Calabash
Landscaping
Committee
Considered
BY DOR I C. GURGANUS
The ball is now in the court of the
Calabash Planning and Zoning
Board as to whether the town will
have any kind of landscaping con
trol or review panel.
Representatives of lhat board, the
town board of commissioners, and
the defunct landscaping commission
met Monday nighi to discuss
whether such a group is needed.
Their consensus: ITiat Calabash
would have no landscaping review
commission, since an ordinance is
required to establish one. The repre
sentatives agreed that sub-commit
tees on an advisory basis would be
the best structure, if the rest of the
planning board agrees.
Meeting with only two or three
representatives of each group, much
of the contusion and trustrauon re
garding the controversial review
panel was cleared up.
Attending were Chairperson Pati
Lcwcllyn and members A1 Smith
and Bruce Kibblchouse of the plan
ning board. Hank Rutter and T.J.
Morgan of the landscaping panel,
and Stu Thorn and Ed Rice of the
town council.
Much of the hour-long meeting
was spent reviewing events of the
past few years and the mistakes
made by lack of communication on
all sides.
"There has been a lack of com
munication over the last three
years," said Morgan. "But whatever
you decide, that's fine with me."
Morgan said that it didn't bother
him if the review panel was dis
solved by the planning board. He
asked, however, that they take some
form of action to ensure the beautifi
cation of Calabash.
The representatives also dis
cussed an increasing need to control
landscaping and building in
Calabash.
"All you have to do is drive
around Carolina Shores to see the
benefit of this sort of group," said
Rutter of the beautification group in
the Carolina Shores Property
Owners Association.
"Right now there's no ordinance
that if a businessman thinks he can
sell another million burgers lhat he
can't put up golden arches in this
town," said Morgan.
He and Ruucr volunteered to
serve on such a landscaping com
mittee should the planning board
form one.
Smith also suggested that the
planning board may need a sewer
committee since the town is moving
toward obtaining one.
A decision on forming sub-com
mittees should be discussed by the
planning board in the next few
weeks, said Ms Lewellyn after the
meeting.
STAFF PHOTO 3Y SUSAN USHER
Former Rest Area Closed
The rest area operated by the N.C. Department of Transportation since 1955 on U.S. 17 near Bolivia
closed last week with the opening of the new rest area at the Southeastern Welcome Center near Shal
lotte. Monday , workers moved the mobile unit to Wilson, where it will remain in storage until another
state rest area's upgraded , said Tommy Zandy of the division landscape unit Zandy said he knows of
no plans for the abandoned site. Workers busy above are (foreground from left) Charles Register and
Ixirry D. Bannerman; (background from left) Harry Hayes, Bill Dodson, Philip Burke, Johnny
Walker, Mark Honeycutt; and on the roof, Sylvester Merritt and Isaiah Pyatt.
Countv Policv Imposes
/ #?
Returned Check Charge
An increasing number of returned
checks may be a sign of tough eco
nomic times, but it's also cutting in
to the Brunswick County Finance
Department's already busy schedule.
A policy adopted unanimously by
Brunswick County Commissioners
Tuesday night will allow county
government to charge S20 for re
turned checks, a fee similar to what
most local businesses now impose.
"I'm not doing this in terms of be
ing greedy," said Lithia Hahn,
Brunswick County's finance direc
tor. "It's eating up staff time to deal
with that bad check."
She hopes the new policy will cut
the number of bad checks received
by county government in half.
Departments will post signs where
moncv is collected to warn persons
they will be charged S20 if a check
is returned from the bank for insuffi
cient funds.
In 1986, Brunswick County
Commissioners voted not to impose
a bad check charge, 2-3. Former
District 2 commissioner Benny
l.udlum led the opposition, saying
that persons who have trouble pay
ing their county bills also couldn't
afford the surcharge.
The proposed charge in 1986 was
SI 5. Ms. Hahn hasn't asked for the
policy sincc, bui now feels it is
needed to deier those who may be
taking advantage of the situation.
"It's not that I'm wanting the
money," she said. "When they sec
that sign, maybe they'll think twice.
I think it'll cut clown on the number
of checks that arc relumed."
The policy will affect the building
inspections, water and health depart
ments. Sheriff John Carr Davis and
Register of Deeds Robert J. Robin
son will have the option of whether
to impose the fee in their depart
ments sincc they are elected offi
cials.
State law has already given tax
departments authority to collect for
bad checks. If a returned check
causes a property owner's tax pay
ment to be late, the department also
charccs a late penalty on taxes.
For persons who cannot afford to
pay their taxes in one sum. Tax
Collector Nancy Moore will work
out a payment schedule to allow pe
riodic payments.
"We have quite a few employees
who take advantage of that," said
Ms. Hahn.
When checks arc returned from
banks to Ms. Hahn's office, workers
send them back to department heads
to collect. That process will be the
same under the new policy, only the
departments will be asked to collcct
the S20 surcharge, too.
