Volume 62/ Number 13 Southport, N.C.
November 18,1992 / 50 cents
Long Beach
New fire
building
possible
By Amitabh Pal
Municipal Editor
A request to build a new fire sta
tion on Middleton Street with
money the fire department has saved
will be the subject of a December 1
workshop, called Tuesday night by
the Long Beach Town Council.
Fire chief Tim Pittman earlier
handed over $53,386.38 to the town
with the request it be combined with
an additional amount the department
had saved for a new fire truck and
be used to pay off the debt on a fire
truck now owned by the department.
Pittman said the money saved on
interest could be used towards build
ing a new station, which he
estimated would cost $275,000 with
5.1-percent financing.
Councilman David Durr suggested
that council issue a directive which
would couple the paying off of the
fire truck debt with construction of
the new station.
Other council members said they
preferred a closer look at the
proposal. Town manager Tim
Johnson recommended that a joint
workshop be held with the fire de
partment.
Council also held a public hearing
on the first phase of the un
dergrounding of utility wires by
Brunswick Electric Membership
Corporation (BEMC).
Johnson explained that the total
cost to the town would be $47,385
for the undergrounding of primary
wiring, which would be eight per
cent of the total project cost. He said
homeowners also would be charged
$128 for undergrounding the service
lines to their homes.
For the undergrounding of primary
wiring, homeowners would be as
sessed $3.45 per front foot for a
three-phase (three-wire) line and
$1.15 per front foot for a single
phase line.
Rupert Riley questioned the short
term benefits of the project. He said
if the long-term timetable for the
project were 20 years many resi
dents would no longer be alive.
Yachts continue to ply the Intracoastal Waterway,
headed southward ahead of wintry blasts. Various
Photo by Jim Harper
vantage points, including the Oak Island bridge,
provide interesting views of the parade.
Caswell okavs line assessment
By Amitabh Pal
Municipal Editor
Caswell Beach commissioners
Thursday authorized the $3.45-per
front-foot assessment of property
owners for the first phase of the
undergrounding of utility lines.
The initial phase of the project in
volves the section lying between the
western town boundary and the west
ern property line of Caswell Dunes.
Utility lines that front the Caswell
Dunes subdivision already have been
placed underground.
The project is being undertaken by
BrunswickElectric Membership Cor
poration (BEMC). Property owners
will contribute an amount equal to
eight percent of the project cost.
Town clerk Linda Bethune said pay
ment of the assessment depends on
BEMC's work schedule. BEMC gen
eral manager Don Hughes said earlier
that BEMC hopes to start work on the
first phase in January and complete it
by next summer.
Mayor Jack Cook told citizens at
the outset of Thursday's public hear
ing that there are two problems in
assessing for the project.
The first, he said, is that a portion of
the initial phase is used by Yaupon
Beach residents on one side of Coun
try Club Drive. He said these Yaupon
Beach owners cannot be assessed for
the project although the town has re
quested voluntary payment and some
have expressed a willingness to par
ticipate.
The second problem. Cook said, is
the question of ownership of property
held in joint trusteeship by Oak Island
Enterprises and The Caswell Partner
ship.
Some residents voiced questions
and concerns about the project.
Dave Wilson, treasurer of Oak Is
land Beach Villas' property owners
association, said the cost to his group
would be $4,500. He said he did not
see the need for the undergrounding
project.
Commissioner B ill Boyd responded
that the property owners association
could assess individual unit owners at
a cost of S26 each.
Pam Whitesides, whose residence
lies further east in Caswell Beach,
asked if there would be a difference in
assessments for the first and second
phases of the project. Cook said there
would not.
Whitesides also expressed concern
about whether the undergrounding
would leave space for lines for future
projects and asked whether BEMC
See Caswell, page 16
Audits may be good business for county
Thanks to a new policy implemented by the Brunswick County
Board of Cbramisskmets, the county tax department has collected
$421XXX) from business personal property tax audits, and expects to
collect nearly $2 million more within the next several months, tax
assessor Boyd Williamson toldthe board of commissioners Monday
nigbL
During the past 16 months the county has spent about $57,000 to
initiate audits of neatly 250companies. While some companies have
refused to submit to an audit of their personal property, Williamson
said, most audits have been conducted with an attitude of mutual
cooperation.
*'when we fcel it's not a case of blatant conniving or undertisting.
we try to settle without penalty," he said, "We try to let than know
we don't wan* to bum them, we j«st want to settle up. ”
Five companies have refused to turn over their paperwork to the
county, including Lowe's of Southport, Rite Aid and International
Paper Company. Williamson said the tax office is currently negoti
ating with these companies to resolve the situation,
Businesses that ate unhappy with their audit can appeal to the
hoard of equalization and review and to the N, C. Property Tax
Commission.
