OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Horry County Council Regular Meeting – November 12, 2024

County Council — Tuesday, November 12, 2024
BodyHorry County, South Carolina
SessionCounty Council
DateTuesday, November 12, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 30:09

Transcript — Verbatim
0:02

We start on time so we can end on time.

0:04

And we always start with an invitation tonight, led by Mr.

0:07

Mascarelli, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance by Dr.

0:10

Duke.

0:10

So I can get everybody please stand.

0:17

Dear Lord, look over our council tonight as we go through the process and look at the various items on our plate.

0:24

And we thank you for getting us through this last election.

0:28

And let's uh turn the page on on this country and shine light down on our county that we all do the right things to benefit everybody involved.

0:38

In your name we pray, amen.

0:47

And to revolve one.

0:55

Thank you.

0:56

Please be seated.

0:58

All right.

1:00

Next up is the public input.

1:02

But before we get to public input, in light of Veterans Day yesterday, Mr.

1:06

Al, I'd like for you and any other veterans here, please stand up so we can acknowledge you and thank you for your service.

1:15

Chairman, please.

1:25

Thank you all very much.

1:26

Orie County has always been military friendly.

1:29

Some people in this room have grandparents that fought in the Revolutionary War and uh and on down and on down.

1:36

So I want to thank everybody for their service, whatever it was.

1:39

Okay, now public input.

1:41

We had one person sign up, Miss Stephanie Chapetta speaking about responsible building.

1:47

Ms.

1:47

Chapetta, I don't know if you've ever spoke here before, but we have some rules that we have to go by.

1:52

And uh we have this it's five minutes.

1:54

You don't have to talk the whole five minutes if you don't want to.

1:56

I don't think you'll have a problem.

1:57

I'm from New York State originally, so I can talk real fast.

2:00

Okay, well this when this red light comes on, your talking time is over.

2:04

How about that?

2:04

Okay.

2:05

Okay.

2:05

First, hi, I'm Stephanie Chapetta, uh 176 Vineyard Lake Circle in Conway, South Carolina.

2:11

Um, our group is um Orie County residents for responsible building, and we have been collecting signatures, hard copies of signatures and online through change.org for those who live in Orie County only.

2:26

Uh they have entered their zip codes to make sure that they're so their Ori County residents.

2:33

So the purpose of this petition is where once stood a family-friendly retreat, replete with small town charm.

2:39

We now face over development.

2:41

I can't iconic landmarks, wetlands, and wooded tracks that once painted the character of our county are being demolished and destroyed for urban sprawl that the county cannot sustain.

2:52

The construction boom in Ory County is straining our resources to the limit.

2:57

Existing residents are experiencing increased utility rates due to over demand, making the cost of living unbearable for many.

3:04

Our schools, fire, police, rescue services, and hospitals are under inordinate stress, trying to cater to a population far beyond their cap capacity.

3:13

Utility companies are stretched thin, contemplating increasing capacity for electricity, water, and sewer services.

3:20

This rapid urbanization is leading to resource scarcity, putting a strain on services, vendors, and retail.

3:27

This too will result in increased rates for services, further straining the local economy.

3:32

The burden on our roads with sharp the sharp increase in residency is not only causing constant gridlock, but is also leading to an increased rates of minor to major accidents.

3:42

And I've been in one of at least three.

3:45

This is further burdened during peak vacation times.

3:49

The increased traffic load poses a safety hazard in the event of evacuation.

3:54

Increases in accidents not only cause higher insurance rates, but also has seen an increase in serious and fatal accidents.

4:00

Furthermore, we must consider the significant environmental impacts that have increased the pop probability of flooding.

4:06

Many completed and proposed projects negatively affect the land that is labeled wetlands.

4:12

This further increases the likelihood of flooding.

4:14

It has also displaces wildlife, which is migrating to existing neighborhoods and crowding their very habitat, making it harder to flourish.

4:21

This in turn will further upset the ecosystem, which has already been negatively impacted.

4:27

We impacted.

4:54

And we have the hard copies I'll give to the administrator.

5:00

And the online, we have one copy of the online signatures.

5:04

The sign total signatures at this present time are over 947 signatures.

5:11

And we're still collecting signatures, uh, especially on change.org.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety█████████████████████████████████████37%
Zoning And Land Use███████████████████████23%
Procedural███████████████15%
Public Engagement███████████████15%
Emergency Management█████5%
Airport Operations█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Horry County Council Regular Meeting – November 12, 2024

The Horry County Council met on November 12, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. The meeting included public input, approval of the consent agenda, presentations recognizing law enforcement and emergency communications personnel, and second reading and public hearings for several land use and lease ordinances. All votes were unanimous unless otherwise noted.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Stephanie Chapetta, representing the group "Horry County Residents for Responsible Building," spoke against overdevelopment. She cited strain on utilities, schools, public safety, roads, and the environment, and presented a petition with 947 signatures (hard copies and online). She requested that the County consider the cumulative impacts of rapid urbanization.

Presentations & Resolutions

  • Recognition of Chief Deputy Tom Fox – Sheriff Thompson presented Chief Deputy Tom Fox with the 2024 Strom Thurmond Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement. Fox has 40 years of law enforcement experience, 30 with Horry County, and was praised for his work on the jail diversion program and domestic violence initiatives.
  • Recognition of E-911 Regional Cooperative Award – Randy Webster highlighted the Coastal ESInet project, a regional collaboration among six counties and two municipalities that allows 911 calls to be rerouted if one center goes down. The project received an honorable mention in the SC Association of Counties 2024 Barrett Lawrimore Memorial Regional Cooperative Award.
  • Recognition of E-911 Employees – Renee Hardwick presented awards to Michelle Johnson (Palmetto Award) and Debbie Lee (911 Contributor Award), along with an honorable mention for Center of the Year and Rookie of the Year.

