Jack Long for Tybee Island City Council

Life and Work:

This week, a little about who I am and what I do for a living.

I have been married to my lovely wife, Devria (aka DeeDee), for 17 years.

Together, we raised six children. For those that it matters to, I had one from a previous marriage and she had five.

I hate the distinction between “child” and “step-child”, but people ask, so there it is.

The oldest is Sarah, then Madison, Nick, Bennett, Jack, and the youngest, Payton.

We have one grand daughter, Olivia, that is three, and another that will be born in December.

 

I grew up in Ohio, but lived in Kansas for 30 years before DeeDee and I moved to Tybee in the fall of 2019.

We purchased the house on Miller Avenue in 2010.  We used it as a vacation home as did family and friends…but our ultimate plan was to move here permanently when the last child graduated from high school.

 

My career has been in engineering, almost exclusively aircraft. Earlier in my career, I was a contract engineer, meaning I went from Boeing to Cessna to Gulfstream to Lockheed, etc. when there was a new program being developed.  I came to Savannah a few times in the late 90’s and early 2000’s to work at Gulfstream, and that is when we fell in love with the Savannah/Tybee area.

I have worked on an Airbus program for the past 15 years.  I work from home these days, except for the occasional trip to Europe. Normally I must go twice per year, for two weeks at a time…usually to Belfast, Northern Ireland or to Toulouse, France.

 

DeeDee worked wonders at home, but also worked as a dental assistant from 2004 until we moved to Tybee.

She now fills her days playing pickleball, volunteering, and creating sea shell art that she sells at the Farmers’ Market, Light House, and Marine Science Center. Occasionally, she brings a furniture piece back to life or paints. She’s quite the artist.

 

My wife and I work hard…we always have.

I grew up working for area farmers and mowing lawns and DeeDee grew up helping her mom clean houses and sitting kids.

And these days, both of us are always in to something…we’re bored without a project.

There is sweat equity in everything we have.

 

In closing, I hope you will give me a chance to work for Tybee and its great people.

I am constantly amazed at the number of issues on an island this size.

We have so many treasures, though…what’s not to love?!

Regardless of where we stand on the issues, we are wanting the best for our island home. 

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Tourism and Overcrowding vs Neighborhoods and Community

There seem to be two types of Tybee residents.

One that very much connects with the fact that it is a beach town and vacation destination and welcomes all, and one that wants the causeway (or more commonly referred to as Tybee Road) closed to visitors when the parking is at capacity.

 

While I am not “Old Tybee”, through my posts, one-on-one conversations, and my recent Meet and Greet, I am certainly getting to know more about these two distinct groups.

Some despair that Tybee is not what is used to be, as they recall “the good ole days,” while others recall the strip joints on Tybrisa and will tell you the Tybee of today is a better place, and that tourism helped get us where we are today.

 

The hotels, STR’s, restaurants, and bars, etc. certainly relish the fact that this island is overflowing with visitors from April to perhaps October.  And this year, it seemed like even early March was busy.

All the while, many that I have spoken with since deciding to run for council have expressed great concern over water use, parking overcrowding, loss of neighborhoods, litter on the beach, etc. caused by tourism.

 

Can there be a balance? Yes, I hope we can find that. I truly think it is the most important issue on the minds of residents as we head into this municipal election season.

 

Is there a right answer? No. It’s relative to your own situation of course…but I truly hope we can find compromise.

 

I am trying to approach these topics with some common sense.

And I appreciate the time and civil discussions I’ve had with both sides. I hope we can find compromise and perhaps mend some of the divisiveness.

 

City owned and operated ambulance service?

It was not long ago that the issue of ambulance wait times and unavailability came up for discussion during a council meeting.

Recently though, I have heard that there are new agreements with Chatham County, but I have not researched the particulars.

I will admit I am not educated on the topic, but as we talk so often of the average age of Tybee residents rising, it seems that a city owned and staffed ambulance would be a logical next step.

I would assume we would add the ambulance to the fire department.

Thoughts ?

