[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6463756,"mediaKeyId","5785059-413f859fdbfb7c03d942dbc3628d79c0","parentId",5785059,"title","Conway council approves first readings on multiple annexations and UDO amendments; OKs grant match and sidewalk contract","audioSeconds",1459,"startMs",1356000,"endMs",2815000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5785059-413f859fdbfb7c03d942dbc3628d79c0&start=1356&end=2815","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5785059-413f859fdbfb7c03d942dbc3628d79c0/thumbnail_1356000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6463756/Conway/Horry-County/South-Carolina/Conway-council-approves-first-readings-on-multiple-annexations-and-UDO-amendments-OKs-grant-match-and-sidewalk-contract","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6463756-8333598e8f19beabd897f33186e27126/orig.mp4?Expires=1773539954&Signature=H1Wzw32hoyoQ3QNUQQLOUTDcKPFnpOzHCveCA1QuIyO0Myl-rfJln8D0lyfaTV--jYgVX32Hjfnw7~TyOWa7FpzTpjzisBDq~hr643Rw5ibNHdowFD3DDqmL4H7GqEbGlKp8SNO0dCdVzplZfG8dj0JAoComEzn-Frk10siBcT4lpL4VPzV4FK4srhIbkN5CRZB9I4lzoYQUhfLq7aQEzQwhQw-7hs5SewSVTUSX2UTlfRXAkeQrLwu8dcKF8o1M104jn~BCYaRiwT7qQPm-BnFoaJQyMeqmvawwBssHCwQwm5LmZAfcZW57USdCr15zkEP6rkSvv1SZPZAgI-TaDQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Conway, SC","date","2025-09-16T09:32:13Z","article","The Conway City Council on Monday gave unanimous first-reading approval to multiple annexations and zoning ordinances, approved a first-reading amendment package to the city Unified Development Ordinance and separate changes to rules on noncommercial livestock keeping in rural districts, authorized a $5,000 local-match resolution for a Municipal Association of South Carolina (MASC) Big Idea grant application for a splash pad at Smith Jones Park, and approved an annual sidewalk/asphalt contract bid process recommendation.

The most immediately actionable item was council’s vote to commit $5,000 as a local match for a MASC Big Idea grant to fund a proposed splash pad at Smith Jones Park. City staff told council the match is required for the application; council voted to approve the resolution and apply before the September deadline.

Planning and annexation items dominated the meeting. Planning staff presented several first‑reading ordinances to annex properties into the city and to zone them upon annexation. “The applicant’s requesting annexation and zoning of this property due to the property being sold and requirement of current owners to connect to city utilities,” planning staff said when describing the roughly 3,900‑acre request at 5206 Columbia Street that would be zoned R‑1 (low‑to‑medium density residential) upon annexation. First reading of that ordinance was approved; final readings for the related annexation and zoning ordinances were scheduled for the Oct. 6 council meeting. Planning commission held public hearings on the items Sept. 4 and recommended approval, staff said.

Council also approved first reading of an ordinance to annex and zone about 10.68 acres at the intersection of Highway 548 and Highway 501 to Highway Commercial upon annexation; a separate 2.15‑acre annexation request for property at 1001 Creel Street that staff said is currently a residential home but surrounded by professional zoning; and a first reading approving execution of a quitclaim deed to clear title issues in the Pecan Grove subdivision affecting small, previously deeded stub‑out parcels.

On broader planning rules, staff presented a multi‑article UDO cleanup amendment intended to clarify process and procedure for annexation and zoning map amendments. “This amendment is part of a larger cleanup amendment ... Annexation of property is a legislative function and amendments to the official zoning map require review and recommendation by planning commission prior to annexation,” planning staff said, summarizing the sequence the UDO changes will codify. Council approved first reading of those cleanup amendments.

