‘Still work to be done’: How Horry County is taking steps to get back to normal
Editor’s note: This story was inadvertently published prior to the Horry County vote but has since been unpublished, updated and republished to reflect county council didn’t vote on the emergency order on Tuesday.
Horry County Council will make the final decision on endings its state of emergency Wednesday morning when staff presents a potential alternative to the coronavirus measure.
Well after an hour of discussion on Tuesday, several Horry County Council members said they think it is time for the state of emergency to end, but there still needs to be some new rules in place to allow Administrator Steve Gosnell the flexibility to begin the recovery process.
County Council originally met to either extend or cancel its state of emergency ordinance. During the meeting council members began discussing how they could further the recovery effort without the emergency order. Council ultimately decided to give staff a day to fine tune this new direction.
“It’s hard for staff to change direction on a dime,” Council Member Harold Worley said.
Attorney Arrigo Carotti will present a brand new “recovery ordinance” that will outline exactly what powers Gosnell will have to reopen county facilities while keeping employees and the public safe. The meeting will be held Wednesady at 10 a.m.
Horry County declared its state of emergency in March. States of emergency give local governments more flexibility to respond to the start of an emergency and lasts throughout the recovery process.
Assistant County Administrator Randy Webster said at the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting that the coronavirus situation is improving in the area, medical supplies are holding steady and the government is understanding the virus’ impact better. That said, ending the state of emergency could limit how the county can respond to the virus in the future.
“It may send a message we don’t have a problem in Horry County, but we still do,” Webster said.
Webster said the state of emergency doesn’t create any new restrictions on what businesses or citizens do. It only helps with county operations and potentially dealing with federal funding.
Coronavirus cases are still increasing, but Webster said the emergency measures helped manage the crisis here. However, as testing increases, so will the number of cases. There is also a chance of a second spike in the future.
“There is still work to be done,” Webster said. “We still have the virus in the community, but it’s more level.”
Council Member Dennis DiSabato said he supports Gov. Henry McMaster reopening the economy, and renewing the state of emergency does not change state-wide plans. It only gives council another way to possibly get refunds on its emergency services and to protect the public.
“It does not make sense to me to remove any tools from the tool box at this time,” DiSabato said.
Horry County Council Member Johnny Vaught said 18 deaths out of 350,000 residents is tragic, but not indicative of a wide-spread problem in the area. He and Worley said it is time for the county to move on from the last month.
“It doesn’t seem to me that this was a real emergency in Horry County,” Vaught said. “I am in total support of denying this ordinance and getting back to business. … People are suffering.”
Worley questioned if it was possible that some of the 18 deaths were for reasons beyond the coronaivurs.
“And how many of those, Mr. Chairman, died of old age,” Worley said.
Council Member Tyler Servant said he didn’t think the federal CARES act required a state of emergency to seek economic relief. Assistant Administrator Barry Spivey said the current federal bill does not require an emergency declaration, but future bills may have the requirement.
Getting protective supplies is difficult right now due to supply chains, Webster said. The emergency ordinance gives the county more flexibility to acquire supplies outside of the usual procurement process.
Moving forward, Servant wants to see staff get creative with how county ordinances can change to accomplish staff needs, while sending a message that the county is open. The new ordinance presented Wednesday will look to empower Gosnell to make needed coronavirus decisions even without the formal state of emergency.
Vaught, Servant and Council Member Gary Loftus said public perception is important moving forward. If Horry County continues the emergency ordinance, it could send the wrong signal that the area is unsafe.
“We need to send a message that we are open for business,” Servant said. “We have to get creative.”
This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 11:42 AM.
