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TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR MAYOR BILL OTIS UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT AFTER TWENTY YEARS OF EXEMPLARY SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY OF PAWLEYS ISLAND AND TO WISH HIM CONTINUED SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS IN ALL HIS FUTURE ENDEAVORS.
Whereas, it is altogether fitting and proper that the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives should pause in their deliberations to express their gratitude to Mayor Bill Otis for his significant contributions to the people of Pawleys Island for the past twenty years; and
Whereas, Pawleys Island Mayor Bill Otis will step down at the end of the year after twenty years in office, the town's longest-serving mayor. During much of that time, he also served as the town's administrator; and
Whereas, he first came to Pawleys Island in 1946, when his family rented a beach house with friends from Columbia. His father later purchased the property on Myrtle Avenue where Bill Otis and his wife, Alice, still live today; and
Whereas, in 1995, he became involved in local politics when the town annexed the 1,900 acre Prince George tract on the mainland across from the island's south end. That same year, he was elected to the town council, and in 1997, he ran successfully for mayor; and
Whereas, during his tenure as mayor, Bill Otis accomplished many feats. He was an instrumental part of the Don't Box the Neck group that opposed requests for Georgetown County to change the zoning to allow big-box retail stores on Highway 17. Additionally, he was a member of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Shoreline Management, created by DHEC to develop specific regulatory recommendations to enhance the management of South Carolina's coastal resources and habitats; and
Whereas, he was the driving force behind the 1998-2000 beach renourishment and substantial groin repair and improvement project. The project moved 271,961 cubic yards of beach-compatible sand from a spit at the south end of town and placed it in sand-deficient groin cells along the beach; and
Whereas, in 2008, a creek dredging project was made possible though Bill Otis's leadership, which moved beach-compatible sand from the Pawleys Creek to two areas of the beach. Moreover, he initiated the town's entry into FEMA's Community Rating System, which now saves the town's property owners over $375,000 annually on their flood insurance; and
Whereas, his leadership was acutely important during the response and recovery efforts following 2015 Hurricane Joaquin and 2016 Hurricane Matthew; and
Whereas, Bill Otis serves on the board of directors of the South Carolina Beach Advocates, is a former trustee of Brookgreen Gardens, and is a former board member of the Pawleys Island Civic Association. In 2011, Bill Otis was recognized for his leadership by the Pawleys Island Civic Association as the Citizen of the Year; and
Whereas, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives are grateful for the years of unparalleled dedication that Bill Otis has devoted to Pawleys Island's people and natural resources and wish him many years of enjoyment in his well-earned retirement. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and honor Mayor Bill Otis upon the occasion of his retirement after twenty years of exemplary service to the community of Pawleys Island and wish him continued success and happiness in all his future endeavors.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Bill Otis.
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