RESULTS: April 16 North Myrtle Beach City Council Meeting

Prior to the April 16 North Myrtle Beach City Council meeting, City Council members met in an executive session for a legal briefing on possible property acquisitions, and for a legal briefing on a potential contract between a Designated Marketing Organization (DMO) and the City of North Myrtle Beach. Council took no action.

Seven City employees received Employee Longevity Awards. Provided in five-year increments, the awards recognize employees who consistently demonstrate excellent customer service. Receiving awards were Communications Technician & Lead Jailer Loria Gore (20 years of service), Fire Lieutenant Christopher Nash (10), Firefighter/EMT David Reed (10), Computer Technician II Michael McLamb (5) Heavy Equipment Operator Pete Stanley (5), Safety Specialist & Business License Inspector Joe Turner (5), and Heavy Equipment Operator Mackrese Vereen (5).

City Council approved a Resolution to extend a lease between the City and Midcon Cables Company for three years. The City leases to Midcon a portion of its warehouse located on the corner of 6^th Avenue South and Bay Street. The annual lease rate for the first two years of the renewal term is $171,444.60 and in the third year, the rate increases based on a formula contained in the lease.

City Council approved the2018 Music on Main concert schedule. All concerts will be located at the Horseshoe on Main Street. Visit http://parks.nmb.us for performers and concert dates.

City Council held a public hearing regarding the City’s proposed FY 2019 Budget.

City Council passed first reading of a proposed ordinance setting the City’s FY 2019 property tax levy at 43.3 mils on each $100 of assessed value. The proposed rate includes two parts. The first part is 6.2 mils for the annual debt service on the $15 Million Park Improvement Bonds for the land purchase and construction of the 162-acre North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex, and the second part is 37.1 mils for operating expenditures for the General Fund. The proposed 43.3 mils property tax levy for FY 2019 represents an increase of 2 mils over FY 2018.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance providing for the adoption of the proposed FY 2019 Budget. The city’s fiscal year is July 1-June 30. The proposed FY 2019 budget involves 16 separate funds with significant interrelations and transfers between the various funds. The proposed budget is $96.2 million, about $8 million less than the FY 2018 budget

The proposed budget identifies key funding needs that include:

·     A variety of capital improvement projects

·     A state retirement system-mandated $260,000 funding increase in the City’s contribution for police and fire retirement for FY 2019

·     Increased health insurance costs

·      

·     Imbalances in police, fire and other employee pay categories as compared to other cities of similar makeup

·     An imbalance in the Sewer Fund

·     A pass-through increase in the county solid waste fee

·     The start of replacement of decade-old roll-out containers

·     Adjustments to the business license fee rate structure

Proposed funding for these needs includes: 

·     A property tax increase of 2 mils. On a $350,000 home (the median home price in North Myrtle Beach) 2 mils amounts to a property tax increase of $28 annually.

·     A sewer fee adjustment. For about 12,660 of the city’s sewer customers the base rate on a 3/4-inch meter would increase from a current $6.32 to $8.00, plus 7-cents per gallon increase for 10,000 gallons. The total increase would be about $2.38 for the first 10,000 gallons. Larger meter sizes could realize larger increases.

·     A sanitation fee adjustment for single-family residential customers. The fee would increase by $3.00, from $19.00 per month to $22.00 per month. $2.00 of the increase is a pass-through increase from the Horry County Solid Waste Authority, and $1.00 would go toward replacement of aging rollout garbage containers. Containers are over 10 years old and replacement will occur over time.

·     A business license fee increase generating a total of about $700,000. The last time business license fees were adjusted was in 1986. Under the proposed FY 2019 Budget, 25% of the rate difference between North Myrtle Beach rates and Myrtle Beach rates. Example: In the Building, Auto Parts and Clothing category, the current Myrtle Beach base rate is $105 and the current North Myrtle Beach base rate is $35. Applying 25% of the rate differential would bring North Myrtle Beach’s base rate in this category from $35 to $52.50

The proposed FY 2019 Budget is available for review at www.NMB.us. Look under “Departments” in the menu at the top of the homepage, click on “Finance”, and scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the “Proposed Budget FY 2019.”

City Council passed first reading of a proposed ordinance to amend Chapter 23, Zoning Ordinance, regarding temporary display tents at businesses.

At the February 5, 2018 City Council meeting, a member of the business community asked Council to revise the City’s temporary tent ordinance for businesses to expand the maximum time tents are allowed to be used during busy seasons from one week to two weeks.

The amendment would allow permitting of a temporary tent for 14 days instead of seven, while still preserving the total 28-day yearly maximum. In the first and fourth calendar quarters, many seasonal businesses have no need for a temporary tent permit. The proposed changes would allow tent permits to have either a seven-day permit length or a 14-day permit length, with associated gaps between permit periods of 10 or 30 days. This would allow seasonal businesses to utilize the 28-day yearly allotment within their two busiest calendar quarters.

Shown left to right in the accompanying photo are Employee Longevity Award recipients Loria Gore, David Reed, Christopher Nash, Joe Turner, Michael McLamb, Pete Stanley, Mackrese Vereen, and City Manager Mike Mahaney.