2019 Paid Parking Season Ends on Thursday, October 31 at 5:00 p.m. in North Myrtle Beach

The City's 2019 paid parking season comes to a close on Thursday, October 31 at 5:00 p.m. At that time, all paid parking kiosks in public parking lots on either side of Ocean Boulevard will be turned off and the Passport App will no longer accept payments for those lots until next parking season, currently identified as March 1, 2020 through October 31, 2020. REMEMBER: Representatives from Kimley-Horn, the City’s public parking consultant, will be on hand Friday, November 15, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at City Hall to conduct a public parking charrette. Property owners, residents, businesses and visitors are encouraged to participate. A charrette is an interactive planning session that enables participants to collaborate on a vision or strategies. It provides a forum for ideas and offers the unique advantage of giving immediate feedback to project designers. The charrette offers a “drop-in” format, allowing people to arrive and leave at any time between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. The charrette will include proposed strategies for potential refinements to the City’s paid parking program introduced in mid-June 2019, and proposed long-term parking management and investment strategies. As occurred during the City’s first public parking charrette in February 2019, easels will display proposed solutions to public parking challenges and participants will use different colored stickers to indicate their preferences regarding each item. Kimley-Horn representatives will be available at the charrette to answer questions or provide additional information on proposed solutions. City Council members will receive a report including the points of view collected during the charrette and will refer to it as they continue to work on the City’s public parking program.

Ingram Dunes Natural Area in North Myrtle Beach Open to Public

On October 24, 2019, North Myrtle Beach City Council and many others gathered at the 7.24-acres Ingram Dunes Natural Area to recognize those who contributed to the purchase of the property on June 4, 2019.

The purchase price was $2.5 million.

In her remarks, Mayor Marilyn Hatley said that:

"Everyone, from the largest donor to the smallest, is responsible for our being here today. However, there are those without whose involvement we would not be here today.

"We owe the South Carolina Conservation Bank and its board of directors a large debt of gratitude. The board worked with the City as we went through extended negotiations for this unique piece of land. We thank the board for staying the course, and we thank them for the conservation bank’s $500,000 investment Ingram Dunes.

"I would like to thank our City Council members for committing the City to its $500,000 contribution. While many people in our community loved the idea of preserving Ingram Dunes, I can tell you that not so many of our taxpayers loved the idea of committing significant taxpayer funds to this project. However, Council understood the value of this land to the community and stayed the course.

"Even with those two major contributions," Mayor Hatley continued, "we were still $1.5 million short of the funds needed to buy this land. I know we can all agree that when the family of Charles Ingram stepped forward to announce that it would contribute $1.4 million to the purchase of this natural area, this was the turning point in all of our efforts. Without the generosity of the family of Charles Ingram, we would not be celebrating here today."

The city also received 71 donations from the public. The donations ranged from $10 to $16,039. They closed the funding gap.

Mayor Hatley thanked the members of the Horry County delegation, from the federal to the local levels, for their help in securing funding.

"Journeys like the one that led us all here today do not just happen," Mayor Hatley said. "Someone always rises up and lights that first spark, encouraging others to embark on a worthwhile journey. We thank Damien Trioulerye and Jane Vernon for having been early leaders in the effort to preserve Ingram Dunes. They introduced us to the unique natural value of Ingram Dunes."

The Ingram Dunes Natural Area is managed by the City's Parks & Recreation Department. Parks Division employees will maintain the property but will not add much to what is already there.

The Ingram Dunes Natural Area honors the family of Charles Ingram. Members of the Charles Ingram family attended today's event but preferred not to speak. As Mayor Hatley put it, "They are comfortable in letting Ingram Dunes speak for itself."

The address for the Ingram Dunes Natural Area is 915 Hillside Drive South. It is across from Hillside Commons. 

Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC/NC Metropolitan Area Tops USA Today's list of "50 Affordable Cities Where Everyone Wants to Live Right Now"

According to USA Today, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, 24/7 Wall Street identified the 50 most affordable metropolitan areas Americans are moving to. The Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC/NC Metropolitan Area topped the list. Our Metropolitan Area includes a portion of NC.

