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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Goose Creek City Council Meeting - July 17, 2026: Strategic Plan, Public Safety Bond, and Police Chief Appointment

City Council & Commissions — Friday, July 17, 2026

BodyGoose Creek, South Carolina

SessionCity Council & Commissions

DateFriday, July 17, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:33:01

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:07

Pastor, thank you very much for the rewards that I'm sharing and welcome to Crocodile Baptist from the pastor eight or nine months or so.

0:16

Thankful have a more community.

0:20

I have several people signed up to speak this evening.

0:24

Um you all have three minutes.

0:27

Uh please take the time that you that you want.

0:30

This isn't a necessarily discussion for the women's awards.

0:35

This is you being able to address counsel with you with your concerns.

0:39

So first is it proof?

0:42

It is Darcy Cruzing.

0:49

Good evening, counsel.

0:51

I'm here representing the property at 129 Red Bank Road, which Berkeley County tax data explicitly documents as a purpose built service garage dating back to before 1977.

1:06

This structure has been dedicated exclusively to an automotive care for half a century, long before the 2022 Red Bank District overlay was ever conceived.

1:18

The zoning department has refused to issue a business license or accept a variant application, claiming the property's grandfathered status was abandoned.

1:30

Um we have to we have given you a black notebook.

1:40

It proves uh the city was fully aware that from late 2024 through February 2025, the owner was trapped in a brewing involuntary legal eviction process against a rogue tenant who was operating without a business license.

2:15

And hauling off 69,000 pounds of debris within a month.

2:22

Um they finished on May 17th of 2026 under the South Carolina land use law, an involuntary disruption caused by a non-compliant tenant and the immediate physical cleanup that followed does not constitute a voluntary abandonment of vested property rights.

2:42

Furthermore, forcing this 50-year-old automotive layout to comply with the modern overlays rigid 15-foot landscape parameters, which strip away over 8,000 square feet, nearly 46% of the entire musical block.

3:00

This is a textbook physical and financial hardship.

3:03

Administrative staff does not have the legal authority to single-handedly strip a 25-year-old owner of her rights or block her from zoning board of appeals.

3:16

We request staff be directed to accept our tenants' business license and grandfather the property.

3:24

Thank you.

3:33

Thank you.

3:33

Thank you, Mr.

3:37

Janice.

3:39

Ms.

3:39

Scott, is it Janice?

3:41

Yes.

3:42

We've met before, but this one.

3:44

All right, so just to elaborate on that.

3:45

I am the owner at 127 and 129.

3:49

I have a speech just like her.

3:50

However, I don't think that's going to be the problem to handle this.

3:53

I am gonna be a little emotional because this is terrible.

3:58

Like she said, I had to make the pirate team.

4:01

We can see from the pictures and the notebooks.

4:03

That place was destroyed.

4:06

A lot of y'all were not here when my husband and I bought that property.

4:10

We bought it from Mr.

4:11

Whitman for the building, and Sal Gondako, a former council member, he owned the lot, the 127 land bank road.

4:19

When we took over that property, it was in as bad a shape.

4:23

Almost as this one.

4:25

This time.

4:26

So twice now.

4:27

I've had the rehab.

4:29

First time I got to do it with my husband.

4:31

We've got it.

4:32

We brought it completely up to where it needed to be.

4:36

We ran a business successfully, married with four children, grandchildren, until he died.

4:44

I didn't have to bring it out.

4:46

And so I did.

4:50

And obviously it was not found in trust because when he was with his wife, he was free.

4:55

The property stayed right.

4:56

Uh apparently he got into drugs.

4:58

I didn't know.

5:00

I wasn't ever notified that his business license had lapsed.

5:02

I wasn't notified of anything until um your code enforcement called me.

5:09

And he was like, Yeah, this property's a bad shape.

5:13

I'm like, okay, let me go down and look.

