|
|
|
CURRENT ISLAND
REPORT ISSUE
Events: For the last several years Bald Head Island Club (The Club) and The Village of Bald Head Island (The Village) have been in negotiations/mediation over disposal of reverse osmosis reject water (RO reject) and effluent from the wastewater treatment plant. The Club, in consultation with their experts, has taken the position that the RO reject and the wastewater treatment effluent are causing major/minor contamination of the disposal lagoons, superficial aquifer and the deeper aquifer. The Club believes that the RO reject should be taken off Island and the effluent quality should be improved to “reuse” standards. The Village, in consultation with their experts, has taken the position that neither the RO reject nor the effluent is causing contamination of the disposal lagoons, superficial aquifer or the deeper aquifer. The Village does not agree that we should dispose of 22 – 30 million gallons of water particular during a severe drought that may persist for an indefinite period of time and believes the effluent meets all state water quality discharge standards. In an attempt to resolve these differences Bald Head Island Conservancy (The Conservancy), given their commitment to protect the environment of BHI, has appointed an ad hoc committee to help resolve this impasse. The Governor of North Carolina has been working with all levels of government to do everything possible to preserve water. The Village has done a good job of reducing the amount of water that is consumed on the Island. In addition, the Village is working with DENR to vacate the Notice of Violations (NOV) currently pending against The Village Utility Department. These NOVs include the following: · Discharge of RO reject into Island lagoons that is not currently permitted · Easements and compliance boundaries related to effluent infiltration lagoons It should be noted that there is no NOV related to quality of effluent or RO reject water. All property owners on BHI are encouraged to stay involved and current on the resolution of these differences. Administration The Village Council will hold their annual Council Retreat on January 13th – 15th, 2008 at Litchfield Plantation. For a copy of the items the Council will be discussing at their annual retreat contact the Village Clerk at amiller@villagebhi.org. The Village Council passed an amendment to the Golf Cart Registration Ordinance at their meeting of December 14th. The ordinance is set to take affect on June 1, 2008. The amendment requires that all golf carts being registered on the Island for the first time be equipped with the following items: ▪ Front head lights ▪ Rear tail lights ▪ Rear brake lights ▪ Rear view mirror ▪ Parking brake ▪ Seatbelts for all seating positions on the golf cart A copy of the approved ordinance is available on the Village website at www.villagebhi.org or by contacting the Village Clerk at amiller@villagebhi.org. The North Carolina League of Municipalities will turn 100 next year. With this milestone the League will be publishing a book entitled NC League of Municipalities: 100 Years of Celebrating Cities and Towns. The League would like to feature the Village in this book by including historical pictures, current photographs and facts about the Village. If you would like to submit any information to this creation, please contact the Village Clerk at 910-457-9700 or by email at amiller@villagebhi.org. Development Services Department: Extreme Drought Designation: The Village of BHI is still under an extreme drought designation and is under Phase II of the Water Shortage Response Plan and should follow all recommendations of Phase I and the requirements of Phase II to include minimizing all non-essential use of water. For more information please visit the following link on the village website: http://www.villagebhi.org/government/council/publicnoticedrought.html Division of Coastal Management Proposed Inlet Hazard Area Mapping: Village staff and legal counsel attended the Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) meeting in Greenville on 11/29 & 11/30 to represent the Village on the preliminary Inlet Hazard Area of Environmental Concern (IHA AEC) boundary. The Coastal Resources Advisory Council (CRAC) along with Division of Coastal Management (DCM) staff is in the preliminary stages of revising the current IHA boundary and will also be looking at revising the standard uses section of the current regulations. For more information or to see if you property is within the proposed IHA visit the following link and click on Cape Fear Inlet (Bald Head Island): http://dcm2.enr.state.nc.us/Hazards/Inlets/proposed_IHA.htm Revised FEMA Flood Maps: The Village has received the revised preliminary flood maps as a result of the appeal that was submitted by the Village in June 2005. The maps are available at for viewing at the Development Services Department office. In general, a majority of the property that was redefined as a VE Zone has now been revised back to the AE Zone designation. For more information you can contact the Development Services Department at 457-6522. Fire Department Be sure your holiday lights are in good working order and any live Christmas trees get plenty of water to reduce the risk of fire. Your Fire-Rescue staff would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and wonderful holiday season! We continue to offer FREE Home Safety Inspections for anyone on the island. Please call the firehouse for more information. Police Department For those who may not be aware, the Police department has a community watch program which assists us in reporting violations of ordinances such as underage drivers, etc. There are currently 49 members in the program. If you are interested in joining, please contact Chief Richard Herring by email at rherring@villagebhi.org or by phone at 457-5252. If you are contacting by email, please include your phone number. Emails will be sent to the members on a monthly basis and whenever your assistance may be needed as far as locating children or elderly, etc. Not only is this program designed to assist with violations of ordinances, but it is a great tool for reporting suspicious activity in your neighborhood. There will also be a meeting in early spring to discuss the summer tourist season. As a reminder, we are registering golf carts for the 2008 year. Have a wonderful day and stay safe. Public Works The Public Works expansion has begun. Due to the construction going on we ask that anyone bringing trash or donated items to the recycle center please, for your safety, come to the office first and someone will assist you. After the first of the year the Village will be taking over the Timber Creek dump site. Once this occurs there will be mulch available to the residents of the island and a place to dispose of yard