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Horry County proposes to take over maintenance at county bike-and-run park as volunteer group falters
Summary
Parks staff recommended not renewing the maintenance agreement with the Myrtle Beach Area Mountain Bike Association (MBA2) after volunteer shortfalls and turnover; staff said county crews trained in trail building could assume upkeep and asked the group to waive a 90‑day notice window to speed transition.
County parks staff told the council that the Myrtle Beach Area Mountain Bike Association—referred to in the transcript as MBA2—has experienced leadership turnover and declining volunteer capacity, and staff recommended that the county not renew the maintenance agreement so county crews would take responsibility for upkeep and new features.
At the outset staff said the agreement (entered Feb. 19 and updated in April 2024) originally empowered the club to set maintenance direction. “My recommendation and update is that we not renew the agreement with NBA 2 and that we take over the responsibility of the maintenance and the upkeep,” the presenter said, noting staff had trained two employees under SORBA/IMBA standards to build and maintain trails.
Chris McCarty, identified in the transcript as “president of MBA 2,” described volunteer shortages and internal disagreements and said he had enjoyed working with Horry County Parks and Recreation. “The problem is there's no other parks in our area or really on the East Coast that run like we do,” McCarty said, adding that club volunteers remain a resource for trail workdays even if the county assumes overall responsibility.
Staff also raised a trademark concern: the park’s colloquial names—The Hull and the Hulk—may be trademarked by Marvel, and staff recommended avoiding trademark risk by using the descriptive name “bike and run park” on signage unless permission is obtained. The presenter said a 90‑day termination notice is in the existing agreement but staff will meet with the club that evening and the club might waive the notice to allow a faster transition.
Council members asked whether the parks budget has capacity to absorb maintenance responsibilities; staff said additional staff hires have been made since 2019 and that taking over maintenance will be a challenge but staff believe they can manage scheduled trail maintenance days and occasional equipment requests.
Outcome: staff said they would proceed at the staff level with the recommended approach, discuss timing with MBA2 and seek any amendment to waive the 90‑day notice so the county can step in sooner if the club agrees. No formal vote was recorded on the nonrenewal during the meeting.
