Public news and announcements are brought to you by the Horry County Public Information Office.
On November 5, 2020 in County News, voting
Conway, South Carolina-Due to a data transfer issue related to the scanning of a portion of absentee ballots, the South Carolina Election Commission (SEC) is requiring Horry County Registration & Elections to rescan the ballots. ES&S, the scanning equipment manufacturer, is on-hand to assist with the procedure which began this morning around 10 a.m. Registration & Elections wants all voters to know that this will not impact their absentee ballots in any way.
The Horry County Board of Voter’s Registration and Elections will meet Friday, November 6, 2020, at 10 a.m. to certify election results.
For questions or concerns, please contact Horry County Registration & Elections at (843) 915-5440.
On October 30, 2020 in Weekly Update
[Revised 11.3.20-Revised Planning Commission agenda]
[Revised 11.4.20-Revised Planning Commission agenda]
Upcoming Meetings-Revised
Please note: The Planning Commission agenda was revised.
Meeting attendees are encouraged to wear a face-covering when entering the building and when social distancing is not possible or practical.
Stormwater Advisory Board
Wednesday, November 4, 2020, 3 p.m.
Click here to view and download the agenda.
Planning Commission
Thursday, November 5, 2020, 5:30 p.m.
Click here to view and download the agenda or here for the packet.
Community Tree Planting Event at the Michael Morris Graham Park
As part of Community Planning Month, the Horry County Parks & Open Space Board, Horry County Parks & Recreation and Keep Horry County Beautiful will hold a Community Tree Planting at the Michael Morris Graham Park in Aynor on Friday, November 6, 2020, at 9 a.m. The tree planting was made possible through a grant of 70-trees from PalmettoPride (some of which will be planted at Michael Morris Graham Park). Additional landscaping items (plants, mulch, etc) will be placed thanks to an additional grant from PalmettoPride that was awarded to Keep Horry County Beautiful. The event is free and open to the public.
For more information, contact Horry County Planning & Zoning at (843) 915-5340.
Horry County Government COVID19 Operations Update
Following the guidance from Governor McMaster and state agencies, Horry County will allow public access to its buildings with the best safety practices being implemented. Safety measures will include:
To help alleviate crowding in public areas, Horry County encourages individuals to continue to do business online and over the phone with county departments where possible. Horry County will continue to phase into operations as conditions permit, and ask for patience if wait times exist.
Anyone planning to visit a County building should be prepared to check in with staff located at the entrance to the facility. Visitors may be asked to wait outside the office or facility depending on the capacity of the facility.
County officials remind everyone to continue to follow CDC and S.C. DHEC safety guidelines as well as Governor McMaster’s executive orders that remain in effect.
Juror selection has resumed with precautions in place.
All local Magistrate Offices are open to the public for filings and court.
Central Traffic Court is open as well as is the Central Jury Court. Central Jury will only be receiving guilty pleas, so the public will not be required to serve jury duty.
Preliminary hearings resumed October 30, 2020.
On October 26, 2020 in County News
Horry County officials remind eligible minority and small businesses and eligible nonprofit organizations that the deadline to apply for the two new South Carolina CARES Act grant programs is this Sunday, November 1.
These programs, the Minority and Small Business Relief Grant Program and the Nonprofit Relief Grant Program can help provide financial reimbursement to South Carolina's small businesses and nonprofits for COVID-19 related financial or operational impacts.
The Minority and Small Business Relief Grant Program will reimburse qualified recipients from $2,500 to $25,000. To qualify, minority and small businesses must employ 25 or fewer employees and be physically located in South Carolina. A full list of grant eligibility requirements can be found on the accelerateSC website.
The Nonprofit Relief Grant Program will reimburse qualified recipients from $2,500 to $50,000. To qualify, nonprofits must be designated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization by the Internal Revenue Service, be registered as a public charity with the South Carolina Secretary of State, and be physically located in South Carolina. A full list of grant eligibility requirements can be found on accelerateSC's website.
The online application process for both grants will open Monday, Oct. 19, and run through Sunday, Nov. 1. The application can be accessed on the accelerateSC website.
Click here to review the recent press release from the Office of Governor Henry McMaster.
