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M. A. In Real Estate and Urban Land Studies in 1974 from the
University of Florida
Professional: U.S. Air Force 1969-1973; promoted to captain in 1972; Bell System/Bell Atlantic 1974-1999; 10 years in corporate real estate; two years in finance and business planning; 13 years in systems and network planning; director of strategic systems planningPublic service: Recognized by two governors of Maryland for leadership on a three-year, five-county study of Route 301 from 1994 to 1996; helped start two churches in Maryland; served as chair of the Board of Zoning Appeals of Hilton Head Island for five years; president of Hilton Head Plantation POA; Moderator of the Deacons, Elder and Stephen Minister at First Presbyterian Church; Hilton Head Island Rotary Club 2010 Rotarian of the Year; Men of the Church 2008 Man of the Year; currently co-chair of the major renovation and expansion of First Presbyterian Church
Heroes: “My father. He was a great representative of the Greatest Generation, a career Naval Officer, and a legitimate war hero. He was also a man of incredible integrity, dedication to service and love of his family. Every day I measure my life against the values he left me.”
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Question: The recently released master plan for the Hilton Head Island Airport outlined several options for runway lengthening. Is it necessary to expand the facilities in order for the airport to be viable? If so, what should the limits of expansion be?
Answer: I believe continued, safe commercial service should be the driver in whatever happens at the airport. I am very supportive of the Master Plan, as it was presented, which is to proceed in two phases. I support the Plan’s Phase I recommendation of extending the runway to 5,000 feet, which is within the existing footprint of the airport, before we extend it further.
There is currently debate over the future of turboprop airplanes in the fleets that serve our island. Turboprops are roughly 20% more fuel-efficient for short-haul flights to places such as Charlotte and Atlanta. Piedmont Airlines, the subsidiary of US Airways that currently serves Hilton Head, is an all-turboprop airline. If turboprops prevail for short-haul commercial service, we may never have to extend the runway beyond the current boundaries of the airport.
I believe that extending the runway within the existing footprint could be accomplished a year or two sooner than if we go straight to Phase 2, which requires extending the runway beyond the existing footprint for a total of 5,400 feet. Everything gets more complicated if we go outside the existing footprint. If safety and keeping commercial service are the keys, the sooner we lengthen the runway, the better. In short, my goal would be not to extend the runway beyond the current footprint of the airport unless it is absolutely necessary to keep safe, commercial service to our island.
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 think all candidates pretty much agree that we need to revise the Town Codes on development. As Chair of the Town’s Board of Zoning Appeals for five years, I saw the need for that over and over again. We need to partner with people who want to improve their properties, not tie them up with so many conditions that nothing gets done. Perhaps more importantly, if a major developer would be willing to redevelop The Mall at Shelter Cove or Coligny Plaza, we ought to welcome them with open arms and work with them to get a product that makes economic sense for them and is a beautiful and functional addition to our island. In fact, I think the Town ought to start identifying “special development zones” specifically targeted to attract developers. We need to work for win-win outcomes instead of our Town’s penchant of just saying “no” to proposed commercial improvements.
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: This should be a local decision. We don’t need the state setting rules we would have to enforce. I think our current policy relative to dogs on the beach from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. is good. I’d oppose any effort to change that.
Q: Do you support off-shore drilling along the South Carolina coast?
A: Nobody wants to be the mayor speaking on TV about the horrible effects of an oil spill on his or her beach, and no islander wants to see the ecological and economic damage caused by such a spill. Realistically, those decisions will be made at a national level, not locally. I believe, as an island, we have a strong interest in using all our influence to make sure a disaster like the one in the Gulf doesn’t happen here.
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: The Board of Zoning Appeals hears appeals on Town rulings concerning tree removal. When I was Chair, we enforced strict standards to prohibit cutting down a live oak, but we did not make it impossible. Sometimes, we need to look at the big picture in achieving a balance between preservation and progress. On the other hand, pine trees aren’t in the same league with live oaks and shouldn’t get the same protection.
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: Generally, I would not favor handing tax dollars to any nongovernment organization without strong oversight and stringent financial controls. In this case, I think we need to take a hard look at the impact of adding another tax in a recovering economy. There may be a way that this makes sense, but I haven’t seen it yet. Nevertheless, we are in a competitive situation when it comes to attracting people to our island, and we need to look at advertising our island very carefully.
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 efforts?
A: The cost of dredging should be spread across all beneficiaries. The entire island benefits to some degree from the image of Harbour Town, with its beautiful boats and sprawling oaks, as does Beaufort County and the state of South Carolina. The folks that benefit the most are the owners of Harbour Town, and to a lesser extent the residents of Sea Pines. The Town should play a significant role in getting this done, but all those who benefit need to step up to the table and pay their fair share.
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: The state has stepped in to take control of this issue locally. I personally believe that as a nation we need a guest-worker program that allows workers to come and work with a defined set of rights, accompanied by a secure ID card. Our current situation encourages fake ID cards — a practice that encourages identity theft and plays havoc with tax and Social Security programs.
Q: What should the town’s role be in encouraging people to recycle?
A: Recycling is important for our island, our nation and the world at large. We have a somewhat unique problem with so many visitors coming here, but we have smart people working on it. Let’s just get it done.
Q: Describe how the town can make itself friendlier to business and economic development.
A: We need to always be looking at what is good for businesses and individual businesspeople and how the Town can help. For example, businesses need good phone service. The Town can step in and solve the poor cell-phone service on the island. I think this should be one of the two or three highest priorities for the next Mayor and Town Council. It is an issue that is growing in importance every day as people become more reliant on their phones, particularly smartphones like the iPhone.
We also need to look at every tax the Town levies on business. When the tax burden gets too great, businesses tend to leave. We need to monitor that.
We need to hold Town employees to the same standards for customer service that businesses themselves would require. We need a responsive and efficient Town Hall. If you want to see a dramatic turnaround in customer service and process improvement, go renew your driver’s license in Bluffton. Ten years ago, my experience was horrible. I renewed again a few months ago, and it was a huge improvement. We could learn a lot from what Motor Vehicles has done.
