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THE STATE PORT PILOT
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Volume 47 Number 38 April 7, 1976
Southport, N. C.
24 Pages
10 Cents
Next Meeting Tuesday
Hearings On
Taxes Begin
By BILL ALLEN
Staff Writer
The Brunswick County
Board of Equalization and
Review began hearing from
property owners and
reviewing recommended
changes on property cards
during its first meeting this
year on Tuesday.
Tax Supervisor K.T.
Bellamy urged board
members to approve rate
schedules for improved
tracts, farm land, wood land,
waste land and unimproved
tracts.
Bellamy said the schedules
were approved by the former
board, but were never used.
“We would not have 99
percent of the problems we
have had if the schedules had
been followed, ’ ’ he declared.
But the old board adopted
the schedule to use for
revaluation, Bellamy said,
the former commissioners
told Allied Appraisal Com
pany that no land in the
county was worth less than
$300 an acre. He said two
state and one Allied officials
were given the $300 value
order. He said the three men
remember the order, but
never saw it written down.
“It was a verbal deal and
the schedules were ignored
by Allied,” Bellamy
declared. “But we have not
been able to find any
document where the order
was written down.”
Bellamy told the board that
he did not think the schedule
needed to be charged. But he
said he believed additions
should be made to cover more
types of land.
He said the board needed to
have a timberland grade
schedule, which would in
clude marsh, swamp,
bayland, Savannah and good
timberland.
He said 99 percent of the
problems his department has
had involved woodland and
waste land. “Practically all
the counties from us to the
Piedmont have lower rates,”
he pointed out. “I am
speaking primarily of
woodland.”
The schedule also will
include information about the
valuation of lands around
easements at Sunny Point
and power facilities, where
use is limited, and the
Intracoastal Waterway,
where permits are needed.
Bellamy said he would
check with state officials and
mail his recommendations to
commissioners so they can
act at the next meeting
Tuesday morning.
“We need directions of
schedules to know which way
to go with it,” the tax
supervisor stated. “If anyone
deviates from the schedule,
?•' •' , - : , ■- ” . .. . -V 'V: :
Steps Taken
On Bond Vote
The Long Beach Board of Commissioners
voted unanimously to hold a $2.9-million
referendum for the first phase of the town water
system during a special meeting Thursday night.
Board members expressed hope that they can
have the complete package ready by May 1 in
order to advertise the referendum.
However, the board has “proceeded as far as it
can go” without information concerning the
county’s obligation, Mayor Hoarld Crain said.
(See related story in this edition of The Pilot.)
The $2.9-million referendum, if approved by
the voters, will be a one water tank Phase I
system. The proposed water line layout in the
town is still under consideration by Pierson
Whitman, the engineers on the project.
James Wilson and Bill Piver of Pierson
Whitman said priority will be based on the total
number of houses on the streets that tap on the
water system.
The two engineers outlined several types of
referendums the town could hold to begin Phase
I of the water system .Piver said the town could
hold a $2,187,675 referendum which would
privide one tank and a second one at a later date.
The minimum bill for 8,000 gallons of water per
month would be $8.82.
A $3-million referendum would provide two
water tanks. But the minimum rate would be
$10.18, which would not be looked on with favor
by FHA, Piver said.
A $3-million referendum with only one tank
would reduce the minimum rate to $8.90, the
engineer said.
Piver told Commissioner William Jones that
the town could expect a water tank to last 10 to 15
years.
In other business, the board voted
unanimously to issue a dance permit The Four
Winds. Billie Russell pointed out that she had
obtained all the other required permits.
All members were present for the special
meeting. County Manager Don Flowers, Jr., and
County Planner Johnny Sutton attended the
meeting as guests.
he can go to Shallotte to
collect unemployment. ’ ’
Commissioner Franky
Thomas said he agreed
schedules were needed to
make sure valuations are
consistent. “We need to make
sure that values are equal
when they are compaerd,” he
stated.
Bellamy presented the
board with a large folder
containing recommended
changes for property in Town
Creek Township. Property
cards were distributed to
commissioners for study.
“The two appraisers in the
department were told to write
their recommendations on
notes attached to each
property card,” he explained.
