City of NMB Thanksgiving Holiday Work Schedule

• City Hall Closed November 24 and November 25.
• J. Bryan Floyd Community Center Closed November 24 and November 25.
• NMB Aquatic & Fitness Center Closed November 24.
• Sanitation Schedule – No Service November 24. All November 24 customers will be serviced November 25.
• Public Safety – Regular Schedule.

A Veteran’s Day Service will be held November 11 at 11:00 a.m. at the North Myrtle Beach Veterans Plaza

A Veteran’s Day Service will be held November 11 at 11:00 a.m. at the North Myrtle Beach Veterans Plaza located at the North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex. Hosted by American Legion Post 186 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10804, the service features:

•  Ride In by Legion Riders/Rolling Thunder
• Posting of Colors by the NMB JROTC
• National Anthem - Marlisa Dillon Small
• Opening Prayer - Bill Stewart A.L. Post 186
• Raising of Service Flags - V.F.W. members
• Opening Remarks - Commander Jerry Groenke
• Guest Speaker - SC Senator Greg Hembree
• American Legion Speakers - Chris McCreary Auxiliary and Carl McAlister Sons of the American Legion
• A Quilt of Valor Presentation - NMB City Councilman Robert Cavanaugh
• Presentation of Wreaths:
  - Red (Strength) -  Debbie Hartleroad (V.F.W. Auxiliary President) and Chris McCreary (A.L. Auxiliary President)
  - White (Purity) - Dennis Benson (V.F.W. Auxiliary President) and Mark Cannito (Past A.L. S.A.L. Detachment Commander)
  - Blue (Eternity) – Walter Duncan (V.F.W. Sr. Vice Commander) and Molly Maguire (A.L. 1^st Vice Commander)
  - Amazing Grace - Marlisa Dillon Small, accompanied by NMB Middle School Band
  - Flag Ceremony – Commander Jerry Groenke A.L. and Commander Don Collins V.F.W.
  - Rifle Salute – A.L. Honor Guard with Taps by the NMB Middle School Band
  - America the Beautiful -  Marlisa Dillion Small
  - Closing Remarks – Commander Jerry Groenke A.L.
  - Closing Prayer – Joe Ruissi, V.F.W.
  - Lunch to be served following.

RESULTS: November 7 City Council Meeting

North Myrtle Beach, SC – November 7, 2016 – During the regularly scheduled November 7 North Myrtle Beach City Council meeting, Sandhills Bank Retail Banking Officer Gretchen Floyd presented the city with a check in the amount of $1,525.00 for use in the city’s Shop with a Cop program. Managed by the public safety department, Shop with a Cop provides lunch and Christmas presents to dozens of children in need. The children are recommended for the program by guidance counselors in area schools. The funds were raised as part of Sandhills Bank’s sponsorship of the annual Mayfest on Main Festival. During the festival, bank employees collect donations for the Shop with a Cop program from festival-goers.

City Council adopted a Resolution approving a two-year memorandum of understanding between the cities of North Myrtle Beach and Myrtle Beach regarding the provision of mutual aid to one another for public safety purposes.

City Council adopted a Resolution appointing two citizens, Edith Phillips and Bruce Young, to the board of trustees of the Fireman’s Insurance & Inspection Fund. The fund is used to purchase non-essential items used by the city’s firefighters and as a supplemental retirement fund for the firefighters. The board of trustees also includes Firefighter/EMT David Macho (chairman), Fire Chief Garry Spain, and Finance Director Randy Wright.

