The Landings Association hosted its annual Landings Roundtable with elected and appointed officials on November 4. The intent of these meetings is to provide a forum for obtaining information, seeking support, or making
requests on various issues impacting The Landings. Additionally, the Roundtable brings all the various parties together into one room at the same time, so everyone can state their issues and openly discuss them in a positive and respectful way.
Landings Association Board President Patty Morgan opened the meeting by asking the assembled group to introduce themselves. In attendance were County Commission Chair Chester Ellis; County Manager Michael Kaigler; 4th District County Commissioner Pat Farrell; Chatham County Engineering Director Suzanne Cooler; Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley; Chatham County Public Works Director William Wright; Chatham County Resilience Program Administrator Jackie Jackson; Chatham Emergency Management Agency Director Dennis Jones; Metropolitan Planning Commission Chair Melanie Wilson; Landings Association Legal Counsel Tom Mahoney; several Landings Association Board Directors; Landings Association General Manager/COO Karl Stephens; and staff, and Landings Golf & Athletic Club President Mark Lastner.
Morgan expressed appreciation to the group for attending the meeting and for their openness to addressing concerns and offering support to The Landings. She used the example of The Landings’ Tree Master Plan which was suggested by County officials at the 2024 Landings Roundtable to help streamline processes and save cost. Since that time, the Association and The Landings Golf & Athletic Club (LGAC) worked together to develop the plan, and it was approved by the County earlier this year.
The discussion then shifted to Hurricane Season still being active until November 30 and the County’s Hurricane/Tropical Storm Response Plan. CEMA Director Dennis Jones assured the group that the County has contractors in place and is ready to support as needed should a severe weather event occur.
“We have an aggressive public communication strategy in place, and we pride ourselves on communicating early and often,” he said. “We host several community Hurricane Preparedness Meetings with the one in The Landings being our largest. As a storm gets closer, we advance our operations as appropriate. I cannot stress enough the importance of evacuating if an evacuation is ordered.”
Morgan then asked for a status update on the proposed Green Island Multipurpose path. County Engineering Director Suzanne Cooler shared with the group that signalization of the four-way intersection near the Main Gate will take place in advance of the path, which still is on track for construction in 2027-2028.
“We should have plans in hand by this December for the signalization of that intersection as well as upgrades to the intersection at Lake Street,” she said. “The timeline for the work will be driven by the availability of equipment and could take up to six months to complete. We will coordinate the lights to ensure timing is right in all locations.”
Chatham County Police Department Chief Jeff Hadley reported that crime rates remain low in The Landings and have reduced dramatically since last year. Year-to-date statistics indicate 45 traffic accidents on Skidaway Island, 16 Part 1 Crimes, one incident of auto theft, and no reported violent crimes. Hadley emphasized the importance of community engagement and timely communication and said he is pleased to have such a great working relationship with Security Director Tim Cook and The Landings Security Team. He commended The Landings on the decision to purchase Flock Cameras, sharing that without Flock cameras in the County, the recent robbery that occurred at Wells Fargo in The Village would not have been solved so quickly.
“The Flock cameras are invaluable from an investigation standpoint,” he said. “They are a true game changer, and without them we would not have caught the bank robber from a week ago, Friday. Within an hour to an hour and a half, we had the suspect in hand. It is important that people realize that we only use the data for investigative purposes and nothing more.”
Morgan shared with Hadley the several complaints the Association has received regarding speeding on Green Island Road. Hadley said he would get with CCPD’s Traffic Unit and send some officers out to the location.
The conversation then moved to Chatham County Fire Department and EMS services in The Landings. County Manager Michael Kaigler stated that the County is happy with the Fire Department’s integration into its system and is actively organizing and staffing the department as required.
“We have a new class coming in and have been able to recruit sufficiently,” Kaigler said. “Our issue is not on the Fire Department side but rather on the Law Enforcement side, when it comes to recruiting. Now we are focusing on ‘right sizing’ the fire department and reviewing and evaluating our service delivery zones.”
A question was raised regarding the fire fee and how that is now handled by the County. 4th District Commissioner Pat Farrell shared that there no longer is a separate fire fee. Fire coverage is now included in the Special Services District (SSD) tax.
Kaigler stated that, to the best of his knowledge, the process of notifying Skidaway Island First Responders regarding medical calls has become more efficient compared to when the transition initially took place.
“I have not received any complaints recently, and I believe the First Responders are receiving the basic information needed to respond to calls. However, we will continue to look at this situation to ensure everything continues to work well.”
The question was asked if EMS response time on Skidaway Island is commiserate with that in other Chatham County Areas. Kaigler said he would look at the stats and get back to TLA. He shared that the State will be changing some EMS laws in the coming year but at the time of the meeting he is unsure on what the changes will entail. Kaigler also mentioned that throughout the County there is an issue with “Wall Time” taking longer than the County would like to see. “Wall Time” refers to the delay between an ambulance’s arrival and when its patient is formally transferred to a hospital bed or stretcher, meaning the EMS crew is held at the hospital and cannot respond to the next call. It is also known as “off-load time” or “patient handover delay” and is a significant problem that exacerbates EMS staffing shortages and reduces community response availability.
The meeting then shifted to Bridge Disruption and if the County has a plan in place for areas like Skidaway Island that have a single entry and exit point. Jones told the group that previously there were some things the County had outlined that included a temporary bridge at the Butterbean Beach location. However, the County later learned that the U.S. Coast Guard would not allow this temporary bridge. As part of its Emergency Operations Plan, Jones said the County’s first focus is on public safety, which might mean staffing additional law enforcement officers in certain areas as needed. The second focus of the County is to make sure it can support human services needs (e.g., food, water, etc.).
“We would coordinate all our resources in the event of a disruption,” he said. “This includes organizations like the Unites States Postal Service, schools, etc. Additionally, we have a variety of watercraft and air assets we can tap into. As I said earlier, our primary focus is people first.”
Other meeting highlights are listed below.
- Chatham County’s Resilience Program – Chatham County has a Resilience Program that tackles critical challenges like storm water management, coastal protection, and community planning to ensure our region thrives in the face of environmental change. Click here to learn more, including how you can participate.
- Plan 2045 – Take part in Chatham County’s Comprehensive Plan 2045 to help shape the plan for the next 20 years. Click here to learn more. Be sure to take the short survey to share what matters most to you.
- My Chatham App – The County recommends downloading its app to stay connected with local government services and information. You can download the app from your Google Play or Apple App Store.
Morgan and Stephens again thanked attendees for their time and commitment to The Landings. The group agreed it was great to be able to come together and discuss important issues, and everyone looks forward to continued work with the Association in the New Year.
