The BOC’s May Regular Meeting is scheduled on May 20th
Normally our newsletter is posted on the following Sunday, which is May 25th
I am unable to attend the meeting
We are still publishing the newsletter, albeit a week later than usual
Our May newsletter will be posted on Sunday, June 1st
Lou’s Views
“Unofficial” Minutes & Comments
The BOC’s May Regular Meeting is scheduled on May 20th
Normally our newsletter is posted on the following Sunday, which is May 25th
I am unable to attend the meeting
We are still publishing the newsletter, albeit a week later than usual
Our May newsletter will be posted on Sunday, June 1st
BOC’s Special Meeting 04/08/25
Board of Commissioners’ Agenda Packet » click here
Audio Recording » click here
1. Discussion and Possible Action on Street Paving Bids (Sand Dollar Drive and Heron Drive) – Public Works Director Clemmons (Mayor Pro Tem Myers)
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Consideration and possible action on street paving bids
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
Right Angle Engineering held a bid solicitation for street paving, which this year is Sand Dollar and Heron Drive. The most responsive bid is from Highland Paving in the amount of $149,500. The recommendation of Right Angle is to award to Highland Paving.
Previously reported – November 2015
Streets Condition Survey Report is a planning document. We have a total of 12.8 paved asphalt roadways with @40% of the roads in need of maintenance. Subject streets are Class A (low volume) roads the cost estimate is for pavement repair only, with the costs being variable. The total estimated costs are a whopping $1,200,000. Surface evaluation was done rating each street and prioritizing the work that needs to be done. Recommended we address it with a ten-year game plan, budgeting accordingly, tackling it on a yearly basis. Understandably we can expect our streets to continue to degrade while costs will continue to go up.
Previously reported – November 2024
Maintenance Needs
Of the 12.8 miles of streets inspected, approximately 25% are in need of maintenance. The survey indicated a total estimated maintenance need for plant mix resurfacing of $1,021,874. This represents an average of $72,350 per mile for the entire town street system. It should be noted that this cost estimate is for pavement repair only. Additional costs can be incurred for drainage improvements, administration, utility adjustments, work zone traffic control, and other items. Please note that these costs are variable and can increase the total project cost significantly.
Pavement Condition Rating / PCR Listing
The type and amount of distress that was observed on each street was used to obtain a Pavement Condition Rating (PCR). A 66 – 80 rating indicates a general condition of just fair.
The following streets had the lowest PCR:
Update –
In 2015 the Board implemented a tax increase of $.010 specifically for street paving and maintenance. The penny worth of tax revenue earmarked for paving is money that is already in the budget. For the last few years, Right Angle Engineering reviewed the bids and has recommended Highland Paving, who has done satisfactory work for the Town before. Once again Right Angle Engineering recommends the Town award the contract to Highland Paving. A motion was made to award the contract to Highland Paving for street paving of Sand Dollar and Heron Drive in the amount of $149,500. Although it was not discussed they normally try to have paving work completed before Memorial Day.
A decision was made – Approved unanimously
Editor’s note –
2025 / Sand Dollar and Heron Drive at a cost of $149,500
2024 / High Point Street at a cost of $115,250
2023 / Tide Ridge Drive, Pointe West Drive and Ranger Street at a cost of $126,000
2022 / Seagull Drive at a cost of $208,150
. • The cost was split between the Town and the properties on Seagull
2021 / BAE from Rothschild to Ferry at a cost of $123,000
2020 / BAW from High Point to Rothschild at a cost of $111,250
Ad Valorem Tax
Estimated 2024 tax base is $2,402,018,650 with tax rate of $.14 per $100 of assessed value
. a) $2,402,018,650 X $.14 = $3,362,827
. b) $3,362,827 X 99.20 = $3,335,924
. • Tax collection rate of 99.20%
A penny generates approximately $240,202 of tax revenue which is earmarked specifically for street paving and maintenance and is already in the budget. If we have tax revenue in excess of $200K why are we only spending $100K a year?
2. Budget Workshop – Mayor Pro Tem Myers
. a) Expenditures
County Courthouse 04/14/25
Superior Court Case # 25CV001201-090
Notice is hereby given that a quorum of the Holden Beach Board of Commissioners may be present at the Brunswick County Courthouse, Courtroom 007 on Monday, April 14, 2025.
Previously reported – March 2025
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Consideration and possible action to approve a budget amendment moving funds from fund balance to professional services.
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
A fund balance appropriation will allow coverage for additional anticipated legal fees through the end of the current fiscal year.
Moved funds of $50,000
From Revenue account #10.0399.0200 to Expense account#10.0410.0400
The Ordinance is for a fund balance appropriation that will allow coverage for additional anticipated legal fees through the end of the current fiscal year.
A decision was made – Approved unanimously
Although not stated, this is an unnecessary cost to hire attorneys to represent us for the frivolous lawsuit filed by Lisa Ragland. She filed a civil suit against the Town alleging the Board violated state law by holding a meeting without a quorum. Even if she is right (she’s not) the outcome would have been the same, the lawsuit is a waste of time and money. Therefore, we should go after her for all costs associated with our legal defense.
THB Code of Ordinances – Quorum
§30.15 VOTING AND QUORUMS.
(A) Quorum. The Mayor and three Commissioners, or three Commissioners without the Mayor shall constitute a quorum (simple majority) of the Town BOC
Coates’ Canons NC Local Government Law
It is not unusual for a charter to specify the method for determining the quorum for a city council. Accordingly, city elected officials, as well as city attorneys and clerks, should examine their respective charters for quorum provisions. Ordinarily, if the charter differs from G.S. 160A-74, the council should follow its charter.
See G.S. 160A-82.
For more information » click here
A Parliamentary Procedure Primer: Part 3 – Quorum Misconceptions
Misconception 4: Cities must always follow the quorum statute, G.S. 160A-74, even if their charter seems to conflict.
In addition to G.S. 160A-74, city charters commonly provide a method for calculating quorum. What if there is a conflict between the quorum statute and a city’s charter? While Section 160A-82 provides that the statutes in its part (including the quorum statute) do not invalidate conflicting city charter provisions, it does not describe how to deal with the conflicts. For that, we look to Section 160A-3. That section provides three different avenues for resolving charter-statute conflicts. First, if both the charter and the statute seem to describe everything required for performing a particular duty or function, the city can choose to follow either its charter or the General Statutes. G.S. 160A-3(a). Second, if a charter fails to provide all the details necessary to carry out a particular power, duty, privilege, immunity, or function, cities should supplement the charter with the procedures described in statute. In case of a conflict, however, the charter provisions control. G.S. 160A-3(b). Finally, if statute provides for a certain power, duty, immunity, privilege, or function that an earlier enacted charter expressly denies, then the statute supersedes the charter. G.S. 160A-3(c). Using the structure in G.S. 160A-3, cities would need to look closely at their charter’s quorum language. Does the charter provide all the information necessary for calculating quorum? If so, the city can likely choose to follow either the charter or G.S. 160A-74 under G.S. 160A-3(a). If not, the city might supplement its charter procedures with those in G.S. 160A-74, but the charter would still control in the case of any conflict. While quorum seems simple, it can prompt a variety of questions, and misunderstanding its requirements can lead to tricky situations. Understanding what is required for quorum will keep local governments on the right track both legally and procedurally.
For more information » click here
THB MOTION TO DISMISS
Plaintiff’s claim for a declaratory judgment of the validity of the quorum provision in the Town’s charter is not justiciable.
Plaintiff’s Claim for Declaratory Judgment regarding action taken during the January 28, 2025, Meeting fails to state a claim for which relief can be granted.
Plaintiff’s Cause of Action for an Injunction requiring Defendant to amend its Rules and Procedures fails to state a claim for which relief can be granted.
WHEREFORE, Defendant Town of Holden Beach respectfully prays unto the Court for the following relief:
. 1) That Plaintiff’s Complaint and First Amended Complaint against the Town be dismissed with prejudice, pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1A-1, R. 12(b)(6) and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1A-1, R. 12(b)(1), and that the Court rule that:
. a) Each of Plaintiff’s claims for Declaratory Judgment against the Town fail as a matter of law and should be dismissed with prejudice; and
. b) Plaintiff’s claim for Injunctive Relief against the Town fails as a matter of law and should be dismissed with prejudice; and
Update –
Lisa Ragland, a Holden Beach property owner, filed a lawsuit against the town over concerns about how the town government conducts business. She alleges that the town board has violated state law by holding meetings and making decisions without a proper quorum. The brouhaha has resulted in a lot of bad press for the town. The plaintiff, Lisa, on Friday May 11th submitted a voluntary notice to the court that this action is hereby dismissed without prejudice.
Legal action against a Brunswick beach town is on hold. Here’s why.
A lawsuit between a Brunswick beach town and third generation property owner is left in suspense after a scheduled court hearing was cancelled. The town of Holden Beach and resident Lisa Ragland were scheduled for a preliminary injunction hearing on April 14, 2025. Both parties requested dismissal before the hearing. However, Ragland requested to dismiss the lawsuit with the option it could be refiled.
Here’s what to know.
What’s the case?
Ragland has voiced concerns about the town’s government by filing a civil suit against the town of Holden Beach through the Brunswick County Superior Court Division on Jan. 30, 2025. Her case argues the board acted without a quorum during the Jan. 28, 2025, special meeting because only three out of six board members, Commissioners Tracey Thomas, Rick Paarfus and Tom Myers, were in attendance and took action. Ragland believes the three commissioners violated state law, despite the town maintaining they did not act unlawfully, and requests the board’s actions on Jan. 28 be “invalidated.” The civil case also requests the quorum section of the town of Holden Beach Charter be amended to reflect the North Carolina General Statute, which states that a quorum is when a majority of the board and the mayor are present. On April 4, the town filed a motion to dismiss Ragland’s complaint and first amended complaint requesting a hearing to follow or precede the preliminary injunction hearing that was scheduled. Ragland on April 11 requested to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit without prejudice. This allows her to refile the action within a year if she chooses.
Why dismiss the lawsuit?
The town filed voluntary dismissal of the case “for lack of standing and for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted,” as stated in the town’s motion to dismiss. A memo in support of the town’s motion to dismiss was submitted on April 10 in the afternoon, Town Attorney Sydnee Moore said. On April 11, Ragland filed a notice of voluntary dismissal. She said her dismissal stems from a new finding. After further research, Ragland discovered the town does not have to change its charter, just an ordinance. The charter looks to an ordinance, amended in 2007, to decide how many board members make a quorum. Ragland said the ordinance is invalid and that her discovery was too late and could not be added to the civil complaint. Ragland said repealing the ordinance to the North Carolina General Assembly will be more cost efficient and quicker than going through the court process. However, the town board must take action to repeal the ordinance through the general assembly. “I wanted the opportunity to resolve this at a lower cost option for the taxpayers,” Ragland said. On March 18, the town board approved a budget amendment. The amendment moved $50,000 from the fund balance to the professional services fund to pay for professional services through the end of the fiscal year. “To my knowledge, it was not earmarked for a specific purpose,” Moore said. Though Ragland wanted to save the town money, Moore said funds are still being spent to cover lawsuit fees. “At the time the notice of voluntary dismissal was filed, the town was already legally obligated to pay the funds for hours expended for the preparation of subpoenaed materials, motion to dismiss, memo in support thereof, and in preparation for the preliminary injunction hearing previously scheduled for Monday, April 14, 2025,” Moore said.
What’s next?
Local state representatives, including Rep. Charlie Miller and Sen. Bill Rabon, have been contacted about her concerns and the invalid ordinance, Ragland said. “If the town does not repeal the ordinance, the general assembly will make them repeal the ordinance,” she said. If the town does not take steps to voluntarily repeal the ordinance within 60 days, Ragland said she will go to the general assembly for help and refile the action. “I’m not backing down,” she said.
Read more » click here
Resident’s lawsuit against Holden Beach dismissed
A resident’s lawsuit against the Town of Holden Beach has been dismissed, the town’s attorney confirmed Monday. Lisa Ragland sued the town on Jan. 30, alleging Holden Beach was violating state statute by only requiring three board members to be present at meetings for a legal quorum. She said decisions made by some town commissioners were hurting the town, its businesses and its visitors. Ragland didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment on Monday. Ragland filed to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit on Friday, April 11. Because the lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, she can refile within a year if she wants to. A preliminary injunction hearing had been scheduled for Monday. Holden Beach had also filed a motion to dismiss on April 4, Town Attorney Sydnee Moore said. The suit lacked standing and the town had “statutory backup,” Moore said. The lawsuit alleged the board didn’t have a legal quorum to approve contracts and agenda resolutions during a Jan. 28 special meeting. Only three of the town’s six commissioners were at the meeting, which Ragland claimed violated state statute, requiring either four commissioners – or three, plus the mayor – to be present. Holden Beach’s town charter, though, allows a quorum with only three board members present. Mayor Alan Holden declined to comment on the lawsuit’s dismissal when reached on Monday. Holden Beach had previously passed a budget amendment on March 18, moving $50,000 to a professional services fund through the end of the fiscal year. These funds helped cover the cost of the litigation, though Moore said it wasn’t earmarked for specific purposes. While the town had to pay attorneys for hours spent preparing subpoenaed materials, Holden Beach didn’t spend close to $50,000 defending the suit, the attorney said.
Read more » click here
BOC’s Special Meeting 04/17/25
Board of Commissioners’ Agenda Packet » click here
Audio Recording » click here
1. Budget Workshop
. a) Revenues & Expenditures
BOC’s Regular Meeting 04/15/25
Board of Commissioners’ Agenda Packet click here
Audio Recording » click here
1. Conflict of Interest Check
Rules of Procedure for the Holden Beach Board of Commissioners
(e) Conflict Check. Immediately after the approval of the agenda, the Presiding Officer shall poll each member to disclose any potential conflicts of interest. In the event that a potential conflict is disclosed, the members will vote on a motion to allow or excuse that member with respect to the agenda item. If excused, the member may not participate in any discussion, debate, or vote with respect to the agenda item.
The Board was polled by Heather our Town Clerk. All of them declared that there was no conflict of interest with any agenda item at this meeting.
2. HDR Items – Interim Town Manager Ferguson
. a) Consideration and Possible Action on Revised Scope
. b) Discussion on Pier Construction Structural Specifics
Agenda Packet – page 17 – 34, plus separate packet
HDR Condition Assessment » click here
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Consideration and possible action on HDR’s scope of work and structural questions regarding pier construction.
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
At the March meeting, HOR presented a preliminary structural report that indicated a feasible path forward for the pier was a rebuild option. At this meeting, they will be presenting the final report, a revised scope of work/timeline for completion, and questions for the board’s consideration regarding future construction
TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Receive information and consider making structural recommendations
At the March meeting, the BOC voted to move to remove the repair option and only consider a rebuild option for the pier, which would result in a scope change for the HDR agreement. The firm will be at the meeting to present the final structural analysis, outline the scope/time line change, and to ask the BOC for guidance regarding several construction questions. Questions are concentrated in the following areas:
Besides these main considerations the firm would also like to understand what the BOC sees as expected operations the pier must support and preferred construction windows to adequately account for the economic cost analysis. Specifically, would the board want to avoid summer construction, which may indicate that two mobilizations might be needed.
Previously reported – March 2025
Discussion and Possible Action to Accept Recommendations from HDR Regarding the Condition Assessment of the Pier – Interim Town Manager Ferguson
HDR Executive Summary » click here
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Consideration and possible action to accept recommendations from HDR regarding the condition assessment of the pier.
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
HDR was hired to engage in engineering analysis of the pier. The condition assessment of the pier structure has been initiated by their structural lead. HDR will present the findings.
TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Receive report and provide direction to HDR for continued work.
On March 3, 2025, HDR conducted a site investigation and condition assessment as defined in the “Waterfront Facilities Inspection and Assessment – Manuals and Reports on Engineering Practice No. 130” published by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
In summary, the overall condition of the existing fishing pier was assessed to be in POOR condition and HDR recommends replacing the timber superstructure in its entirety. The pier approach (superstructure and substructure) will also be required to be replaced in its entirety to satisfy federal ADA requirements. The existing substructure has many structural deficiencies which would require extensive repairs and is currently at the end of its useful service life. This coupled with the fact that the recommended construction methods would be similar for both repair and replacement options supports the conclusion that repairing the existing pier would not be structurally cost effective, nor would it provide the longevity or service life that results from replacing the timber fishing pier. Therefore, it is HDR’s recommendation that the Town of Holden Beach consider a pier replacement option only.
HDR is the engineering firm we hired to evaluate the pier structure. The presentation was on the pier condition assessment and their recommendations. The pier superstructure and substructure are currently at the end of their useful service life. Their report indicates that repairing the existing pier would not be cost effective. Commissioner Smith seemed to refuse to accept the report created by a licensed marine structural engineer that repair is doable but not practical. Commissioner Smith had an antagonistic exchange with the vendor. His behavior was completely inappropriate, the relationship between the Board and the engineering firm should not be adversarial. It’s the firm’s recommendation that the Town consider the pier replacement option only. Now that they are able to make an informed decision they have decided to cut our losses, to save both time and money, by not considering the repair option. HDR will begin to develop an engineering design with cost estimates for both the building and maintaining a new pier. The motion was made to accept their preliminary report and their recommendation to move forward on preliminary planning to build a new pier. So, we are back to the drawing board.
A decision was made – Approved (3-2)
Commissioners Smith and Dyer opposed the motion
Consideration and Possible Action to Award Bids for the Demolition of the Pier Building – Interim Town Manager Ferguson
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Consideration and possible action to award bids for the demolition of the pier building
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The bids for the demolition of the pier building were received on February 21st. There were four companies that responded. Planning and Inspections Director Evans followed up on some bid specifics. Based on his review and follow up. his recommendation is for Jessie & Myers Construction Company based on price.
We received four bids for the demolition of the pier building as follows:
RHI $36,000
Cohen Construction $42,875
Jessie & Myers $46,500
Pinnacle Southeast $54,000
TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
If the board is choosing to move forward with this action item at this time, then award bids to most responsive bidder.
The most responsive bid received after review of bid specifics by Planning and Inspection Director Evans is $46,500 submitted by Jessie & Myers Construction Company, Inc. Ranking in order after follow- up discussion was as follows:
Jessie & Myers Construction
Pinnacle Southeast Contracting Group
Cohen Construction
Robbins Home Improvement
Suggested Motion:
If the board is choosing to move forward with this action item at this time, then staff recommends approving the bid for Jessie & Myers and authorizing the interim manager to execute the associated paperwork. The funds will be sourced from Available to Appropriate in BPART
The agenda packet specifically states that the selection of Jessie & Myers was based on price, which is obviously not the case. Christy explained that they needed additional info on environmental testing and reviewed the total scope of work. The staff determined that the most responsive bid was from Jessie & Myers and that is who they recommended. Commissioner Smith objected because protocol has been to award the bid to the vendor with the lowest bid. I find it ironic since this time the Board deferred to the towns staff recommendation, which is exactly what he has argued for in the past. The project will start within two weeks of receiving notice to proceed and be completed within two weeks. Commissioners also requested that Christy discuss with the contractor to work with the Holden Beach Community Alliance to retrieve items inside the building that the organization identified as historically significant. Motion was made to award the bid to Jessie and Myers Construction Company for $46,500. The Board approved the bid from Jessie & Myers to demolish the pier building and instructed Interim Town Manager Ferguson to execute the associated paperwork.
A decision was made – Approved (3-2)
Commissioners Smith and Dyer opposed the motion
Holden Beach pier building demolished after more than 70 years
A Holden Beach landmark has been knocked down after being closed for several years. The Holden Beach pier building has been demolished after standing for more than 70 years. The building and pier had been closed to the public since 2022 due to concerns over a lack of repairs. Holden Beach commissioners voted 3-0 during a meeting on January 28th to demolish the building. Jackie and Richard Crabtree worked at the pier in the 1970s and early 80s. They say it’s tough seeing a symbol of Holden Beach gone. “These people that live here now don’t realize what this place was, what it meant to thousands of people that lived here before, Jackie said.” “We’re going to miss it, seeing it, you know, being able to walk in the pier (building), walk on the pier,” Richard said. “Something we’re missing.” A civil lawsuit was filed against Holden Beach’s Board of Commissioners relating to that January meeting, claiming the board did not have a majority of its members present. The suit claims that it violates state law. The town has not yet said where a replacement building or repairs to the pier will be done.
