Politics

Second Reading of Adult Entertainment Ordinances Passes

Horry County passed second reading of its new adult entertainment ordinances at its regular meeting Tuesday night bringing its day in court closer.

Passage of third reading seems assured next month and as council chairman Mark Lazarus said, the next day he expects the current adult entertainment establishments operating in the unincorporated areas of Horry County to be in Florence filing for injunctive relief.

While all of the current adult entertainment businesses will be out of compliance with the new ordinances, adult entertainment will not be removed from the unincorporated areas.

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Brenda Christy and Myrtle Beach’s Retire/Rehire Policy

Last week we reported on the publication of “Superlative Soul or Nefarious Soul” a book by former Myrtle Beach Police Department officer Brenda Christy.

Christy’s book documents her experiences in the department leading to, and after, her filing a sexual discrimination and harassment lawsuit against MBPD and the city including the resulting retaliation directed at her.

Creative memory during depositions, changed stories as time went on and the creation of documents to bring clouds on Christy’s performance were all part of the formula to help the city beat Christy’s charges.

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Horry County Adult Entertainment

Regulating or Just Relocating Adult Entertainment?

As Horry County Council prepares for second reading Tuesday night of its proposed ordinances on adult entertainment establishments, it is important to consider just what changes will result.

The new ordinances will change regulations concerning the site, manner and time of operations of adult entertainment establishments, in the unincorporated areas, but will not eliminate their existence.

This is an important point – there will still be adult entertainment establishments in the county. Not only will those operating within the city limits of Myrtle Beach and Atlantic Beach be unaffected by any changes, but also areas in the unincorporated county will be wide open for adult entertainment.

There seemed to be confusion about this at the recent county council ad hoc committee meeting on the new ordinances. Several preachers presented petitions to or addressed the committee urging members to do their part in helping rid the county of these types of businesses.

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Making Adult Entertainment Go Away – NOT!

Horry County’s proposed adult entertainment ordinances will have second reading at the August 13, 2013 regular meeting of county council. There is no public review listed on council agenda, so that, presumably, will occur at third reading.

The ordinances were subjected to scrutiny at a recent county council ad hoc committee meeting with the Tennessee attorney Scott Burgthold on the phone to answer questions from committee members. Bergthold is the ‘specialist’ attorney the county has contracted to help with the ordinances and the expected lawsuits that will result from adoption of the new proposed ordinance provisions.

During the meeting, Bergthold outlined his legal approach to defending these ordinances in court and referred to a four year court battle (2003-07) in Daytona Beach, FL, which he won.

However, if you Google strip clubs in Daytona Beach today, you will see that many adult entertainment clubs are still operating, quite legally, six years after the case was settled giving court approval to the ordinances.

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Culture of Arrogance at SWA

The culture of arrogance that pervades the Horry County Solid Waste Authority (SWA) was on view for all to see at Thursday’s Infrastructure and Regulation Committee meeting.

The SWA was created by Horry County Ordinance 60-90 and its board is appointed by vote of Horry County Council.

The SWA is currently telling the IRS that it is a “discreet component unit of Horry County Government.” However, at Thursday’s meeting SWA Executive Director Danny Knight told I&R Committee members the SWA is ‘sometimes not the county, sometimes somewhat the county and sometimes somewhere in between.’

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Changing the HCWSA Form of Governance

Horry County council member Jody Prince directed county staff to prepare a briefing document for the September 12, 2013 Infrastructure and Regulation Committee meeting that discusses other options for governance of the HCWSA (Horry County Solid Waste Authority).

“I’m making an official request, as chairman of the (I&R) committee, asking staff for options for status, other than authority status, for the HCSWA, including committee, advisory board and (county government) department, and the procedures required to make such a change,” said Prince.

Prince’s request came after discussions about a resolution in which the HCSWA requests the county to approve a recycling incentive program contract between the HCSWA and the county. The committee deferred consideration of the resolution at least until the September meeting.

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More Transparency with Government Tax Dollars

The Horry County Council Infrastructure and Regulation Committee will consider a resolution tomorrow that could lead to greater public access and transparency to spending government tax dollars.

The resolution calls for the Horry County Solid Waste Authority, Coast RTA and the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation to conduct board meetings at the county’s Government and Justice Complex on 3rd Avenue in Conway.

Specifically the meetings would be held in council chambers or the council conference room, both of which are wired for internet live streaming of meetings as well as recording equipment that will allow recorded meetings to be available for viewing on the county website.

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The Adult Entertainment Industry Strikes Back

The first salvo from the adult entertainment industry was launched just hours after a Horry County Council Ad Hoc Committee voted Thursday to go forward with new ordinances governing the time, place and manner of adult entertainment operations.

Todd Martin, corporate spokesperson for Airport Express Video, LLC sent a press release by e-mail to all members of county council as well as many media outlets.

The press release outlines Airport Express Video’s meetings with county staff, its business license history and other interactions with the county. It also explains why Airport Express Video believes the new county ordinances to be unconstitutional and asks some interesting questions about other types of businesses.

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Horry County Adult Entertainment

Regulating Adult Entertainment Sometimes

The Horry County Council Ad Hoc Committee on Sexually Oriented Business Legislation voted unanimously Thursday to send the proposed two adult entertainment regulating ordinances back to full county council for second reading recommending approval as they are currently written.

The two ordinances address zoning regulations for adult entertainment establishments as well as conduct inside the establishments.

According to Scott Burkhold, the Tennessee attorney the county is consulting on the legislation, the ordinances will restrict the time, manner and place of adult entertainment. He said the ordinances do not ban adult entertainment, which is constitutionally protected, but do force businesses to comply with the new regulations.

It’s important to note that passage of these ordinances, which appears a virtual certainty, will not end strip clubs and bookstore/novelty adult entertainment businesses in Horry County. The six adult entertainment establishments located within city limits will not be affected by these ordinances. They are governed by the city laws within which they are located.

The 11 identified adult entertainment establishments (8 strip clubs and 3 bookstore/novelty shops) currently operating in the unincorporated areas of the county will be affected.

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Horry County Adult Entertainment

Stripping Away Adult Entertainment

The Horry County Ad Hoc Committee on Sexually Oriented Business Legislation meets Thursday with the probable result that committee members will forward the county’s proposed new adult entertainment ordinance to full council with recommendation for approval.

The new ordinance, written by an attorney from Tennessee who specializes in this type of ordinance, would govern the 11 adult entertainment establishments, eight strip clubs and three bookstores/novelty shops, in the unincorporated areas of the county. It would establish new setbacks and minimum distance requirements from such things as schools, churches, houses, other adult establishments and the like.

If the new ordinance is forwarded as written and council approves two more readings of it (it has passed first reading already), all 11 of the current establishments in the unincorporated county areas would be out of compliance and subject to being closed.

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