votes to enter negotiations with City of Charleston for 993–995 Morrison Drive; staff pursuing Planned Development amendments",2831,724000,3555000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2167977-ac3abbad97c9f96b4727a4485a129160&start=724&end=3555","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2167977-ac3abbad97c9f96b4727a4485a129160/thumbnail_724000.jpg","/articles/6362406/Charleston-County/South-Carolina/Council-committee-votes-to-enter-negotiations-with-City-of-Charleston-for-993995-Morrison-Drive-staff-pursuing-Planned-Development-amendments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6362406-0acb7881f7ae6e86d4b507f07fe66a86/orig.mp4?Expires=1773632793&Signature=YM9IVrDzBo48hBHm9A~Upy~VVI1HsFsOUfaU5qtICEZejoeBeRL4I11uxgRYYouuUuNxZws2PuuR7NI9gBdEczKsGBWXmdQbR5H~7c4YYsaF-N7nVVT-CR57Vdda~D2gqY3ErZhQ3ZEGF3b-wxL~xmYBOwwADU9x1jdXhmkcwqTQDuGjVszORtA8oA3pkPMiG4I8t3Evg53aDWIjcks~GOx6lU5HV-cOS3EUghjrI1M4EoFRVZlSLIqnl5IlIvxm3j~uth~oPksWqTjDh-yGT674TMuPp8ogLgxXcHwkvrIm5sHyBJq7AY3DEt6KhvB3KQCFHGMl3M5aQfHdWa1VoA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Charleston County housing committee on Jan. 14 voted to enter negotiations with the City of Charleston to sell county-owned parcels at 993 and 995 Morrison Drive, with an amount to be negotiated between $30 million and $35 million and the understanding that some proceeds would be used for affordable and workforce housing.

The committee motion, read by the clerk, said the sale negotiations would be based on the offer received from the city and that final negotiations would require county council approval. Chairman Kylan Middleton made the motion; Councilman Herb Sasse seconded. The motion passed on a committee roll call, recorded as five ayes.

Why it matters: The parcels are governed by the Laurel Island planned development (PD). Staff and consultant Seamon Whiteside presented proposed PD amendments and development scenarios the county and city have discussed to increase residential density, adjust height and massing, and remove an existing Tech Corridor overlay that would have required substantial office use.

County planner Mary Tuil (presenting with Seamon Whiteside) summarized the preferred alternative as a context-sensitive but higher-density option. \"We are looking at upwards of 1,440 units with 80% of that being workforce housing,\" she said, describing stepped building heights to meet neighborhood edges and taller buildings along the more urban side of the parcel. The current PD allocation for the parcel listed about 305 multifamily units; the staff scenarios ranged from roughly 1,200 to 1,440 units depending on articulation and design.

Tidal and regulatory constraints were highlighted: staff showed a limits-of-moderate-wave-action line that produces a required minimum finished-floor elevation of about 14 feet, meaning ground-level space would be limited to parking, public open space or art rather than ground-floor retail or residential. Staff also proposed increasing retail square footage in the PD revisions (from about 26,550 square feet to roughly 53,000 square feet) and removing a prior Tech Corridor overlay that had called for up to 50% office use.

Council members pressed on valuation, timing and outcomes. Committee members and staff recited differing appraisals and scenarios: staff cited a county appraisal scenario as high as $38 million under a maximum-development assumption; the city’s current offer on the table was $30 million. Committee members discussed the trade-off between receiving cash sooner from a municipal buyer versus pursuing an RFP process to a private developer, which staff warned could involve long due‑diligence periods (one or more years) and uncertainty.

Several council members also asked about mechanisms to secure affordability if the county sells the land to the city. Staff and council discussed deed restrictions or contract provisions as tools to lock in affordable or workforce housing requirements; the transcript records a request that such protections be considered during negotiations.

Ending: The committee vote to enter negotiations passed and was forwarded to the finance committee and later recorded by the full council as part of committee recommendations. Staff said draft PD amendments and revised plan documents are ready to be circulated to council for review.","The Charleston County housing committee on Jan. 14 voted to enter negotiations with the City of Charleston to sell county-owned parcels at 993 and 995 Morrison Drive for an amount to be negotiated between $30 million and $35 million.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6362409,"Charleston County auditor issues unmodified opinion on FY2024; fund balance, federal compliance noted",637,91000,728000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2167977-ac3abbad97c9f96b4727a4485a129160&start=91&end=728","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2167977-ac3abbad97c9f96b4727a4485a129160/thumbnail_91000.jpg","/articles/6362409/Charleston-County/South-Carolina/Charleston-County-auditor-issues-unmodified-opinion-on-FY2024-fund-balance-federal-compliance-noted","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6362409-7598d09072e1ad81b8c4dc64a84f632d/orig.mp4?Expires=1773632793&Signature=Z5xPBsEk415SKHwchwv~f6Pys3TxLPQxZXoWsMzT8TxcfdmOd1bKZyw3lKCSqoBCKSk5fPZ11W8VGP5IzZB5ARD0VahwNue5JnrYcVYdYkSPO~oLZ7ZNrV8obFtakrcUmN4~LV5LKyTr7p8df5bSY7UJKjZZOBF2nPwqijO90MOIWu4JnVbRzpehylCobh4AbnnzcOhKsdU~f6Qlnx91kOnncfMAQBRiW9Gbru9FiVE6kvt6sxE9upSIHcVaNOESS98rtcwWF8E2odnbQdunsw1hfZGefuQU-QztekKSmHTKsmeKJx2bKidyHnpPb~0SaOSnSGH8lj~wpkL3IpexXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Michael Slapnik, a certified public accountant with Scott & Company, told the Charleston County Council audit committee on Jan. 14 that the county’s fiscal year 2024 financial statements received an unmodified audit opinion.

