Isle Of Palms Magazine April 2018

15 www.IsleOfPalmsMagazine.com | www.ILoveIOP.com | www.IOPmag.com T he newest member of the Isle of Palms City Council is driven by a simple principle as she strives to make the island a better place to live: “Residents first.” “The first question I always ask is, ‘How does it affect the residents?’” said Sandy Ferencz, pointing out that approximately a third of the island’s homes are owner-occupied, while the other two thirds are split evenly between rentals and vacation homes. Based on what Council members have heard from their constituents, the most important issues facing IOP’s full-time residents are parking, coyotes and drainage. Technically, Ferencz is not a new member of the Council. She was elected in November 2013, and, with her husband dealing with medical issues, chose not to put her name on the ballot in November 2017. She did, however, promise Jimmy Carroll that if he was elected mayor, she would seek the final two years of his four-year Council term in the Feb. 13 special election. Ferencz said she is impressed with the diversity of the current Council, which includes three members elected last November who are first-time public servants: Randy Bell, John Moye and Susan Hill Smith. Ferencz, who grew up in North Charleston, said she supports a plan that would require visitors to pay to park on Palm Boulevard and also offer parallel parking on both sides of the street. She said the city should consider charging by the hour in the Front Beach lot rather than by the day. Currently, drivers must pay for a full day, even if they are visiting the beach or a local restaurant for only a few hours. She pointed out that the coyote situation is complicated and requires a comprehensive plan that includes educating local residents about how to avoid confrontations with coyotes and what to do if they encounter one or more of them. “We need to make sure garbage can lids are tight and that we’re not attracting coyotes,” she commented. “Food is what they’re after.” The city is already working to solve its drainage situation, hiring a private company to clean out all its ditches. A major part of the drainage problem, though, involves the large number of septic tanks on the island. During heavy rains, they are subject to overflowing into the stormwater collection system. “We have to have a comprehensive plan to see what it would take to put the pipes in place for people to tie into the sewer system,” Ferencz said. “And we have to have incentives for people to tie in. We have to give them a reason to do it.” “We can’t wave a magic wand and make all these problems go away,” she said. “It will take several years and a lot of money.” Ferencz, a graduate of Winthrop College, has been a high school science teacher and worked for a chemical company for 15 years. She was a professional fundraiser from 1985 to 2006, working with Trident Academy in Mount Pleasant, the College of Charleston, the Catholic Diocese of Charleston, the Roper Hospital Foundation and the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. Before she ran for a seat on the Council, she served on the city’s Accommodations Tax Advisory Committee for three years. She and her husband, Rick, have one son, Andrew, an artist who lives in Los Angeles. Photo by Brian Sherman. Residents First Councilwoman Sandy Ferencz By Brian Sherman [ Feature ]