The Town of Bluffton continues to make strides in returning to our daily responsibilities as we recover from Hurricane Matthew. The following information is provided with regard to recovery progress:
- The Town’s Building Inspectors have completed initial damage assessment throughout the Town. As of today, 138 structures have been impacted by the storm - 105 sustained minor damage, 27 sustained serious damage and six structures were deemed unsafe and uninhabitable. We continue to inspect structures to determine the full extent of the damage.
- On October 18, 2016 Mayor Sulka signed a proclamation allowing the Town of Bluffton to accept BOTH building and development applications for new projects as well as Emergency Permit Applications. Emergency Permits and Inspections remain the top priority and will not be charged application and permit fees. Previous policies concerning review time frames for new permits may be affected during this time.
- Residents are reminded to push their tress and landscape debris to the curb. Through an agreement with Beaufort County, the county’s contractor will begin to collect debris from the public right of ways. For those residents in developments with private streets we ask that you push tree and landscape debris to the curb. County and state representatives have requested FEMA support for extending curbside pickup to theses private roadways as well. Though we are unaware of a response yet to this request, we will continue to keep you informed .
- Bluffton residents may take their vegetative yard waste debris to one of two locations where large dumpsters have been placed by the Town. The dumpsters are located at the Rotary Community Center in Oscar Frazier Park and Oyster Factory Park on Wharf Street. These dumpsters will remain available for a limited time only.
- Waste Management has returned to their normal pick-up rotation for all household trash and recyclables. If you haven’t had your household trash picked up, please contact Town Manager Marc Orlando at morlando@townofbluffton.com.
- The next Town Council Meeting will be on November 8, 2016 and will incorporate items originally scheduled for the October Town Council Meeting, which was cancelled due to hurricane recovery efforts.
- The Town’s Customer Service Center at Town Hall will be remain open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to assist residents as needed, until further notice. This reflects an extension of regular business hours on Fridays, which normally end at 1:00 p.m.
- If you need a professional landscaper or a tree removal company to remove debris and trees, you can go to the Town of Bluffton’s website to find a list of businesses licensed in the Town of Bluffton that can help you. This link is http://www.townofbluffton.sc.gov/home.
- Volunteers through the organization Samaritan’s purse who are helping local residents clean their yards are located at Lowcountry Community Church located at 801 Buckwalter Parkway in Bluffton.
- Any remaining power outages are the result of structural damage and/or associated with not being able to connect to the power grid.
- Individual FEMA assistance is available for those affected by Hurricane Matthew in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Applications are accepted online or by phone. Private information is requested while applying, but it is not required. For more information, please go to https://www.disasterassistance.gov/.
- The Town of Bluffton continues to prioritize emergency permits and debris clean up. The Town of Bluffton Government, the Bluffton Police Department and the Don Ryan for Innovation’s Facebook pages will continue to have updated information. If you have questions or need assistance, all Town staff is here to help you. Please call the Town Hall at 843-706-4500 or visit the Town’s website at http://www.townofbluffton.sc.gov/home
