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North Myrtle Beach council establishes Construction Board of Appeals, adopts bylaws
Summary
The council approved creating a Construction Board of Appeals to formalize authority for adjudicating building-code interpretations and unsafe-structure hearings and adopted bylaws; staff said the board can be convened quickly for urgent cases.
The North Myrtle Beach City Council voted March 2 to create a Construction Board of Appeals and to adopt bylaws defining its duties and procedures.
The ordinance on first reading adds the board to Chapter 2 of the city code while preserving the procedural requirements contained in the adopted building codes, City Attorney said. The board is intended to hear appeals of building-official decisions and to conduct hearings related to unsafe buildings and structures, the attorney said.
“Creating the board within Chapter 2 clarifies its authority and structure while allowing the procedural requirements contained in the adopted building codes to govern appeals and hearings,” the City Attorney said. He told council the South Carolina building code (Appendix B) provides for such a board.
Staff and the building official told council the board has not met in recent memory but is necessary to adjudicate disputes over code interpretation and to consider unsafe-structure matters. The building official said the board could be convened on short notice—staff discussed a practical 24–48–hour response window for urgent cases—and emphasized the need to avoid codifying impossible quorum requirements.
Mayor J. O. Baldwin the 3rd and other members supported formation, saying the board offers a formal route for contractors or property owners who dispute a building-official interpretation. The council also adopted bylaws for the board and asked staff to refine meeting-notice language so members understand they may be called on short notice.
The ordinance and bylaws passed with the council’s “ayes.” The city attorney noted the board’s responsibilities include both appeals of the building official’s interpretation and hearings related to unsafe structures, as defined in Chapter 6 of the city code.
Next steps: staff will prepare the notification and membership procedures and post bylaws and application information once appointments are made.
