Dear Island Neighbors, 

Please be aware that scammers have been targeting some folks with business before the Town. Getting email addresses from public records on our website, like applications to the Design Review Board and Board of Zoning Appeals, they send an official-looking email posing as Town Staff asking for fee payments and with an “invoice” attached. Payment is demanded via an online payment system like PayPal or Venmo. 

The email comes from an address that at first glance might look like a Town address, but on closer examination is not (e.g., “planning.sullivansisland.sc_gov@usa.com”). Please note that all actual Town email addresses end in “.sc.gov”.  Further, some of the scams also might spoof the name of a Town employee, making it look like that fake email address belongs to the employee. 

 If you receive a demand for payment or an unexpected bill that seems to come from the Town, please call Town Hall to verify before opening any attachments. And don’t go to any pay site that is not through the Town website, which is where all payments for legitimate Town bills are made online. 

STORMWATER PROJECT UPDATE
Construction of infrastructure for the areas around Station 28 ½ and Station 31 is well underway. Recent work completed includes reconstructing both outfalls with check-valves, laying large capacity pipes, and beginning the major trunk lines from Marshall Blvd to the marsh. Next steps include installing pipes along Middle Street where road closures are in effect between Station 31 and Station 32. A detour map has been posted on the Town’s project webpage.

Elsewhere on the Island, our staff have initiated an ongoing maintenance strategy to provide more immediate flooding relief. This includes jetvac cleaning of pipes, restructuring ditches, and CCTV (video recording) of infrastructure within the worst functioning areas of the Island. In a recent test, our newly purchased portable pump has already been deployed to provide temporary drainage around blockages. 

Several other important stormwater projects are in the pipeline [sic]. More info coming soon.

MOSQUITO INFO
Coming out of a winter storm, mosquitos are hardly top of mind. However, recently there was some potentially misleading information around on the type and amount of mosquito spraying that is conducted on the Island. 

All mosquito control is provided by the Charleston County Mosquito Control Program (CCMC), which is responsible for all 1,353 square miles of our county.   Their efforts include comprehensive assessment of the numbers, types and locations of mosquito larvae and adults. And they are responsible for deploying ground spray vehicles and aerial spraying helicopters to keep us safe from mosquito-borne illness. 

In a letter to us, J. Brian Hayes, director of the Program, explains:

“All treatment decisions are guided by daily mosquito surveillance data collected countywide, including on Sullivans Island. Our Field Inspectors identify standing water containing mosquito larvae, respond to residents’ service requests, and take landing counts to measure adult mosquito activity. Our lab team traps and identifies mosquito species, tests for mosquito-borne diseases, and analyzes data to guide treatment recommendations. So, when Sullivan's Island residents see a CCMC helicopter, its crew is almost always either inspecting for mosquito larvae or treating larvae that were found during a recent inspection.” 

“Our primary approach is larval treatment, stopping mosquitoes before they become flying adults capable of spreading disease. We use products containing Bti and Methoprene to treat larvae where they are found. Bti is a naturally occurring soil microbe that produces a toxin that is highly specific to mosquito larvae, while Methoprene is an insect growth regulator that prevents larvae from maturing. Because of their specificity and extremely low application rates, these products pose no material risk to non-target organisms.” [PMO note: “Non-target organisms” includes us, but also honeybees and fireflies."

What about the mosquito trucks? Those are spraying for larvae and adults, using pyrethroids, which are made from chrysanthemum flowers. The treatment is applied at an extremely low concentration (“approximately one teaspoon per football field,” Mr. Hayes tells us,) and breaks down rapidly after landing on a surface. You may notice that the trucks only spray late at night; this is to avoid impact on other pollinators.

Only in unusual cases would more toxic treatments be used. Mr. Hayes says, “Aerial adulticide applications are considered only in extenuating circumstances, such as when ground treatments are ineffective or during mosquito-borne disease outbreaks. Should such an operation be deemed necessary, the public would receive 36–48 hours’ advance notice, along with additional precautions listed on the pesticide label. These applications occur as close to dusk as possible to further limit impacts to non-target organisms.”

He adds that such measures haven’t been taken on the Island since 2017, after unusually heavy rainfall. You might recall this was also on the heels of the Zika virus.

Finally, Mr. Hayes notes that, “CCMC has not requested, nor does it require, any additional management of Sullivan’s Island’s maritime forest. Our crews are skilled at inspecting and treating mosquito habitats without impacting the structure of the environment.”

You can learn more about the County’s mosquito program at: 
https://bit.ly/4qcDIu6

See you around the Island!

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