City Council passed a motion to reappoint Ron Bruce and Mary Lee (Dee) Meyers to the North Myrtle Beach Tree City Board.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to move a five-foot wide, 107-foot long second row public beach access located at 1014 South Ocean Boulevard 25 feet to the south in order to enable the property owner to maximize the amount of usable square footage on their property. The relocation would not violate the city’s public beach access relocation policy. Following the relocation, the closest public beach access would be 125 feet away. Additionally, relocating the second row walkway would better align it with an existing oceanfront public beach access.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to rezone 0.69 acres from R-2 (Medium Density Residential) to BC (Business Commercial). The property is located in the 400 block of Main Street and consists of one-half of the underwater lands of an existing body of water. The adjacent upland property is zoned BC. Rezoning would have no bearing on whether the body of water could be altered or filled, since it rests with state and federal agencies to determine whether the body of water is a jurisdictional wetland. City Councilman Hank Thomas recused himself from the discussion and the vote pertaining to the proposed ordinance because he owns the property.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to annex 0.20 acres of land within the city’s Hillside storm water drainage project. The city acquired the property in order to construct a large storm water retention pond to help mitigate downstream flooding. The petition includes a request for R-2 (Medium Density Residential) zoning.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to annex 4.43 acres of land within the city’s Hillside storm water drainage project. The city acquired the property in order to construct a large storm water retention pond to help mitigate downstream flooding. The petition includes a request for R-2 (Medium Density Residential) zoning.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to annex about 167 acres. The property is vacant and located adjacent to Watertower Road. The annexation petition includes a zoning request of NC (Neighborhood Commercial) and R-2A (Mid-Rise Multifamily Residential). Zoning districts around the property are R-2A and BC (Business Commercial).

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to amend the Zoning Ordinance Text, Section 23-106, pertaining to measurement of, and exceptions to, height. Current regulations allow exceptions to height limitations, regardless of zoning district, for chimneys, church spires, water tanks or necessary mechanical features not occupying more than 15 percent of the roof area. Planning department staff proposes to add parapet walls typically used to screen mechanical equipment to the list of exceptions. The city’s planning commission conducted an October 18 public hearing on the proposed change.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to lease space to Mobilitie, LLC on buildings, facilities, and real property owned by the city for the placement of small cell communications equipment.

Shown Left to Right in Photo: Mayor Marilyn Hatley, Sandhills Bank Retail Banking Officer Gretchen Floyd, Public Safety Director Jay Fernandez.

NMB Tree City Board Announces November Tree of the Month Award

The North Myrtle Beach Tree City Board has presented its Tree of the Month Award for November to Jean Clarke and Ken Hudspeth for the care and maintenance of a twisted Pine Tree located in their backyard. The tree is estimated to be more than 80 years old.

Not much is known about how the pine came by its twisted top but Ken Hudspeth, who, the reader should be warned, is known for spinning a good yarn, offers this perspective.

During the 1950s, the property on which the tree now stands was part of a farm. When Hurricane Hazel passed through North Myrtle Beach, it wreaked havoc on trees and structures alike. When the storm had passed, the owner of the farm went out to survey the damage on his land and found a strange situation. The pine tree had not broken during the hurricane but its top was twisted. On one of its twisted limbs, the farmer saw a cat.

After several attempts to get it down, he was successful. Looking up again, he saw a cow straddling one of the twisted branches, ostensibly tossed there by the storm’s high winds. It was a huge undertaking, but the farmer managed to get the cow out of the tree. As he turned to walk away after having saved the cow, he heard a clanging sound. Turning back around, he looked up into the twisted pine and saw a cow bell hanging by its leather strap from one of the twisted limbs. For several years, the cow bell ringing in the wind drew attention to the twisted pine tree. After several years, the leather strap to which the bell was attached disintegrated, and the bell fell to the ground. No one really looked up to notice the twisted pine after that, and so it was left alone to grow into the unique tree that it is today.

The Cherry Grove Dredging Project is underway

Today, one dredge (see photo) is working near the "E" Canal, located between 42nd and 43rd Avenues North, and another is several blocks down and currently working in the Minor Channel.

The dredged material flows through a pipeline that winds along the southern edge of the marsh, on to land, under Little River Road, and ultimately winds up in a huge spoils basin where it will dewater over time and then be moved to a final resting place.

The current plan calls for dredging from 7am-7pm daily. This could change if circumstances develop that require a longer working schedule.

