Leland schedules vote to adopt Gullah Geechee Heritage Trail feasibility study; councilor to seek legal opinion on recusal

The Leland Town Council will consider a resolution to adopt the Gullah Geechee Heritage Trail Feasibility Study at its upcoming Thursday meeting, town staff said. The adoption, staff told the council, would signal municipal support and could improve the town’s chances when seeking future grant funding, but it would not obligate Leland to carry out any of the plan’s recommendations.

Planning staff summarized the item and told the council that “this resolution and the adoption of this plan doesn't obligate the town to anything” and that an adopted plan could strengthen grant applications by the town or the metropolitan planning organization.

Councilmember Veronica Carter told the council she serves on a nonprofit involved with the trail and asked for a legal opinion about whether she must recuse herself. “I can get a legal opinion because I am on the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage nonprofit,” Carter said, adding she would disclose the affiliation at the start of the presentation and needs to know whether to recuse herself from voting.

Town staff said they would seek an opinion and notify Carter before the Thursday meeting. If recusal is required, staff said they would move the trail item off the consent agenda and place it on the regular agenda so councilmembers could vote on other consent items and then proceed with the singular trail item.

The feasibility study adoption was presented as Item 7.4.2 in the staff packet and was described as a long plan whose adoption is intended to support future grant applications, not to create immediate obligations for the town.

The resolution will appear on the consent agenda for the Thursday meeting unless staff is later advised that a recusal is required.