James Island Public Service District

Wednesday, October 16, 2019 @ 4:00 pm – Wastewater Committee
Monday, October 28, 2019 @ 7:00 pm – Regular

 

Storm Debris Collection Status – October 10, 2019

– Beginning Monday, October 14, JIPSD crews will be operating on the normal Mon-Thu schedule for all Solid Waste Services.
– County Contractor crews are in the midst of making a final pass to clear up remaining large storm debris.
– Moving forward, residents need to tell their personal contractors they need to haul debris away themselves. If someone is hired to remove a tree, that is exactly what they need to do – remove it.
– A small JIPSD crew will be out tomorrow catching up on the collection of man-made materials that had to be left behind during the recovery process.
– Post-Dorian, JIPSD crews have removed over 800 truckloads of debris totaling almost 22,000 cubic yards!
– Thank you all for your words of support and encouragement, and for working with us throughout this recovery process.

 

 

 

 

 

(Charleston, SC) Robert K. Wise, the District’s Administrator has decided to retire effective October 1, 2019. Fire Chief Michael (Chris) Seabolt will serve as Interim District Manager/Fire Chief of the District upon Wise’s retirement.
Wise has served JIPSD since June 1999 and he oversaw our most critical operations and management processes. During Wise’s tenure as Administrator, he played a critical role in helping the District adapt to significant changes in the management and District leadership. In the process, he served as a champion for establishing new partnerships with residents of James Island as well as many other related memberships to renowned Associations and currently serves as the President of the South Carolina Association of Special Purpose Districts through December 2019.
“Wise has contributed 20 years of experience to JIPSD, and his achievements will not be forgotten. Wise has mentored and developed excellent leaders across the District. Wise’s work ethic, command of complexity, devotion and client focus have been exemplary” said Alan Laughlin, Commission Chair of JIPSD. “Wise has been a mentor to many, and his influence has made an indelible impact on generations of professionals at the District. I want to thank Wise for all he’s done for the development and progress of JIPSD.”
“I look forward to continuing to work closely with Chief Seabolt in continuing the excellent public service of our District” said Laughlin.
Wise was instrumental during the financial crisis, Wise played an instrumental role in the management of the District’s risk exposures and mitigated expenses, even while JIPSD was continuing to meet the needs of the residents.
The JIPSD is a Special Purpose District that provides Fire & Rescue, Wastewater, and Solid Waste public services to the residents of James Island, which includes the residents in the Town of James Island, unincorporated areas of the island and the City of Charleston. JIPSD has a substantial and diversified client base of residents which includes homeowners, corporations, small local businesses, and financial institutions. Founded in 1961, the District is headquartered on Signal Point Road and maintains four fire stations and sixty-seven wastewater pump stations across James Island.

Dear JIPSD residents,

I would like to address some of the information that has been posted by other entities on social media the past few days. I take my job as Director of Solid Waste Services, and as the Disaster Recovery Manager, very seriously and am dedicated to ensuring all duties are performed safely and to the best of my abilities. My job is not to manipulate what areas are being serviced, it is to execute pre-approved operational plans already in place. All operational procedures, including storm/disaster recovery, are part of the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) which has been approved by the Commission and submitted, accepted, and approved by the county. Commissioners may review them again at any time. We are in no way shape or form trying to treat any part of the island differently than any other. In conjunction with the JIPSD management team I, JIPSD crews, and county contractors are all dedicated to getting Hurricane Dorian debris cleaned up as efficiently and safely as possible. Any other information, not being provided by JIPSD and myself may not accurately represent actual plans, progress or processes.

Additionally:

When contractors are dispatched, they are put in areas with the heaviest debris because from a logistical and operational standpoint their equipment is designed to handle disaster debris and larger amounts; therefore, they can clean those areas more efficiently than crews using equipment designed for routine operations.

By law, If the Town has engaged its own contract to remove storm debris, then it’s now the Town’s responsibility to manage their area and attend contractor meetings until the storm debris has been declared removed. Once said declaration is made, JIPSD can begin regular debris removal.

JIPSD will continue to work with contractors for the remainder of its jurisdiction. JIPSD crews will also continue to collect roll-cart garbage for its households on the normal schedule.

During a storm of this magnitude assignments may change daily due to further assessments coming in, if more equipment arrives, and as JIPSD crews complete areas.

I am in constant contact with the County and contractors making sure equipment is dispatched as promised. I have 35 years’ experience in the Solid Waste industry, all in operations, and have spent the past 3 years fine-tuning and improving Solid Waste procedures to make sure we run as efficiently as possible.

There is a very large task in front of us, and JIPSD associates out working on the clean-up operations are doing their absolute best. We are just 5 days into the recovery and already our operational procedures seem to be in question.

We will continue to provide routine updates on progress, and JIPSD residents are encouraged to direct their questions to JIPSD’s Solid Waste Services department for accurate information. Someone is always available to either answer questions or connect you to the correct associate to handle your question or concern.

Our vision is to be the best Special Purpose District in South Carolina. This job, which includes debris removal for all residents on the island that we serve, is what we are all dedicated to.

Lastly, I am a garbage man, not a politician, and I would like to return my focus to the operation at hand. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Walter Desmond, Director of Solid Waste Services & Disaster Recovery Manager

Dear Valued Residents of James Island,

Please click here for information regarding the online bill pay website and the new look of your wastewater bill.