During
their June 15 meeting, the members of the North Myrtle Beach City
Council approved a special event permit for the annual July 4, 9:30
p.m.-10:00 p.m., fireworks display at the Cherry Grove Pier. The event
is sponsored by the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and the
fireworks display will be provided by Zambelli Fireworks Manufacturing
Company.
Employee Longevity Awards were presented
to Assistant Finance Director Diane Shell for 20 years of service, and
to Lead Jailer & Communications Technician Rachel Stanley for five
years of service.
Diane retires from her position on July 7. We thank her for her many years of great service to the community.
Rachel
was 14 when she first showed interest in a career as a public safety
officer. She became a member of the Police Explorer program, which
offers a structured process through which young men and women between 14
and 20 years of age can learn about law enforcement practices and the
application of state and local laws within our community.
Second reading of a proposed ordinance to amend the Parkway Group Planned Development District (PDD) remained tabled until City Council’s July 6 meeting.
City Council passed first reading of an ordinance
to amend the Zoning Ordinance Text, Section 23-58, to address headlight
spillage from parking lots onto adjacent residential properties.
At
a previous meeting, City Council passed an ordinance regulating light
and glare emitted from parking lot light fixtures by requiring internal
shielding on the side of the light fixture adjacent to residential
property. During their review of that issue, Council members also
expressed a desire for additional reductions in lighting intrusion onto
adjoining residential properties by addressing automobile headlight
spillage. This can be accomplished with greater landscaping buffering in
areas where headlight spillage is likely.
The
proposed ordinance that passed first reading on June 15 adds new
language to Section 23-58 as follows: "When designing landscape buffers,
special consideration shall be given to on-site traffic circulation
patterns and the potential for headlight spillage onto adjoining
residential properties. The Zoning Administrator may require
supplemental plantings or buffering.”
Council passed first reading of an ordinance to lease office space
and a portion of the pool at the North Myrtle Beach Aquatic &
Fitness Center to McLeod Seacoast Hospital for physical therapy
purposes.
The
Aquatic & Fitness Center has partnered with McLeod Seacoast
Hospital for several years for the purpose of fostering a "wellness"
component at the Center. A proposed Premises & Space Use Agreement
was prepared to formalize the arrangement between the City and hospital.
The
term of the proposed agreement is for one year, which would renew
automatically for five additional one year terms, unless terminated as
authorized in the agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, the
hospital would rent two offices, one containing about 124 square feet
and another about 107 square feet, for $20 per square foot or an annual
rental rate of $4,620.
Under
the proposed agreement, the hospital also would be authorized to use a
portion of the warm water pool for physical therapy/rehabilitative
purposes, however, the hospital would not be allowed to exceed more than
eight participants, including hospital patients and staff, in the warm
water pool during a single therapy session. The hospital would also be
required to use lane markers or similar barriers to identify the area of
the pool in use for its therapy/rehabilitative sessions.
The
hospital would also be authorized to use the fitness room and the
basketball courts for patient rehabilitative purposes but would have to
coordinate with Aquatic & Fitness Center staff at least one month in
advance regarding the use of the basketball courts. The agreement as
presented to City Council for first reading suggested the hospital pay
the City $5.25 per patient for the use of these areas of the Center.
During their discussion of the proposed agreement, City Council members
changed the fee to $6.00 per patient. The hospital currently pays $4.00
per patient. Council members took into consideration the costs
associated with Center maintenance and the hospital’s ability to arrange
for preferred times for patient participation in its programs when
increasing the fee.
Citing a miscommunication, City Council pulled from the agenda a proposed resolution supporting the creation of a federal task force to create standards for projects that may impact coastal communities.