Read more » click here
Update –
HDR reviewed the information in their Condition Assessment Report. They discussed the benefits of concrete, hybrid, and timber and the different construction methods and costs.
The estimated ballpark pier replacement costs are as follows:
The estimated costs does not include the cost of the demolition of the existing pier. HDR recommended the hybrid design because of both the construction cost and maintenance costs. They also dissuaded the Board from revisiting the repair option. The Board indicated its primary concern is the cost because it could be prohibitive for the town, with some options probably costing more than we can afford. Then the Board by consensus decided to have HDR design a 1,000’ timber pier, built from the land out, with a T structure at the end. The Board also approved changes to the contract to reflect the decision made at the March meeting to remove the repair option and only consider a rebuild option for the pier. The motion made was to approve the revised contract.
A decision was made – Approved unanimously
Editor’s note –
The most likely scenario will be that after the Board has figured out what has to be done and the cost to do it then the community will have an opportunity to determine the piers fate. Personally, I believe that most of the public would like to have a pier but I don’t think that they will be willing to pay for it. That is pretty much what Mayor Holden said in the WECT news interview. Commissioner Thomas thanked the Mayor for putting a referendum on the table and stated that the public should decide whether to spend the money for a pier not just the five (5) Board members.
WECT TV6
Mayor Alan Holden said the Holden Beach pier may soon be gone as well. “I think eventually the cost of it is going to be put to the public for a potential referendum or some kind of a polling thing,” Holden said. “And at that point in time, the price will be so high, I’ll be surprised if the public would support it.”
3. Police Report – Chief Jeremy Dixon
Agenda Packet – pages 35 – 40
Police Report » click here
Jeremy reviewed the actions that were taken by them last month
..
Business as usual, normal amount and type of activity for this time of year.
Easter weekend please slow down and drive carefully
They are getting ready for Days at the Dock which is coming up at the end of the month
Public Service announcements
Staffing –
Chris Thompson was moved from part-time status to full-time status
John B has been given a conditional offer of employment
Chief Dixon encourages everyone to download the app
NC Police Connect on the App Store
Personnel announcement
There are currently only five (5) officers working out of eleven (11) positions
We are down six (6) officers
. * three (3) vacant positions and three (3) officers are out on medical leave
To say that they are stretched pretty thin is an understatement
Jeremy is looking at mutual aid from other police departments
Having the full complement of eleven (11) police officers seems to be an elusive goal.
‘We need help’: Holden Beach Police Department facing officer shortage
The Holden Beach Police Department is facing a significant staffing shortage ahead of the busy beach season. “We’re prioritizing the police department,” Mayor Alan Holden said Tuesday. “We need help.” Police Chief Jeremy Dixon says currently, they only have four officers out of 11 total positions, with three out on medical leave and four job openings. The four remaining officers are working daily 12-hour shifts to fill the gaps while neighboring agencies like the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office and numerous other police departments in neighboring communities are stepping in to assist, too, Dixon said. “We’re doing everything we can to try to get them some more support and some more help and get more officers here on the street to keep our community safe,” said Dixon. To address the recruiting and retention woes — which are part of a nationwide law enforcement shortage that has been exacerbated since 2020 — Dixon has proposed a new, four-part approach that he recently pitched to the town’s board of commissioners. The proposal includes adding a ranking system, cadet program, health and wellness program, and issuing more awards to officers. The ranking system would include structuring positions — for example, creating a “senior police officer position.” Right now, all officers within the department hold the same rank. The system could incentivize both candidates and current officers, Dixon said. The cadet program, meanwhile, would train candidates lacking significant law enforcement experience, paying for them to get through Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET). The goal, Dixon said, isn’t to just bring people to Holden Beach, but to keep them long-term and maintain a family-like environment within the town and the department. “With Holden Beach being the family beach, we take that same approach with our employees. We are a family here,” he said. Dixon said it can be difficult to compete with nearby agencies in larger cities with better pay — like Wilmington and Leland — but said his department offers a different environment. Holden said the town can be attractive to experienced candidates looking for a quieter community with less crime and fewer calls, while also having the chance to live on the beach. At the same time, Dixon and Holden emphasized the importance of adding more officers soon, with visitors expected to fill the town over the coming months. “It is imperative that we get ahead of this and get our staffing levels back up,” said Dixon. Dixon credited town commissioners with supporting his proposal so far. The police chief is now working with town staff to finalize specifics before he presents them to the Board of Commissioners for approval.
Read more » click here
What he did not say –
NA
If you know something, hear something, or see something –
call 911 and let the police deal with it.
4. Inspections Department Report – Inspections Director Evans
Agenda Packet – pages 41 – 43
Inspections Report » click here
ACTIVE NEW HOME PERMITS = 23
OTHER ACTIVE PERMITS = 485
PERMITS ISSUED OVER $30,000 = 91
* AMOUNT INCLUDED IN ACTIVE TOTAL
PERMITS ISSUED OVER $100,000 = 6
* AMOUNT INCLUDED IN ACTIVE TOTAL
PERMITS ISSUED SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS = 1
* AMOUNT INCLUDED IN ACTIVE TOTAL
PERMITS ISSUED WAITING PICK UP = 31
TOTAL PERMITS = 559
PERMITS IN REVIEW = 10
CAMA ISSUED = 5
ZONING ISSUED = 13
PERMITS SERVICED FOR INSPECTIONS FROM 03/07 – 04/07 = 98
TOTAL INSPECTIONS MADE = 229
Update –
Timbo briefly reviewed department activity last month, the department is staying busy.
5. Finance Department Report – Finance Officer McRainey
Agenda Packet – pages 44 – 46
Finance Report » click here
Update –
Daniel briefly reviewed the Finance Report
6. Town Manager Report – Interim Town Manager Ferguson
Agenda Packet – page 47 – 49
Town Manager Report » click here
Christy reviewed the Town Manager Report
Greensboro Street / Sewer Lift Station #2
Construction schedule anticipates completion in August
The contractor is having difficulty finding the Buy America, Build America required materials for the grant
Buy America Build America waivers granted by EPA
Items completed to date:
Block Q Restrooms & Parking
Pre-construction meeting held with the contractor on April 3, 2025
Staff doing pre-construction utility locates
Accomplishing as much as can be done this fiscal year
Extension applied for with the state
Employee Updates
Receptionist Penny King was hired for Fiscal Operations Specialist position
We filled the position by promoting from within
In the process of interviewing for the receptionist position
Ryleigh Gleason was hired for the receptionist position
Chris Thompson was moved from part-time status to full-time status with PD
John B has been given a conditional offer of employment with PD
Ocean Boulevard Stormwater
Staff met with the USACE 3/31/25 regarding understanding timeline/scope of project funding – 300 block Ocean Blvd. and East End of Mullet/Ave A
USACE plans to attend May meeting to brief board
Discussions with McGill to understand permitting and design requirements for next fiscal year
Previously reported – March 2025
Our lobbyist Ward and Smith met with the State regarding Federal funding for Ocean Blvd. stormwater issues.
Previously reported – February 2025
More to come on a Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) and the required Board Action to engage in the $2.2 million in federal funding.
Pier Site
Building was removed per last month’s bid award
THB Newsletter (04/15/25)
Work has been completed and the pier parking lot and walkways are now open.
Please be mindful not to stand or sit under the pier structure.
THB Newsletter (04/17/25)
The portable restrooms at the pier are not available until further notice due to a sewer issue.
Washington, D.C. Trip-Federal Priorities
Productive trip -American Shore and Beach Preservation Association Conference and Capitol Hill
Meetings were as follows:
Appropriations request submitted to Senator Tillis-April 3rd
One will also be submitted to the House
Sand Matters
UNCW held a workshop to explore stakeholder thoughts on Regional Sediment Management.
More to come on how the process unfolds in the future
Canal Dredging Survey
Currently underway
Beach Annual Maintenance Survey
Will begin in the next few weeks
Tracking Tool
The BOC’s are looking for a status report on a monthly basis in order to track the progress of projects that they have prioritized.
The current status of each of the eight (8) items listed is in the Town Manager Report
What she did not say –
Key Bridge Mediation Agreement
Our new facilities on the east end located at 339 Ocean Boulevard East are now open! Site improvements include an ADA compliant walkway, a restroom facility and parking.
Paid Parking
Annual parking passes are now available for purchase
Hurricane Vehicle Decals
Property owners were provided with four (4) decals that were included in their water bills
Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW) Crossing
Alerted by the Corps that we should be receiving funds back from Crossing Project
In Case You Missed It –
THB Newsletter (02/22/25)
Dog Reminders
Please remember that any time your dog is off your premise, they must be on a leash, cord or chain at all times. Also, dog owners must remove dog waste immediately after it is deposited by the dog when on public property or any private property, including vacant lots, without the permission of the private property owner. Dog waste stations are conveniently located throughout the island.
Emergency Operations Center
The EOC building is being used by Tri-Beach Fire Department while they renovate their fire station on Sabbath Home
National Flood Insurance Program: Reauthorization
Congress must periodically renew the NFIP’s statutory authority to operate. On March 14, 2025, the president signed legislation passed by Congress that extends the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP’s) authorization to September 30, 2025.
News from Town of Holden Beach
The town sends out emails of events, news, agendas, notifications and emergency information. If you would like to be added to their mailing list, please go to their web site to complete your subscription to the Holden Beach E-Newsletter.
For more information » click here
Upcoming Events –
Days at the Docks Festival
April 26th & 27th
Holden Beach
Concerts on the Coast Series
The Town’s summer concert series calendar has been released!
Summer Concert Schedule * Lou’s Views
7. Consideration and Possible Action on Beach Safety Warning Stations – Interim Town Manager Ferguson
Agenda Packet – pages 50 – 60
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Consideration and possible action on beach safety warning stations.
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
Last month, the fire department presented some options of how they could partner with the Town on a beach water safety program. They will be at the meeting to further outline the program for potential implementation.
TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Receive information, and based on attorney comments, consider partnering with the Fire Department
Tri-Beach Volunteer Fire Department / Water Rescue Safety Stations
This document details the proposed plan for a partnership between the Town of Holden Beach and Tri•Beach Volunteer Fire Department to install and maintain Water Rescue Safety Stations along the oceanfront of the entire island. Below, you will find the details of how the project will be funded and maintained.
Previously reported – March 2025
Fire Department Update – Fire Chief Doug Todd
We request that the town partner with us to provide water safety stations along the beach to aid in water rescues. Rip current information would be available via a QR code on the sign, which would display the status of rip currents through the National Weather Service.
Assistant Chief David Ward of the Tri-Beach Fire Department made the presentation. Their goal is to enhance their relationship with the Town. He explained each of the items listed and would like to continue conversations with their asks.
They are requesting that the town partner with them to provide water safety stations along the beach to aid in water rescues. Rip current information would be available via a QR code on the sign, which would display the status of rip currents through the National Weather Service. The surrounding communities already have them. Proposing seventy-two (72) stations at their cost, which they will maintain too. By consensus they requested the staff work with the Fire Department to bring a proposal back to the Board.
Update –
Assistant Fire Chief David Ward reviewed the proposed plan which he said focuses on prevention. The plan that the commissioners approved was for adding 72 beach safety stations throughout the entire island. That would mean a station would be added for every 600 feet on the beach strand. In addition, they will also have signs at all public beach accesses. The stations would include a QR code for the National Weather Service rip current status, an address sign, an information sign and a rescue tube. The Tri-Beach Fire Department will maintain and replace damaged stations for now. The stations will be added as soon as possible, hopefully before Memorial Day. The motion was to proceed with the partnership with the fire department to install and maintain Water Rescue Safety Stations along the oceanfront of the entire island.
A decision was made – Approved unanimously
Growing pains: Local fire departments face growing challenges as county explores funding solutions
Fire departments in unincorporated Brunswick County are dealing with a slate of challenges — from rising costs to unprecedented local growth — that are stretching department budgets. As a means to address some of these funding issues, the county is exploring switching from its fire fee structure for funding fire departments in the county jurisdiction to a fire tax structure to better meet departments’ needs. In September, the Brunswick County Commissioners tasked county staff with gathering data and presenting options for solutions to help the county get a better grip on residential development in its jurisdiction following destruction from Potential Tropical Cyclone #8 (PTC8) on Sept. 16, 2024. County Manager Steve Stone in October presented county staff’s findings and a bevy of recommendations on actions county commissioners could take to address impacts from rapid residential development. Among those was a recommendation for Brunswick County to move away from the existing fire fee funding mechanism and replace it with a fire tax. Stone during the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners’ Oct. 21 meeting said the county’s fire fee system, enacted in 1999, has “reached a point of diminishing returns” and is “an inadequate source of funding” for many local fire departments. Brunswick County is the only county in North Carolina still under the fire fee system. Local fire departments are facing a variety of challenges such as increased call volume due, growth and its impacts, staffing issues and increasing costs for fire apparatus and other necessary equipment, with many chiefs who spoke to The Brunswick Beacon stating additional funding is needed to maintain existing service levels and plan for the future. This multi-part story will explore some of those challenges and local fire chiefs’ responses to the proposed move to fire taxes.
Fire fees vs. fire tax
Fire protection fees, or fire fees, are fees imposed by the county on real property owners to fund the furnishing [of] fire services protect persons in the district from injury or death, S.L. 2017-60 notes. Fire fees for improved properties are calculated based on the heated square footage of a building, while fire fees for vacant land are calculated based on the acreage of the property. The fees are not based on tax value. These fees, in addition to grants and fundraising, fund fire departments in county jurisdiction, whereas departments in local municipalities are funded by fire fees and the towns they serve. To meet “immediate funding needs,” Brunswick County in 2017 requested the North Carolina General Assembly double the potential upper limit for fire fees allowed to be charged to each property so the county could “make future adjustments, if needed, without having to request permission from the state.” The General Assembly granted that request. However, Stone noted the county’s state legislative delegation has discouraged the county requesting to raise the maximum limit any further. Fire taxes, unlike fire fees, are be based on property values, just as property taxes, Stone told The Brunswick Beacon. “With fire taxes in North Carolina, you can have a fire tax of up to 10 cents in a fire district per $100 of property value,” Stone noted. “And if you have a referendum in a district, you could have a fire tax of up to 15 cents — again, only with voter approval. I believe that well within that 10-cent cap or less, we could come a lot closer to providing more adequate funding for the fire service.” Primary fire service in Brunswick County jurisdiction is typically provided by nonprofit volunteer fire departments — most of which now are largely staffed with paid firefighters — with nearby municipal fire departments, and other nonprofit departments, often providing secondary response. Asked by county commissioners if the county has an estimate on how much a fire tax would cost taxpayers compared to fire fees, Stone in October said, “We will certainly consider cost implications and compare what property owners pay in fire fees versus a potential fire tax when developing the plan. We will also be communicating with our municipal fire partners to negotiate and develop a potential funding mechanism that meets their needs as well.” Stone in March said county staff is working to recommend plans to present to the county commissioners, local fire chiefs and local municipalities. “The plans could go anywhere from a single fire district county-wide which, if it was truly county-wide, municipalities would have an ability to opt in like they did fire fees,” Stone said. “Or it could be only unincorporated county or it could be a collection of every fire district having its own tax.” The county manager noted, “I think the less districts we had, the more transparent it would be and really the more equitable it would be.” Stressing that the county is not proposing a single fire tax district at this time, Stone, as an example, said if a county-wide fire tax district was established, “a little over six cents would generate the same amount of revenue that the fire fees are currently generating.” County projections indicate total fire fees collected in the upcoming fiscal year will equal roughly $32 million, Stone said. That is up nearly $3 million from roughly $29.4 million in fiscal year 2024-2025.
Increased call volume and other impacts of residential growth
From 2015 to February 2025 in unincorporated Brunswick County alone, 51,975 housing units have been approved and 3,324 units have been proposed, per the county’s major development dashboard. This number does not include approved and pending developments in municipalities. This residential growth has shown little sign of stopping, leaving fire departments to navigate sustaining current levels of service as new homes continue to be added to their districts. Chief Tal Grissett of Grissettown-Longwood Fire and Rescue Department said from 2019 to 2021 his department responded to roughly 800 calls per year. From 2022 to 2024, that number rose to between 1,100 and 1,400 calls per year, he said. When Civietown Volunteer Fire Department Mark Hewett first joined the department years ago, it was running 15 to 30 calls a year. “Now we’re running close to 1,000,” Hewett noted. “This year we’re looking at 1,200 or 1,300 we’re expecting to run.” The types of calls fire departments are responding to has also changed as the county grows, as department are increasingly dispatched to respond to medical calls with many of those for lift assists. “We got some information together a couple of weeks ago as to the calls that were just for lift assist,” Stone said. “In calendar year 2024, there were just under 2,700 [calls] where fire departments went just to help somebody get out of a bed, get out of their house, out of a vehicle or something, but really didn’t provide another medical service.” Stone explained medical calls are an allowable expense against departments’ fire fees but “it’s really up to the departments whether or not they want to provide any of those medical services.” One local department recently stopped responding to non-emergency medical calls at the request of Brunswick County EMS and saw its yearly call volume drop precipitously as a result. Calabash Fire Chief Keith McGee said his department, which is experiencing tremendous growth in its fire district, responded to 2,689 calls for service in 2022. But after turning over non-emergency medical calls, the department’s call volume in 2023 and 2024 dropped to 1,881 and 1,820 calls, respectively. However, the Calabash Fire Department still responds to a significant number of lift assistance calls, McGee said, as well as other non-emergency calls. Several other fire departments whose chiefs spoke with The Brunswick Beacon also continue to provide lift assist response. “If somebody calls for help, we’re going to go help them,” Chief Rob Johnson of Sunset Harbor Zion Hill Volunteer Fire Department said. But that does not mean the growing number of medical calls is not impacting these local fire departments. Chief Hewett said from Jan. 1, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025, Civietown Volunteer Fire Department ran over 1,000 calls and 71% of those calls were medical, lift assist or something other than fire calls. “We assist medics, we run all delta level calls, we run all cardiac stuff, we run lift assist when people fall,” Chief Hewett said. “We provide fire protection for our fire district … anything other than fires, technically, we’re not contracted to do it, but we do it for our community.” “It’s a lot,” he added, “and the more people that move here, the more call volume’s going up.”
Read more » click here
8. Discussion and Possible Action on Master Planning for the Jordan Boulevard and Block Q Area Beginning with Block Q in the Initial Phase – Commissioners Thomas and Paarfus
Agenda Packet – page 61
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Discussion and possible action on master planning for the Jordan Boulevard and Block Q area beginning with Block Q in the initial phase.
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
Since the BOC has a combined goal of trying to migrate to a master plan of the area, we should consider starting the process in this fiscal year to better prepare us for some construction components next fiscal year. There have been several proposals for additional amenities to be added to Block Q such as a bandstand and (4) pickleball courts. Therefore, amenities to consider for Block Q include (but are not limited to) a new bandstand/dance floor/lawn seating area for concerts and (4) Pickleball courts. As we move toward phasing in a larger master plan of the area to include Jordan Boulevard and the old pavilion site in the future, amenities to investigate include (but are not limited to) boat parking and optimal car parking. Changing traffic patterns for maximum efficiency should also be considered.
Previously reported – March 2025
Consideration and Possible Action to Award Contract for the Construction of the Restroom Facility and Associated Parking/Sidewalks at Block Q – Interim Town Manager Ferguson
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Consideration and possible action to award contract for the construction of the restroom facility and associated parking/sidewalks at Block Q.
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The bids for the project were due back on January 14th. A second bid opening was held January 28th due to an insufficient number on January 14th. This project will include modular stormwater, sitework prep, and construction for the bathrooms and associated parking/sidewalks. Recommendation for award of contract.
TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Award contract to responsive bidder. Direct interim town manager to sign contract and complete all associated paperwork.
The most responsive bid after two rounds of advertising for the Block Q restroom and parking facility is $543,200. It falls within the budget for the project. The bid proposal outlines one hundred calendar days to completion.
Suggested Motion:
Approve the contract for Kowen Construction and authorize the interim manager to execute the associated paperwork.
The Board approved the contract with Kowen Construction for the Block Q restroom and parking facility in the amount of $543,200. Work is expected to be completed within one hundred (100) calendar days from the commencement of the work. Motion was made to award the contract for the construction of the restroom facility on Block Q authorize Town Manager to execute the associated paperwork.