For help with the application process contact the SC Cares Call Center at 803-670-5170 or by email at SCCares@admin.sc.gov.
On October 23, 2020 in Weekly Update
[Revised 10/26/2020-Revised Administration Committee agenda & packet]
Upcoming Meetings
Infrastructure & Regulation Committee
Tuesday, October 27, 2020, 9 a.m.
Keep Horry County Beautiful
Tuesday, October 27, 2020, 11:30 a.m.
Administration Committee
Tuesday, October 27, 2020, 2 p.m.
The following meeting will take place virtually and will be broadcast on the Horry County Government website as well as the Government Access Channel (Spectrum/Time Warner channel 1301 or Horry Telephone Cooperative Channel 14).
Planning Commission Workshop
Thursday, October 29, 2020, 3 p.m.
The following meeting will take place virtually via Webex (instructions below). Please note these links will not work until the meeting date/time.
Local Emergency Planning Committee
Thursday, October 29, 2020, 10 a.m.
Click here to contact Jason Lehman for information on how to join the meeting.
Horry County Voter's Registration & Elections Office To Be Open On Saturday
The Horry County Voter’s Registration & Elections office located at 1515 4th Avenue in Conway will be open for absentee in person voting from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, 2020, and Saturday, October 31, 2020, ahead of the November 3, 2020, General Election. Please note, this is the only location open on these Saturdays for absentee in person voting and absentee ballot drop off.
Voters who prefer to vote absentee in person will enter the facility, complete the provided absentee voting application, and then vote. Voters are urged to visit www.scvotes.gov to ensure that their information is correct prior to arrival. Additionally, absentee in person voters will need to have proper photo identification. Voters are reminded to be patient as safety protocols may cause the process to be slightly slower.
For more information, visit www.scvotes.gov or contact the Horry County Voter’s Registration & Elections office at (843) 915-5440.
Registration and Elections to Conduct Scanner Test
The Horry County Election Commission will be conducting a routine test of the scanner used to count absentee ballots on Election Day, November 3, 2020. The test will be conducted on Friday, October 30, 2020, at 8 a.m. in the Registration & Elections Office located at 1515 4th Avenue in Conway.
For further information, contact Horry County Registration & Elections at 843-915-5440.
Preliminary hearings will be resumed October 30, 2020.
On October 16, 2020 in Weekly Update
County Council
Tuesday, October 20, 2020, 6 p.m.
The October 20th Council Meeting will take place in-person in Council Chambers. Social separation protocols will be enforced and seating will be very limited. Overflow space will be available to accommodate public viewing. Attendees are encouraged to wear a face-covering when entering the building and in Council Chambers. The meeting will be broadcast on the Horry County Government website as well as Spectrum/Time Warner channel 1301 or Horry Telephone Cooperative channel 14.
IMPORTANT NOTICE CONCERNING PUBLIC COMMENT
Public Comment will be taken ONLY on items scheduled for a public hearing. See list below.
Members of the public will have an opportunity to provide public comment via telephone on the items having public hearing. You must sign up in advance to speak on public hearing by 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20, 2020. You will receive a call during the meeting and patched into the meeting when the item on which you wish to speak comes up on the agenda. You can sign up by calling Pat Hartley in the Council Office at (843) 915-5120, or by emailing hartleyp@horrycounty.org. You can also provide written comments to be provided to each Council member at the same email, hartleyp@horrycounty.org. The Public Input segment that is held at the beginning of each meeting remains suspended until further notice.
Public Hearings that are scheduled for October 20th include:
Ordinance 93-2020 amending Ordinance 93-16 for the express purpose of deleting Sub-section (D)(1) of Section 1, retroactive to January 1, 2017.
Ordinance 94-2020 approving & authorizing the county administrator to undertake such actions as may be necessary to list and sell the Rankin house for the benefit of Conway Memorial Library.
Ordinance 95-2020 to amend the Horry County Code “Chapter 2 Administration; Article V. Finance and Fiscal Procedures” to increase the revenue stabilization reserve to 5% for certain funds and provide reserve requirements for the waste management recycling fund.
Library Board of Trustees
Thursday, October 22, 2020, 4:30 p.m.