In each of the metropolitan areas on the list, the overall cost of living is lower than the national average, and typical housing costs are more in line with area incomes than average across all cities. Additionally, between 2010 and 2018, far more people have moved to these cities than have left.

Statistics offered for our metropolitan area include:

-- Total population: 480,891

-- Population growth due to net migration, 2010-2018: +28.0% (+105,460)

-- Cost of living: 8.1% less than the national average

-- Median home value: $194,700

-- Median household income: $51,580

Keep North Myrtle Beach Beautiful Citywide Cleanup Day is November 2, 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.

DATE: Saturday, November 2

TIME: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

LOCATION: North Myrtle Beach Sanitation Transfer Station, 2^nd Avenue South

City of North Myrtle Beach residents are encouraged to participate in the Keep North Myrtle Beach Beautiful Annual Citywide Home Cleanup Day on Saturday, November 2, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

To participate, city residents must transport their items to the North Myrtle Beach Sanitation Department Transfer Station located on 2nd Avenue South. Once on 2nd Avenue South drive toward the Intracoastal Waterway past City Hall and the Aquatic & Fitness Center. The drop site is then on the right hand side of 2nd Avenue South.

The annual home cleanup day provides North Myrtle Beach residents with an opportunity to clean out their closets, attics, garages, and storage sheds. During the event, residents may discard unwanted items, including appliances, TVs, electronics, furniture, paint, pesticides, chemicals, oil, old tires and more. No construction debris or medical waste is accepted.

The cleanup event includes document shredding. Shred 360 provides document shredding at the cleanup drop off site at the 2^nd Avenue South Sanitation Transfer Station from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. These rules apply:

1) Document shredding is available for North Myrtle Beach residents only.

2) Limit to a maximum of three (3) bags or boxes of documents/paper only.

3) No combustibles. No metals. No glass.

Please make an effort to donate usable furniture and appliances to the Salvation Army, Goodwill Industries or local churches. Many of these organizations pick up donated items.

Special Collections: The City provides a special collection service for furniture, appliances and other bulky items. Place these items at curbside for pickup. This service is not regularly scheduled but provided on an as-needed basis. Please call the Sanitation Division at (843) 280-5500 prior to placing such items at curbside to ensure prompt pickup.

The Keep North Myrtle Beach Beautiful Commission, the North Myrtle Beach Sanitation Department and the City of North Myrtle Beach sponsor this event.

The Keep North Myrtle Beach Beautiful Commission offers a community based volunteer program to educate and empower the North Myrtle Beach community to personally improve the environment and enhance quality of life and community pride through beautification, litter prevention and recycling.

Keep North Myrtle Beach Beautiful is an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful.

Four North Myrtle Beach City Employees Earn Awards

Left to right: City Manager Mike Mahaney, Timothy Wagner,
John Griffin, Davis Livingston, and Lent William

During the October 21 North Myrtle Beach City Council Meeting, four City employees received Longevity Awards. Longevity Awards go in five-year increments to employees who consistently provide excellent customer service.

The award winners are Operations Manager/Solid Waste Lent Williams (40 years of service), Superintendent/Pumping Stations Davis Livingston (35), Sergeant John Griffin (15), and Heavy Equipment Operator Timothy Wagner (5).

North Myrtle Beach City Council Recognizes Team Shark 843

Mayor Marilyn Hatley joins team members for a celebratory photo

During their October 21 meeting, City Council members recognized Team Shark 843 for its recent team and individual performances at the wakeboard nationals.

The successful team represents Shark Wake Park 843 located on the lake at the North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex.

Team members appearing at the Council meeting included Charlie Pfahler, Will Hall, Ethan Bellamy, Kyle Bohack, Regan Bohack and Jake Bohack.