5:15

I go by, and I'm like, are you kidding me?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Procedural███████████████████████23%

Fiscal Sustainability███████████████████19%

Zoning And Land Use█████████████13%

Miscellaneous██████████10%

Public Safety████████8%

Community Engagement██████6%

Personnel Matters██████6%

Parks and Recreation██████6%

Public Engagement████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Goose Creek City Council Meeting - July 17, 2026

The Goose Creek City Council held a regular meeting on July 17, 2026, at 6:00 PM, adjourning at 7:04 PM. The council unanimously approved the 2026-2030 Strategic Plan, authorized a $56.1 million installment purchase bond for a joint fire/police training facility, approved a 30-year lease with Berkeley County School District for a BMX track, and appointed Tom Hill as Chief of Police. Public comments addressed property rights at 129 Red Bank Road, a hiker/biker trail repair timeline, and concerns about a mixed-use development near the Community Center. The city's annual financial audit was presented, showing a clean opinion and strong financial health.

Consent Calendar

Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the Special City Council Meeting (June 9, 2026, 5:15 PM) and the City Council Meeting (June 9, 2026, 6:00 PM) were approved unanimously. (Motion by Enos-Sims, second by Harmon)

Public Comments & Testimony

129 Red Bank Road Property: Darcie Prusak (108 Grouper Way, Saint Marys, GA), Jnise Scott (129 Red Bank Road, Goose Creek, SC), Eduardo Alles Costa Netu (209 Red Bank Road, Goose Creek, SC), and Stephanie Sinico (129 Red Bank Road, Goose Creek, SC) requested that the property, a former auto repair garage operating since at least 1977, be grandfathered under older zoning regulations. They argued that the owner was forced into an eviction of a non-compliant tenant and that city staff's refusal to accept a variance application denied due process. They requested immediate acceptance of a business license and a temporary operating period while the issue goes to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Hiker/Biker Trail Repair: Kevin Patterson (446 Indigo Road) inquired about the timeline for repairs to the city-owned trail along Plantation North Boulevard. Mayor Habib stated that a contract and funding had been approved, but the exact start date from the contractor was not yet known.
Mixed-Use Development Near Community Center: Kawanna Greenleaf (113 Leemma Lane) and Pam Knox (130 Matthews Lane) expressed concerns about tree clearing behind the Community Center and the planned mixed-use development at the "Village Node" site. Mayor Habib confirmed the development, noted that it had been discussed in six public hearings with signs posted, and clarified that current clearing is for parking. He stated that all projects undergo strict traffic mitigation and stormwater reviews, and offered to discuss details after the meeting.

Presentations

Annual Financial Statement Audit: The city's auditor presented the FY2025 audit. The city received an unmodified (clean) opinion with no material weaknesses, significant deficiencies, or compliance findings. Key financial highlights include: governmental activities net position grew to $106 million (from $67 million in FY2024), total revenues were nearly $70 million, expenditures were $59 million, and the city had 14.6 months of cash on hand (3 months is the recommended minimum). The general fund generated $11 million in operating income before capital outlay, and the water and recreation funds also showed healthy positions. The auditor commended the city's purchasing controls and active council oversight. Mayor Habib emphasized that the strong cash position is by design to fund capital projects.

Discussion Items

2026-2030 Strategic Plan: A resolution adopting the plan was introduced, with a public hearing (no comments from the public). Mayor Habib explained that the plan is a guiding document for budgeting and priority-setting. The council approved it unanimously. (Motion by McSwain, second by Green-Fletcher)
Installment Purchase Transaction (Public Safety Bond): An ordinance authorizing up to $56.1 million in bonds to finance a joint fire/police training facility and other hospitality and public safety improvements was introduced. Mayor Habib and Councilmember McClary discussed that no general fund dollars would be used; the bond would be financed through hospitality taxes (10-year) and impact fees (20-year). They also noted that the city is contributing more than a third of project costs in cash. The council approved the ordinance unanimously. (Motion by Enos-Sims, second by Harmon)
Goose Creek Municipal Finance Corporation Bylaws: A resolution approving the bylaws for the corporate body that issues and oversees the city's bonds was introduced. Mayor Habib explained the purpose of the finance corporation. The council approved the resolution unanimously. (Motion by McSwain, second by Green-Fletcher)
Lease Agreement with Berkeley County School District: The council approved a 30-year lease of a small parcel adjacent to Foster Creek Park for $1.00 annually to construct a BMX track. Mayor Habib noted that the city had already allocated about $1.5 million for recreation facilities on that property. The council approved the lease unanimously. (Motion by Enos-Sims, second by Green-Fletcher)
Appointment of Chief of Police: City Administrator Natalie Zeigler recommended Tom Hill as the permanent Chief of Police, citing his five-month tenure as interim, leadership during a transition, professionalism, and commitment to the community. Mayor Habib added that Hill is a Goose Creek High School graduate and well-respected in the law enforcement community. The council approved the appointment unanimously. Chief Hill was then sworn in by Mayor Habib.

