Holden
BY DOUG RUTTKR
Commission Gives $1 0,000 To O
utfit New Fire Truck
m-Bcach Volunteer Fire Depart
ment will reccivc 510,000 from the
town of Holden Beach to purchase
equipment for a new fire (ruck.
Town commissioners approved
the special contribution at their
meeting Monday night, responding
to an earlier request from the de
partment
Holden Beach budgeted 520,000
this fiscal year for its annual con
tract with the fire department. The
additional donation probably will
come from the town's unappropriat
ed fund balancc.
"We did S350.000 this way to put
sand on the beach. Certainly we can
give 510,000 for a Fire truck," said
Commissioner Bob Buck, who
made the motion to approve the do
nation.
Buck said there arc no firefight
ing experts on the town board who
would know if the equipment is
needed or not. He said the town has
to trust the fire department's leaders
to ask for what is really needed.
'This town is very, very depen
dent on that fire d apartment," Buck
said, adding that the town has the
firemen to thank for its low fire in
surance rating.
Mayor Pro tem Gloria Barrett ran
the meeting Monday in the absence
of Mayor John Tandy, who was in
Chapel Hill being honored for a
scholarship that has been establish
ed in his name through the Univer
sity of North Carolina.
Mrs. Barrett said the scholarship
is funded by five of Tandy's former
students in Winston-Salem.
Commissioner Kcnncr Amos also
was absent Monday for health rea
sons.
No More Tank?
Holdcn Bcach officials arc think
ing about digging up and getting rid
of the town's underground gasoline
storage lank and contracting with a
local Tilling station.
The town uses the gas tank to fill
up its police cars and other vehicles,
but changes in state regulations re
garding underground gas storage
tanks might make it cheaper for the
town to buy fuel at a gas station.
Building Inspector Dwighl Carroll
said the town will have to dig up its
underground tank by October or pur
chase SI million in insurance to cov
er the town in case the tank leaks.
As part of the planned renovation
and addition to the town hall com
plex, commissioners have been con
sidering buying a new above
ground gas tank.
Carroll said the new tank would
cost about SI 5,000, and that the
state will eventually require owners
of above-ground tanks to purchase
insurance.
Commissioners discussed their
options Monday night but made no
decision. They pointed out that con
tracting with a filling station may be
chcapcr than buying a new tank, but
local gas stations aren't open 24
hours a day.
Hugo Leftovers
Town commissioners took care of
two "housekeeping" matters left
over from Hurricanc Hugo Monday
night. The board refused one land
owner's request to drop a debris
cleanup charge, but agreed to drop
the charge in another case.
"We did $350,000 this way to
jj put sand on the beach.
Certainly we can give
\ * -v j f $10,000 for afire truck."
? Bob Buck
Ml ?
Holden Beach Commissioner
X
Town officials turned down C.H.
Skinner's request to forgive a bill
for $100 that he owes the town for
cleanup of debris on his property at
226 Hillside Drive.
Building Inspector Carroll said
the lot was cleaned up following the
1989 hurricane, and the town paid a
contractor for cleaning Skinner's
lot. If the bill isn't paid, it can be
come a lien on the property.
In the second case, commissioners
voted to write a letter to Holden
Beach Enterprises apologizing for a
notice which said the company owed
the town S100 for cleaning up debris
on company land following Hugo.
Interim Town Manager Diane
Clark said the firm allowed the
town and state to pile debris on its
land following the storm, and the
town shouldn't nave biiicd Holden
Beach Enterprises for the cleanup.
Other Business
In other business Monday, com
missioners:
? Met in executive session for just
over one hour, but took no action.
Town Attorney Kenneth Campbell
said the board discussed personnel
policies as they relate to specific
personnel.
? Adopted an ordinance requiring
owners of occanfront homes to put
house numbers on their beach walk
ways. The numbers must be at least
three inches high and be clearly vis
ible from the strand.
? Voted to send a letter to Bruns
wick County voicing concerns
about a hog slaughtering plant pro
posed on the Cape Fear River in
Bladen County. Resident Crawford
Hart suggested the town get in
volved because the plant's proposed
discharge into the Cape Fear River
may affect the local drinking water
supply. "You've already got enough
pollution around here without
somebody adding to it," he said.
