Politics

Culture of Arrogance at SWA

The culture of arrogance that pervades the Horry County Solid Waste Authority (SWA) was on view for all to see at Thursday’s Infrastructure and Regulation Committee meeting.

The SWA was created by Horry County Ordinance 60-90 and its board is appointed by vote of Horry County Council.

The SWA is currently telling the IRS that it is a “discreet component unit of Horry County Government.” However, at Thursday’s meeting SWA Executive Director Danny Knight told I&R Committee members the SWA is ‘sometimes not the county, sometimes somewhat the county and sometimes somewhere in between.’

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Changing the HCWSA Form of Governance

Horry County council member Jody Prince directed county staff to prepare a briefing document for the September 12, 2013 Infrastructure and Regulation Committee meeting that discusses other options for governance of the HCWSA (Horry County Solid Waste Authority).

“I’m making an official request, as chairman of the (I&R) committee, asking staff for options for status, other than authority status, for the HCSWA, including committee, advisory board and (county government) department, and the procedures required to make such a change,” said Prince.

Prince’s request came after discussions about a resolution in which the HCSWA requests the county to approve a recycling incentive program contract between the HCSWA and the county. The committee deferred consideration of the resolution at least until the September meeting.

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More Transparency with Government Tax Dollars

The Horry County Council Infrastructure and Regulation Committee will consider a resolution tomorrow that could lead to greater public access and transparency to spending government tax dollars.

The resolution calls for the Horry County Solid Waste Authority, Coast RTA and the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation to conduct board meetings at the county’s Government and Justice Complex on 3rd Avenue in Conway.

Specifically the meetings would be held in council chambers or the council conference room, both of which are wired for internet live streaming of meetings as well as recording equipment that will allow recorded meetings to be available for viewing on the county website.

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The Adult Entertainment Industry Strikes Back

The first salvo from the adult entertainment industry was launched just hours after a Horry County Council Ad Hoc Committee voted Thursday to go forward with new ordinances governing the time, place and manner of adult entertainment operations.

Todd Martin, corporate spokesperson for Airport Express Video, LLC sent a press release by e-mail to all members of county council as well as many media outlets.

The press release outlines Airport Express Video’s meetings with county staff, its business license history and other interactions with the county. It also explains why Airport Express Video believes the new county ordinances to be unconstitutional and asks some interesting questions about other types of businesses.

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Horry County Adult Entertainment

Regulating Adult Entertainment Sometimes

The Horry County Council Ad Hoc Committee on Sexually Oriented Business Legislation voted unanimously Thursday to send the proposed two adult entertainment regulating ordinances back to full county council for second reading recommending approval as they are currently written.

The two ordinances address zoning regulations for adult entertainment establishments as well as conduct inside the establishments.

According to Scott Burkhold, the Tennessee attorney the county is consulting on the legislation, the ordinances will restrict the time, manner and place of adult entertainment. He said the ordinances do not ban adult entertainment, which is constitutionally protected, but do force businesses to comply with the new regulations.

It’s important to note that passage of these ordinances, which appears a virtual certainty, will not end strip clubs and bookstore/novelty adult entertainment businesses in Horry County. The six adult entertainment establishments located within city limits will not be affected by these ordinances. They are governed by the city laws within which they are located.

The 11 identified adult entertainment establishments (8 strip clubs and 3 bookstore/novelty shops) currently operating in the unincorporated areas of the county will be affected.

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Horry County Adult Entertainment

Stripping Away Adult Entertainment

The Horry County Ad Hoc Committee on Sexually Oriented Business Legislation meets Thursday with the probable result that committee members will forward the county’s proposed new adult entertainment ordinance to full council with recommendation for approval.

The new ordinance, written by an attorney from Tennessee who specializes in this type of ordinance, would govern the 11 adult entertainment establishments, eight strip clubs and three bookstores/novelty shops, in the unincorporated areas of the county. It would establish new setbacks and minimum distance requirements from such things as schools, churches, houses, other adult establishments and the like.

If the new ordinance is forwarded as written and council approves two more readings of it (it has passed first reading already), all 11 of the current establishments in the unincorporated county areas would be out of compliance and subject to being closed.

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MBM Fundraising for Mayor John Rhodes

Fundraising efforts for Mayor John Rhodes 2013 re-election campaign have begun among members of the Myrtle Beach Mafia.

According to sources familiar with the effort, money raising calls as well as the establishment of a fundraising network of phone chains began Friday.

Rhodes as well as incumbent city council members Wayne Gray, Randal Wallace and Mike Lowder will be on the 2013 election ballot. Keith Van Winkle has announced he will challenge for a seat on city council and we are hearing former council member Chuck Martino is strongly considering another run.

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Lindsey Graham in the Bullseye

A new super PAC was launched this week in South Carolina with a goal to defeat Sen. Lindsey Graham in his bid for re-election in 2014.

Formed by the grassroots non-profit political organization Carolina Conservatives United, it will be calling on conservatives within the state to defeat Graham in the upcoming 2014 election.

“We never know which Lindsey Graham will show up in Washington each day,” said CCU Chairman Bob Carroll in a press release. “He’s more likely to side with liberal Senate Democrats on important votes than with Senator Tim Scott or the South Carolina Republican Congressional delegation.”

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Alan Clemmons for Mayor?

The name of S.C. Rep. Alan Clemmons (R-107) keeps popping up in discussions and polls connected to the upcoming mayoral election in Myrtle Beach.

There has been no word from Clemmons, official or otherwise, that we know of at this point, but where there’s smoke, there’s often fire.

That Clemmons would be a logical candidate makes political sense. He is a native of Myrtle Beach who has represented House District 107 since it was created prior to the 2002 elections. Much of his district is located within the city limits of Myrtle Beach, so a large voting base is already used to casting ballots for him.

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Changing Dynamics on Horry County Council

Changing dynamics among members of Horry County Council could have important impacts in the next several months on several important issues.

Nothing in politics happens in a vacuum and the recent vote on a resolution regarding Huffman Helicopters is expected to have some effects on issues such as adult entertainment, the Horry County Solid Waste Authority and possibly Coast RTA.

The proposed adult entertainment ordinance will be first up with a meeting of a special Ad Hoc Committee to discuss the issue. The meeting will take place August 1 with more than the six council members appointed to the committee expected to attend.

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