Myrtle Beach sets special meeting to declare summer weekends ‘extraordinary events’

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – City council will hold a special meeting on Wednesday to consider declaring summer weekends in Myrtle Beach as “extraordinary events.”

The proposed resolution also would declare NOPI, Mustang, and other similar events to be an extraordinary event based on “the history of disorderly, unruly, and sometimes unlawful behavior, including but not limited to noise ordinance violations, motor vehicle violations and resulting traffic congestion.” It also would apply to any event with an anticipated attendance of more than 10,000 people.

Designating the weekends and other events as extraordinary gives the police chief and city manager the authority to temporarily close businesses when it is necessary to ensure public safety. This would only happen after the failure of at least one effort to achieve compliance.

The declaration also authorizes the city manager to impose a curfew in certain areas to “maintain public safety and good order.”

The meeting will be at 2 p.m. on Wednesday  in the Ballroom at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.

Here is the full text of the resolution:

Resolution 2020-31 – Resolution to declare the weekends (Friday through Sunday) from Friday June 19, 2020, through Sunday September 6, 2020, as Extraordinary Events.

1^st Reading Ordinance 2020-34 to amend 19-178 and 19-180 to:

• Declare events of any description with an anticipated or actual estimated attendance of greater than 10,000 people to be an Extraordinary Event.
• Declare the “NOPI” and “Mustang” (and other similar events) to be an Extraordinary Event based upon the history of disorderly, unruly, and sometimes unlawful behavior, including but not limited to noise ordinance violations, motor vehicle violations and resulting traffic congestion. 
• Declare Memorial Day Weekend (Thursday through Monday), July 4^th (from July 2^nd to July 7^th), and Labor Day Weekend (Thursday through Monday), as Extraordinary Events. 
• Delete section 19-178 (e) referencing motorcycle events immediately preceding and on Memorial Day.
• Authorize the Chief of Police (with the concurrence of the City Manager) to temporarily close businesses when it is necessary to insure the safety of the public.  Such action to be taken only upon the failure of at least one previous effort to achieve compliance, and to be effective only from the moment of such order until that business normally reopens (but not sooner than four hours). 
• To authorize the City Manager to impose a curfew in certain areas of the City as necessary to maintain public safety and good order.