Reinstated
Benton
Mistakenly
Sent Home His First Day Back
BY SUSAN USHER
A school system maintenance supervisor's return to
work after being tired then reinstated by the Brunswick
Countv Board of Hducation was anything but straight
tons aid Monday
OdeII Benton was fired by the school board in
December, effective Jan. 3. for his alleged role in the
sale of used cafeteria equipment at a price substantially
beiov* lis vaiui-.
However, after hearing Benton's grievance on Jan. IS.
a board majority agreed that Benton should be reinstated
and directed board attorney Glen Peterson to notify him
by letter of that decision, which was to have remained
confidential, said board Vice Chairman Yvonne Hnght
The information was given to at least one area re
porter w In* contacted Benton before he received any of
ficial or unofficial notification. Board Chairman Donna
Baxter later contacted Benton by telephone over the
weekend to tell him he should report to work on
Monday.
Men ton arrived at the school maintenance garage at
Boliv ia Mondav morning to an awkward reception.
Assistant Superintendent Bill Turner later said he
didn't know how to handle the situation, that after talk
ing with Superintendent Ralph Johnston last Thursday
he had understood no action regarding Benton was to be
taken until Johnston heard from the attorney.
"I was waiting for instructions from the superinten
dent. said Turner, "i didn't know what to do."
After greeting Benton, he advised the supervisor that
it was "up to him" w hether to remain on the job Monday
without knowing whether he would be paid for the day.
because he had not received the expected notification.
Johnston and Baxter were out of town at a superinten
dent/chairman conference, but Johnston was reached
Monday afternoon by his administrative assistant. He
sent Turner word that Benton was to return to work
Tuesday and would receive pay for Monday.
"It was a communication problem." said Turner. "I
called Odell Benton and apologized." Me also h.nl a
maintenance truck delivered to Benton's house at
Shallotte Point Monday evening.
Except for the circumstances, as a maintenance super
visor Benton normally would have had a county truck at
his home for responding to service calls at all hours
Turner said he was not aware that Benton reportedly
ended up hitchhiking home Monday, saying it was his
understanding Benton was offered a ride on tne next
truck going to that part of the county, hut declined.
It's all over now," said Turner. "The important thing
is he is back on the job. I want us to go on with the good
things we are doing."
Benton, who could not be reached by telephone
Tuesday, was fired after an investigation into the sale
last summer of used cafeteria equipment. The equipment
had been taken from Southport Elementary School dur
ing renovations and stored at the maintenance garage.
Child Nutrition Director Rebecca Brandon later sold
the equipment to Oak Island restaurant owner Jarvi.
Jones for $350. anil the equipment was delivered ln
school maintenance personnel. Jones resold 12ot sonic
4(> items lor $7.S(HI to a restaurant supply business ln
Wilmington owned by a relative.
The school system has filed suit to recover either tin
equipment or its cash equivalent from Jones, saying th.u
the equipment should never have been sold.
However. Jones' answer to that complaint asks th.u
the case lx- dismissed because the school board tails i,
state a cause of action upon w hich relief can be granted
He pleads as his defenses "payment, release and ac
cord and satisfaction, since the school system accepted
his check and delivered the equipment as agreed upon
Jones admits writing the check to Brunswick Countv
Schools for $350. said he received immediate delivm
of some of the items listed by the school system ami
sold "certain items" of the property to The New I
Carolina Restaurant Equipment for$7.8(M).
Landfill Siting Group's Work Is
Suspended For
'Internal Study'
(Continued Krom Page 1-A)
of the sites ruled hy Ihe task force.
He also dinrsn't support siting in
the northern end of Ihe count) be
cause- of the hauling costs involved.
"A landfill is a dirty thing, but
we're going lo have to have it. liven
if we use an incinerator, we can't do
without one."
Speakers at the Jan. 11 session
mainly told Ihe siting committee
they didn't want a ncu landfill any
where near where they live, or
where it has any chance of contami
nating groundwater wells or shell
fishing waters.
At that meeting the Inter-Agency
Solid Waste Task Force reported it
hail made brief n isits to and studied
materials on five possible sites in the
Supply Bolivia area that had been
recommended lor further studv.
pointing out advantages and disad
\ antages of each site.
