Interim Head
BY SUSAN USHKR
When ihe N.C. Coastal Management Cotmnission
meets March 25 and 26 in Wilmington, one of the
changes instituted by recently-appointed interim chair
man Eugene Tomlinson will be apparent almost at once.
Alter announcements have been made Thursday, the
flojr will be opened for 30 to 45 minutes to comments
from the public on items not on the commission's agen
da. saul the retired engineer from Southport. Speakers
may simply show up that morning. If a large number
want to address the commission, their time may be limit
ed. but all will have an opportunity
to speak.
The C'RC has never tried offering
a public forum before, Tomlinson
said, but during his 20 years as may
or of Southport between 1957 and
ll>83, "it worked real well" with the
city's board of aldermen in showing
members of the public its interest in
their concerns. JS*
"Everyone on the commission *
seems very willing to go along with TOMLINSON
the revised format and to gel into the swing of things,"
the longtime commissioner said in a telephone interview
after his first CRC meeting as interim chairman last
Tomlinson Wa
Thursday and Friday in Atlantic Beach.
Tomlinson also wants to see the Coastal Resources
Advisory Council (CRAC) play a much larger role than
they have in the past several years. "T hey are our local
contacts and have very valuable experiences. We need
their input."
Jonathan Howes, secretary of the Department of
Environment, Health and Natural Resources, also wants
the CRAC members "put to work," said the chairman.
He anticipates the CRC appointing more advisory coun
cil members to its working committees and subcommit
tees as various issues arc studied.
In addition to making the commission more open and
responsive to the public, Tomlinson, who has a reputa
tion among commission members as a moderate and as a
consensus builder, also wants panel members to work
harder at building agreement among themselves and set
ting aside differences.
"The first thing 1 would like is for us to slop the polar
ization that's been going on between environmental and
development interests.
"We were appointed to this commission because of
our expertise in a specific field. We arc to use that
knowledge as we study issues, not to lobby for or
against a particular field," he said.
"Unfortunately, we have hail some of that recently,"
nts Receptive, Cohesive CRC
added Tomlinson, who has served continuously on the
commission since July 1977.
The acting chairman said he is well satisfied with the
ethics policy adopted by the commission last week.
"1 thought it was a very comprehensive policy," he
said. "I think it will tend to keep our members out of
trouble if they will all follow it."
Member Dan Besse was the only one of 11 members
voting who objected to the new policy, which replaces
one that ran into trouble with the state ethics panel.
Besse wasn't satisfied because he wanted the conflict
of-interest policy to apply to rule-making votes as well
as to votes on appeals. The policy says commissioners
with conflicts of interest?who stand to personally gain
financially from a panel decision?should abstain from
discussing and voting in contested cases. The policy
does say a member should abstain from discussion or
voting on a rule if it is designed to specifically benefit
that commissioner.
"I agree with one of our other commissioners who
said that if were interested in feathering our own nests
we have no business being on the commission in the
first place," said Tomlinson.
He anticipates the commission meeting in Brunswick
County in coming months, the first time in at least 11
years, possibly in the southwestern section of the coun
ty
"'With the improved laeilities we have now I don't
think we'd have any problem meeting here," he said.
Gov. Jim Hunt appointed Tomlinson interim chair
man immediately alter receiving the Jan. 25 resignation
of James E. Harrington as chairman and mcmber-at
large of the CRC.
" The word just came dow n through Secretary Howes
asking if I would be willing to serve as interim chair
man.! indicated I would be glad to do anything I could
to be of service," explained Tomlinson. "And if he sees
fit, I would be glad to continue working to move the
commission forward in a positive direction."
Hunt has not indicated when he intends to name a
permanent chairman, said Debbie Crane, departmental
spokesman. "He wants to have time to lixtk at the entire
commission, across the board."
Tomlinson was reappointed last July to the CRC's en
gineering scat. He retired as an engineer with the U.S.
Department of the Army at Sunny Point Military Ocean
Terminal, then worked in engineering for Carolina
Power & Light Co. for several years. He also served as a
trustee during the 195X-1969 period during which for
mer Wilmington College made the transition to a Ibur
ycar state institution.
Resignations Free Governor
To Make CRC Appointments
Bald Head Island property owner James E. Harrington of Raleigh
was one of two members to resign in January from the N.C. Coastal
Resources Commission.
Aurora Mayor Grace Bonner has resigned from the local government
seat she had held since July. Because of poor health she has not been
able to attend any commission meetings.
The resignations will allow Gov. Jim Hunt to begin making his own
appointments to the board much earlier than anticipated, said Debbie
Crane, departmental spokesman.
The terms due to expire First, on June 30, 1994, arc those of Daniel
A. Besse of New Bern, .'amcs Hamilton of Jacksonville, David L.
Jenncttc Sr. of Windsor, Reginald Caroon of Lowland, J. Bowcn Ross of
Atlantic Beach, Harrington and Ernest A. "Ernie" Carl. Carl was ap
pointed last fall by Gov. Jim Martin to complete the unexpired term of
UNCW professor Courtney Hackney, who resigned from the marine
ecology scat. Carl served as deputy secretary of environment and natural
resources under Martin.
