An Update from Town Manager Steve Riley

4/20/2020

View a Video Update from Town Manger Steve Riley at https://youtu.be/yBRWDjfwHso

Good afternoon Hilton Head Islanders,

I hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend. I want to thank those of you who are continuing to follow health recommendations for staying safe and social distancing. Those are important, especially as we consider what our new normal lives will look like over the coming weeks.

Here are community updates for you:

Public Beach Accesses and Parks

Governor McMaster today issued an executive order, removing restrictions on public beach access points to the state’s beaches, public piers, docks and wharfs effective April 21, but is allowing local governments to continue restricting access as it sees fit.

Currently, our public beach access points and parks remain closed per our Town Council resolution adopted on March 21st. At its 2 pm emergency meeting on Tuesday, April 21st, our Town Council will be considering a resolution for re-opening public beach accesses and parks on April 30th. You can view this meeting on the Town’s Facebook page (https://facebook.com/TownofHiltonHeadIslandSC) or the Town’s Website (https://hiltonheadislandsc.gov). Our emergency meeting Agenda is available online at our website in pdf format at https://hiltonheadislandsc.gov/council/tcagendas.cfm

Retail Businesses

Additionally, Governor McMaster’s latest order allows some retail stores to reopen as of 5 p.m. today, but they must adhere to strict social distancing requirements, operating at 20% occupancy or five (5) customers per 1,000 square feet, whichever is less. In addition, businesses must not knowingly allow customers to congregate within six feet of one another, excluding families, and follow relevant CDC and DHEC guidelines.

Businesses that may reopen include:

All other businesses previously closed by executive order will remain closed until further notice.

All other executive orders, including the Governor’s “Home or Work” order, remain in effect. South Carolinians should maintain social distancing practices and avoid large groups of people.

COVID-19 Cases in Our Community

I won’t touch on the specific number of COVID cases in our community, but you can get the latest update on cases in South Carolina and in Beaufort County by visiting the SC Department of Health & Environmental Control’s website.

Support Charities

Please support a local charity. They need your support more than ever. There are a significant number of persons in our community who are not working and want to ensure they can get assistance. Also, there are charities – that once their doors re-open to the public and they resume some normal level of services-will require on-going support. If you can, please consider support your favorite charity.

HAWK Traffic Signal

Our new HAWK traffic signal on South Forest Beach Drive near Coligny Beach Park is now active. This traffic signal is specifically designed for pedestrian crossings and directs motor vehicles to stop for pedestrians to cross. The signal operates when pedestrians push a button and receive a walking symbol, triggering a series of warning lights and instructions for pedestrians and motorists. Although there may not be much traffic in that area now, we anticipate that patterns will change in the coming weeks and this new traffic signal will get much use.

Stay informed:

For more information visit