Checkpoints on Folly Beach to be removed on Thursday afternoon

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCSC) - Checkpoints on Folly Beach will be removed this Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m.

This after City Council held a special emergency meeting Monday afternoon.

Council voted to change checkpoint times to 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Thursday afternoon at which time the checkpoints will be removed. City leaders have also lifted an exercise-only on the beach rule.

Council members say they hope people will act responsibly while out at the beach this weekend.

“If everything goes well, we’ll be fine," Folly Beach city councilman DJ Rich said. "If it doesn’t then we’ll have to reconvene next week and start working with the county more,”

Folly Beach public safety Chief Andrew Gilreath said that they will have more officers out on the beach. Charleston County deputies will also be helping the city enforce ordinances that have already been in place.

People will still have to abide by the city’s rules for things like dogs on the beach and no alcohol.

If people are caught breaking the rules, Mayor Tim Goodwin says they can expect to get a ticket.

#BREAKING: Folly Beach City Council votes to continue the checkpoint in place. The time has changed though and will now be from 10AM-4PM effective immediately. The checkpoint will end Thursday at 4PM. The exercise-only rule has also been lifted.@Live5News pic.twitter.com/ePv8R6wnR4
— Michal Higdon (@MichalHigdon) May 11, 2020

Goodwin said with the latest loosening of restrictions on many restaurants from Gov. Henry McMaster, he expected the governor to not extend the state of emergency order.

Goodwin said that would probably play a big role in Folly Beach City Council’s discussion.

Goodwin says while he is disappointed with Charleston County’s decision to file a lawsuit on Friday, that is not what the special meeting was based on.

“I will say that upfront, before anything happens on Monday, the first I’m going to say when they meeting gets called to order is nothing that this council’s going to do today, is predicated on what county council has done. It’s all predicated on what the governor has done and what they have deliberately worked so hard to do to protect the residents and the health and welfare of the people, diligently and methodically, along with the governor’s orders,” Goodwin said earlier.

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