Rated as most suitable overall
was a 570-acre tract bordered o the
north by a tributary of Lockwood
Folly River along Gilbert Road and
about 1.8 miles east of Antioch.
Rated as second-best was the
Royal Oak tract of concern to
Clemmons and Burney. The 300
acre tract is located north of U.S. 17.
west of N.C. 211 and south of Little
Macedonia Road. The tract is bor
dered by Middle River to the west
and Royal Oak Swamp to the south.
Though one of the smallest of the
sites, it was identified as "most suit
able w ith respect to potential impact
on groundwater and resulting public
hazard."
Siting committee members said
they wanted to study the 17 pages of
new information further before m.ik
ing a recommendation, and set a Jan.
25 meeting date.
Though an "overflow" crowd was
expected to attend, that meeting was
not to have been a repeat of the Jan.
1! public meeting. County Engineer
Robert Tucker said the committee
had planned for it to be a work ses
sion. w ith the public welcome to ob
serve and to submit written com
ments or petitions, but not to make
oral comments.
"I think it is an unfortunate cir
cumstance that they're not going to
lx- allowed the opportunity to sit
down and begin discussion," said
Tucker, who said he had been in
structed to cancel the meeting and
suspend action for the moment.*"
He said the county is rapidly ap
proaching iiie (Kiini ?licit "our back
w ill be to the wall" in terms of meet
ing a January 1. I'WS. deadline for
opening an artificially lined landfill
site
While the county has been talking
with Columbus County about the
possibility of hauling trash to a re
gional landfill proposed to be built
there, right now Columbus County
is in the same position as Bruns
wick. No site has been chosen and
no construction begun, leaving
Tucker with no information on fac
tors that would influence that deci
sion: distance for hauling, tipping
fees and timetable. There is no guar
antee the Columbus County landlill
will be built by the time Brunswick
County needs one.
"I'm not comfortable with delay
ing or stopping our process; I'm not
in the piactice of evaluating what
ifs " he sa'd
"I'm sure from their (countv ad
ministration/policy makers) perspec
tive thai there is a good reason for
canceling the meeting, but I hope
everyone understands the timetable
we're under. It's critical we move
forward."
"It's critical we move forward."
Tom Rabon of Winnabow, the
commissioner who serves as liaison
with the siting committee, said that
while it was the county manager's
decision to cancel Tuesday's meet
ing, he also thinks additional study
is needed.
Rabon said he wants to look at
other alternatives to not only landfill
sites but "the whole sphere." lie
would like personally to see some of
the county's trash going to the New
Hanover County incinerator and to
?he regional landfill in Columbus
Countv.
"I would like to be able to send
most of it out of the county, hut I
know we don't have that option
now."
He said he knows that no matter
where the landfill is put there will be
opposition.
"Everybody says put it in the
Cireen Swamp, but that is very im
practical." said Rabon. "I don't have
the answer."
"I'm not planning on letting us
(the county) get behind schedule,
unless the voters decide not to return
me to office. I don't intend to let thai
happen if I am still a commissio iet
Committee member Joe Cox
could not be reached for comment
and member Wilton llarrelson did
not return several telephone calls.
They are the other two siting com
mittee members from the southwest
ern area of the countv.
Sewer Plan Topic Of Sunset Hearing
(V untinucd Krom Page 1-A)
ter usage records for the past two
years and are willing to talk with
any residents who want to know
\\ hat their sewer charge will he
Tom Pope, a li>cal builder, was
among those urging the town coun
cil to proceed w uh a sewer system.
He said regulations are becoming
more and more stringent on the use
of conventional septic systems and
the day is coming when it will be
nearly impossible to repair one.
"We must have sewer and we
must have it immediately...," Pope
said. "Now is the time. Now is the
hour. Let's move ahead."
Several speakers said the town
needs to control stormwater runoff
as much as it needs a sewer system.
Owen Weddle said the town
council has spent thousands ol dol
lars to plan a sewer system, and he
suggested the board start spending
some to plan a stormwater runoff
system.
"If we go ahead with a sewer sys
tem without stormwater manage
ment. what we face is rampant
growth, the kind of growth that will
create environmental degradation,"
Weddle said.
Mayor Mason Barber indicated
that there will be a meeting of offi
cials from several area towns in the
near future to discuss a joint effort to
control stormwater runoff.
