The City of North Myrtle Beach has just released the latest update on the Cherry Grove Canals Dredging Project.
On December 14, 2015 the Council approved the final assessment roll for the Cherry Grove project. Two days later, December 17, the city filed that final assessment roll with the Horry County Register of Deeds and the Horry County Clerk of Court.
When property owners included in the assessment district receive their annual property tax bill from Horry County in October of 2016, their first annual assessment for the dredging project will be included as part of that bill.
During their regularly scheduled February 15, 2016 meeting, the North Myrtle Beach City Council will consider first reading of a bond ordinance to finance the initial dredge of the Cherry Grove canals.
The current schedule has dredging occurring from November 2016 through April 2017. It appears that a small number of canal property owners are inclined to file lawsuits against the city because they disagree with the Council’s decision to move forward with the dredging project as designed.
The city’s current dredging permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will allow the city to accomplish the two planned dredges, but only if the initial dredge is not delayed by litigation.
A delay may well require the city to expend additional resources to extend the existing permit or to obtain a new permit. This diversion of resources might well leave a second dredge unfeasible within the city’s current cost predictions.
The city has pursued and continues to pursue all avenues for funding assistance for this project. These include federal and state agencies, potential public and private grants, and more.