“They had no authority to
make valuation changes on
the cards. That is your job.”
Bellamy said that he
planned to present other
recommended changes in all
townships for the com
missioners to consider during
the E&R meetings. Once the
commissioners ha,y«
reviewed all the property
cards, the recommendations
would be approved in one
motion.
Ocean Isle Beach developer
Odell Williamson said the
board needed to act to make
property taxes equal for all
property owners.
“I will pay more in
property taxes than I will
earn on sales this year,”
stated Williamson, who told
the board that his taxes have
gone up 10 times between 1974
and 1975. “This year has
wrecked my nerves.”
Williamson said it was his
(Continued On Page 2)
PART OF THE WORK force involved in planting grass are the first to enjoy the comfort of the thick, soft turf which
Saturday at the new little league baseball diamond poses with now covers the field, wall to wall,
the handiwork after completing the project before noon. They
Rescue Squad
Answers Calls
The Southport Rescue
Squad answered six calls this
week, including three
Saturday, Chief Ormond
Legettsaid. - ,v
Janies L. Bryant of Supply,
who was shot in the leg at a
Supply nightspot, was
transported from Dosher
Memorial Hospital to a
Wilmington hospital Friday.
Stacy Wade was taken from
his Southport home to Dosher
hospital Saturday. He was
suffering from a sudden
illness.
Marjorie Watts of South
port was transported from
the Macks store to Dosher
hospital Saturday.
The squad took Tom Frink
(Continued On Page 2)
By BILL ALLEN
Staff Writer
Brunswick County com
missioners spent a great deal
of time discussing water
systems during their regular
monthly meeting Monday at
the Hood Building in South
port.
County Planner Johnny
Sutton and County Public
Utilities Director Rodney
Tart were asked to represent
the board on the planning
work for Phase II of the
county water system and the
Lower Cape Fear Water and
Sewer Authority project in
Beach Asks Info On
Town Water System
Air-Conditioned
Cafeterias Seen
By School Year
By ED HARPER
News Editor
All Brunswick County
school cafeterias should be
air-conditioned by next fall,
based on action taken
Monday night by the Board of
Education.
Cost of the project has been
estimated at $74,300, plus an
architect fee of $7,200. Board
of Education Member
Franklin Randolph noted that
county commissioners have
“verbally committed”
themselves to funding the
work.
The project approved
Monday night during the
regular meeting of the Board
of Education does not include
Leland school, which
members anticipate using
only one more year until the
planned Leland Middle
School is occupied. Rather
than install permanent air
conditioning, the - board
proposed to use window units
at that school cafeteria.
Robert Sawyer of Ballard,
McKim and Sawyer ar
chitectural firm of
Wilmington noted in his
report that “we have
estimated the general con
struction work involved
without complete knowledge
of conditions at each school,
but the figures should be
safe...unless a need for
structural modifications or
renovations not related to the
air-conditioning develops. ”
Noting that the Board of
Education wishes to have the
work designed and under
contract by June 1, Sawyer
stated “this is a very fast
schedule but we believe it’s
possible if the design work is
authorized immediately so
that field work can be started
this week.”
Sawyer said in his report
“we (Ballard, McKim and
Sawyer) propose to use H.L.
Buffaloe as engineers for the
mechanical, electrical design
and they have advised us that
they are able to proceed
immediately.”
Sawyer suggested that the
six projects be done under
one contract, for which ap
proval from the Division of
School Planning is necessary.
According to Sawyer’s
presentation, the work
proposed is as described in
the October 10, 1975 report
prepared by a representative
of the Division of School
Planning. Following are the
requirements and costs noted
by Sawyer at each of the six
schools:
Bolivia, 1,400 square feet,
150 occupants, 7-ton air
conditioning unit at $1,200 per
ton plus $500 electrical, $3,000
general construction for a
total of $11,900;
Lincoln Primary, 1,575 sq.
ft., 140 occupants, 7.5-ton
unit, $3,000 general con
struction for a total of
$12,500;
Shallotte, 2,000 sq. ft., 140
occupants, 9-ton unit, $3,600
general construction for a
total of $14,900;
Southport Middle, 1,350 sq.
ft., 140 occupants, 6-ton unit,
$3,000 general construction
for a total of $10,700;
(Continued On Page 2)
the county. They will handle
the two projects until they
reach the “decision making”
stages.
