Request Would Give Engineers Control Over Large Sewer Systems
BY SUSAN I'SIIKK
Brunswick County Board of Health
members voted unanimously Monday night
to ask county commissioners to name anoth
er county agency to manage large sewer
treatment and disposal systems beginning
July 1.
"A lot of lives are going to be affected, a
lot of economics a a1 affected." said Dr. H.J.
"Skip" Davis, board chairman.
The changes require periodic maintenance
and inspection of sewer treatment and dis
posal systems that rely on ground absorp
tion.
Health Director Michael Rhodes said the
department's staff has "a fairly decent han
dle on" dealing with the smaller systems that
fall under the regulations, since it has been
making preparations for the changes over
the past year.
However, it is not in a position to handle
the larger systems, he said. Rhodes and
Environmental Health Supervisor Andrew
Robinson arc recommending that the coun
ty's engineering department be designated
as the public entity management for the
largo systems, while the health department
maintains an oversight role. The engineering
department has a soil scientist, Walt Marlcy,
on staff.
Robinson said either the county's public
utility or engineering department should
lake on the job "because they are the only
ones qualified to do the administrative func
tion."
However, he said the utility department
might have a potential conflict of interest
since its director serves as operator for the
county complex sewer treatment system.
In any case, meeting the requirements of
die regulations "is going to take a tremen
dous amount of manpower," said Robinson.
He anticipates it taking two to two and a half
employees to handle the additional workload
placed on his unit.
Added Davis, "It has to be done; the sad
thing is there is no money in the budget to
do it." In a related matter, the board's bud
get committee, headed by Dr. Brad
Williams, plans to appeal directly to county
commissioners to fund more of the agency's
budget requests that were eliminated by
county administration, mainly personnel.
Approximately 18 county residents have
been certified by the state as private opera
tors for the smaller systems. Their services
may range from S3(X) to $500 a year,
Robinson indicated, though he has not seen
a signed contract yet.
These systems include Type I, which in
cludes privies; Type II, which includes con
ventional septic systems for single- family
homes or with a How of less than 480 gal
lons per day (GPD); Type III, which in
cludes non single-family septic tanks larger
than 480 GPD capacity and gravity fill sys
tems; and two classes of Type IV systems,
including low pressure pipe systems. With
most soils suited to conventional septic
tanks now in use, these alternative systems
are becoming quite common in the county,
Robinson said.
Most of the smaller, less complex sys
tems require inspections and management
reports at less frequent intervals and can be
managed by a ccrtili?l private operator un
der the monitoring and oversight of the
health department.
Property owners will be required to have
a management contract in hand before per
mits will be issued by the health department
for these systems. Existing low pressure
pipe systems will come under the regula
tions at the point repairs arc required, said
Andrews.
However, the department docs not have
the smiling to handle the more frequent in
spection of the larger T yj)e IV through Type
VI systems, such as aerobic or tertiary treat
ment plants. An estimated 20 such systems
exist in the county, and were previously
monitored by the state.
They now must be managed by a local
public management entity such as a county
agency, a town, sanitary district or sewer au
thority. Some of the systems require inspec
tion up to five times a week or can take a
full day to inspect.
Environmental health staff members are
informing restaurants, schools, mobile home
parks awl other large-system operator; of
new state regulations that go into effect with
the new fiscal year.
Other Business
In other business, the board tentatively
approved guidelines presented by Nancy
Leggett, K.N. for meeting new OSHA stan
dards for bloodc-bornc pathogens, pending
routine review by the board's personal
health committee. The standards arc an ef
fort to protect health care employees from
occupational exposure to human blood
through Hepatitis B immunizations, protec
tive equipment and changes in work proce
dures.
With the county water system set to begin
flouridation Aug. 3, the board reviewed
plans to alert area health-care providers to
ensure that patients not receive excessive
flouridc through both prescription and water
supply sources.
The board also agreed for staff to begin
reviewing plans in advance of construction.
(See related Page 1 story. ).
Sheriff Agrees To Staff
Phone 24 Hours A Day
Rcaciing "under protest" to a re
quest from the county commission
ers, Brunswick County Sheriff John
Carr Davis Monday agreed to sta
tion an armed deputy at the sheriff's
officc 24-hours a day.
The new policy was suggested
by Board Chairman Kelly Holden in
response to numerous telephone
calls he said he had received from
residents complaining that they
could not speak to a deputy after
business hours.
Beginning Monday night, a
deputy has been stationed at the
front desk around the clock.
The department phones had
been staffed from 8:30 a.m. to 5
p.m. After that the sheriff's depart
ment phone carried a recorded mes
sage explaining that emergency
calls should be directed to 911. It
also gave the 24-hour toll-free num
ber for the county jail. Callers with
non-emergency business could
leave a message for deputies or de
tectives.