Consent Calendar

  • The consent agenda was approved as amended. It included third readings for ordinances 107-2024, 108-2024, 111-2024, 112-2024, and 120-2024; first readings for ordinances 118-2024, 137-2024, 138-2024, 139-2024, 140-2024, and 141-2024; resolutions R-127-2024 through R-134-2024; community benefit fund allocations; at-large board appointments; and the League of Cities appointment to the Solid Waste Authority Board.

Discussion Items

  • Second Reading & Public Hearing – Ordinance 121-2024: Lease agreement with Mach Aero LLP for Hangar 1 at Grand Strand Airport. Approved.
  • Second Reading & Public Hearing – Ordinance 122-2024: Lease agreement with Horry County Council on Aging for the former Wampee fire station. Approved.
  • Second Reading & Public Hearing – Ordinance 123-2024: Amendment to Article IX, Section 919 of the zoning ordinance regarding non-commercial personal use buildings, reducing the minimum acreage from 3 acres to the minimum lot size of the zoning district. Approved.
  • Second Reading & Public Hearing – Ordinances 124-2024, 126-2024, 131-2024, 136-2024: Rezoning requests for parcels in Districts 10 and 9 (various agents), all approved in one motion.
  • Second Reading & Public Hearing – Ordinances 127-2024 and 128-2024: Future Land Use Map amendment and rezoning for PIN 30507020026 from Rural Communities to Suburban and from CFA to MSF 10. Approved.
  • Second Reading & Public Hearing – Ordinances 129-2024 and 130-2024: Future Land Use Map amendment and rezoning for PINs 37900000022 and 37911020011 from Rural & Rural Communities to Rural Communities, and from CFA & MRD 1 to MRD 1. Approved.
  • Second Reading & Public Hearing – Ordinances 132-2024 and 133-2024: Rezoning of 89.84 acres from FA to MRD-P (Wildwood subdivision) and approval of a Development Agreement with Lennar Carolinas, LLC for a fire and emergency services fee of $5,700 per unit. Council Member Dukes recused. Approved.
  • Second Reading & Public Hearing – Ordinances 134-2024 and 135-2024: Future Land Use Map amendment and rezoning for PINs 26700000011 and 26700000012 from Rural to Rural Communities, and from FA & SF 8.5 to MRD 1. Approved.

Key Outcomes

  • All second reading ordinances were approved unanimously by voice vote.
  • The consent agenda was approved unanimously.
  • The agenda was amended by deleting paragraph 6 and referring paragraph 22 to the I&R Committee.
  • The meeting was adjourned in memory of several individuals named during memorial dedications.

Meeting Transcript

We start on time so we can end on time. And we always start with an invitation tonight, led by Mr. Mascarelli, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance by Dr. Duke. So I can get everybody please stand. Dear Lord, look over our council tonight as we go through the process and look at the various items on our plate. And we thank you for getting us through this last election. And let's uh turn the page on on this country and shine light down on our county that we all do the right things to benefit everybody involved. In your name we pray, amen. And to revolve one. Thank you. Please be seated. All right. Next up is the public input. But before we get to public input, in light of Veterans Day yesterday, Mr. Al, I'd like for you and any other veterans here, please stand up so we can acknowledge you and thank you for your service. Chairman, please. Thank you all very much. Orie County has always been military friendly. Some people in this room have grandparents that fought in the Revolutionary War and uh and on down and on down. So I want to thank everybody for their service, whatever it was. Okay, now public input. We had one person sign up, Miss Stephanie Chapetta speaking about responsible building. Ms. Chapetta, I don't know if you've ever spoke here before, but we have some rules that we have to go by. And uh we have this it's five minutes. You don't have to talk the whole five minutes if you don't want to. I don't think you'll have a problem. I'm from New York State originally, so I can talk real fast. Okay, well this when this red light comes on, your talking time is over. How about that? Okay. Okay. First, hi, I'm Stephanie Chapetta, uh 176 Vineyard Lake Circle in Conway, South Carolina. Um, our group is um Orie County residents for responsible building, and we have been collecting signatures, hard copies of signatures and online through change.org for those who live in Orie County only. Uh they have entered their zip codes to make sure that they're so their Ori County residents. So the purpose of this petition is where once stood a family-friendly retreat, replete with small town charm. We now face over development. I can't iconic landmarks, wetlands, and wooded tracks that once painted the character of our county are being demolished and destroyed for urban sprawl that the county cannot sustain. The construction boom in Ory County is straining our resources to the limit. Existing residents are experiencing increased utility rates due to over demand, making the cost of living unbearable for many. Our schools, fire, police, rescue services, and hospitals are under inordinate stress, trying to cater to a population far beyond their cap capacity. Utility companies are stretched thin, contemplating increasing capacity for electricity, water, and sewer services. This rapid urbanization is leading to resource scarcity, putting a strain on services, vendors, and retail. This too will result in increased rates for services, further straining the local economy. The burden on our roads with sharp the sharp increase in residency is not only causing constant gridlock, but is also leading to an increased rates of minor to major accidents. And I've been in one of at least three. This is further burdened during peak vacation times. The increased traffic load poses a safety hazard in the event of evacuation. Increases in accidents not only cause higher insurance rates, but also has seen an increase in serious and fatal accidents.

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