INSIDE
' wkoppiag evptasmi and fireball paactuated fihniag of "Birds B*
at the Southport yacht basia last Thansday. The crew tnofc shelter dur~
Phottiiby Jltm HUrjpor
■I cpiiafc aad finefijgfciess saaad hj to sake sure die soiflirims
py rote ciaicT>dMaatgtftuuft of baud. Lacal fSInring is tn*w cumplenaii.
Back pay, new job
County settles with
worker for $90,000
By Terry Pape
County Editor
A former county employee M
from her job in 199!
as a prisoner transporter and relief
jailer at the sheriffs department Julv
I.
Brunswick County commissioners;
Monday approved a tentative settle
ment with former animal control su
pervisor Zetana Babson. an agreement
that w ill aw ard her back pay and attor
ney fees worth more than $90,000.
In a related move, commissioners;
also approved an amendment to the
county personnel policy that makes
failure to follow proper procedure
"gross negligence, resulting in teimi
nation" for department heads.
Chairman IX® Warren's motion
states noemployee cstobe suspended,
demoted or dismissed without prior
approval by the personnel officer,
county attorney anil county manager.
The Stale Personnel Commission
recommended in April that Ms.
Babson be reinstated ko> her job and
receive hack pay plus reasonable at
Commissioners approved an amendment
to the county personnel policy that makes
failure to follow proper procedure *gross
negligence, resulting in termination for
department heads
fcomey fees. The county ened. it said,
in foMewiiis its own personnel policy.
The commission upheld an admin
istrative law judge's findings that her
thing was ’’erroneous as a matter of
law under the Brunswick County Per
smikI Manual and should be re
versed.”
Ms. Babson was employed by the
Brunswick County Health Depart
mem in the animal control division
firam September. 19530. to June, 19911.
serving most of that time as supervi
sor. Sle was fired by health director
Michael Rhodes, a decision that was
appealed and upheld by the Brunswick.
County Board of Health.
The eomnussaon rates shat one of
three required wucunsaffiv govern to Ms.
Bateson pmoir to Iter dfesrawssail wasn't
proper and stntudk us tfooin titac record.
Mondays ammJtafCMi to tibe policy
states that ail oraJL wnfiton and tired
warnings oif dascopfaiaix action be
documented, with copies sent to die
persoiMndi ot&nan. «iifoeniwe JmJy l.
Although the county manager has
the ftnaJj say. tfte indent is toaMowdie
attorney to'''«iljwalMiceandi0iMi8oai:’'
afooitaipoissMeprasoBrnd action, said
Warrem.
When she was ffiiroJL Ms. Bateson
earned S2SL7H4 per year and had ac~
See Wwrtxr. page*
Oly budget
hearing has
one speaker
One person aoemfiaH a guftBic
port’s proposed! SS&.U-nrilttani
at for Budget adoption) <m Mam
lane 28*. at 753® pint., in C%
XtM the board of aldenmeni tfoarite
a® the ettoy and
S3 fee fear tag© aggiiamsss aad
The Boiling Spring
ten - —
is:
upon
and expenditures
amt includes a
■
YELTON
Yelton new county manager
mmmwM
ii if Wi
§8
fy/frj//?:- ■■■ vs?.
County adopts
rate, 'borrows'
from water fee
I ihy Terry Pope
| ©sunny Editor
j Residents car expect to pay the
I same :in taxes next year. b<ur most
I water -customers will notice an m
* -crease.
The annual budget approved bv
ffinruns.wick County c omratssKwiers
Monday night hoick taxes at 6S cents
[pcr'SIMKD of property value.
9i«nwewer. wholesale water rates to
•area towns and industries will jump
tton cents, from SI.25 to Si.35. per
H.lfflfl© gallons.
That ts expected to generate about
'S5Wl;?H90 in additional rexenwes tor
:ihc estimated S46 million todi-di
Ibudget.
"It represents about a penny on the
: lutx raic." said Don Warren, chairman
>0f tihe finms»ii County Board of
Commissioners. 'If we hadn't done
; ithat it would have been (0 cents."
S Depending on how the money wii
| Ibc -spent or transferred, raising water
mites ao support general revenues ts
wiiewed by some asa -violation of state
Haw:.
EEtiumce •director Litfua Haim said
flic 'increase will appear as an stem in
tlhewaicr department and usedto'oft
-satihe general budget." Fees are nor
muilk used to pay for operation, and
maintenance on the system.
Many of the budget details were
sail! ;up in the air following adoption
North Carolina
General Statutes
state no appropria
tion may be made
from a utility or
public enterprise
fund w any other
county fund until all
capital outlay costs
and debt service is
paid in full
by 4-0 Monday with officials
iwNe to quote a bottom-line figure.
Ftmol <ooc*es had not been printed.
The water fee increase is for whole
sale users and no® for the county’s
rowghly 4JOWO individual rural cus
tomers. Nat towns must charge more
to their residents h> recover the cost.
Tww ns are viewed x= one customer by
the county and buy water through one
wholesale meter.
The average monthly residential
water boll is expected to increase from
around S10 per month to S11.90. The
See Rates page 6
Health, waste
are main town
meeting topics
•y StoIR Edwards
County Editor
Health care reform, the emiromtneniiL education. the lottery. taxes, solid
waiste disposal and open meetings law rcfenn arc some of the topics local
dtiaens brought up during a town meeting Friday evount at Southport City
Hall hosted K state legislators. David Revtwmet D-Bnutswick). R. C. Soles and
Et'wey Hill.
Another town meeting is planned at Lehmd Town Hafl on Friday. June 25,
at 7 pan.
(Over ?C^ people attended the meeting, w touch ts the brsest turnout so far, said
San. Soles. Similar tow n meetings have been held in Taber City. Whiteville,
Shallone and Chadbowm.
"The meetings were a joint decision oi all of use" Soles said. "We all said
during the campaign that we wanted to be move responsive to the puNic. aid
nts iunt fair to ask folks to come to Raleigh every tune thev want something."
Health care and the environment have been two recurring themes at the
See Meetings page 4
OUTSIDE
Forecast
He extended forecast
Thursday through Satur
day calls for highs of 90
degrees and lows in the
70S. Partly cloudy sides
'wiK prevail throughout
’the period, according to
othe National Weather Ser
vice.
Tide table
HKH LOW
THI*SHl\Y, JUNE 34
-»*. 5-5* im.
Hi!? pun. 6:16 pm.
ftllWY, JUNE 25
122S»m 6:4* am.
li»pm 7:14 p.m.
SATYIMY, JUNE 26
13m 7:41 am
2:lfflpm 6:16 pm.
SUMMY,JUNE27
IBm tStim
3:11 pm.
MOMMY, JUNES*
3:19 am 93* am.
4:14 pm_ 1037 pm
TYESDAY, JUNE 9
1037 am
_ 1130 pm
VEUMSMY, JUNE 31
l 1135 am.
*21
5:14
524
613
Tic
. *6 K». fcm -7; Caswell
. 3. km t TiM| in. ♦?,
1» *15. i«tm Beat*. ha k -52. low 4V
l«lmniM^mi-12>lHr*