Four Tybee Island City Council candidates vying for one two-year term seat participated in the second of three forums hosted by Forever Tybee and the League of Women Voters Coastal Georgia.
The candidates include: Bill Garbett, who previously served on the council for eight years; Beau Livingston, a four-year resident of Tybee; Dave Roberts who’s been a resident for two years; and William Mosely, who’s lived on Tybee nearly his entire life. More information about each candidate, including the candidates from the first and last forums can be found on Forever Tybee website in the Tybee Island Voter Guide.
This forum, like the last one, was moderated by Susan Catron, the managing editor of The Current. Some of the questions were similar to the last forum, but Catron said they were trying their best to remain faithful to the questions of high interest that were submitted by Tybee voters. Candidates were given three minutes to answer questions, and there were lightening rounds where each candidate was asked the same question and had one minute to answer.
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What do the candidates think of Tybee Island capacity, infrastructure?
Catron asked all of the candidates near the beginning of the forum if they had read the City of Tybee Island Carrying Capacity Study, which was published in 2016, and their takeaway. The study identifies the maximum number of residents, overnight and daytime populations that can be supported with the island’s services and infrastructure.
“My takeaway is we really have a lot of issues with carrying capacity, and the busy season is about four months’ worth of it,” Livingston said. “The rest of the year, it seems like everything does pretty well. My opinion on that is I just think that we need to do more to promote tourism in the offseason, so that these businesses actually have a chance to thrive all year round.”
Later, Catron asked Garbett when it came to infrastructure issues like parking, water and roads, if he believed the island was facing capacity issues.
“We certainly need to plan for an alternative source of water to support the increased population,” Garbett said. “Parking? I don’t have a solution for parking, we have 2500 parking spaces and 20,000 cars every weekend. All solutions I’ve heard of are either infeasible or unreasonable.”
He also said that the repair of roads on Tybee would be a high on his priority list for the budget.
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The candidates on short-term vacation rentals in Tybee Island
Catron asked all the candidates several questions about short-term vacation rentals, including if the permit should expire when the property changes owners. Garbett said absolutely, because the only way to reduce the number of short-term rentals in residential areas is by attrition.
“I think everyone should be looked at individually,” Roberts said. “It could be a family situation, or that person passed away.”
Mosely and Livingston shared Roberts sentiment, with Moseley saying if ownership changes from the family members, if it’s sold to someone else, then the permit should expire instead of being inherited like it currently is.
They were also asked, like those in the last forum, if they supported the current STVR ordinances. The most recent ordinance passed for STVR’s in October was to ban new ones in the island’s residential neighborhoods.
“I do support what has been done recently with the council. I do, but I think there’s room for changes,” Moseley said. “However, it’s such a slippery slope when you’re talking about somebody’s property rights and taking that away. It has to be done properly, legally.”
Garbett also said he supported the ordinance but would change it so that the licenses are not issued to the properties in perpetuity but terminated at the sale of the current property.
Preparedness for Orange Crush
Catron asked the candidates about Orange Crush, the festival that brought 50,000 people to the barrier island earlier this year and put a strain on its resources. She asked the same question as the last forum: what actionable steps council members plan to take to make sure the island doesn’t experience a repeat of the event.
“I think, first of all, what we did the week after is absolutely what should happen in any circumstance where we believe we’re going to cross that size, whether its permitted or unpermitted event,” Livingston said. “I think the city as a whole, it needs to be more vigilant months in advance and estimating the crowds and behavior of the crowds that are going to be at a certain event and use that to judge what would be the responsible response. Somebody definitely dropped the ball and I think we can do better.”
Moseley said that this event needs to be like every other event, whether its permitted or not, and planning for the next one needs to start the first day after the event ends.
“We need to follow up constantly, not waiting until a month before and ask state patrol for help, and they already have something planned,” Moseley said. “If we’re the first ones on the list asking for it, then we should be able to get that help before we get started.”
Catron also asked a few questions about recreation for seniors and children. To Roberts, she asked what he would suggest about how to balance the recreation needs for seniors and children. He suggested turning the soccer fields into pickleball courts.
The next Tybee Island candidate forum
The forum ended with closing statements from all candidates. The last forum will be for the mayoral candidates, Brian West and Julia Pearce. Mack Kitchens will not be participating, but he said he plans to attend and watch. The forum will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 4, moderated by Adam Van Brimmer, who covers politics and Coastal Georgia news for the Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
Destini Ambus is the general assignment reporter covering Chatham County municipalities. You can reach her at dambus@gannett.com