Construction, impact fees and the future: Big week ahead for Horry County Council
A new decade is upon us and Horry County Council is going to spend the next week preparing for the future.
On top of a regular meeting of council on Dec. 10, leaders will also sit through two full days of budget planning meetings on Thursday and Friday. All three meetings will be held in the Horry County Government and Justice Center.
Here’s a brief rundown of what to expect heading into next week’s series of meetings.
Council meeting
On Tuesday at 6 p.m., the Horry/Georgetown Home Builders Association is expected to present new cat homes that will be donated to the Horry County Animal Care Center.
And then, after discussions of accommodations for Horry County’s pointy-eared friends, the discussion will turn to how is Horry County going to deal with rapid population growth.
At long last, the Imagine 2040 Comprehensive Plan could finally be approved on third reading. If approved by a majority of council, the plan will officially be adopted, bringing an end to a two-year drafting process.
The plan is going to be a road map for Horry County development over the next decade. It will guide county leaders on what types of construction are appropriate in various areas of the county.
Approval will also start the next step of updating other county building and planning documents to meet the vision laid out in Imagine 2040.
Budget workshop
The budget workshop gives council a chance to set the spending priorities for the next fiscal year that begins in July. County staff takes the information and begins preparing a draft budget for the spring budget retreat.
Both meetings start at 9 a.m, with Thursday expected to run until 4:30 p.m. and Friday wrapping up around noon.
Last year during a non-binding referendum vote, Horry County voters overwhelmingly supported a tax on new home construction to help offset the financial burdens of a growing population.
To implement an impact fee, Horry County completed a study of what the program might look like. It will also need to approve the Imagine 2040 Plan to make sure the county is fully in compliance with state impact fee law.
Council is dedicating the first half of a seven hour meeting to discuss what an impact fee might look like in Horry County. There will be a presentation from the consulting group that completed Horry County’s impact fee study.
At the end of this discussion, the agenda for the meeting asks that council give Horry County Administrator Steve Gosnell instructions on how to move forward.
On the second day, council will begin looking at capital improvement projects to fund like a new Emergency Operations Center and getting the ball rolling on a rural civic arena.
Horry County Staff will also give updates on the finances, revenues and debts of the county.
Check back to myrtlebeachonline.com through out next week for updates on Horry County Council activities.