\"I have nothing but positive things to report about your 2024 audit,\" Slapnik said, explaining the audit was completed timely with a report date of Dec. 23, 2024.

The nut graf: An unmodified opinion means the auditor found the financial statements to be fairly presented in all material respects. Slapnik also said the firm found no audit adjustments, no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting, and issued an unmodified compliance opinion on federal programs subject to single-audit rules.

Slapnik gave several headline numbers. The county’s government-wide unrestricted net position before budgetary constraints was about $292 million as of June 30, 2024, and the general fund had roughly $133.7 million in fund balance, about $110 million of which Slapnik described as unrestricted, subject to budgetary constraints. He said net position improved by about $180 million year over year as revenues exceeded expenses.

The auditor listed major federal programs subject to single-audit testing this year: the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. Slapnik said Scott & Company issued a clean opinion on the county’s compliance with applicable federal requirements for those programs.

Council members asked questions about the county’s AAA bond rating and fund-balance policy. Slapnik did not confirm how many other counties nationally have AAA ratings but said fewer than 60 of the roughly 3,000 U.S. counties have that rating. He also said the county has been using a threshold of about 30% (of general fund expenditures) as a target that supported the AAA rating and that the county’s balance was slightly above that threshold.

Slapnik noted accounting standards activity: GASB Statement No. 100 (accounting changes and error corrections) was not applicable for 2024, but GASB 101 (compensated absences) will be implemented for FY2025 and staff are coordinating with auditors on that change.

Ending: Committee members offered public thanks to the county finance and accounting staff. Slapnik said the county had submitted its annual comprehensive financial report to the Government Finance Officers Association for review for the fiscal year and noted the county received the GFOA award for FY2023 and planned submission for FY2024.","External auditor Scott & Company presented fiscal year 2024 results to the Charleston County Council audit committee, reporting an unmodified opinion, no material weaknesses and improved net position; auditors also reported single-audit coverage of federal programs including HUD CDBG and ARPA.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":79,"_47":103,"_49":104,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6362398,"Votes at a glance: Key actions from Charleston County Council meeting, Jan. 14, 2025",410,3145000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2167977-ac3abbad97c9f96b4727a4485a129160&start=3145&end=3555","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2167977-ac3abbad97c9f96b4727a4485a129160/thumbnail_3145000.jpg","/articles/6362398/Charleston-County/South-Carolina/Votes-at-a-glance-Key-actions-from-Charleston-County-Council-meeting-Jan-14-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6362398-5186e9d8692f1f2023c2f65802425da2/orig.mp4?Expires=1773632793&Signature=itM0zfgw4tMrF3y-ZAvY7mllrsCNkWArTTu7OYE87u33nSQaaqN6dANBoxMIhkfeB-wHhJGNv0IUXEXYqrhQl9YPnsd14dL-Bb1lfsAbA2ll3FUTJVn-tXQynd6s7i6RbMBW9oSHy9goxHhkR8Wh1U37pU8KsHFH53pb2FrW3VMRPWp1chRA7EqJDovn9YGdTL~WZbVnfi8IWaeRfEhSU9D6fD6DuEwqCeCz4~788g8cEo4BAfmssDZ5o4syWKO8XM~95gxUVUZVmLoLd2rVJWYwTGVOiq2xLFppFWrPMyTTloiTXhxNPZSopAh2hbnFNkYhsHgZcHETNNhtC4nPuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","This is a concise listing of notable formal actions recorded during Charleston County committee and council meetings on Jan. 14, 2025.

• Disposition of 993/995 Morrison Drive (Housing Committee recommendation; forwarded to council): Motion to enter negotiations with the City of Charleston for sale of 993/995 Morrison Drive for an amount to be negotiated between $30,000,000 and $35,000,000, with the understanding that some proceeds will fund affordable and workforce housing priorities. Mover: Chairman Kylan Middleton. Second: Herb Sasse. Committee vote: 5–0 in favor. Final negotiated terms to be approved by county council.

• Saint Paul’s Fire District general obligation bonds (Ordinance): Second reading passed by council. Ordinance authorizes Saint Paul’s Fire District, S.C., to issue not to exceed $4,400,000 aggregate principal amount of general obligation bonds. Council second-reading vote recorded as 9 ayes; ordinance advanced.

• Code amendment and utility easement ordinances (Council): An ordinance amending sections of the Charleston County Code (sections 2-126 and repeal of 2-127) to provide continuity of operations and an ordinance approving a utility easement to Dominion Energy South Carolina on county parcel 412000012 were read and moved; consent and committee actions recorded during the meeting and recommendations carried.

• Capital Improvement Plan update and related consent items: Committee and council votes on consent agenda items and the CIP update were recorded as carried during committee and at council; specific appropriation actions will appear in the CIP update documents and subsequent agenda items.

Notes: Where roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript, they are shown above. Several consent-agenda and committee recommendation items were moved and recorded as approved by voice vote during the meeting; routine items are omitted here unless they carried distinct ordinance or bond actions.","Summary of notable votes and committee recommendations taken at the Jan. 14 council meeting and related committee sessions, including disposition authorization to negotiate Morrison Drive sale and ordinances passed on second reading.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Residents press council on Elbit Systems incentives; Kiawah Conservancy clarifies gravesite concerns

Council committee votes to enter negotiations with City of Charleston for 993–995 Morrison Drive; staff pursuing Planned Development amendments

Charleston County auditor issues unmodified opinion on FY2024; fund balance, federal compliance noted

Votes at a glance: Key actions from Charleston County Council meeting, Jan. 14, 2025