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May 2008 • Vol. 4, No. 11 A Shoreline Community, Pine Knoll Shores, N.C.
Town is Taking
Direct Control
Of Water System
By Yvette Bannen
The Pine Knoll Shores Board of
Commissioners held a special meeting
March 27 to discuss taking over
management of the town's water
company with a target date of May 15.
TownManagerBrianKramer outlined
the reasons why he thought the town
should manage its own asset that it has
owned since 2005. Currently Carolina
Water Services, also known as Utilities,
Inc., is managing the water company
for the town at a cost of $128,000 per
year. For that fee the meters are read,
billing is performed and the system is
maintained. Purchases of chemicals, lab
tests, repairs, etc. are done and the cost
is deducted from the check the town
receives monthly.
The town manager outlined the start
up costs for the town to manage the water
company itself. First, a freestanding
warehouse is needed to store chemicals
and supplies. This would be a pre
fab building costing $60,000. A truck
($30,000) is necessary, as well as a trailer
with a generator ($3,000), computer
and software ($3,000), office equipment
($1,800) and various tools and test kits
for a total of $107,000. The money for
these expenses would come out of the
water enterprise fund and would not
affect the town's finances.
Sonny Cunningham, who currently
works for Utilities, Inc., would become
a town employee and would operate the
system. He has the state certifications and
licenses necessary for this responsibility.
Public Services Director Ernie Rudolph
is undergoing training so that he too
(Water System) Continued on Page 3
Members of Friends of the Bogue Banks Library prepare to take a well earned
rest after packing up at the end of the spring edition of their semi-annual book
sale which held forth April 26 at Shepard of the Sea Lutheran Church in Atlantic
Beach. See story on page 7
Postcard Format For Water Bills
New billing and payment procedures
will be the change most visible to
water users in Pine Knoll Shores as
the town moves during the next few
weeks to assume direct control and
administration of the water system that
serves the community.
As recounted in an accompanying
story, the town purchased the water
system from Carolina Water in
2005. Since then Carolina Water has
continued to operate the system under
a management agreement with PKS.
The Pine Knoll Shores Board of
Commissioners has voted to assume
direct operational control of the
water system as of May 15.
Currently, Carolina Water mails
out bills to PKS water users at the
end of the month with a payment
coupon directing that payments
be made to a Carolina Water address
in Charlotte. The bill for April service
that you just received or are about to
receive is the last that will be processed
in this way.
Carolina Water will mail out the bills
for May service at the end of this month,
but payment must be sent directly to
the Town of Pine Knoll Shores at 100
Municipal Circle, Pine Knoll Shores,
28512. You may also pay the bill in
person at town hall, saving postage and
(Postcard) Continued on Page 3
Town Hall 247-4353
Special Fund Put
In Place to Keep
Tabs on Sand Tax
The director of the Fiscal Management
Section of the State and Local Government
Finance Division, N.C. Department
of State Treasurer, had words of
commendation and encouragement
in summarizing a recent review of the
financesof theTownof Pine Knoll Shores
in which a representative of her office
played a leading role.
In a letter to Mayor Joan Lamson,
Director Sharon G. Edmundson noted
that a prime focus of the review was
establishment of a Special Revenue Fund
within the accounting and budgetary
functions of the community in which to
account for monies related to the beach
renourishment tax.
Since collection of the "sand" tax began
in 2003, monies associated with the tax,
including a portion of the sales and use
taxes received each year from the state,
had passed through the community's
General Fund before being transferred
to a Beach Escrow Account from which
bonds issued in the amount of $8 million
to pay for beach renourishment are being
paid off.
Trouble was, while the money was
properly transferred each year the
transfer was not accounted for on
the community's books, leaving the
impression that that sum remained in
the General Fund and was available to
(Sand Tax) Continued on Page 13
Standard
William & Barbara White
Pre-Sort
PC Box 1644
Permit #35
Atlantic Beach, NC 28512
ach, NC 28512
Deadline for June issue is Monday, May 19 Deadline, for July issue is Monday, June 16 Articles always welcome!