Dear Island Neighbors, 

I hope your holidays were enjoyable and your new year is off to a very promising beginning.

The start of the year is a perfect time to make sure you’re on top of Town information. You can see the options, and sign up for them, at: https://sullivansisland.sc.gov/residents/town-notification-sign-ups . In particular, please note the Everbridge Emergency Notification System that sends text and/or email alerts concerning road closures, severe weather updates, emergency water main breaks, public works projects and other pertinent information.

Also, please make sure that our Water and Sewer Department has your current phone number for any needed emergency contact when you’re not home. They won’t be able to reach you if all they have is your former land line number, and if you’ve got water spewing from a busted pipe under your house, time is money. Please contact Mary Poole, our Administrative Specialist who handles water and sewer billing. You can call her at 843 883 5733 or email her at mpoole@sullivansisland.sc.gov .

2025 WAS A BUSY YEAR!
This is a logical time to look back on the last year and note the many accomplishments of our great Town staff. Needless to say, while we hit these milestones in 2025, most of them were the results of efforts begun in earlier years.

Flooding Prevention, Stormwater Management and Resilience:

• Reflecting years of planning and grant-seeking, we kicked off major stormwater management improvements to create new systems for the Station 28.5 and Station 31 basins. Town Administrator Joe Henderson has been very effective in making this possible.
• Joe also led smaller but no less critical efforts to repair and re-establish other drainage areas across the Island. We continue to seek funding for other flood prevention projects.
• Development of the Town’s first comprehensive Resilience and Sea Level Rise Adaption plan was also completed, reflecting a longstanding process with much community input.

Town Capital Improvements: 

• Stith Park improvements got underway, including contracting for necessary stormwater engineering and ordering new equipment for the Tot Lot.
• The parking lot next to Battery Thompson (behind the Post Office) was extensively renovated to make it more functional and attractive.
• The last 450 feet of water main in the area of the Fort, Island Club and Fish Fry Shack was replaced, a long-awaited milestone that required partnership with the National Park Service. The former pipe was more than 70 years old!
• The former Cove Inlet Bridge approach (next to the boat landing) was extensively stabilized and replanted with native species. This is a little-known spot that offers a great, up-close view of the Intracoastal Waterway and boat traffic; check it out!

Budgeting Processes and Communication: 

• We initiated the development of a separate capital budget, apart from the usual operating budget, and a 5-year capital improvement plan.
• Through the efforts of Town Administrator Joe Henderson, Comptroller Jason Blanton and former Finance Committee Chair Scott Millimet, online access to the Town’s budgetary information is now readily available via the new Transparency Center and Budget Book. The Center is a standalone web application outlining the Town’s process of planning, presentation and adoption of the capital and operating budgets, and showing the state of budget development in real time. The Budget Book provides a description of all Town funds, revenues and expenditures, departmental organizational chart, and explanation of debt service and bonding.

Public Safety: 

• Our Police Department underwent the required triennial review by the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy (SCCJA) and passed with flying colors. The review covered a wide range of areas, and resulted in a commendation of the department for its professionalism, cooperation, and commitment to accountability and best practices in law enforcement.
• The professionalism and effectiveness of our Police Department was shown clearly on Thursday, May 1, 2025, when someone drove a car into a group of unprotected children and adults outside the Sunrise church, hitting two children and one adult after threatening many more. Thankfully, and miraculously, there were no fatalities; however, one teacher suffered severe injuries requiring surgeries and hospitalization. Amazingly, the children’s injuries were not serious. The incident resulted in a massive, highly organized and ultimately effective multi-agency manhunt and apprehension of the suspect, involving 130 law enforcement and public safety personnel from more than 20 agencies, under the leadership of Chief of Police Glenn Meadows and Deputy Chief Monty Anders.
• Deputy Chief Anders graduated from the prestigious Charleston Police Department Executive Leadership Summit. This rigorous four-month program brought together law enforcement leaders from across South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.
• Through the leadership of Fire Chief Anthony Stith and Assistant Chief Mandy Hawver, the Town earned the Fire Safe South Carolina Community Designation. These designated communities continually work to reduce home fire-related injuries in South Carolina.
• With the hard work of our officers and the generosity of Island residents, the 5th Annual SIPD Christmas Bike Drive benefiting Toys for Tots provided 312 bikes and 62 helmets to kids in the Charleston area.

Land Use and Natural Resources:

• Phase 2 of our nature trail in the protected land opened, running from the Station 16 beach path to the Station 18 ½ (lighthouse) path. It offers some views of that Town land that you may not have caught before. Thanks to Director of Resilience and Natural Resources, Rebecca Fanning for her leadership of this important project, which was funded in large part by a grant from the South Carolina Parks and Recreation Department.
• To promote education about our abundant natural resources, 17 Town-led nature walks were held, attended by more than 90 residents and off-Islanders. This does not include the many youngsters who joined walks via our partners at SIES, the Island Club, or the Poe Library.
• The first Sullivans Island Historic District Design Guidelines manual was completed and adopted. Kudos to Planning and Zoning Director Charles Drayton for shepherding this project.
• The Town was designated a Tree City USA for the 9th consecutive year. 

I’m looking forward to our 2026 accomplishments, but until then...

See you around the Island!

Pat O’Neil
Mayor
843 670 9266
oneilp@sullivansisland.sc.gov