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August 2018
KICA Core Functions: Livability
for KICA customers. During emergency situations, such as
major storms, the utilities keep him informed; Berkeley Electric
updated him hourly during last fall’s tropical storm.
Dana Muckelvaney handles most covenant compliance
functions, ensuring that island structures and properties
conform to the KICA covenants and rules. For example, she
will contact a KICA member whose dwelling or property
begins to look unkempt and work with the homeowner to
correct deficiencies.
Director of Livability Ed Monahan welcomes calls from KICA members
at all times: cell 843-708-3611. The Livability office is staffed Monday to
Friday 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; call the KICA main number: 843-768-9194.
KICA’s Livability Department was created in 2013 to
protect and enhance the Kiawah brand, homeowners’ well-
being and island property values. It handles the functions of
encroachment, covenant compliance, and safety related to
all island work projects, from small repairs to private homes
to large commercial projects such as the resort’s West Beach
construction. Livability also bridges the work of the developer-
owned Architectural Review Board (ARB), which controls
construction and landscaping improvements, and KICA,
which monitors existing structures and landscape.
Every project on Kiawah that affects structures, land or
landscaping, except power washing - whether interior or
exterior, large or small - requires a KICA encroachment permit.
The purpose of the KICA encroachment permit is to ensure
KICA rules are adhered to and KICA property is restored post-
construction. KICA does not charge a fee for these permits,
although the Town of Kiawah Island charges for some projects
and the ARB charges a minimum $100 for any exterior work.
The permits enable Livability staff to observe all work on the
island and ensure that it meets Kiawah standards. KICA issued
around 1,700 permits in the first half of 2018, many through a
new online portal launched in November 2017.
Encroachment functions ensure that projects by utilities,
contractors and homeowners are properly permitted and conform
to KICA and ARB regulations, and that work sites are clean
and neighborhoods are impacted as little as possible. Livability
Director Ed Monahan handles encroachment functions, and
works closely with the utility companies to ensure prompt,
efficient service. All Kiawah utilities run within KICA rights-of-
way and easements, giving KICA oversight responsibilities. Ed
is notified of all service outages and can successfully intervene
with utility companies that do not provide satisfactory service
Sarah Church is responsible for safety issues, related to safety on
KICA properties and on job sites. She also maintains all safety
records related to KICA employee safety and any accidents
which happen on KICA properties. Her responsibilities can
overlap with those of the Security Department.
The mingled and mutually supportive relationship that Ed has
nurtured over the last four years with the ARB is important for
KICA. Ed holds KICA’s seat on the ARB and is a voting member
of the board. As part of the cooperation between ARB and KICA,
and ARB’s eventual transition to KICA control, KICA contributes
to the staff salary of one ARB employee. This employee works
closely with KICA Livability on ARB compliance issues. Both
organizations use the same software program, CitizenServe, and
through it the staffs keep abreast of what both organizations are
doing. Any staff member who notices an issue in the field can
record it in CitizenServe and assign it to the appropriate category
or person. Livability also works well with the town. The town
is currently reviewing options to replace its current permitting
software and CitizenServe is one of the options being reviewed.
Regimes on Kiawah have their own boards and management.
They do their own encroachment, compliance and safety work,
but Livability staff troubleshoot and assist regimes when necessary.
Livability staff would like to be seen as the “last stop.” They
will handle any KICA member’s question without referring the
member elsewhere. “If you don’t know who to call,” said Ed,
“call me. I only want people to have to make one call. The
quality of life for our members is job one.”
*Article contributed by Digest Feature Reporter Sue Schaffer.
COMCAST CUSTOMERS TAKE NOTE!
If you are not receiving a satisfactory response for service
from Comcast Cable, call KICA Livability at 843-768-
9194, or call Ed Monahan directly at 843-708-3611.
Livability can often intervene and work with the Comcast
team assigned to Kiawah Island. Problems with billing
must be handled through Comcast Cable.
Your opinion is important in helping shape the future of Kiawah. Please take a
moment to answer a few questions about Livability at kica.us/poll.