L>
IBrunswick
Clt
.
BY DOUG RUTTER
Brunswick County fishermen were rewarded
week for their traditionally strong support of hand (
ming when the state Marine Fisheries Commission d
ed to keep mechanical harvesters out of local watei
Meeting hist Thursday and Friday in Morehead
the commission decided to limit mechanical
harvesting to those areas where it has lie en perrr
within the past 11 years.
The ruling, effective Sept. 1, will permit mccha
harvest in Core Sound, Bogue Sound. North Net
River. White Oak River, New River and the Atlant
tracoastal Waterway north of Topsail Beach.
'Hie decision, which was made in accordance w
state Division of Marine Fisheries recommendation
a compromise of sorts between two other prop
before the commission last week. One proposal w
open all stale waters to mechanical harvesting, whil
other was to ban clam dredging statewide.
Included in the adopted ruling is a provision to i
V*??
r
Twenty-sixth Year, Number 33
Numbers
Required .g?
By Sept. 1 Ipf
Business operators in downtown T
Shaliottc last week began tacking.
nscllnn ~?l : -
i/c*oitn? utiu uiiivi wise auauning ^"
street addresses to the facades of 1 Yf /
their establishments as the town's f / f
house numbering project shifted into f /
high Rear. / /
The activity came in response to a {
large batch of letters mailed June 10 '
that informed residents and business
owners of the house niunbering or- f
dinance. 1 ^
Mayor Jerry Jones said he was /
pleased to put numbers on thp front
of his building, in what is expected to jk
be the last address change ever in
ohallotte. His new business address, ' fi r]
Hits Main Street, was posted last Krl- fjjg
day, while his residence at Shallotte
Estates has sported its new address
for several weeks. J ;'3S|
"Most people have heen real receptive
to house numbering," said R ,J|
Jones. "We think they were ready for ? 'sjjB
Apparently most residents and g
busiress owners were prepared for IjJ'irT
the letter they received, which spells " 1
out the town ordinance requiring
house numbers at least 33?inches tall SHALLOT
and 110 taller tluin seven inches be 'ront ^oor 1
placed on the front of every building Shallotte a
in town no later than Sept. 1.
Town Clerk Cynthia Ixing said mailed abo
there have been very few phone calls and Brierv
to town hall about the house number- area of tow
ing system and apparently very little its letters. 1
confusion. sion shou
The first group of letters informing number ass
property owners of the system was few weeks.
Clerk Of Cour
Drainage Distr
BY RAHN ADAMS an organi
Following a four-month selection decide whal
process, Brunswick County Clerk of there," Ms.
Court Diana Morgan this week ap- much up to
pointed three " experienced" She expli
drainage commissioners to oversee commissior
reactivation of the Cawcaw Drainage reactivate
District. firanee any
On Tuesday afternoon, Ms. Morgan The drair
announced the appointments of 0. to define t
Kendall Bellamy and Wendell Ben- according t
nett, both of Hickman's Crossroads, and Water
and Jennings Edge of Thotnasboro. Board Chai
She also appointed Bellamy to serve "We'll w<
as chairman of the drainage district missioners)
board. day. "Anyb
Bellamy and Bennett were all we cant
drainage commissioners when the County Ci
board was dissolved in 1976. Edge Ls pell, who n
also a former drainage cornmis- includes th
sioner. Tuesday Hi
"I waited as long as I could for peo- selections h
pie to express an interest in it," Ms. "1 think
Morgan said. "I chose them Chappellsa
. Bellamy, Bennett and Edge) gressive..
because they were experienced." ing and sei
She added that only three or four alleviated a
other individuals expressed interest Chappell;
in serving on the drainage board. tits ago h
The three commissioners will federal legi:
serve staggered terms on the board, area to ri
with vacancies to be filled by the drainage d
clerk of court's office, Ms. Morgan received ru
said. Bellamy will serve three years; any of the 1
Edge, two years; and Bennett one ments fror
year. have been *
The next step is for them to have The
I
35
jmmers W Bottle
last Nobody wanted any new
iccid- areas open. It was pretty
cj.y obvious."
clam ?William Hogarth
uttcd Director of Marine Fisheries
nical clam dredging in state-regulated areas of the Atlantic
vport Ocean. The state controls ocean waters up to three miles
ic In- offshore.