Results - October 21 North Myrtle Beach City Council Meeting

City Council approved a special event permit for the annual North Myrtle Beach Christmas Parade scheduled for Saturday, December 7, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. on Main Street. The North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and the City of North Myrtle Beach work together to present and manage the annual parade. City Council passed second (final) reading of an ordinance amending section 7-172, Form and Condition of Permit, regarding sidewalk cafes. To satisfy concerns raised by SLED and the S.C. Department of Revenue, Section 7-172(12) of the City’s Code of Ordinances now reads: “The serving and consumption of beer, wine and liquor in the sidewalk encroachment pursuant to this article is limited to patrons within the sidewalk encroachment area designated for the permittee.” The City also amended Section 7-172 to add subsection (13) which provides: “All tables authorized for use in the sidewalk encroachment area shall have non-moveable signage, which is permanently affixed to the table and visible to all, which identifies the table as belonging to the business for which the encroachment permit has been issued. The area of the sidewalk authorized for use as a sidewalk café shall be designated and marked by the City. All tables, chairs and or other items authorized to be placed within the designated encroachment area shall remain at all times within the designated encroachment area of the sidewalk.” City Council removed from the table and postponed until after a soon-to-be scheduled Council workshop second reading of an ordinance to amend the Robber’s Roost Planned Development District (PDD), revising standards for the Neighborhood Overlay Zone pertaining to porches and recessed garages. At City Council’s previous meeting, at the applicant’s request, City Council tabled second reading of the proposed ordinance. The amendment would affect the residential portion of the PDD. The proposed amended architectural standards would: -- Delete the requirement for garage doors to be recessed from the front facade, allowing garage doors to protrude forward from the front facade no more than two feet. -- Require a minimum of 24 feet of driveway between any garage door and the front property line. -- Revise the minimum width of porches to require 25 percent of the frontage of the facade facing the street or a six-foot minimum when a third garage bay is part of the home design. City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to amend Chapter 21, Article II, Section 21-40 - Annual Parking Fee Exemption, to include parking decal placement specifications. Parking decal placement is problematic for parking enforcement personnel due to inconsistent placement and failure to use provided adhesive by some vehicle and golf cart owners. There is no legal provision to for the City to issue a citation for either violation, and there is no effective way to encourage compliance. The proposed ordinance would require that decals for all personal vehicles be located and adhered, adhesive side to designated surface and area, as follows: -- Regular vehicles to the inside of the windshield, on the driver’s side, in the bottom part of the window -- Motorcycles with windshields to the outside of the windshield, in the bottom left corner -- Motorcycles without windshields to the fork -- Golf carts with windshields to the outside of the front windshield, on the driver’s side, in the bottom part of the window. -- Golf carts without windshields to the front of the cart beside the state decal. During the meeting, Mayor Marilyn Hatley appointed a committee comprised of Mike Bessant, Kevin Blayton, Pete Brooks, Bob Cavanaugh and Rob Kayton to develop a plan for educating residents, businesses and visitors about the City’s ordinance prohibiting the sale, use or distribution of single-use carryout plastic bags by retail establishments within North Myrtle Beach. The ordinance goes into effect January 1, 2021. City Councilman Bob Cavanaugh serves as chairman of the committee.

North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce Presents Mini Golf Trophy to City Council Team

During the October 21 City Council meeting, North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Cheryl Kilday and North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce Director of Public Relations & Governmental Affairs Pete Brooks presented City Council members J.O. Baldwin, Bob Cavanaugh, Fred Coyne and Nicole Fontana with a trophy for their second place finish in the October 8 Hole in Fun Mini Golf Charity Tournament.

Left to right Pete Brooks, Cheryl Kilday, Nicole Fontana,
Fred Coyne, J.O. Baldwin, Bob Cavanaug

The tournament benefits the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

This was the first time the City entered a team in the fundraising event.

North Myrtle Beach November 5 General Election Information

PLEASE NOTE: If you are registered to vote in North Myrtle Beach in this election, be aware that all precincts vote for all candidates. Example: If you live in Cherry Grove, you may vote for the candidate of your choice in the Cherry Grove Ward, the candidate of your choice in the Crescent Beach Ward, and the At-Large candidate of your choice. You are not limited to voting only for a candidate who represents the Ward where you reside.

The general election for North Myrtle Beach is November 5, 2019.

