Citizens Academy graduates receive completion certificates

During the March 4 City Council meeting, City Council recognized and presented certificates of completion to North Myrtle Beach residents who graduated from the 2019 North Myrtle Beach Citizens Academy. Academy participants learned about work performed by city departments, their projects and some of the challenges they face. They also toured key city facilities.

Citizens Academy graduates included Sheila Benson, Brittany Callahan, James Van Cooper, Brandon Downey, John Hedrick, Teresa Hedrick, Deborah Lashley, Susan Platt, Jim Rudge, Pam Rudge, Edward Silver and Tim Weis.

We thank these residents for their interest in and commitment to the city of North Myrtle Beach.

City Council passed a motion to reappoint Mary Caroline Driggers and Ruth Anne Ellis to the North Myrtle Beach Tree City Board.

City Council passed a motion to approve a special event permit for the Society of Shaggers (SOS) Saturday, May 4, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. parade, which starts on Main Street. For more on the parade, visit www.shagdance.com.

City Council adopted a resolution to approve the mutual aid agreements for Memorial Day weekend. As in years past, in order to ensure that traffic moves as smoothly as possible during the very crowded weekend, the city will be assisted by officers from 16 out-of-area South Carolina police departments. The mutual aid agreements lay out the terms by which the city and the different police agencies operate.

City Council passed second (final reading) of an ordinance to rezone 1.96 acres of land located on Commons Boulevard from Highway Commercial (HC) to Mid-Rise Multifamily Residential (R-2). The property is currently vacant and undeveloped.

City Council passed second reading of an ordinance to amend several sections within Chapter 3 of the North Myrtle Beach Code of Ordinances entitled, Alcoholic Beverages, establishing a festival zone that allows beer and wine to be consumed in approved areas of shopping and/or entertainment destinations of 10 or more acres.

A property owner must apply to the city for a permit to have a festival zone within their location. The application process requires the property owner to submit a map depicting the exact boundaries of the desired festival zone, a detailed narrative of how the property owner would manage the possession and consumption of beer and wine within the festival zone and other facts. The property owner must submit the permit application to the city manager and director of public safety for review and comment, resulting in a recommendation to City Council at least 30 days prior to the meeting at which City Council would consider the permit request.

If Council approves a permit request for a festival zone, the city manager monitors compliance of the approved plan. If the city manager determines that a permit holder has violated the terms or parameters of an approved festival zone, the city manager at his sole discretion has the authority to suspend or revoke a festival zone permit.

City Council approved first reading of an ordinance to extend the lease between the city of North Myrtle Beach and T-Mobile regarding placement of its telecommunication equipment on the Duffy Street water tower. T-Mobile would like to extend the lease beyond the expiration date of May 20, 2021.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to amend the Prince Resort Planned Development District (PDD) to allow for a Hampton Inn & Suites featuring 127 one bedroom units and a parking garage.

The PDD, approved in 2004, allows for construction of one oceanfront tower and a second row parking garage with residential units on top. The remaining oceanfront and second row lots remained vacant for future development consisting of a second oceanfront tower and second row parking garage. The Hampton Inn & Suites would replace the planned second tower and the second parking garage would be constructed.

One hundred forty-seven public parking spaces for use by the public would be available within the amended PDD. The majority of the public parking spaces would be located within the two parking garages, plus seven surface lot parking spaces.

City Council considered for discussion purposes a draft of a proposed ordinance to prohibit single use carryout plastic bags at retail establishments in the city. The draft ordinance proposed an effective date of January 1, 2024, to allow retail establishments to expend their current stock of single use carryout plastic bags and transition to reusable, recyclable or compostable alternatives, however, Council asked that the final draft of the proposed ordinance include an effective date of January 1, 2021.

First reading of a proposed ordinance to prohibit single use carryout plastic bags at retail establishments in the city will occur at the March 18 City Council meeting.