? Approved the purchase of S5.735
worth of police department uni
forms and equipment. The board
did not decide whether police offi
cers should be required to receive
training in ambulance attendant,
radar certification, drug awareness
and use of excessive force. Com
missioners also discussed whether
the town should pay officers while
they are taking the courses.
? Agreed lo give property owners
Ronic and Diane Robinson one year
to pay ihe town $179 for clearing
dead myrtle bushes from their land
at 1038 Ocean Blvd. West. The in
terim town manager said Mrs. Rob
inson had asked for extra time to
pay because her husband was sent
with the military to the Middle East.
?Tabled a proposal lo limit the
number of consecutive terms some
one can serve on the planning board
or board of adjustment. Mrs. Barrett
suggested the matter be tabled due
lo the two absences and ihc contro
versial nature of the issue.
? Voted to give one free copy of the
town water bill listing to each real
estate company that collects occu
pancy tax revenue for the town and
requests the listing. Commissioner
Gay Atkins said the lists would al
low real estate firms to assist visi
tors who don't know street address
es of their friends. It costs the town
about S5 to generate each listing.
? Postponed the next regular meet
ing because of the Easter holiday
The meeting was rescheduled for
Monday, April 8, at 7 p.m. in the
town hall.
? Heard about an experimental
street lighting project on Brunswick
Avenue West. Mrs. Clark said
Brunswick Electric Membership
Corp. installed six lights for a 30
day period lo give residents a
chancc to see the lights in action.
? Heard that the Holdcn Beach
Planning and Zoning Board will
discuss a proposed septic tank mon
itoring and inspection program at its
meeting Tuesday, March 19, at 1
p.m. in the town hall.
? Heard from resident Margaret
Vasco that the Holdcn Bcach VFW
plans to present the town with a fla^
for a new flag pole that has been
erected near the foot of the bridge
The presentation is scheduled Satur
day, March 16, at 10 a.m. She said
American troops will be honore I
during the ceremony.
Town Board Denies Setback Variance
The Holden Bcach I^jard of Ad
justment last week turned down a
homeowner's request to build a
jV>r|r that would have violated l*?c
town's setback rules.
L.H. and June Froehlich of Dan
ville, 111., asked for a variance from
the 20-foot setback so they could
build a deck as part of an egress on
the back of their home at 141
Starfish Dr.
The homeowners requested a
variance for the deck because it
would have been located within the
sctback area. Interim Town Manag
cr Diane Clark said a stairway can
st:!! fcc built without the variance.
Mrs. Clark said the town board
voted unanimously last Thursday to
deny the request bccausc the deck is
not needed for egress from the
house.
The board of adjustment has
scheduled a meeting for Friday.
March 15, at 5 p.m. in town hall to
discuss rules of procedure.
AUDITOR TALKS 'HIDDEN' TAXES
Library Warns It Mig
ht Need A/lore Funds Come Budget Time
BY TERRY POPE
Brunswick County Commission
ers heard some good news and
some bad news regarding money
Monday night. The county's public
library system came asking for
more money while an auditor told
the board how it could find extra tax
revenues by auditing local business
es and industries.
Brunswick County's public li
brary system, running short of
funds, may have to cut its hours, a
member of the library board of
trustees told commissioners.
Matilda Suggs said the state cut
the library's budget by 5 percent
this fiscal year and that 1991-92
doesn't look any better.
"We have learned from the state
library that we are also assured of
additional cuts in the next budget,"
Ms. Suggs said.
An increase in county funding
may be the only way to keep from
cutting employees and their hours
during the next fiscal year. With a
staff of eight employees, the public
library operates three facilities, a
main building in Southport and
branches in Shallotte and Leland. It
also operates a bookmobile.
A new Leland Library building is
expected to begin construction this
year on Village Road, Ms. Suggs
said. Residents have also requested
a branch on Oak Island and one in
Calabash.
"So far, we haven't been able to
do anything with those requests,"
she said. "Unfortunately, the Bruns
wick County library is falling be
hind. Demands have increased."
Funding for the library comes
from both the county and state. The
towns of Southport and Shallotte al
so contribute funds. Long Beach
has also made donations in the past,
Ms. Suggs said.
County commissioners contribut
ed S20,000 this fiscal year to build
the new Leland library. Plans were
approved for the building last week,
said Edith Tillman, who has headed
the drive to build the facility beside
the Leland Town Hall.