The county needs to make
decisions about the proposed
Long Beach water system,
town officials told com
missioners.
“We have proceeded as far
as we can go,” Mayor Harold
Crain said. “We can’t stress
the urgency of this thing
enough.”
Later in the meeting, after
the Long Beach delegation
was gone, County Manager
Don Flowers Jr. said he
would write a report to send
to town officials about the
matters discussed at the
meeting.
The county manager also
said the engineer had
recommended that Long
Beach build its own water
tank.
Flowers told the Long
Beach officials that the major
problem is running county
water to the town. He said
Pierson-Whitman, engineers
on both the town and county
water system projects, was
considering three alter
natives that range in price
from between $230,000 and
$240,000 and $500,000 to
$700,000.
He said he was not
“hopeful” that the price will
be $230,000 to $240,000
because he said he did not
believe the causeway could
be used to run the line to Oak
Island.
When the system was
originally planned, Flowers
said, it was anticipated that
the county would run the line
across the Oak Island bridge.
But “a mistake was made”
and the state rejected the
proposal.
Commissioner Franky
Thomas pointed out that the
Long Beach system was
originally placed in Phase I.
But he said it had to be placed
in Phase II because of cost
over-runs in Phase I con
struction costs.
Mayor Crain said Long
Beach needed answers by
May 1 in order to advertise
the proposed $2.9-million
water system referendum.
Chairman Steve Varnam,
Jr., said the board will work
with Long Beach on the
matter 100 percent as it has
done in the past.
He said the board was
considering giving Long
Beach the property, which
has been purchased by the
county, if the town will pay
for construction of the water
tank.
Mayor Crain said he
wanted to know if the county
would pay for the water tank
if Long Beach would do the
foundation work. He said he
understood the tank would
cost $350,000 to $400,000
although he said he didn’t
know if the price included the
foundation work.
“We want to lay out a
skeleton line across Long
Beach in our first phase,” the
mayor stated. “But we need a
certain number of laterals to
obtain the needed number of
customers.”
Long Beach Commissioner
Russell Morrison said the
town did not expect the
county to live up to the
agreement to install laterals
in the town. “But we can
install more laterals if the
county pays for the tank,” he
stated.
Flowers said Pierson
Whitman reported that the
county could sell water to
Long Beach for 30 cents per
1,000 gallons. “The county
system is not designed to be a
profit-making operation,” he
added.
Long Beach Com
missioners William Jones
and Carroll Adams and Town
Manager John Berry also
represented the town at the
(Continued On Page 2)
Complex Space Needs
Is Subject Of Meeting
By BILL ALLEN
Staff Writer
Brunswick County com
missioners will hold a special
meeting Monday night at 7:30
p.m. at the Hood Building to
discuss office needs for the
new governmental complex.
County Planner Johnny
Sutton told commissioners
during their regular meeting
Monday that the special
session needs to be held to
review the office space
survey his department has
been conducting.
Sutton said the LBC&W, the
engineering and ar
chitectural firm working on
the complex, needs the
survey information to
complete the master plan.
‘‘The longer we wait on this
thing, the longer we will hold
up the master plan,” he
explained.
He said the special meeting
will resolve problems con
cerning the amount of space
requested and recommended
for some departments in the
survey.
Sutton said the draft report
of the survey has been
delivered to commissioners
and department heads in
county government. But
copies of the draft report
were not given to the public at
the meeting.
In other action concerning
the complex, the board voted
unanimously to have
Chairman Steve Varnam, Jr.,
write a letter saying that the
county intends to purchase
Bolivia water if it meets
certain conditions.
“This is to inform you of
Brunswick County’s intent to
purchase water from the
Bolivia system if water of
adequate volume, pressure,
and quality are provided at
the complex site by the Town
of Bolivia,” the letter said.
Sutton told the board that
LBC&W officials don’t
recommend that the Bolivia
water system be used unless
the county had “direct
control” over the water.
Sutton pointed out that the
water would not be purchased
if the town could not provide
“adequate volume, pressure
(Continued On Page 2)