News and Announcements

Conway, South Carolina [September 8, 2020]-To best meet the needs of patrons, the Horry County Memorial Library System has changed operating hours at the following locations starting Tuesday, September 8, 2020:

• The Aynor, Bucksport, Green Sea, Loris, and Little River branches will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• The Carolina Forest, Conway, Socastee, North Myrtle Beach, and Surfside Beach branches will be open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Although the libraries are open, by appointment curbside service is encouraged whenever possible. Branch locations, hours, and COVID19 limitations can be found on the Horry County Memorial Library System's website.

Update on the Hospitality Fee Litigation and Settlement Discussions

This update is provided on behalf of Horry County Government and the City of Myrtle Beach

Conway, South Carolina (September 4, 2020)—After many months and considerable effort, it gives us great pleasure to announce that Horry County Government, the City of Myrtle Beach and all municipalities involved have reached a settlement agreement in principle to resolve the Hospitality Fee litigation.

The settlement provides for a path forward for the continued collection of the fee for the mutual benefit of all parties and the county as a whole. It also provides for equitable distribution of past monies collected and unspent.

The next step in the process will be obtaining preliminary court approval of the settlement. This is scheduled to take place on or before September 16, 2020. Final approval will take place thereafter.

In summary, the agreement among all parties, subject to court approval, provides:

• That the municipalities retroactively consent to the County’s Hospitality Fee and resumption of collections within those municipalities;
• That  Hospitality Fee monies collected within the municipalities will be distributed to the municipalities from where they were collected on a monthly basis, minus a one percent administration fee;  
• That the municipalities agree to repeal any new Hospitality/Accommodations Taxes/Fees that were imposed after January 1, 2019, effective on the date collection of the Hospitality Fee within the municipalities resumes; 
• That the municipalities may reimpose these new taxes/fees if the County stops collecting the Hospitality Fee in those municipalities at any time in the future;
• That after deduction for costs, fees, expenses and claims, 50% of what remains of the $19 million (primarily from monies collected within the municipalities between January 1, 2017 and the effective date of the preliminary injunction) is proportionately distributed back to the municipalities from where the Fee was collected; and
• That distribution of the remaining 50% will be determined by the court. 

For more information, contact:                                   

Mark Kruea, Public Information Officer, City of Myrtle Beach

(843) 918-1014 voice (843) 450-1695 mobile

Kelly Moore, Director of Public Information, Horry County Government

(843) 915-8421 voice (843) 246-8945 mobile

Upcoming Meetings

Meeting attendees are encouraged to wear a face-covering when entering the building and when social distancing is not possible or practical.

 

Labor Day Holiday

Monday, September 7, 2020

All County government offices, except public safety operations, will be closed in observance of Labor Day.

 

Public Safety Committee

Tuesday, September 8, 2020, 9 a.m.

Click here to view and download the agenda or here for the packet.

 

Parks & Open Space Board

Tuesday, September 8, 2020, 12 pm.

Click here to view and download the agenda or here for the packet

 

Transportation/Economic Development Committee

Thursday, September 10, 2020, 2 p.m.

Click here to view and download the agenda or here for the packet.

 

Eddy Lake Cemetery Sign Unveiling Ceremony

Thursday, September 10, 2020, at 6:30 p.m.

Join Horry County officials on Thursday, September 10, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. for the Eddy Lake Cemetery Sign Unveiling at the Grand Strand Water & Sewer treatment plant site.

Eddy Lake Cemetery is on the historic register, and with permission from Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority, the cemetery is in the process of being recovered and restored.

Traffic control signs will be posted along Bucksport Road to provide directions to the ceremony.

 

Afterschool Programming: Registration Now Open

Starting September 8th, Horry County Parks and Recreation is offering Afterschool programming (AFS) at the following locations: Carolina Forest Recreation Center, South Strand Recreation Center, North Strand Recreation Center, Bucksport Community Center, and the Green Sea Senior Center.

AFS programming will run Monday-Friday from 2:45 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Each site will be limited to 24 total participants, and enhanced safety measures will be put in place.

Alongside Horry County Schools, Horry County Parks and Recreation is following SC DHEC’s Levels of Disease Activity guidelines.

To register or learn more about HCPR's AFS program, please visit ParksAndRec.horrycounty.org or contact the location directly.

 

Complete the 2020 Census Today

The 2020 Census is more than a count. Census information is used to determine funding for roads and infrastructure, education, housing, health care, public safety, and more. All you have to do is answer a few questions about you and everyone who is or will be living with you. This year, you can respond online, by phone, or by mail. If you haven’t already, do your part and complete the census at www.my2020census.gov.

 

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:

• Everyone in high-traffic public areas will be required to wear masks while inside facilities. This includes lobbies, waiting areas, customer service counters, etc. Everyone is encouraged to bring their own mask and wear it prior to entering the facilities.
• Occupancy limits are set in public areas of offices and lobbies.
• Physical distancing guidelines are in place.
• Services made available online will continue and the public is encouraged to use online services when possible.
• Additional hand sanitizing stations are stationed in public areas.
• Enhanced cleaning operations will continue.

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 have been canceled until further notice.

HORRY COUNTY HOME CONSORTIUM COMPETITIVE APPLICATION FOR HOMEOWNER PROJECTS AND TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE (TBRA) IS NOW OPEN

The Horry County HOME Consortium is seeking applications under the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) for homeowner projects and tenant based rental assistance projects.  This application process will focus on homeowner construction projects as well as Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA). 

HOME funds may be used to develop affordable homeownership housing through the acquisition, new construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation of affordable housing.  Activities may include real property acquisition, site improvements, new construction, rehabilitation, reconstruction, conversion, and other expenses including financing costs and temporary relocation expenses of any households, businesses, or organizations.

The TBRA program provides for payments to make up the difference between what a household can afford to pay for housing and the local rent standard. TBRA funds may be used to provide rental assistance to help pay the cost of monthly rent and utility costs, and to pay security deposit assistance to tenants regardless of whether rental and utility subsidies are being provided. Utility deposit assistance may be provided only in conjunction with rental assistance subsidy or security deposit assistance, and cannot be a stand-alone TBRA activity.

The deadline for applications is September 30, 2020 at 5 PM.

Additionally, applications for Community Housing Development Organization CHDO certification and CHDO operating assistance are available for qualifying organizations with a CHDO-eligible project submission. Applications and reference documentation are also available at: https://www.horrycounty.org/Departments/CDBG.  For more information on HOME Program eligibility and requirements, please visit the Community Development Webpage or visit the HUD Exchange. 

Horry County Government will conduct aerial spraying for mosquitoes Thursday, September 3, 2020, (inclement weather alternate date is Friday, September 4, 2020), between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and dusk, weather permitting in the following locations:

• Red Bluff Road/Hwy 22/Gore Road/Carriage Lake Drive

The Horry County Stormwater Department operates the mosquito control program and offers regular service to residents in the unincorporated area of Horry County. Anyone in the unincorporated areas can request mosquito spraying by calling the Road and Drainage Hotline at (843) 381-8000 or by using the free HCConnect App on their smartphone. To help keep our honeybee population safe, beekeepers are urged to contact Horry County Stormwater to identify the location of their colonies or fill out a no-spray zone form on our website.

The chemicals used for mosquito control spraying are approved by the EPA and pose minimal risk to humans or animals. Individuals with asthma or other respiratory illness may wish to stay indoors and close windows and doors during spraying. In addition, homegrown fruits and vegetables should be washed, scrubbed, and/or peeled before eating.