Charleston Television, Inc. v. South Carolina Budget & Control Board

373 S.E.2d 892, 296 S.C. 444, 1988 S.C. App. LEXIS 151
CourtCourt of Appeals of South Carolina
DecidedAugust 8, 1988
Docket1210
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 373 S.E.2d 892 (Charleston Television, Inc. v. South Carolina Budget & Control Board) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Charleston Television, Inc. v. South Carolina Budget & Control Board, 373 S.E.2d 892, 296 S.C. 444, 1988 S.C. App. LEXIS 151 (S.C. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinions

Gardner, Judge:

[447]*447The appealed order was the result of an appeal taken under § 1-23-150, Code of Laws of South Carolina (1976), as amended, and held that the regulations of the South Carolina Budget and Control Board (the Board) do not comply with § 11-35-1590, Code of Laws of South Carolina (1976), as amended, and that a lease hereinafter described awarded by South Carolina Educational Television Commission (SCETV) to Tall Tower, Inc., (Tall Tower) is null and void as not having been awarded and approved in conformance with statutory law. We reverse and remand. The result of this case hinges upon this Court’s interpretation of the following statutes quoted in pertinent part with the identification of the corresponding sections of the Code of Laws of South Carolina (1976) as amended:

§ 11-35-1510. Methods of source selection.
Unless otherwise provided by law, all state contracts shall be awarded by competitive sealed bidding, pursuant to § 11-35-1520, except as provided in: [Emphasis ours.]
(10) Section 11-35-1590 (Leasing of Real Property for Governmental Bodies);....
§ 11-35-1590. Leasing of real property for governmental bodies.
(1) Designation of Board as Single Central Broker. The board is hereby designated as the single central broker for the leasing of real property for governmental bodies. No governmental body shall enter into any lease agreement or renew any existing lease except in accordance with the provisions of this Section.
(2) Notification as to Need When State-Owned Property is Unavailable. When any governmental body needs to acquire real property for its operations or any part thereof and state-owned property is not available, it shall notify the Division of General Services of its requirement on rental request forms prepared by the [448]*448division. Such forms shall indicate the amount and location of space desired, the purpose for which it shall be used, the proposed date of occupancy and such other information as the division may require.
Upon receipt of any such request, the division shall conduct an investigation of available rental space which would adequately meet the governmental body’s requirements, including specific locations which may be suggested and preferred by the governmental body concerned. When suitable space has been located which the governmental body and the division agree meets necessary requirements and standards for state leasing as prescribed in regulations of the board as provided for in subsection (3) of this Section, the division shall give its written approval to the governmental body to enter into a lease agreement. In the event the governmental body and the division fail to reach agreement with regard to the appropriate property for leasing, the controversy shall be referred to the board which shall make a final determination of the matter. All proposed lease renewals shall be submitted to the division by the time specified by the division. (Emphasis ours.)
(3) Promulgation of Regulations. The board shall promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of this Section which shall include:
(a) Procedures for governmental bodies to apply for rental space.
(b) Flexible cost standards for rental space.
(c) Procedures for competitive bidding1 where feasible. (Emphasis ours.)

(The conclusion we reach, and, we think, a proper analysis of this case, is the result of a synthesis of the above-emphasized portions of the statute.)

Additionally, S. C. Code Regs. 19-445.2120 (1976) of the Budget and Control Board (the Board) is most relevant because the question of whether this regulation exceeded the [449]*449authority of the Board is a question which we address but which was not expressly addressed by the appealed order. The regulation provides:

19-445.2120 Lease and/or Rental of Office Space and Other Real Property.
A. Lease of Non-State-owned Real Property.
No governmental body shall contract for the lease, rental, or use of non-State-owned real property without approval of the Division of General Services, except as specified in Subsection C. Requests shall be directed to the Division of General Services, Real Property Management Section. The Division of General Services shall negotiate all leases of non-State-owned real property unless the governmental body has been certified by the Materials Management Office.

In addition to the above statutes and Reg. 19-445.2120 we hold that § 1-23-126, Code of Laws of South Carolina (1976), as amended, is applicable to this decision; this statute provides:

§ 1-23-126. Petition requesting promulgation, amendment or repeal of regulation.
An interested person may petition an agency in writing requesting the promulgation, amendment or repeal of a regulation. Within thirty days after submission of such petition, the agency shall either deny the petition in writing (stating its reasons for the denial) or shall initiate the action in such petition.

This action was brought under § 1-23-150, Code of Laws of South Carolina (1976), as amended; this statute provides:

§ 1-23-150. Appeals contesting authority of agency to promulgate regulation.
(a) Any person may petition an agency in writing for a declaratory ruling as to the applicability of any regulation of the agency or the authority of the agency to promulgate a particular regulation. The agency shall, within thirty days after receipt of such petition, issue a declaratory ruling thereon.
(b) After compliance with the provisions of paragraph [450]*450(a) of this section, any person affected by the provisions of any regulation of an agency may petition the Circuit Court for a declaratory judgment and/or injunctive relief if it is alleged that the regulation or its threatened application interferes with or impairs, or threatens to interfere with or impair, the legal rights or privileges of the plaintiff or that the regulation exceeds the regulatory authority of the agency. The agency shall be made a party to the action. [Emphasis ours.]

With the above statutes in mind, we review the facts of this case and the related case of Tall Tower, Inc. v. South Carolina Procurement Review Panel, 294 S. C. 225, 363 S. E. (2d) 683 (1987).

The cases arise from the long-standing efforts and desires of ETV to have its Charleston television station broadcast antenna located on a 2,000-foot television tower, the maximum height allowable under federal regulations, and much higher than any existing tower in the Charleston area. In late 1966 and early 1967, the three commercial television stations in Charleston, WCSC (Tall Tower and Channel 5), WCBD (Media General or Charleston Television and Channel 2) and WCIV, Inc. (Channel 4), entered into a joint venture agreement to construct a 2,000-foot tower in the Charleston area.

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Charleston Television, Inc. v. South Carolina Budget & Control Board
373 S.E.2d 892 (Court of Appeals of South Carolina, 1988)

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Bluebook (online)
373 S.E.2d 892, 296 S.C. 444, 1988 S.C. App. LEXIS 151, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/charleston-television-inc-v-south-carolina-budget-control-board-scctapp-1988.