CONWAY, S.C. (WBTW)- This week the Horry County Infrastructure and Regulation Committee met to discuss several issues. Among those discussed, included what to do about dirt roads not maintained by the county.
Council-member Paul Prince expressed a desire to come up with a plan for emergency road problems. Prince is working to draft an ordinance that would permit County Council to make one-time repairs to areas in need.
“They need to be able to go in and out. We need to take care of the health and safety of people. If there’s anyway we can, if they can’t help themselves. We do not need to leave anybody out in Horry County,” Prince said.
Among the roads he expressed concern about is JC Drive in the Wampee Community. He says a resident there had a medical emergency but had to meet EMS at the beginning of the street due to the road condition.
“They took him from the top of the road to the hospital and that’s bad because if something else happen and you don’t have a truck to get him out then we’re stuck. We can lose a life like that,” Elaine Hemingway said.
Hemingway has lived on the dirt road for 8 years and she says the conditions are getting worse, especially when it rains.
“We need help in order to get in and out. It’s a safety hazard when you live in a place and you can’t get out for an emergency or anything,” Hemingway said.
That’s the idea behind the ordinance Prince is working on. Prince says the money would likely come from funds already in the Public Works budget. He says the county already has the manpower and equipment to do so and it would be a one-time fix unlike frequent maintenance.
“They would assess it and see what needs to be done and if we could do it. That’s why we’re crafting and ordinance that would help us be able to do that,” Prince said.
The next steps are for Prince and a subcommitte to present their ordinance at the next Horry County Infrastructure and Regulation Committee which happens in September. After they approve it, the plan is to present it before the full council.
