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Record of Proceedings

Horry County Council Regular Meeting - January 21, 2025: Zoning, Emergency Declaration, and New Vice Chair

County Council — Tuesday, January 21, 2025
BodyHorry County, South Carolina
SessionCounty Council
DateTuesday, January 21, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 19:33

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

To order the regular council meeting for January 21st, 2025.

0:04

We start on time and we are going to finish on time tonight.

0:08

I guarantee it.

0:10

So we start all of our meetings the same way with the invocation tonight by Mr.

0:13

Allen, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance by Mr.

0:15

Loftus.

0:16

If I can get everybody to please stand.

0:18

Amen.

0:20

Let us pray.

0:23

Praise God.

0:23

Heavenly Father, we're so thankful to have this opportunity together here tonight.

0:28

Uplift us and encourage our hearts.

0:30

Heal our bodies, dear Lord, and touch those.

0:33

Yes, O Lord, that may be struggling tonight.

0:36

Help us so that we might be able to continue to help others.

0:39

Keep a hedge of angels around all of our families, our households, and our employees, all of them, Lord, so that all things can be done for your will.

0:50

Help us, O Lord, to have a new vision for this year, because your word tells us where there is no vision, my people perish.

1:00

Help us, Lord, so that we might be able to lift your name up above all names for we ask it in the name of Christ our Savior.

1:08

Amen.

1:09

Amen.

1:16

And to the Republic, which we stand one nation under God, indivisible with liberty to trust the thank you.

1:26

Please be seated.

1:28

Next up.

1:29

Not have anyone sign up for public input tonight.

1:33

So next up is the agenda contents.

1:36

There are motion.

1:37

So motion.

1:38

All in favor, aye.

1:39

Aye.

1:40

All right.

1:40

Next is the approval of the minutes from the regular meeting on January 7th, and also the fall planning retreat for December 12th.

1:46

Motion.

1:47

So move.

1:48

Second.

1:49

Aye.

1:50

Aye.

1:50

All right.

1:50

I'm going to put something on the record.

1:52

We if everybody here, first of all, I'd like to say thank you to everybody that showed up today.

1:58

Weather's out there, and I know everybody would probably rather be somewhere else, but we've got important stuff to do tonight, and we're going to get it all done.

2:05

Starting with an emergency ordinance declaring that a weather related localized state of emergency exists within Orie County and authorizing the appropriate action to be taken in connection there with the motion.

2:17

So moved, Mr.

2:17

Chair.

2:18

Second.

2:18

Mr.

2:19

Webster.

2:19

Thank you, Mr.

2:19

Chairman.

2:20

Members of the council.

2:20

Uh we do have before you request to do a declaration of state of emergency for this snow event that's going to unfolding probably now as we are meeting tonight and overnight tonight into tomorrow.

2:31

Temperatures are going to be another big issue with this.

2:33

So I'm not even sure what the road situation is going to look like in the morning.

2:36

And it could be a multiple day event, depending on what kind of melt and refreeze we get as well.

2:41

So uh one interesting tidbit is these storm total or snow accumulation totals have been bouncing around, but now we start seeing them uh escalating back up again.

2:51

So uh it's really hard to say what we're gonna end up with at the end of this in the morning.

2:55

But it will be over in the morning, it's just a lingering effects.

2:57

And I do want to say uh we've got a lot of work going on today with our stormwater public works crews preparing everything.

3:03

Public safety is ready to go.

3:05

Uh we've got our plans in place.

3:07

So just ask that we go ahead and pass this declaration and thank you, sir.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning And Land Use█████████████████████████████████████████████45%
Procedural██████████████████████████████████████████42%
Emergency Management█████████████13%
Summary of Proceedings

Horry County Council Regular Meeting - January 21, 2025

Chairman Johnny Gardner called the regular meeting to order at approximately 6:00 p.m. on January 21, 2025. The meeting addressed a range of zoning ordinances, a state of emergency declaration for an impending snow event, and the election of a new Vice Chairman. All 12 council members were present. No public comments were received.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the consent agenda as amended, which included third readings for several ordinances and a resolution transferring funds for airport audio system upgrades, as well as first readings for various zoning map amendments. Councilmember Michael Masciarelli requested to be recorded as a no vote on Ordinance 153-2024. The consent agenda passed 9-1.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • None. No members of the public signed up to speak.