William Hogarth, director of the state Division of
nth a Marine Fisheries, said the commission decided to open
, was the ocean to mechanical harvesting, something which
osals hasn't been permitted for the past decade, because there
as to signs of clam populations developing offshore. He adthe
tied that the environmental impact of using clam dredges
in the ocean would be "minimal."
allow The decision to limit mechanical harvesting to
1989 TMI WUNSWtCK Bf ACOM Shallotte, North Carolina,
' ^
41 Aff rHOIC RV DOUG CIJIIIB
re MAYOR JERRY JONES pastes the new address over the
of his dowctown business last week. All houses and businesses in
re to display the numbers by the first of September.
ut a month ago, she said, The house numbering system,
mod Estates is the only which the town board of aldermen
n which has not received adopted in March, was developed by
Residents of that subdivi- the town planning board in conjuncId
be receiving their lion with the Brunswick County Planiignments
within the next ning Department.
(See SHALLOTTE, Page2-AI
\ Appoints
ict Commissioners
zational meeting and District?formally called Brunswick
t they're going to do from County Drainage District 1?was
Morgan said. "It's pretty established in 195&. Construction of
th.m." approximately 16.5 miles of canals
lined that the drainage began in 1963 and was completed in
lers must decide how to 1967. The district was originally
the district and how to designed to drain about 40,000 acres
work that is done. of farmland.
lage board also will have But much of the affected area now
he district's boundaries, includes valuable residential and
o Brunswick County Soil commercial property. Flooding is
Conservation District common due to poor drainage in the
rman James Bellamy. overgrown, neglected canal system,
irk with them (the com- In December 1976 the Brunswick
Bellamy said Tues- County Clerk of Court's office
ody that's there, we'll do dissolved the drainage district,
o work with them." although opinions issued by the N.C.
ommissioner Chris Chap- Attorney General's office in 1977 and
presents the area which 1987 stated that the dissolution was
e drainage district, said improper.
? was pleased that the
ad been made. Renewed discussion of reacthey're
all fine folks," tivating the district began last Ocid.
"1 hope they'll be pro- tober by local, state and federal soil
. I want to see it gel mov- and water conservation officials.
; the potential problems Also, about 175 residents of the area
is soon as possible." in and around the drainage district
added that about 1 'i nion- supported its reactivation at a public
e contacted state and hearing held Nov. 6 in Calabash
slators who represent this On Feb 29, Ms. Morgan cleared the
[. quest funding for the way for reactivation of the district by
istrict. Although he lias setting aside the 1976 order which
) formal responses from dissolved it. Her action was in
egislators, informal coin- respoase to a request made last
n the state lawmakers December by the county eoiiunis'
very positive," he said. sioners and the soil and water conserCawcaw
Drainage vation board.
Against Mt
Carteret and Onslow counties followed
inns held throughout the coastal regi
hearing, held May 9, brought about 900
down the proposal to allow meet
statewide.
Most people were opposed
harvesting," said Hogarth, who attenc
ings. "Nobody wanted any new areas i
obvious."
Mechanical clam harvesting, whic
ficient than the traditional hand mel
ffilir mnnllw LM '
? "ui ui uic year wnue nam
mitted year-round.
Although there are about 14,000 I
the state and only 350 mechanical ban
harvest is almost evenly split betweei
This economic inequality and the fac
clam harvesting is known to have h
various types of marine life has create
the two groups.
Thursday, June 23, !9R8
Commissi
Wrestle V
BY RAHN ADAMS
After rehashing various budget
matters for2'2 hours Tuesday night,
Brunswick County Commissioners
were no closer to adopting a 1988-89
county budget than they were when
work on it began last month.