debris. There will be more details available after the first of the year. At hole #6 on North Bald Head Wynd you probably noticed some construction equipment near Lighthouse Wynd. We are in the process of installing a new gate at the lagoon the feeds the creek. This will help us drain water off the Island in the event of a storm such as Ophelia and Tammie that dropped 42 inches of rain on the Island. Waste Industries has agreed to put three new trash trucks on the Island rather than just two. In the busy months of summer this should help them keep up with the trash pick-up schedule more efficiently. This way if one truck breaks down they have an extra truck to continue without delay. We at the Public Works department wish everyone a wonderful New Year. Utilities 2007 ended with 1069 residential water customers and 98 non-residential water customers. There are 1009 residential sewer customers and 41 non-residential sewer customers. For the year, 34 water tap fees and 32 sewer tap fees were paid. The utility department is growing by leaps and bounds! In 2007 we welcomed a new employee. Michael Fishburn joined us in September as a Maintenance worker. He is assisting our Water/Waste Water Operator David Suther. Construction started and will soon be complete on the Middle Island Sewer line extension. Ground has been broken and construction has started on the new utility building. The water tank received a new coat of paint in 2007. The ongoing meter change out program is on schedule. The utility department is in the process of installing new radio read water meters at all homes and businesses on the island. New meters have been installed for approximately half of our customers. We hope to have this project complete by the end of 2008. When the project is complete, each water meter on the island will be read by an automatic hand held reader. This will help to insure accurate readings each month. Building Inspections Stephen Boyett has attended state testing for the Level II Licensing for Building and Mechanical Certifications this month. He would also like to remind all those homeowners with wood burning fireplaces to have there chimneys cleaned and serviced to help ensure that it is safe for use and will not cause fire or smoke damage during the cold winter months. We would also like to wish you all Happy Holidays and hope the New Year brings you and yours health and happiness EDITOR’S NOTE: The Division of Coastal Management (DCM) carries out the state's Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA), the Dredge and Fill Law and the federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972. In September of 2007 the DCM began an investigation into the Inlet Hazard Areas (IHA) of 12 coastal communities in North Carolina, including Bald Head Island. According to the CAMA report, existing man-made landmarks (streets, parcel lines, etc.) were taken into account prior to the formation of the proposed IHA. The purpose was to identify areas of environmental sensitivity subject to damage caused by weather and/or development. The proposed IHA boundaries were determined by “statistical shoreline trends, average historical beach widths, and topography”. With this basis, the Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) Science Panel determined that current IHA boundaries on BHI were not sufficient to protect the Island’s environmentally sensitive areas. In doing so, a new proposed IHA Report was crafted to address the identified areas. As referenced in the report, and as it pertains to Bald Head Island, the proposed changes are due to the enormity of the inlet and related activities and to include the areas affected from such activities. Developed properties on Bald Head Island affected within the proposed IHA will increase from 27 to 314, and undeveloped properties, from 27 to 268. Since its inception, the Village of Bald Head has been actively monitoring the process. On November 29, 2007, legal counsel for The Village of Bald Head attended a formal meeting in Greenville, NC to address the issues identified in the proposed IHA report. Points emphasized were as follows: - “The need to obtain further data and studies prior to enacting regulations” - “The Village, as a co-policymaker and regulator, would like to be a member of the Beach and Inlet Management Plan (BIMP) and not a mere stakeholder” - “CAMA land use regulations should work together as an integrated whole, be responsible in scope, capable of practical application, and flexible enough to accommodate differing and/or special circumstances at the Coast and particularly at BHI” Additional comments offered by Village counsel included clarification on the hydrogeology of the Island, extensive increase in BHI developed/undeveloped acreage and the vast increase (financial and measured) of roads/right-of-ways and waterlines. These increases were based on a comparison of the current and proposed IHA. On January 17 and 18, 2007 Village Counsel is slated to attend the next meeting of the CRC. Sunday service is at 8:30 am with Communion the first Sunday of the month. The Women’s Bible Study meets on the first and fourth Tuesday of every month at 10:30 am. Please call Carol Sauder at 454-9043 for more information. The Evening Bible Study continues to meet every Tuesday evening at 7:00 pm for refreshments with the study beginning at 7:30 pm. Please check the bulletin on Sunday for weekly location or call the Chapel office. The Women’s Prayer Group meets the third and fifth Tuesday of every month at 10:30 am. Please contact Carol Sauder at 454-9043 for more information. Quiet Prayer Time is Thursday, January 17th from Noon-1:00 pm. Come to listen to Christian music and pray in a sanctuary of peace. The Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village Chapel will be Sunday, January 27, 2008 immediately following the 8:30 am service. As always, if you have any questions about the Village Chapel or would like to add someone to the prayer list, please call the Chapel office at 457-1183. Friends of Music The Friends of Music in the Village Chapel of BHI Committee is pleased to announce the 2007-2008 concert season. Our 2007-2008 Concert Series is as follows: Nov 4, 2007 4 pm Andrew Tyson, Pianist Jan 20, 2008 2:30p Alice Tien , pianist and Tim Holley, Cellist Feb 8, 2008 6:30p Musicale for Benefactors & Patrons Mar 16, 2008 4 pm New Century Saxophone Quartet This season we are pleased to offer season tickets for our Benefactors, Patrons and Season ticket holders. Benefactors $150/person Patrons $100/person Season $75/person Individual tickets All concerts $30/person Student $15/event Tickets may be purchased through any committee member or the Chapel Office. Your support is important to the success of this concert series. With your support we are able to bring these fine artists to Bald Head Island.