Council also approved first reading of a targeted UDO amendment to Article 4 and Article 5 clarifying when noncommercial livestock and fowl and related accessory structures are permitted in the Forest Agricultural (FA) and Rural Residential districts. Staff said the change would allow accessory structures (barns, coops, fencing) without a principal dwelling when lots are at least five acres in size, and would add the rural residential district (1‑acre minimum) to the list of districts where noncommercial keeping of livestock is permitted under specified conditions. Planning commission recommended approval at its Sep. 4 meeting.

On procurement, staff reported four bids for the city’s sidewalks/repairs contract; Jail Works LLC was the low bidder. Council voted to advance the recommended contract approval on first reading. Staff said the lists of sidewalks to be repaired are compiled from inspections and resident reports and that new sidewalks are also identified in the budget retreat process.

All motions and first‑reading ordinances brought before the council on the agenda carried unanimously. For items requiring additional procedural steps, staff noted the next readings or planning‑commission hearings and the dates they were scheduled.

What’s next: most of the annexation and zoning first readings will return for final readings in October after planning commission review where required. The city will submit the MASC grant application before the September deadline if council’s resolution stands.

Votes at a glance (selected items approved on first reading; staff next steps noted):

- Ordinance ZA2025-10-06A — First reading to rezone ~3,900 acres at 5206 Columbia Street to R‑1 upon annexation. Planning commission recommended approval; final reading scheduled Oct. 6.

- Ordinance (Highway Commercial annexation) — First reading to rezone ~10.68 acres at Highway 548 & Highway 501 to Highway Commercial upon annexation. Planning commission recommended approval; final reading scheduled Oct. 6.

- Ordinance ZA2025-11-03A — First reading to annex ~2.15 acres at 1001 Creel Street and zone it Professional upon annexation; planning commission public hearing scheduled Oct. 2.

- Ordinance (Pecan Grove quitclaim) — First reading to approve execution of quitclaim deed to clear title for small parcels in Pecan Grove subdivision; staff supported the measure.

- Ordinance (UDO cleanup package, multiple articles) — First reading to amend Articles 1, 3, 6, 13 and 14 of the City of Conway Unified Development Ordinance to clarify annexation and zoning procedures; planning commission recommended approval.

- Ordinance ZA2025-16-6D — First reading to amend Articles 4 and 5 (noncommercial livestock/fowl rules) to permit related accessory structures without a primary dwelling on lots of at least 5 acres and to add Rural Residential as a permitted district under stated conditions; planning commission recommended approval.

- Resolution (MASC Big Idea grant local match) — Council approved a resolution committing a $5,000 local match for an application to fund a splash pad at Smith Jones Park; staff will file the application before the published deadline.

- Contract recommendation (sidewalks/repairs) — Council advanced the recommended contract after staff reported Jail Works LLC was the low bidder for the sidewalk repairs and improvements procurement.

Council discussion was procedural and focused on next steps and clarifications about public access to redacted application documents (staff said unredacted versions are kept in the office but some data are redacted from public copies to reduce fraud; unredacted files can be viewed in person). No items were adopted on final reading at this meeting.

(Planning staff and presenters noted that most items had already been considered by the planning commission on Sept. 4; where required the commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to council for final consideration.)