Discussion Items

  • Emergency Ordinance – Local State of Emergency: Council unanimously passed an emergency ordinance declaring a localized state of emergency due to an impending snow event, effective 7:00 p.m. that evening. Randy Webster (Public Safety) noted preparations had been made and the declaration would support response efforts.
  • Third Reading – Wild Game Processing (Ordinance 155-2024): Council approved an ordinance to allow wild game processing in FA, CFA, AG1, and AG2 zoning districts, with an amendment requiring all processing be conducted within a fully enclosed structure. The motion passed as amended unanimously.
  • Second Reading – Comprehensive Plan Amendment and Rezoning (Ordinances 109-2024 & 110-2024): Two linked ordinances to amend the Future Land Use Map from Suburban to Rural Communities and rezone a 32.66-acre parcel from CFA/FA to MRD-1 for 65 single-family homes. Passed unanimously.
  • Second Reading – Rezoning to SF-10 (Ordinance 150-2024): A motion to defer consideration of this rezoning failed (vote count not clear, but recorded as 9-1 against deferral). The underlying ordinance then passed 9-1 with one nay. Councilmember DiSabato supported moving forward per the district councilmember’s request.
  • Second Reading – Four Rezoning Ordinances (01-2025, 02-2025, 03-2025, 04-2025): All four ordinances to rezone parcels for commercial and residential use were approved unanimously in a single vote.
  • First Reading – Denied Rezoning (Ordinance 07-2025): Council voted unanimously to deny a rezoning from CFA to MRD-1 for 23 single-family homes due to safety concerns about a bad curve on Cates Bay Highway and strong public opposition.
  • First Reading – Deferred Rezoning (Ordinance 08-2025): A rezoning from FA to RE-4 for a self-serve gas station was deferred unanimously.
  • First Reading – Denied Rezoning (Ordinance 10-2025): Council voted unanimously to deny a rezoning from LFA to MRD-P for 147 homes after the applicant withdrew, with opposition citing traffic, flooding, and density concerns.
  • First Reading – Approved Rezoning (Ordinance 14-2025): Council approved a rezoning from residential to RE-1 for a daycare facility on Highway 90, despite public opposition. Councilmember Hardee noted the need for daycare services in the area. Passed unanimously.
  • Election of Vice Chairman: Council unanimously elected Dennis DiSabato as Vice Chairman for 2025.
  • Executive Session and Settlement Agreement: Council entered executive session to discuss legal matters and subsequently voted unanimously to approve a settlement agreement discussed in that session.

Key Outcomes

  • Emergency Declaration: Approved (unanimous) – effective immediately.
  • Wild Game Processing Ordinance: Approved as amended (unanimous).
  • Comprehensive Plan Amendment and Rezoning (109 & 110): Approved (unanimous).
  • Rezoning to SF-10 (150-2024): Approved 9-1.
  • Four Rezoning Ordinances (01-04-2025): Approved (unanimous).
  • Denied Rezoning (07-2025): Denied (unanimous).
  • Deferred Rezoning (08-2025): Deferred (unanimous).
  • Denied Rezoning (10-2025): Denied (unanimous).
  • Approved Rezoning (14-2025): Approved (unanimous).
  • Vice Chairman Elected: Dennis DiSabato (unanimous).
  • Settlement Agreement: Approved (unanimous).

Meeting Transcript

To order the regular council meeting for January 21st, 2025. We start on time and we are going to finish on time tonight. I guarantee it. So we start all of our meetings the same way with the invocation tonight by Mr. Allen, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance by Mr. Loftus. If I can get everybody to please stand. Amen. Let us pray. Praise God. Heavenly Father, we're so thankful to have this opportunity together here tonight. Uplift us and encourage our hearts. Heal our bodies, dear Lord, and touch those. Yes, O Lord, that may be struggling tonight. Help us so that we might be able to continue to help others. Keep a hedge of angels around all of our families, our households, and our employees, all of them, Lord, so that all things can be done for your will. Help us, O Lord, to have a new vision for this year, because your word tells us where there is no vision, my people perish. Help us, Lord, so that we might be able to lift your name up above all names for we ask it in the name of Christ our Savior. Amen. Amen. And to the Republic, which we stand one nation under God, indivisible with liberty to trust the thank you. Please be seated. Next up. Not have anyone sign up for public input tonight. So next up is the agenda contents. There are motion. So motion. All in favor, aye. Aye. All right. Next is the approval of the minutes from the regular meeting on January 7th, and also the fall planning retreat for December 12th. Motion. So move. Second. Aye. Aye. All right. I'm going to put something on the record. We if everybody here, first of all, I'd like to say thank you to everybody that showed up today. Weather's out there, and I know everybody would probably rather be somewhere else, but we've got important stuff to do tonight, and we're going to get it all done. Starting with an emergency ordinance declaring that a weather related localized state of emergency exists within Orie County and authorizing the appropriate action to be taken in connection there with the motion. So moved, Mr. Chair. Second. Mr. Webster. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Members of the council. Uh we do have before you request to do a declaration of state of emergency for this snow event that's going to unfolding probably now as we are meeting tonight and overnight tonight into tomorrow.

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