Second Annual Touch-A-Truck Event for Kids of all Ages is April 14 at the North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex

The second annual Touch-A-Truck event for kids of all ages will be held Saturday, April 14, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at the North Myrtle Beach Park & Sport Complex in the Soccer/Lacrosse parking lot. 

Admission is free.

The event is offered by the North Myrtle Beach Parks & Recreation Department.

Touch-A Truck provides a day for children of all ages to get an up close, interactive look at many of the large vehicles and heavy equipment they only see on television or driving down the road. Everyone will have the opportunity to explore exhibits like dump trucks, tractors, fire trucks, police cars, race cars and more!

In addition to all the vehicles, this community event features public safety information and other activities including, face painting, helmet safety by the North Strand Optimist Club, spot camera eye screenings offered by the North Myrtle Beach Lion’s Club, and an opportunity for kids to write letters to soldiers with help from the Grand Strand Blue Star Mothers. 

Special Note: North Myrtle Beach is proud to support families who have children with autism, special needs and sensory sensitivities. There will be a sensory-friendly experience from 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m., during which all sirens and equipment noise will be silenced.

Come on out to climb, learn and discover!

RESULTS: April 2 North Myrtle Beach City Council Meeting

During the April 2 North Myrtle Beach City Council Meeting, Mayor Marilyn Hatley presented a Proclamation to the North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club naming April 2018 as National Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month in North Myrtle Beach.

In her Proclamation, Mayor Hatley noted that child abuse and neglect is a serious problem affecting every segment of a community. Finding solutions to prevent child abuse and neglect requires input and action from everyone in a community.

Child abuse can have lifelong psychological, emotional, and physical consequences for the abused. Effective child abuse prevention activities succeed because of meaningful connections and partnerships created between child welfare, education, health, community and faith-based organizations, businesses, and law enforcement agencies.

Mayor Hatley asked all North Myrtle Beach citizens to dedicate themselves to the task of helping to improve quality of life for all children and families.

City Council approved a special event permit for the Anderson Estep Cherry Grove Surfing Championship set for April 21, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. north of the Cherry Grove Pier in the designated surf area. The event honors the memory of Anderson Todd Estep, a 19-year-old surfer who in June 2013 was lost in the waves brought to the Grand Strand by Tropical Storm Andrea.

City Council passed second (final) reading of an ordinance amending Chapter 23, Zoning of the Code of Ordinances of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (ZTX-18-0 1). The amendment resolves some conflicts and inconsistencies in the Zoning Ordinance by standardizing the use of private streets in all residential districts.

City Council passed second reading of an ordinance annexing a 0.24-acre lot located on Wyndell Drive off 13th Avenue North. The zoning for the lot is HC (Highway Commercial).

City Council adopted a Resolution approving mutual aid agreements with 10 South Carolina police agencies to assist in managing the impact of the Town of Atlantic Beach 2018 Black Pearl Memorial Day & Bike Fest on the city of North Myrtle Beach. The agencies include the Charleston County Sheriff's Office, Columbia Police Department, Goose Creek Police Department, Greenville County Sheriff's Office, Irmo Police Department, Lexington Police Department, Loris Police Department, North Charleston Police Department, Rock Hill Police Department, and Spartanburg Police Department.

City Council discussed the potential for developing legislation pertaining to a potential ban on plastic bags and Styrofoam. Council members agreed that plastic bags and Styrofoam present major problems for the environment, marine life and wildlife. While they would prefer to achieve a countywide solution to the problem, if that is not feasible they appear to be willing to explore a purely local solution.

Council members agreed that a workshop involving input from the business community, Keep North Myrtle Beach Beautiful, the North Myrtle Beach Turtle Patrol, city staff offering summaries of laws from other cities and counties, and input from other groups would be a good first step in determining the complexity of the issue as it exists in North Myrtle Beach. A date was not set for the workshop.

13th Annual Palmetto Police Motorcycle Skills Competition April 4-7 At Myrtle Beach Mall

The 13th Annual Palmetto Police Motorcycle Skills Competition, which benefitsCamp Happy Days, is April 4-7 at Myrtle Beach Mall,10177 North Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach (next to Bass Pro Shop).

The public is invited to attend this free event. If you like, you can use this opportunity to donate toCamp Happy Days, which welcomes all children with cancer across South Carolina without charge. From their signature summer camp, age-specific on-going programs, family counseling and financial assistance, “dream dates,” hospital visits, holiday giving and more, these programs help relieve worries and strengthen family bonds.

Developed with guidance from the medical community, Camp Happy Days programs help improve the emotional, physical and psychological health of children and families affected by pediatric cancer. At Camp Happy Days, kids discover the power within themselves as they share life-changing experiences with kids just like themselves who are battling cancer. Kids can be kids again as they have fun and gain confidence.

What cancer takes away,Camp Happy Days helps give back. 

Check out Camp Happy Days atwww.camphappydays.org.

The Palmetto Police Motor Skills Competition is a way to showcase the skills of law enforcement motorcycle riders or motor officers. They come to the competition from different states and locally and are put to the test through a series of performance-under-pressure events. 

