Red Drum
TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | MAR 2019 41
Update From
Tybee’s Mayor
By Mayor Jason Buelterman
First off, I would like to thank everyone who responded to our appeal for
support of local Coast Guard personnel who went without pay for several
weeks as a result of the federal government shut down. The Tybee Marine
Rescue Squadron initiated this appeal and the City jumped on board to assist.
The response was overwhelming. Over $28,000 in gift cards were delivered
to the Coast Guard for distribution to all Coast Guard units in Chatham
County. So much was raised that gift cards were provided to units in Glynn
County as well. Many Coast Guard service members are young, and missing
a few paychecks can have a real impact on their lives and their stress level.
While this effort to provide them with some level of support didn’t make up
for the missed paychecks, it certainly didn’t hurt. It also gave us a chance to
show them how much their service is appreciated. Thanks to everyone who
pitched in for this very worthy effort. It was yet another example of our little
community coming together to help others.
The construction on the new Marine Science Center has begun at North Beach.
While we will lose some parking spaces in the area where the Center is being
constructed, we are adding spaces in other areas of the north beach parking
lot and along Gullick. We are projecting a net increase of about 30 parking
spaces. That was an important aspect of this project, as beach parking is an
issue, especially on spring and summer weekends. The new Marine Science
Center will require parking as well, so we had to make sure we found a way
to add parking. Will it be enough parking? On weekends when the weather is
good in the spring and summer, probably not. But the same was true of the
south end, where the Martine Science Center is presently located.
This facility has been on the City’s agenda since 2003 when Special Purpose
Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) revenue was committed for a new Marine
Science Center. The 2003 SPLOST money dedicated for this project has not
been used for anything other than a new Marine Science Center. The citizens
voted in favor of the 2003 SPLOST and it is finally coming to fruition. Kudos to
Council members Wanda Doyle and Barry Brown for being tireless advocates
for this project.
A few other things to note about this project:
• We are conducting a traffic study for the north end of the island to help
develop plans to address higher traffic volumes. Some of the solutions
proposed by the study may be implemented before the new Science Center
opens and some will not be. But we are working towards a long term plan to
make the area safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and cars, while reducing the
impact on residents on the more heavily traveled streets (i.e. North Campbell
and Meddin).
• The existing site of the Marine Science Center will, in all likelihood, be
used to house public safety personnel for the busy south end. This includes
space for the ocean rescue team who currently work out of an old trailer that
sits just to the north of the current site of the Marine Science Center facility.
There is a need for a public safety presence on the south end and we hope
to utilize this space accordingly.
• Access to the northernmost dune crossover in the north beach parking
lot is closed for the time being. I have heard from many citizens about this
issue, especially surfers who use this crossover frequently. We are working
on a way to open it back up during construction so as to not inconvenience
anyone. The crossover will be re-opened after construction.
Several years ago, we were forced to remove the showers at the beach
due to restrictions on water usage mandated by the Georgia Environmental
Protection Division (EPD). A few years ago, the City added showers at the
north beach with water that came from a shallow well. Since shallow well
water is not restricted by the EPD, we were able to get these installed
without any permitting issues. Before the start of summer, we expect to build
showers at three locations on the south end between 14th and 18th Streets.
These will also be using water from shallow wells. The water is treated and
safe for shower use. We hope to replicate these wells in other areas of the
beach going forward. They don’t have hot and cold water (cold water only)
but they do give our residents and visitors a chance to wash off all that sand
before going about their day.
Speaking of water, you may remember the state paid for a deep well to
be dug on the north end at the site of the City’s Public Works. This was to
be our long term solution to our water withdrawal limits and provide long
term access to fresh water. The well was dug about a mile deep, but when
the casing was being installed it collapsed about a half mile down. It was
deemed by the engineers involved in the project to be unfixable. The State
has now filed suit against the contractor and engineering firms for failure
to deliver a functioning well. We have communicated clearly to the State
Attorney General that any settlement or judgement in the State’s favor should
result in a new well being dug on Tybee, as we do not have any other viable
options for accessing water for the long term. We will continue to monitor
this case closely to ensure that Tybee is the State’s first priority in this matter.
Finally, this is an election year for Tybee. Three council seats and the mayor’s
seat are up for election. I have been asked by many people if I plan on
running for re-election and after a lot of thought and consideration, have
decided that I am going to run again. It has been one of the biggest honors of
my life to serve this great community and I would be honored to be afforded
the opportunity to continue to serve as Tybee’s mayor. I will be formally
announcing my campaign in the coming weeks.
As always, if you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, please don’t
hesitate to contact me via email (jbuelterman@cityoftybee.org) or cell
(912.844.8427).