"The county's getting involved.
We're getting started," Barber saul.
Judy Van Winkle asked if the
town council will do anything to
control growth once the sewer sys
tem is constructed.
"We have to look toward the lu
ture and protect ourselves." she said.
"There's got to be some limitation as
far as what can be developed and
what cannot be developed."
Barber said Sunset Beach is al
read\ zoned to control development.
It s something that can be !oo',ed
at. but I don't give it much hope." he
?>aid ol additional measures.
Cletus Waldmillcr. president of
the Sunset Beach Taxpayers
Association, said he was speaking
on behalf of the group's members
anil had several concerns about the
facilities plan.
"There a lot of misinformation
THE BRUNSWICKfeBEACON
Established Nov. 1. 1962
Telephone 754-6X90
Published Every Thursday
At 47((l> Main Street
Shallotte. N.C. 28459
SI BSC RIITION RATES
IN IJKl N.SWK k ( Ol N I V
One Year $10.36
Six Months $5.55
ELSEWHERE IN
NORTH CAROLINA
One Year $14.86
Six Months $7.90
ELSE W HERE IN U.S.A.
One Year $15
Six Months ...$8.35
Second class postage paid at
Shallotte. N.C 28459 USPS 777
780 Postmaster, send address
changes to:
l?.<). Box 255X,
Shallotte, N.C. 28459-2558
before the public." he said. "They do
not know it's going to cost $54')
million."
Waldniiller also questioned the
proposed system's capacity of 2 mil
lion gallons per day. He said tigures
in the plan indicate the treatment ca
pacity will he exceeded in 1998.
Responding to other questions
posed by Waldniiller. Billups said
the $114,000 estimate lor operation
and maintenance was reduced
$300,000 in the latest plan because
sludge removal costs will lie less
than anticipated
Billups also said the projected
collection ol SI.2 million in impact
fees is based on an annual growth
rate ol 6.32 percent. Me said Sunset
Beach is growing faster than that
now. and a sewer system could
speed it up.
Owners of existing homes will
not pay impact lees w hen the sewer
system is built. The fee will be
$2.000 tor each new home, and
higher for businesses.
"lombro said people who water
their lawn or garden will have the
opportunity to install separate water
meters lor irrigation so they won't
incur unnecessary sewer charges.
One man in the audience said es
timated costs for large projects such
as a sewer systems are usually about
50 percent below the actual cost.
Billups said the engineers' esti
mates are conservative and were
based on bids the firm has received
over the iasi few years. "We feel
very comfortable with the cost esti
mates we've pro\ ided." he said.
I he 201 Facilities Plan is required
under the Clean Water Act of 1972
lor any projects using federal funds.
The local project is scheduled to re
ceive approximately $3.8 million in
State Revolving l und loans, which
was initially (unded throueh the
F.PA.
The plan analyzes alternatives for
wastewater management in an effort
to identify those that are most cost
ettective and environmentally
sound.
Written comments on the plan
will be received at Sunset Beach
Town Hall until Feb 9 at 4 p.m. All
comments and questions will be ad
dressed in a later addendum to the
201 Facilities Plan.
Authorization Passes
In a special meeting Jan. 20. the
Sunset Beach Town Council ap
proved the authorization of $5 mil
lion in general obligation sanitary
sewer bonds subject to an April 5
referendum.
However, town otficials were
quick to point out that the bonds
would "authorize, but not obligate"
the town to issue general obligation
bonds to fund a portion of the sewer
project.
"If you've got the grants, you
won't have to issue any of it."
Tombro advised."
Some council members said they
were uneasy w ith the idea of asking
voters to approve general obligation
bonds the town has no intention of
issuing.
"Why do we have to advertise it
as a bond to raise taxes if that's not
what we intend to do?" asked
( ouncil member ( hern Cheek.
Mayor pro tem Fd Gore respond
ed "There's no other mechanism in
the slate statutes other than bonds?
you can't just have a straw vote. If
the referendum is positive, the
(South Brunswick) Water and Sewer
Authority will he activated, and they
will do all the borrowing through
revenue bonds."
The formats for council's mo
tions. advertisements and other pro
cedures related to bonds are dictated
by law.
