Watchdog Update: Kiawah holds special meeting on beach bill

Kiawah Town Council has scheduled a special meeting to discuss a bill introduced recently by First District Rep. Henry Brown to remove the sand spit on the island's southern tip from the Coastal Barrier Resources System. The bill would make future homes on that land eligible for federal flood insurance.

After a recent Watchdog report on the bill, readers began circulating petitions and contacting Brown's office to protest the legislation. Brown said he introduced the bill at the request of the town of Kiawah.

Tuesday, the town released an agenda calling for a discussion about Brown's bill and an executive session to discuss legal matters. Mayor William Wert said the executive session will be used to discuss the legal wording of an agreement the town made in 2005 with Kiawah Development Partners, the owner of the sand spit on Capt. Sam's Inlet. Executive sessions are closed to the public.

In May, Wert wrote Brown that he had reviewed the proposed legislation and said the town enthusiastically supported the proposal.

Kiawah Development Partners, owner of the land, wants to build 50 homes on the spit, which overlooks Capt. Sam's Inlet and is near the county's Beachwalker Park.