The work session, which began
Tuesday at fi:HO p.m. and ended at
10:45 p.m., was interrupted by a
l34-hour "break" while Commissioner
Frankie Kabon attended a
Brunswick County Board of Health
meeting, also at the county complex
in Bolivia.
(Commissioners were scheduled to
hole another work session?their fifth-Wednesday
night i June 'Jl i
'.> school system administrators
aaii emergency Management Coordinator
Cecil Logan were to appear
before the board to discuss budget requests,
including partial funding for
a 911 emergency telephone system.
The commission has until the end
of June to adopt its 1988-89 budget.
Chairman Grace Beasley gave no indication
Tuesday whether or not the
budget would be voted on the following
night.
As requested by commissioners
No Action
After meeting behind closed do
for 2'i- hours regarding an undiscl
matter, Brunswick County Board ol
took no action in open session.
"We talked about the same prob
personnel as last time," he said, rru
specifics. "I think we got it woi
everything will be fine."
Rabon said he had scheduled
meeting last Friday afternoon. H
press was not notified by the health i
until Monday afternoon.
The state Open Meetings law
special meetings, "written notice
given of the time and purpose of al
Holden A*
BY SUSAN USHER
Holden Beach Commissioners,
meeting Monday morning in special
session, quietly adopted a $880,338
budget for the coming year that includes
$35,000 for a wastewater treatment
engineering study and $50,000
to initiate a property-owner participation
underground utilities project.
While the town has increased the
cost of tapping on tc. the water
system, both the 14 cents per $100
value tax rate and the water rate will
remain the same.
The board also acted on the impending
sale of water refundi g bonds:
discussed Shrimp Street's unique
parking and traffic situation: approved
an equipment purchase for
Tri-Beach Volunteer Fire Department;
amended the town code to
reflect an increase in water tap-on
fees and amended the 1087-80 budget
to balance several line item expenditures.
The vote on the budget was
unanimous, following discussion of
?'?y one continuing point of contention?the
board's intent to continue
schanical h
seven public hear- Annie Smigie
on. The first such month's public hi
to Bolivia to shout protect local wat
lanical clamming decision will cei
shellfishcrmen.
to mechanical "Our concern
led all of the hear- she said. "If the a
ipen. It was pretty and ruin their bo
want 'em here."
h is much more ef- In addition to
Ihod, is permitted harvesting durin
1 clamming is per- fishermen also c
meetings. Some s
land clammers in every time the st
,'esters, the annual dredging.
i the two factions. "I really thin
t that mechanical Unless something
armful effects on state eommissior
;d friction between impact of mecha
closure, he said t
S i
25c Per Copy
oners Cont
Vith County
earlier this month. County Manager
t i i' r? ?: *?- ?
juiin i. cMimn on 1 uesuay presented
commissioners with a revised budget
proposal which reflects no increase
in the county's current 50'-j-cent property
tax rate.
Smith's revised budget amounts tc
$26.2 million?some S5.G million less
than his original $31.8 million proposal.
His original budget included a
Pi1 .-cent tax rate increase.
The county manager said his proposed
cuts come from changes in the
county's group insurance package
and elimination of both the 911
system and a proposed anti-littei
department.
Other cuts come in the operatint
budget of the county's 30 depart
meats, he said Also, only 10 of -10 net
county positions are figured inl
Smith's revised proposal. Smith sai
he allotted $3.1 million from th
capital reserve contingency fund am
$387,495 from the [inappropriate*
fund balance for operational ser
vices.
'! think they icountv departments)
can get by with, whatever we
do." Smith told the board. "Our problem
is we cannot increase services
if there's an increase in demand."
Taken At My
ors Tuesday night (except emergen
osed "personnel" vance" by postin
; Health members or principal bulle
the media or othf
lems and the same such,
tking available no At its June
ked out. I think lengthily in exec
issue it discussed
Tuesday's special it returned to pul
owever. the local llabon said bi
department's staff June 13 discussioi
to go ahead and <
provides that for At its July 1
is required to be have two month
1 special meetings business has beei
dopts $880,0
use of a reserve fund for beachfront
erosion control, not for canalfront
bulkhead repairs that might be
flooding-relaled.
