Tree Servicein Isle of Palms, SC

Charleston and Isle of Palms agreed to settle a lawsuit against a number of short-term rental companies, including Airbnb and VRBO, in an attempt to recoup some taxes and fees that the business owes.

Both city and town councils approved a settlement agreement at their respective meetings on Jan. 28. But neither government publicly disclosed how money they'll receive from the businesses that have been operating for years without paying local accommodation taxes or business license fees, according to the complaint.

Attorney Jesse Kirchner, who along with two other lawyers, represents 14 South Carolina cities, towns and counties that joined the suit. He told The Post and Courier after Charleston's vote that the deal isn't final until all municipalities sign off. Once all agree, Kirchner said details of the settlement will be released.

Earlier this month, Mount Pleasant Town Council accepted a payout of nearly $500,000 in the same suit. Mayor Will Haynie, the lone vote against the settlement, disclosed the figure that Mount Pleasant would get saying it was not enough to "make up for what it's going to do to this town."

Haynie said he's worried about state legislation that could remove the town's cap on short-term rental permits and essentially open the floodgates to these companies that collect from tourists taxes and fees that never make it to the localities they're visiting.

The municipalities that initiated the lawsuit are some of South Carolina's biggest tourism destinations, including Charleston, Columbia, North Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Folly Beach, Isle of Palms, North Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head Island. Mount Pleasant later joined the suit, as did Beaufort County, Edisto Beach, Port Royal and Greenville.

The complaint alleges the companies failed to pay municipalities' local accommodations taxes, and in some cases, business licenses, despite collecting the fees from rental operators and vacationers who use their sites.

Annual license fees are based on a businesses' gross income, according to the city of Charleston's website. This year, the city expects to collect $52 million from the licenses — the city's second highest revenue generator behind only property taxes, according to figures from a November budget workshop. The money flows into the city's general fund paying for its day-to-day operation.

Municipalities across the state levy accommodations taxes of up to 3 percent on hotels and other rented lodgings within their jurisdictions. In Charleston, the tax is set at 2 percent. The fee is paid by the renter, collected by the hotel or business renting the space, and paid to the municipality.

This year, the city expects nearly $12 million in local "a-tax," as its commonly called, which helps pay for upkeep of popular tourism spots. At Charleston’s historic battery, the tax funded a 6-year and nearly $75 million restoration of the crumbling 100-year-old sea wall.

Short-term rentals, and how to manage them, have been a sticking point for many communities. Charleston and Folly Beach are among a handful of municipalities that have instituted regulations or caps on short-term rentals. North Charleston, another plaintiff in the case, recently considered the same.

Sun-soaked Florida and other parts of the South appear to have shattered snowfall records in what many are calling a once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness sandy snowscapes on beaches, of all places

ATLANTA (AP) — Sun-soaked Florida and other parts of the South appear to have shattered snowfall records in what many are calling a once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness sandy snowscapes on beaches, of all places.

So much of the white stuff piled up across the South that snowballs flew on Bourbon Street in New Orleans and children and parents who don’t own sleds used inflatable alligators, laundry baskets and yoga mats to slide down snow-covered Mississippi River levees.

Here’s a look at some of the heaviest snowfall totals around the South:

Milton, Florida

A whopping 9.8 inches (24.9 centimeters) of snow fell near the small town of Milton, Florida, which would smash the all-time Florida state record for snowfall from 1954, if confirmed.

“It’s an incredible, incredible event,” said Michael Mugrage, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Mobile, Alabama, where many of the highest snowfall totals from the region were reported. “It puts it in perspective how rare this is.”

The snow total near Milton is unofficial for now, and will be reviewed by the state’s climate office.

Milton is just northeast of Pensacola, where 8.9 inches (22.6 centimeters) shattered the city’s previous all-time snow record of 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) set in 1895.

New Orleans

Ten inches (25 centimeters) fell in some places in the New Orleans area, smashing the city’s record of 2.7 inches (6.8 centimeters) from 1963, the National Weather Service reported. There was also an unofficial report of 11.5 inches of snow in Saint Bernard Parish east of the city.

Houston

Up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of snow fell in the Houston area, a community that doesn’t own any snowplows. There was also a preliminary report of 6 inches (15 centimeters) of snow near La Porte, Texas, southeast of Houston.

Charleston, South Carolina

More than 4 inches (10 centimeters) of snow fell in the Charleston area, where snow closed the airport and the massive Ravenel Bridge. It closed since water freezes on the cables of the bridge, and then large chunks of ice can fall and smash vehicles below the cables, authorities said.

Mobile, Alabama

At Mobile Regional Airport, 6.2 inches (15.7 centimeters) was recorded, breaking the city’s one-day snowfall record of 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) from Jan. 24, 1881, the weather service said. There were also several unofficial reports of more than 9 inches (23 centimeters) of snow in Gulf Coast communities outside Mobile.

A preliminary snowfall total of 11 inches (28 centimeters) in the small town of Babbie in southern Alabama was among the highest reported nationwide, the weather service said.

It's cold, y'all!

The storm system that brought so much snow also sank thermometers into record-breaking territory across the Deep South. It was so cold Wednesday morning that it was warmer in Anchorage, Alaska than it was in Atlanta, New Orleans, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Jacksonville, Florida, the weather service reported.

In Alabama, a low of 6 degrees (minus 14 Celsius) tied the third-coldest low temperature on record for the city of Mobile, which was set in 1899, the weather service said.

In Louisiana, all-time records for low temperature were set in the cities of New Iberia and Lafayette, forecasters said. Wednesday's low of 2 degrees (minus 17 Celsius) in New Iberia broke a record that stood since 1962. Lafayette's low of 4 degrees (minus 16 Celsius) broke a record that dates back to 1899.