Conservancy News How can the community and nature on the barrier island of the Smith Island Complex thrive together for years to come? The Community learns about environmental issues, makes the best possible choices with the information at hand, and affects change by communicating with leadership. The goal of the Conservancy is to help the process by providing objective interpretations of scientific information. We will not take a stand or get behind any one interpretation; instead we provide an objective analysis of all solutions with a focus on long-term sustainability. When a decision is made the process does not end; an adaptive approach, is one that can be adjusted as we monitor the situation and respond to the results of our decisions—be it the number of deer on BHI, the quality and quantity of water in our aquifer or something else. The conservancy helps our community by disseminating objective information and presenting the information in a forum that involves multiple voices and strives to find community consensus. The Conservancy has begun to host a series of community forums to discuss deer, water quality/quantity, and forest conservation. In 2008 these forums will be web cast to provide maximum participation. leadership for sustainable living on barrier islands have recently been recognized by three important foundations. We are pleased to announce a $500,000 award by the F.M. Kirby Foundation, a $35,000 Donation by the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, and a $50,000 donation by the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation.
These donations further the Conservancy’s mission of barrier island conservation, preservation and education. With the kind donations from F.M. Kirby and Cynthia and George Mitchell foundations we are more than half finished raising funds for the construction of the new, “green” Barrier Island Study Center (BISC). BISC will be a field lab within the living lab of 12,000 acres of diverse, and sometimes rare and endangered, barrier island environments. It will allow the Conservancy to tie research and education into effective management and sustainable living in a sensitive and critical barrier island environment. Solutions developed in the Barrier Island Study Center will provide practical solutions for Bald Head Island and barrier islands across the nation at a critical time as these habitats are quickly disappearing. The Z. Smith Reynolds foundation has recognized the importance of the BHI Conservancy’s work in providing leadership for barrier island conservation at a statewide level and made it’s award to support education and conservation activities. All these wonderful donations not only provide needed financial support but also help establish the Conservancy as an important environmental leader on BHI and in our state. Smith Island Social Join us January 26, 2008! Cocktails: 6:00 pm Dinner: 6:30 pm Featuring the sounds of “KEY LIME PIE” With your dinner buffet of Tomato Basil Cream Soup, Crab Stuffed Salmon with a lemon bure blanc sauce, Boneless Chicken stuffed with Boursin Cheese and topped with lemon butter and demi-glaze, Salad Display with Apples, Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes, Asparagus, Shrimp, Oysters on the half-shell, Key Lime Tartlet, Chocolate Cake with topping, Coffee and Tea. Featuring a special wine for only $4.00 per glass. Cost per person: $41 Reservations: The BHI Club 457-7300
Sponsored by the Bald Head Association
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS OF INTEREST Alcoholics Anonymous now meets Mondays and Fridays, 12noon-1pm at the Association Center. Anyone who thinks they may have a problem with alcoholism, or wishes to learn about alcoholism or how AA works is welcome to attend. Your anonymity will be respected. For more info, call John B at 454-9251 or sober.1day.at.a.time@gmail.com. For more information, go to www.wilmingtonaa.org. Three important things BHI property owners can do each month to stay informed about current events on BHI: 1. Take 10 minutes and read your Island Report. The current issue of the Island Report is available on line and sent to Stage I members in hardcopy monthly. 2. Visit the Village of BHI website. 3. Subscribe to the weekly BHA email blast. These few steps will help keep you apprised of BHI issues!
|