Hilton Head speeds up islandwide stormwater plan; council debates owning local roads

The town said it has selected an engineering consultant and started work on an islandwide stormwater master plan to identify probable costs for public, county and private systems. "Island wide stormwater master plan. Engineering consultant selected; work began February," the town manager said.

Why it matters: Council members called stormwater and road ownership the town’s two largest operational issues. Several councilors argued that if the town owned more local roads it could deliver more consistent stormwater repairs and maintenance across neighborhoods; staff replied that much stormwater infrastructure sits on county or private rights‑of‑way and that some problems will require intergovernmental agreements or maintenance contracts.

Details: Staff reported FY26 stormwater budgeting of $6,350,000 covering 17 projects in preconstruction or construction, with a plan to prioritize public and private system investments and assess funding strategies. Councilors urged that the master plan include island‑wide prioritization that addresses both primary projects and smaller tertiary fixes that produce recurring neighborhood flooding.

Funding and next steps: Mark said the stormwater master plan will produce probable costs and a funding strategy to inform the FY27 CIP; council discussed options including reserve drawdown, borrowing or pursuing state and county assistance. The town will report back with the master plan findings and proposed funding recommendations.

Attribution: Town Manager Mark and Finance Director Sean Gillen (presented revenue/CIP context) and multiple council members during debate.

Ending: Staff expects the master plan to guide capital prioritization and funding requests; council asked staff to return with costed priorities and potential intergovernmental agreements required to address non‑town rights‑of‑way.