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This story has been updated to reflect that the National Weather Service on Wednesday afternoon updated the snowfall total in Pensacola, Florida to 8.9 inches.

As it prepares to hit another calendar milestone, one of South Carolina's biggest and longest-running real estate investment and development businesses is promoting a veteran executive from within as its next president.

John Darby, the longtime leader of The Beach Co., is handing off the title he's held since 1999 to Dan Doyle.

The change is effective Jan 1.

Doyle called it "a tremendous opportunity."

Darby will continue as chief executive officer and chairman of the board of the family-owned Charleston-based firm, which marks its 80th anniversary this year.

"This milestone not only celebrates our history but sets the stage for our future," Darby said in a written statement. "With the appointment of Dan ... as president, I am confident that The Beach Co. will continue to grow strategically and remain dedicated to developing places that improve lives and inspire the next generation of communities.”

Doyle has been with the firm since 2004, most recently as senior vice president and chief operating officer.

He becomes the fourth president since The Beach Co. was established — and the first outside the founding family. He follows Darby, Charlie Way and J.C. Long, an attorney who in 1945 paid $120,000 to buy the Isle of Palms and went on to develop it into housing.

Darby said the latest succession has been deliberately planned, just as it was for him. As the founder's grandson and Way's nephew, The Citadel graduate was named president in 1999, nine years after joining the business. He added the CEO title at the start of 2004.

During his tenure, The Beach Co.'s staff has swelled from about 12 employees to more than 700 as the firm built up businesses like its Gulfstream Construction unit and expanded beyond its home state to other up-and-coming real estate markets, such as Savannah, Nashville and Richmond. Its projects and investments are now spread across 27 cities around the Southeast

Darby credited Doyle for helping the firm push its boundaries.

"Part of our strategy was to diversify geographically, and it was hard to do because South Carolina was such a good market. ... And it was really Dan who ... gave us that confidence," he said.

He also said Doyle has become part of the Darby-Way family over the past 20 years.

"He is well-respected and well-liked," Darby said. "He's done a great job. And a lot of our successes, a lot of the progress we made, Dan has been a big part of that. So it was not a hard decision."

The company remains a major real estate player in the Charleston region, where its biggest single undertaking is the 2,000-acre Kiawah River master-planned community and resort on Johns Island.

Another notable deal was The Jasper, a luxury residential and commercial development at the west end of Broad Street and home to the company's headquarters. The 12-story project set off a fierce battle with preservation groups and a costly round of litigation with the city over the height and scale. The firm ultimately prevailed.

Darby acknowledged the development cycle for the company has slowed, partly because of high borrowing costs, but it's showing signs of recovery. The Beach Co. is preparing to break ground on two sizable projects, including a major deal in Wilmington, N.C.

"We were averaging three to four starts a year, and we've had two in three years," Darby said last week. "Now, we're starting to go again. Capital is starting to free up."

As he steps away as president, Darby said he plans to spend "a fair amount of my time at Kiawah River and a couple other things."

"But the day-to-day operations will go to Dan," he added.

The incoming president has a bachelor's degree in architecture and master's degree in business administration from the University of Michigan. He said he's been asked "a hundred times" in recent weeks what he plans to tweak or shake up as he settles into his new role.

"There really aren't ... any pressing items that need to be fixed. .... We've been working on this for quite some time now, so it's really a seamless transition in terms of our our partners, our lenders, and most importantly, our our employees," Doyle said.

He said his main job will be to execute the company's strategic plan, which was updated last year and includes three key priorities.

"We continue working hard, and what does that mean? It's that our managers, our department heads, set great examples for others to follow," he said. "The other is staying focused, really looking at the things that we do best, and focusing our attention on those efforts, versus being distracted and trying to do too many things at one time."

"And finally, really just having fun," Doyle continued. "Our company culture is tremendous, and what we can do to reinforce why someone wants to work for The Beach Co., how we can attract talent and how we keep those valued associates ... is incredibly important to our success."

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCSC) - Communities across the Lowcountry are kicking off the holiday season with festivals and parades, including the Isle of Palms.

The Isle of Palms celebrated Saturday afternoon with their Holiday Street Festival.

This annual event started with the Sullivan’s Island Elementary School choir spreading Christmas cheer and singing loud for all to hear.

Over the last decade, thousands of people have looked forward to this event every year.

The city’s recreation supervisor of special events Kelsey Marsh says they had to prepare extensively for all of the fun and games.

“You know, you don’t always think about what it’s going to be like, but being able to be here in the moment and see all the kids having fun, riding all the rides, seeing all the families out here, it’s just really is the best part about my job,” Marsh says.

Mark and Maria Gessey of Mount Pleasant say nothing compares to celebrating the Christmas season along the seaside.

“It’s a sense of community, warmth and that togetherness in the community is just what Christmas is about,” the Gesseys say.

Mark Gessey says they spend time at the beach every month, and December is no different.

“It’s very relaxing,” Gessey says. “There’s a lot of stress at Christmas—all the ‘hubub’ of shopping and all that, to get out to the beach and just relax for a little while, breathe the fresh air, just a peaceful environment it helps restore my sanity."

As Ocean Drive is lined with local vendors, food and other organizations, mom Jennifer Boccelli says this has become a beloved tradition among her daughter’s group of friends.

She says being able to show their kids how to give back is especially important around the holidays.

“That we’re giving back and able to support small businesses and help them thrive, especially after COVID-19,” Boccelli says.

She says the free activities for kids and families ultimately point to the kind of community Isle of Palms is.

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