Davis told the commissioners he
feels the community would be bet
ter served by keeping a deputy on
patrol rather than in the office.
Stationing a deputy at the sheriff's
department is unnecessary now that
the 911 center is staffed full time,
he said.
Speaking at the board's budget
meeting Monday, Davis asked the
commissioners to reconsider their
request.
Holdcn said the sheriff's depart
ment ought to be available 24 hours
a day as a "safe haven" for resi
dents. He also expressed concern
that the county complex was left
unguarded at night.
"In a violence situation, people
are going to run here," Holdcn said.
"I think it is a disservice to the com
munity if they get to the complex
and there's no one here."
Davis said he had never sta
tioned a deputy in the office 24
hours a day. After 5 p.m. a desk
sergeant remained at the sheriff's
department until 2 a.m., then went
on patrol. He said the desk officer
also provided backup for patrol
units when necessary, a policy he
intends to continue.
"I don't care what they (the
commissioners) say," Davis said in
an interview, "if one of my men
gets in trouble out there, that desk
man is going to back him up."
Between the hours of 9 a.m. and
2 a.m., there are two full shifts of
deputies patroling the county, Davis
told the board. Until Monday, three
deputies were on duty after 2 a.m.
Now there will be two on the road
and one in the office, Davis said.
Budget Includes $1 .5
Million For Libraries
(Continued From Page 1-A)
include:
? An increase of SI, (XX) for cach
of the county's 32 volunteer fire de
partments, giving them an allocation
or S 14,500 cach.
? An additional S5.000 for the
Southport Maritime Museum, rais
ing its funding to SI 0,000 for a sec
ond year.
? Another S2.000 added to the
Brunswick County Literacy Council
budget, giving it S3.500.
? A S2.000 increase in spending
for the Volunteer and Information
Center, raising its allocation to
S17.000.
? A one-time reduction in the
SoutheastemWelcome Center allo
cation from a proposed $45,000 to
S10,0(X). The board said it would in
crease its allocation next year, when
state funding ends.
? Deletion of a S2.500 allocation
to the Yahweh Center in Wilming
ton, which serves troubled youths
from the Lower Cape Fear Area.
?Reallocated S3,(XX) to The
Marine Crescent, which works to
develop maritime related business
and industry and is working with
Brunswick Community College in
development of an aquaculture pro
gram .The contribution had first been
cut from the budget.
In other business the board ap
proved an emergency allocation of
$20,000 for the Department of
Aging, which was reportedly out of
funds and unable to meet its next
payroll. Noting that the department
head's "fiscal accountability was in
question," board chairman Kelly
Holden instructed County Manager
David Clcgg to "deal with the per
sonnel issue involved here."
The board also appointed Mar
garet Dennis to the Nursing Home
Advisor)' Board. She replaces
Jonathan Hankins of Soulhport.
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A THIRD VERSION of the new Supply Elementary School district was approved by the Brunswick
County Hoard of Education Monday. The heavy line on the map above indicates the district borderline.
Some 642 students within this line will attend Supply School, the latest revision intended to avoid over
crowding at Union Primary School, one of Supply's feeder schools.
Supply School Boundaries
Undergo Another Revision
(Continued From Page 1-A)
have some room to spread out, but I don't sec a problem
with it." Principal Mark Owens said of the action, "I
think it's unwise, but 1 don't know all the information
behind it. If any fifth graders were to be moved, I think
they should all be in the same place."
He referred to those within the Supply district lines
being enrolled at the new K-5 school this fall, while
some of last year's Shallottc Middle fourth graders will
return there.
The spring issue of The Piratecr, SMS newspaper, re
ported the move of fifth graders on its front page, re
flecting mixed emotions among students. Some were de
scribed as "sad and depressed" at leaving familiar sur
roundings, but others said they wanted to get away from
older students. Student reporters said, "Shallottc Middle
School will finally become a 'real' middle school,...
with middle school philosophies completely implement
ed, easier scheduling and discipline problems lessened."
The revised Supply district approved by the board
Monday was the third arrangement it had endorsed. The
first district line followed a highway, requiring two
school buses to travel that road, one picking up students
for Bolivia Elementary School on one side and the other
transporting students to Supply School on the other.
After that problem was remedied, it was discovered
that Union Primary was still heavily overcrowded,
which prompted the rearrangement of fifth graders and
new district lines. The new map shows the boundary
line beginning on the north at Sunset Harbor, proceeding
southeast to Midway Road, following it to U.S. 17,
south to N.C. 211, then west to Little Macedonia, cast
onto Sellars Road, which becorncs Mount Pisgah Road,
then Civictown Road and Shell Point, back to Bowcn
Point on the south. Some M2 children living within this
line will attend Supply School, Turner said.
