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Public comment: residents urge more public education on alligators and ask county to pave Jarrett Lane
Summary
A trapper who removed an alligator and a resident seeking road repairs addressed council; the trapper urged education about alligator handling and retention‑pond safety while a Ridgeville resident requested full paving of Jarrett Lane.
Two residents addressed Berkeley County Council during public comment on concerns ranging from alligator encounters and handling to a request to pave a rural road.
Robert Van Warmer, who identified himself as the owner of Southern Trappers and a longtime trapper and rehoming volunteer, described his experience removing an alligator on Daniel Island and urged the county to pursue public education and safer retention‑pond designs. Van Warmer said he volunteers with reentry programs and has years of experience handling wildlife. He told council the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) protocols constrain trappers’ options, saying he must follow DNR directives when removing an animal and that, in his work, “I have to go by DNR law... one of the protocols is for me to euthanize within a hundred feet of retrieving.” He said the crowd that gathered at the incident complicated the response and repeated that public education about alligators and safer pond edges or design are needed to reduce human‑animal conflicts.
Councilman Tommy Newell responded directly to Van Warmer’s description, saying residents’ main concerns were about the manner in which the animal was removed and observed rather than the fact of removal. Newell said, “If I’m not mistaken, people weren’t upset that you were there to remove the alligator. The thing… is the way that you removed the alligator.” The exchange highlighted tension between wildlife handling protocols directed by state agencies and community expectations about how removals are conducted when crowds are present.
Ricky Pringle, a resident of Jarrett Lane in Ridgeville who said he recently moved into Berkeley County from Dorchester, asked council to pave the remainder of Jarrett Lane, which he described as badly rutted and damaged by heavy commercial traffic. He said the county has done pothole repairs but the road now needs paving because of repeated damage from large vehicles. Council asked staff to meet with Pringle after the meeting to gather more information about the road’s condition and paving options.
No formal county actions were taken during the public comment period; council members directed staff to follow up on both topics.