Public utilities are not auditable by the county, Williamson said,
because they are assessed by the N, C. Department of Revenue.
To take effect^ next July
County zoning
plan approved
By Holly Edwards
County Editor
After nearly 25 years of on-again.
off-again deliberation and contro
versy. Brunswick County commis
sioners voted 4-1 Monday night to
adopt acountywide zoning ordinance.
The ordinance will be implemented
and become effective on July 1.1993.
Until then, the planning board will
hear petitions for zoning changes for
a fee of S100. to cover the county's
costs of going through the petition
process.
Commissioner Frankie Rabon. a
long-time zoning opponent, voted
against the proposal, but added that
he thought it would be a mistake for
the next board to repeal the ordinance.
"No. they shouldn't repeal it. just
because of the work that’s been put
into it, the time involved and the ex
pense." Rabon said. "They've got un
til next July to look at it and monitor
it. I endorse them doing those sorts of
things, but a blanket repeal of the
whole thing wouldn't be a wise move."
Rabon also Said he was initially
against the SI00 petition fee. but has
since discovered that other counties
and municipalities charge similar fees
to hear zoning petitions.
Commissioner Donald Shaw voted
against the ordinance at its first read
ing on November 2 because he said
the proposal needed more work and
most residents in the northern part of
the county were opposed to zoning in
general.
‘It’s a done deal.
Now we just need to
hope it turns out for
the best.’
Frankie Rabon
County commssioner
Although Shaw said he could not
vote for the ordinance as it was writ
ten at the first reading, and changed
his mind after a large number of
changes were made that affected his
district, planning department records
indicate that no changes were made to
the ordinance between readings.
"There were large changes made on
my end. and they were made after that
first vote." Shaw said. "I've recently
gotten a lot of calls from people thank
ing me for making a stand."
While the ordinance has not
changed since November 2. there have
been numerous changes made since it
was first introduced to commission
ers last May. Rabon indicated that he
is happier with the ordinance as it is
currently written, but said commis
sioners could have made even more
changes. Still, he said, now that it is
adopted everyone should try to accept
See Zoning, page 16
Schools get land
for central office
Brunswick County commissioners unanimously agreed Monday night
to set aside a four-acre site at the county government center for the board
of education to construct its new central office building.
The board of education has been discussing construction of a new
central office since the 1970s when county government offices moved
from Southport to Bolivia. However, the project was given a low priority
because of the more pressing need for additional classroom space.
Board of education chairman Donna Baxter said she is happy about the
commissioner’s approval.
"At least we've got the ball rolling to get this project started." she said.
See Schools, page 16
Thanksgiving edition
In a tradition nearly as old as the holiday itself. The Slate Port Pilot will
publish its Thanksgiving week edition one day early, on Tuesday.
The early publication allows for distribution by mail prior to the holiday,
editor Ed Harper pointed out. Counter-sale and rack distribution w ill be made
mid-to-late Tuesday afternoon.
The deadline for display advertising will be noon Monday. The deadline for
classified advertising will remain 3 p.m. Monday.
All news items must be submitted by noon Monday, "but to ensure publica
tion we suggest the material be submitted by 4 p.m. this Friday.” Harper added.
OUTSID
Forecast
The extended forecast
for Thursday through Sat
urday calls for partly
cloudy skies with highs in
the 60s and lows in the
40s. Sunday there is a
chance of rain but it will
be wanner, with highs
nearer 70 degrees with
lows in the 50s.
Tide table
HIGH LOW
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19
3:08 a.m. 9:18 a.m.
3:24 p.m. 9:42 p.m.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20
4:08 a.m. 10:20 a.m.
4:23 p.m. 10:37 p.m.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21
5:07 a.m. 11:17 a.m.
5:20 pm. 11:28 p.m.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22
6:00 a.m. a.m.
6:11p.m. 12:11p.m.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23
6:50 a.m. 12:18 a.m.
7:03 p.m. 1:00 p.m.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24
7:39 a.m. 1:06 a.m.
7:49 p.m. 1:48 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25
8:25 a.m. 1:52 a.m.
8:35 p.m. 2:34 p.m.
The following adjustments should be made:
Bald Head Island, high -10, low -7; Caswell
Beach, high -5, low -1; Southport, high +7,
low +15; Yaupon Beach, high -32, low -45;
Lockwood Folly, high -22, low -8.