A decision was made – Approved unanimously
Update –
They discussed planning for the Jordan Boulevard and Block Q area beginning with Block Q in the initial phase. They want to at least start the process in this fiscal year. Commissioner Paarfus again said we need an integrated plan and that we should put this on pause in order to have the entire area looked at by a design firm to see what they can do. It was quite apparent that they are all not on the same page. The motion is to have the staff work with the current architecture to develop a plan to work on a Block Q design to include a new bandstand, dance floor, lawn seating area for concerts, and four (4) Pickleball courts to be done in phases.
A decision was made – Approved (4-1)
Commissioners Paarfus opposed the motion
9. Discussion and Possible Action Regarding the Application to the N.C. Resilient Coastal Communities Program for Phases 1 and 2 – Mayor Pro Tem Myers and Commissioner Paarfus
Agenda Packet – pages 62 – 75
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Discussion and Possible Action regarding an application to the N.C. Resilient Coastal Communities Program for Phases 1 and 2.
Possible Action:
Direct town staff to complete and submit an application for Phases 1 and 2.
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The Resilient Coastal Communities Program (RCCP) is a component of the North Carolina Resilient Communities Program, developed through the 2020 North Carolina Climate Risk Assessment and Resilience Plan. The North Carolina Division of Coastal Management (DCM) administers the RCCP with funding from the NC State Legislature and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).
DCM is accepting applications from eligible communities for no-cost technical assistance to complete Phases I and 2 of the RCCP.
There is no cash or in-kind match requirement from community applicants. DCM will contract directly with third-party contractors to assist communities in completing Phases 1 and 2.
The application involves responses to 14 questions. Applications are due at 5PM on April 25th,
N.C. Resilient Coastal Communities Program » click here
The RCCP is a four-phase program designed to:
The four phases are :
Update –
North Carolina Division of Coastal Management is accepting applications from eligible communities for no-cost technical assistance to complete Phases I and 2 of the Resilient Coastal Communities Program. The motion was made to complete an application to Resilient Coastal Communities Program by the deadline of April 25th, if it is at all possible.
A decision was made – Approved unanimously
10. Discussion and Possible Approval of Ordinance 25-04, An Ordinance Amending Holden Beach Code of Ordinances Chapter 154, Flood Damage Protection – Inspections Director Evans
. a) Statement of Consistency
Agenda Packet – pages 76 – 85
Ordinance 25-04 » click here
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Text amendment to Section 154 to the Town of Holden Beach Ordinance book
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
Text amendment as recommended by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and FEMA
Update –
Timbo stated this is a text amendment that does not require a Public Hearing. The only change is to go from 150 square feet to 100 square feet for all accessory structures. It was simply an oversight that it was not included the last time the ordinance was revised. Really has no impact since we don’t allow accessory structures on the island. The motion was made to accept the revised text amendment.
A decision was made – Approved unanimously
11. Discussion and Possible Action to Set a Date for a Public Hearing for Revisions to Holden Beach Code of Ordinances Chapter 157, Zoning Code – Inspections Director Evans
. a) Section 157.006 Definitions
. b) Section 157.060 Residential District (R-1)
. c) Section 157.085 Relocation of Buildings
Agenda Packet – pages 86 – 101
11a)
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Request a date to be set for a public hearing for revisions to Town Ordinance 157.006
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The Planning & Zoning Board voted to approve revisions to Town Ordinance 157.006
ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATION:
The Planning & Zoning Board voted to approve revisions to Town Ordinance 157.006
TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Accept recommendation of P&Z Board
PARKING SPACE, PRIVATE PROPERTY.
One (1) 10’x20′ parking space per bedroom is required to remain for the life of the structure and shall not be impeded by permanent or removeable barriers or partitions.
11b)
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Request a date to be set for a public hearing for revisions to Town Ordinance 157.060
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The Planning & Zoning Board voted to approve revisions to Town Ordinance 157.060
ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATION:
The Planning & Zoning Board voted to approve revisions to Town Ordinance 157.060
TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Accept approved revisions
Cargo lifts and platform lifts that meet the requirements of ASME A18.1. of the North Carolina Residential Building Code may encroach into the front or rear setbacks but not both.
11c)
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Request a date to be set for a public hearing for revisions to Town Ordinance 157.085
§157.085 RELOCATION OF BUILDINGS
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The Planning & Zoning Board voted to approve revisions to Town Ordinance 157.085
ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATION:
The Planning & Zoning Board voted to approve revisions to Town Ordinance 157.085
TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Accept approved revisions
Update –
Any changes made to the Zoning Code Section 157 requires a Public Hearing. By consensus they scheduled a Public Hearing for the three (3) Ordinance changes before the next BOC’s Regular Meeting on May 20th.
A decision was made – Approved unanimously
12. Discussion of Forming a Subcommittee to Discuss Possible Resolutions for Gravel in Pedestrian Pathways – Inspections Director Evans
Agenda Packet – pages 102 – 104
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Discussion of possibly forming a sub-committee to discuss possible resolutions for gravel in pedestrian pathways
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The Planning & Zoning Board requested a sub committee to be formed consisting of members of the Planning & Zoning Board and possibly engineers to address gravel in pedestrian pathways
ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATION:
The Planning & Zoning Board requested a sub-committee to be formed consisting of members of the Planning & Zoning Board and possibly engineers to address gravel in pedestrian pathways
TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Follow town policy on subcommittee establishment and note any cost with engineers that may require fiscal action
Update –
Commissioner Thomas questioned why the Planning & Zoning Board can’t address this and why they would need a subcommittee. After a brief discussion, the board seemed confused by the request. The motion was made to form a subcommittee, if they need one, following town policy but any engineering costs will require separate action from the Board.
A decision was made – Approved (4-1)
Commissioners Thomas opposed the motion
13. Mayor’s Comments
From the Mayor’s Desk (04/14/25)
Easter week at Holden Beach is expected to be a good time for the family to be here. The Town staff and officials are doing everything possible to have the island ready for your enjoyment. There are also new facilities available for use including the recent opening of Avenue E (339 OBE), which has a bathroom, walkway and additional handicapped parking. You might consider the following activities listed below during your Easter week.
Enjoy this special time with family!
14. Executive Session Pursuant to North Carolina General Statute 143-318.11(a)(3), Litigation and To Consult with the Town Attorney and 143-318.11(a)(6), Personnel
No decision was made – No action taken
General Comments –
Meeting Agenda
Yet another marathon session, the meeting ran for over three (3) hours
BOC’s Meeting
The Board of Commissioners’ next Regular Meeting is scheduled on the third Tuesday of the month, May 20th
It’s not like they don’t have anything to work on …
The following eight (8) items are what’s In the Works/Loose Ends queue:
The definition of loose ends is a fragment of unfinished business or a detail that is not yet settled or explained, which is the current status of these items. All of these items were started and then put on hold, and they were never put back in the queue. This Board needs to continue working on them and move these items to closure.
.
Lost in the Sauce –
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From 2024
Light Ordinance
Discussion and Possible Approval of Ordinance 24-07, An Ordinance Amending Holden Beach Code of Ordinances, Section 92.32, Unlawful Lights – Inspections Director Evans
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Text Amendments to Light Ordinance 92.32
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
Revision of the light ordinance to remove conflicting portion of the ordinances.
Update –
Last month Timbo requested that the Board charge the Planning & Zoning Board to review our lighting ordinance. The Board tasked P&Z to address the issues Timbo has with that ordinance. Timbo informed them that what he presented is not a finished product. The Board has the opportunity to make any changes they want before the Public Hearing. We have modified this ordinance several times already without obtaining the desired effect. The primary change that was made this time is that P&Z clarified the difference between holiday lights as opposed to decorative lighting so that ordinance is enforceable. The Board requested that Timbo work on the verbiage of a few items for additional clarity and bring the revised ordinance back to them at the next scheduled Regular Meeting.
Paid Parking
No exception for parking during the festival
The third motion made was to charge for parking during festivals. Currently just do not enforce paid parking regulations anywhere on the island when there are festivals. The motion made is to not enforce regulations in the festival area only.
No decision was made – No action taken
Days at the Docks Festival 2025 / April 29th & 30th
Editor’s Note –
It is my understanding that since they did not approve any motion regarding festivals they will need to charge for parking island wide and they cannot just decide to not enforce the regulations. In order not to enforce the regulations they would need to execute an amendment to the contract which is what they have done in the past.
The fourth motion made was to provide full-time residents an annual pass for $20 that is restricted to one per household only for vehicles that are registered on the island. The Town Attorney Moore requested that the motion be tabled until she could do some research regarding the legality of the proposed resident permit.
No decision was made – No action taken
Last year we ended paid parking early to allow free parking island wide for festival weekend. The thinking was that in order to promote the festival it would be advantageous to suspend paid parking. The Board agreed to suspend the paid parking early. Frankly, I did not agree with that decision. It’s a zoo out there during the festival weekend. With all the parking problems that happen during the festivals you would think we would want to continue enforcing parking in designated areas only. By suspending enforcement, people can and will park anywhere they want. Paid parking should be enforced during festivals.
As for any other ordinance considerations, it is important that any definitions and conditions are clear to help the public avoid inadvertent errors and enable enforcement. In other words, it needs to be standardized and easily understood. Parking should only be in designated parking spaces whether its paid parking or not, plain and simple. I personally object to parking in the rights-of-way, but I understand why some property owners want to be able to park there on their property. A potential accommodation would be to issue a day specific one-time permit for any homeowners that have an activity at their property that requires them to occasionally park in the rights-of-way.
KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid!
From 2023
Bulkheads
Discussion and Possible Action on PAR Course Fitness Trail Area – Commissioner Murdock
PAR Course / Fitness Trail
Par Course is a fitness trail which consists of a course equipped with a series of stations distributed along the way where one is to stop and perform a specific exercise. The course is designed for exercising the human body to promote good health. March of 2011 the BOC’s approved a contract between the Town and Holden Beach Enterprises for the purchase of eighteen properties for $76,000 that had a tax assessment value of $1,976,020. The properties were zoned conservation and are located on the second row, between Greensboro and Scotch Bonnet. The Holden Beach course is located on that quarter mile stretch on the north side of OBW. The course consists of twenty (20) exercise stations with multiple stations clustered together. The plan was approved in August 2011 and installation of the equipment was completed in September of 2011.
Previously reported – October 2022
Delineation study was completed, now we need to act on it. Brian stated he was looking for the Board’s thoughts on protecting those properties. This is a necessary step if we want to make use of these Town owned parcels. Timbo recommended proceeding by applying for CAMA permits for bulkheads there. David suggested Right Angle Engineering could give us the probable cost of construction. The motion was made to have the Town’s engineer, Right Angle Engineering, pursue getting CAMA permits and also to determine height of bulkheads that are needed with the estimated cost.
Previously reported – January 2023
The discussion was on whether we want to bulkhead the town properties in the 700 and 800 blocks of OBW. If we do it will require bulkheads on approximately 700 linear feet at a cost of $350 per linear foot. The preliminary cost estimate is $298,925 just for a continuous bulkhead with tiebacks. Pat suggested that we still need to know how many parking spaces could be put there. Brian stated that we have no plans to put parking there now. He also made the point that the area was delineated in order to preserve property, bulkheading is a way to do that. In addition, they pointed out that USACE may require parking in that area, so it is important to minimize erosion and maintain the land there in case it is needed. David said that we will need to submit design in order to get a CAMA permit. Shane was asked to report back additional information regarding the permit process.
No decision was made – No action taken
Update –
We have lost a significant number of the stations because of erosion. Brian proposed doing something to protect the remaining stations. We have already had the area delineated and are waiting for approval from CAMA of what we can do there. Timbo said we won’t need to bulkhead but can protect the area with a retaining wall. They agreed that we need a hardened structure to prevent further erosion and to protect our investment. David said the town will handle routine maintenance on the fitness trail without any additional input from the Board. A decision on protecting those properties will be made once the delineation is completed.
A decision was made – Approved unanimously
Hurricane Season
For more information » click here.
Be prepared – have a plan!
No matter what a storm outlook is for a given year,
vigilance and preparedness is urged.
What early signs suggest about the 2025 hurricane season ahead
A marine heat wave in the Caribbean Sea may fuel an impactful hurricane season in 2025, even though seas have cooled in some areas compared to last year.
Hurricane season is just two months away, and early indications suggest it might not be as hyperactive as last year’s. Still, several factors hint that it won’t be quiet, either. For one, forecasters are looking to the oceans for signs of what could be brewing. Seas in the part of the Atlantic where storms typically form are cooler than they were at this time in 2024 — with warmer waters allowing more fuel for strengthening. But seas are nonetheless about 0.7 degrees higher than the long-term average, the eighth-warmest on record since at least 1940. A marine heat wave remains active across the Caribbean Sea and parts of the Gulf of Mexico — blobs of unusual ocean heat that, should they linger, may tip the scales toward stronger storms close to land. However, La Niña, which tends to boost hurricane activity, is fading. Still, no matter how many (or how few) storms form, it takes only one landfall to make a hurricane season devastating. Last year, five hurricanes made landfall in the contiguous United States — just the ninth season since 1851 to have at least five storm centers hit land. There were 18 storms in total, and the season was considered hyperactive, according to a metric called accumulated cyclone energy. Ahead of further key forecasts, including one from Colorado State University expected later this week, here’s The Washington Post’s assessment for the coming season, and the four key factors that will shape it:
Key factors this hurricane season
Sea temperatures in the Main Development Region
From August to October, tropical storm and hurricane seedlings move from Africa into a vast region of warm seas in the tropical Atlantic Ocean known as the Main Development Region (MDR). The warmer it is, the more energy and moisture are available to fuel storms, allowing them to strengthen as they move through the area. Last year, the MDR was record warm, which is part of the reason forecasters expected such an active season. The MDR is cooler than it was at this time in 2024, especially near the coast of Africa, but it’s still unusually warm overall. In March, it’s been the eighth-warmest on record. Miami-based hurricane expert Michael Lowry is closely watching sea temperatures in this important region. “I certainly see some encouraging trends which suggest this upcoming season could be less active overall than recent hyperactive ones. The Atlantic remains plenty warm — much warmer than average — but after almost two years of unprecedented warmth, it’s nice to see water temperatures fall to more precedented levels,” said Lowry, a hurricane specialist with Local 10 News in Miami.
Sea temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean
The global climate patterns El Niño and La Niña play a critical role in determining how busy hurricane season may be. La Niña, which tends to boost hurricane activity by creating winds more conducive to their formation, has waned in recent months. The tropical Pacific Ocean is now a mix of warmer and cooler-than-average waters — moving toward what is known as a neutral phase. In other words, having neither La Niña nor El Niño. Odds are that neutral conditions will be in place for the start of hurricane season, but this time of year presents challenges for forecasting because of a phenomenon known as the spring predictability barrier. “So-called neutral years can also be quite active in the Atlantic, so unless we see a big warm-up toward El Niño over the next four or five months, the Pacific shouldn’t be a major deterrent this season,” Lowry said.
A marine heat wave in the Caribbean Sea
Ocean water across the Caribbean Sea and western Gulf of Mexico is well above average for the time of year — enough to qualify as a marine heat wave. These vast expanses of unusual ocean heat can affect coral reefs and the behavior of marine life but also provide more moisture and fuel for tropical weather systems. Last year, Hurricanes Helene and Milton derived their energy from a gulf affected by a marine heat wave. Both storms broke atmospheric moisture records, which contributed to extreme rainfall.
The West African monsoon
During June to September, heavy rains and thunderstorms bubble up over the West African Sahel. The strongest disturbances survive the long journey across Africa and emerge in the Atlantic — where they meet increasingly warm seas and strengthen further into tropical storms and hurricanes. How active the African monsoon season is helps determine how many storms may move into the Atlantic. The early indication is there will be a more active monsoon than normal. But not all monsoons are equal — last year’s episode sent storms swirling unusually far north into the Sahara, where it rains very little. Such oddities are not predictable months in advance. Other factors, such as dust from the Sahara, can reduce hurricane risk as the dry air suppresses rainfall and thunderstorm activity across the Atlantic — and can cool the ocean. But it’s not typically possible to predict dust outbreaks more than a week or so in advance. Last season, Hurricane Ernesto ingested wildfire smoke as it moved past Newfoundland, Canada. The intersection of hurricanes and wildfires will be something to watch this season, particularly as many parts of the United States continue to deal with drought impacts.
What is known — and what remains uncertain
It’s not possible to predict exactly when or where a tropical storm or hurricane will strike weeks or months in advance. But a broad-brush understanding of the theme of hurricane season can be developed by comparing current conditions to the past and forecast models. Forecasters analyze several key metrics and use a variety of techniques to help understand whether the season might be quiet or busy, relative to an average season, which has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher). The key predictors currently suggest that a slightly above average Atlantic hurricane season in 2025 is possible, but the hyperactive characteristics present in 2024 are fading. Lowry called hurricane season “a marathon, not a sprint” — and referred to the 1992 season, when Andrew, a hurricane with deadly impacts in South Florida, was the first and only major Atlantic hurricane of the year. He urged early preparations for any scenario. “Emergency managers and disaster planners don’t alter their plans based on the seasonal outlooks, and neither should you or your family,” Lowry said. “Prepare this year as you would any other year. It only takes one bad hurricane to make it a bad season where you live.”
Read more » click here
As the NC coast gears up for hurricane season, a big change is coming to forecast maps
We’re still a couple of months out from the start of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which is the perfect time to start preparing. Gearing up for hurricane season entails more than just making sure your hurricane supplies are topped off. Making sure you can receive the latest weather updates and staying on top of what’s new for the 2025 hurricane season is just as important. The National Hurricane Center has already announced more than a few changes it’s making for the upcoming hurricane season, like updating its “cone of uncertainty” and providing an earlier window to send alerts about potential tropical activity.
Here’s what to know about what’s news for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.
The NHC is updating its Potential Tropical Cyclone system for 2025
Starting on May 15, the National Weather Service (NWS) will implement some significant changes to its Potential Tropical Cyclone advisory (PTC) system.
The experimental cone of uncertainty will be narrower
The NHC says it will continue using its experimental cone graphic, which is frequently referred to as the cone of uncertainty. The graphic is meant to track the probable path of a tropical cyclone’s center. The cone is frequently misunderstood, which is one reason the NHC consistently updates the product. Here are this year’s changes.
New rip current risk map will highlight dangerous conditions stemming from hurricanes
Due to an increase in surf and rip current fatalities in the United States, the NHC will provide current risk information from distant hurricanes and provide a national rip current risk map.
Current day, next day and a composite showing the highest risk over both days will be available for areas along the East and Gulf coasts of the U.S in one page.
Read more » click here
Hurricane season is 3 months away. Will it be as active as last year?
What to know at this early stage.
One of the first things that tipped scientists off that 2024 would be an unusually active hurricane season: excessive ocean warmth in a key region of the Atlantic Ocean. But that’s just one of many factors different as this year begins. With the Atlantic hurricane season less than three months away, forecasters are making early efforts to understand how this year may differ from the last. And while specific forecasts for the number of hurricanes can’t be accurately made this far out, forecasters can look to planetary climate patterns for clues. At least two key differences suggest odds are lower for another extremely active season: For one, the tropical Atlantic isn’t as warm as it was last year. And a La Niña (known for cooling a vast swath of the Pacific Ocean) is not expected to form during the season. But it’s still early — and current conditions don’t entirely eliminate the odds of an overactive season. In the Atlantic Ocean, hurricane season runs from June through November, typically peaking in September. Last year, hurricane season was hyperactive, based on a metric called Accumulated Cyclone Energy. There were 18 named storms and five hurricane landfalls in the United States, including the devastating Hurricane Helene.