6th Annual Shop with a Cop Charity Golf Tournament December 9 on the Love Course at Barefoot Resort & Golf in North Myrtle Beach

The 6^th Annual Shop with a Cop Charity Golf Tournament will be held December 9 on the Love Course at Barefoot Resort & Golf in North Myrtle Beach. The registration deadline is December 2.

Proceeds from the tournament will go to the Shop with a Cop program, managed by the North Myrtle Beach Public Safety Department. Shop with a Cop is a Christmas program for children in need at North Myrtle Beach Primary, Elementary, and Intermediate Schools. Guidance Counselors at each school choose children to receive the benefits of this program. The children enjoy lunch and are given a $100 Wal-Mart gift card. North Myrtle Beach police officers and volunteers then help guide the children as they purchase presents and some necessity items, such as winter coats. The goal is to raise enough money to provide an unforgettable Christmas for 100 children in need in the North Myrtle Beach community.

The tournament is a four-person Captain’s Choice event with an 11:00 a.m. shotgun start. (Only one golf professional is allowed per team.)

Tournament fees are $60 per player, $240 per team. Players may register individually or as a team. The tournament fee includes entry in the $10,000 Hole-in-One competition, green fees, cart, range balls, non-alcoholic beverages, continental breakfast, and lunch.

Registration forms are available at the J. Bryan Floyd Community Center and Barefoot Resort & Golf or via this link. A registration form is also attached to this email.

Make checks payable to: City of North Myrtle Beach. Return registration forms to: J. Bryan Floyd Community Center, 1030 Possum Trot Road, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582.

For more information contact the North Myrtle Beach Parks and Recreation Department at (843) 280-5584.

"The Great Christmas Light Show" Comes to North Myrtle Beach

The North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex will be home to The Great Christmas Light Show. Opening to the public on Friday, November 25, the drive-through light show will feature almost two million lights festively displayed along a 1.5 mile drive throughout the Park & Sports Complex. More than 400 "magical light displays", some up to 70 feet tall, have been custom made for The Great Christmas Light Show. Visitors will experience 14 "enchanting animated figures" and holiday scenes where the lights will come to life.

After traveling through the light show, everyone is invited to park their cars and visit Santa’s Village where they can enjoy hot chocolate and s’mores, get close look at the lights on the Santa Express Train Ride, enjoy ice skating, experience the Go Ape lighted tree top adventure, and, of course, meet Santa!

The Great Christmas Light Show opens November 25 and continues Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until December 10. Starting December 15, the attraction will be open nightly until December 30. Gates open at 5:30 pm.

The Great Christmas Light Show will not be open on December 25, Christmas Day, so that everyone can enjoy Christmas with their families.

Admission is $15.00 per vehicle for 1-15 guests; $30.00 for 16 - 30 guests; $60 for 31+ guests. Admission includes visits to Santa’s Village.

There will be an additional minimal fee for ice skating, train rides, the Go Ape Lighted Tree Top adventure, and concessions.

For more information please visit www.GreatChristmasLightShow.com or call 843-281-3805.

City of North Myrtle Beach Storm Debris Collection Update

City crews have completed yard debris pickup for all state and city public roads in Barefoot Resort and Windy Hill section.

City crews are using four trucks to continue working the west side of Hwy 17 and are currently in the Belle Park area. The city trucks are scheduled to begin moving out of Belle Park late Friday and will continue north, working the west side of Hwy 17. The city crews will be directed to the Palmetto Shores/Grove Section of Cherry Grove once they have completed the Sunset Harbor section.

The federally approved contractor has four trucks working in the city. For yard debris, there are two trucks working on the east side of Hwy 17 in Crescent Beach section and one truck in the Ocean Drive section between 20^th Ave North and Sea Mountain Highway on east side of Hwy 17. The fourth truck is handling construction and demolition (C&D) debris in the area between 20^th Ave North and Sea Mountain Highway on the east side of Highway 17. The contractor may add a fifth truck in the next few days to assist with C&D.