The following offices shall be included in this election:

-- Council Member Crescent Beach Ward -- 2019-2023

-- Council Member Cherry Grove Ward -- 2019-2023

-- Council Member At-Large -- 2019-2023

The polling places are as follows:

-- Windy Hill 1 Precinct- Windy Hill Fire Station # 3 (33rd Avenue South)

-- Windy Hill 2 Precinct- Fire Station # 5 (Barefoot Resort)

-- Crescent Beach Precinct- J. Bryan Floyd Community Center (Possum Trot Road)

-- Ocean Drive 1 Precinct- Fire Station #1 (2nd Avenue South)

-- Ocean Drive 2 Precinct - St. Stephens Episcopal Church- (11th Avenue North)

-- Cherry Grove 1 Precinct- Chapel By The Sea Church (Sea Mountain Highway)

-- Cherry Grove 2 Precinct - Fire Station # 4 (Little River Neck Road)

As previously announced, the deadline for registering to vote in this election was October 5, 2019. If you have questions about the voter registration process, contact Horry County Voter Registration: 843-915-5440.

The polls open at 7:00 a.m. on Election Day and close at 7:00 p.m.

This is a nonpartisan election and no party affiliation shall be placed on the ballot.

The Municipal Election Committee at the close of the polls will count absentee ballots at City Hall.

The Commission will meet at City Hall at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday November 7, 2019 to certify the election and determine the validity of ballots challenged in this election. Any runoff will be held two weeks after the election on Tuesday November 19, 2019.

Sensory-friendly Family Fun Weekend on the Grand Strand November 15-17, 2019

A WEEKEND OF SENSORY-FRIENDLY EVENTS AND FUN FOR CAN FAMILIES NEAR AND FAR!

NOVEMBER 15TH 4:00 PM – NOVEMBER 17TH 11:00 AM

Friday evening join us for a pool party at Harbour Lights – play, splash, eat and mingle.

• 8-11 am Saturday morning is sensory-friendly Dave & Busters
• 9-11am Saturday morning sensory-friendly Ripley’s Aquarium
• 1-3 pm Saturday is sensory-friendly Christmas on Ice show.  Click HERE to purchase tickets.
• 7-8 pm Saturday evening is s’mores at Harbour Lights
• 9-11 am Sunday is sensory-friendly shopping at Tanger Outlets with holiday sales and activities for the kids.
• 4-close Sunday is Sensory Night at Wonderworks

For more details visit: https://championautismnetwork.com/myrtle-beach-autism-events/

North Myrtle Beach Receives $1.2 Million FEMA Safer Grant

The City of North Myrtle Beach applied for, was awarded and has accepted a $1,258,096.20 Department of Homeland Security FEMA Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant.

The purpose of the SAFER Grant Program is to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to assist in increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry minimum standards, attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards, and to fulfill traditional missions of fire departments.

Under the SAFER Grant program, the City will hire 12 firefighters.

The City will receive its SAFER Grant funds over three years in these amounts:

1.    $510,039

2.    $510,039

3.    $238,018.20

In keeping with Safer Grant requirements, the City will contribute these amounts over three years:

1.    $170,013

2.    $170,013

3.    $442,033.80

“The SAFER Grant will be very helpful in continuing to advance fire operations in our popular and growing community,” said Fire Chief Garry Spain. 

October 20-26 is "Advocates for Children Week" in North Myrtle Beach

During the October 7 Council meeting, Mayor Marilyn Hatley presented a Proclamation in support of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) Advocates for Children Week on October 20-26. The North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club is a GFWC affiliate.

Since the early 1900s, GFWC members have played an intricate role in advocating for the health and well-being of children with prominent club women such as Jane Addams and Julia Lathrop paving the way for the implementation of improved child labor and juvenile court laws.

GFWC members also educate, advocate and engage in projects concerning the well-being of children via health, social and safety programs by working to ensure protection from harmful situations and by encouraging healthy physical and emotional lifestyles.

The North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club advocates for children by supporting Tools for Schools, the Children’s Recovery Center, the Autism Foundation, the USO United through Reading Program, and more.

Each year the GFWC and its affiliated local clubs in Horry County stand with parents, grandparents, educators, community leaders, and others in emphasizing the important role that children play in our lives by raising awareness about issues directly impacting children. 

Horry County Service Day - Community Clean up

Volunteers needed for land and mater cleanups across Horry County.

