Residents speak out on bike rally ordinances

By WBTW Staff Reports

Published: September 23, 2008

Tuesday morning’s Myrtle Beach council workshop was anything but routine.

Dozens of people crowded into a meeting room inside city hall to hear council members talk about proposed ordinances designed to curtail the May bike rallies in Myrtle Beach.

Council members listened to people both for and against the rallies talk about what they think about the ordinances.

One of the ordinances, would make it against the law to operate a motorcycle within the city limits of Myrtle Beach that has a measured noise level of more than 87 decibels on the decibel meter when measured 20 inches from the exhaust pipe at a 45 degree angle while the engine is idling.

Council is scheduled to have a second and final reading on the ordinances at Tuesday’s council meeting.

At Tuesday afternoon’s city council meeting, the President of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce made a request to council on behalf of chamber businesses.

President Brad Dean says the chamber is not taking a position for or against the rallies or the proposed ordinances.

Dean asked council members to work with the Chamber to have an effective public information campaign letting visitors to Myrtle Beach know what to expect in May if council passes what Dean calls ordinances designed to dramatically curtail attendance at the rallies.

Dean said reducing attendance will also mean a reduction in business revenue and the chamber would like to see a committment and resolve from council members to rebuild the spring economy.