. I ' ■ I.
The State Port Pilot
OUR TOWN
Past week's highs & lows
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WED THU FH SAT SUN MON TUE
Southport
, Southpoit city workers began laying about 700 feet of sidewalk
this week along Bay Street from die pilot tower to Port Charlie's
Restaurant to officially start the first phase of the Riverwalk project
City officials hope this "good faith effort" will help them acquire all
necessary time extensions to complete the project without losing the
$75,000 grant
The city has received approval of the first 90-day extension
request but since this request was filed in March it would give the
city only until the end of June to Finish the project City manager
Red) Gandy said he has asked for an additional 90-day extension,
_ which would give the city until the end of September to complete
the project
Gandy also announced that he will present his budget proposal for
fiscal year 1993-94 to the board of aldermen on Tuesday, June 1, at
- 7 p.m. in City Hall. Aldermen are then expected to schedule
workshops to discuss the proposal.
Long Beach
The town council scheduled its first budget workshop for June 8 at
7:30 p.m. and the budget hearing for June 15 at 7 p.m., prior to its
regular monthly meeting.
Governor Jim Hunt's crime commission announced this week it
has awarded nearly $9 million in federal grant money for law
enforcement, violence prevention, crime victims and juvenile justice
programs statewide, and Long Beach was notified that its share of
the grant money will be $13,684. Chief Danny Laughren said he
applied for the grant to help fimd a computerized police records
system.
The computer system will enable die police department to readily
access all crime reports and to keep track of all property reported
stolen from local residents, he said. The total cost of die system is
estimated to be $18,423, Laughren said, and the town is expected to
contribute $3,684 over the next two years.
The federal grant money also will be made available over a two
year period, and Laughren said he expects to purchase only "the
necessities" this year, such as a mainframe, keyboard and printer.
Next year, he said, he hopes to purchase an additional work station.
Bald Head Island
Paving of village roads by MAC Construction has reached the
arterial stage this week with work starting at the Middle Island end
of Federal Road Village building inspector Gregg Turner indicated
Monday that paving of Federal Road should be completed by the
weekend, and that completion of the entire project, including both
lanes of North Bald Head Wynd, probably will be finished by the
end of next week.
Initially roads were supposed to be paved by Easter, but funding
and planning delays prevented a timely start.
Paving of the lighthouse access toad and chapel-village hall area
was completed last week.
Yaupon Beach
Police officer Scott Gilland has been hired by the Long Beach
Police Department and Yaupon Beach is now looking for an officer
to replace him, chief Aubrey Hickman announced. Persons can pick
up an application at Town Hall.
A public hearing on the proposed budget for fiscal year 1993-94
will be held prior to the regular monthly meeting on June 14, and a
copy of the proposed budget will be available for public inspection
after June 1. Currently, the tax rate is proposed to stay at 33 cents
per $100 of property valuation.
Town officials say they appreciate residents' cooperation during
the seeding of areas disturbed during installation of the sewer lines.
Residents are asked to stay off the seeded areas as much as possible.
Boiling Spring Lakes
City clerk Barbara Cumbee is reminding residents this week that
City Hall will be closed Monday, May 31, in observance of Memo
rial Day.
The board of commissioners will hold its regular monthly meeting
next Tuesday, June 1. Cumbee said she hopes to have the fiscal year
1993-94 budget proposal ready for presentation.
The city planning board will hold its monthly meeting on May 31
at 7 pjn. in City Hall. Board members are expected to discuss a
proposal to allow doublewide manufactured homes in the R-3
residential zone. Currently, only small, individual homes are
allowed in that zone, while double wide mobile homes are allowed
only with special permits. Chairman Elmer Schorzman indicated
that the discussion could lead to a review of all mobile home zoning
restrictions.
Caswell Beach
The board of commissioners will continue its budget workshop on
Monday, May 31, at 4 p.m. in Town Hall, and will hold a budget
hearing on June 10 prior to the regular monthly meeting at 3 pjn.
\ Town Hall will be closed for business on Monday, May 31, in
observance of Memorial Day.
Mayor Jack Cook and commissioner Bill Boyd are scheduled to
meet with state Department of Transportation officials Doug Bowers
and Jim Cook on Tuesday, June 8, at 4 pjn. in Town Hall. The
meeting will focus on three topics: renegotiating the DOTs pro
posed rates to construct a bike path in conjunction with the project to
repave Stale Road 1100, Caswell Beach Road; rebuilding the bam
damaged during the March 13 storm to protect Caswell Beach Road
in the event of another storm; and discussing alternatives to alleviate
die flooding of Caswell Beach Road.