The Atlantic is cooler than last year
Among the many complex puzzle pieces that start to create a picture of hurricane season — including winds, air pressure patterns, Saharan Dust and monsoonal activity — sea temperatures are a key driver. Scientists look as an early signal to what’s called the Atlantic Main Development Region, or MDR, which extends from the Caribbean to the west, and to near Africa in the east. Sea surface temperatures in the MDR have a statistical relationship with hurricane activity. In 2024, there was excessive warmth in the MDR. But it’s not currently as warm as last year, nor is it forecast to be in a few months. When the MDR is cooler, it can contribute to atmospheric conditions that aren’t particularly conducive to lots of hurricanes. Forecasts for the MDR extend to July 2025, and they suggest that while seas in the region may be somewhat above-average, the Atlantic’s most unusual warmth will be located farther north. Comparing forecasts made for July of both years shows how much warmer the MDR was predicted to be in 2024 — a prediction that turned out to be correct. If the predictions hold true this year, that might reduce the odds for a season as active as 2024. Andy Hazelton, a physical scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Environmental Modeling Center, said the cooling of the MDR is the biggest factor that has stood out to him so far. “It’s still pretty warm, especially in the Caribbean, but the subtropics (north of the MDR) look warmer overall right now,” Hazelton said. If the pattern were to continue, he said, it could put a cap on how active the season may be.
La Niña may be fading
During hurricane season, the Pacific and Atlantic oceans are more than distant neighbors — they’re connected by the atmosphere. What happens in one doesn’t stay there; it sends ripples to the other, shaping storm activity on both sides. One pattern that causes a Pacific-Atlantic ripple effect is known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which has three phases: El Niño, La Niña and neutral. El Niño is marked by warmer-than-average seas in the eastern Pacific, while cool seas are prominent there during La Niña. Neutral periods often occur during transitions between El Niño and La Niña, as sea temperatures temporarily become less anomalous. Early this year, the tropical Pacific entered a La Niña phase — but it’s not expected to last for much longer. The cool waters associated with La Niña can suppress rainfall and thunderstorm activity in the tropical Pacific. But as the atmosphere balances itself, increased rainfall and thunderstorm activity, as well as winds that are more conducive to hurricane formation, can occur in the tropical Atlantic. This is why, in addition to the record-warm Atlantic seas, forecasters were so concerned about the level of hurricane activity last year. But a period of weaker winds in the eastern Pacific this month has caused a substantial warming of the ocean to the west of South America. Because the winds have been less robust, a process known as upwelling — which happens when strong winds churn cool, subsurface waters to the surface — has slowed down. If the warming continues, it will put the Pacific in a much different state than it was heading into the last hurricane season. This year, a developing tongue of warm water in the eastern Pacific could have the opposite effect as it did last year, promoting rising air and more rainfall there, while having a drying effect on the Atlantic. However, predictions of El Niño and La Niña are not made equal. A phenomenon known as the “spring predictability barrier” can lead to less-skillful forecasts during spring in the Northern Hemisphere. “ENSO still has the spring barrier to cross,” Hazelton said. “But cool subsurface conditions and persistent trade winds suggest we probably won’t be getting a rapid flip or setting up for El Niño in the summer.”
The bottom line: It’s still early, but 2025 looks different
One thing can be said confidently at this point: So far this year, the elements that drive the Atlantic hurricane season look markedly different from 2024. The Atlantic Ocean is shaping up to have a different sea-temperature configuration than last year, with the most unusually warm seas sitting outside of the MDR. A marine heat wave — expansive blobs of unusual oceanic heat that are becoming more common in a warming climate — no longer covers the MDR, but remains active in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, areas where hurricanes derive their energy from. In the Pacific, the door may be closing on La Niña as seas warm up in the east. But a full-fledged, hurricane-halting El Niño doesn’t look particularly likely, either. Hazelton said it’s possible there will be ENSO neutral conditions during peak hurricane season. These are some of the factors forecasters will be monitoring closely as hurricane season approaches. Seasonal outlooks of hurricane activity are typically released in April and May. And while the data may change, one thing is certain: It’s never too early to prepare, especially considering the United States experienced impactful landfalls from Hurricanes Beryl, Debby, Francine, Helene and Milton last year.
Read more » click here
Hurricane season is 3 months away. Will it be as active as last year?
What to know at this early stage.
One of the first things that tipped scientists off that 2024 would be an unusually active hurricane season: excessive ocean warmth in a key region of the Atlantic Ocean. But that’s just one of many factors different as this year begins. With the Atlantic hurricane season less than three months away, forecasters are making early efforts to understand how this year may differ from the last. And while specific forecasts for the number of hurricanes can’t be accurately made this far out, forecasters can look to planetary climate patterns for clues. At least two key differences suggest odds are lower for another extremely active season: For one, the tropical Atlantic isn’t as warm as it was last year. And a La Niña (known for cooling a vast swath of the Pacific Ocean) is not expected to form during the season. But it’s still early — and current conditions don’t entirely eliminate the odds of an overactive season. In the Atlantic Ocean, hurricane season runs from June through November, typically peaking in September. Last year, hurricane season was hyperactive, based on a metric called Accumulated Cyclone Energy. There were 18 named storms and five hurricane landfalls in the United States, including the devastating Hurricane Helene.
The Atlantic is cooler than last year
Among the many complex puzzle pieces that start to create a picture of hurricane season — including winds, air pressure patterns, Saharan Dust and monsoonal activity — sea temperatures are a key driver. Scientists look as an early signal to what’s called the Atlantic Main Development Region, or MDR, which extends from the Caribbean to the west, and to near Africa in the east. Sea surface temperatures in the MDR have a statistical relationship with hurricane activity. In 2024, there was excessive warmth in the MDR. But it’s not currently as warm as last year, nor is it forecast to be in a few months. When the MDR is cooler, it can contribute to atmospheric conditions that aren’t particularly conducive to lots of hurricanes. Forecasts for the MDR extend to July 2025, and they suggest that while seas in the region may be somewhat above-average, the Atlantic’s most unusual warmth will be located farther north. Comparing forecasts made for July of both years shows how much warmer the MDR was predicted to be in 2024 — a prediction that turned out to be correct. If the predictions hold true this year, that might reduce the odds for a season as active as 2024. Andy Hazelton, a physical scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Environmental Modeling Center, said the cooling of the MDR is the biggest factor that has stood out to him so far. “It’s still pretty warm, especially in the Caribbean, but the subtropics (north of the MDR) look warmer overall right now,” Hazelton said. If the pattern were to continue, he said, it could put a cap on how active the season may be.
La Niña may be fading
During hurricane season, the Pacific and Atlantic oceans are more than distant neighbors — they’re connected by the atmosphere. What happens in one doesn’t stay there; it sends ripples to the other, shaping storm activity on both sides. One pattern that causes a Pacific-Atlantic ripple effect is known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which has three phases: El Niño, La Niña and neutral. El Niño is marked by warmer-than-average seas in the eastern Pacific, while cool seas are prominent there during La Niña. Neutral periods often occur during transitions between El Niño and La Niña, as sea temperatures temporarily become less anomalous. Early this year, the tropical Pacific entered a La Niña phase — but it’s not expected to last for much longer. The cool waters associated with La Niña can suppress rainfall and thunderstorm activity in the tropical Pacific. But as the atmosphere balances itself, increased rainfall and thunderstorm activity, as well as winds that are more conducive to hurricane formation, can occur in the tropical Atlantic. This is why, in addition to the record-warm Atlantic seas, forecasters were so concerned about the level of hurricane activity last year. But a period of weaker winds in the eastern Pacific this month has caused a substantial warming of the ocean to the west of South America. Because the winds have been less robust, a process known as upwelling — which happens when strong winds churn cool, subsurface waters to the surface — has slowed down. If the warming continues, it will put the Pacific in a much different state than it was heading into the last hurricane season. This year, a developing tongue of warm water in the eastern Pacific could have the opposite effect as it did last year, promoting rising air and more rainfall there, while having a drying effect on the Atlantic. However, predictions of El Niño and La Niña are not made equal. A phenomenon known as the “spring predictability barrier” can lead to less-skillful forecasts during spring in the Northern Hemisphere. “ENSO still has the spring barrier to cross,” Hazelton said. “But cool subsurface conditions and persistent trade winds suggest we probably won’t be getting a rapid flip or setting up for El Niño in the summer.”
The bottom line: It’s still early, but 2025 looks different
One thing can be said confidently at this point: So far this year, the elements that drive the Atlantic hurricane season look markedly different from 2024. The Atlantic Ocean is shaping up to have a different sea-temperature configuration than last year, with the most unusually warm seas sitting outside of the MDR. A marine heat wave — expansive blobs of unusual oceanic heat that are becoming more common in a warming climate — no longer covers the MDR, but remains active in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, areas where hurricanes derive their energy from. In the Pacific, the door may be closing on La Niña as seas warm up in the east. But a full-fledged, hurricane-halting El Niño doesn’t look particularly likely, either. Hazelton said it’s possible there will be ENSO neutral conditions during peak hurricane season. These are some of the factors forecasters will be monitoring closely as hurricane season approaches. Seasonal outlooks of hurricane activity are typically released in April and May. And while the data may change, one thing is certain: It’s never too early to prepare, especially considering the United States experienced impactful landfalls from Hurricanes Beryl, Debby, Francine, Helene and Milton last year.
Read more » click here
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Lou’s Views . HBPOIN
. • Gather and disseminate information
. • Identify the issues and determine how they affect you
. • Act as a watchdog
. • Grass roots monthly newsletter since 2008
Lou’s Views
News & Views / April Edition
Calendar of Events –
Strawberry & Wine Fest
April 27th
Sunset Beach
.
The Strawberry and Wine Festival, hosted by the Old Bridge Preservation Society since 2014. There will be wines available from Silver Coast Winery with strawberries as the main fare of the day. It’s a day of wine, food, entertainment, and craft vendors.
For more information » click here
Days at the Docks Festival
April 26th & 27th
Holden Beach
The annual festival which started in the 1980’s occurs in April or May and is sponsored by the Greater Holden Beach Merchants Association. It’s the Holden Beach way to kick-off the Spring and start the vacation season. In addition to the food and arts & crafts, enjoy live music & entertainment, a horseshoe tournament and the world famous “Bopple Race”. Lots of activities for the entire family!
For more information » click here
Blue Crab Festival
May 17th & 18th
Little River SC
.
Little River has been celebrating the World Famous Blue Crab Festival since 1981. It is held on the waterfront in Little River and is one of the largest festivals in the Southeast. The purpose of this festival is one that supports and showcases the fabulous atmosphere of the local communities.
For more information » click here
Conway Riverfest Celebration
June 28th
Conway SC
Held along the Waccamaw River in downtown Conway the festival celebrates Independence Day since 1980 with music and events for the entire family.
For more information » click here
N.C. 4th of July Festival
July 4th
Southport
The patriotic spirit of America is alive and well in the City of Southport. For over 200 years this small maritime community has celebrated our nation’s independence in a big way. Incorporated as the N.C. 4th of July Festival in 1972 the festival committee strives to keep the focus of the festival on honoring our nation’s birthday with a little fun thrown in.
For more information » click here
Battleship Blast 4th of July Celebration
July 4th
Wilmington
.
.
Annual 4th of July Celebration at Riverfront Park in downtown Wilmington since 1981. Featured entertainment will perform from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, followed by fireworks at 9:05 PM launched from a barge in the Cape Fear River adjacent to the USS North Carolina Battleship. The only place you need to be this holiday is downtown Wilmington for the best view of fireworks.
For more information » click here
Brunswick County invites residents to participate in lifesaving certification training
Brunswick County’s Risk Management and Parks and Recreation departments are partnering to offer First Aid/CPR/AED Certification Training in 2025. This new training program is designed to provide residents with the knowledge and skills needed to recognize and respond appropriately to cardiac, breathing, and first aid emergencies.
“Many accidents at work and at home—such as bruises and cuts sustained from tripping or burns given by heating equipment—can be helped by a bystander with the proper resources and training,” Risk Manager Andy Yoos said. “That’s why it’s important for everyone to know how to perform basic lifesaving care.”
The training is open to any Brunswick County resident 12 years of age and older. Participants under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult guardian for the entire training session. Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive an American Trauma Event Management (ATEM) First Aid/CPR/AED certification card, which is valid for 2 years.
The 2025 training sessions will be held on Feb. 15 inside the Town Creek Park Community Building, April 26 inside the Leland Field House, June 7 inside the Lockwood Folly Community Building, Aug. 9 inside the Waccamaw Park Community Building, and Oct. 4 inside the Leland Field House. Participants must register and pay online before the training date.
There are only 12 seats available per training session and the registration fee is $10 per person. Each class will consist of an AM Session from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., a 30-minute lunch break*, and a PM session from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. You must attend and complete both sessions to receive certification.
*Participants must bring their own lunch and beverages.
Upcoming Training Session
Saturday, June 7, 2025 / Supply Area
Location: Lockwood Folly Community Building, 1691 Stanbury Rd SW, Supply, NC 28462
Time: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Cost: $10 per person
Learn more and register online on the Brunswick County Parks and Recreation RecDesk website.
For questions or more information about the training program, email Brunswick County Risk Management.
For more information » click here
Discover a wide range of things to do in the Brunswick Islands for an experience that goes beyond the beach.
For more information » click here.
Calendar of Events Island –
THB Newsletter (02/26/25)
Yoga Location Change
The Town of Holden Beach offers beginner friendly yoga classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:00 a.m. The class is taught by Alice Ledford. Fee is $6 for residents and $8 for non-residents. Classes will be held at the multipurpose court at Bridgeview Park.
Concerts on the Coast Series
The Town’s summer concert series calendar has been released! Live performances featuring local musical groups will be held at the Bridgeview Park picnic pavilion across from Town Hall. It will be on Sunday evenings at 6:30pm from May 25th to August 31st. The concerts are free of charge.
Summer Concert Schedule * Lou’s Views
Parks & Recreation / Programs & Events
For more information » click here
Reminders –
Free Cleanup Week
The next Free Cleanup Week at the Brunswick County Landfill will take place April 21 through 26, 2025. Brunswick County property owners and residents can dispose of all materials, except for regular household trash and hazardous waste, free of charge during Free Cleanup Week. Individuals can dispose of metal, tires, electronics, latex paint, clothing, shoes, used oil, oil filters, antifreeze, gasoline, fluorescent bulbs, used cooking oil, smoke detectors, household batteries, rugs, mattresses, furniture, and yard debris in their designated area at the Landfill during this week. Participants must show proof of Brunswick County property ownership or residency. Brunswick County accepts various items at the Brunswick County Landfill year-round at no charge to Brunswick County property owners and residents. See a full list of accepted items on the Accepted Items and Tipping Fees webpage. For questions, contact Brunswick County Operation Services at 910.253.2520 or email [email protected].
Location:
Brunswick County Landfill
172 Landfill Rd NE
Bolivia, NC 28422
Hours of Operation:
Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 7:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
Bird Nesting Area
NC Wildlife Commission has posted signs that say – Bird Nesting Area
The signs are posted on the west end beach strand around 1335 OBW.
People and dogs are supposed to stay out of the area from April through November
. 1) It’s a Plover nesting area
. 2) Allows migrating birds a place to land and rest without being disturbed
A Second Helping
.
Program to collect food Saturday mornings (8:00am to 10:30am) during the summer at the Beach Mart on the Causeway.
1) Twenty-first year of the program
2) Food collections have now exceeded 307,000 pounds
3) Collections will begin on Memorial Day weekend
4) Food is distributed to the needy in Brunswick County
For more information » click here
.
Hunger exists everywhere in this country; join them in the fight to help end hunger in Brunswick County. Cash donations are gratefully accepted. One hundred percent (100%) of these cash donations are used to buy more food. You can be assured that the money will be very well spent.
Mail Donations to:
A Second Helping
% Sharon United Methodist Church
2030 Holden Beach Road
Supply, NC 28462
Yard Waste Service
Yard debris pick-up will be provided twice a month on the second and fourth Fridays during the months of March, April, and May. Please have yard waste placed at the street for pick-up on Thursday night. No pick-ups will be made on vacant lots or construction sites.
Debris must be placed in a biodegradable bag or bundled in a length not to exceed five (5) feet and fifty (50) pounds. Each residence is allowed a total of ten (10) items, which can include a combination of bundles of brush and limbs meeting the required length and weight and/ or biodegradable bags with grass clippings, leaves, etc.
News from Town of Holden Beach
The town sends out emails of events, news, agendas, notifications, and emergency information. If you would like to be added to their mailing list, please go to their web site to complete your subscription to the Holden Beach E-Newsletter.
For more information » click here
Paid Parking
Paid parking in Holden Beach
Paid parking will be enforced from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily with free parking before and after that time. All parking will use license plates for verification.
Rates
Parking rates for a single vehicle in all designated areas will be:
$5 per hour for up to four hours
$20 per day for any duration greater than four hours
$80 per week for seven consecutive days
Handicap Parking
A vehicle displaying a handicap license plate and/or hang tag parked in a designated handicap space is free. Any other parking space will require a parking permit via the app.
Annual Passes
Annual permits for the calendar year allow vehicles (this includes low-speed vehicles and trailers) access to designated parking.
$175 for a single vehicle
Passes can be purchased via the app, website or by telephone.
Where to Park
Per ordinance, there is no parking on the streets or rights-of-way except in designated parking spaces identified by Pay-to-Park signs. Click here to view an interactive map. The table with authorized parking can be viewed below.
Citations will be issued for:
• Parking without an active paid permit in a designated parking area
• Parking within 40 feet of a street intersection
• Parking in a crosswalk, sidewalk, or pedestrian access ways
• Parking blocking a driveway or mailbox
• Parking facing opposing traffic
• Parking in a no parking zone, or within right-of-way
• Parking on any portion of the roadway or travel lane
• Parking a non-LSV vehicle in an authorized LSV location
How Do I Pay to Park
The Town uses the SurfCAST by Otto Connect Mobile Solution. This is a mobile app downloadable for Apple and Android devices. Download the app today. Users will setup their account, enter their license plate details and pay for parking directly on the app. Alternatively, users can scan the QR Code located on the parking signs to access a secure website.
The Otto Connect customer service team will be available to help via phone and email.
Solid Waste Pick-Up Schedule
GFL Environmental change in service, October through May trash pickup will be once a week. Trash collection is on Tuesdays only.
Please note:
. • Trash carts must be at the street by 6:00 a.m. on the pickup day
. • BAG the trash before putting it in the cart
. • Carts will be rolled back to the front of the house
GFL Refuse Collection Policy
GFL has recently notified all Brunswick County residents that they will no longer accept extra bags of refuse outside of the collection cart. This is not a new policy but is stricter enforcement of an existing policy. While in the past GFL drivers would at times make exceptions and take additional bags of refuse, the tremendous growth in housing within Brunswick County makes this practice cost prohibitive and causes drivers to fall behind schedule.
Solid Waste Pickup
An additional trash pickup is scheduled for the Saturday after Easter, April 26th.
Solid Waste Pickup Schedule –
starting the Saturday before Memorial Day (May 25th) twice a week
Recycling –
starting after Memorial Day (June 4th) weekly pick-up
Curbside Recycling – 2025
GFL Environmental is now offering curbside recycling for Town properties that desire to participate in the service. The service cost per cart is $119.35 annually paid in advance to the Town of Holden Beach. The service consists of a ninety-six (96) gallon cart that is emptied every other week during the months of October – May and weekly during the months of June – September.
Curbside Recycling Application » click here
Curbside Recycling Calendar » click here
Trash Can Requirements – Rental Properties
GFL Environmental – trash can requirements
Ordinance 07-13, Section 50.08
Rental properties have specific number of trash cans based on number of bedrooms.
* One extra trash can per every 2 bedrooms
..
§ 50.08 RENTAL HOMES.
(A) Rental homes, as defined in Chapter 157, that are rented as part of the summer rental season, are subject to high numbers of guests, resulting in abnormally large volumes of trash. This type of occupancy use presents a significantly higher impact than homes not used for summer rentals. In interest of public health and sanitation and environmental concerns, all rental home shall have a minimum of one trash can per two bedrooms. Homes with an odd number of bedrooms shall round up (for examples one to two bedrooms – one trash can; three to four bedrooms – two trash cans; five – six bedrooms – three trash cans, and the like).
Building Numbers
Ocean front homes are required to have house numbers visible from the beach strand.
Please call Planning and Inspections Department at 910.842.6080 with any questions.
§157.087 BUILDING NUMBERS.
(A) The correct street number shall be clearly visible from the street on all buildings. Numbers shall be block letters, not script, and of a color clearly in contrast with that of the building and shall be a minimum of six inches in height.
