Horry County lets private companies do business on the beach. Will those plans change?

Horry County leaders are diving into early talks about franchise agreements for commerce along their beaches.

County spokesman Thomas Bell said Sept. 12 a council subcommittee will launch “preliminary discussions” on the topic, but no further information was immediately available.

Many of the region’s coastal communities, including Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach, have such agreements in place.

Randy Webster, the county’s assistant administrator in charge of public safety, will lead the talks during a 10 a.m. meeting

Lack’s Beach Service, a lifeguard provider for the City of Myrtle Beach, also provides services for Horry County. Lack’s recently lost a lawsuit which has called into question the “dual-role” life guarding. Dual-role means lifeguards in Myrtle Beach are responsible for watching the ocean and renting beach chairs and umbrellas.

Horry County was also recently in the news when a woman was killed on the beach after being impaled by an umbrella.

It’s an issue that over the years has generated lively conversation within the council as agreements come up for renewal every seven years.

According to minutes from a 2015 public safety subcommittee meeting, three agreements that cover all parts of the county, including Myrtle Beach State Park, were modified to include more safety provisions that put additional lifeguards in the Garden City area.

Horry County maintains 14 miles of beachfront from North Myrtle Beach town limits near the Dunes Club to the Georgetown County line.