Horry County Council Regular Meeting – September 1, 2026
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Horry County Council Regular Meeting – September 1, 2026
The Horry County Council held its regular meeting on September 1, 2026, at 11:00 AM (ET). The meeting included public input on a pedestrian safety issue and animal ordinance changes, followed by approval of several resolutions and zoning ordinances. Council members also discussed planned infrastructure improvements for Highway 90.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Doug Christ spoke about the need for a pedestrian bridge over Highway 544 near Coastal Carolina University, citing three pedestrian fatalities over 15 years. He noted that $12 million had been allocated ($5M federal, $5M state, $2M from the 1% sales tax) but questioned why the bridge had not been built. Council members clarified that the bridge is under state and university jurisdiction, not county authority.
- Carolyn Slyn, an animal advocate, requested corrections to contradictory temperature limits in the animal ordinance (85°F vs. 90°F for tethering) and proposed a three- to five-year ban on dog breeding, fines of $2,000 for illegal litters, mandatory spay/neuter, and higher fees for licensed breeders to address overpopulation at the county shelter (300% overcapacity).
- Amelia Wood and Tammy Baker spoke during public hearings on several Highway 90 rezoning ordinances. They raised concerns about traffic safety, road capacity (operating at 115% capacity per recent counts), flooding from Tully Swamp, school overcrowding (e.g., Carolina Forest at 120% capacity), and cumulative impacts of approved developments. They urged the council to deny rezonings due to inadequate infrastructure.
Discussion Items
- Resolution R90-2026 memorializing the passing of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham on July 11, 2026, and recognizing his contributions to Horry County – passed unanimously.
- Resolution R110-2026 designating October 4–10, 2026, as Fire Prevention Week, with Chief Tanner discussing lithium-ion battery hazards – passed unanimously.
- Resolution R116-2026 recognizing September 2026 as National Preparedness Month and the South Carolina State Guard – passed unanimously.
- Council member Mr. Luce Blood asked staff about infrastructure improvements on Highway 90. Staff confirmed the RIDE IV program is under design for Highway 90 from S.C. 501 to Little River, including elevated bridges over Tully Swamp and Jones Big Swamp, and widening to five lanes. The project will be phased over several years, with construction expected to start within a few years.
- Council member Mr. DeSabato clarified that a rezoning for an outdoor storage facility on Highway 90 (Ordinance 97-2026) was not for housing, and that the storage units could be easily moved if the dangerous intersection is realigned.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar approved unanimously.
- Amendments: Ordinance 82-2026 (joint industrial/business park with Georgetown County) was amended via redline copy and then approved as amended.
- All zoning ordinances (10th through 97th readings) passed unanimously after public hearings, including:
- Third reading of Ordinance 10-2026 (adding right-of-way for Carolina Bays Parkway).
- Second readings of ordinances for lease agreements with Civil Air Patrol and Superior Aircraft.
- Rezonings: Myrtle Beach Z D Group, G3 Engineering (Portofino Villas), Roe Professional Services (Carolina Property Systems), John D. Johnson, Sophia Liu, GYAT LLC, Brown's Mobile Home Park, Robert Russell, ATM Property Group, Taylor Hemingway (Michael Woodard), and Founders Development.
- Memorial dedications: The meeting was adjourned in memory of several individuals: Steve Gossman, Sadie Graham, Randall Wemburn, Ron Teague, Betsy Helms, Linda Owens, Cindy B. Hunt, Jackie Miles Stanley, and Kalina Cat Trent.
- No executive session was held.
Note: The meeting date and time are derived from the transcript opening. The agenda and minutes were unavailable.
Meeting Transcript
We will call to order the regular council meeting for September 1st, 2026. We'll start on time as Mr. Howard said, so we'll finish on time. We start always with the invocation tonight by Mr. Mascarelli, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Mr. Howard. If I can get everybody, please stand. Dear Lord, as we gather this evening, uh, let us all give thanks for this great country and all the opportunities that exist within it. Pray for our leaders, both at the federal and state level and at the county level, uh, that we work for the good of the people and all that we do. In your name we pray, amen. Amen. Attention to the flag. My pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republicans, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Please be seated. Next up is public input. We've had a couple people sign up. And I don't know what I do with my Q. Uh quickly, I just want to explain the rules again. I think one has been here before, and one maybe hasn't, but we have uh by rule five minutes. We have this clock that can help you with your time. Green is go, yellow is one minute left, and red is your time. Is up. This is a professional venue. We want to hear from you, and uh we want to actually hear from you, so I asked the public not to yell and stomp and clap because when you do that, we can't hear what's going on. Um, and uh we'll start off with Doug Christ talking about the pedestrian bridge over Highway 544. Good evening, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Uh thanks to the board giving me the opportunity to speak to you this evening. Um we've got a very important public safety issue, a community public safety issue at hand. We need that bridge. We need it. It should have been built. Forgive me, this isn't this isn't my cup of tea, but I'm gonna give it my best shot. We dropped our daughter off the same day that the latest victims were uh you know, it's a tragedy. All three of them have been tragedies. We've got three children dead. We've got to do something about it as a community. Everybody needs to listen. We need to come together as a community and figure this out. Hearts go out to the victims, the families of the victims. We can't let this uh we can't let this happen again. According to the articles I've read, this is the third time three different students are dead over the last 15 years at the same location. My daughter could have been one of them. We dropped her off seven hours later. Those kids were hurt. Um 544 at night near the university, they know their students. They're they're there. It's no secret.
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