(B) Beach front buildings will also have clearly visible house numbers from the strand side meeting the above criteria on size, contrast, etc. Placement shall be on vertical column supporting deck(s) or deck roof on the primary structure. For buildings with a setback of over 300 feet from the first dune line, a vertical post shall be erected aside the walkway with house numbers affixed. In all cases the numbers must be clearly visible from the strand. Other placements may be acceptable with approval of the Building Inspector.
Upon Further Review –
Why don’t Wilmington-area bars and restaurants offer happy hours?
With so many newcomers moving to North Carolina, they often ask about happy hours specials — “Where can I get two-for-one drink specials?” or “Where’s the best spot for bottomless mimosas?” North Carolina is one of the few states that don’t allow happy hours, or alcoholic beverages available for discounted prices for a certain period of time.
What are the happy hour rules?
The regulations from the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission say businesses may only offer happy hour food specials. That is why diners may see restaurants promote discounted appetizers for “happy hour.” If drink specials are on the menu, they must be available for at least one full business day. These rules also prohibit things like “ladies night” promotions and say businesses can’t advertise their specials in certain ways, such as on freestanding marquees or through “cents-off” style coupons.
Can a bartender sell more than one drink to a customer at a time?
While many states allow for two-for-one drinks, that is not the case here. Pitchers (of beer or margaritas, for example), carafes of wine and buckets of beer can only be sold to groups of two or more. The exceptions are that a person can purchase a round of drinks for multiple people. Drinks like a boilermaker, which includes shot and a beer, or “doubles” are considered one drink and may be sold to a single patron.
Are there other exceptions?
The ABC Commission has decided that permitted businesses can offer package deals certain times of the year. Alcoholic beverages can be included if these deals include a meal or entertainment for a single total price that reflects the actual price of the beverage. These are allowed for New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or Father’s Day.
Read more » click here
Previously reported – February 2023
Drink it up: Bipartisan bill would legalize happy hour in North Carolina
Bars and restaurants want to reform North Carolina’s alcohol laws, some of which date back to Prohibition. But any changes will face stiff opposition from religious groups, who are influential at the Republican-controlled state legislature. It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, but in North Carolina that doesn’t mean much for after-work drink specials. Happy hours remain illegal — at least for now. On Monday, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers filed a bill that would allow individual cities and counties to legalize limited-time drink specials and promotions. “The restaurant and bar owners certainly want it,” said Republican Rep. Jason Saine, the bill’s lead sponsor. “With North Carolina growing like we have … you end up with people from many different places who are just used to having happy hour. It’s just part of the culture.” A similar bill was filed last year but didn’t pass. For the Republican-controlled legislature, any bills that loosen restrictions on alcohol sales can be tricky to navigate politically. The GOP’s supporters in the business community tend to want such rules, but many religious activists oppose them. Those who support the state’s current, relatively strict alcohol rules say they help public safety by discouraging drinking. But supporters of looser restrictions say they’re just trying to bring the state’s alcohol laws out of the Prohibition era, and into the 21st Century. “We’ve gone in the last two decades from what I’d call the ‘Hell No’ caucus, where they wouldn’t go for anything, to now, we can actually have conversations about it,” Saine said. In the past few years, some changes to booze rules have happened at the state and local levels. Liquor stores are still state-run, to the dismay of free-market advocates in both parties. But other small changes have passed, like a new law several years ago that allowed alcohol sales before noon on Sundays at grocery stores and for restaurants’ Sunday brunches. The “brunch bill,” as it was called at the time, passed to the surprise of many. Key to winning support in the GOP was that it used the same formulation Saine’s new happy hour bill also uses: It wouldn’t force the changes statewide and instead allowed individual cities and counties to vote on making the change for themselves. That allows conservative rural areas to keep stricter alcohol rules if local leaders want, while allowing bigger cities to pass the new rules.
Read more » click here
What to know about the new ‘Happy Hour Bill’ in the N.C. legislature
If there’s a question that identifies food-and-drink loving residents as newbies, it usually has something to do with North Carolina liquor laws. “Who has the best happy hour specials?” and “Where can we find bottomless mimosas this Sunday?” may seem like innocuous questions in one of the dozens of states that don’t have ABC boards. But as one of the 17 states that still do, such conversations in this state typically result in a complicated conversation about a tangle of restrictions governing the sale of spirits and cocktails. In recent years, though, there’s been a push to modernize the laws around alcohol sales. Now, North Carolinians can enjoy mimosas and Bloody Mary’s as early as 10 a.m. on Sundays and as of just last year bar patrons no longer have to have a membership to drink at their favorite watering hole. But more could be on the way. The ABC Laws/Local Sales Option bill, also known as House Bill 94, was introduced this month. It’s aimed at relaxing happy hour restrictions at local bars and restaurants. (In general, laws have been in effect for decades that prohibit bars and restaurants from offering drink specials for less than a full day.)
Here’s a look at what could change:
What the bill would do?
What happens next?
Read more » click here
Corrections & Amplifications –
Brunswick County has grown nearly 50% since 2015, state data show
The North Carolina Budget and Tax Center has released its 2025 Economic Snapshot for Brunswick County, which is now estimated to have a population of 175,000 residents — a 48% increase over the past decade. The state Budget and Tax Center (BTC) Economic Snapshots are released annually and “provide key economic and social indicators from publicly available sources for all 100 counties in North Carolina, along with a comparison to state-level data, with measures for employment, poverty and income, affordable housing, health, education and more.” Much of the data used in the Snapshots come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) and the data in the 2025 Economic Snapshot for Brunswick County covers 2019 through 2023. The snapshot indicates Brunswick County’s population has ballooned by nearly 50% since 2015. For comparison, North Carolina’s population has increased by 11% over that timeframe. Based on BTC data, the county has gained over 15,000 residents since the most recent U.S. Census estimate in 2023. Carolina Demography found that Brunswick County has seen the largest population increase in North Carolina from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023, growing by 4.6% over that time with a net migration, which is total move-ins subtracted by total move-outs, of 7,821. However, Brunswick County’s natural increase — the number of births subtracted by the number of deaths — from 2022 was -794. Nearby Pender County was the second fastest growing county over that timespan at 4.3%, but its net migration, 2,885, is significantly lower, according to Carolina Demography. Only Mecklenburg and Wake counties had a higher net migration than Brunswick County from 2022 to 2023, though the% change was smaller, at 1.7% for both counties. Of the 175,000 Brunswick County residents, 55,300 residents are employed and 2,400 are unemployed but actively seeking employment, creating an unemployment rate of 4.2%, the snapshot notes. The county’s working population is roughly 57,700 — just 32% of the overall population. The snapshot found fair market rent in Brunswick County in 2025 is $1,280 for a two-bedroom home, slightly more than the U.S. Census’ median gross rent of $1,267 from 2019 to 2023. The Living Income Standard — a measure of what a family consisting of one adult and two children needs in order to cover basic expenses — for Brunswick County is $78,400, compared to $87,700 for the state, the BTC found. From 2019 to 2023, the median Brunswick County worker’s yearly income was $43,800 and the median household income was $74,000. The median worker income in Brunswick County is lower than in neighboring New Hanover ($48,500) and Pender ($46,800) counties but is higher than in western neighbor Columbus County ($38,100). The median household income in Brunswick County ($74,000), however, is higher than in New Hanover County ($72,900) and Columbus County ($48,200) but lower than in Pender County ($76,800). 51% of Brunswick County renters cannot afford rent, according to the snapshot, as that percentage pay more than 30% of their incomes in rent, while 27% of renters pay more than 50% of their incomes in rent. The percentage of Brunswick County renters who pay more than 30% of their income in rent increased 2% from 49% from 2018 to 2022, but the percentage who pay more than 50% decreased slightly from 28% from 2018 to 2022. 9% of Brunswick County residents live in poverty, snapshot data show, and 13% of children live in poverty — down 1% from its rate of 14% from 2018 to 2022. Brunswick County’s high school graduation rate in 2024 was slightly lower than the overall state rate, with the county’s sitting at 85% and the state’s at 87%. Black county residents have the highest graduation rate at 90% followed by Latine residents at 87% then white residents at 85%. The NC Budget and Tax Center Economic Snapshots, including for Brunswick County, can be found here:
https://ncbudget.org/2025-economic-county-snapshots-for-north-carolina/.
Read more » click here
Odds & Ends –
Aggressive behavior, crossbreeding are helping invasive fire ants march across NC
Researchers thought colder temperatures, higher elevations could stop the march of invasive fire ants across the state and northward toward the Mason-Dixon Line. Mother Nature had other ideas.
What’s worse than a small, seemingly unstoppable invader that has already caused headaches across North Carolina for decades? How about a hybrid version of the little insect with a painful sting. Since first reaching North Carolina soil in Brunswick County in 1957, the fire ants’ colonization of the Tar Heel State has been all but unstoppable. Accidental human transportation, a lack of predators, and warming temperatures thanks to climate change − potentially bringing upper elevations in the Appalachians and colder Mid-Atlantic state areas into colonization danger − have helped the insect native to South America spread quickly across North Carolina and the Southeast since the bug first hitched a boat ride to Alabama In 1918. And now, the two species of invasive fire ants found in the United States are crossbreeding, creating an even nastier and hardier bug. According to the latest “quarantine” map produced by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which requires plant materials like soil and pine straw to be inspected before being transported to ant-free locations, only 23 of the state’s 100 counties remain fire ant-free. “Right now, it just seems they are very adaptable, and that includes moving their nests further underground in the higher elevations where the temperatures are more constant year-round, to some degree outsmarting the environment,” said Amy Michael, entomological programs manager with N.C. Agriculture. Fire ants also are famous for forming into large balls of living matter during flooding events, allowing them to literally float down to new locations. After Tropical Storm Helene dropped record-levels of rain across much of Western N.C. last fall, that ability has officials especially worried about how the natural disaster might have helped the invasive species spread to new areas, said Joy Goforth, plant pest administrator with the state agriculture department. As they’ve marched across the Tar Heel State, fire ants have displaced native ant species and caused misery for farmers and suburban homeowners − not to mention some painful encounters anyone who has tangled with a fire ant mound isn’t likely to quickly forget. Their venom, similar to a bee’s or wasp’s, results in a painful, itchy pustule or blister on the skin. Only a very small portion of the population are hypersensitive to ant venom and will experience lethal allergic reactions, according to the Texas Imported Fire Ant Research and Management Project at Texas A&M. Even healthy individuals, however, may experience severe reactions such as anaphylactic shock if they suffer from a multiple stinging incident. Treatments for stings are limited, with Texas A&M recommending stings be treated as you would stings of other insects and keep them clean and intact to avoid secondary infections. Considering that a mature colony can include up to 400,000 worker ants, a queen can lay up to 1,000 eggs a day, and that there can be several colonies per acre of land, fire ants can sometimes seem like the perfect pest. “While eradicating them would be the goal in a perfect world, we really are at the point now where we are trying to manage their impacts and their spread,” Michael said.
Do we now have Franken-ants?
Mother Nature has also thrown a new wrinkle into the mix − a new “super” ant that’s a merger of the two invasive fire ant species that have reached U.S. shores. Dr. Scotty Yang, assistant professor in the Virginia Tech Department of Entomology, said hybridized fire ants are the result of interbreeding between red and black fire ants. The outcome is a fire ant that has the strength and ornery disposition of the fiercer red fire ant with the better tolerance of colder temperatures found in black fire ants. Yang said the hybrid ants have become the explorers and front guard for the fire ant invasion into colder and more northerly areas, becoming the dominant fire ant species in the upper elevations of Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. And they are proving to be very successful, with a dozen Virginia counties added to that’s state fire ant quarantine map just last year. Yang said viruses that impact “normal” fire ants also have less of an impact on the hybrids, making them less likely to forage and thus less likely to carry poisoned bait back to their mounds. “In some respect, the viruses help them survive,” he said. Researchers are still trying to determine why the ants decided to crossbreed. “But once you introduce a species to a new place, anything can really happen,” Yang said.
Living with fire ants
After more than 60 years in North Carolina, officials stress that it’s no longer a question of eradicating the invaders but managing them as best we can. Still, as dire as the situation sounds, officials say residents and farmers have options. Michael said several fire ant control measures are available at garden and home improvement shops, with the best strategy one that targets different stages of the ants’ and colony’s development − especially treatments that allow bait to be brought back into the mound. Treating mounds when they appear quickly, especially those near concrete and brick walls where heat radiating from those materials allows the ants to stay active longer, also is important for good control. Officials stressed that local cooperative extension offices also are great sources of information and advice for homeowners and farmers on the best ways to control the biting invaders, and the state agriculture office also aggressively works with the plant and construction industry to help stop any accidental transportation of the ants to new locations. “Yes, they are very adaptable, and yes, they can spread pretty quickly,” Michael said. “But there are tools out there that are available to residents and businesses to help try and mitigate the impacts and their spread.”
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What you need to know about the 3 types of fire ants invading North Carolina
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Alerts
Brunswick County uses ReadyBrunswick as part of the County’s effort to continuously improve communications during emergency situations within our area. Powered by Everbridge, the ReadyBrunswick notification system sends emergency notifications in a variety of communication methods such as:
In the case of an emergency, you may choose to receive notifications via one or all of these communication methods. It’s recommended that you register several media options to receive messages in the event a particular communication device is unavailable.
For more information » click here
Brunswick County Emergency Communications Notification System
Get notified about emergencies and other important community news by signing up for our ReadyBrunswick Emergency Notification System. This system enables us to provide you with critical information quickly in a variety of situations, such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons, evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods, and more. You will receive time-sensitive messages wherever you specify, such as your home, mobile or business phones, email address, text messages and more. You pick where, you pick how.
SIGN UP HERE to choose the type of alerts you want to receive
Save the Date:
ReadyBrunswick Preparedness Expo is Wednesday, May 7
Are you prepared for emergencies? Come by the ReadyBrunswick Preparedness Expo on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, anytime between 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to meet with our team members and other local organizations to learn more about disaster preparedness and recovery in Brunswick County.
This family-friendly event is free to attend and will feature over 20 local organizations that are ready to help prepare you for local hazards and threats, guide you and your family in developing an emergency plan, and teach you about organizations that can assist with recovery needs.
There will be free Sunset Slush Classic Italian Ice, popcorn, a vast display of rescue vehicles, a free raffle contest, and many handouts related to emergency preparedness and recovery.
For any questions, contact our Emergency Management team at 910.253.2589 or via email.
Find preparedness information on our website anytime at brunswickcountync.gov/emergency. Learn more about the ReadyBrunswick Emergency Notification System and sign up at brunswickcountync.gov/e-alerts.
ReadyBrunswick Preparedness Expo Details
When: Wednesday, May 7, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (come and go anytime)
Where: Brunswick County Government Center, 30 Government Center Drive NE, Bolivia, NC 28422 (Parking available in front of the David R. Sandifer Administration Building)
What to Expect: All Brunswick County community members and visitors are welcome to come and meet local organizations that can guide you through emergency preparedness and recovery activities.
For more information » click here
This and That –
What should you do when emergency vehicles approach?
Have you ever heard the sirens of an ambulance or firetruck behind you while driving and felt unsure of what to do? Knowing how to respond in these moments can help save lives. Properly yielding allows first responders to reach their destination quickly and safely. Here’s what you need to know next time you find yourself in this situation, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
How should you respond when an emergency vehicle is approaching?
If an emergency vehicle approaches from behind
On a two-lane road, when an emergency vehicle is approaching from behind, pull over to the edge of the road and come to a complete stop. Keep your foot on the brake to let the emergency vehicle know that your vehicle is stationary. Once the emergency vehicle has passed, you may safely return to the road.
Always maintain a distance of at least 500 feet behind emergency vehicles and never follow them to navigate through traffic or bypass red lights.
If you’re stopped at an intersection and an emergency vehicle approaches from behind, remain where you are unless you are able to pull to the right. Similarly, on a four-lane highway without barriers, both sides of traffic should pull to the right when an emergency vehicle is approaching.
If an emergency vehicle approaches from the opposite direction
The N.C. Department of Public Safety advises drivers to pay attention to the situation around them when an emergency vehicle is approaching from the opposite direction. Caution and yield should be used as needed.
What about emergency vehicles stopped on the side of the road?
North Carolina has had a Mover Over Law since 2002, requiring motorists, if they can safely do so, to move one lane away from emergency vehicles with flashing lights stopped on the side of the road. Otherwise, motorists are expected to slow down and proceed with caution.
Violation of the law can result in a $250 fine, according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety.
What do the color of emergency lights mean?
The N.C. Department of Public Safety defines the following emergency light colors and their uses:
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State’s fix for costly litter problem ‘not efficient or sufficient’
The cleanup of more than 7,000 tons of litter in North Carolina cost state agencies, local governments and nonprofits more than $56 million in 2023, according to a new report. Those figures highlighted in “The Cost of Litter in North Carolina,” a 14-page report created through a collaboration of nonprofits and the Duke University Environmental Law and Policy Clinic, are just the tip of the trash pile. “That’s a severe undercount,” said Rob Clark, Cape Fear River Watch Water Quality Programs manager and a coauthor of the report. “The issue is much, much worse than this report was able to convey.” The figures included in the report were pulled together from information obtained through public records requests, informal requests, and budgets from the North Carolina Department of Transportation and 44 nonprofits. Of nearly 40 of the municipalities requested to provide information, 19 responded. There are more than 500 municipalities in the state. Even on the low, low end, the pounds of litter and costs associated with removing it from roadsides, ditches, and creek and river banks to name a few, conveys a narrative that North Carolina has a costly, statewide litter problem. But the economic impacts of litter are only part of the story, one the report’s authors hope to place into the hands of state legislators. That’s because the basic approach to addressing litter in the state — spending money to clean it up — is not efficient, Clark said. “It doesn’t address the issue properly,” he said. “It addresses the byproduct of the litter issue, but not the sources. It’s like you’re Band-Aiding over an artery. It’s not efficient or sufficient.” That’s why the report, which was also compiled by North Carolina Conservation Network, Haw River Assembly, and MountainTrue, includes recommendations aimed at reducing litter at the source, keeping it out of the environment, and saving tax dollars. One of the report’s main recommendations, Clark said, is that the North Carolina General Assembly reinstate the ability of local governments to regulate auxiliary containers, specifically single-use plastics such as grocery bags, cups, bottles and other types of food packaging. In a last-minute move, legislators injected into the 2023 state budget language that prohibits counties and cities from adopting rules, regulations, ordinances, or resolutions that restrict, tax, or charge fees on auxiliary containers. The provision stopped locally elected officials in Asheville from moving ahead on a vote to ban single-use plastic bags and Styrofoam food containers. “We were really close for that to come up to a vote here locally and then the General Assembly put that provision into the state budget,” said coauthor Anna Alsobrook, French Broad Riverkeeper and MountainTrue’s French Broad watershed science and policy manager. The law also squashed local elected officials in Durham from deciding whether to require retailers tack on a 10-cent fee for each plastic bag given out to customers in restaurants, grocery stores and shops. “It’s really unfortunate that the state legislature took away the right of local governments to regulate pollution in their own jurisdictions,” Alsobrook said. “We’re hoping to change that.” North Carolina Sen. Julie Mayfield, D-Buncombe, and Durham Democrats Sen. Natalie Murdock and Sen. Sophia Chitlik, last month introduced a bill that would repeal limitations on auxiliary containers. The same year legislators banned a ban on single-use plastics. A survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy showed that more than 80% of some 650-700 North Carolinians polled across the state supported regulations on single-use plastics, Alsobrook said. The report found that the amount of single-use plastic litter – everything from cigarette butts, Styrofoam, bottles, bags, and food wrappers – picked up throughout the state has steadily climbed since the late 1960s. In the ravages left in western North Carolina from Hurricane Helene, there is one rather ominous, tell-tale sign illustrating the abundance of single-use plastics in the environment. “There’s a ton of devastation all over the place, but there’s tons and tons of plastic films and bags hanging from trees in any given direction,” Alsobrook said. “I think that was one of the most stark things we saw for a really long time. It’s very apocalyptic looking.” And there is ongoing research about the potential human health effects of microplastics, which are considered ubiquitous in the environment because they have been found in every ecosystem on the planet. Other recommendations in the report include the statewide implementation of a bottle deposit system where residents would receive a deposit for returning empty, single-use bottles, using the Clean Water Act in waters declared federally impaired as a result of litter pollution, and boosting funding the state transportation department’s litter cleanup efforts. The North Carolina Department of Transportation “by far” carries the burden for litter cleanup in the state, the report concludes. NCDOT spent more than $25 million of taxpayer funds to clean litter in 2023, according to the report. The department has spent about $270 million on litter cleanup over the past 15 years. Recommendations included in the report are not new, “crazy ideas,” but rather policies that exist in other states and countries, Clark said. “We’re just trying to take good policies and procedures that have worked in other places and implement them in our state,” he said. “Litter is, I think, viewed as an individual issue in our society. It’s seen as a failure of an individual, a litterbug. But really the reality of the situation is it’s a production issue, especially with plastic. There’s just so much production that we’re essentially drowning in it. We need to seriously address force reduction if we’re really going to get a handle on it.”