Horry County Service Day will focus on clearing drainage ditch, culverts, channels,streams and waterways.

The work includes clearing trees, limbs trash and debris and removing accumulated sediment.
Some worksites include watercraft cleanup in the Waccamaw river and adjacent waterways where debris is hindering the free flow of water. Volunteers with boats/watercraft are encouraged to attend and bring their boats.

Date: November  8, 2019
Time: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Registration begins at 8:30 am.)
Learn more and register at www.horrycounty.org/serviceday

Grand Strand Officials Travel to Washington to Discuss Future of Grand Strand's Federal Beach Renourishment Program

North Myrtle Beach, Horry County and Myrtle Beach Officials Travel to Washington to Discuss Future of Grand Strand's Federal Beach Renourishment Program

Left to Right: Steve Gosnell, Marilyn Hatley,
Johnny Gardner, Jackie Hatley and Mike Mahaney.

On October 3 in Washington, North Myrtle Beach Mayor Marilyn Hatley, Horry County Council Chairman Johnny Gardner, Myrtle Beach Councilwoman Jackie Hatley, Horry County Administrator Steve Gosnell and North Myrtle Beach City Manager Mike Mahaney met with officials at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Senator Lindsey Graham, Senator Tim Scott and Congressman Tom Rice. The officials requested a reevaluation of the Myrtle Beach Shore Protection Project, the formal name for the Grand Strand’s continuing federal beach renourishment project.

The Myrtle Beach Shore Protection Project was authorized for construction by Section 101 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1990, with federal participation in periodic beach nourishment authorized until 2046. The project covers three reaches: Reach 1 (North Myrtle Beach), Reach 2 (Myrtle Beach), and Reach 3 (Surfside Beach/Garden City). This project provides for periodic beach renourishment to provide shore protection to the Grand Strand, one of the nation’s most popular tourist destinations (17.9 million visitors annually).

Storm Damages: The Myrtle Beach Shore Protection Project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was damaged repeatedly through erosion and rainfall in recent years by Hurricanes Joaquin (2015), Matthew (2016), Irma (2017), Florence and Michael (2018), and Hurricane Dorian (2019). Joaquin’s damage to the sand that provides protection to people, buildings and public infrastructure was severe. Within a year, Matthew’s damage exacerbated Joaquin’s damage. As repairs from Joaquin and Matthew were underway, Irma caused the loss of 1.4 million cubic yards of sand. The Corps returned post-storm to bring the beaches back to their design template. Hurricanes Florence and Michael caused severe erosion, replaced in 2019 by Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies funds appropriated in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019. Only a few months after repair, Hurricane Dorian damaged the beaches.

Request for Federal Assistance: The original project specifications may no longer provide an adequate level of protection for the Grand Strand’s beaches. Horry County and the Cities that make up the Grand Strand Coastal Alliance submitted letters to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requesting an increase of the Corps General Investigations account to provide enough funding to conduct a General Revaluation Report (GRR) for the project. If the request is granted, the process would involve:

1. Conducting an evaluation of the existing design of the project, including its dunes and berm, to determine if any components of the project's design need to be modified to better provide resilience to the impact of waves on structures, infrastructure and life and safety. We asked that the evaluation be as broad as possible and that it include all potential measures from hard structures, beach nourishment and environmental restoration that are allowed under law and can be justified under Corps policies.

2. Reviewing erosive hot spots that occurred post construction at one or more points of the 26 miles of the project's shoreline to determine if the project design should be modified in any way.

3. Evaluating the eligibility of the Arcadian Shores section of the project for inclusion of the authorized project either as a separate reach or attached to one or more of the existing reaches of the project due to the developments that have occurred in recent years.

4. Reevaluating the appropriate berm height for the project given the concerns of sea level rise and intensifying storms. Originally, the Corps recommended a 9 foot height but Horry County asked that the berms be constructed to a lower height in Reach 3 of the project. Given the increase in property at risk, the Alliance has asked that the reevaluation occur as part of the requested project reformulation or, if possible, in a more expeditious manner.

5. Determining whether the remaining portion of the developed shoreline in Georgetown County up to Murrells Inlet can be included in the authorized project.