In his Jan. 25 letter to 1 lunt, Harrington wrote, "It is with real pleasure
that 1 submit this letter of resignation from my positions as chairman and
niember-at-large of the Coastal Resources Commission..."
"You will want your own chairman," he continued, noting that
while his own term extended to 1994, "I feel that 1 have adequately ful
filled my obligation as a ciuzen in service to North Carolina in several
positions, and others should have the opportunity to serve."
Harrington's resignation was effective Feb. 1. He had served as Gov.
Jim Martin's transportation secretary and was a former secretary of the
Department of Natural Resources, having played a large role in pushing
the Coastal Area Management Act through the legislature in the 1970s.
Ash Shooting Is County's
First Homicide Of Year
(Continued From Page 1-A)
witness at the hospital. The gun has
been sent to the State Bureau of
Investigation laboratories for ballis
tics tests.
Witnesses said Gilley ran out the
back door after the shooting and has
not been seen since, Caison said. His
two companions reportedly left in
Fulwood's red Chevrolet pickup
truck. Police believe Faircloth later
returned to search the area near the
lounge, picked up Gilley and took
hirn home.
Detectives located Fulwood
Sunday morning and learned that
Gilley and Faircloth had left the
county in the truck tractor that
Faircloth drives for the Yandle mo
bile home dealership in Shallouc,
Caison said. After a ground and air
search, the vehicle was found aban
doned at a truck slop in Florence.
"We don' know if they're hitch
hiking or if they caught a ride with
another tmckcr," Caison said. "Or
they may have arranged for some
one to pick them up."
Caison said neither suspect was a
regular customer at the Junction
Lounge, although one witness said
he had seen at least one of the men
in the bar before. The lounge serves
beer and wine and has several pool
tables. Witnesses told Caison the bar
was "packed" with a crowd he esii
maied at about 35 to 40 people.
Local authorities have entered the
names and descriptions of Gillcy
and Faircloth into the Police
Information Network computer sys
tem, asking authorities to be on the
lookout for the two men, Caison
said.
The Brunswick County Clerk of
Courts office has no record of cither
man being arrested for violent of
fenses.
Gillcy pleaded guilty in August,
1990, to a charge of reckless driving
to endanger and was given a sus
pended 1-day jail sentence.
In November 1991, Faircloth
pleaded guil'y to a charge of damag
ing a truck tire owned by a Forest L.
Gillcy of Route 7, Shallotte. As part
of his negotiated plea, the state vol
untarily dismissed a charge of com
municating threats in which
Faircloth was aiieged to have told
Forest Gilley, "I am going to burn
your trucks."
Caison asks that anyone with in
formation about the shooting or the
whereabouts of the two men call
him at the Brunswick County
Sheriff's Department, (919) 253
4321.
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Alexander Files Federal Suit Against County
(Continued From I'aj;e 1-A)
Barefoot, is a Democrat and was not
a political supporter at the time of
her hiring, as was alleged both the
draft suit and the one filed in federal
court.
Jones also said Tuesday he would
not comment on the lawsuit.
County Attorney David Clcgg
said Tuesday he could not discuss
the substance of Alexander's
charges and would not speculate
about why the ease had been taken
to federal court. He said the county
has no plans to seek an out-of-court
settlement in the ease.
"We will answer and deny the al
legations. Our position will be made
dear in our answer," Clegg said.
The Bcacon twice attempted to
reach Alexander's attorney, Martha
Geer of Raleigh. On both occasions,
her secretary said Geer was busy on
the phone. The secretary later called
back to say Geer would be in meet
ings for the rest of the day and
would be out of the officc
Wednesday.
In an earlier interview, Geer ac
knowledged that a lx?ard of commis
sioners has the right not to reappoint
a county clerk. She said that if the
case went to trial, she would have
the burden of proving the termina
tion was racially or politically moti
vated.
Alexander was first hired by the
county in January 1975, as secretary
to the county planner, according to
the suit. She was appointed clerk to
the board in 1980 and was reap
pointed by subsequent boards until
1990, when Shaw and Jones joined
Holdcn, Pinkerton and Frankie
Rabon to form an all-Republican
board.
The suit claims an unnamed polit
ical supporter of Holdcn recom
mended that Alexander change her
party affiliation to Republican. It
states that on another occasion, she
was advised to distance herself from
commissioners Pinkerton and
Rabon. She refused both requests,
according to the suit.
"Subsequently, defendants Hoi
den. Shaw and Jones refused to
communicate or work with
(Alexander)," the suit states.
"Although (she) never received any
complaints about her performance,
rumors circulated that her job was in
jeopardy. As a result, (Alexander)
began experiencing substantial emo
tional stress that contributed to se
vere health problems."
The suit claims Alexander was
eliminated from her position in a re
structuring of county positions that
was in fact a "pretext for unlawful
discrimination."
No details of the defendants' al
leged racial or political discrimina
tion are outlined in the suit.