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Turtle Watch Program –
Turtle Watch Program – 2025
Members of the patrol started riding the beach every morning on May 1 and will do so through October looking for signs of turtle nests.
For more information » click here.
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Turtle Talks
The Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program conducts weekly educational programs on selected Wednesday evenings in June, July and August. Please check our Events Calendar for details on dates, times and locations. Seating is limited.
Children’s Turtle Time
Special programs for younger turtle enthusiasts are held at 4 p.m. on Wednesday afternoons in June, July and August on select dates.
Both programs are free of charge and will be held at the Holden Beach Chapel.
Fauna & Flora –
NC State Native Plant Resources » click here
NC Sea Grant Coastal Landscapes » click here
New Hanover County Arboretum Native Plant Garden » click here
Audubon Native Plant Database » click here
Fauna & Flora » click here
Holden Beach recommended plant list – deer resistant & salt tolerant
Factoid That May Interest Only Me –
There are 6 venomous snakes in North Carolina. Know what they look like.
There are 6 venomous snakes in North Carolina. Know what they look like.
If it’s spring, it’s time for us to remind you about some of the slithering neighbors you might encounter when you’re outdoors over the next several months. As the weather warms up in North Carolina, snakes start moving around, doing snakey things, and we are more likely to cross paths with them. They generally aren’t cause for much concern, but encounters can be a little scary for some (for the snakes as well as the people). It’s important to know that of the 38 species of snakes in North Carolina, the majority are nonvenomous and not aggressive toward people unless threatened. Arm yourself with knowledge. Learn about the venomous (sometimes incorrectly referred to as poisonous) snakes in our area, and how to distinguish them from the harmless ones.
Storm Events –
Hurricane Vehicle Decals
Property owners were provided with four (4) decals that were included in this month’s water bill. It is important that you place your decals in your vehicle or in a safe place. A $10 fee will be assessed to anyone who needs to obtain either additional or replacement decals. Decals will not be issued in the 24-hour period before an anticipated order of evacuation.
The decals are your passes to get back onto the island to check your property in the event that an emergency would necessitate restricting access to the island. Decals must be displayed in the driver side lower left-hand corner of the windshield, where they are not obstructed by any other items. Officials must be able to clearly read the decal from outside the vehicle.
Property owners without a valid decal will not be allowed on the island during restricted access. No other method of identification is accepted in an emergency situation. Click here to visit the Town website to find out more information regarding decals and emergency situations.
EVACUATION, CURFEW & DECALS
What is a State of Emergency?
A proclamation by the Town which enacts special ordinances and/or prohibitions during emergency situations to protect the public, public health and property. These prohibitions can include limitations on movement, curfews, directing of evacuations, controlling ingress and egress to the emergency area, alcoholic beverages, and more. State of Emergencies are issued in accordance with N.C.G.S. 166A-19.22.
What is a curfew?
A curfew is an order, typically during a State of Emergency, which requires all persons in the affected areas to remain on their own property. During a curfew, you are not free to move about public domain areas or on others’ property. Violations of a curfew could lead to arrest in certain situations.
What is a voluntary evacuation?
A voluntary evacuation creates a recommendation for all parties in the affected area to get their affairs in order hastily and evacuated.
What is a mandatory evacuation?
A mandatory evacuation means you must leave the area in which an order has been issued. With recent changes to the laws in North Carolina, you no longer have the option of staying in an area under an order of mandatory evacuation.
Why is the sewer system turned off during a storm/event?
Often the sewer system is turned off during storms which have the potential to create significant flooding on the island. The system is turned off to protect its integrity. If it were left on, it could pose a significant threat to the public health. When the system is manually shut down, it also greatly reduces the time needed to bring it back up after an event which equates to getting residents and guests back on the Island much faster.
Why is there a delay for decal holders to get back on the island once a storm ends?
After a storm, many things must occur before even limited access can be allowed. Some of those things include making sure the streets are passable; the sewer system must be restarted to comply with State laws; the utilities (water, sewer, electricity, propane supplies) must be checked to ensure no safety risk are present; and the post-storm damage assessment team needs to perform an initial assessment.
Where can I get up-to-date information during and after a storm or State of Emergency?
You can sign up for the Town email service by clicking here. The newsletter, along with the Town’s website will be the main sources of information during an emergency situation. Links to the Town’s official Facebook and Twitter pages can be found on the website. You can also download our app for Apple and Android phones by accessing the app store on your smart phone and searching Holden Beach.
Please refrain from calling Town Hall and Police Department phone lines with general information questions. These lines need to remain open for emergencies, storm management and post-storm mitigation. All updates concerning re-entry, general access, etc. may be found on the Town’s website and other media outlets.
Why do I see others moving about the island during a curfew?
If a curfew order is in place, you must stay on your own property. You may see many other vehicles moving about the Island. We often receive assistance from other local, state, federal and contract personnel during events. It is likely these are the personnel you are seeing, and they are involved in the mitigation process for the event. Please do not assume that a curfew order has been lifted and/or you are free to move about the island.
Can I check my friends’ property for them?
If a curfew order is in place, you may ONLY travel to your personally owned property. Traveling about the Island to check on others’ property is not allowed. is in place, you may ONLY travel to your personally owned property. Traveling about
Who can obtain decals?
Only property owners and businesses who service the island can obtain a decal.
How do I get decals for my vehicle…?
If I am an owner?
Decals will be mailed out in water bills to property owners before the season starts. Those owners who need additional decals can contact Town Hall. A fee may apply, please check the current fee schedule.
If I am a renter?
You must contact the owner of the property to obtain a decal.
If I am a business owner on the Island?
You must contact Town Hall to obtain a decal.
If I am a business owner off the Island that provides services on the Island?
You must contact Town Hall for eligibility and to obtain a decal.
When does my decal expire?
All decals expire on the last day of the calendar year as indicated on the decal.
Where do I put my decal on my car?
Decals must be displayed in the lower left-hand corner of the windshield, where they are not obstructed by any other items to include window tinting, other decals, etc. Officials must be able to clearly read the decal from outside the vehicle. Please note that re-entry will not be allowed if a current, intact decal is not affixed to the windshield as designated.
How do I replace a decal if I get a new vehicle?
If you trade a vehicle or otherwise need a replacement decal, you may obtain them from Town Hall during normal business hours. A fee may apply, check the current fee schedule.
Can I obtain a decal right before an emergency occurs?
While most of the storms we deal with are tropical in nature with some type of advanced warning, we do experience many other types of events that could create a State of Emergency without warning. All eligible parties should obtain decals as early as possible each year to avoid being denied access to the Island. Decals shall not be issued during the 24-hour period prior to an anticipated order of evacuation so staff can concentrate on properly preparing the Town for the storm/event.
Can I use a tax bill or another document for re-entry?
No. You MUST have a decal to re-enter the Island until it is open to the general public.
How does re-entry after a storm during a State of Emergency work?
The bridge is closed to all vehicle access, except for official vehicles. Once those with proper decals are allowed access, they must conform with the current rules in place by the specific State of Emergency Order. After all hazards have been rendered safe, the bridge will be opened to the general public. A curfew could remain in effect however, to ensure the safety and security of the Island and its residents and guests. Please understand this process typically takes days to evolve and could be significantly longer, depending on the amount of damage sustained. Please refrain from calling for times for re-entry, as those are often not set on schedule. Instead, stay tunes to local media outlets and official social media accounts for accurate updates.
How can I check on my property if access is limited to the Island?
Once it is safe, property owners with valid decals will be allowed back on the Island after a storm/event. At this point, you can travel to your property, in accordance with the rules of the specific State of Emergency Order currently in place.
If you live out of the area, please do not travel to the Island until you are certain you will be allowed access. Stay tuned to those media outlets and email services that are of official nature for this information. Also, be certain you have your current, valid decal properly affixed to your vehicle.
It is a good idea to be sure your contact information is current with the Town tax office as this is the location Town officials will use in the event you need to be contacted.
For more information » click here
NC General Statute 166A-19.22
Power of municipalities and counties to enact ordinances to deal with states of emergency.
Synopsis – The governing body may impose by declaration or enacted ordinance, prohibitions, and restrictions during a state of emergency. This includes the prohibition and restriction of movements of people in public places, including imposing a curfew; directing or compelling the voluntary or mandatory evacuation of all or part of the population, controlling ingress and egress of an emergency area, and providing for the closure of streets, roads, highways, bridges, public vehicular areas. All prohibitions and restrictions imposed by declaration or ordinance shall take effect immediately upon publication of the declaration unless the declaration sets a later time. The prohibitions and restrictions shall expire when they are terminated by the official or entity that imposed them, or when the state of emergency terminates.
Violation – Any person who violates any provisions of an ordinance or a declaration enacted or declared pursuant to this section shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.
Hot Button Issues –
Subjects that are important to people and about which they have strong opinions
Climate
For more information » click here.
There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear
Hottest decade
The latest “State of the Global Climate” report has been released and the news is pretty dire: our world has just experienced its hottest decade. According to the World Meteorological Organization, 2024 was the hottest since record-keeping began and was likely the first time global temperatures exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above the baseline set in 1850-1900. Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide were at the highest levels in the last 800,000 years. Such record levels of greenhouse gases — along with the El Niño weather pattern — were mostly to blame for the higher temperatures.
Earth’s 10 Hottest Years Have Been the Last 10
A report from the World Meteorological Organization confirms that 2024 was the hottest year on record and the first year to be more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial era.
With the addition of 2024, yet another record-hot year, the past 10 years have been the 10 hottest in nearly 200 years of record-keeping, the World Meteorological Organization reports. “That’s never happened before,” said Chris Hewitt, the director of the W.M.O.’s climate services division. It marks the first time since record keeping began that all of the 10 hottest years have fallen within the most recent decade. 2024 was the single warmest year on record, surpassing even 2023’s wide lead over other recent years. The planet’s surface was approximately 1.55 degrees Celsius warmer than its average during a reference period that approximates the preindustrial era, from 1850-1900. The annual report from the W.M.O., a United Nations agency, includes input from dozens of experts and institutions from around the world and sheds further light on the record-breaking heat of 2024 and places it in the context of Earth’s long-term warming from climate change. The extra energy in the atmosphere and the oceans helped fuel climate-related disasters around the globe. Extreme weather events like drought, storms and wildfires displaced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes, the report says. Atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases released from fossil fuel combustion continue to rise. In 2024, the concentration of carbon dioxide hit amounts unseen in at least two million years, according to the report. Concentrations of two other important greenhouse gases, methane and nitrous oxide, reached levels unseen in at least 800,000 years. Homo sapiens, or modern humans, emerged around 300,000 years ago, so our species has never before experienced an atmosphere so laden with planet-warming greenhouse gases. When countries signed the Paris Agreement in 2015, they agreed to try to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. “While a single year above 1.5 degrees C of warming does not indicate that the long-term temperature goals of the Paris Agreement are out of reach, it is a wake-up call that we are increasing the risks to our lives, economies and to the planet,” Celeste Saulo, the secretary general of the W.M.O., said in a statement. The new report estimates that long-term warming has reached 1.25 to 1.41 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, although the margins of error for some estimates extend beyond 1.5 degrees. The report authors estimate that last year, El Niño and other factors contributed an additional 0.1 or 0.2 of a degree of temporary warming. El Niño is a natural climate pattern that tends to slightly raise the overall surface temperature of the planet. Record warmth, however, continued into 2025, even through El Niño’s transition into the opposing pattern, La Niña. “It’s been really quite extraordinary to see that warmth continue for so long,” John Kennedy, the scientific coordinator and lead author of the report, said during a call with reporters. This warmth is especially apparent in the oceans, where key indicators of climate change are now accelerating. The oceans have so far absorbed around 90 percent of the additional heat trapped inside Earth’s atmosphere by greenhouse gases. The oceans’ heat content — a way to measure this warmth throughout different depths — also reached a record high last year. Over the past two decades, from 2005 to 2024, the oceans warmed more than twice as fast as they did from 1960 to 2005, according to the report. Increased ocean temperatures have had devastating consequences for marine life. By April 2024, warm-water corals had been bleached in every ocean basin where they grow. Global average sea-level rise also reached a record high in 2024, according to the report. The speed at which the seas are rising has also more than doubled in recent years: 4.7 millimeters per year in the past decade, from 2015 to 2024, compared with 2.1 millimeters per year from 1993 to 2002. The World Meteorological Organization’s work depends on international cooperation among its 101 member countries, including the United States. “If you look at how weather has progressed since the initiation of the W.M.O. in 1950, you can now see that you can have the forecast on your smartphone,” said Omar Baddour, the W.M.O.’s chief of climate monitoring. “You cannot believe how much collaboration is behind this.” Data from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which recently lost hundreds of staff positions as part of the rapid, large-scale cuts to the federal bureaucracy the Trump administration undertook beginning earlier this year, are included in the W.M.O.’s new report.
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Flood Insurance Program
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National Flood Insurance Program: Reauthorization
Congress must periodically renew the NFIP’s statutory authority to operate. On March 14, 2025, the president signed legislation passed by Congress that extends the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP’s) authorization to September 30, 2025.
Congress must now reauthorize the NFIP
by no later than 11:59 pm on September 30, 2025.
GenX
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Homeowners Insurance
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Hurricane Season
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Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30
What early signs suggest about the 2025 hurricane season ahead
A marine heat wave in the Caribbean Sea may fuel an impactful hurricane season in 2025, even though seas have cooled in some areas compared to last year.
Hurricane season is just two months away, and early indications suggest it might not be as hyperactive as last year’s. Still, several factors hint that it won’t be quiet, either. For one, forecasters are looking to the oceans for signs of what could be brewing. Seas in the part of the Atlantic where storms typically form are cooler than they were at this time in 2024 — with warmer waters allowing more fuel for strengthening. But seas are nonetheless about 0.7 degrees higher than the long-term average, the eighth-warmest on record since at least 1940. A marine heat wave remains active across the Caribbean Sea and parts of the Gulf of Mexico — blobs of unusual ocean heat that, should they linger, may tip the scales toward stronger storms close to land. However, La Niña, which tends to boost hurricane activity, is fading. Still, no matter how many (or how few) storms form, it takes only one landfall to make a hurricane season devastating. Last year, five hurricanes made landfall in the contiguous United States — just the ninth season since 1851 to have at least five storm centers hit land. There were 18 storms in total, and the season was considered hyperactive, according to a metric called accumulated cyclone energy. Ahead of further key forecasts, including one from Colorado State University expected later this week, here’s The Washington Post’s assessment for the coming season, and the four key factors that will shape it:
Key factors this hurricane season
Sea temperatures in the Main Development Region
From August to October, tropical storm and hurricane seedlings move from Africa into a vast region of warm seas in the tropical Atlantic Ocean known as the Main Development Region (MDR). The warmer it is, the more energy and moisture are available to fuel storms, allowing them to strengthen as they move through the area. Last year, the MDR was record warm, which is part of the reason forecasters expected such an active season. The MDR is cooler than it was at this time in 2024, especially near the coast of Africa, but it’s still unusually warm overall. In March, it’s been the eighth-warmest on record. Miami-based hurricane expert Michael Lowry is closely watching sea temperatures in this important region. “I certainly see some encouraging trends which suggest this upcoming season could be less active overall than recent hyperactive ones. The Atlantic remains plenty warm — much warmer than average — but after almost two years of unprecedented warmth, it’s nice to see water temperatures fall to more precedented levels,” said Lowry, a hurricane specialist with Local 10 News in Miami.
Sea temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean
The global climate patterns El Niño and La Niña play a critical role in determining how busy hurricane season may be. La Niña, which tends to boost hurricane activity by creating winds more conducive to their formation, has waned in recent months. The tropical Pacific Ocean is now a mix of warmer and cooler-than-average waters — moving toward what is known as a neutral phase. In other words, having neither La Niña nor El Niño. Odds are that neutral conditions will be in place for the start of hurricane season, but this time of year presents challenges for forecasting because of a phenomenon known as the spring predictability barrier. “So-called neutral years can also be quite active in the Atlantic, so unless we see a big warm-up toward El Niño over the next four or five months, the Pacific shouldn’t be a major deterrent this season,” Lowry said.
A marine heat wave in the Caribbean Sea
Ocean water across the Caribbean Sea and western Gulf of Mexico is well above average for the time of year — enough to qualify as a marine heat wave. These vast expanses of unusual ocean heat can affect coral reefs and the behavior of marine life but also provide more moisture and fuel for tropical weather systems. Last year, Hurricanes Helene and Milton derived their energy from a gulf affected by a marine heat wave. Both storms broke atmospheric moisture records, which contributed to extreme rainfall.
The West African monsoon
During June to September, heavy rains and thunderstorms bubble up over the West African Sahel. The strongest disturbances survive the long journey across Africa and emerge in the Atlantic — where they meet increasingly warm seas and strengthen further into tropical storms and hurricanes. How active the African monsoon season is helps determine how many storms may move into the Atlantic. The early indication is there will be a more active monsoon than normal. But not all monsoons are equal — last year’s episode sent storms swirling unusually far north into the Sahara, where it rains very little. Such oddities are not predictable months in advance. Other factors, such as dust from the Sahara, can reduce hurricane risk as the dry air suppresses rainfall and thunderstorm activity across the Atlantic — and can cool the ocean. But it’s not typically possible to predict dust outbreaks more than a week or so in advance. Last season, Hurricane Ernesto ingested wildfire smoke as it moved past Newfoundland, Canada. The intersection of hurricanes and wildfires will be something to watch this season, particularly as many parts of the United States continue to deal with drought impacts.
What is known — and what remains uncertain
It’s not possible to predict exactly when or where a tropical storm or hurricane will strike weeks or months in advance. But a broad-brush understanding of the theme of hurricane season can be developed by comparing current conditions to the past and forecast models. Forecasters analyze several key metrics and use a variety of techniques to help understand whether the season might be quiet or busy, relative to an average season, which has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher). The key predictors currently suggest that a slightly above average Atlantic hurricane season in 2025 is possible, but the hyperactive characteristics present in 2024 are fading. Lowry called hurricane season “a marathon, not a sprint” — and referred to the 1992 season, when Andrew, a hurricane with deadly impacts in South Florida, was the first and only major Atlantic hurricane of the year. He urged early preparations for any scenario. “Emergency managers and disaster planners don’t alter their plans based on the seasonal outlooks, and neither should you or your family,” Lowry said. “Prepare this year as you would any other year. It only takes one bad hurricane to make it a bad season where you live.”
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As the NC coast gears up for hurricane season, a big change is coming to forecast maps
We’re still a couple of months out from the start of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which is the perfect time to start preparing. Gearing up for hurricane season entails more than just making sure your hurricane supplies are topped off. Making sure you can receive the latest weather updates and staying on top of what’s new for the 2025 hurricane season is just as important. The National Hurricane Center has already announced more than a few changes it’s making for the upcoming hurricane season, like updating its “cone of uncertainty” and providing an earlier window to send alerts about potential tropical activity.
Here’s what to know about what’s news for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.
The NHC is updating its Potential Tropical Cyclone system for 2025
Starting on May 15, the National Weather Service (NWS) will implement some significant changes to its Potential Tropical Cyclone advisory (PTC) system.
The experimental cone of uncertainty will be narrower
The NHC says it will continue using its experimental cone graphic, which is frequently referred to as the cone of uncertainty. The graphic is meant to track the probable path of a tropical cyclone’s center. The cone is frequently misunderstood, which is one reason the NHC consistently updates the product. Here are this year’s changes.
