Mayor signs proclamation denoting tourism week

Prior to the May 6 North Myrtle Beach City Council meeting, council members met in executive session for a legal briefing regarding the Sandridge Development Agreement. Council took no action.

During the May 6 meeting, Mayor Marilyn Hatley presented a proclamation naming the week of May 5-11 as National Travel & Tourism week in North Myrtle Beach.

Mayor Hatley said the city of North Myrtle Beach welcomes an estimated 4 million visitors annually and visitor spending is more than $467 million annually. Visitors pay more than $5.8 million in local taxes.

Travel to and within the United States generated more than $2.5 trillion in economic output in 2018, with nearly $1 trillion of that amount spent directly by travelers.

The travel industry is among the largest private-sector employers in the United States, supporting 15.7 million jobs in 2018, including 8.9 million directly in the travel industry and 6.8 million in other industries.

Mayor Hatley also noted that TripAdvisor recently included the beach in the Cherry Grove section of the city among its listing of America’s Top 25 Best Beaches.

City Council approved a motion to reappoint North Myrtle Beach resident Katherine D’Angelo as the representative to the Waccamaw Regional Transportation Authority.

City Council passed second (final) reading of an ordinance amending the Prince Resort sign at the Cherry Grove Pier. The current sign is located adjacent to a vacant oceanfront lot. If left there, it would maintain grandfathered status. However, the beach and pier access will shift south to accommodate the new Hampton Inn & Suites Hotel and a new sign and location is necessary.

City Council held a Public Hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2020 budget. The city’s budget year is July 1- June 30.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance setting the property tax levy at 37.1 mils for FY 2020. This is a decrease of 6.2 mils over the current fiscal year. The 6.2 mils was an eight-year property tax levy used to purchase land for and construct the very successful North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex. The members of City Council promised at that time to remove the 6.2 mils once the $15 million bond issue for the Park & Sports Complex is paid. That has occurred and City Council has kept its promise. The property tax levy provides for the single largest revenue source within the general fund budget.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to provide for the adoption of the FY 2020 budget. The proposed budget is $91.6 million, about $4.6 million less than the current fiscal year. The proposed budget is available for review at www.NMB.us under Press Releases on the homepage and the Finance Department via the drop-down menu. The Finance Department section also includes copies of city budgets dating back to FY 2008.

City Council passed first reading of a proposed ordinance to amend Section 21, Article II, Traffic, Stopping, Standing and Parking. Given the large number of amendments proposed in this ordinance, the city recommends that readers visit www.nmb.us and, under Agendas on the homepage, review the ordinance as contained in the May 6 meeting agenda packet.

City Council passed first reading of a proposed ordinance to amend Section 19, Streets, Sidewalks, and Other Public Ways to allow for immediate removal of all obstructions from the public rights-of-way. Given the large number of amendments proposed in this ordinance, the city recommends that readers visit www.nmb.us and, under Agendas on the homepage, review the ordinance as contained in the May 6 meeting agenda packet.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance regarding a property exchange between the city and MIG Ocean Sands (MIG).

The city owns a parcel of property of about 0.12 acres identified as TMS # 144-13-38-013 located at 1520 South Ocean Boulevard, currently used as a public parking lot. MIG owns a parcel of property of about 0.14 acres identified as TMS # 144-13-38-005 located at 1514 South Ocean Boulevard. MIG has requested that the city convey its lot to MIG and, in exchange, MIG will convey its lot to the city.

The consideration for the transaction will be the exchange of property and neither party will be required to pay additional monies to the other.

Following a discussion about the city’s pay-to-park program, which begins June 15 for all public parking spaces on either side of Ocean Boulevard, City Council authorized an adjustment to the permanent resident free parking decal program. In addition to permanent (year-round) residents whose vehicles are registered to their North Myrtle Beach address, Council has opened the free parking decal program to include permanent North Myrtle Beach residents in the four percent property tax category whose personal vehicles are registered to their company or provided to them by the company for which they work. A program fee of $50 per vehicle is required for this category.

Permanent residents in this category must bring a copy of their most recent North Myrtle Beach property tax bill to City Hall and a copy of their vehicle registration. As is the case with property owners whose cars are registered to their North Myrtle Beach address, a maximum of two decals will be issued for each qualifying address. Any vehicles included in this program must be able to fit into one parking space.