Holden Beoch Officials
Like Drug Testing Plan
BY DOUG RUTTER
Holden Bcach Commissioners say they like the idea of a town em
ployee drug testing program, but they don't all agree on how it should be
implemented.
A proposed ordinance that would require everyone who applies for a
job with the town to take a drug test as |rart of their pre-employment
physical was discussed at a board workshop Monday.
Under die proposal, current employees also could be tested for drug
use if the town manager has evidence they arc impaired or incapable of
performing their assigned duties.
Town Manager Blake Proctor, who drafted the ordinance, said it's
designed for the safety of island residents and visitors as well as town
employees.
"People don't rcali/.c how prevalent it is," he said of drug abuse. "It
could be your neighbor."
Commissioners Gloria Barrett and Judy Bryan said they like the pro
posed drug testing program. The ordinance is six pages long and covers
procedures for administering drug tests, processing urine samples and
taking personnel action basetl on the test results.
Mrs. Barrett said the town could have used the ordinance about 10
years ago when a group of Holden Bcach area residents, including a
town police officer, were convictcd of drug trafficking.
"It was a tough problem we had. The DEA couldn't even handle it,"
Mayor John Tandy said. "The FBI camc in and finally got it straightened
ouL"
Commissioner Bob Buck said he agrees with the intent of the ordi
nance, but said it is lew redundant and goes into too much detail on how
drug tests should be administered.
However, Proctor said die federal courts require that a specific pro
cess be followed when giving a drug test. "These procedures have been
court tested and they've held up in court" he said.
Mayor Tandy said he didn't like the fact that the ordinance requires
that another person be in the room with the employee or applicant when
they give a urine sample.
"It's getting personal is what it is," Tandy said. "I tell you we can do
a drug program without that."
Proctor said there has to be a witness when a urine sample is given
to keep people from cheating on the dnig test. He said the sample could
be given in a physician's office or at the hospital.
Commissioner Gay Atkins said she wants a drug-free community
and doesn't object to a drug testing program. But she pointed out that the
town has only 15 employees. Ms. Atkins said supervisors should be able
to tell if their workers are using drugs without having them tested.
Holden Beach officials plan to resume discussion of the proposed
drug testing program at their Dec. 3 meeting.
A
STAFF rttOTO BY SUSAN USHE?
SHALLOTTE POLICE CHIEF Rodney Cause (left) and officer
Ray Altizer display awards earned by Cause and the department
for crime prevention efforts during 1989.
Shaiiotte Police Receive
Two Crime Prevention Awards
Shaiiotte Policc Department and In discussing the award, Gausc
its chief, Rodney Gausc. recently said that increased surveillance and
earned recognition from the state increased visibility of officers as
for outstanding crime prevention ef- well as educational efforts have
forts during 1989. been important aspects of the dc
Gau.se said the awards were pre- payment's overall crime prevention
scntcd Nov. 15 by the N.C. Depart- program.
ment of Crime Control and Public Members of the department prc
Safcty and the Office of the Gover- sc? programs to local school and
nor at a banquet held at Kill Devil community groups and businesses
Hills for award recipients. on various aspccis or crime^ proven
Shaiiotte Police Dcparunent was 'k'VT "M"'
r , ,. , . . . drug and alcohol abuse prevention,
one of only 14 departments state- rcd^cj cm , .alarm sys
wide honored. ,cms ^ ldt!mjJfying forgcrics.
Gausc has served as the depart- The dcparunent also conducts on
mcnl's crime prevention specialist site surveys of individual business
for the past two years. However, ef- premises to pinpoint steps that can
fcctivc Dec. 1, Patrolman Ray Alti- be taken to reduce crime.
zcr will assume that responsibility. Talks or surveys can be arranged
Altizer has been with the depart- by contacting liic department at
ment nearly three years. 754-6<X)8.
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Beach Board May
Raise Speed Limits
HY DOUC RUTTKR
Holdcn Beach officials arc strong
ly considering raising the speed lim
it on all town-owned streets from 20
mph to 25 mph.
All four town board members
who attended a Monday morning
workshop said they favor increasing
the speed limit as long the new limit
was enforced. Commissioner Ken
ncr Amos was absent due to health
reasons.
The proposed changes would af
fect every street on Holdcn Beach
cxccpt the island's main thorough
fare, Ocean Boulevard, which is a
state road.
The speed limit on that road
would slay at 35 mph, except for the
section of Occan Boulevard west of
the fishing pier where motorists can
drive 45 mph in the olT-season.
Commissioner Bob Buck said
Monday morning he would have
made a motion to increase the speed
limits if he could have. Since it was
a workshop, however, the board was
not allowed to take any formal action.
Buck said increasing the speed
limit to 25 mph is fine with him as
long as the police department enfor
ces it. Board members Judy Bryan,
Gloria Barrett and Gay Atkins agre
ed.
However, at least one island resi
dent opposes increasing the speed
limit. Crawford Hart said he and
most other Brunswick Avenue prop
erty owners want to keep the limit
at 20 mph and want policc officers
to enforce it with radar. "They go
up and down that street 50 and 60
miles an hour," Hart said.
Town Manager Blake Proctor
said he's observed trailic on Bruns
wick Avenue and has never seen a
car drive faster than 35 mph. lie
noted tfuit policemen have issued 15
speeding tickets in the last two
weeks on Brunswick Avenue.
Hart said most island landowners
indicated in a recent survey that
they like Holden Beach for its fami
ly atmosphere. "If it's going to be a
family beach, you don't need to lie
in that big of a hurry to get from
[mint one to point two," he said.
Commissioner Barrett pointed
out there arc some island residents
who aren't retired and need to get
around in a hurry.
In a related matter. Buck said he
thinks the town board should in
struct police officers to issue warn
ing tickets in marginal speeding
cases and be more lenient with sum
mer visitors.
Warning tickets would be good
public relations for the town, he
said, and serve the same puqxise as
a real tickct. "We're not in the busi
ness to make money," Buck said.
Hart said issuing warning tickets
would give the town a gixxl reputa
tion among speeders and encourage
more people to drive fast. He said
Holdcn Beach already has too many
ordinances that aren't enforced.
The proposed change in speed
limits and a discussion on warning
tickets will be included on the town
board's Dec. 3 meeting agenda.
Other items to be taken up at thai
time will include the following:
? An outside light ordinance that
was adopted in November 19X9 and
look effect this month. Commis
sioners Buck and Barrett said Mon
day that a clause in the ordinance
that prohibits homeowners from in
stalling security lights more than 10
feet off the ground is too restrictive.
? A proposed ordinance aimed at
protecting threatened and endanger
ed sea turtles that nest on the beach
from sources of artificial light. Com
missioners said they agree with the
intent of the ordinance, but the pro
posal given to them by die town
manager was tot) restrictive.
? A formal request from the devel
opers of Yacht Watch subdivision to
get Roger Street paved between
Brunswick Avenue and the inland
waterway without following the
town's usual assessment process.
The town usually pays for 40 per
cent of die street paving cost and as
sesses lot owners to collect the re
maining 60 percent. The developers
have agreed to pay the entire 60 per
cent to get the work done quickly.
PHOTO By Emma mCGIaw
Adventure Bound
Paul Wood of Ocean Isle Reach recently went rock climbing at
the Wilson Creek Wilderness Area near l.inville with the Adven
ture Bound program sponsored by the Brunswick County Parks
and Recreation Department. Rock climbing is just one event the
department sponsors through its Adventure Round program.
Other outdoor events include canoeing, horseback riding, down
hill skiing, hiking and camping. County residents must be 21 or
older to participate. For more information contact thp depart
ment.
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