New rip current risk map will highlight dangerous conditions stemming from hurricanes
Due to an increase in surf and rip current fatalities in the United States, the NHC will provide current risk information from distant hurricanes and provide a national rip current risk map.
Current day, next day and a composite showing the highest risk over both days will be available for areas along the East and Gulf coasts of the U.S in one page.
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Hurricane season is 3 months away. Will it be as active as last year?
What to know at this early stage.
One of the first things that tipped scientists off that 2024 would be an unusually active hurricane season: excessive ocean warmth in a key region of the Atlantic Ocean. But that’s just one of many factors different as this year begins. With the Atlantic hurricane season less than three months away, forecasters are making early efforts to understand how this year may differ from the last. And while specific forecasts for the number of hurricanes can’t be accurately made this far out, forecasters can look to planetary climate patterns for clues. At least two key differences suggest odds are lower for another extremely active season: For one, the tropical Atlantic isn’t as warm as it was last year. And a La Niña (known for cooling a vast swath of the Pacific Ocean) is not expected to form during the season. But it’s still early — and current conditions don’t entirely eliminate the odds of an overactive season. In the Atlantic Ocean, hurricane season runs from June through November, typically peaking in September. Last year, hurricane season was hyperactive, based on a metric called Accumulated Cyclone Energy. There were 18 named storms and five hurricane landfalls in the United States, including the devastating Hurricane Helene.
The Atlantic is cooler than last year
Among the many complex puzzle pieces that start to create a picture of hurricane season — including winds, air pressure patterns, Saharan Dust and monsoonal activity — sea temperatures are a key driver. Scientists look as an early signal to what’s called the Atlantic Main Development Region, or MDR, which extends from the Caribbean to the west, and to near Africa in the east. Sea surface temperatures in the MDR have a statistical relationship with hurricane activity. In 2024, there was excessive warmth in the MDR. But it’s not currently as warm as last year, nor is it forecast to be in a few months. When the MDR is cooler, it can contribute to atmospheric conditions that aren’t particularly conducive to lots of hurricanes. Forecasts for the MDR extend to July 2025, and they suggest that while seas in the region may be somewhat above-average, the Atlantic’s most unusual warmth will be located farther north. Comparing forecasts made for July of both years shows how much warmer the MDR was predicted to be in 2024 — a prediction that turned out to be correct. If the predictions hold true this year, that might reduce the odds for a season as active as 2024. Andy Hazelton, a physical scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Environmental Modeling Center, said the cooling of the MDR is the biggest factor that has stood out to him so far. “It’s still pretty warm, especially in the Caribbean, but the subtropics (north of the MDR) look warmer overall right now,” Hazelton said. If the pattern were to continue, he said, it could put a cap on how active the season may be.
La Niña may be fading
During hurricane season, the Pacific and Atlantic oceans are more than distant neighbors — they’re connected by the atmosphere. What happens in one doesn’t stay there; it sends ripples to the other, shaping storm activity on both sides. One pattern that causes a Pacific-Atlantic ripple effect is known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which has three phases: El Niño, La Niña and neutral. El Niño is marked by warmer-than-average seas in the eastern Pacific, while cool seas are prominent there during La Niña. Neutral periods often occur during transitions between El Niño and La Niña, as sea temperatures temporarily become less anomalous. Early this year, the tropical Pacific entered a La Niña phase — but it’s not expected to last for much longer. The cool waters associated with La Niña can suppress rainfall and thunderstorm activity in the tropical Pacific. But as the atmosphere balances itself, increased rainfall and thunderstorm activity, as well as winds that are more conducive to hurricane formation, can occur in the tropical Atlantic. This is why, in addition to the record-warm Atlantic seas, forecasters were so concerned about the level of hurricane activity last year. But a period of weaker winds in the eastern Pacific this month has caused a substantial warming of the ocean to the west of South America. Because the winds have been less robust, a process known as upwelling — which happens when strong winds churn cool, subsurface waters to the surface — has slowed down. If the warming continues, it will put the Pacific in a much different state than it was heading into the last hurricane season. This year, a developing tongue of warm water in the eastern Pacific could have the opposite effect as it did last year, promoting rising air and more rainfall there, while having a drying effect on the Atlantic. However, predictions of El Niño and La Niña are not made equal. A phenomenon known as the “spring predictability barrier” can lead to less-skillful forecasts during spring in the Northern Hemisphere. “ENSO still has the spring barrier to cross,” Hazelton said. “But cool subsurface conditions and persistent trade winds suggest we probably won’t be getting a rapid flip or setting up for El Niño in the summer.”
The bottom line: It’s still early, but 2025 looks different
One thing can be said confidently at this point: So far this year, the elements that drive the Atlantic hurricane season look markedly different from 2024. The Atlantic Ocean is shaping up to have a different sea-temperature configuration than last year, with the most unusually warm seas sitting outside of the MDR. A marine heat wave — expansive blobs of unusual oceanic heat that are becoming more common in a warming climate — no longer covers the MDR, but remains active in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, areas where hurricanes derive their energy from. In the Pacific, the door may be closing on La Niña as seas warm up in the east. But a full-fledged, hurricane-halting El Niño doesn’t look particularly likely, either. Hazelton said it’s possible there will be ENSO neutral conditions during peak hurricane season. These are some of the factors forecasters will be monitoring closely as hurricane season approaches. Seasonal outlooks of hurricane activity are typically released in April and May. And while the data may change, one thing is certain: It’s never too early to prepare, especially considering the United States experienced impactful landfalls from Hurricanes Beryl, Debby, Francine, Helene and Milton last year.
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Inlet Hazard Areas
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Lockwood Folly Inlet
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Seismic Testing / Offshore Drilling
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Offshore Wind Farms
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Things I Think I Think –
Eating out is one of the great little joys of life.
Restaurant Review:
The Dinner Club visits a new restaurant once a month. Ratings reflect the reviewer’s reaction to food, ambience and service, with price taken into consideration.
///// December 2023
Name: Villa Romana
Cuisine: Italian
Location: 707 South Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach SC
Contact: 843.448.4990 / https://www.villaromanamyrtlebeach.com/
Food: Average / Very Good / Excellent / Exceptional
Service: Efficient / Proficient / Professional / Expert
Ambience: Drab / Plain / Distinct / Elegant
Cost: $23 Inexpensive <=20 / Moderate <=26 / Expensive <=35 / Exorbitant <=60
Rating: Three Stars
A quintessential Italian restaurant, it feels like the great Italian restaurants that were more prevalent many years ago. Apparently, they have renovated since our last visit the traditional Roman architecture with its columns, statues, and fountains have been removed. Frankly, although it was a bit kitschy I miss them. The roving accordion player contributes to its old-world charm. Established in 1985, the menu reflects home-style interpretations of their family recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation. What makes them great is they are happy to prepare any dishes you want as long as the ingredients are available. It’s an exceptional value, the food is wonderful, the portions are generous, and the prices are reasonable. What’s not to like?
Family-run Italian restaurant celebrates four decades in Myrtle Beach
Bringing authentic Italian cuisine to the Grand Strand since 1985, Villa Romana is celebrating 40 years of business. The restaurant is a family business, owned by husband and wife, Franand Rinaldo Montrosse. It’s located in downtown Myrtle Beach, but when you walk through the doors, it’s as if you are in Rome, where Rinaldo is from. And it’s his mother’s style of cooking that lives on through the entrees. Now, reaching four decades of serving the community, the head chef and general manager Vince Pappas said they owe it all to the local clientele. “We depend greatly upon the locals, and so we try to give back to that community every day,” he said. “They take very good care of us without our locals we would not be here.”
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Dining Guide – Local * Lou’s Views
Dining Guide – North * Lou’s Views
Dining Guide – South * Lou’s Views
Restaurant Reviews – North * Lou’s Views
Restaurant Reviews – South * Lou’s Views
Book Review:
Read several books from The New York Times best sellers fiction list monthly
Selection represents this month’s pick of the litter
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PRESUMED GUILTY by Scott Turow
This is the third entry in the series of legal thriller novels featuring the former prosecutor and now retired judge Rusty Sabich. Rusty is back in the courtroom, defending the son of his fiancée who is accused of murdering the daughter of the local prosecutor.
That’s it for this newsletter
See you next month
Lou’s Views . HBPOIN
. • Gather and disseminate information
. • Identify the issues and determine how they affect you
. • Act as a watchdog
. • Grass roots monthly newsletter since 2008
Lou’s Views
“Unofficial” Minutes & Comments
BOC’s Special Meeting 02/27/25
Board of Commissioners’ Agenda Packet » click here NA
Audio Recording » click here
1. Closed Session Pursuant to North Carolina General Statute 143-318.11(a)(3), Consult with the Attorney – Mayor Pro Tem Myers and Commissioner Thomas
When they came out of the closed session Mayor Pro Tem Myers announced that they instructed the Town attorney Moore on how to move forward with the pending litigation.
Mayor Alan Holden was not in attendance
Commissioner Page Dyer was not in attendance
Commissioner Rick Smith – was not in attendance
BOC’s Special Meeting 03/13/25
Board of Commissioners’ Agenda Packet » click here
Supplement – General Fund » click here
Audio Recording » click here
1. Budget Workshop – Mayor Pro Tem Myers & Commissioner Thomas
. a) Fiscal Year 2025 – 2026 Goals and Objectives
. b) Revenues
. c) Major Expenditures – Updates and Outlook
BOC’s Regular Meeting 03/18/25
Board of Commissioners’ Agenda Packet » click here
Audio Recording » click here
1. Conflict of Interest Check
2024 Rules of Procedure for the Holden Beach Board of Commissioners
(e) Conflict Check. Immediately after the approval of the agenda, the Presiding Officer shall poll each member to disclose any potential conflicts of interest. In the event that a potential conflict is disclosed, the members will vote on a motion to allow or excuse that member with respect to the agenda item. If excused, the member may not participate in any discussion, debate, or vote with respect to the agenda item.
The Board was polled by Heather our Town Clerk. All of them declared that there was no conflict of interest with any agenda item at this meeting.
2. Discussion and Possible Action to Accept Recommendations from HDR Regarding the Condition Assessment of the Pier – Interim Town Manager Ferguson
Agenda Packet – pages 14 – 19
HDR Executive Summary » click here
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Consideration and possible action to accept recommendations from HDR regarding the condition assessment of the pier.
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
HDR was hired to engage in engineering analysis of the pier. The condition assessment of the pier structure has been initiated by their structural lead. HDR will present the findings.
TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Receive report and provide direction to HDR for continued work.
On March 3, 2025, HDR conducted a site investigation and condition assessment as defined in the “Waterfront Facilities Inspection and Assessment – Manuals and Reports on Engineering Practice No. 130” published by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
In summary, the overall condition of the existing fishing pier was assessed to be in POOR condition and HOR recommends replacing the timber superstructure in its entirety. The pier approach (superstructure and substructure) will also be required to be replaced in its entirety to satisfy federal ADA requirements. The existing substructure has many structural deficiencies which would require extensive repairs and is currently at the end of its useful service life. This coupled with the fact that the recommended construction methods would be similar for both repair and replacement options supports the conclusion that repairing the existing pier would not be structurally cost effective, nor would it provide the longevity or service life that results from replacing the timber fishing pier. Therefore, it is HDR’s recommendation that the Town of Holden Beach consider a pier replacement option only.
Update –
HDR is the engineering firm we hired to evaluate the pier structure. The presentation was on the pier condition assessment and their recommendations. The pier superstructure and substructure are currently at the end of their useful service life. Their report indicates that repairing the existing pier would not be cost effective. Commissioner Smith seemed to refuse to accept the report created by a licensed marine structural engineer that repair is doable but not practical. Commissioner Smith had an antagonistic exchange with the vendor. His behavior was completely inappropriate, the relationship between the Board and the engineering firm should not be adversarial. It’s the firm’s recommendation that the Town consider the pier replacement option only. Now that they are able to make an informed decision they have decided to cut our losses, to save both time and money, by not considering the repair option. HDR will begin to develop an engineering design with cost estimates for both the building and maintaining a new pier. The motion was made to accept their preliminary report and their recommendation to move forward on preliminary planning to build a new pier. So, we are back to the drawing board.
A decision was made – Approved (3-2)
Commissioners Smith and Dyer opposed the motion
Commissioner Smith was acting like a child who didn’t get his way
Despite the public’s lack of support, the previous Board decided to move forward with the pier properties purchase anyway. The cost for the pier property signed contract in 2021, was three million two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($3,250,000). The pier inspection report stated that the Holden Beach fishing pier has likely surpassed its remaining service life considering it was constructed in 1957, which is 64 years old. Commissioner Sullivan made a motion to go back to the seller and ask for a reduction of price based on the findings of the ATM inspection report. The Board chose to disregard the negative engineers report and did not negotiate with the seller to get a reduction of the sales price. Instead that Board decided that they should proceed with this purchase. What needs to be said is had the previous Board done the right thing we would not have paid what we did. We now will have to incur the additional cost for removal and possible replacement. Which brings us back to the most fundamental question which was never addressed: How are we going to pay for this?
3. Police Report – Chief Jeremy Dixon
Agenda Packet – pages 20 – 24
Police Report » click here
Jeremy reviewed the actions that were taken by them last month
Business as usual for this time of the year
Jeremy encourages everyone to download the app
NC Police Connect on the App Store
Personnel announcement
There are currently only four (4) officers working out of eleven (11) positions
We are down seven (7) officers
. * four (4) vacant positions and three (3) officers are out on medical leave
To say that they are stretched pretty thin is an understatement
Jeremy is looking at mutual aid from other police departments
Having the full complement of eleven (11) police officers seems to be an elusive goal.
What he did not say –
NA
It’s that time of year, rental season ends, and break-in season officially starts
Requested that we all serve as the eyes and ears for law enforcement.
If you know something, hear something, or see something –
call 911 and let the police deal with it.
5. Inspections Department Report – Inspections Director Evans
Agenda Packet – pages 25 – 28
Inspections Report » click here
ACTIVE NEW HOME PERMITS = 21
OTHER ACTIVE PERMITS = 454
PERMITS ISSUED OVER $30,000 = 79
* AMOUNT INCLUDED IN ACTIVE TOTAL
PERMITS ISSUED OVER $100,000 = 5
* AMOUNT INCLUDED IN ACTIVE TOTAL
PERMITS ISSUED SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS = 0
* AMOUNT INCLUDED IN ACTIVE TOTAL
PERMITS ISSUED WAITING PICK UP = 27
TOTAL PERMITS = 502
PERMITS IN REVIEW = 6
CAMA ISSUED = 5
ZONING ISSUED = 8
PERMITS SERVICED FOR INSPECTIONS FROM 02/07 – 03/07 = 94
TOTAL INSPECTIONS MADE = 175
Update –
Timbo briefly reviewed department activity last month, the department is very busy.
Director Evans reviewed the status of the ADA projects. The Town is close to meeting all the requirements in the ADA agreement. In most cases the Town has gone above and beyond the requirements of the ADA agreement. We are scheduled to finalize the Mediation Agreement shortly.
Community Rating System (CRS)
Based on the work of his department they have improved our CRS rating. We are good to go till 2029. The improved CRS ratings will get us additional savings in flood insurance premium rates.
Community Rating System (CRS)
The National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements.
As a result, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community actions meeting the three goals of the CRS:
For CRS participating communities, flood insurance premium rates are discounted in increments of 5% (i.e., a Class 1 community would receive a 45% premium discount, while a Class 9 community would receive a 5% discount (a Class 10 is not participating in the CRS and receives no discount)). The CRS classes for local communities are based on 18 creditable activities, organized under four categories:
National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System
For more information » click here
5. Finance Department Report – Finance Officer McRainey
Agenda Packet – pages 29 – 33
Finance Report » click here
Update –
Daniel participated remotely, he briefly reviewed the Finance Report
Penny our newly hired tax collector made the request to advertise the tax liens on real property. A motion was made to approve the publishing of the unpaid tax liens on real property.
A decision was made – Approved unanimously
6. Fire Department Update – Fire Chief Doug Todd
Agenda Packet – pages 34 – 47
Fire Department Report » click here
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Allow a presentation by the fire department.
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The fire department periodically presents to the BOC about the status of the department, call volume, and future needs. A department representative prepared agenda packet material to aid in the discussion.
Tri-Beach Volunteer Fire Department Year-End Review and Request
Total Calls = 211
Major Incidents = 4
Water Rescues = 9
We would like to see the town continue working toward the upgrade/replacement of the fire station on the island.
We request the town continue looking for ways to keep areas around emergency access and the pier open so that emergency vehicles can safely travel to and from incidents without endangering the public on the beach strand.
We request that the town consider acquiring (through purchase or agreement) emergency access west of the 800 block. This is vital to our timely response to calls on the beach strand.
We would like to deliver weekly public education to our visitors during the summer season. This would include fire safety and beach/water safety messages.
We request that the town partner with us to provide water safety stations along the beach to aid in water rescues. Rip current information would be available via a QR code on the sign, which would display the status of rip currents through the National Weather Service.
Previously reported – January 2023
The Tri-Beach VFD has been using the four bay Town owned building at 572 Ocean Boulevard West for a number of years to house fire apparatus that is used for firefighting, emergency medical calls and rescue calls on the island and off the island as needed. Housing the equipment on the island has been beneficial to Town of Holden Beach residents and vacationers on the island. Currently, staffing by the department is in place twelve hours a day (7:00 AM to 7:00 PM) during the summer months typically from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The rest of the year, 24-hour staff responds to calls on the island from the off-island fire stations. Due to the increase in permanent residents and renters staying on the island, before Memorial Day, during the summer, and after Labor Day, emergency calls on the island are on the increase. Tri-Beach is working on a plan to provide sufficient staff to man Station 2, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week all year. This will improve the response time to calls on the island during the entire year. To safely house staff 24 hrs./7 days a week, upgrades to Station 2 will be necessary. The Board of Directors of the Tri-Beach Volunteer Fire Department is formally requesting the Town of Holden Beach to put a plan in place to upgrade (or replace) the existing Station 2 building to provide the necessary facilities (such as a bunk room, kitchen, flood resistance, etc.) to support safely housing onsite staff for 24 hours a day. The Tri-Beach Chief officers and staff stand ready to assist Town personnel in the planning and execution of upgrading the Station 2 building to provide enhanced fire, emergency medical and rescue services to the residents and vacationers in the Town of Holden Beach. Please respond to the Board of Directors as soon as possible so that we can all move forward on this plan.
Assistant Chief David Ward of the Tri-Beach Fire Department made the presentation. As a representative of the fire department, he was there to justify the request for them to either upgrade or replace the existing fire station. Call volumes have significantly increased, and they would like to staff the fire station on the island around the clock all year long so they can adequately provide protection to the public. Timbo pointed out that this is a critical facility and impacts our Community Rating System score which reduces our homeowners insurance costs. The Board members agreed that they need to create a committee so they can make an educated decision about what they should do. Mayor Holden requested additional information from the fire department to know what their options are before they proceed.
No decision was made – No action taken
Previously reported – February 2023
Assistant Fire Chief Ward has provided the Board with information showing the locations a fire station could be located as requested at the January meeting. Tri-Beach Fire Department leadership will be in attendance to review it with the Board.
Follow-up to the last meeting request for additional information. The current location is situated pretty much where it needs to be. The fire station could be placed between Fayetteville Street and the eight hundred block on OBW, which is based on a five (5) mile maximum service area. Basically, the fire station needs to stay where it’s at on Starfish Drive. That said, as their equipment gets larger he questioned whether the site was big enough to accommodate the larger vehicles. There was not any discussion about moving forward or creating a committee.
Update –
Assistant Chief David Ward of the Tri-Beach Fire Department made the presentation. Their goal is to enhance their relationship with the Town. He explained each of the items listed and would like to continue conversations with their asks.
They are requesting that the town partner with them to provide water safety stations along the beach to aid in water rescues. Rip current information would be available via a QR code on the sign, which would display the status of rip currents through the National Weather Service. The surrounding communities already have them. Proposing seventy-two (72) stations at their cost, which they will maintain too. By consensus they requested the staff work with the Fire Department to bring a proposal back to the Board.