The City has contacted the contractor about adding more trucks to begin collection of debris from private roads. The contractor has told the City that it will take a couple of days to have any new trucks brought in. The availability of trucks is getting quite thin as other areas affected by the hurricane and flooding also vie for trucks for their debris pickup needs.

FEMA has approved collection of debris from private roadways, provided their HOAs sign a FEMA Right of Entry/Hold Harmless form, which must then be reviewed and approved by FEMA. Additionally, the contractor cannot mix debris that is picked up from private roads with debris that is picked up from public roads. Each must be collected separately, delivered to the approved landfill site separately and logged separately.

General Election Scheduled for November 8

Conway, South Carolina – The Horry County Registration & Elections Office reminds citizens that the General Election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 8.

The last day to vote absentee in the Horry County Registration and Elections Office is Monday, November 7, and the office will also open on Saturday, November 5, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for absentee voting as well. The Horry County Registration and Elections Office is located at 1515 4^th Avenue in Conway. (Absentee voting requirements are listed below.) Keep in mind that there is no EARLY voting in South Carolina.

Voters are encourage to review their voter registration information to confirm any changes prior to the upcoming General Election by going to www.scvotes.org under the “Voters” tab on the left.  Also, voters unsure of their voting location should contact their county voter registration office at (843) 915-5440 or log onto the State Election Commission website at www.scvotes.org.

Voters can now go on www.scvotes.org and pull up their own personal sample ballots.

1) Visit scvotes.org and click on "Get My Sample Ballot" in the My scVOTES section on the   right side of the page.

  2) Enter your county, name, and date of birth to access your voter

     registration record.

  3) Click "View Sample Ballot."

The direct link can be located at https://info.scvotes.sc.gov/eng/voterinquiry/VoterInformationRequest.aspx?PageMode=VoterInfo

Polls will open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. and registered voters waiting in line at 7 p.m. will still be allowed to vote. Registered voters will be required to show any one of five forms of identification in order to vote. Voters must show a voter’s registration card with a picture, driver’s license, a picture ID issued from the Department of Motor Vehicles, any military ID or passport. All forms of identification must be current.

Curbside voting is also available for any voter, because of a physical handicap or aged 65 or older who cannot enter the polling place may vote outside of the polling place in their car.

Unofficial results from the election will be posted on Horry County’s website at www.horrycounty.org immediately after the results are tallied. The results will be on the county’s homepage and will be updated every five minutes. In order to receive the latest information, users will need to hit their “Refresh” or “Reload” button. The polls will close at 7 p.m. and the results will then be tallied. Also, Horry County will open the Horry County Government & Justice Center multi-purpose rooms the evening of November 8, 2016, for public viewing of the results as they come in throughout the evening. Keep in mind that the polls close at 7 p.m.

Persons qualified to vote by absentee ballot:

• Persons who will be on vacation outside their county of residence on Election Day
• Members of the Uniformed Services or Merchant Marine, and their spouses and dependents residing with them
• Persons who, for reasons of employment, will not be able to vote on Election Day
• Physically disabled persons
• Persons sixty-five (65) years of age or older
• Persons serving as a juror in state or federal court on Election Day
• Persons admitted to the hospital as emergency patients on day of election or within a four-day period before the election
• Persons with a death or funeral in the family within three days before the election
• Persons confined to a jail or pre-trial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial
• Persons attending to sick or physically disabled persons
• Certified poll watchers, poll managers, and county election officials working on Election Day

Procedures for voting by absentee ballot:

Qualified voters may vote absentee in person or by mail.

In Person - Visit your county voter registration office and cast your ballot.  You may vote absentee in person up until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 7, 2016. (Horry County Registrations and Elections Office is located at 1515 4^th Avenue in Conway.)

By Mail – If you requested an absentee ballot to be mailed to your home, you can either return it by mail, or return your absentee ballot to your county voter registration office by 7:00 p.m. on the day of the election. 

City of North Myrtle Beach Hurricane Recovery Update

As of October 28 the City can record the following progress in post-hurricane cleanup:

1.       Ultimately, two collection passes will be made to pick up “vegetative/woody debris” (yard waste) and “construction/demolition debris” (C&D debris).

