Surfside Beach looks to change after calls of lengthy executive sessions: ‘It’s rude.’
Surfside Beach officials are working to alter how public meetings operate to mitigate recent complaints.
Surfside Town Council has been on the receiving end of residential complaints in recent months regarding their demeanor during public meetings. After several changes were made to the meeting structure in May, including reducing meetings to once a month and moving up the meeting time to 6 p.m., residents have been vocal over the length of executive sessions during council meetings.
Councilman David Pellegrino, who’s one of three candidates running for mayor in the Nov. 5 elections, proposed an ordinance that would shift executive session from the beginning of the meeting to the end, noting that several citizens have complained about the delays the executive sessions have caused.
Other officials agreed, voting unanimously on the ordinance’s first reading during Tuesday’s Town Council meeting.
“This is just a good change,” Pellegrino said. “It makes it more convenient for the public. We used to do this years ago.”
Currently, soon after council meetings begin at 6 p.m., officials will often retreat into executive session anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes, sometimes longer, ultimately delaying town business and leaving a crowd of frustrated residents awaiting their return, with some residents leaving the meeting entirely.
“It’s rude,” resident Patti Magliette said at Surfside’s Sept. 24 meeting. She added that council members’ paychecks should be reduced with only one meeting held a month and much of that time spent “locked in a room.”
Prior to the changes, executive session would be held up to an hour before the meeting’s 6:30 p.m. start, with officials back in time to start the public session. But Mayor Bob Childs said at council’s September meeting that officials felt “pressed for time” when executive sessions were scheduled prior to meetings.
He had suggested having them on a day other than when council meetings are held so officials wouldn’t “be rushed.”
What is an executive session?
An executive session is a portion of a government meeting that is closed to the public.
Before going into executive session, the elected body must vote, in open session, to enter into executive session and state the specific purpose, such as receiving legal advice, allegation of criminal misconduct, negotiations or discussing the employment of particular person, without compromising the issue.
No action can be taken behind closed doors, but officials are permitted to announce if any decisions were made upon re-convening the public meeting.
Surfside officials were advised that holding executive session at the end of the regular meeting would be in compliance with S.C. Freedom of Information Act notice requirements.
Neighboring government bodies, including Myrtle Beach City Council, Horry County Council and Conway City Council all hold executive session at the end of their meetings, with Myrtle Beach sometimes going into executive session during workshops held prior to its 10 a.m. city council meetings.
North Myrtle Beach City Council schedules executive sessions prior to its 7 p.m. public meeting.
Surfside officials are scheduled to vote on the ordinance’s second reading on Nov. 26.