Key Outcomes

All votes were unanimous (6-0 or 7-0, exact tally not recorded as opposed) with the following actions taken:

Approved minutes from June 9, 2026 meetings.
Approved the 2026-2030 Strategic Plan.
Authorized the $56.1 million installment purchase bond for public safety and hospitality facilities.
Approved the bylaws of the Goose Creek Municipal Finance Corporation.
Approved the 30-year lease with Berkeley County School District for a BMX track ($1/year).
Appointed Tom Hill as Chief of Police.

Mayor's Report

Mayor Habib reported on the passing of Jennifer Althoff, Business License Administrator for 34 years, who retired on July 3 and passed away on July 8. He expressed condolences and noted her impact. He also announced several community events and reminders: Fall Sports Recreation registration deadline July 16, tennis lessons starting July 18, Central Creek Farmers Market (July 15, August 5), National Night Out (August 4, 5-8 PM), Easy Everyday Pasta Class (July 23, 6-8 PM), Teen Takeover (July 24, 7-9 PM), Anything But a Boat Challenge (August 1, 9-11 AM), Kids Fest (August 1, 5-8 PM), Back to School Splash (August 8, 12-2 PM), and Creek-A-Palooza (September 19) with 90s attire theme. He encouraged residents to follow the city on social media and sign up for the digital newsletter.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 7:04 PM by motion of Mayor Pro Tem Tekac, seconded by Councilmember Harmon, with all in favor.

Meeting Transcript

Pastor, thank you very much for the rewards that I'm sharing and welcome to Crocodile Baptist from the pastor eight or nine months or so. Thankful have a more community. I have several people signed up to speak this evening. Um you all have three minutes. Uh please take the time that you that you want. This isn't a necessarily discussion for the women's awards. This is you being able to address counsel with you with your concerns. So first is it proof? It is Darcy Cruzing. Good evening, counsel. I'm here representing the property at 129 Red Bank Road, which Berkeley County tax data explicitly documents as a purpose built service garage dating back to before 1977. This structure has been dedicated exclusively to an automotive care for half a century, long before the 2022 Red Bank District overlay was ever conceived. The zoning department has refused to issue a business license or accept a variant application, claiming the property's grandfathered status was abandoned. Um we have to we have given you a black notebook. It proves uh the city was fully aware that from late 2024 through February 2025, the owner was trapped in a brewing involuntary legal eviction process against a rogue tenant who was operating without a business license. And hauling off 69,000 pounds of debris within a month. Um they finished on May 17th of 2026 under the South Carolina land use law, an involuntary disruption caused by a non-compliant tenant and the immediate physical cleanup that followed does not constitute a voluntary abandonment of vested property rights. Furthermore, forcing this 50-year-old automotive layout to comply with the modern overlays rigid 15-foot landscape parameters, which strip away over 8,000 square feet, nearly 46% of the entire musical block. This is a textbook physical and financial hardship. Administrative staff does not have the legal authority to single-handedly strip a 25-year-old owner of her rights or block her from zoning board of appeals. We request staff be directed to accept our tenants' business license and grandfather the property. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Janice. Ms. Scott, is it Janice? Yes. We've met before, but this one. All right, so just to elaborate on that. I am the owner at 127 and 129. I have a speech just like her. However, I don't think that's going to be the problem to handle this. I am gonna be a little emotional because this is terrible. Like she said, I had to make the pirate team. We can see from the pictures and the notebooks. That place was destroyed. A lot of y'all were not here when my husband and I bought that property. We bought it from Mr. Whitman for the building, and Sal Gondako, a former council member, he owned the lot, the 127 land bank road. When we took over that property, it was in as bad a shape. Almost as this one. This time. So twice now. I've had the rehab. First time I got to do it with my husband. We've got it. We brought it completely up to where it needed to be. We ran a business successfully, married with four children, grandchildren, until he died. I didn't have to bring it out.

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