After being elected Chair of the Rethink Folly Road Steering Committee in January, the first item we voted on was to create a work plan for 2026. The Rethink Folly Road Plan was first published in 2016, and after 10 years, much remains to be finished, and told. That’s why it felt critical to return to the basics of good government and organization – to set goals and metrics and clear benchmarks to measure and demonstrate progress.

This month, we made significant strides towards that. We presented an Operating Agreement that hadn’t been updated in six years, and most importantly, the Berkely Charleston Dorchester Council of Governments (BCDCOG) agreed to take over Program Management for the Committee, which saves taxpayers upwards of $70K a year by preventing the need to hire a consultant.

The BCDCOG also kindly started hosting the Rethink Folly webpage, which will now be the go-to-source for meeting notices, agendas, minutes, attachments, and most importantly, our new Rethink Folly Road Map.

This map shows what has been accomplished and what is currently planned (and paid for) so we can both show incremental progress, and identify the remaining steps we need to create a pedestrian and bike friendly Folly Road. (Of note, the map currently shows the South Carolina Department of Transportation’s full Road Safety Audit, and will be amended if the Town of James Island does not accept the safety measures in their jurisdiction.)

For our July meeting, we will begin to put together a proposal to fully complete a sidewalk and multi-use path along the remaining holes of Folly Road. The proposal would then be submitted for Transportation Sales Tax (TST) funding if the referendum passes in November. (By the way, if you are at all unsure about voting favorably for the extension of the TST, please email me and let’s talk – this extension is absolutely critical to continue to improve our roads, fund public transportation and support conservation efforts.)

The new website and maps can be viewed here: https://www.bcdcogconnects.com/rethinkfolly

During a James Island coffee chat, a constituent flagged that the Affirmation Drive sidewalk had been overgrown and not maintained for years. Working with the City and property owner, we were able to get it cleaned up.

This is part of a larger sidewalk maintenance effort across James Island. I am working with the City to identify who owns each sidewalk and is responsible for maintenance, so we can get a regular maintenance scheduled implemented and executed.

As for fully connecting the Fort Johnson sidewalk, we were back out knocking doors this month to get signatures on our petition!

This month, City Council passed a new e-bike ordinance. Most importantly, this ensures that our police have a way to enforce reckless behavior on ‘e-motos,’ while protecting responsible bike riders.

Here are additional details on what the ordinance does - thank you to Charleston Moves for your advocacy and the following summary of the ordinance, which among other items:

• Creates a definition for "e-motos" (resemble e-bikes but are actually mopeds) and "reckless operation" (now illegal no matter your mode);
• Allows E-bikes on shared-use and multi-use paths, as well as on-road bicycle infrastructure, except on Daniel Island; and
• Bans E-bikes from shared-use and multi-use paths on Daniel Island.

We’ve made progress on additional constituent issues this month:

Westchester Sink Hole: One of the many benefits of going door to door is asking people about the problems they experience in their neighborhood. In Westchester, people flagged this ongoing "sink hole" at Westway Drive that caused a severe ‘bump’ in the road. After going back and forth with the County, City, Charleston Water Service and the James Island Public Service District - we got it fixed!

James Island Rec Center Outdoor Bathroom Clean-up: Thank you to the Charleston Parks Department for giving a facelift to the James Island Rec Center outdoor bathrooms! After multiple constituents raised concerns about outdated facilities, the Parks Department immediately took action to make improvements, including an effective 'power wash.'

Cable Reel: Thank you to Seaside Plantation constituents for flagging the below cable reel that was at the corner of Bur Clare and Secessionville for far too long. We were able to work with Comcast and DOT to finally have this removed.

Upcoming Meetings: As part of my ongoing constituent outreach, I’d like to attend each neighborhood’s HOA or community meeting every year. If you have a meeting coming up, please let me know at skardonl@charleston-sc.gov. My goal is to listen to your concerns so we can address them, and share relevant updates regarding James Island and the City.

As part of ongoing construction to create a round-about at Camp Road and Fort Johnson Road, the intersection will be closed on Monday, June 1 through Friday, June 5. Please use caution and patience when driving. The primary detour route, through Seaside Lane and Dills Bluff, is outlined in green below, and we have requested extra patrols to help with traffic calming.

With past support from City Council, this month, County Council took the necessary steps to agree to accept the permanent protection of the 580-acre Dill Sanctuary on James Island off of Riverland Road. Conservation easements are an incredible and effective tool to protect some of our most valuable land and stop it from development. This is a huge win for James Island and protecting quality of life.

Grimball Extension Road ditches are looking good! We are still waiting on a permit from the South Carolina Department of Transportation in order to clear out ditches on Old Military Road. Similar to the sidewalk mapping, one of my priorities is to ensure we have a clear picture of ditch ownership on James Island with the responsible entities identified in order to create a consistent and well-communicated maintenance schedule.

Haven’t heard the good news yet? James Island Elementary and Stiles Point will be expanding to include wonderful new Early Childhood Learning Centers. Construction will start this summer and early fall respectively. Learn more about the projects at these links for Stiles Point and James Island Elementary.

And, congratulations are in-order! This year, Harbor View Elementary on James Island won the “Palmetto’s Finest Award.” According to the press release, Harbor View Elementary is the first school on James Island to earn this honor, and is the first CCSD elementary school to be named Palmetto's Finest in 24 years. Congatulations!

CARTA recently released their “Now & Next” survey to improve transit service in the greater Charleston area. The survey covers proposed service changes across Charleston, including on James Island. Take the survey before May 31 here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/CARTANowNext

Thank you to the Town of James Island for installing a historical marker to commemorate the Three Trees School at Fort Johnson and Champagne Street. According to the marker, the Three Trees school was “one of the earliest Black public schools on James Island. Three Trees opened by 1888 and was one of three schools then providing an education to local Black students, along with Society Corner and Cut Bridge schools.”

Friendly reminder that the City’s trash schedule will be delayed one day this week due to Memorial Day. If you are on James Island (and in the City), your trash will be picked up on Friday instead of Thursday.

Curious about some of the construction we’ve seen across James Island and Charleston? The Charleston Water System’s annual Capital Project report is a great overview of the work happening in our backyards. Read more here.

One of the great honors of serving as your Councilwoman is the ability to meet with stakeholders across James Island, the City and County. To see what I've been up to, check out my Facebook Page or Instagram!

I hope you can join me at the following events this summer:

• (Tonight) Tuesday, May 26 at 5pm: City Council Meeting (City Hall)

• Monday, June 8 at 6pm: Sen. Sutton and Councilwoman Skardon Town Hall (Baxter-Patrick Library)

• Tuesday, June 9 at 2pm: Beefield Community Clean-up (1858 Arsburn Rd)

• Tuesday, June 16 at 5pm: City Council Meeting (City Hall)



• Wednesday, July 8 at 3pm: Rethink Folly Road Committee (James Island Town Hall)

• Wednesday, July 15 at 4pm: Skardon Office Hours (El Pollo Guapo)

• Wednesday, May 13 at 3pm: Rethink Folly Road Steering Committee Meeting (James Island Town Hall)