Town of Bluffton Initiates COVID-19 Operations Plan
Staff Report From Low Country CEO
Tuesday, March 17th, 2020
The Town of Bluffton is implementing its pandemic plan to mitigate the opportunities for COVID-19 to spread in our local community. The goal of the plan is to minimize exposure between Town of Bluffton staff and the public. The plan will be in effect starting immediately and will continue through Tuesday, March 31 or until further notice.
In accordance with Governor Henry McMaster’s State of Emergency, Town of Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka has issued a local town state of emergency which has allowed the Town to implement the following actions:
• Town will remain open with reduced staff and functions. Town government will remain open at the Theodore D. Washington Municipal Center (Town Hall), but with limited services. The Town Customer Service Center will be minimally staffed for intake of permit applications and payments only. The public should expect to experience Town staff practicing social distancing. We ask citizens to proactively limit interactions with Town staff as much as possible and to do as much business as possible with the Town online or via telephone. Questions regarding Town services may be directed to staff members at (843) 706-4500. Email addresses for various Town Staff may be found on the Town’s website at https://www.townofbluffton.sc.gov.
• All public meetings are cancelled with the exception of the Town Council Meeting on Tuesday, March 17. In the interest of public health, the Town encourages the public to watch the Town Council meeting via Facebook live. Additionally, public comments are accepted in writing via the Town Clerk Kim Chapman at kchapman@townofbluffton.com. All other public meetings have been canceled.
• Bluffton Municipal Court is closed. Bluffton Municipal Court has canceled jury selection for March 17 and will reschedule all cases currently scheduled for March 24. It is imperative the Court has your correct address. Please update your address at if you have a change of address, or have questions, via email court@townofbluffton.com. Questions may also be directed to the court at (843) 706-4530.
• Town encourages public to use electronic payment methods. Members of the public may process Business License renewals or Accommodations Tax and Hospitality Tax payments on the Town’s website at https://www.townofbluffton.sc.gov/business-license-department/home. You may also email forms, questions, and applications to BusinessLicense@townofbluffton.com. Questions concerning payments may also be directed to (843) 706-4501.
• Town parks will remain open, however, public restrooms may be closed for cleaning and based upon Town Staff resources. Town Staff are deep cleaning and sanitizing all park public restrooms and Town facilities.
• Stay informed. The COVID-19 pandemic is a fluid situation and the information contained in this media release is subject to change. Please keep abreast of all Town information via Town social media venues including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you want to be added to the Town’s distribution list and receive all of its media releases and meeting notices, please sign up via https://www.townofbluffton.sc.gov/subscribe-to-our-mailing-list or click on “Subscribe to Our Mailing List,” located in the right hand corner of the Town’s homepage. You can also email the Town’s Public Information Officer Debbie Szpanka (dszpanka@townofbluffton.com) and ask to be added to the Town’s mailing list.
Reminders and Resources:
The lead agency during a public health emergency is the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). DHEC officials are closely working with the its federal health partners at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
If you need medical care, you are encouraged to visit your primary care doctor. If you don’t have one, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Health Virtual Care is offering free virtual care consultations and screenings to anyone in the state who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. New and existing patients should use the promo code “COVID19” when logging into the site: https://campaigns.muschealth.org/virtual-care/index.html.
Beaufort Memorial Hospital also offers its “BMH Care Anywhere App,” which is available for both Apple and Android mobile platforms. It is a telehealth resource allowing you to access medical care through a virtual care clinic 24/7.