MP Business 2018

mp business www.MPBusinessMag.com | www.BestOfMP.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com MPB civic capacity of communities working together with all their local institutions to broaden the scope of what local governance meant.” The underlying question to be answered, she said, was “How does a community make its decisions? “On just about every issue, there will be pros and cons, and there will have to be compromises. But those decisions still have to be made. The critical element is including as many stakeholders as possible in that process.” The 2018 All-America City Award honors the town of Mount Pleasant for making many significant strides in achieving that goal. To determine the winners of its All- America City Awards, the National Civic league invites communities from throughout the nation to submit applications detailing local programs they believe meet the League’s criteria. The League does not disclose how many communities submit applications, but that number is ultimately whittled down to 20 finalists. In addition to reviewing the initial submissions, an 11-member panel of experts with diverse geographic, socio-economic and racial backgrounds assess in-person presentations by representatives of each finalist community to determine the 10 eventual winners. In their applications and their finalist presentations, municipalities are required to narrow their focus to three community projects that spotlight their commitment to the National Civic League’s stated “good government” standards. Appropriately enough for a town surrounded on three sides by water, Mount Pleasant’s three community projects all included “bridges.” The first, titled “Bridges, Not Walls,” acknowledges that with the town’s rapid growth and development, the Police Department has been challenged to meet new demands for service while maintaining strong community policing that helps build and sustain relationships and trust. Among the community policing activities cited are the Citizens’ Police Academy, youth court, bike patrol and the “Buddy Card,” “Gotcha” and “Reading Patrol” programs – all of which are aimed at creating better, more positive relations with the town’s children and young people. The second, “Bridging the Gap,” acknowledges the town’s explosive growth and the need to help residents and businesses navigate the complex planning and zoning processes that govern development. Tools Mount Pleasant has instituted to help achieve the goals of the public policy outreach program include meet and greets, the Citizens’ Planning College and “Code for Lunch” for local engineers and architects. The third, “It’s More Than Just Water Under the Bridge,” details the important steps taken to develop a master plan for that iconic landmark and economic driver for the community, Shem Creek. The Creek had become dilapidated and unsightly, but any plans for its redevelopment raised a chorus of voices fearing that this public working waterfront might soon become entirely privately owned. The town, informed by numerous public and private stakeholder conversations, supported a series of improvement projects and the development of the Shem Creek Park Master Plan. While sustaining the creek’s primary use as a working waterfront, that plan seeks to ensure equitable access, promotion of the local seafood industry, support for area businesses and enhancement of the health of the creek and its ecosystem. Efforts to achieve these goals by the town and the community – despite often-contentious disagreements on precisely what those goals should be – include a “Shem Dig” event bringing together a cross-section of stakeholders, the community-organized “Don’t Let Friends Eat Imported Shrimp” campaign and the Town Council’s unanimous approval for a Saturday-morning fish market at Mount Pleasant’s farmers market location at Moultrie Middle School. Left to right: Councilman Gary Santos; Lauren Sims of the town’s Community and Government Affairs Office; Town Administrator Eric DeMoura; and Assistant Town Administrator Christiane Farrell.