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Earlier this summer, Monthly asked the mayoral candidates to answer 10 questions on the most pressing issues facing the island. Here are the responses from mayor-elect Drew Laughlin, as seen in the August issue of Monthly.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Virginia; Law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
Professional: Private practice of law on Hilton Head Island since 1977. Co-founded Laughlin & Bowen, P.C. in 1990. Certified South Carolina Circuit Court mediator and arbitrator.
Public service: Coach, Hilton Head Dixie Youth Baseball, 1993-98; Town of Hilton Head Island Corridor Review Commission (now Design Review Board), 1990-94 (chairman 1992-94); Town of Hilton Head Island Planning Commission, 1994-98 (chairman 1996-98); Board of Directors, Hilton Head Plantation Property Owners’ Association, Inc. 1994-97 (vice president, 1995-96; president, 1996-97); Board of Commissioners, Hilton Head No. 1 Public Service District, 1998-2003 (treasurer 2000-03); Board of Directors, Spanish Wells Club, 2003-05 (treasurer); Town Council, Town of Hilton Head Island, Ward 3 (2003 to present); chairman, Town Council Personnel Committee; member and former chairman, Town Planning & Development Standards Committee; member, Town Council Public Facilities Committee; ex-officio member, Mayor’s Task Force for the Future of Hilton Head Island.
Family: Wife Jane, four children, one grandchild.
Heroes: “I believe that the lion’s share of courageous living takes place in the daily grind, behind the lines. I admire people who engage in daily deliberate acts of resolve for the good of others.”
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Question: The recently released master plan for the Hilton Head Island Airport outlined several options for runway lengthening. In your view, is it necessary to expand the facilities in order for the airport to be viable? If so, what should the limits of such expansion be?
Answer: The airport enhances our ability to respond to emergencies and offers convenience to travelers that will become increasingly important to our future economy. I support the master plan’s proposed two-phase approach for improving the airport. The first phase would extend the existing 4,300-foot runway to 5,000 feet, effectively eliminating current weight restrictions from the commercial aircraft and all but a handful of the general aviation aircraft that use the airport. The use of recently developed material that stops aircraft that vershoot the runway, will allow this to be done on existing airport property, without removing any neighboring buildings or cutting any more trees. The second phase would lengthen the runway to 5,400 feet. It will require additional land and the relocation of part of Beach City Road, and it will have substantially greater adverse impact on private property around the airport. If the airlines serve us with turboprops, the only real benefit of going beyond 5,000 feet is to extend the range of larger private jets. I would like to know more about the airlines’ plans before deciding whether what we gain from a 5,400-foot runway is worth the additional costs in money and adverse impacts on private property.
Q: There’s been a lot of talk about how to encourage property owners to redevelop or spruce up old buildings. What should the town’s role in that process be?
A: I believe our current codes and procedures often put up roadblocks to redevelopment. I want to change that, and it’s one of the reasons I’m running for mayor. A fundamental town policy should be stimulation of private investment to update or replace aging or obsolete properties. The importance we attach to this policy should be reflected in our codes and procedures. Our current Land Management Ordinance can actually discourage redevelopment or improvement of older properties. For example, it generally prohibits improvements unless the entire property is brought into full compliance with current codes. That is often neither necessary nor reasonable, and we need to change it. I have advocated a complete overhaul of the LMO since I first came on council. We also need to do everything we can do to streamline our development review procedures and make them quicker, cheaper, and more predictable. We have developed a reputation of being unpredictable, difficult, and costly to deal with, and we need to change that, too. The perception that our policy is “Just say no” should be replaced with an attitude of “How can we help you?”
Q: How will you react if the S.C. Attorney General’s office issues the opinion that Hilton Head Island’s dog leash laws are trumped by a state law that would require dogs to be leashed if on public property, even the beach?
A: I believe our town leash law is valid. If the attorney general should disagree, I would evaluate the soundness of his legal analysis. In the end, an attorney general’s opinion is just that: an opinion, which courts are not bound to follow.
Q: Do you support off-shore drilling along the South Carolina coast?
A: I oppose anything that carries the potential to cause us to suffer the kind of catastrophe that has been inflicted on the Gulf Coast.
Q: Some beachfront property owners have complained that trees block their views, causing vacationers to complain about paying a premium for ocean views that are partially obscured. Would you support a process that would allow them to selectively cut trees?
A: Yes. I believe we can be more flexible than we have been without compromising aesthetics or shoreline protection. Our hotels and resort accommodations are in particular need of some help in this area.
Q: Are you in favor of instituting a one-percent sales tax to be used by the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce for tourism marketing?
A: I am not in favor of increasing taxes, particularly when so many of us are struggling with the effects of a bad economy. We should all continually improve our marketing efforts and do more to promote Hilton Head Island. However, these efforts should continue without the imposition of a sales tax.
Q: In the past several years, the South Island Dredging Association has asked the town to help with the dredging of Harbour Town and other Sea Pines-area waterways, a request that could involve financial expenditures. How involved should the town be in dredging fforts?
A: If necessary, the town should take the lead in obtaining regulatory approvals for dredging that can be carried out at costs that the private interests involved can bear. Harbour Town may be the most widely recognized symbol of Hilton Head Island, and there is a clear public interest in solving this problem. The Harbour Town Yacht Basin and other south island waterways must be periodically dredged or they will silt in. The current regulatory environment threatens to make the necessary dredging cost-prohibitive, and the South Island Dredging Association may not be able to obtain a workable solution without help from the town, Beaufort County, and or state representatives.
Q: Hilton Head has resisted calls to create a lawful employment ordinance that would require all companies to verify that their employees are eligible to work in the United States. Would you support such a law?
A: Our State has a strong ordinance that applies to everyone. Businesses should not be allowed to gain a competitive advantage by using illegal workers.
Q: What should the town’s role be in encouraging people to recycle?
A: Hilton Head Island should be a recognized leader in developing, implementing, and exporting sustainable practices. The town is currently developing a recycling program for single family homes, but the real challenge will be to come up with an effective program for commercial properties and condominiums, which is where the greater need exists and where there is potential for making a much bigger difference. In the meantime, we should do all we can do to promote public awareness and a culture that encourages voluntary efforts.
Q: Describe how the town can make itself friendlier to business and economic development.
A: By doing it. Town council must unequivocally embrace business promotion and economic development as town policy and see to it that our ordinances, review procedures, and the culture at Town Hall reflect this policy.
