teaming Kosource Center
Pamlico Technical Codec.’
P. 0. Box 185
Highway 306 South
Grantsboro, N. C. 28529
0485 8606 1
PR ML I CO . TECH * C'
PC BOX 135
GRRNTPRORO NO
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Norman-Pittman team wins.
.Story Page 4
Run Off June 3
For Pamlico
County Commission
A run-off for two county com
mission seats will be held Tues
day, June 3, in Pamlico County.
In township 5, Russel V. Lee is
opposing incumbent Brad Rice.
Lee received 419 votes to Rice’s
1,081 during the May 6 primary.
For the township 3 seat, Joe
Himbry, who received 695 votes
previously, hopes to defeat the
primary’s top vote-getter, Nancy
Smith, who polled 861 votes. In
cumbent Vince Sevenski placed
third in the race with 490.
The polls will be open from 6:30
am to 7 pm. Only those people who
were eligible to vote in the
primary can cast their ballot on
June 3.
Awards Presented.
Story Page 6
38 Lots Reduced In Tax Value
Because Of Septic Tanks
When the Pamlico County
Board of Equalization and Review
closed its session for 1986 last
week, thirty-eight parcels of land
had been reduced because of their
inability to accomodate a septic
tank. Most ot the property was
reduced seventy percent,
resulting in a loss of about $1,177
in tax revenues for the county.
The original value of all the pro
perties was $233,660; the reduc -
tions decreased the tax values to
$74,493.
Tax supervisor Randy Beeman
said that he recommended that
these properties be reduced
seventy percent-with the excep
Mesic Adopts
Housing Ordinance
The purpose behind adopting an
ordinance setting minimum hous
ing standards is to protect the
work done under the Community
Development Block Grant pro
ject, says the mayor of the town of
Mesic. The new ordinance,
however, is drawing criticism
from some quarters.
The ordinance calls for stan
dards that one would usually ex
pect to find in such a document,
relating to plumbing, electrical
and heating systems.
To meet minimum standards,
dwellings must be equipped with a
heating system that will heat all
habitable rooms to a minimum
temperature of 70 degrees when
measured three feet above the
floor during ordinary winter con
ditions. A habitable room is
described as a “room or enclosed
floor space used or Intended to be
used for living, sleeping, cooking
or eating purposes...” It excludes
hallways, laundry rooms,
bathrooms and other similar parts
of a house.
Rooms are also rquired to be
wired for overhead lights and a
certain number of wall recep
tacles. A room without a ceiling
light must have three receptacles
Instead of two.
The ordinance also establishes
minimum window area, which is
based on the square footage of a
room and the amount of sleeping
space per person.
Under the ordinance, the ex
terior walls of the home must be
protected by paint or another
covering to “prevent the entrance
or penetration of moisture or the
weather.” Windows and doors
must be weather and watertight,
rodent proof and in good repair.
Every yard must be properly
graded for good drainage and to
lUlation ofstag
the yard
;y areas”
weeds or
y
outside are to be equipped with
screens and self-closing devices.
Windows used for ventilation must
also be screened. For garbage
disposal, all homes must have a
mechanical sink grinder or an ap
proved garbage can (no specifica
tions for an approved container
are given).
The most controversial sections
of the ordinance deal with the
powers and duties of the building
inspector and the enforcement
procedures.
The ordinance gives the
building inspector the authority to
“investigate...in order to deter
mine which dwellings...are unfit
for human habitation, and for the
purpose of carrying out the objec
tives of this ordinance with
respect to the repair, closing or
demolition of such dwellings...."
In addition, the building inspec
tor is empowered to “administer
oaths and affirmations, examine
witnesses and receive evidence,"
and “to enter upon premises for
the purpose of making examina
tions and inspections."
According to the ordinance, the
inspector can enter any dwellings
at “reasonable times” with the
owner or occupant required to
give him full access for “inspec
tions, examinations and survey."
This section made need some
legal clarification in light of
telephone conversations with at
torneys at the League of
Municipalities and Institute of
Government.
Although most minimum hous
ing standards ordinances don’t
mention it, a building inspector
has to get the owner or occupant’s
permission before entering the
premises, says Richard Ducker of
the Institute of Government. If the
inspector is refused entlry, he can
obtain an administrative search
warrant from the magistrate
which will allow him to enter
legally, he explained. Without an
administrative search warrant,
the inspector cannot go on the
premises even if the ordinance
gives him that power; the or
dinance’s authority does not
supersede state law or Constitu
tional rights, he added.
