Horry County Administration Committee Meeting - December 3, 2024
Horry County Administration Committee Meeting – December 3, 2024
The Horry County Administration Committee met on December 3, 2024, at 1:00 PM in the County Council Conference Room. Chairman Tyler Servant presided. The committee reviewed updates from the Council on Aging, affordable housing initiative, independent auditor's report, local vendor preference, and food truck policy, and took action on several resolutions and an ordinance.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the agenda and the minutes of the October 21, 2024 meeting unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public input was offered.
Discussion Items
- Council on Aging Update (Elaine Gore): Ms. Gore reported that from July to November 2024, the Council on Aging served 28,134 congregate meals at 11 senior centers, delivered 31,214 home-delivered meals, provided 3,990 hours of homemaker services, and completed 1,168 door-to-door medical transportation appointments. The agency is partnering with Horry County Libraries and Parks & Recreation to expand senior afternoon activities.
- Affordable Housing Initiative – Community Land Trust (Beth Tranter and Meagan Michal): The housing committee, convened by MBREDC, is proceeding with establishing a county-wide Community Land Trust (CLT). A board has been identified, bylaws and a budget are under review, and a temporary management agreement with Habitat for Humanity of Horry County will launch the CLT. The CLT will preserve long-term affordability for households earning 30–120% of area median income. The committee previously allocated $250,000 for startup.
- Independent Auditor Required Communications (Grant Davis, Molden Jenkins): The county received an unmodified (“clean”) audit opinion for fiscal year 2024. No material weaknesses, significant deficiencies, or instances of noncompliance were reported. The Single Audit covered two major federal programs ($10.2M Airport Improvement, $24.1M ARPA) with clean opinions.
- Local Vendor Initiative Update (Tammy Stevens): Staff reviewed the current Local Vendor Preference (LVP) program, noting only 29 DBE firms in Horry County out of 1,054 statewide. Recommended updating thresholds: for IFBs $10,000–$1,000,000, local vendors within 5% of low bid can match; for $1M–$20M, within 2%. Also proposed outreach through QR codes, kiosks, and training to increase registration on BidNet. No formal action requested at this meeting; a future resolution is expected.
- Food Trucks on County Property (David Jordan): Following direction from October, staff proposed a pilot program allowing up to two food trucks per day at the Government and Justice Center, with pre-licensing, insurance, and time restrictions. The committee voted to forward the recommendation to full council.
- Legends Drive Loan Update (Shannon Todd): Engineering cost estimates did not exceed the authorized $2.5 million, so no amendment is needed.
- Financial Update – October 2024 (Shannon Todd): Year-to-date across all funds, revenues were $79.2 million, expenditures $102.2 million. General Fund revenues were $55.3 million (20.4% of budget), expenditures $77.1 million (28.6% of budget), with most property tax revenues expected in December/January. Special revenue funds (Fire, Road Maintenance, Stormwater, Recreation, Waste Management) performed as expected.
Key Outcomes
- Opioid Settlement Funds Resolution: Approved application to the SC Opioid Recovery Fund Board for $900,556.28 to continue funding for two Harm Reduction Specialists (HCFR), four Crisis Intervention Team positions (HCPD), new equipment for the Coroner’s Office, and administrative costs. (Unanimous)
- CDBG Housing Rehabilitation Affordability Periods: Amended to add a 5-year affordability period for assistance under $25,000, effective upon approval. (Unanimous)
- Abandoned Building Certification: Certified the former bank building at 10207 N. Kings Highway as an abandoned building site under the SC Abandoned Buildings Revitalization Act. (Unanimous)
- Community Benefit Fund Requests: Approved allocations totaling $43,500 to seven organizations: Blue Star Mothers Coastal Carolina ($3,000), Myrtle Beach Corvette Club ($2,000), Apple Breast Cancer Warrior Foundation ($1,500), Spokes of Hope ($3,000), Beach Ball Classic ($17,000), Welcome All EOC ($8,000), Boys & Girls Club of the Grand Strand ($9,000). (Unanimous)
- Eagle Trace Special Tax District Ordinance: Passed the ordinance to create the Eagle Trace Special Tax District, authorizing up to 300 mills to fund road and drainage improvements (estimated $592,000), with a 15-year bond. The petition was certified with 75.11% of assessed value. (Unanimous; moves to full council)
The meeting adjourned at approximately 2:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Meeting to order for December the third. I can get everybody please stand. We'll do a quick invitation of the Pledge of the Allegiance. Dear Lord, thank you for all the blessings you bestowed upon us. Thank you for another opportunity to come together and do the business of the county. We ask that you inspire us and lead us as we go through this agenda. And we ask for knowledge of your will and the power to carry it out. In your name we pray. Amen. And to the republic for which it stands. One nation. Please be seated. Move right along. Is there any public input today? All right. Review and approval of the agenda contents. The motion. All in favor. Aye. Aye. Okay. Approval of the minutes from the October 21st meeting. Some of them. All in favor. Aye. New business. Moving right along. Council on Aging. The update, Miss Elaine Gore. Right. Good afternoon. In the coming year of 2025, Ori County Council and Agent will celebrate years of service to the elderly population. We will enter the upcoming years with the same mission we have followed over the past five decades to keep our senior citizens at home, living their best life with as much independence dignity as possible. To adhere to this incredible mission means more than just a meal, an activity or attending a senior center. It also means that their children may be able to go to work and know that their parents have a meal or a place to go and they don't have to worry about that so much. And that really means a lot because I take care of my parents now who are 87 and 91. So my 38 years of doing this has come around back to me. So now I understand how important what I've been doing all these years is actually. You can never find Medicaid beds if you're lucky. And most people can't afford institutional like between 4,000 and $9,000 a month. And those are hard numbers. Maybe $200 a month compared to the high cost. And that's been our goal since I've started doing this 38 years ago. Our goal was to keep people at home and out of those places, which are wonderful. We have to have them, but if we can do what we do and let them stay at home, that's what we want to do. So I'm proud of the time that since July to now we have served on 28,134 meals at the senior centers, the 11. We still have 11 right now. Our home delivery meals are 31,214. Our homemaker units is 3,990 hours of homemaker service in the home. We did get a grant for the third month transportation ban.
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