It takes a great deal of practice to be able to handle the weight and size of a motorcycle. The basic idea behind police motorcycle training is to make the motorcycle work to its maximum potential. A simple philosophy of motor officers is, if you hit or rub a cone in training, you have just struck a pedestrian.

Several events help determine the overall best riders. These riders are ranked in a final overall category. The best overall rider earns the title of Mr. Rodeo. The best team consisting of four members earns the title of Best Overall Team.

For a detailed itinerary and other information about the types of courses the motor officers will ride in the motorcycle skills competition, visitwww.ppmsc.us

For more information or to donate to Camp Happy Days, please contact Sergeant Ray Pollock at843-241-4313 (Cell), 843-280-5511 (Office) orrrpollock@nmb.us

Ingram Dunes Update from the City of North Myrtle Beach

The North Myrtle Beach Planning Commission approved a request for a preliminary plat of subdivision for Ocean Peak to create 31 lots of record and two public rights-of-way between Hillside Drive and Strand Avenue. (The privately owned property is sometimes referred to by members of the public as "Ingram Dunes.")

The Planning Commission's role is not to decide on the "worth" of a proposed subdivision or project but to determine if an applicant's request adheres to city ordinances governing the particular request, which this request did.

The applicant also asked the Planning Commission to act to allow removal of trees on lots throughout the subdivision but the Commission voted to take no action. This means that the applicant will have to request a variance from the city's Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) in order to accomplish such work. The application period for the April BZA meeting has passed and the next available BZA meeting is May 10.

This item will NOT go before City Council. The approved application for a preliminary plat of subdivision was based on the property's original zoning (R-1 Single-Family Residential Low Density) and as such does not require Council review or approval.

Previously, the applicant did file a request to rezone the property from R-1 Single Family Residential Low Density to R-1B Single Family Residential Low to Medium Density. Because it was a request for a rezoning of the property, it was required to go before City Council and did so at the February 6, 2017 City Council meeting. The request failed when no motion was made to act on the applicant's request. Thus, the original R-1 zoning remained in place.

As is true of any development project, the property owner would also have to apply for and receive a land disturbance permit relating to storm water control, and a water and sewer permit. The applicant would also apply for a grading permit, which if granted, would allow them to develop the rights-of-way within the subdivision, including tree removal within the rights-of-way only. These permits are reviewed and granted or not at the staff level and some of the permits may involve a joint review with other agencies.

Three Receive City of North Myrtle Beach Employee Longevity Awards

During the March 19 North Myrtle Beach City Council Meeting, three city employees received Employee Longevity Awards. 

Receiving awards were Detective Owen Lynam (25 years of service), Aquatic & Fitness Center CustodianNicholas Greene (10), and Director of Planning & Development Jim Wood(10).

Employee Longevity Awards are given in five-year increments to employees who provide excellent customer service.

We congratulate these employees and thank them for their service!

Shown L-R in the accompanying photo are Jim Wood, Owen Lynam, Nicholas Greene, and City Manager Mike Mahaney.

North Myrtle Beach Election Commission Certifies March 6 Tourism Development Fee Referendum Vote Count

The North Myrtle Beach Election Commission met at North Myrtle Beach City Hall on March 8 at 10:00 a.m. to certify the March 6 Tourism Development Fee referendum vote.

The certified referendum vote count is 188 "YES" votes and 3052 "NO" votes.

The number of "NO" votes increased by two over the March 6 count.

The Election Commission approved two ballots withheld from the March 6 vote count pending review on March 8.

One voter did not have photographic identification on their person at the time of voting due to having misplaced their driver’s license. The voter later provided the required photographic proof and their ballot was reviewed and approved on March 8.

Another voter acquired an absentee ballot to fill out but did not complete or submit the absentee ballot. When they went to vote at their polling place, information showed they had signed up for an absentee ballot. The voter gave the uncompleted absentee ballot to the polling manager and voted by machine, pending review by the Commission on March 8.

The accompanying chart shows the vote as tallied per voting precinct: "ABS"=Absentee, "Failsafe"=The two reviewed and approved ballots, "CB"=Crescent Beach, "CG"=Cherry Grove, "OD"=Ocean Drive, "WH"=Windy Hill.

Carolina Wheelchair Basketball Conference Championship Tournament Set For March 10-11 At The North Myrtle Beach Aquatic & Fitness Center

The Carolina Wheelchair Basketball Conference Championship Tournament (CWBC) will be held March 10-11 at the North Myrtle Beach Aquatic & Fitness Center (1100 Second Avenue South).

The CWBC is comprised of seven teams:

North Carolina Teams

Charlotte Rollin Hornets

Fayetteville Flyers

Port City Spokesman

Triad Trackers

Triangle Thunder

South Carolina Teams

Richland County Recreation Commission Lightening’s

Spartanburg Pistons

The March 10 tip-off is at 9am with the last game beginning at 3:30pm.

The March 11 tip-off is at 9am with the championship game beginning at 12pm.

The games are free and open to the public.

For more information please contact Melinda Chappell at 843-280-5632