Posted by
Jack Cruger on Thursday, March 26, 2009 12:00:30 AM
Posted by Joe Zoltak:
On March 4, 2008, County Council approved 3rd reading to bond $4,208,400 to expand the existing 7000 sq. ft library by 13,000 sq. ft. in Surfside Beach. During that reading it was clarified that voting for this measure did not necessarily approve the location. The State Library has standards to determine library needs based on population. The Surfside Beach library is not on the list before 2015. However, Carolina Forest did not have a library in this population growth area and was at the top of the list and should have been built it in 2008. $3,352.500 was also bonded for a 20,000 sq. ft library on March 4, 2008 for the Carolina Forest library. A few months ago Council abandoned the Carolina Forest library and the funds were diverted to a North Myrtle Beach project. This was approved by council because of ongoing land swap deals regarding location of the library and the funds were needed for the North Myrtle Beach project. Resolution of these problems is entirely within the authority of local government.
On March 24, 2009, the Surfside Beach Town Council authorized the town administrator to execute a Quick Claim Deed to transfer .25 acres of Fuller Park to Horry County because the existing library lot was not large enough to expand the library. County Council was fully aware of the lack of sufficient land to expand the library at third reading of the bond ordinance. Unfortunately the .25 acres of Fuller utilized South Carolina Parks and Recreation Development (PARD) funds which limits the use of the property. The .25 acres also utilized Federal Land and Water and Conservation funds which, protects the property for life. To execute this Quick Claim Deed will violate the deed restrictions on the property. Resolution of this land use problem is NOT under the control of local governments. Meanwhile, taxpayer dollars are being spent to pay interest on the bonds with nothing to show after a year. Residents of Surfside Beach were not informed of plans to reduce the size of their park and their is no artist conception drawing posted at the library entrance as other communities and business do to inform the public of development plans. If you want so see any plans only the library director can show them to you.
So what should the Council do? They have multiple options. Return the bond money and reduce the county debt in this time of economic crisis. Transfer the money to build the NEEDED Carolina Forest library where the County is authorized to resolve the land issues. Build a new UNJUSTIFIED library at the County South Strand complex on Scipio Lane where there are no land use problems. Delay the UNJUSTIFIED expansion of the Surfside Beach library indefinitely (while continuing to pay interest on the bonded money) hoping the State and Federal government will let them violate the laws associated with taking money from State and Federal governments. Keep your eye on what our elected leaders will do. They are supposed to represent the best interest of taxpayers.....especially during periods of economic crisis and unemployment.