In addition to moving the Pawleys Plaza redevelopment plan forward, Georgetown County Council re-elected Johnny Morant as chairman and Jerry Oakley as vice chairman.
Before Tuesday’s meeting began, Lillie Jean Johnson, Leona Myers-Miller, Ron Charlton and Austin Beard were all sworn in for their new four-year terms.
In other business:
• County Council authorized an agreement with Horry County to develop a joint industrial and business park in Horry.
Horry County will be responsible for the development, administration, promotion and operation of the park, but Georgetown County will receive 1 percent of all “fee in lieu of taxes” agreements paid by businesses in the park.
• Council also gave final approval to: changing 8.2 acres on Kent Road from “commercial” to “industrial” on the Future Land Use map and rezoning the land from “general commercial” to “limited industrial”; rezoning 658.5 acres on Weehaw Plantation Road near Wedgefield Road from “one-half acre residential” and “conservation preservation” to “forest and agriculture”; amending the Woodside Village Planned Development in Murrells Inlet to allow a LED and neon sign; and amended the boundaries of the Downtown Pawleys Planned Development to remove two parcels and rezone “general commercial.”
• Council approved a contract with Viva Recycling in Moncks Corner to pick up and recycle scrap tires on an as-needed basis.
Viva charges $87 per ton for regular tires and $140 per ton for off-road tires. The county budgets $44,000 annually for the recycling, and also relies on funding from SCDHEC.
In November, Council approved a contract with TRM, USA of North Charleston for the work, but the company no longer recycles tires.
• Three companies were hired for road improvement work in the county.
Boggs Paving Inc. of Monroe, N.C., bid $311,563 for Beaumont Drive, Commerce Drive, Sextant Place, Navigators Drive, Pilot House Place, Cutter Curve, Saint Thomas Court and Saint Croix Lane.
Palmetto Corp. of Conway bid $700,394 for Hemingway Lane, Edge Water Drive, Alligator Lane, Hill Drive, Patricia Avenue and Good Hope Place.
Wade-Lott Inc. of Conway bid $693,217 for Sea Marsh Avenue, Sunfish Street, Old Charleston Road, Summertime Lane, Media Lane, Songbird Lane, Cole Drove and Legion Street.
• On the recommendation of the county’s independent auditors, Council approved a policy and procedures for management of Master In Equity receipts and distributions.
The new policy will ensure that fees are deposited, accounted for and remitted in a timely manner and all receipts are properly accounted for.
County Administrator Sel Hemingway said the county did not have a policy in place before Tuesday’s meeting.
• The county accepted a $500,000 grant from the S.C. Department of Commerce, which will be turned over to Agru America to help fund its expansion.
Agru America is investing $19.2 million to expand in Georgetown and Williamsburg counties. The expansion is expected to create 49 jobs in Georgetown and more than 50 in Williamsburg.
Council approved a “fee in lieu of taxes” agreement with the company last month.
By Chris Sokoloski
csokoloski@gtowntimes.com