Advertising Extra Sleeping Capacity Common: Study
(Continued From Pane 1-A)
cent accurate, but it gives an idea of
the extent of the overcrowding prob
lem. He said the report may even
understate the percentage of poten
tially-overcrowded houses.
There are no septic system per
mits records for about 30 percent of
the homes on the island. Most of
those were built many years ago. In
those cases, Swarts said the commit
icc acccpicd lluit the advertised ca
pacity was correct.
The study was authorized last
month alter commissioners rejected
a committee proposal to impose a
"punitive surcharge" on homeown
ers who use more water than their
septic systems arc designed to ac
commodate.
Last year, town officials balked at
a proposed ordinance that would
have prohibited advertising that
homes have more bedrooms or
sleeping capacity than health depart
ment permits allow.
Other firms listed in the report in
cluded Hobbs Realty, which adver
tised that 103 of its 123 units (84
percent) had more sleeping capacity
than their septic systems were built
to handle.
The study also looked at rental
homes handled through Brunswick
land Realty (72 percent ol units ex
ceeded permitted capacity), Alan
Holdcn Realty (62 percent) and Sand
Peddler Realty (66 percent).
The report did not include infor
mation on rentals handled through
Craig Realty. Swarts said the com
pany didn't have its new rental
brochures when the study was be
ing conducted.
Register Of Deeds Responds To Members' Criticism
(Continued From Page 1-A)
S51.424 he was ihc sixth highest
paid register of deeds in the suite
last year, according to a county
salary survey published by the
Institute of Government at UNC
Chapcl Hill.
Robinson said he was not asked
to partieipatc in the original county
wide salary study and was not noti
fied of the later increase authorized
by the commissioners.
"I read about it in the newspaper,"
Robinson said. "But when our
checks came, there weren't any rais
es in them. I had already prepared a
salary study. So when we didn't gel
the raises, I submitted personnel ac
tion forms and had the raises ap
proved."
Robinson said his "current plan"
will be to submit a departmental
budget request for a lower level of
county funding than in the past fis
cal year.
In an unrelated matter, Vcrccn
said that "at least once a week" he
receives a call from someone com
plaining about difficulties getting
building permits from the county en
gineering department. He said one
man told him he went to the depart
ment "four or five times" to get a
r>
Robinson said his
current plan will be
to submit a
departmental budget
request for a lower
level of county
funding than in the
past fiscal year.
permit.
"Could you entourage ihe build
ing inspection department to put out
a form telling people what they need
lor a permit?" Vercen asked Clcgg.
Clegg said the engineering de
partment has numerous such forms
outlining stcp-by-step procedures
for obtaining building permits for
mobile homes, commercial struc
tures, single family dwellings, signs,
storage buildings, additions, remod
eling, etc
After the meeting, Vercen was
asked for the names of some ol
those who had complained of diffi
culties obtaining permits. He was
unable to remember the names of
any of the callers, although he said
one had tailed him the night before.
County Engineer Robert Tucker
said Tuesday he agrees that appli
cants can encounter frustrating diffi
culties in obtaining a building per
mit. But he said the problem arouse
out of the many approvals required
from different county departments.
"Unfortunately, someone might
have to go to the health department
for a septic tank permit, then the
planning department for a flood
check, then to G1S (Geographic
Information Services) to get a street
address and maybe to the lax depart
ment if he's not sure exactly where
the property is.
"By thai time anyone would get
pretty tired of running around,"
Tucker said.
Acknowledging that there is "a
tremendous amount of redundant in
formation" requested at numerous
offices. Tucker said the county is
working toward implementing a
one-stop permitting proccss. He said
that eventually an applicant should
be able to fill out one form that will
be entered into a computer network
linking all departments that need the
information.
In other business the board voted
unanimously to appoint Virginia
Bellamy, Ray Walton, Eva Mac
Watts and Margaret Dennis to the
Nursing Home/Domiciliary Care
Advisory Board. Roscoe Butler and
H. Orie Gore were appointed to the
Southeastern Economic Develop
ment Commission. Dentist Jeffrey
Mintz was appointed to the Bruns
wick County Board of Health.
Average Winter Weather
Expected For Coming Week
Both temperatures and precipita
tion are cxpcclcd to be "about aver
age" for this time of year over the
next few days, Shallotte Point mete
orologist Jackson Canady said
Tuesday.
V 1
little type
BIG KfSULTS
Use the
Classifieds
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buying or selling.
THE BRUNSWICK&&EACON
V 754-6890
He anticipates temperatures will
average from about the mid-30s at
night into the mid-50s during the
daytime, with about a half-inch of
rainfall.
In a bp'ak from rcccnt weeks,
Canady recorded no rainfall for the
period Jan. 26 through Feb. 1.
Temperatures reached a high of
68 degrees on Feb. 1 after dipping to
a low of 28 degrees on Jan. 28.
A daily average high of 59 de
grees combined with a nightly aver
age low of 38 degrees for a daily av
erage temperature of 48 degrees,
which Canady said is about 2 de
grees above average.
THE BRUNSWICK&BEACON
Established Nov. 1, 1962
Telephone 754-6890
Published Every Thursday
At 4709 Main Street
Shallotte, N.C. 28459
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