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Resident urges council to address damaged silt fences, sediment buildup in Ashley River
Summary
A resident, Billy Simmons, told Dorchester County Council the same erosion and damaged silt fences recorded on video in August 2025 remain active; he asked the council to ensure developer Coulter is performing adequate oversight and remediation.
At the May 18 Dorchester County Council meeting, resident Billy Simmons (144 Brandt Drive, The Ponds) told council that damaged silt fences in Phase 9 have caused significant erosion and sediment buildup that he says is creating a sandbar in the Ashley River.
Simmons said he first raised the issue with Councilman Buyers last year and recorded video evidence in August 2025. He told council that county staff fixed one silt fence after his complaints but that ‘‘the same issues that are on video from August of 2025 are still active today,’’ and that Coulter’s reported weekly inspection and sign‑off on reports is ‘‘completely impossible’’ given the condition he documented.
‘‘They are a horrible corporate citizen. I'm in the real estate business. They give our business a bad name,’’ Simmons said, asking council to ‘‘please address this and make sure that it is resolved.’’ Council acknowledged his remarks; no formal action was taken during the meeting and no staff report with a remediation timeline was entered on the record that evening.
The comment was recorded during the public comment period; council members who were present did not announce a new enforcement action or a follow‑up deadline in the public record at that time.
