An Update from Interim Town Manager 2/2/2021

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An Update from Interim Town Manager Angie Stone
2/2/2021
View a Video Update at www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYmuGNEotx8
Get Help Scheduling a COVID-19 Vaccine Shot
Area hospitals and pharmacies continue to work on providing vaccines for COVID-19. A part of getting vaccinated is properly scheduling yourself for an appointment. Members of the Hilton Head Computer Club and Hilton Head Regional Healthcare are hosting two events to help local residents who are 70 and older and do not have an email address or a device to connect to the internet in order to register for a COVID-19 vaccine shot. The events will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, February 5, and Tuesday, February 9, at the Hilton Head Island Senior Center, 70 Shelter Cove Lane. Please call 843-842-4475 weekdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. to reserve your visit for assistance.
Hilton Head Regional Healthcare COVID Vaccine Information Call Center
The Hilton Head Regional Healthcare COVID Vaccine Information Call Center (843-689-7282) is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day to address your questions regarding registration, appointments, and scheduling. You can also visit the hospital’s website at www.hiltonheadregional.com for more information.
DHEC Launches New COVID-19 Vaccine Information Line
In response to the overwhelming call volume to its Care Line, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has added a new phone information line to answer questions about COVID-19 vaccines and to help support people searching for vaccine providers information. The new vaccine information line is available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. People who have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines or who need help finding vaccine providers and their contact information are asked to call the DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Information Line at 1-866-365-8110.
COVID-19 Testing
There has been a lot of focus on getting a COVID Vaccine. But, we want to remind you about getting tested for the virus if you suspect you may have been exposed to it. COVID-19 Drive-thru Testing is offered 8 a.m. to noon at Hilton Head Hospital (25 Hospital Center Blvd. on Hilton Head Island) and Coastal Carolina Hospital (1000 Medical Center Drive in Hardeeville). The test is free. No appointment or doctor referral is needed.
Public Input Helps Town Panels with Progress on Ordinances and Projects
We have several meetings taking place virtually on Wednesday, February 3. Your engagement with these committees will help the Town make progress on various ordinances and projects. The public has an opportunity to offer advance feedback on agenda items for the various panels. Agendas for the meetings are posted on our website. You can comment on the items using our Open Town Hall portal, which is accessible from the homepage of our website at hiltonheadislandsc.gov. Those meetings include:
  • The Planning Commission at 9 a.m. Agenda items include a review of Town Council’s changes related to Workforce Housing LMO Amendments and an Annual Traffic Report.
  • A special Town Council meeting at 10 a.m. The main agenda item is an executive session to discuss potential contractual arrangements related to the Palmetto Bay Business Park RFP and pending litigation related to the Beaufort County Law Enforcement Fee.
  • The Public Planning Committee at 2 p.m. Agenda items include review and recommendation of revisions on the Sea Turtle Protection Ordinance and an update on the Gullah-Geechee overlay.
Celebrating Black History
This month is Black History and we at the Town of Hilton Head Island are proud to recognize the contributions of African Americans to our Island’s history. We encourage you to participate in local programs such as the monthlong Hilton Head Island Gullah Celebration, which the Native Island Business and Community Affairs Association has hosted since 1996. The celebration showcases the rich cultural heritage of the Gullah people and their history on Hilton Head Island. This year’s Celebration events include the “Arts Ob We People Annual Art Exhibition and Sale”, “Taste of Gullah”, and the Gullah Gospel Music Series! For more details on all the events happening throughout the month, visit www.gullahcelebration.com.
SCDOT to Discontinue Toll Collections on Hilton Head’s Cross Island Parkway June 30, 2021; Feb. 28 Last Day to Purchase New Palmetto Pass Accounts
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) will stop collecting tolls on Hilton Head Island’s Cross Island Parkway at 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2021.
The agency is now preparing to convert the corridor to a non-tolled road, including ceasing the sale of new Palmetto Pass accounts on February 28, 2021. Palmetto Pass customers pay their toll charges with a pre-paid balance instead of stopping at the toll booths on the Parkway to pay in cash. The toll is collected to repay bonds that were issued to build the 7.5-mile road, pay for toll collection operations, and maintain the roadway and facilities. SCDOT will continue maintaining the Parkway as a part of its statewide road system after the toll is discontinued.
According to SCDOT, the toll will have completed its purpose of supporting the Parkway’s financing, so it will be discontinued as required by state law. SCDOT is preparing to close out related Palmetto Pass accounts and prepare for construction work to remove the toll facilities on the corridor.
SCDOT and its contractor who operates the toll, Conduent Transportation, will be communicating with the more than 32,000 Palmetto Pass customers during the coming months on procedures to close their accounts, return their transponders, and how they might receive refunds of their deposits. Conduent has begun contacting these customers by mail, email, public and media information, and the Palmetto Pass website, www.crossislandparkway.org.
Stay informed:
For more information visit