Horry County 911 to Implement Recorded Announcement
Beginning Sunday, November 1, 2020, Horry County 911 will implement a recorded announcement that people will hear when they call 9-1-1 or the non-emergency dispatch line at 843-248-1520. Calls will continue to be routed through our normal process and this announcement will not delay a call-taker from answering a call. The announcement, which replaces the ringing a caller would normally hear, will let people know that their call has been received and ask them not to hang up the phone.
“We urge everyone that calls 9-1-1 to stay on the line”, said Director of Horry County 911 Renee Hardwick. “When a person hangs up and calls back, the call goes to the back of the line while the call-taker is tied up trying to call back. Our call volumes continue to increase each year and we think this new recorded message will improve efficiency for our call-takers by reducing hang-ups and the potential delays for our call-takers answering the phone.”
For non-emergencies that require public safety assistance, people should call 843-248-1520. For emergencies, please dial 9-1-1.
Horry County Citizen Planning Academy
Horry County Council has declared October as Community Planning Month. To celebrate, Horry County Planning & Zoning is hosting its second annual Citizen Planning Academy, which is designed to create citizen planners that will be engaged in shaping the future of Horry County. This year's program will be held virtually through multiple 1.5-hour web-based sessions that will cover a variety of topics such as development trends, the rezoning process, understanding the development process, capital improvements planning and funding, and ways to guide quality growth.
Participants will attend a total of seven web-based sessions from the end of October through January, including a Virtual Meet & Greet on October 28, 2020, and education sessions on November 12, November 18, December 10, December 16, January 14, and January 20. While the session dates are predetermined, the session times will be based upon the availability of the participants.
Applications for this program can be submitted electronically through Monday, October 19 by clicking here. Space is limited to ensure a quality experience for all participants. Applications will be reviewed to ensure the Academy has balanced representation from throughout unincorporated Horry County. Selection for this program will be done without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, political affiliation, or disability.
Applicants will be notified by email by October 23, 2020, if they have been accepted into the program. Those not accepted for this year's academy will be placed on a waiting list and be considered for future offerings. All education sessions will be made available on the Planning & Zoning website afterward for the public to listen and learn at their leisure.
For more information on this program, please contact Horry County Planning & Zoning Department at (843) 915-5340.
Horry County to Accept Applications for Community Development Block Grant for CDBG-CV Funding
Horry County is now accepting applications from non-profit organizations for eligible Community Development Block Grant for (CDBG-CV) public service projects for the 2020 funding cycle. A total of $120,000 in CDBG-CV funding will be made available for eligible public service projects.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has allocated supplemental Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-CV) Program funds to Horry County to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDBG-CV funds are authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Public Law 116-136 and must be used to prevent, prepare for, or respond to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Applications for public service CDBG-CV projects must primarily serve low to moderate-income persons. Applications are due no later than November 5, 2020, at 5 p.m. to be eligible for funding consideration.
For more information, contact Horry County Community Development by email. Applications are available for download on the Horry County Community Development website.
Horry County Legacy Business Recognition
The Horry County Historic Preservation Commission’s Legacy Business Recognition Program will recognize the Goldfinch Funeral Home with a ceremony on October 20, 2020, at 10 a.m. Typically the ceremonies are open to the public, however, due to Covid-19, the ceremony will be live-streamed on the Horry County Historic Preservation Commission’s Facebook page.
The year was 1905 when W. T. Goldfinch owner of the Kingston Furniture Company on Main Street in Conway, set aside space in the rear of his new store to display and sell “coffins,” as they were called in those days. His two sons, Albert and William were also involved with this venture. This was the simple beginning of the Goldfinch Funeral Home.
Currently, the Goldfinch Funeral Home has entered its fifth generation of ownership with Megan Goldfinch Hayden becoming the President and CEO. Join us live on Facebook for the tale of five generations, and how they took the business from its humble beginnings through the years of serving the community, to the expansion of six locations.
The Horry County Legacy Business Recognition Program pays tribute to local businesses that have contributed to the economic heritage of Horry County for more than 50-continuous years. For more information, contact Lou Conklin, Senior Planner with Horry County Planning & Zoning at (843) 915-5340.
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