Sunday, November 24, 2024
With the RIDE II capital project sales tax set to expire in May 2014, there does not appear to be enough support among Horry County Council members to immediately push for a RIDE III program.
This is a good idea.
For those of you who may not remember, or not have lived in Horry County in 2006, the process of establishing projects to be funded by a one cent local option sales tax (that’s what a capital project sales tax is) is not one that should be rushed.
Almost five years after solid waste flow control was made county government policy, Horry County Council moved to take control of that policy as a management tool rather than the hammer it has been until now.
By a 7-4 vote, council amended its flow control ordinance to allow construction and demolition debris to go to SC DHEC approved landfills, both public and private, outside of the county rather than mandating all C&D go to the Horry County Solid Waste Authority landfill on Hwy 90.
The final vote was not without several desperate, last minute attempts to delay it, which included the spreading of HCSWA propaganda that had become quite old.
As the ordinance to amend the county’s flow control ordinance comes up for third reading at the January 21, 2014 regular meeting of Horry County Council, the political rhetoric of garbage is reaching its apex.
Garbage has two meanings in this article – that which is buried at the Hwy 90 landfill and that which comes from the mouth of some Horry County Solid Waste Authority officials and their supporters.
The garbage that is buried at the landfill will be somewhat less if county council passes third reading of the ordinance.
While the data from the HCSWA says this will result in lost revenue of $927,500 annually, an independent study says the actual cost to the HCSWA will be a miniscule $19,000 annually.
Homeowner’s associations (HOA) and the ability of residents affected by them to get treated fairly has become an increasing matter of debate in both Horry County and around the state in recent years.
As more retirees moved to the county over the last 10 years, they often chose private sub-divisions or condominiums to live in that are governed by some type of HOA.
Homeowner Associations are governed by a chain of documents and laws such as:
The Articles of Incorporation filed with the Secretary of State provide the legal basis of the association in the form of an Incorporated Non-Profit Corporation.
It does not appear that any votes changed sides at yesterday’s Horry County Council solid waste flow control workshop.
Council is currently considering an amendment to the county’s flow control ordinance that would remove construction and demolition debris from regulation.
The workshop allowed the Horry County Solid Waste Authority to make a presentation on the possible effects of the amendment followed by questions and discussion by council members.
A settlement check issued by the state of South Carolina for the Southern Holdings case plaintiffs wound up nine months later in the account of an attorney not connected to the case.
After six years in litigation where the state Insurance Reserve Fund spent several million dollars on lawyers defending the case, a rushed “settlement” was allegedly arranged between lawyers for the plaintiff and lawyers for the defendants.
The alleged settlement took place behind closed doors with the federal trial judge, after jury selection was complete.
Horry County Council will hold a workshop on solid waste flow control and the ordinance amendment now being considered on Monday January 6, 2014 beginning at 3 p.m. in council chambers.
The amendment passed by a 6-5 vote on first reading at council’s December meeting. The workshop is expected to bring a full bore attack by council members opposed to the amendment, which is the same as saying apologists for the Horry County Solid Waste Authority.
Final passage of the amendment would remove construction and demolition debris from flow control regulations.
The “Big Talk” television show will feature a one hour special “Talking Big Trash” Sunday December 29th and Sunday January 5th.
The show is a response to the Horry County Council ordinance that will amend the county’s solid waste flow control ordinance if it passes two more readings.
Since county council introduced the ordinance, opponents led by Horry County Solid Waste Authority officials and several council members who blindly support the HCSWA have been spreading rumors about how much the amendment will cost the county.
By a margin of one vote, Horry County Council moved to benefit future generations of county residents by approving first reading of an amendment to the county’s solid waste flow control ordinance.
The amendment will remove construction and demolition debris from flow control regulation.
By taking this step, the HCSWA estimates it will lose approximately 35,000 tons of C&D waste from going to its Hwy 90 landfill. It must be noted, that estimate is purely speculative, but any loss of waste experienced by the HCSWA extends the life of the landfill to the benefit of future generations of Horry County residents.
Attempting to head off an amendment to the Horry County solid waste flow control ordinance, council member Harold Worley said, “solid waste needs a Gestapo” in remarks to the county council Administration Committee Friday.
Worley, chairman of the admin committee and normally an advocate for citizens, has long been a strong supporter of the Horry County Solid Waste Authority, for reasons that remain a mystery.
Generally a master at directing debate on an issue, Worley resorted to hyperbole when his attempts to stall an amendment to the county flow control ordinance were flagging.
Speak Up…