Surfside Beach Town Manager, Bill Shanahan, sent a terse email to town council announcing his resignation effective December 17th. Key members of Town Council have since asked for a meeting, after Thanksgiving, in an attempt to get Shanahan to reconsider.
The oceanfront coastal town, is known for its private beach homes and is beloved by family tourists.
The town, however, also has a history of high drama centered around all things local government.
Surfside Beach Town Manager, Bill Shanahan was hired just two years ago with a mission to change the town’s administrative culture.
WHY CULTURE CHANGE IS SO HARD
IMD.org reports that culture is the organizational equivalent of the human immune system.
Culture is a form of protection that has contributed to organizational survival. It prevents ‘change thinking’ and ‘change people’ from entering the organization in the first place. It says that organizational culture functions much like the human immune system in preventing viruses and bacteria from taking hold and “damaging” the current status quo.
Implication: Organizational immune systems can also attack needed agents of change. This has important consequences for what needs to happen.
Predating the poor leadership of former Town Manager Dennis Pieper, the culture of Surfside Beach has been questioned in practically every departmental aspect from the police department, finance, as well as, the Surfside Beach planning department.
SHADY SURFSIDE BEACH “FACT CHECKER” PAGE KEEPS DRAMA STIRRED
Sources say this page gets key contributions from Surfside Beach locals including: Mary Ellen Abrams, Julie Samples, Gail King, and Steve Shore.
The local drama reached peak over the past month with issues surrounding the Surfside Beach pier.
A stop work order on the pier was questioned publicly by Town Councilwoman Cindy Keating. While miscommunication and mismanagement throughout the town’s inspections department, planning and zoning, LLR, and town administration were obvious, Keating singled out Shanahan. Keating’s remarks were shared town-wide and covered on this news site.
Her remarks created what many residents have called a toxic work environment for Shanahan. Locals believe the administrative environment was challenging enough on the day Shanahan first arrived on the job in town.
Keating, however, was not spared the ire of local town residents after Shanahan announced his resignation.
Multiple Town Council members believe it is unwise to change managers just before the Surfside Beach Pier is completed late next Spring.