Laura Kronifeld, an attorney
with the League of Municipalities,
stated that an inspector can make
a search after presenting “proper
credentials”, although, she noted,
what constitutes proper creden
tials was not specified.
If a “public authority” or a
group of at least five citizens files
a petition charging a violation of
the ordinance, the inspector can
call for a hearing if his investiga
tion shows a basis for the charge
(he can also call for a hearing bas
ed on an investigation he in
itiates), the hearing to be held not
less than 10 days nor more than
thirty days after the serving of the
complaint. Anyone so desiring
may attend the hearing and pre
sent relevant evidence, according
to Section 14(a) of the ordinance.
The inspector determines if the
dwelling is in violation of the or
dinance. If it is, an order is issued
giving a specified time, not to ex
ceed 90 days, in which the repairs
or improvements are to be made.
Should the owner fail to comply
with the order, the inspector has
two remedies under the or
dinance. He can either submit to
the town council at their next
regular meeting a resolution
directing that the superior court
be petitioned for an order direc
ting the owner to comply. Second,
the town council can give the in
spector the power to cause repairs
to made or, as in the case of a
dilapidated dwelling, for demoli
tion and removal.
An appeal from any decision or
order of the inspector must be fil
ed within 10 days of the rendering
of the decision or serving of the
order. The appeal is filed with the
Inspector and Housing Appeals
Board and must specify the
Bed.
(See MESIC, Page 14)
ticn of one whose tax value was
decreased by forty percent-after
discussing the situation with tax
supervisors in other counties ex
periencing similar problems. The
seventy percent decrease essen
tially reduces the property to an
acreage value, instead of listing it
as property suitable for building,
he says. One lot was reduced forty
percent because it can be utilized
if modifications are made.
The lots and their reductions in
clude:
--10 lots in Woodland Heights
subdivision, originally $33,500,
reduced to $12,150.
-lot on Mill Pond Road, $5,670 to
$1,701.
~2 lots in Pinedale subdivision
in Reelsboro, $8,780 to $2,634.
--5 lots in Bay Harbor subdivi
sion, $45,060 to $31,542.
-8 lots on Alton Lee Farm Road
from $103,500 to $31,050.
-8 lots on Kershaw Road from
$12,000 to $3,600.
--Property on Buxton Creek
from $12,000 to $3,600.
--1 lot on Olympia Road from
$3,500 to $1,050.
--1 lot in Maribel from $2,000 to
$600.
Beeman stated that, in the event
sewer becomes available, the lots
will be re-evaluated.
Elaine Stoops, assistant secretary of the Division ot Aging, N.C. Department ot
Human Resources, Friday, May 23, told a group ot sixty about the resources
available to senior citizens through various agencies. The event was a day-long
seminar on “Coordinating Services for the Aging in Pamlico County,” sponsored by
the local department of social services.
Also discussed were the physical and medical aspects of aging, social aspects of
aging, ministering to the aged and delivering services to the aged. Local agencies,
such as the Neuse River Council of Governments, health department, Aurora and
Craven County Home Health Agencies, social services, United Tri-County Senior
Citizens and Cross Wheels, also presented information.
Commissioners Begin Paring
Budget Requests
The Pamlico County Board of
Commissioners was scheduled to
have the first of its budget
workshops Tuesday night to begin
the annual task of reviewing fun
ding requests for the coming fiscal
year.
Estimated revenues for fiscal
year 1986-87 are $3,223,742. Ac
cording to county manager Bill
Rice, as of Thursday, May 22, re
quests from departments and
agencies receiving county funds
totalled $3,989,562.
Rice stated that this year there
will be little or no fund balance to
appropriate. For the 1985-86 year,
$538,000 in fund balance monies
were used to balance the budget.
In addition the county will receive
its last federal revenue sharing
check in the fall.
Graduation Ceremonies
Area high schools will hold their
graduation ceremonies this week
and next.
Aurora High School’s Bac
calaureate services will be held
Sunday, June 1, at 11 am with
Commencement on Friday, June
6, at 8 pm at the high school gym.
Pamlico County High School’s
senior will graduate in combined
ceremonies on Friday, June 6, at 8
pm at A.H. Hatsell Auditorium.