As adopted the budget includes
general fund operating expenses of
$543,309 of which an estimated
$383,800 would Ix- generated by pro
pertv taxes. The enterprise or water
fund of $.137,025 reflects added ineoiiie
from the increased tap-on fees
approved Monday. Effective July 1, a
standard3 i-ineh trip will cost $500. up
from $275. larger taps will be charged
at the rate of cost plus 10 percent,
as in the past, but with a minimum
charge of $000 rather than $300.
One major item in the budget is
$50,000 in start-up funds for a proposed
underground utilities project. If
the town is granted authority from
the state to assess property owners
for the installations, the property
owners would reimburse the town for
funds advanced to begin the work.
Another $35,000 will finance an
engineering study by Lewis &
Associates on wastewater treatment
needs and alternatives.
Also included are $11,000 for pur
larvesting
1 of Varnamtown, who spoke out at last
;aring and has been active in trying to
ers from additional pollution, said the
"tainly bring relief to a lot of local
is keeping our waters just as they arc,"
ther counties is willing to let them go in
ttoms, that's up to them. But we don't
voicing opposition to mechanical clam
g last month's public hearing, local
omplained about the frequency of the
aid they were tired of driving to Bolivia
ate proposed opening the area to clam
ik it's settled this time," said Hogarth.
; happens to the clam population or the
i is convinced that the environmental
inical harvesting warrants permanent
he issue should be laid to rest.
36 Pages
iisue so
' Budget
Commissioners took no action on
Smith's revised budget.
Responding to a question from Ms.
Beasley, Smith said the county would
face a 12-cent to 14-cent tax increase
in 1989-90 if commissioners don't
i raise the tax rate this year.
Smith again explained that this
year's budget problems are caused
by a shortfall in revenue, because
commissioners allocated S4.fi million
for operational services from the
i county's fund balance in the 1987-88
! amended budget.
He compared using the fund
balance?monies which are carried
over from the previous year?to buy;
ing with a credit card "You've got to
pay it back sometime," he said.
K
0 v^uuiiuiasiuuur:) iuusuay aeaio
d budget requests from represene
talives of Brunswick Community Colj
lege including President Mike
1 Heaves and Business Manager Ben
DeBlois isee related story).
Also, Brunswick County Fire and
Rescue Association President (iene
Sellers and seven membt-is of the
Pilot Club of South Brunswick
Islands attended the work session to
voice their support of the 911 system.
stery Meet
cy meetings > at least 48 hours in adg
at the public body's meeting place
tin board, and by mail or delivery to
irs who have made written request of
13 regular meeting, the board met
utive session on the same personnel
Tuesday, also taking no action when
)lic session.
sard members debated continuing the
ti until their July meeting, but decided
settle the matter.
1 meeting, he added, the board will
is' work to do, since little regular
n taken care of in June.
00 Budget
chase of a new four-wheel drive
pickup truck for the water department:
S lll.OOO for purchase of a new
police vehicle: sale of a 1980 Dodge
pickup in the water department to
the inspections department for
$8,000, to replace the Toyota now in
use: and a $10,090 reserve for salary
increases.
$20,000 Fund
Commissioner Gay Atkins questioned
the hoard's specification that
$20,000 1 about one cent of the tax
rate 1 continue to be set aside as a
reserve in the event that erosion of
the front duneline threatens the infrastructure
or property. She wanted
the board to agree that the funds
could also be used to correct damage
caused by inland flood-related
damage on the island, such as
bulkhead failure on a canal street.
Fellow commissioners echoed
Commissioner Bob Buck, who
assured her that if a bulkhead needed
repair and funds were not available
elsewhere in the budget, that the
board would use funds from the onecent
reserve, because the repair
(See HOI.DF.N. l'nge 2-A i
k
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