Who will take over as town administrator in Surfside Beach?
Following a tumultuous period in Surfside Beach, the town could restore a certain level of stability with the addition of a new town administrator.
William P. Shanahan Jr. will assume the role beginning Monday after his contract was approved at a Tuesday town council meeting. Council voted 6-0 to approve Shanahan. Council member Bruce Dietrich was absent from the meeting.
Shanahan takes over for interim town administrator Jim Duckett following the abrupt resignation of former town administrator Dennis Pieper. Pieper announced his resignation in August as infighting among town council members came to a head.
The town administrator is responsible for overseeing the daily function of the town, implementing ordinances approved by town council and communicating with the county about the town’s budget, among other things.
Shanahan, who spent 20 years in the Air Force and formerly worked in law enforcement and manufacturing, comes to Surfside Beach from Palatka, Florida, where he worked as the city manager.
He takes the reigns against the backdrop of long-standing issues in the town, most notably the construction of the Surfside Beach pier, which was destroyed in 2016 during Hurricane Matthew. The process of picking a construction bid for the pier was complicated and drawn-out, complete with several town council discussions, many delays and a lawsuit among town council members over public meeting laws.
Shanahan said he’s already spoken with Duckett about the pier and plans to put together a team of finance, procurement and maintenance representatives to overlook the project. The town reached an agreement with a construction company in September and council members are working on setting a date to break ground on the new pier.
“I think it’s real important that we have a team approach and I think the elected officials need to know what’s going on, and the citizens too,” Shanahan told The Sun News, emphasizing that direct communication will be important among town administration.
As he begins his post in Surfside Beach, Shanahan sees opportunities for economic development and quality of life in the area, but to ensure he can “hit the ground running,” he said he needs to focus on the day-to-day operations of the town first. He also plans to meet with department heads and citizens alike.
“So they know we’re not just talking, we’re listening to what they have to say,” Shanahan said.
At Tuesday’s meeting, town council members thanked Duckett for his work and looked forward to welcoming Shanahan.