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Conway Council Meeting | September 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Conway City Council on Monday gave unanimous first‑reading approval to multiple annexations and zoning ordinances, approved a first‑reading package of UDO amendments and livestock‑keeping rules, authorized a $5,000 local match for a MASC grant application to build a splash pad at Smith Jones Park, and advanced an annual sidewalks/asphalt contract recommendation.","taxTitle","Conway, Horry County, South Carolina","taxId",53933,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6463749,"Conway upgrades fiber, expands camera network and plans river and swamp sensors",389,4051000,4440000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5785059-413f859fdbfb7c03d942dbc3628d79c0&start=4051&end=4440","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5785059-413f859fdbfb7c03d942dbc3628d79c0/thumbnail_4051000.jpg","/articles/6463749/Conway/Horry-County/South-Carolina/Conway-upgrades-fiber-expands-camera-network-and-plans-river-and-swamp-sensors","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6463749-1ed5d0d21ac1f58d2c0c5a327b7553d9/orig.mp4?Expires=1773539954&Signature=f-08GO8PwJTdDW2LxwWlfYzh5LEGnJV8r99jcAmimUGvz6m9XUFFzRP9V7oy5IKC7gJwMLB5r17BRy98VyOW9dDO-HSTk2Nfz85LQ6reGU4~i0Wvg0cb~le96o1Uc63XLhxYA1qj7t3RDxJ~knatRTgLUZpv~jCRbVToggb5tLIggjFurP9z1dAAa6Pp-W0Unq9iU-AysI6Jv-HGSQTIvba2hzfB2MuGRaHKV~H2a9cdYzgOkI-f3kC6ArLp8cM-LeD6E5jV5GJkuWmjJfuupflCluMLvYcgux-8Luh-ZHRl7yj0AYLI6mB3Mr9TsE8mKBq4EoS3tH-~qDq8ihBp3w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City technology staff told the Conway City Council on Sept. 15 that the city completed a dark‑fiber project connecting the 378 Complex and the recreation center back to public safety and upgraded that link to a 10‑gigabit connection, and that the city is rapidly expanding its camera network and sensor coverage for storm monitoring.

“We completed the dark fiber project, which connected the 378 Complex and the rec center back to public safety. We upgraded that to a 10 gigabit connection from a 50 meg lease line,” Jeff (Technology Services) told council, summarizing the recent work. Staff said equipment and networks at both locations were upgraded to support the higher capacity.

Technology staff reported the city now has roughly 400 cameras on its citywide network, up about 100 over the previous year, and that the department is expanding coverage downtown, at parks and along the Riverwalk. Staff said the growth rate is about 100 new cameras per year and that the city builds approximately 10 portable camera units annually to provide temporary coverage when police request them.

On environmental and storm monitoring, staff said a project to install five water‑level sensors — one in the Waccamaw River, one at Kingston Lake and three on Crabtree Swamp — is in the SCDOT permit stage. The sensors will provide live data during storm events and the city is partnering with the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA) to share data; SECOORA will provide maintenance on the sensors at no cost to the city, staff said.

Staff discussed technical limits: permanent camera expansion is constrained by wireless backhaul capacity where fiber is not available, and the department currently operates six servers that manage camera feeds. Staff estimated that a roughly 1,000‑camera footprint would be a comprehensive long‑term target to expand citywide coverage, but noted wireless infrastructure and backhaul speed are the limiting factors.

Technology staff also described recent collaborations with Coastal Carolina University’s production department to share live cameras during athletic broadcasts and said the department has added portable cameras and permanent units to cover new downtown projects such as Holiday Alley and the Riverwalk expansion.

What this means

- Public safety and parks will have higher‑capacity links and broader camera coverage, improving situational awareness for events and incidents.

- Water‑level sensors will provide real‑time measurements for decision‑making during storm events; collaboration with a regional observing network covers maintenance.

- Staff said capacity limits (wireless backhaul where fiber is not available) will determine the pace of further camera expansion.

Speakers

- Jeff (Technology Services) — presenter on network, cameras and sensors (City staff)
- Various council members asked technical and policy questions during the presentation.

