A series of presentations will kick off the board’s Sept. 13 meeting. The first presentation will be to honor Wrightsville Beach Police Captain Teresa Fountain for her 30 years of service. The board will present Fountain with her badge and firearm in recognition of her faithful service to the town.
Chairman of the New Hanover County Commissioners, Ted Davis, will also make a presentation regarding the county’s recent decision to secure federal funding for beach renourishment projects at Carolina and Kure beaches. The commissioners believe that the $4.4 million in funding could be the last the county receives for beach renourishment since the federal government is moving away from that program.
Carrying over from an issue raised by town manager Bob Simpson at the BOA’s Aug. 16 meeting, the board will consider whether or not to purchase a satellite space located in New Hanover County’s Emergency Operations Center. The EOC is located in the county’s government center off of Government Center Drive in Wilmington and would serve as a place for town leaders and emergency responders to convene in a state of emergency if the island had to be evacuated. The county has offered the town three options to consider for the payment on the space: exclusive permanent use for a one-time fee of $70,000; exclusive permanent use for a fee of $70,000 financed; or access to the facility for a long-term lease of 10 years. Currently the town’s state-of-emergency meeting place is located on the second floor of First Citizens Bank on Eastwood Road. Simpson has expressed his concerns about the insufficiency of that space to provide for adequate protection and emphasized the fact that it would separate the town’s leaders from county and city officials.
Bill Columbus, a resident of Wrightsville Beach and Landfall, will present a proposal to donate equipment and services to provide live online streaming for the town’s board meetings. Funding for setting up online streaming of the board’s meetings was taken out of the town’s FY 2012-13 budget, which the board approved in June.
The Harbor Island Garden Club will also make a presentation concerning its proposal regarding the hire of an outside contractor to light the live oaks at the town’s entrance on the eastern side of the Heide Trask Drawbridge. Due to funding considerations and technical issues the club is planning to postpone its plans to support the installation of white light until FY 2013-14.
In response to a bill that recently passes the North Carolina General Assembly that brings the town’s ability to regulate private water supply wells into question, the board will also discuss a resolution to seek support from the county and the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority to establish local restrictions on the digging of private wells. Simpson noted that the town’s current legislation prohibits the use of private wells for essential water use and that wells for nonessential uses are restricted to a maximum depth of 40 feet since deeper wells have the potential to impact the local public water supply and aquifers.
One public hearing scheduled for Thursday’s meeting involves allowing a permanent easement to the Sprunt-Willetts Cottage at 207 N. Lumina Ave. Currently the chimney and staircase on the north side of the historically designated home encroach into the Charlotte Street right of way by approximately 4 feet. Mr. and Mrs. Sam Sugg are interested in buying the home and completing an extensive restoration project but would need the easements in order to proceed with their plans. See related story page 2.
