Horry County voted on hotels and amusement closures in unannounced meeting
Horry County Council voted in an unannounced meeting to close hotels, public and private campgrounds, mini golf courses, golf car rentals, theaters and amusement parks in all unincorporated areas.
Horry County Council Member Johnny Vaught confirmed to The Sun News that the vote was held in an emergency meeting and said it was approved unanimously.
Reservations beginning Friday through April 30 will be rescheduled or canceled. If you’re already checked in, you may stay but won’t be allowed to extend your reservation. If you’ve been renting since before March 1, you can stay but cannot invite new guests to stay with you.
The Myrtle Beach International Airport will remain open. Horry County does not have the power to close an airport on its own, according to a release from the county.
The county released a copy ordinance after The Sun News asked Vaught and Chairman Johnny Gardner to confirm the meeting happened.
Unlike Myrtle Beach, who declared a similar order earlier in the day, the public was not allowed to listen in on the call to hear how individual members of council felt about the closure. North Myrtle Beach also declared an ordinance in an unannounced meeting.
Horry County held a televised public meeting at 3 p.m. for a planning commission workshop.
County Chairman Johnny Gardner did not respond to a request for comment.
Vaught said the meeting was approved to follow Myrtle Beach’s and North Myrtle Beach’s lead.
“It was an emergency meeting and we don’t have to announce those,” Vaught said. “We were going to get all sorts of questions that we were going to do this. So we had to respond.”
State law gives municipalities the authority to hold public meetings to forgo public notices requirements in a state of emergency. Any action approved in an emergency meeting must expire within 60 days. This law is included in the section of law outlining municipal powers.
South Carolina Freedom of Information Act lawyer Jay Bender said governments should still let the public know when they’re meeting to uphold the spirit of a participatory government. He said FOIA does not exempt emergency meetings from notifying media and citizens who request to be notified of meetings.
“It’s another effort of public bodies to escape public scrutiny,” Bender said. “It is vital in a democratic society that business be performed in an open manner … the best way to inspire public confidence is to meet in public and have the debate in public.”
This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 7:27 PM.
