DREDGING IN THE WORKS?
Holden Beach To Hire Expert To Review Condition Of Canals
BY DOUG RUTTER
Holden Beach plans to hire someone to chcck out
the island's three man-made canal systems and deter
mine what can be done to make them easier for boaters
to navigate.
Beyond that, however, town officials have made no
commitment to supervise a canal dredging project that
some landowners say they need desperately and would
be willing to help fund.
Canal dredging was one of more than 15 items
Holden Beach Commissioners considered at their regu
lar meeting Monday night
Officials discussed two options to get the canals
dredged ? paying for the work upfront and assessing
landowners, and setting up speciaJ tax districts to col
lect money for the project.
After lengthy discussion. Commissioner Bob Buck
recommended the town hire an expert to determine the
scope of the dredging work that needs to be done.
"Before we can do anything, somebody's got to define
the problem."
Harold Steorts, who lives in the Heritage Harbor
subdivision, said the mouth of the entrance canal has
about two feet of water at low tide. He said it should be
dredged and seawalls built so sand won't wash into the
channel.
State legislation passed several years ago gave town
commissioners the power to dredge the canals and as
sess canal lot owners to recover all of the money.
However, Holden Beach officials say the big prob
lem with that procedure is that the town needs the mon
ey in advance to pay for the dredging. They can't assess
until after the project is finished.
" Before we can do anything ,
somebody's got to define the
problem."
? Commissioner Bob Buck
Town Attorney Kenneth Campbell said an informal
petition could be used to gauge public support of a
dredging project. He said the town board could then re
quest voluntary donations from lot owners to help pay
for the work.
While they consider assessments, commissioners
still want State Rep. David Rcdwine to introduce legis
lation that would allow the town to set up special tax
districts in the canal areas.
With tax districts, Holden Beach could tax people
who own land along the canals and build up a special
fund that could be used to dredge the canals as it's
needed.
Mayor John Tandy said Rcdwinc told him he would
prefer the town follow the assessment process, but
would introduce legislation later this year if the board
still wants it.
Campbell said he thinks any tax district legislation
would have to be a statewide bill. State law already al
lows towns to create tax districts for some municipal
services, but navigation projects aren't among them.
Commissioner Gay Atkins suggested the town send
resolutions to coastal towns in Brunswick, New
Hanover and Pender counties seeking support for the
legislation. Her motion died when nobody seconded it.
Other Business
In other business Monday, commissioners:
?Postponed a public hearing and adoption of the land
use plan update. Haskell Rhett, community planner
with the N.C. Division of Coastal Management, said
some policies relating to storm hazard mitigation and
post-disaster recovery need to be revised before the
plan is approved. "This board has put a lot of time into
this," Mayor John Tandy said. "It's time to put it to bed
as soon as we can."
?Voted to pay police officers training supplements if
they successfully complete courses in ambulance atten
dant, use of radar, drug awareness and use of force.
Officers will be paid S5 per course hour when they pass
the course.
?Accepted a letter of retirement from Police Chief
Raymond Simpson, who plans to work bis last day Dec.
11. Simpson has worked for the police department for
15 years.
?Accepted the resignation of Public Works Director
Henry Thompson. In a letter to the board, Thompson
said his health isn't good enough for him to continue
working. Town officials had been holding the position
open several months while he was on disability.
?Voted to buy two radar units for the police department
at a cost of $2,590 and accepted an anonymous dona
tion in the amount of $2,000 that will be used to pur
chase a personal computer for the police department.
?Agreed to advertise for bids on the construction of a
new concrete block garage for the public works depart
ment. Officials are still considering a less expensive
metal building.
?Approved the 1990-91 audit contract with Brock,
Padgett and Chandler of Shallotte. Commissioner Gay
Atkins voted against the contract because other board
members decided not to include a maximum cost for
the work.
?Held public hearings on the proposed paving of
Salisbury and Shrimp streets. The town plans to assess
landowners on the streets to recover 60 percent of the
cost. C.D. Oliver of Shrimp Street was the only person
to comment He wants the street paved, but also wants
the town to enforce the 25 mph speed limit and prohibit
parking and commercial traffic on the street.