"People are pretty good about
making their checks good," said Ms.
Hahn.
By law, the Brunswick County
Clerk of Court's office cannot take
checks for payments. Persons there
must have money orders or cash.
At the building inspections de
partment, contractors are allowed to
keep monthly accounts for permits
and to pay in one sum. Those ac
counts have not been affected by the
recent economic slump, said Ms.
Hahn. All appear to be up to date on
payments.
"There have been no problems
that I'm aware of," she said. "I've
not been apprised of any problems
fmm over there."
IN BOLIVIA
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LIFE ? ANNUITIES ? IRA'S ? FRATERNAL PROGRAMS
6 oz. Filet Mignon and Lobster Tail
PERSON $19.95 PEOPLE $39.95
1 1 oz. RibEye and Sea Scallops
PERSON $19.95 PEOPLE $39.95
H <li Entrees Include salad, potato or rice.
French bread. Chablls or Zlnfandel. Also,
your choice of brownie sundae or
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from 9-12 midnight
Reservations suggested
DINING *nd SPORTS LOUNGE Hwy- 179 ? Calabash
AU. ABC PERMITS 579-6228
1 6 County Workers
AXX JL I T i_ r\ I
in irasn ueui
BY TKRRY POPE
Hiring a private firm to collcct the
county's garbage will affect the jobs
of 16 Brunswick County employees.
Eight solid waste workers will re
main on the county payroll while
those cut as of March 1 are guaran
teed jobs on a probationary status
with Waste Industries Inc. of Ra
leigh.
Officials from Waste Industries
met with the 16 workers last Thurs
day, Jan. 30, to explain company
benefits, drug tests and license re
quirements of its employees.
County Manager David Clegg
said those affected by the move in
clude employees both in the solid
waste collection and landfill depart
ments. Seniority played a key role in
choosing the eight kept on the coun
ty payroll.
Of those, four are black and lour
arc white. There arc seven males
and one female.
"It was not gerrymandering to
reach that result," said Clegg.
Clegg said he did not know the
racial makeup of the 16 cut He
added that, by percentages, blacks
outnumber whites in the (icparuneni.
Under the plan. Solid Waste Dir
ector Leo Hcwett will assume an e
mcrging role as a landfill coordina
tor/director. Solid waste, landfill,
operation services and the county
engineer's department will still work
closely together when Waste
industries begins hauling next
month.
The eight employees chosen to
keep their county jobs have an aver
age longevity of 12 years with the
county, said Clegg.
"Seniority was important, but we
looked at all of the issues," he
added. "They were evaluated on the
basis of what they could perform."
Some landfill employees were
surprised when they received notice
that their jobs would be terminated,
he said. The county will still operate
the landfill in Supply. Some workers
were under the impression that the
cutback aftccted just those in the
collection department, or those who
drove trash trucks.
"Collection and disposal have
never been separate," said Clegg.
The county's personnel policy re
quires that employees be given a
two-wcck noticc before Ihcir jobs
arc cul. Employees affected by the
cut were given notice earlier to pre
pare for last week's meeting with
Waste Industries.
"There was absolutely no way
that I was going to run from the real
ity," said Clcgg. "They have been
valued employees of Brunswick
County. However, the board made a
decision which mandated a RIF (re
duction in force)."
Waste Industries will haul the
county's garbage and operate 10 re
cycling stations for $561,000 per
year. That figure is guaranteed until
1993, when the contract price is lied
to the Consumer Price Index for the
balance of the five-year deal. For the
1991-92 year, the county had bud
geted S878.000 for trash collection
and close to SI million for landfill
operations.
The county had negotiated with
Waste Industries to hire the 16
workers cut by the move.
"I could not have lived with it,"
said Clcgg, "had 1 known that I had
not done all I could to make sure
those people would be employed
March 2. I feci that we nave provid
ed for them. Had we not done that, I
would have felt there was more we
could have done."
Waste Industries has submitted a
bid of SI 53,000 to purchase some of
the county's trash disposal equip
ment, subject to upset bid. The rc
Anummnnl ? ? '? 1 1 Kn mm
?*iuitiaii? mil uv uuw~
tioned March 14 at the government
center in Bolivia.
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Local Art ? Pottery ? Jewelry
"Oil Painting Classes"
Ait Supplies
"THE UNUSUAL"
Winter Hours (Jan. & Feb.)
Tues., Thurs., Sat. 10-5
Calabash Post Office Complex
" .Hwy. 179 ? (919)579-992^ '
SEAFOOD and STEAK HOUSE
Mesquite Grill ? Gourmet Salad Bar ? Lounge
We will re-open Friday , Feb. 7
10% Discount on any Entree
Valid thru Feb. 13
Your Hosts: Tom & Marlene Haley ? 579-6032
CLOSED MONDAYS ? Hwy- 179 In Calabash
See next week's Beacon for our
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