Councilman Herb Klinker said he
\sas worried about the wording of
the required newspaper advertise
ment tor the Imnd referendum.
"People are going to read this and
say the town is going into debt for
S5 million. The voters will not know
that the total (sewer project) funding
is $34 million.
"I want people to vote for the ref
erendum; I want people to know
we'll never issue these bonds."
Town Attorney Mike Isenberg
warned against Klinker's suggestion
the town publish a disclaimer ad
next to the referendum notice. "If
something happens with your other
sources of revenue, this gives you
the authority to issue $5 million in
bonds. It authorizes, but does not
obligate. But you legally can't do
anything to take away from the au
thority of this bond order."
Cheek, on whose motion the au
thorization unanimously passed,
said. "This is where the level of trust
in the elected officials has to come
in?that what we're saying is what
we intend to do.
A public hearing on the bond au
thorization was scheduled for Keb. 7
at 7 p.m. in Sea Trail's Maples
Clubhouse, to be followed by the
town council's regular monthly
meeting.
Tempers Flare
The sewer issue continues to be a
touchy one among some island resi
dents and property owners who be
lieve the area's real pollution prob
lem is unmana^ed stormwater
runoff
StSIA president w'aiumiiier said
he was ordered to leave a meeting of
the town's Citizens Advisory Panel
on Wastewater Jan. IK in violation
of the NT". Open Meetings Law. but
panel chairman George Knott said
Waldmiller disrupted the meeting
and necessitated its adjournment.
Waldmiller said the meeting was ad
journed when he refused to leave
unless directed by a police officer to
do so.
Waldmiller. Klinker and citizen
Bob Kakos attempted to sit in on the
meeting between Billups and panel
members Knott, Annette Odom, Al
Consalvi and John Watts on
Tuesday.
Watts, a former SBTA officer
who recently moved to South
Carolina, said Mayor Mason Barber
asked him to continue serving on the
panel even after he had moved, but
that he was not invited to the
Tuesday session.
The meeting was re-convened on
iriday at the town hall, with
Waldmiller. a reporter and Officer
fcd Kudlotf observing.
With Walt dissenting, the panel
once again endorsed the ongoing
sewer project and recommended thai
an interim stormwater management
ordinance be drafted by the town
planning board.
Calabash To Expand Town Hall
BY ERIC CARLSON she felt the board ought to study the idea tirsi But oth
Residents of Calabash will soon get the chance 'n or board members quickly endorsed Schaack's plan .is
attend public meetings without standing in the hallway one whose time has come.
or sitting in the laps of their town commissioners now "We've kicked this around for a long time." said
that the board has agreed to expand the town Iiaii. Bob Noc. "It's going to he three or Sour years before
With very little discussion and even less dissent, the we have a new building. We should look at this one as
board voted unanimously Tuesday night to authorize an asset. It's valuable commercial property that u ill
the planning and construction of a 612-square-foot ad- only increase in value with the addition. I see no rea
dition to the cramped building that currently houses son not to proceed."
the town clerk, a secretary, the town building inspector Altreuter also questioned whether the new addition
and the commissioner's meeting room. would provide enough space for a town manager. It
The addition will include a 3%-square-foot public was suggested that the second meeting room could be
meeting area with seating for 45 people. The current used for another office if the board decides to hire a
board room measures 264 square feet and barely seats manager.
15 visitors. The area will be converted into a reception. The board agreed to contact architects, advertise for
accounting and data processing room under a new bids and get started on the addition as quickly as possi
floor plan proposed by Commissioner Ed Schaack. ble.
A second smaller meeting room, additional storage Another of Schaack's ideas was less warmly re
area and a second bathroom will be included in the ad- ceived. especially by the District 1 representatives of
dition. downtown Calabash. He suggested that the town con
Schaack. who is an engineer and the town's former sider adopting a local option sales tax on restaurants
building inspector, estimated that the addition would and motels, "to get us away from funding everything
cost about $24,480 and offered to design a new park with property taxes." He said that any money collected
ing area for the building free of charge. He said the from the business tax would be used to facilitate
town would have to apply for a setback variance in or- tourism
der to complete the expansion. Schaack said the idea was mentioned to him by a lo
The decision came after Commissioner Jon Sanborn cal businessman.
