Board Replaces
Uegg With Carter
On Wafer Authority
BY ERIC CARLSON
As Brunswick's newest county
manager attended his first commis
sioincrs meeting, the county's previ
ous manager was stripped of his last
official responsibility and replaced
by another former county manager.
In a 3-to-2 vote that followed par
ty lines, the county board of com
missioners Monday removed David
Clcgg from his seat on the Lower
Cape Fear Water and Sewer Au
thority and appointed former county
manager Billy Carter to serve as one
of Brunswick County's four repre
sentatives on the board.
Explaining his support of the
move. Commissioners' Chairman
Don Warren said Clcgg "was an out
standing representative on the au
thority," but said the former manag
er had broken off communications
with the county board since he re
signed under political pressure
March 15.
"We need to have more feedback
from the authority, especially in re
gards to finances and policy,"
Warren said after the commission
ers' regular meeting. "Billy is very
knowledgeable about the authority
and should give us better communi
cations."
Commissioner Way land Vereen,
Holden Beach Fighting
Occupancy Tax Measure
BY DOUG R UTTER
Upsci by pending legislation that
would placc tight restrictions on use
of occupancy tax, Holden Beach of
ficials plan to bombard state repre
sentatives with letters and phone
calls in an effort to kill the bill.
House Bill 800 would require
towns such as Holden Beach that
raise more than SI 00,000 per year in
occupancy tax to remit the funds to
a local tourism promotion agency.
The agcncy, created by a local or
dinance, would dccidc how the
money is spent. At least half of the
agency's board members would be
required to have expertise in the
travel and tourism industry.
Occupancy lax, which tourists
pay when they rent rooms, is cur
rently legislated by 90 local bills
that have passed the N.C. Genera!
Assembly.
Intended to set uniform occupan
cy tax rules for the entire state, H.B.
800 has raised a stink along the
coast.
"It just takes away our occupancy
tax which we use to help defray the
cost of having tourists come in
here," Mayor Wally Ausley said at
Tuesday night's town meeting.
Holden Bcach expects to collect
S225.000 in room tax this fiscal year
and plans to use it for sidewalks, po
lice salaries, bcach patrol, trash
pickup, fire, street lights and other
expenses.
If the bill passes, Holden Bcach
officials say it would reduce the
town's options for spending the
money. Commissioners plan to send
a resolution to state legislators this
week opposing the bill.
The resolution will point out that
the town uses occupancy tax to pay
for services required by visitors and
that restricting the use of occupancy
tax would cause a 67-percent in
crease in the property lax rale.
Ausley said Holden 's representa
tives in the State House. David
Rcdwine and Dewey Hill, both arc
opposed to the bill and have vowed
to do their best see it defeated.
"He is 100 percent, unalterably
opposed to this bill," Ausley said of
Hill, a member of the House Fin
ance Committee that is currently
considering the legislation.
Ausley said all of the bcach com
munities in Brunswick County that
rely on occupancy tax revenue are
working to defeat House Bill 800.
As proposed, it would take effect
July 1, 1995.
If the bill passes, Ausley said lo
cal representatives have told him
they will try to get the local bills that
enabled Holden Beach and other
area towns to levy occupancy tax
"grandfathered" so they would still
apply.
"At this point they're not even
sure it has enough support to get off
the ground in finance," Ausiey said.
Two Streets Closed
Despite some public opposition,
town commissioners voted to
"close" two streets near the east end
of Holden Beach Tuesday night that
have never been used in ihc past.
Sections of Carolina Avenue and
South Shore Drive stretching from
the western edge of the Old State
Park property to Ferry Road have
been formally closed.
The streets were platted years
ago, but they were never opened or
accepted by the town. The closings
were requested by the owners of the
property. Canal Investment Society
and W.F. Sledge.
Spokesman Harry Lockwood said
the owners think the original subdi
vision that included the two streets
can be re-designed better. "There
aren't any plaa~ to do anything with
it," he said. ' There is no hidden
agenda."
If the existing subdivision is re
designed, it would have to be ap
proved by the planning and zoning
board and board of commissioners.
Lockwood said the developers
would lose at least eight lots if the
subdivision was re-platted.
In a public hearing preceding
Tuesday's vote, residents Elias
Pigford and Roger Williams urged
the board to keep the streets open in
case they arc needed for access in
the future.
If Ocean Boulevard is washed
away, they said access to the cast
end of the island would be reduced.
"At some point we're going to
need a second way to get down this
beach," said Williams, chairman of
the planning board.
Other Business
In other business Tuesday, com
missioners:
?Took no action after meeting for
25 minutes in executive session.
Mayor Ausley said the board dis
cussed "pending litigation."
?Appointed Charlotte Pringlc to
the Holden Beach Board of Elec
tions. Pringle replaces Mabel Dut
ton, who resigned recently after
more than 1 5 years of service.