I am sure that the opposition would point to the off season as the primary reason not to spend city funds, but to me that is offset by the fact that those winter season guests are of the age that might require better ambulance response times.

Some might ask why we would spend money for guests instead of residents, but those guests help keep restaurants and shops and the city owned camp ground…just to name a few, open during the off season.

I’m curious to hear and read your feedback on a topic that seems to have lost some visibility.

Seems to be a lower profile.

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Ban All Plastic Bags

During my fifteen years as a design lead on this Airbus program, I have spent a considerable amount of time in Toulouse, France. From the very first visit, I noticed something unique in their grocery stores…no plastic bags.  I know this is not a new concept here in the states, or Tybee specifically, but one that seems hard to catch on.

The French stores welcome shoppers to bring their own reusable bags.  They also offer bags for sale right at the checkout counter.  They offer bags with colorful fun designs, or just plain.  The bags I purchased in Toulouse and elsewhere in Europe are still used by my wife and I today.

On Tybee, we should copy that strategy, but take it a step further…to not only groceries, but any sale…any business. This could be done at restaurants, souvenir shops, etc.  Again, the bags could be quite plain and just serve the originally intended purpose of just being a bag. Or, they could create a whole other product line as advertisement for that establishment.

A ban on plastic bags could be a win/win.

Imagine…tourists could go home with our beautiful light house on their reusable grocery bag, or perhaps the pier, or a map of the island.

Also, I might add that some nation wide stores have no bags at all, even for sale, and that model has not hurt their business.

A number of states have already banned single use plastic bags: including Vermont, Hawaii, Oregon, Maine, New York, California, Connecticut and Delaware…while merchants in other states now charge for the bag.

All that said, I know this topic is not new.  This is just my story and thoughts on the subject.

I would fully support a ban on plastic bags.

 

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Orange Crush and other non-permitted events.

Through all my one-on-one discussions, meet and greets, NextDoor posts, FaceBook posts, calls, or emails, not one resident has asked me what I think we should do as a community concerning non-permitted events…until today.

Have the events of last April already become yesterday’s news?

Does anyone have concern about the $187K the city spent to prevent a repeat on the July 4th weekend?

 

We are blessed to live in a town where fear of leaving your residence is not commonplace.

The events of last April have me beyond concerned about the future look and feel of this town if our streets are again allowed to become the playground for degenerates.

 

I for one think the “town hall” meeting held shortly after the Orange Crush event last April was a joke.  That meeting gave me little comfort that there was any kind of rough plan for preventing a recurrence.

I was glad, to give credit where credit is due, to hear the police chief speak of more or less dissolving the “peace treaty” (the mediation agreement) signed back in 2018.

That said, I was not and still am not in favor of removing anyone from office or appointed position.  What officials needed to learn, is now evident.  Why remove them now?!

What’s done is done.

Lets take our hard knocks, as a community, learn from them…and move on.

 

What’s to prevent a recurrence?

First, shutting down the island is not the answer.  This is not 1980 in Russia.  We do not have “closed cities.”

And even if we were to convince state officials of the rumored onslaught of lawlessness, are we prepared to become known as a city where you might get in, but you might not?!

Think about blocking the city off a few times and those fun loving law abiding day-trippers will start preferring some other beach town as their “go to” destination.

Think about your real estate values if you really want officials to block off the city in times of high traffic, for an event like Orange Crush or just abnormally high traffic volume.

And setting up a check point at the city limit would cause unthinkable traffic jams.  Gridlock is just not a strong enough word.

And even if we thought we could (and we can’t) only allow residents, what about someone coming to the island for a family reunion, or a wedding, or simply a photo shoot?

We can’t just block off our island and shut everyone out!

In my opinion, we need to repeat the monies paid out for the July 4th weekend a few times to show those up to no good that Tybee is no longer the place to go.

Of course, that expenditure can not be repeated indefinitely, but July 4th weekend showed us that they got the message.

We need to again become a place known for hospitality…but with limits…come and have fun…welcome…just don’t over do it…or we’ll drop the hammer.

Tybee, we need to drop the hammer.