?Set up a committee to write guidelines for the Holden
Beach Turtle Patrol. Mayor Pro Tem Gloria Barrett sug
gested the guidelines in response to complaints she
heard last year about a turtle patrol vehicle on the beach
when it shouldn't have been and turtle watchers de
stroying dunes. Mrs. Barrett will serve on the commit
tee with turtle watch director Rick Bryan and Sid
Swarts.
?Took no action on a request from the South
Brunswick Islands Chamber of Commerce to donate
S14.000 of accommodations tax money to a special
tourism promotion fund. The chamber will ask Holden
Beach, Ocean Isle Beach and Sunset Beach to con
tribute to the fund.
?Heard from Mayor Tandy that he has appointed Ms.
Atkins and Judy Bryan to a committee to plan a salute
to the troops celebration between June 29 and July 4.
"I'd 'lice for our town to be a litUe outstanding," Tandy
said. "The reason we've got a town is how well these
guys performed."
4-1 Vote Restricts Board Appointments
BY DOUG RUTTER
Holden Beach residents who get
appointed to a town board won't be
allowed to stay on for more than
two straight three-year terms any
more without taking at least a year
off.
On a 4-1 vote, town commission
ers approved that policy shift Mon
day night, closing a controversial is
sue that has been debated off and on
for nearly three years.
The ordinance change applies to
all members of the board of adjust
ment and regular members of the
planning and zoning board. They
will not be allowed to serve more
than six consccutive years.
Monday's vote on the issue was
the second in the last month. The
board voted 3-2 in favor of the pro
posal April 8. Without at least a
four- fifths vote on the first reading,
however, a second vote was re
quired.
Commissioner Bob Buck has
been the driving force behind the
"We are losing some valuable knowledge
on both boards"
? Commissioner Gay Atkins
proposal since he first introduced it
in June 1988. He suggested it, he
said, to keep the boards from be
coming stagnant and to ensure fresh
viewpoints.
Commissioners appoint members
to both boards, each of which is
made up of five regular members
and two alternates who vole when a
regular member is absent. There
previously was no limit on the num
ber of terms someone could serve.
The policy shift will have an im
mediate effect on planning board
member Sid S warts, whose terms
expire in July. S warts can't be reap
pointed until he remains off the
board for a year.
Alan Holden, who has been on
April Hottest Since WWII
Southeastern North Carolina resi
dents enjoyed the warmest April
since World War II, according to the
monthly climatological report from
the National Weather Service in
Wilmington.
Average temperature for the
month was 66.5 degrees ? 3.4 de
grees above normal ? making April
1991 the second warmest since the
weather service started keeping
records in 1871.
The warmest April on record was
in 1945, when the average tempera
ture was 66.8 degrees.
Average high temperature last
month was 77 degrees, while the
Extension Agency
Changes Its Name
The name of the 77-year-old
North Carolina Agricultural Exten
sion Service has been changed to
the North Carolina Cooperative Ex
tension Service.
The name change reflects the or
ganization's expanding programs
and conforms to the identification
of similar agencies in all but one
other state, according to Brunswick
County Extension Director Milton
Coleman.
R.C. Wells, director of the state
agency, said in a news release that
the new name was recommended in
the development of a strategic plan
for extension.
He said the new name "provides
a contemporary description of who
we are and what we do."
Cooperative Extension programs
include those affecting agriculture,
economic development, families
through home economics and youth
through 4-H.
"Our programs are designed to
meet the needs of an expanding
clientele while continuing exten
sion's strong commitment to agri
culture and the rural communities,"
Wells said.
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average low was 56 degrees.
The highest daily temperature was
89 degrees April 29, and the lowest
reading was 40 degrees April 1.
The weather service recorded
measurable rainfall seven days and
a total of 3.35 inches during the
month, which was .37 inches above
normal.
The greatest amount of rain in a
24-hour period was 2.22 inches
April 19 and 20. Thunderstorms oc
curred three days in April.
There were only six clear days in
April, 11 partly cloudy days and 13
cloudy days. The area received 68
percent of the possible sunshine for
the month.
