Hartsville City Council considers moratorium on gaming machines

HARTSVILLE, S.C. _ Hartsville City Council is expected to take up a proposed temporary moratorium on internet gaming machines in businesses, a measure aimed at providing incentives to businesses that locate or expand in the city and another measure aimed at giving preferred vendor status to businesses in the city and county that provide services or goods to the city.

Council will hold its regular monthly meeting on Monday at 6 p.m. rather than on its usual date of the second Tuesday of the month because Tuesday is Valentine’s Day.

City Manager Natalie Zeigler said city officials have received a number of inquiries in recent weeks from individuals interested in opening “sweepstakes” internet gaming cafes in the city, including in the downtown area. Several convenience stores in the city already have internet gaming machines, she said.

But questions surround the legality of the machines. The state has outlawed gambling machines in businesses. Some say the new gaming machines, which are appearing in more and more stores and nightspots around the state, are legal, others that they are not.

Some say loopholes in current state law allow the machines. Some magistrate courts in the state have ruled that the machines are legal.

“The problem is the Legislature really needs to address this,” said city attorney Marty Driggers.

Council is expected to give first reading to an ordinance imposing a 180-day moratorium on any new machines within the city limits at Monday’s meeting. The ordinance will have to have a public hearing and favorable vote on second reading before it can go into effect. If the measure passes on first reading, second reading will come in March.

Council is considering an ordinance modeled after an ordinance the Charleston city officials are considering.

A moratorium would give officials time to study the issue and see if the General Assembly intends to address it, Driggers said.

Council is also expected to take up on first reading an ordinance to provide incentives to businesses to locate or expand businesses in the downtown area of Hartsville. Officials point out that a number of other municipalities around the state have opted to provide incentives to encourage development in their downtown areas and have seen success.

The City of Florence is currently considering offering incentives to promote its downtown.

Incentives could include various forms of grants for façade improvements, design and signage, low interest loans, access to federal loans for small businesses, federal and state historic tax credits, business license credits and waiving of certain fees.

To qualify for the incentives, businesses would have to meet certain criteria.

Council is also expected to take up an ordinance to give preference to local businesses that provide services or goods to the city. If approved, the measure would give local vendors a weighted advantage over vendors that do not participate in the local economy except for “one time” projects. That would mean funds generated locally would be circulated back into the local economy, officials said.

And council is expected to have first reading on an ordinance for a general obligation bond of about $1.2 million for several capital projects, including the renovation of the former Bank of America Building for use as a new city hall, reroofing the current city hall.

Other items that could be included on the list are improvements at Pride Park, including a possible new stage and the acquisition of land to enlarge the park; Lawton Park, including the replacement of the tennis courts there; and Byerly Park, including the possibility of adding a splash pad.

Those were among the items on a list of items totaling more than $1.9 million presented to council for review during Tuesday’s work session. Council will have to decide what items to include in the bond issue and prioritize them, officials said.