Ms. Suggs told the board that a
1980 census estimated there were
6,500 functionally illiterate adults in
Brunswick County who do not have
the skills to fill out job applications.
That number has since grown with
the population, she said.
"These are problems that call for
Demo Precincts Meeting Tonight
Brunswick County Democrats
will hold their annual precinct meet
ings today (Thursday) at 8 p.m. at
their regular polling places.
In an announcement this week
County Democratic Chairman Glen
Peterson encouraged all registered
Democrats to attend, "whether
they're party regulars or just want to
get involved with the party again."
Precinct meetings are the most
basic ingredient for Democratic
success, Peterson suggested. 'The
precinct level is where all policy
making begins. The more that peo
ple get involved in precinct meet
delegates to the April 6 county con
vention. The convention will be
held at Brunswick County Demo
cratic Headquarters near Supply.
Precincts will also have an oppor
tunity 'o pass resolutions on the par
ty's public policy issues.
Also, Peterson said the party
building committee will meet
Saturday, March 9 at 10 a.m. at the
headquarters building.
More information on these up
coming events is available from
Peterson between 8:30 a.m. and 5
p.m. at (919)371-9490.
ings, the better the party can repre
sent the views of all Democrats."
At the March 7 meetings, Demo
crats will elect precinct officers and
Late Registration
Continues At BCC
Late registration for spring quar
ter classes continues through Wed
nesday, March 13, at Brunswick
Community College at Supply.
Ann Marie Bellamy, public infor
mation information, said students
arc encouraged to register before
classes begin March 11.
Late registration hours are 10
a m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday through Wednesday.
Courses arc available in a wide
range of curriculum areas and the
college has an open door admission
policy.
Students who will be registering
at BCC for the first time must ar
range to take the school's assess
ment for success seminar. The eval
uation assists in determining appro
priate courses and credit loads for
students.
More information is available by
contacting the Student Services Of
fice at 4!) /-6329, 754 ^950 or 343
0203.
"Unfortunately, the Brunswick County
library is falling behind. Demands have
increased
? Matilda Suggs
Library Trustee
vigorous efforts," Ms. Suggs said.
"The library is the only institution
that serves all of the populations,
from the cradle to the grave."
The county library hasn't had an
increase in local funding in the last
four budgets and its staff hasn't in
creased since 1980, she said.
Auditor Talks Taxes
County commissioners, also fear
ing a cut in state funds for the 1991
92 fiscal year, heard from a tax au
diting firm Monday on ways coun
ties can find hidden money by au
diting business property tax listings.
Richard Cooke of Tax Manage
ment Associates, which has offices
in Charlotte and Raleigh, was invit
ed to address the board by Bruns
wick County Tax Administrator
Boyd Williamson.
The county can hire, on a contin
gency basis, an independent firm to
audit businesses to determine if they
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PEDDLER
473 OCEAN BLVD. WEST ? HOLDEN BEACH ? 843-4308
arc in compliance with state and
county tax laws.
"Maybe it's not a bad idea," Wil
liamson told commissioners. 'There
are a few negatives, but mostly it's
positive."
The firm first approached the
county two years ago, Williamson
said. Since then, 24 North Carolina
counties have signed on to become
customers of TMA, including Dup
lin, Bladen. Robeson and Onslow
counties, he said.
"Ours is a fact-finding mission,"
explained Cooke. "We go to the
headquarters of the company we are
auditing. Our issue is equity, to see
if all machinery and equity is re
ported properly."
The company would keep 35 per
cent of all tax revenues discovered
by the audit while the county would
keep the remaining 65 percent.
"What we are finding is that 65
percent of ail taxpayers arc in com
pliance with the law," Cooke said.
Another 25 percent record errors
because they either don't under
stand the law or make unintentional
mistakes that the auditors would
pick up on, Cooke said.
"There arc 5 percent that totally
abuse the system," he added. 'They
might eliminate every other line
item or don't list when equipment
comes into the plant."
The company has uncovered
more than SI 5 million for counties
that would have gone uncollected
without an audit, he said. The com
pany has 98 employees and has
been in business for 1 1 years.
"It's a hot topic," Cooke said.
Commissioners took no action on
the presentation.
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