And we need to do everything we can to support our police and fire and ambulance crews, etc.

We need to get back to a time where restaurants did not close out of fear of dine-n-dash.  We need to get back to a time where people weren’t racing through the streets and going the wrong way down the opposing lanes just because traffic was backed up.

We don’t need a return of “ladies” twerking on police cars. And obviously this is but a fraction of the incidents.

Some seem to think we can make deals with those running these non-permitted events.  Don’t be fooled.

Those organizers have already shown us who they truly are.

If we have people that condone this lawlessness, and we do, eventually we will have businesses failing, property values depreciating, and an end to the community we have today. If you think STRs are the big problem, you won’t have to worry because nobody will be renting them.  Law abiding citizens will be scared away and many rental agencies will block out dates to prevent damage.  And lets keep in mind, that means no tax revenue from all those STRs, hotels, AirBnB, etc.  If these non-permitted events are allowed to continue, it will impact us all, even those of us that stayed home the entire April 18th weekend.

 

And just to be clear, I used Orange Crush as an example because it was quite recent and we saw extremely large numbers of visitors to the island, but the behavior, I believe, is caused by just that, masses of people.  I am no behavioral specialist, but this human behavior during events with large numbers of people occurs regardless of race or ethnicity or creed, etc.

 

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Botched Forum Answers

During last night’s council candidate forum, I went away strongly feeling I could have done much better on a few questions.

 

One in particular was if I felt if humans are directly causing global warming.

My thought path was concerning different countries being omitted from climate control treaties.  Coming to my senses and answering the question that was actually asked, “Yes, human behavior is very much part of global warming.”

 

Another question that I botched was if I supported use of automated speed limit cameras on route 80.

I somehow thought it was pertinent to reflect in business trips years ago to Russia, where the police are very corrupt and I witnessed that first hand when my driver was arrested.

Russians love automated traffic cameras because it removes the officer from the scenario.  Anyway, here on Tybee, in my opinion, we do not have that situations of corrupt police officers and I do not think automated traffic cameras would be a benefit.

 

Another question that I think I botched was concerning my thought on Orange Crush type events and how to control or limits the over crowding.

I briefly discussed a thought on charging every car coming to Tybee during weekends where officials expect a high influx of visitors.

I was not able to properly describe my thoughts, but what I intended to say is that a fee for each car entering the island would go a long way to offset the costs incurred by the city due to increased numbers of officers on the streets, such as overtime, housing, etc.

We could call it an infrastructure fee perhaps.

I recognize that 80 is a state road, so there are hurdles to achieve that plan, but I am just trying to think out of the box.  I have never been in favor of anything like this as these stops will create massive traffic jams, but on those weekends, the traffic jam will already exist.

 

New People Do Not Necessarily Want To Change Tybee.

When people learn of a new comer, they somehow instantly assume that new comer will want to change things…that he or she wants things the way they were where he/she lived previously.  First, that can not be done here as Tybee is like no other.  But, to be clear, I have no such desire.

And lets make sure we appreciate the difference between changing Tybee and simply making improvements in governance that protects Tybee and its residents…like car boots, city owned towing and impound yard, higher illegal parking fines, and improvements to our parks. These are for the improvement of the lives of locals.

 

As you have figured out by now, I try to post my thoughts on a Tybee subject every weekend.  One reason is I need to get my name out there, as I am lesser known than some of the other candidates that have lived on Tybee for quite some time…and obviously less known than the incumbents.

But, I mostly want to give you an idea of where I stand on these topics, and WHY.

On November 7, you need to be confident in your votes.

You’ll be asking yourselves:

Do I know the candidates platform?

Is there a hidden agenda?

What is he/she trying to change?

Would that change be for the better from my perspective?

Does the candidate understand Tybee?

 

I hope you have noticed I do not flip flop.

I have had many conversations with people of opposing views, and I believe they go away at least appreciating that I will listen to and consider all view points.  Whether we agree on a topic or not, you will at least know where I stand, and I promise to always give you that transparency.  Like my old truck that I am sure you gave seen with my campaign sign proudly on display, I am what I am…it is what it is.  I do not put on airs for anybody.