2.       First pass pickup of yard waste by City crews from public roads in Barefoot Resort began October 24 and has been completed.

3.       First pass pickup of yard waste by City crews from public roads in Windy Hill will be completed on October 29.

4.       First pass pickup of C&D debris in Cherry Grove Beach began October 25 and is ongoing. (The City has hired the private disaster response contractor Phillips & Jordan to assist in debris collection.)

5.       First pass pickup of yard waste debris by City crews in Crescent Beach between Highway 17 and the airport area (Timber Ridge, Airport, Pinewood Acres) begins October 31.

6.       First pass pickup of C&D debris by City crews from public roads in Windy Hill/Barefoot Resort begins October 31.

7.       Once crews have completed the first pass pickup in a collection zone, it may be several weeks before collection resumes in that area if additional debris is placed at the roadside.

8.       Pickup of yard debris, and C&D debris, by our federally approved contactor Phillips & Jordan is not allowed in gated neighborhoods with private roads. However, the City has been working through the SC Emergency Management Division and FEMA to seek a waiver of this restriction. State and federal representatives toured private roads on October 28 to assess the amount of debris located there.

9.       As the yard waste debris and C&D debris collection processes move forward, we will identify the next locations to be picked up by City crews and the City’s contractor, Phillips & Jordan.

10.   City crews have cleared an abundance of fallen trees and other debris from public parks, and all parks are open to the public on normal schedules.

11.   City personnel have assessed 189 out of 196 dune walkover structures on the beach for hurricane related damage and assessment work will be completed November 1. The damage information will then be submitted to FEMA in hopes that the City may receive some funding assistance in rebuilding the damaged structures.

12.   During the hurricane and since its passing, City officials worked to provide the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with photos of dune and beach-sand losses. Immediately following the hurricane, measurements were also taken of the beach face and submitted to the Corps. The City is also working in unison with other Horry County jurisdictions to seek emergency beach renourishment funding, and, barring that occurrence, to make every effort to ensure that funding is included in the federal budget for the regularly scheduled 2018 10-year Grand Strand-wide beach renourishment project.

13.   City Messaging— Prior to, during and following the storm, the City issued many advisories, assessments and work updates to its property owners, businesses and the general public via social media, email news groups, websites, etc. Appropriate versions of these messages were also provided by the North Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce to its many audiences, including businesses, and traditional and prospective vacationers. 

1.       City information outlets:

1.       www.NMB.us

2.       www.Facebook.com/cityofnmb

3.       www.Twitter.com/cityofnmb

4.       Email News Group: Join for free and receive the same news releases that are sent to the news media. Send your email address to Public Information Officer Pat Dowling at pcdowling@nmb.us

Post-Hurricane Chamber of Commerce Messaging – “The Coast is Clear”— Following the hurricane, the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce launched a “The Coast is Clear” tourism marketing campaign for North Myrtle Beach primarily through social media with a mix of messaging and paid ads. Mindful of some initial safety concerns in portions of the city, and the initial lack of electricity in sections of the city, the Chamber’s campaign did not over-promise but reminded traditional and prospective vacationers in key markets that North Myrtle Beach was safe, beautiful, open for business, and quickly recovering. 

Howl-O-Scream Saturday, October 29 At Nmb Park & Sports Complex

North Myrtle Beach, SC – October 27, 2016 – You are invited to Howl-O-Scream Saturday, October 29 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex.

This is a safe, fun Halloween event for young children and their families. Activities include hayrides, games, entertainment, concessions, marshmallow roasting, face painting, trick-or-treating and more.

Scare-Free and Scare Zones offer a variety of excitement levels that are sure to satisfy all.

Cost of admission is $5 per vehicle.

The rain date for this event is Sunday, October 30.

The event is hosted by North Myrtle Beach Parks & Recreation Department and Coastal Carolina University’s Recreation and Sport Management Department.

For weather information and updates, call the Rec Check Line at (843) 280-5594 ext. 3.