The City of Charleston today launched "Talking Charleston," a new monthly podcast in which Mayor William Cogswell sits down with a different member of City Council to talk through what is happening in their district and across the city. The first episode, featuring Councilman Ross Appel, is available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
The show focuses on the issues that affect residents every day. Each month brings a new council member, a new district and a candid conversation about the work underway at City Hall.
"People want to know what's actually going on at City Hall, and they want to hear it straight," Cogswell said. "Traffic, flooding, what gets built and where. Our residents live with these issues every day, and they deserve a clear explanation of how decisions get made and who controls what. This podcast gives our council members and me the time to walk through that in plain terms."
In the debut episode, recorded Sept. 18, Appel and the mayor dig into Charleston's growing pains. Appel, who represents parts of West Ashley and James Island, joins the mayor in explaining why the city does not control most of its own roads, how state and county funding structures shape local traffic solutions, and what proposed "concurrency" legislation could mean for future development.
The two also take a close look at the Riverland Oaks property on James Island. They explain how decades-old zoning and the city's strengthened stormwater manual have already brought the project down from 153 units to 95, and what other options remain available to the city.
"Traffic and development are what I hear about most from my constituents on James Island and in West Ashley," Appel said. "A lot of the frustration comes from not knowing who is responsible for what. Having the time to lay that out, including what the city has already done on Riverland Oaks, makes a real difference."
Appel also shares updates from his district, including the Fort Pemberton Park ribbon-cutting, the Windermere stormwater project, signal retiming in West Ashley, an upcoming pothole repair partnership with the South Carolina Department of Transportation and plans to bury power lines along the municipal golf course.
"Talking Charleston" is available wherever you get your podcasts: