06/01/2026
Hello fellow Islander's! A lot has been happening over the last month, and I wanted to give you a few updates:
1. Tomorrow night, June 1st, at our regular council meeting, we will have public hearings on the following;
a. Public hearing on the FY '27 budget which starts July 1st
b. A joint public hearing will also be held concerning the planning commissions recommended change to the R-1 short term rentals
c. A public hearing concerning the ordinance committee's recommended change to STR rules and regs.
The council meeting will be held at the community center starting at 7pm.
2. We have had two retirements of long-time employees this past month. Public Works outdoor maintenance man, Donnie Thornton retired after 14 years of dedicated service to the town. Donnie was our landscape and flower man. His wealth of knowledge in both of these fields always assured us that the town would be looking beautiful. His parting words were, "just make sure you keep those hanging baskets watered". We will Donnie, we will! We wish him the best luck in his retirement! Our second long time employee, Bryan Rush retired after 36 years of dedicated service. Bryan built our Emergency Medical Service program from the ground up. What started with 2 full time employees, working M-F 8am to 5pm has now evolved into 28 employees, 24/7/365. Bryan also served on Gov. Youngkin's EMS advisory board, and he has continued that role with Gov. Spanberger. There are not enough words or accolades I would be able to come up with when it comes to Bryan and his leadership. All I can say is, he deserves this and I hope his retirement is happy and healthy.
3. With Bryan's retirement also comes along a promotion. Jamie Wheatley has stepped into Bryan's shoes and is now our EMS supervisor. Jamie has been with the town for several years now and from the start, he showed he had supervisory skills. He is a knowledgeable and respected paramedic who will continue to carry on the leadership for this department. Congratulations Jamie!!
4. New decking has been put in place at Robert Reed Park along the waterfront. That park was already a showstopper with its breathtaking views overlooking the channel and with the new decking, it just invites you stay a little longer and watch the beautiful sunsets! Great job Public Works on getting this done and done well! We have more things in the works for the town and as they come along, I'll do my best to update you all.
5. Last but not least, my office hours this month are June 11th and June 25th. 10am to 2pm. With this in mind, I want to let you know that a member of my family has a serious illness and I may get called out of town rather suddenly. If that is the case and I have to cancel office hours, I will let you know via this page.
Now, let's kick off a beautiful summer season!! To our locals, I hope your summer is peaceful and prosperous. To our visitors, enjoy all our island home has to offer. Only things we ask is that you respect our wildlife, property boundaries (there are a lot of private properties on the waterfronts), follow road rules (ride with traffic and walk against traffic. We want you safe while you are here). Reservations are a must, seeing the ponies is a must, the Museum is a must, carnival is a must and soaking up the island life is your only goal to achieve!
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