Heating degree day units during
the month totaled 63, which was 31
below normal. The seasonal total of
1,856 units was 603 below normal.
Cooling degree day units totaled
118 in April, which was 81 above
normal.
Average wind speed for the
month was 8.5 mph. The weather
service recorded a peak wind gust
of 31 mph from the east April 12.
(r.
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the planning and zoning board sincc
1980, and three-term board of ad
justment member Martin Feldt
won't be eligible for reappointment
when their terms expire next July.
Commissioner Gay Atkins cast
the only opposing vote Monday,
saying the town will lose years of
experience on the boards by making
the amendment retroactive. She
suggested making the ordinance ef
fective in July.
Kenncr Amos, who had voted
against the policy change last month,
voted in favor of it this week. He
said later that voting against it would
have been a "lost cause."
"Apparently everybody fell dif
ferent about it so I thought I might
have been wrong," Amos said Tues
day. "I changed my vote and went
along with them."
Ms. Atkins said Monday that
commissioners need to consider the
welfare of the town before they
vote. "We are losing some valuable
knowledge on both boards."
As an example, she used Swarts,
who has served cm the planning
board since 1985 and is currently its
acting chairman.
Ms. Atkins also said Monday she
wants the town to adopt a policy
that people could not be appointed
as a regular member of either board
unless they have first served as an
alternate.
She said previous town commis
sions followed that unwritten poli
cy, but the present board has gotten
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away from it. Ms. Atkins said most
alternates have more knowledge
about issues and how the board op
erates than newcomers.
Vacancies Filled
In a related matter Monday, com
missioners filled two vacant seats
on the board of adjustment and one
on the planning board.
Town officials accepted the resig
nations of board of adjustment
members Graham King and Rose
Cole Monday. King was a regular
members, and Mrs. Cole was an al
ternate.
Mayor John Tandy said the two
members have been moving around
a lot and having a hard time attend
ing board meetings. "Both of these
people in the past have done a lot
for the Town of Holden Beach."
Charles Pahl, who was an alter
nate on the board of adjustment,
was appointed to serve the remain
der of King's term, which expires in
July 1992.
Commissioners appointed Dan
Harmon to the alternate scat vacated
by Mrs. Cole. Harmon's term also
expires next summer.
Crawford Hart was appointed to
serve the remainder of Pahl's term
as a board of adjustment alternate.
The term runs out in July.
On the planning board, alternate
Jim Shafor was appointed as a regu
lar member through July 1992. He
takes the seat that had been occu
pied by Charlotte Nolte, who re
signed recently for health-related
reasons.
Commissioners appointed Harold
Steorts to take Shafor 's place as an
alternate on the planning board. His
tern expires in July.
IN CALABASH
BRING HOME
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MIKE'S KW1K MARKET
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1 00 People Apply For Holden
Beach Town Manager's Post
Approximately 100 people have applied for the town manager's po
sition at Holden Beach, Mayor Pro Tcm Gloria Barrett said Monday.
Commissioners are scheduled to review applications at a special
meeting Tuesday, May 14, at 9 a.m. in town hall.
Mrs. Barrett, who serves on the personnel committee with Com
missioner Kenner Amos, said the committee plans to narrow the field to
about 10. The full town board can then choose several applicants to in
terview.
Diane Clark has been serving as interim town manager since Jan. 14,
after former manager Blake Proctor resigned under pressure from the
town board.
Local
Towns To Be
Recognized
Holden Bcach, Sunset Beach,
Long Beach and Southport are
among two dozen coastal communi
ties in the state that will be recog
nized next week at the annual con
ference of the N.C. Association of
Floodplain Managers.
The towns will be honored for
their participation in the National
Flood Insurance Program's Com
munity Rating System, which is ex
pected to save homeowners on flood
insurance premiums starting Oct. 1.
Floodplain managers will meet
May 13 and 14 at the Blockade Run
ner Conference Center at Wrightsvil
le Bcach.
Jon Kusler of the Association of
Wedands Managers will be the con
ference keynote speaker Tuesday,
May 14, at noon.
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SHEFFIELD'S
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