Horry County Council Regular Meeting – March 3, 2026
Horry County Council Regular Meeting – March 3, 2026
The Horry County Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, beginning at approximately 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Council unanimously approved the agenda, minutes, and consent agenda; heard one public comment; accepted risk-management and safety awards; advanced two rezoning ordinances and one historic-register ordinance on second reading; deferred a Planned Development District ordinance; and adjourned in memory of recently deceased community members. No executive session was held. Note: The minutes packet included with the source record is for the February 17, 2026 regular meeting; March 3, 2026 minutes were not included.
Consent Calendar
- Agenda approved unanimously.
- Minutes of the February 17, 2026 regular meeting approved unanimously.
- Consent agenda approved unanimously: Third Reading of Ordinance 12-2026 authorizing up to $5,000,000 in general obligation bonds, Series 2026, to help finance design, acquisition, construction, and equipping of an EMS station in the Windy Hill area; Third Reading of Ordinance 13-2026 amending the FY2026 budget to add $346,331 in principal expenditures in the Capital Planning fund for the Windy Hill EMS project; and Resolution R-13-2026 honoring Dick and Carol Patterson for their volunteerism and statewide recognition.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Patricia Molly, the only public speaker, urged Council to preserve playgrounds and open space and to prevent playgrounds from being rezoned to adjacent zoning or lost to tax sales. She expressed concern about the pace of development and tree loss, asked for tree barriers around developments and along roads as hurricane windbreaks, and cited her own development's open space that she said was sold at tax sale and later zoned R4. She referenced Hurricane Andrew and Hurricane Hugo in McClellanville to argue that trees protect homes. Council listened without debate, consistent with public input rules.
Presentations & Recognitions
- Robert Benfield of the SC Association of Counties presented the county its 15th consecutive Excellence in Risk Management award. He noted that 42 of 46 South Carolina counties participate in the workers' compensation trust and that Horry County's workers' compensation experience modifier of 0.85, a value below 1.0 that produces premium savings, equated to approximately $730,000 in savings for taxpayers. A county risk-management representative credited department heads and Council support.
- Horry County Fire Rescue received an Outstanding Achievement award for its Harm Reduction Program. Chief Lawson described the Leave Behind program launched in October 2024: every ambulance, fire truck, and QRV carries two naloxone kits; the county has partnered with Conway and North Myrtle Beach to equip their units. He stated that more than 600 doses of naloxone had been given out and that over 800 of these were through the leave-behind program (as transcribed), funded through the state opioid settlement grant.
Discussion Items
- Ordinance 117-2025, amending Articles II and III of the Zoning Ordinance regarding Planned Development Districts, was on second reading. Councilmember Causey moved to defer to the next meeting because more information was needed. The motion to defer passed unanimously.
Ordinances – Second Reading & Public Hearings
- Ordinance 14-2026 (Juliet Johnson-Richardson): Motion by Anderson, second by DiSabato. No public comments. Passed unanimously. The ordinance rezones PIN 43701010020, approximately 2.08 acres at Hwy 701 S and Levi Lane in Conway, from SF 20 to MSF 20 to allow manufactured homes; third reading is scheduled for March 17, 2026.
- Ordinance 15-2026 (Wilbert Kent Sellers et al.): Motion by Crawford. No public comments. Passed unanimously. The ordinance rezones PIN 44015040018, approximately 0.98 acres on Hwy 707 in Myrtle Beach, from SF 6 to RE 3 (Convenience and Auto-related Services) for a mini warehouse facility; RE 3 does not allow outdoor storage; third reading is scheduled for March 17, 2026.
- Ordinance 16-2026 (SP Hawes Sr. House): Motion made; no public comments. Passed unanimously. The ordinance adds the SP Hawes Sr. House, constructed circa 1918, to the Horry County Historic Property Register. The property is in the Conway Residential Historic District and listed on the National Register of Historic Places; third reading is scheduled for March 17, 2026.
Memorial Dedications
- Council read the following names and concluded the meeting in their memory: John Quitman Miller III, Karen Floyd Nobles, Alan Buddy Johnson, Julian O'Dell Hughes, Joseph Harold Caps Sr., Brenda Fay Mosier, Martha Ann Staley, Leona Gerald, Brandon Baxley, Horace Joe Jordan, Betty Lou Smith, Sally Caps, Jesse B. Kreidler, Jack Frank Davis, Ava Holland, and Carter Calabrese.
Key Outcomes
- All consent items passed unanimously.
- Ordinance 117-2025 was deferred unanimously to the next meeting.
- Ordinances 14-2026, 15-2026, and 16-2026 passed second reading unanimously with public hearings closed.
- Upcoming meetings: Council Meeting March 17 at 6:00 p.m.; Administration Committee March 24 at 2:00 p.m.; Transportation Committee March 24 at 3:00 p.m.; Spring Planning Retreat April 1 at 9:00 a.m.
- No executive session was held; the meeting was adjourned in memory of the listed individuals.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, good evening, everyone. We will start this regular council meeting for March 3rd, 2026. We start on time so we can end on time. And we always start with an invitation tonight led by Mr. Allen, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Mr. Loftus. If I can get everybody to please stand. Let us pray. Praise God. Heavenly Father, we're so thankful to have this opportunity together here tonight. Help us, dear Lord, to understand. With the world in turmoil, help us to go to your word and to look at what you prophesy and at what you forewarned us of that in the end times, dangerous things would come. We would hear of wars and rumors of wars. But you said for us to fear not, neither be dismayed, but to look up for our redemption draws not. Be with us, O Lord, because we may not know what tomorrow might hold, but we know who holds tomorrow. And just as you told your servant Joshua to go forth. Fear not, neither be dismayed. For wherever so thou goest, I'll go before thee. And you are already in tomorrow, waiting on us. We pray for all of those who are in harm's way. Encourage them. Uplift them. Encourage their families and keep a hedge of angels around them all. Protect them and keep them safe from all harm. Watch over our county and help us up here so that we might have the wisdom and knowledge and patience and understanding so that we would have the love in our hearts to reach out and help our neighbors. Be with us now, Lord, for we ask all these things tonight in the name of Christ our Savior. Amen. Amen. Our pleasure of the United States of America. One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Please be seated. Next up is public input. We've only had one person sign up. As I said last time we were here, I think that this is a direct tribute to how this county council is taking care of the constituents' concerns. Miss Patricia Molly speaking about school board stuff, open space and playgrounds. She's a frequent speaker, so I know she knows the rules. Five minutes. We have this wonderful timer here. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. I have three points tonight. I want to talk about preserving the playgrounds that we have and questioning the way the playgrounds are rezoned when they're no longer playgrounds. And also a barrier of trees around every development and along every road as a hurricane break. As you know, the whole county is concerned over development and how fast our trees are going. And the playgrounds, I don't understand why when a playground is no longer a playground, why is rezoned as the adjacent property? Why is that it always a playground? Because children will always need a place to play. And if you look at the environments of our children today, and you're right along the highway, you see they have little tiny yards and a little patio, and that's about it. That's the future.
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