?Mosi faculty and staff for the new school, headed by
Principal Carolyn Williams, were approved. The re
quired number of teachers was reduced from 29 to 24 by
the new district arrangement.
?Transferred from Union Primary were the following
teachers: Ramona Parker, Pamela Jackson, Lisa Tate,
Annie B. Hcwctl, Lynn Semkc, Louise BuUer, Ollic
Hickman, Ann Barton, Carolyn Yarbrough, Brenda
Spencer, Annette Kcesee, Mary P. Bcall, Janis Simmons
and David Everett.
?Teachers moving from Shallotte Middle arc Annie
Hewett, Dcbra Noble, Eunice Abcrcrombie, Stephanie
Bernard, Shelly Ludlum, Ann McManus, Eva Smith,
Priscilla Shoemaker, Memory Goforth, Martha Mcntzcr,
Deborah Lemon, Marsha Utterback, Marguerite York,
Bobbie Sellers, and Joan Head.
?Transferring from Bolivia Elementary are Ronda
Caster, Shelba Thornton, Gretta Galloway, Rose
Gcmborys, Charles Snow and Stephanie Woodard.
?Barbara Sligh and Susan Huggins will transfer from
South Brunswick Middle, and Lisa Brown from Leland
Middle.
?Classified staff transfers include these from Union
Primary: Cafeteria worker Kathy Crccch, and assistants
Pamela Robertson, Anna Home, Utha Hewett, Lorna
Marlowe, Charlcne Hewett, Theresa Rhodes, Valerie
Fullwood, Brenda Fulford, Ada McDonald, Helen
Hamcr, Doreatha Johnson, Ada Fullwood, Lynn Ellis
and Lou White.
?Assistants Nancy Vereen, Janet Hcrzog, Maxine
Jones and Gloria Foss will transfer from Bolivia
Elementary, as well as media assistant Donna Green and
assistant secretary Joyce Cox.
?In addition, Patricia Cumbcc, SIMS operator, will
transfer from West Brunswick High; Shirley Robinson,
cafeteria worker, from North Brunswick High; and Pam
Pahl, secretary, from the central office.
Building Plans Review Offered
(Continued From Pane 1-A)
"I think it should have been done
before," said board member George
Young, who made the motion.
"Anything we can do to stem that
tide."
The board slopped short of re
quiring plan review for rental prop
erty, saying loo many loopholes ex
ist at this moment.
Instead, it plans to invite repre
sentatives of area beach communi
ties to attend a health board meeting
to discuss the situation and ways to
resolve it, a suggestion made by a
Holden Beach town commissioner,
said Rhodes.
Especially in the coastal area,
rental houses with septic systems in
tended to accommodate six or eight
occupants arc often advertised and
rented to sleep a dozen or more peo
ple, overburdening the systems.
The owners of the house in ques
tion at Holden Beach say that was
not their intent. However, following
a contested case hearing in Raleigh,
the state Attorney General's office
is to decide whal changcs, if any,
must be made to bring the house in
to compliance.
His remarks drawing guffaws of
disbelief from board members,
Robinson said a building inspector
cannot dispute, but must accept as
fact, the use of a room specified by
an owner on his plan.
"They can call them anything.
They can have a great room, a den, an
office all in the same rental house," he
said, with Rhodes interjecting, "Arid a
library."
The building inspector can ask
the health department to make a fi
nal inspection, as happened in the
Holden Beach case.
In its review of a house or plan,
the health department uses the same
general definition of "bedroom"
that's found in state statutes,
Robinson said. Basically, it consid
ers to be a bedroom any room that
can be "reasonably expected" to
function as a bedroom. Indicators
include doors, closets, windows and
direct access to a bathroom.
Gold Chains From $10 per gram
Father's Day June 21
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Wet, Warm
Days Ahead
More wet, warm weather's in the
local forecast.
Shallotte Point meteorologist
Jackson Canady said Tuesday that
the outlook calls for near-normal
temperatures coupled with above
average rainfall.
He anticipates temperatures rang
ing from nightly lows in the mid-6()s
to highs in the mid-80s, with at least
three-quarters of an inch of rainfall.
"Thai's probably a conservative
estimate," he said, referring to a
front expected to hover over the
area.
For the period June 2 through 8,
he recorded a maximum high tem
perature of 89 degrees on both the
6th and the 8th and a minimum low
of 56 degrees on the 2nd.
An average daily high of 84 de
grees combinined with an average
nightly low of 66 degrees for an av
erage daily temperature of 75 de
grees, which is about normal for this
time of year, Cannady said.
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Shallotle. N.C. 28459
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