 

While I have only lived here permanently for four years, I have come to enjoy very much all the activities, the people, the rich way of life here.  As I am not retired, and normally work 50-55 hours per week, I am not able to get out and enjoy as much of the island and its people as my wife, DeeDee. She will tell you, we are in the right place.  And we both feel there is nothing here to change, but many opportunities to support and nurture.

My decision to campaign for a seat on city council is not to gain power over people, but to serve the people. There is a lot of cliche in that statement, but it does not mean it is not true or sincere.

 

 

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Water Rates and a Dilapidated Infrastructure

When my wife and I left Kansas 4 years ago, our water/sewer/garbage bill was $118 per month MINIMUM.

Here on Tybee, our rates went up last year and our minimum bill is now $63.

The need to improve water and sewer infrastructure on Tybee was recently discussed in Council, and everyone that spoke on the topic was adamant that we should not raise rates again so soon.  It’s all relative to what you see as the norm.  Tybee has had ridiculously low water/sewer rates for years!  Meanwhile, the infrastructure is crumbling.

One option is a loan, but then we will be paying approximately 7% interest.  

In my opinion, the best and smartest route to take is a planned year over year increase in water rates. And just a friendly reminder…not that you need one, is that Georgia Power increased rates by a whopping 12% last June.  If we increase rates of 4 or 5 percent per year, we will be providing for an infrastructure that we simply can not afford to further ignore. And I think we need to keep in mind that 4 or 5 percent is a relatively small increase when compared to the myriad of inflationary pressures we are experiencing recently, be it automobiles, appliances, fuel, meat, etc. Another hit to our wallet will hurt regardless of any sugar coating.  I get it.  I understand.  But it is an issue that must be addressed and funded somehow.

These statements of proposed increases to every household’s spending will lose votes for my campaign, but I started this campaign with a promise to myself that I would speak my mind and if you, the voter, does not agree, you could exercise your rights and vote for a different choice.  But, in the end, you will know what a vote for me truly means, as I have no hidden agenda.

 

Should a STR License transfer upon sale of property or be forfeited?

Some candidates running for council seem to think they have the right to reduce a home owner’s property value by approximately 20% when they sell their STR by not allowing the license to transfer.

I am very much against this.

 

We all know that having an STR license increases a property’s value.  That property owner has been paying higher insurance premiums, and higher taxes, due to that license and the increased property value.  If these candidates get their way, they want to negate all of that as part of their effort to reduce the ranks of STR’s on Tybee. 

 

If the STRs lose their license upon sale, where will those missing tax dollars come from?

If you think all those entities, including Tybee (indirectly) will be OK with receiving less, you’re sadly mistaken.

 

Some neighborhoods in R1 and R2 have an over abundance of STR’s.  I agree.  But this draconian move is not how we should address it.

 

I agree that some neighborhoods have problems with STR renters on a regular basis.

I have met with many of the surrounding residents and discussed this issue at length.

Some surrounding home owners that are full time residents call the management companies, but they are seldom called back.

Some residents call Code Enforcement, but with their limited powers, there are limits to their effectiveness. And then some residents skip those rules and go directly to the police.  This is where we should start with the “Troublesome STR” topic.  Not with the ordinance governing licenses, but with getting all the residents and the officials on the same page.  If we found a way to address the trouble making STR renters with an appropriate one time response, most of the island’s issue with STR’s would be resolved.

That said, a calm, law abiding, and courteous STR renter still does not give us back our neighborhoods, but it would go a long way towards bringing the island a step closer together on this topic.

 

We must also keep in mind how much business the STR’s bring to our island.  Whichever course is eventually chosen for STR reduction (my hope is just market forces, by the way) that we should be measured in our application.  Remember, these renters support our grocer, our restaurants, coffee shops, kayak and bike rentals and golf cart rentals, etc…probably as much or more than the locals.  And at certain times of the year, that added revenue is crucial…not only for the bottom line for the businesses, but also for the employees maintaining stable income.  Lets not throw out the baby with the bath water!

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