OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Horry County Council Regular Meeting - May 20, 2025

County Council — Tuesday, May 20, 2025
BodyHorry County, South Carolina
SessionCounty Council
DateTuesday, May 20, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:21:19

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Clock on Tuesday, May 20th, we will call to order the regular council meeting.

0:04

We start on time so we can end on time.

0:06

And we always start with an invocation tonight by Mr.

0:09

Allen, followed by the Pledge of Leaders, which will be led tonight by Dr.

0:12

Duke.

0:12

So I'll get everybody please stand.

0:18

Can we pray?

0:21

Praise God.

0:22

Eternal Father in Heaven.

0:25

Lord, as we come before you tonight, help us so that we might be able to help others.

0:30

Look upon our hearts and our souls and uplift us and encourage us and help us to be able to reach out and to say some good, encouraging and kind word to someone who needs it.

0:45

We pray for every family and every household represented here tonight.

0:50

We pray that your love and that your salvation and most of all your victory and your protection would be applied to each and every one.

0:59

Help us again, dear Lord, so that all that we do here will be pleasing unto you and help us to never forget your sacrifice that you have made for us so that we might have opportunity to have victory and love within our hearts and our lives.

1:19

We thank you, Lord, for all, for all you provide for us.

1:24

Be with us now, O Lord.

1:26

Uplift us this night and help us again to look into our neighbor and to touch their hand and to uplift them.

1:36

And also to help us as leaders to keep a vision, because your word says that where there is no vision, the people perish.

1:46

Help us to have a strong vision to help our neighbors.

1:50

And in all things, we'll praise you and honor you, for we ask it upon the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

1:58

Amen.

2:00

Attention to the bike.

2:12

Liberty and justice are all.

2:14

Thank you.

2:19

All right.

2:19

Next up is our public input.

2:22

We had two people sign up.

2:23

Um our public input.

2:25

We have rules that we go by.

2:26

It's a professional venue.

2:28

First of all, let me see if we have our people that signed up here.

2:31

Jesse Holtz.

2:32

I may have mispronounced the last name.

2:34

Jesse.

2:37

All right, let's move on to the next one.

2:39

Don, he's coming.

2:41

Well, I thought the gentleman there stood up and okay.

2:45

We won't wait till everybody gets a seat.

2:47

Everybody's okay.

2:49

All right.

2:50

Moving next to Donna, Donna.

2:53

Donna Calotz.

2:55

All right.

2:55

Alibis back to Jesse.

2:57

Nope.

2:58

And Don.

3:00

We will close public input and we'll move forward to approval of the agenda contents.

3:06

Is there a motion?

3:07

So move.

3:08

All in favor, aye.

3:09

Aye.

3:09

Next for the approval of the amendment for the regular meeting for May 6th, 2025.

3:14

Motion.

3:14

So move.

3:15

Second.

3:15

All in favor, aye.

3:16

Aye.

3:17

Consent agenda.

3:19

Motion.

3:21

Second.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Economic Development█████████████████████████████████████████████55%
Parks and Recreation█████████████16%
Procedural██████7%
Zoning And Land Use█████6%
Engineering And Infrastructure███4%
Community Engagement███4%
Mental Health Awareness██3%
Budget Equity Analysis██3%
Fiscal Sustainability██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Horry County Council Regular Meeting - May 20, 2025

The Horry County Council met on May 20, 2025 at 6:00 PM. Key actions included third reading of the FY2026 budget (passed 11-1), passage of ordinances related to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans stadium lease and county ownership transfer, approval of several rezoning and zoning map amendments, and proclamations for Public Works Week and Mental Health Awareness Month.

Consent Calendar

  • Third Reading – Ordinance 38-2025: Lease agreement with Concourse Communications Group, LLC for a cellular DAS at Myrtle Beach International Airport. Passed unanimously.
  • Third Reading – Rezoning Ordinances: Ord 41-2025 (DABS of MB, LLC), Ord 43-2025 (Henry Edward Bushong III), Ord 44-2025 (Wanda Lee McNamara), Ord 45-2025 (Thomas Bellamy), Ord 46-2025 (Conway Atlantic Land Development, LLC) – all passed unanimously.
  • First Reading – Ordinance 52-2025: Future Land Use Map amendment for PIN 24900000051 from Rural and Scenic & Conservation to Rural Communities.
  • First Reading – Ordinance 53-2025: Rezone same PIN from FA to MRD 1.
  • First Reading – Ordinance 54-2025: Rezone 1.79-acre portion from MSF 6 & LI to RE 4.
  • First Reading – Ordinance 56-2025: Rezone 42.35-acre portion from LFA to AG 3.
  • First Reading – Ordinance 57-2025: Lease agreement with Squires Brothers Farms, Inc. for property at Party Pines Road.
  • First Reading – Ordinance 58-2025: Lease agreement with Grand Strand Sertoma Club for property on 21st Ave N.
  • First Reading – Ordinance 60-2025: Joint industrial and business park agreement with Georgetown County (title only).
  • Resolutions R-63 through R-67: Acceptance of roads/drainage for several subdivisions into county maintenance system.
  • Resolution R-70-2025: Transfer of $522,000 from Terminal Contingency to ARFF Rescue 4 and MYR Roof Top Units projects.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public spoke during the designated public input period.
  • Public hearing on the FY2026 budget: Vincent Lehotsky commented on VIP sections at the Myrtle Beach Jazz Festival, requesting that county-funded events not restrict public access to front-of-stage areas.
  • Public hearing on Ordinance 49-2025 (Pelicans lease): Multiple speakers including Scott Strange (Pelicans usher, Special Olympics area director), Coach Gary Gilmore (former Coastal Carolina baseball coach), Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune, and Pelicans VP Kristen Paul all spoke in favor of passing the lease to keep the team in the county. Mayor Bethune urged council to approve the lease without requiring a separate intergovernmental agreement. No opposing speakers were present.