askcu ilic board to consider reorganizing the building's "I bet it wasn't anybody in the restaurant business."
current facilities to make better use of its space. He said Commissioner Keith Hardee.
suggested that the town create more work stations, add Nik- suggested that the town could also look at
shelving and paint the building's interior walls. putting a tax on golfers, to which Mayor George
"What Jon is suggesting is a band-aid. We need a to- Anderson replied. "You put a one-dollar tax on every
tal cure," Schaack said. "This w ill give us enough golfer and you'd be hung at high noon."
room until we can get into a new building. Let's adver- Commissioner Forrest King said such a tax "was
tise for bids and proceed. We're just strangling our- only fair, if you're going to tax the downtown."
selves in here." Both ideas quickly faded from discussion without
Newly elected Commissioner Teddy Altreuter said action by the hoard.
Elections Board Clears Leland Registrar
Leland Precinct Registrar Helen noted its findings of fact and conclu- with election judges Helen Mapson
Best will be back at her usual post sionsof law. and Mickey Bullock, the trio decid
on Feb. 8, when Leland Sanitary Among other findings it noted ed it "would best serve the voters of
District voters go to the oolls a sec- that Best had been provided a list of Leland Precinct to continue on as
ond time. all registered voter in the precinct, they had been doing" w hen the error
The Brunswick County Board of but not sanitary district voters. was discovered.
Elections determined Friday that It was 3 p.m. that Tuesday before .... .
Best should not lx; dismissed as a re- precinct officials realized that every- , .. en 1C U),m? equipment am.
suit of conduct during the Nov. 2 one should not be receiving both the ?lo,S wkere ro,urunL"d'? ,he elections
election. state ballot and sanitary dis,nr. bal- f,ce ,hal ^ m,nrmcd
"There ir. not substantia! evidence !?? Only district residents were to
that she intentionally committed a vote for district directors. kuij hmhuii uuVbin uh.h
willful wrong or other misconduct," Because of a computer error not On Feb. X Leland Sanitary Mis
stated the formal conclusions of law caught in the office, sanitary district trict voters will return to the Leland.
signed by Chairman Orie Gore. residents had not been identified on Woodburn anil Navassa polling
After some Leland voters who the voter print-out. places to elect five district directors
were not residents of Leland After calling the problem to the from a field of six candidates. First
Sanitary District were allowed to attention of the county board of time around, only four votes separat
vote in the Nov. 2 sanitary district elections office, the registrar was in- ed the last two candidates?Bruns
election. which was later invalidat- slructed by Deputy Supervisor lx)is wick County Planning Director John
ed. the State Board of Elections or- Baccarny to question voters the re- Harvey and incumbent Julius
dered the local board to conduct a ill.under of the day as to whether Adams. Also on the ballot are Jos
hearing on Best's conduct and em- they resided within the district. eph Gaincy, Flgie Jones, Albert
ployment After Best discussed that directive Mitchell and Fdison Moore.
The hearing was held Jan. 11 in
county commissioners' chambers.
From testimony and records that
were part of that hearing, the board
Another Cold Blast Expected
Library Friends
Eyeing Two Sites
Enjoy the reprieve while it lasts, because a second blast of cold
weather is expected next week.
"This next cold may not be as intense as the last, but I wouldn't put
away the winter gear yet," said Jackson Canady, an amateur meteorolo
gist from Shallotte Point. "What we re having now is basically the
January thaw, and all indications are tuat next week it will be over with
for us."
(( ontinued l-rom Page 1-A) For the remainder of the current week into the weekend, he antici
mid August. pates temperatures ranging above average, from the upper 30s at night to
Library Board Chairman Don the upper 50s during the daytime, with about a half-inch of rainfall.
Eggert said that Shallotte is likely to Canady logged a broad range of temperatures for the period of Jan.
be without a library tor "up to a 'x through 24, from a low of 13 degrees on Jan. 19 to a high of 65 de
week" while books and other mate- grees Monday. Jan. 24. A daily average high of 49 degrees combined
rials are moved into temporary quar- Wl'h an average nightly low of 24 degrees for a daily average temperature
ters No definite date has been Net of 36 degrees, which Canady said is about 10 degrees below average,
for the closure. He estimated that it For the period he also measured 1.05 inches of rainfall
would be "around April 1."