Rusty Streetman announced he is running for the open council seat on the Isle of Palms, which became available because of Councilmember Elizabeth Campsen’s recent resignation.
Introducing himself as “an independent voice for all,” Streetman, a former Isle of Palms councilmember, is making his bid to take over a seat that comes with a remaining term of three years. The special election for the vacated seat is slated for Nov. 5.
Streetman made his initial announcement in a Facebook post.
“There’s been significant good and positive progress made on the major issues the council is dealing with on the island, but there’s still much to do,” he wrote.
“I firmly believe I will be an independent and positive councilmember to further address the priorities and challenges we face on the Isle of Palms. Working with other councilmembers in a collaborative and collegial way will go a long way toward achieving success on the island’s issues.”
Streetman also communicated his list of top priorities for the island:
Drainage issues and continuing the significant progress that’s been made with the recently completed Phase 3 Outfall Project at 30th, 36th, and 41st avenues is paramount. Effectively addressing the Phase 4 Drainage Plan will be crucial to achieving this goal. This includes ensuring the island’s interior drainage ditches operate effectively and addressing low-lying areas on Palm Boulevard, Waterway Boulevard, and Ocean Boulevard. Along with the above, we must ensure our existing beach access paths are draining properly, as many of them flood during torrential rains or named storms.
Continued focus on safety and traffic on the island and keeping the island a safe place to live, work, and visit. We are a residential island first, and our residents' best interests should always be top of mind when we deliberate.
Continue studying and researching better parking solutions, especially on Palm Boulevard, and along with that, put in place enhancements on Palm Boulevard that incorporate improved safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. Also, as quickly as possible, implement the improvements needed to elevate the Waterway Boulevard Path, making it a multi-use path. That is critical to the safety of our residents and visitors as they walk, run, jog, and bike in that area.
Beach maintenance and restoration solutions are absolutely necessary and critical to keep and maintain the Isle of Palms as a wonderful place to live and visit. The stability, beauty, and cleanliness of our beaches are what we are known for as a residential neighborhood and as a destination. We have to effectively address ongoing erosion issues in the “hot spots” on either end of the island. We also must research, examine, and implement a sensible sea level rise adaptability plan to effectively address our vulnerabilities. It’s a critical part of our environmental stewardship, and it certainly helps drive our economic success.
Livability issues and effective enforcement of our rules, policies, and ordinances must continue to be a focus and further improved going forward.