Discussion Items

  • Budget Ordinance 39-2025 (Third Reading): The $869,947,767 FY2026 budget was approved with an amendment raising volunteer firefighter pay from $20 to $25 per call. Councilman Servant voted nay.
  • Rezoning Ordinance 36-2025 (First Reading): Request to rezone 70.15 acres from AG 2 to MRD-P (46 single-family homes). Councilman Hardee moved to follow staff recommendation of disapproval. The motion failed unanimously; the ordinance was not approved.
  • Rezoning Ordinance 55-2025 (First Reading): Request to rezone 1.99 acres from SF 40 to AG 6 for fowl (chickens). Councilman Crawford moved to forward to second reading; passed unanimously.
  • Pelicans Stadium Lease and Related Items: The council discussed three items: Ordinance 49-2025 (lease with Pelicans, contingent on city agreeing to multi-county industrial park and airport funding IGA), Ordinance 59-2025 (authorizing county administrator to negotiate deed to convey county’s interest in 21st Ave property to city), and Resolution R-71-2025 (supporting transfer of ballpark ownership to city with a $6 million county contribution and clawback provision). County Administrator Barry Spivey explained that the multi-county park funding mechanism would generate income to cover stadium improvements without direct taxpayer subsidy. Councilman DiSabato noted the county currently loses over $400,000 annually on stadium operations, and with capital costs that loss could grow to $700-800,000. He emphasized the county was offering multiple solutions to keep baseball viable.

Key Outcomes

  • Ordinance 39-2025 (Budget): Passed 11-1 (Servant opposed).
  • Ordinance 49-2025 (Pelicans Lease): Passed unanimously after council held executive session on contractual negotiations.
  • Ordinance 59-2025 (Deed Conveyance): Passed unanimously.
  • Resolution R-71-2025 (Pelicans Support/Transfer): Passed unanimously.
  • All consent agenda items passed unanimously.
  • First reading of Ordinance 36-2025 failed unanimously.
  • First reading of Ordinance 55-2025 passed to second reading.
  • All other second and third reading ordinances passed unanimously.

Meeting Transcript

Clock on Tuesday, May 20th, we will call to order the regular council meeting. We start on time so we can end on time. And we always start with an invocation tonight by Mr. Allen, followed by the Pledge of Leaders, which will be led tonight by Dr. Duke. So I'll get everybody please stand. Can we pray? Praise God. Eternal Father in Heaven. Lord, as we come before you tonight, help us so that we might be able to help others. Look upon our hearts and our souls and uplift us and encourage us and help us to be able to reach out and to say some good, encouraging and kind word to someone who needs it. We pray for every family and every household represented here tonight. We pray that your love and that your salvation and most of all your victory and your protection would be applied to each and every one. Help us again, dear Lord, so that all that we do here will be pleasing unto you and help us to never forget your sacrifice that you have made for us so that we might have opportunity to have victory and love within our hearts and our lives. We thank you, Lord, for all, for all you provide for us. Be with us now, O Lord. Uplift us this night and help us again to look into our neighbor and to touch their hand and to uplift them. And also to help us as leaders to keep a vision, because your word says that where there is no vision, the people perish. Help us to have a strong vision to help our neighbors. And in all things, we'll praise you and honor you, for we ask it upon the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Attention to the bike. Liberty and justice are all. Thank you. All right. Next up is our public input. We had two people sign up. Um our public input. We have rules that we go by. It's a professional venue. First of all, let me see if we have our people that signed up here. Jesse Holtz. I may have mispronounced the last name. Jesse. All right, let's move on to the next one. Don, he's coming. Well, I thought the gentleman there stood up and okay. We won't wait till everybody gets a seat. Everybody's okay. All right. Moving next to Donna, Donna. Donna Calotz. All right. Alibis back to Jesse. Nope. And Don. We will close public input and we'll move forward to approval of the agenda contents. Is there a motion? So move. All in favor, aye.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com