Follow up

Staff will continue sensor permitting with SCDOT, continue staged camera rollouts, build portable camera units at roughly ten per year, and monitor wireless backhaul capacity as the city adds permanent cameras in parks and downtown projects.","City technology staff said the city completed a dark‑fiber upgrade to restore high‑speed connectivity to public safety, expanded the camera network to about 400 cameras, and is pursuing SCDOT permits for five water‑level sensors to monitor storm events.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6463753,"Retirees and family members urge Conway council to address health‑insurance cuts dating to 2008",684,2830000,3514000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5785059-413f859fdbfb7c03d942dbc3628d79c0&start=2830&end=3514","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5785059-413f859fdbfb7c03d942dbc3628d79c0/thumbnail_2830000.jpg","/articles/6463753/Conway/Horry-County/South-Carolina/Retirees-and-family-members-urge-Conway-council-to-address-healthinsurance-cuts-dating-to-2008","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6463753-bd454e8e01d9f0593adccb27bb6e67c6/orig.mp4?Expires=1773539954&Signature=m0APQbemvybN9MABa~hOT9P5QkgeR5tyPFd~1Mpk8P22TLCTf-IDJFK6-ibSlNFnjZaapAzfNlCzZSHkgjqGzNLhoS~EV99S9LEoE7OzG0-IQP5D17eSqsyaClQ-do4wTUcJ7GJ3MTxsd-AsexCeB3RWlUyMgHyEpknV-Fc5SlY-uUvhEtpX-08M4uGUk-LpNsmhZ21MFap~b0q1MenLqShbz2J71-xsZQ29evkAmxm1Fno7YWSnuAFwpecfPXI2rLLpRBl6DVJLlofO0gKOOf-KTwSqANzHAnd9i9gSxXTMCne~BbVSZWmKPrqAx4MjaFuagEpttPIwlyjrVrXEvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Three retirees and a family member used the city’s public‑input period on Sept. 15 to press the Conway City Council for answers about a change to retired employees’ health insurance that they say traces to a 2008 decision.

Jimmy Hammond, who identified his address as 1515 Churchill Drive, and other former city employees said they have not received substantive communication from the city for 106 days since receiving certified letters in June describing changes to their insurance. Hammond said multiple former public‑safety employees and long‑service staff were affected and asked council to meet them and explain the action.

“My wife and I and the other retirees are on a fixed income,” Lynn Hammond told council. “We need the opportunity to voice what is happening to their insurance. Why 17 years later you act upon this?”

Allison Hudson, who said she is the daughter of one of the retirees, described the family consequences: “The men and women who served this city for many years are now being forced to make choices no retiree should make between medical care, prescriptions, and basic needs.” She urged council to stand by her father and other retirees and said the change had eroded trust.

Mayor Pro Tem William Goldfinch acknowledged the public frustration and said staff and council had set a meeting in motion to review the history of the matter, noting that most current staff and council members were not in place in 2008. “Part of the frustration is that none of us were here in 02/2008 ... When it comes to not getting back to you or not communicating, it’s a lack of understanding. And that’s something that we’ve got to understand for ourselves first,” he said, asking for patience while staff prepares a briefing for council.

No formal action was taken during public input. Council members reminded speakers that public input is not a back‑and‑forth forum, but Mayor Pro Tem Goldfinch said staff will review the matter and meet with retirees to provide context and history.

Clarifying details and items for follow‑up cited by speakers and staff:

- Speakers said they received certified letters in June notifying them of the insurance change; one commenter said the lapse in response has been 106 days.

- Speakers traced the policy change to a vote or decision in February 2008 but said they were not informed in advance of the recent change and are seeking explanation and resolution.

- Mayor Pro Tem Goldfinch said a meeting has been scheduled so council and staff can review records and the 2008 decision; no date for a public briefing was given at the meeting.

Speakers

- Jimmy Hammond — identified himself as a retiree, 1515 Churchill Drive (Citizen)
- Lynn Hammond — spouse and retiree advocate (Citizen)
- Allison Hudson — daughter of a retiree (Citizen)
- William Goldfinch — Mayor Pro Tem (City official)

Next steps

Council directed staff to assemble the historical record on the insurance matter and to meet with retirees to explain findings; no formal motion or vote was recorded on the matter at this meeting.","Several retired Conway public‑safety employees and a daughter of a retiree told the council that a 2008 decision has cut their retiree insurance and asked for a council response; speakers said they received certified letters in June and asked council to restore or explain the change.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Conway council approves first readings on multiple annexations and UDO amendments; OKs grant match and sidewalk contract

Conway upgrades fiber, expands camera network and plans river and swamp sensors

Retirees and family members urge Conway council to address health‑insurance cuts dating to 2008