?Took no action after hearing a
complaint from Burlington Street
homeowner Mitchell Roberts. He
said his floating dock was damaged
by the company that dredged the
canals last winter, and the company
refuses to pay the SI, 400 it cost to
replace the dock. Town officials say
they have been trying to help
Roberts with his claim against the
company.
?Voted 4-1 to table a proposed
ethics code for Holden Beach offi
cials and employees. Commis
sioners Foumier and Bass, who pre
viously were appointed to an ethics
committee, plan to meet soon to de
velop a joint recommendation. San
difer cast the only vote against
tabling the issue.
?Accepted the donation of three
framed prints from David and Pat
Sandifer. Prints depicting the old
ferry to Holden Beach, the old draw
bridge and the existing bridge will
be displayed in town hall. They
were donated in honor of Pat's par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. James D. Griffin
Sr.
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who made the motion to replace
Clcgg, said Carter "is a lot more fa
miliar with it than anyone who's on
there now." He noted that Carter
was county manager during the au
thority's formative years.
"Since we're their biggest cus
tomer, 1 have a lot of concerns about
the authority," Vereen said.
Warren was joined by fellow
Democrats Vereen and Tom Rabon
in voting to remove Clcgg from the
authority. Republican Commis
sioners Donald Shaw and Jerry
Jones voted against the replacement.
"It's all politics," Jones said after
the meeting. "Evidcndy they don't
want him (Clcgg) to have anything
to do with county government. I be
lieve he's done a good job."
Shaw also praised Clcgg's work
on the authority, saying he was
"more knowledgeable" than Carter
about its operations.
The authority is a nonprofit public
agency formed in 1972 as part of a
five-county effort to provide for the
region's water needs. It has 13 mem
bers, including four from Brunswick
County, one from Bladen County
and two each from the City of
Wilmington and Columbus, Pender
and New Hanover counties.
Brunswick County put up the
S5.6 million in seed money that al
lowed the authority to qualify for the
additional S7 million in state funds
needed to create a raw-water intake
and pumping station above Lock
and Dam number one on the Cape
Fear River. The county also bccamc
the authority's sole water customer.
Earlier this year, the authority began
repaying the loan.
By replacing Clcgg with Carter,
Brunswick County will lose its
chairmanship on the authority,
which will vote to select a new
leader.
In other business at Monday's
commissioners meeting:
?Warren asked newly hired
County Manager Wyman Yclton to
research ways in which Brunswick
County might regulate cable televi
sion companies. Warren said recent
deregulation of the industry might
allow the county require improve
ments in cable service quality and
rates. But, he said, the county oniy
has until Nov. 1 to enact such regu
lations.
?Commissioners voted 3-to-2,
with Jones and Vcrecn dissenting, to
adopt a resolution delaying imple
mentation of the county zoning ordi
nance. The measure allows the
board to put zoning into effect at fu
ture date "retroactive to July 1."
County Engineer Robert Tucker said
he would need 90 to 120 days tc>
train a zoning administmtor He said
he will be prepared to recommend
an implementation date within 30
days.
?The board received petitions
with more than 200 signatures from
residents of the Grissettown area
asking the commissioners to consid
er regulating hog farming in the
county. A landowner in the area re
portedly plans to open a hog farming
operation nearby.
?Everett Morrison of Holiday
Haven subdivision presented a peti
tion bearing 98 signatures from resi
dents who favor the adoption of a
county noise ordinance. Morrison
said he was "being harassed to no
end by youngsters on trail bikes"
riding through his neighborhood.
Warren said a rough draft of a noise
ordinance had been prepared and
would be considered by the commis
sioners at a future meeting.
?The commissioners agreed to
terminate the county's S70.000 con
tract with architect John Thompson
for designing a proposed SI million
warehouse facility at the county
complex in Bolivia. During recent
budget deliberations, the board vot
ed to delay the project and to give
the money to the school system for
new computers. Tucker said the
move would leave the county with a
complcic set of plans for the build
ing. But it would cost an additional
57,000 for a "bail-out" payment to
the architect.
?The board voted 3-to-2 along
party lines against Shaw's rc-non.i
nation of Eulis Willis to retain his
scat on the county social services
board. No other nominations were
made. Willis's term expired June 30.
?At-largc member Pearl Stanley
and District five representative Edith
Tillman were re-appointed to the
Brunswick County Library Board.
Warren was named to replace at
largc member John Jacobs, who re
portedly asked not to be re-appoint
ed.
?William T. Hardee was appoint
ed to replace Scott Willctts as
District 4 member on the zoning
board of adjustments. Jones voted
against the motion, which was made
by Rabon.
?Tax Collector Nancy Moore and
Tax Supervisor Boyd Williamson
were reappointed to a one- and two
year terms respectively.
?Public hearings were set for
Aug. 16 at 5:30 p.m. on the county's
Coastal Area Management Act land
use plan and Aug. 10 at 5:30 for
proposed changes to the county zon
ing ordinance. Both hearings will be
held in the public assembly building
at the county complex.
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