Hilton Head Island Town Council approves pest policy, funding requests and parking changes

The Hilton Head Island Town Council approved a series of measures during its June 17th meeting aimed at bolstering public health, environmental standards, and long-term infrastructure planning.

Among the most notable actions, council amended an integrated pest management (IPM) policy, establishing Hilton Head as the first municipality in South Carolina to adopt an “organic-first” approach to pest control. The revised ordinance, originally passed in October 2024, prioritizes non-chemical and environmentally responsible methods, and ensures transparency to the public regarding treatment plans.

Council also approved new beach parking fees effective June 24th. The $20 flat rate for weekend parking was eliminated and replaced with a $5-per-hour fee. On weekdays, the existing $15 daily cap was removed, maintaining the $3-per-hour rate. Parking enforcement will remain daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., while park hours are unchanged at 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Parking at Coligny Beach remains free and is not affected by these changes.

In a unanimous vote, council approved a consolidated request for $331,864.35 in opioid recovery funding from the state’s Guaranteed Political Subdivision Sub fund. The money will be divided between Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue and the Low Country Alliance for Healthy Youth.

Fire Rescue will receive $93,859.35 to launch a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Management Team. The program aims to identify individuals at risk for opioid use disorder and co-occurring mental health issues, offering outreach, peer support, and referrals.

The remaining $238,005 will support the alliance’s prevention efforts, including media outreach, drug disposal education, mental health training, and youth engagement through schools and faith-based programs.

The council also held the first reading of proposed updates to the municipal code governing its committees. If adopted, the changes would clarify how committees are formed, offer more consistency, and improve flexibility in their operations.

Several infrastructure-related items were also addressed:

• Council adopted updates to the 2020 Lowcountry Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan and Repetitive Loss Area Analysis, required for participation in FEMA’s Community Rating System.
• Officials ratified redevelopment projects under the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Redevelopment Plan. These include work in adjacent areas expected to benefit the district.
• Temporary construction access was approved through Islanders’ Beach Park. The access will allow state-permitted sand relocation efforts for the Admirals Row, Ocean Villas, and Tennis Villas homeowners associations.

Following an executive session, council appointed several residents to serve on various town boards, commissions and advisory committees:

• Planning Commission: Margaret Hewitt (2026), William Redman (2028), Jeff Turnbull (2028)
• Design Review Board: Cathy Foss (2027), Megan Fitzpatrick (2028)
• Board of Zoning Appeals: Jeffrey Greene (2027), Peter Kristian (2028), Robert Johnson (Architect, 2028), Kathryn Bayless (2028)
• Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals: Angelina Carpenter (2029), Charles Fauer (2029), Neil Gordan (2028)
• Parks and Recreation Commission: John Parsons (2028), Charles Quigg (2028)
• Gullah Geechee Historic Neighborhood CDC: David Ames (2028), Sarah Eisner (2028)
• Recreation Board of Directors: Ray Kisiah (2029)
• Beaufort County Stormwater Utility Board: Jeff Netzinger (Ex Officio, 2029)

The next Hilton Head Island Town Council meeting is scheduled for July 15th at 3 p.m. Meeting materials and recordings are available on the town’s website hiltonheadislandsc.gov and YouTube channel.