Finally, Boyd has filed a request with the Job Training Partnership
Actprognan.atbninisteredby the Wilmington YWCA, to have a
yotmg person work at the recycling center and maintain the Town
Hall grounds during the summer.
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Southport city workers this week officially began the Riverwalk pro
ject by starting to lay nearly 700 feet of sidewalk along Bay Street
from the pilot’s tower to Port Charlie’s Restaurant. City officials hope
this "good faith effort" will help them procure the necessary time ex
tensions to complete the project without losing the $75,000 state grant.
Long Beach considers change
First-floor repairs
could be prohibited
By Holly Edwards
Municipal Editor'
The Long Beach Town Council is
considering a change in its code of
ordinances that would not allow re
placement of the first floors of two
story houses that are more than 30
percent destroyed during a major
storm.
Currently, the ordinance states that
houses more than 50percentdestroyed
must meet all FEMA, CAMA and
town building code regulations in or
der to be rebuilt and repaired, ex
plained building inspector David
Clemmons.
The change would apply only to
two-story houses or one-story houses
with enclosed lower levels, Clemmons
added.
Some local realtors are up in arms
over the proposed change, however,
and told council members last week
'We're trying to help keep the upstairs,
and eliminate all the damage we had
downstairs. Anytime you can eliminate
that damage, you can lower the damage
to other people's property, too '
David Clemmons
Building inspector
that it would unfairly punish ocean
front property owners.
"Are you trying to make oceanfront
homeowners so mad they'll all go
home?" realtor Dot Schuck asked town
council during a public hearing last
week.
Many houses would be virtually
uninhabitable without first floors,
realtor Buddy Rudd pointed out In
some cases, he said, the first floor
contains "necessities" such as water
heaters, washers and dryers. And, if
the first floor were eliminated, there
would simply not be enough room in
See Repairs, page 6
Sales tax
disbursed
in county
Brunswick County governments re
ceived more than $1.86 million from
first quarter distribution of the local
option sales and use tax, a report from
the N. C. Department of Revenue
indicates.
The county itself received the larg
est share - $1,416,963. Long Beach
received $107,103, the largest mu
nicipal share allocated on a per capita
basis. (
Other area municipalities and their
allocations included Southport,
$63,509; Boiling Spring Lakes,
$46,066; Yaupon Beach, $20,345;
Caswell Beach, $4,891; and Bald
Head Island, $2,150.
Other Brunswick County to wns and
their allocations included Belville,
$2,230; Bolivia, $6,208; Calabash,
$33,300; Holden BesSch, $17,631;
Leland, $49,641; Navassa, $12,175;
Ocean Isle Beach, $14,782; Sandy
Creek, $6,638; Shallotte, $28,731;
Sunset Beach, $19,028; and
Vamamtown, $11,153.
II!
All-America competition
City doesn't make first team
Municipal Editor
is the biggest disappointment I've ever bad,” Southport mayor
ft Noiman Holden declared upon returning das week from the Ail*
d America City contest in Tampa, Ha,
For the second year in a row. Southport was selected fttun among
kZ- 120 applicants to be one of 30ftnalists to compete in the ptpject
; Andforthesecondyearmarow.thecity wasnotchosentobeone
of the top ten winners,
ftcm a disaster, this year the winners seemed to have major drug ,
and crime problems, noted city manager Rob Gandy.
*' • “It seemed like we were penalised for problems we didn't have,"
went in there and'fiubbed it,' i could understand not winning. But
gPewryone worked so haul”
The total costs of the eoiitest were estimated to be about $13,500,
and the AB-Araerica City committee has been holding monthly
since the city was selected to be a finalist the committee has been
^ meeting two to three times each week.
Finance director Sylvia Butterwotth poirsted out that tire costs of
"We bad a lot of support from the communityHolden said. "My
philosophy is that something good comes out of bad things. I think
this brought tiie community closer together and opened up more
lines of communication.”
Gandy also said he did not believe the corBest was a completely
negative experience,
"It allowed us time for networking with people from other cities,
and to share common problems and solutions," he said. "You also
have to realize we beat out 120 other cities Just to get down there.
As far as rm concerned we're an AH-America City, and I dont care
what anybody says.”
When asked if the city planned to re-apply for the award, Gandy
replied, ”1 dont know if anyone wants to diink about that right
The city received many compliments from other city officials on
its presentation, and Gandy said several people told him they were
sane Southport would be a winner this year.
"1 don't see how we could have done a better job.” he said. "We
did a good job answering ail the questions, our presentation went
The All- America City jury will send Southport a tetter indicating
why the city was not selected, lielden said.
Tire winning cities were: Washington; Wray, Colo.; Delray
Ohio; Pulaski, Toon.; Fort Worth, ; .Texas;: Laredo, Texas; Mill!
* - W Mi