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Stormwater project update map between Station 27 and Station 32.

 

The pond at Station 28 1/2 is currently not considered safe for recreational use due to high bacteria levels. 

 

Mission CIT, LLC has been contracted to complete a Fire and Rescue Department Assessment for the SI Fire Dept. To gain a better understanding of your local fire rescue department, as someone from the community, they are interested in your perspective.  Please visit the Fire Department page to learn more and take this survey by clicking here. 

Mayor's Message- November 2026

Tue, 10/27/2026

Mayor Pat O'NeilDear Island Neighbors, 
 Welcome to my favorite time of year on the Island. Comfortable temps and humidity, beautiful light, the Spartina marsh grass going gold and the goldenrod’s added yellow glow providing our version of Fall colors!  And it’s butterfly season, with our fall visitors the Monarchs and the more numerous and similarly colored Gulf Fritillaries. 

 I hope you are able to get outside and enjoy it! 

 BEN SAWYER BRIDGE 

 As we all know, on October 19, the Ben Sawyer Bridge began having some new problems. Our SC Department of Transportation, which owns the bridge, responded very quickly to the situation, communicating with the public and local governments and expeditiously getting their engineers on the scene. They were able to effect temporary measures to ensure the bridge could be traversed safely by vehicles. Because of the temporary fix, SCDOT has enacted load limits prohibiting very heavy trucks from using the bridge at this time. However, I’m assured by senior SCDOT folks that the new problem was NOT caused by heavy loads. 

 Of course, the bridge still needs to open periodically for boat traffic on the federally maintained Intracoastal Waterway, but the temporary measures make that a more complicated process, requiring 25 minutes or more. Because of that, until a permanent fix is completed, SCDOT is routinely opening the bridge for boat traffic only at 10:00 AM, 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM, seven days a week. Please keep this in mind when planning your trips on and off the Island, as the longer the bridge is not open to vehicles, the longer it takes the traffic to clear. 

 As of October 23, when this was written, SCDOT leaders projected the permanent fix to be completed by the end of November, hopefully a little sooner. At that time, the usual opening schedule (set by Federal law) will likely return. 

 STAY ON TOP OF ISLAND INFO AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS 

 Speaking of the recent traffic issues with the Ben Sawyer, this is a good time to remind you to get plugged in to the info you need in such situations. 

 We have three valuable sources of Town info: 

  • Everbridge: Emergency notifications via text and/or email 
  • TOSI Talks: Information about schedule changes, services, upcoming Town meetings and the like  
  • Monthly newsletter 

Please sign up for all of these to stay abreast of Island happenings, events and emergencies. You can do so by going to https://bit.ly/4yHIVOT . 

 Don’t forget that you have real-time information on road and bridge conditions available if you use the SCDOT 511 app. It includes cameras showing conditions on the Ben Sawyer and causeway, not to mention the Ravenel and 526 bridges, and highways all over the area and state. You can access the cameras at 511sc.org, and get the app for your phone (“511 South Carolina Traffic”), wherever you get your apps, as they say.  

 Please avail yourself of all these free resources so you’ll have them when you need them. 

 HALLOWEEN 

 In case you haven’t noticed, it’s Halloween time! In addition to the year’s best opportunies for sugar madness, it’s also a time of great fun for the young’uns. 

 Our Chief of Police Glenn Meadows reminds us that it’s also a time to pay extra attention to keeping them safe. Among his suggestions: 

  • Keep them visible: Avoid dark clothing and use reflective items or flashlights when possible. 
  • Stay together: Keep children in groups and supervise younger trick-or-treaters.  
  • Check before you treat: Parents should inspect Halloween candy and treats before children eat them. Discard any items that are unwrapped, damaged, or appear to have been tampered with. 
  • Please exercise caution when driving, and remind the little ghosts and goblins that the streets are still streets...with one traditional exception: Officers’ Row (I’on between Stations 17 and 18).  
  • As always, starting at 4:30 on Halloween, our police will be stationed at the entry points to this block to keep vehicles out (including golf carts). Alcoholic beverages are not permitted at this family-friendly event. 
  • Chief Meadows adds: “The Sullivan’s Island Police Department is honored to provide officers for this annual event. We enjoy seeing the children and their parents come together to enjoy Halloween, and we look forward to another safe and enjoyable event this year.” 

 Here’s to a safe, enjoyable, and memorable Halloween for everyone!  

 BOATS AND TRAILERS 

 Over the last year or two we have heard some concerns from citizens about two issues related to boats and boat trailers: 

  1. The growing numbers of boat trailers (with or without boats) parked on Town properties; and 
  2. Safety and other concerns about such trailers (again, avec or sans boats) parked in the rights of ways abutting Town streets. 

The latter issue involves several aspects, perhaps the most important of which is the safety hazard of a boat/trailer protruding into or near the vehicular pathway. 

 In response to that, the Public Facilities Committee of Town Council, headed by Councilmember Carl Hubbard, previously held several public meetings to get citizen and staff input about these matters.  

 That process led to a proposed ordinance which was approved for first (of the required three) reading at our September Council meeting. The ordinance would have prohibited parking of any boats and/or trailers in any rights of way abutting streets on the Island, except within a two-hour period. 

 Subsequently, at and after our October meeting, we received input from several citizens voicing concerns about a number of impacts of the proposed restrictions.  

 We were reminded that we are indeed an island, surrounded by water and connected to it, which is one of the many blessings of our place that has drawn us here. One major way to enjoy water is to have a boat...which usually requires a trailer. Enjoyment of the water around us requires accommodation of that fact. Ordinances that make it difficult to have and use a boat may seem contrary to our sense of place. 

 At that meeting, we recognized these concerns and voted to defer action on the proposed restrictions, to provide more time for us to get more information about current conditons, citizen sentiment and available options for managing whatever conflicts exist. 

 Chair Hubbard and the Public Facilities Committee will hold another public meeting on Monday, November 16 at 10:00 AM, at which time this matter will be taken up again. Whether or not you can attend, if you have thoughts, concerns or suggestions about this, please share them with the Town via this email: frontdesk@sullivansisland.sc.gov . 

 See you around the Island! 

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