They briefly discussed putting together more information on what steps they need to take in order to move forward with replacement of the fire station
7. Town Manager Report – Interim Town Manager Ferguson
Agenda Packet – page 48 – 49
Town Manager Report » click here
Christy reviewed the Town Manager Report
Greensboro Street / Sewer Lift Station #2
Mobilized onsite end of December
Construction schedule anticipates completion in August
First disbursement applied to NCDEQ (state grant) on 12/20/24
Received payment on 03/03, turnaround on funding request timeline is of concern
The contractor is having difficulty finding the Buy America, Build America required materials for the grant
Waivers have been requested so those items could be procured a different way
Key Bridge Mediation Agreement
Ave E – Public/Emergency Beach Access and Restroom Facility
Both the walkway and restroom are complete.
The beach mats required for the agreement arrived yesterday and they will start installing them immediately
Recycling Program
Recycling participation is trending lower this year, be mindful to get renewals in
THB Newsletter (03/05/25)
2025 Recycling Deadline
Renewals for 2025 are due by April 1st. If payment is not received by April 1st, you recycling cart will be picked up by GFL. If you decide to reestablish the service after your cart is picked up, you will be assessed a fee of $50, in addition to the annual service cost. The 2025 service cost is $119.35 annually paid in advance to the Town of Holden Beach. The service consists of a 96 gallon cart that is emptied every other week during the months of October – May and weekly during the months of June – September. You may apply in person at Town Hall or by clicking here to download the application and mailing it in with your check payment.
Employee Updates
Receptionist Penny King was hired for Fiscal Operations Specialist position
We filled the position by promoting from within
In the process of interviewing for the receptionist position
Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW) Crossing
Alerted by the Corps that we should be receiving funds back from Crossing Project
Ocean Boulevard Stormwater
Met with Ward and Smith on March 6th to navigate federal approach to funding
Received call from Wilmington District they want to meet regarding same
Met with Dept. of Natural and Cultural Resources regarding possible state assistance
Our lobbyist Ward and Smith met with the State regarding Federal funding for Ocean Blvd. Stormwater issues
Previously reported – February 2025
Survey completed with NC Division of Water Resources to show need for increased funding through the Water Resources Development Grant program. This program is for projects that reduce flooding and increase resiliency and is a source for potential state stormwater funding. We received word that the Town has qualified for Disaster Relief Funding through the Corps (USACE) for the September event. Funding is to initiate and complete design and construction of stormwater management infrastructure along Ocean Boulevard. More to come on a Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) and the required Board Action to engage in the $2.2 million in federal funding.
Pier Site
HDR conducted structural inspections at pier on 03/03
Canal Dredging Permit
Heritage Harbor CAMA permit was approved/renewed
Tracking Tool
The BOC’s are looking for a status report on a monthly basis in order to track the progress of projects that they have prioritized.
The current status of each of the eight (8) items listed is in the Town Manager Report
What she did not say –
Paid Parking
Annual parking passes are now available for purchase
Hurricane Vehicle Decals
Property owners were provided with four (4) decals that were included in their water bills
Bike Lane Maintenance
Bike lane maintenance operations have been completed
In Case You Missed It –
THB Newsletter (02/22/25)
Dog Reminders
Please remember that any time your dog is off your premise, they must be on a leash, cord or chain at all times. Also, dog owners must remove dog waste immediately after it is deposited by the dog when on public property or any private property, including vacant lots, without the permission of the private property owner. Dog waste stations are conveniently located throughout the island.
Emergency Operations Center
The EOC building is being used by Tri-Beach Fire Department while they renovate their fire station on Sabbath Home
National Flood Insurance Program: Reauthorization
Congress must periodically renew the NFIP’s statutory authority to operate. On March 14, 2025, the president signed legislation passed by Congress that extends the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP’s) authorization to September 30, 2025.
News from Town of Holden Beach
The town sends out emails of events, news, agendas, notifications and emergency information. If you would like to be added to their mailing list, please go to their web site to complete your subscription to the Holden Beach E-Newsletter.
For more information » click here
Upcoming Events –
Family Nighttime Easter Egg Hunt
The Town will hold its annual nighttime Easter Egg Hunt on Friday, April 18th
HBPOA Easter Membership Meeting
HBPOA membership meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 19that Town Hall
Easter Sunrise Service
Easter Sunrise Service at 6:30 a.m. Easter Sunday, April 20th beside the HB Pier
8. Consideration and Possible Action to Award Bids for the Demolition of the Pier Building – Interim Town Manager Ferguson
Agenda Packet – pages 50 – 66
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Consideration and possible action to award bids for the demolition of the pier building
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The bids for the demolition of the pier building were received on February 21st. There were four companies that responded. Planning and Inspections Director Evans followed up on some bid specifics. Based on his review and follow up. his recommendation is for Jessie & Myers Construction Company based on price.
We received four bids for the demolition of the pier building as follows:
RHI $36,000
Cohen Construction $42,875
Jessie & Myers $46,500
Pinnacle Southeast $54,000
TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
If the board is choosing to move forward with this action item at this time, then award bids to most responsive bidder.
The most responsive bid received after review of bid specifics by Planning and Inspection Director Evans is $46,500 submitted by Jessie & Myers Construction Company, Inc. Ranking in order after follow- up discussion was as follows:
Jessie & Myers Construction
Pinnacle Southeast Contracting Group
Cohen Construction
Robbins Home Improvement
Suggested Motion:
If the board is choosing to move forward with this action item at this time, then staff recommends approving the bid for Jessie & Myers and authorizing the interim manager to execute the associated paperwork. The funds will be sourced from Available to Appropriate in BPART
Update –
The agenda packet specifically states that the selection of Jessie & Myers was based on price, which is obviously not the case. Christy explained that they needed additional info on environmental testing and reviewed the total scope of work. The staff determined that the most responsive bid was from Jessie & Myers and that is who they recommended. Commissioner Smith objected because protocol has been to award the bid to the vendor with the lowest bid. I find it ironic since this time the Board deferred to the towns staff recommendation, which is exactly what he has argued for in the past. The project will start within two weeks of receiving notice to proceed and be completed within two weeks. Commissioners also requested that Christy discuss with the contractor to work with the Holden Beach Community Alliance to retrieve items inside the building that the organization identified as historically significant. Motion was made to award the bid to Jessie and Myers Construction Company for $46,500. The Board approved the bid from Jessie & Myers to demolish the pier building and instructed Interim Town Manager Ferguson to execute the associated paperwork.
A decision was made – Approved (3-2)
Commissioners Smith and Dyer opposed the motion
Commissioner Smith continues to whine about the 3-2 votes
Don’t recall that being his position when he was in the majority
In other words, Good for me, but not for thee
Commissioner Paarfus responded –
that there was a time when he was the 3-2 guy “Karma’s a Bitch”
9. Consideration and Possible Action to Award Contract for the Construction of the Restroom Facility and Associated Parking/Sidewalks at Block Q – Interim Town Manager Ferguson
Agenda Packet – pages 67 – 68, plus separate packet
Supplement – Contract » click here
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Consideration and possible action to award contract for the construction of the restroom facility and associated parking/sidewalks at Block Q.
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The bids for the project were due back on January 14th. A second bid opening was held January 28th due to an insufficient number on January 14th. This project will include modular stormwater, sitework prep, and construction for the bathrooms and associated parking/sidewalks. Recommendation for award of contract.
TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Award contract to responsive bidder. Direct interim town manager to sign contract and complete all associated paperwork.
The most responsive bid after two rounds of advertising for the Block Q restroom and parking facility is $543,200. It falls within the budget for the project. The bid proposal outlines one hundred calendar days to completion.
Suggested Motion:
Approve the contract for Kowen Construction and authorize the interim manager to execute the associated paperwork.
Update –
The Board approved the contract with Kowen Construction for the Block Q restroom and parking facility in the amount of $543,200. Work is expected to be completed within one hundred (100) calendar days from the commencement of the work. Motion was made to award the contract for the construction of the restroom facility on Block Q authorize Town Manager to execute the associated paperwork.
A decision was made – Approved unanimously
10. Consideration and Possible Action to Accept the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board’s Recommendation on Pickleball Courts –Interim Town Manager Ferguson
Agenda Packet – pages 69 – 70
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Consideration and possible action to accept PRAB recommendation on pickleball courts
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The PRAB worked since the October BOC tasker to evaluate locations for pickleball courts on the island. Field trips were completed as part of the process to benchmark other communities. Town owned sites were also visited for evaluation and elimination.
TOWN MANAGER RECOMMENDATION:
Receive the recommendation and consider the tasker complete.
At the October 2024 meeting of the Board of Commissioners, the Board tasked the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) with evaluating Town-owned properties to determine a location to add pickleball courts to the island.
The PRAB established requirements for pickleball courts:
To benchmark other communities, the PRAB visited pickleball courts at Ocean Isle Town Park, Ocean Isle Beach Park, and Lockwood Folly. The PRAB also visited four potential sites for pickleball courts on Holden Beach; Sand Dollar site (adjacent to Bridgeview Park), Jordan Blvd site, Block Q and the 800 Block. The 800 Block was eliminated because of costs. Lack of bathrooms, lack of parking, and extensive site preparation made the site unsuitable. Sand Dollar was eliminated because of the close proximity of residencies and only one court could be built on the site. Jordan Blvd site was eliminated because only one court could be built on the site and court layout is not desirable.
By consensus, the recommendation is for the construction of up to four pickleball courts on Block Q, with two of those being permanent pickleball courts and one being a multipurpose tennis/pickleball combo. Costs depend on site prep, lighting, fencing, etc. but comparison court construction in the last two years is approximately $150K to construct above recommendation.
We propose that specifics such as court placement on the site coincide with the overall master planning process that the PRAB recommended for the entire Jordan Boulevard/Block Q area and suggest any further details be worked out as part of that plan.
Update –
The tasker given to the PRAB was to evaluate locations for adding pickleball courts. Mike Pearson the Vice Chair of the Parks and Recreation Board walked them through the process used to make their recommendation. The PRAB recommendation is for the construction of up to four pickleball courts on Block Q, with two of those being permanent pickleball courts and one being a multipurpose tennis/pickleball combo. They have already recommended a master plan for Block Q/Jordan Boulevard to be developed. Motion was made to accept the PRAB report and consider the tasker complete.
A decision was made – Approved unanimously
11. Discussion and Possible Approval of Ordinance 25-02, An Ordinance Amending Ordinance 24-11, The Revenues and Appropriations Ordinance for Fiscal Year 2024 – 2025 (Amendment No. 7 – Professional Services) – Interim Town Manager Ferguson
Agenda Packet – pages 71 – 72
Ordinance 25-02 » click here
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Consideration and possible action to approve a budget amendment moving funds from fund balance to professional services.
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
A fund balance appropriation will allow coverage for additional anticipated legal fees through the end of the current fiscal year.
Moved funds of $50,000
From Revenue account #10.0399.0200 to Expense account#10.0410.0400
Update –
The Ordinance is for a fund balance appropriation that will allow coverage for additional anticipated legal fees through the end of the current fiscal year.
A decision was made – Approved unanimously
Although not stated, this is an unnecessary cost to hire attorneys to represent us for the frivolous lawsuit filed by Lisa Ragland. She filed a civil suit against the Town alleging the Board violated state law by holding a meeting without a quorum. Even if she is right (she’s not) the outcome would have been the same, the lawsuit is a waste of time and money. Therefore, we should go after her for all costs associated with our legal defense.
THB Code of Ordinances – Quorum
§30.15 VOTING AND QUORUMS.
(A) Quorum. The Mayor and three Commissioners, or three Commissioners without the Mayor shall constitute a quorum (simple majority) of the Town BOC
Coates’ Canons NC Local Government Law
It is not unusual for a charter to specify the method for determining the quorum for a city council. Accordingly, city elected officials, as well as city attorneys and clerks, should examine their respective charters for quorum provisions. Ordinarily, if the charter differs from G.S. 160A-74, the council should follow its charter.
See G.S. 160A-82.
For more information » click here
A Parliamentary Procedure Primer: Part 3 – Quorum Misconceptions
Misconception 4: Cities must always follow the quorum statute, G.S. 160A-74, even if their charter seems to conflict.
In addition to G.S. 160A-74, city charters commonly provide a method for calculating quorum. What if there is a conflict between the quorum statute and a city’s charter? While Section 160A-82 provides that the statutes in its part (including the quorum statute) do not invalidate conflicting city charter provisions, it does not describe how to deal with the conflicts. For that, we look to Section 160A-3. That section provides three different avenues for resolving charter-statute conflicts. First, if both the charter and the statute seem to describe everything required for performing a particular duty or function, the city can choose to follow either its charter or the General Statutes. G.S. 160A-3(a). Second, if a charter fails to provide all the details necessary to carry out a particular power, duty, privilege, immunity, or function, cities should supplement the charter with the procedures described in statute. In case of a conflict, however, the charter provisions control. G.S. 160A-3(b). Finally, if statute provides for a certain power, duty, immunity, privilege, or function that an earlier enacted charter expressly denies, then the statute supersedes the charter. G.S. 160A-3(c). Using the structure in G.S. 160A-3, cities would need to look closely at their charter’s quorum language. Does the charter provide all the information necessary for calculating quorum? If so, the city can likely choose to follow either the charter or G.S. 160A-74 under G.S. 160A-3(a). If not, the city might supplement its charter procedures with those in G.S. 160A-74, but the charter would still control in the case of any conflict. While quorum seems simple, it can prompt a variety of questions, and misunderstanding its requirements can lead to tricky situations. Understanding what is required for quorum will keep local governments on the right track both legally and procedurally.
For more information » click here
12. Discussion and Possible Approval of Audit Contract between the Town and Martin Starnes and Associates for Fiscal Year 2024/2025 – Finance Director McRainey (Interim Town Manager Ferguson)
Agenda Packet – page 73, plus separate packet
Supplement – Contract » click here
ISSUE/ ACTION REQUESTED:
Consideration and possible action to approve audit contract with Martin Starnes & Associates.
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
This contract is for an independent auditor to perform the audit for fiscal year 2025.
ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATION:
Audit committee met and recommended approval of contract at previous meeting before new members were elected and will meet before the board meeting to discuss with new members.
Update –
Audit committee met and recommended approval of the contract. There was no discussion, the motion was to approve the contract for audit services between the Town and Martin Starnes and Associates for $50,430. The fee schedule has increased by 219% since the first contract in 2020.
A decision was made – Approved unanimously
Editor’s Note –
Fee schedule:
2020-2021 $23,000
2021-2022 $25,150 +$2,150/109%
2022-2023 $36,975 +$11,825/147%
2023-2024 $40,675 +$3,700/110%
2024-2025 $44,745 +$4,070/110%
2025-2026 $50,340 +$5,595/113%
My2Cents –
The protocol is to change firms every few years, traditionally we have done that after vendor has audited us for three years, this is the sixth consecutive year we have contracted with them.
13. Discussion and Possible Approval of Ordinance 25-03, An Ordinance Amending The Holden Beach Code of Ordinances, Chapter 154: Flood Damage Prevention – Inspections Director Evans (Interim Town Manager Ferguson)
Agenda Packet – pages 74 – 77
Ordinance 25-03 » click here
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Adoption to Chapter 154 of the Town of Holden Beach Ordinance book
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
Adoption to Chapter 154 of the Town of Holden Beach Ordinance book as recommended by NC Department of Safety and FEMA
After review, the Board of Commissioners has found that the recommended amendments are consistent with the adopted CAMA Land Use Plan and are considered reasonable and in the public interest for the following reasons. The amendment as recommended by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and FEMA to adopt a section regarding flood zone AO.
154.24 STANDARDS FOR AREAS OF SHALLOW FLOODING (ZONE AO)
Located within the Special Flood Hazard Areas established in Section 15 4.05, are areas designated as shallow flooding areas. These areas have special flood hazards associated with base flood depths of one (1) to three (3) feet where a clearly defined channel does not exist and where the path of flooding is unpredictable and indeterminate.
Update –
Housekeeping item to add building standards to the ordinances for properties in the AO Flood Zone. The ordinance adds standards for areas designated as shallow flooding areas as required by Community Rating System guidelines.
The motion made was to approve the consistency statement as required
A decision was made – Approved unanimously
The motion made was to approve Ordinance 25-03
A decision was made – Approved unanimously
General Comments –
BOC’s Meeting
The Board of Commissioners’ next Regular Meeting is scheduled on the third Tuesday of the month, April 15th
Facing a host of issues, tensions and expenses pile up for a Brunswick beach town
In times of a lawsuit and police officer shortage, one Brunswick town has decided to shift projects and funds. The Holden Beach Board of Commissioners during their March 18 meeting took several actions, including moving forward with demolishing the Holden Beach Pier building and moving funds to cover legal fees.
Here’s the latest.
A recap of the lawsuit
Holden Beach resident Lisa Ragland filed a civil suit through the Brunswick County Superior Court Division against the town of Holden Beach on Jan. 30, 2025. A special meeting was called for Jan. 28, 2025, to discuss and take action on four items, two of them regarding the pier, after the regular Jan. 21 meeting was cancelled due to snow. Ragland’s case argues the board acted without a quorum during the Jan. 28 special meeting because only three out of six board members, Commissioners Tracey Thomas, Rick Paarfus and Tom Myers, were in attendance and took action. Ragland believes the three commissioners violated state law and requests the board’s actions on Jan. 28 be “invalidated.” Ragland also requests the quorum section of the town of Holden Beach Charter be amended to reflect the North Carolina General Statute, which states that a quorum is when a majority of the board and the mayor are present. During the Feb. 18 regular meeting, Town Attorney Sydnee Moore maintained the board had a quorum at the special meeting per the town charter, noting she also reached out to other municipal attorneys to make sure the town followed lawful procedures. Commissioners held another special meeting on Feb. 27 to speak with Moore in closed session. Commissioners Thomas, Paarfus and Myers were the only three present at the meeting and instructed Moore on how to move forward in the pending case during closed session.
A new attorney comes with a price
The town’s responses to the civil suit, filed Feb. 28, listed Wilmington-based attorney H. Mark Hamlet with Hamlet Law as the new lead counsel representing the town of Holden Beach. Hamlet Law attorneys Suzanne Brown and Diamond Rowell have also been retained. Staff on March 18 requested the board approve a budget amendment. The amendment moved $50,000 from the fund balance to the professional services fund. “A fund balance appropriation will allow coverage for additional anticipated legal fees through the end of the current fiscal year,” the agenda topic cover sheet states. Asked what the legal fees are going toward, both Moore and Town Manager Christy Ferguson refused to give details as to what the money would be used for because, they said, the item was discussed during closed session. “We can go into closed session to discuss it, but we’re not going to discuss it in open session,” Moore said. Asked if more funds will be needed, Ferguson said she cannot say whether additional funds will not be needed because she cannot predict how long the legal battle will go on. Commissioners unanimously approved the budget amendment.
Wave goodbye to the pier building
Tensions were high during the March meeting, as this was the first meeting with a full board in over two months and the discussion about demolishing the historical pier building was not taken lightly. Thomas, Myers and Paarfus during the special Jan. 28 meeting awarded the contract for pier engineering services to HDR and directed staff to issue a request for proposal for the demolition of the pier building. As part of the contract, HDR recently performed a condition assessment on the pier. HDR engineers on March 18 told commissioners the current fishing pier structure has rotted and will require extensive, costly repairs in order to be saved. The engineers said the cheapest option will be to build a new pier and suggested the town save money by eliminating the option of repairing the pier. Following the engineers recommendation, the board had the decision to award a bid for demolishing the pier building, not the pier. Paarfus, Thompson and Myers voted in favor of awarding the bid to Jessie & Myers Construction Company for $46,500. Dyer and Smith opposed. Smith requested the board wait to demolish the building until a plan to replace the building is made. The project will start within two weeks of receiving notice to proceed and be completed within two weeks, Jessie & Myers Construction Company’s bid states. Commissioners also requested the contractor work with the Holden Beach Community Alliance to retrieve approximately 40 items inside the building that the organization identified as historically significant.
Running low on police officers
Holden Beach Police Chief Jeremy Dixon announced troubling news during the March 18 meeting. Out of the total 11 police officer positions, Dixon said four positions are vacant and three police officers are out on medical leave. Dixon has previously told the board about challenges the department has faced trying to fill the vacant police officer positions. However, having only four officers to run the department and keep the island safe has brought the issue to a new level.
Read more » click here
It’s not like they don’t have anything to work on …
The following eight (8) items are what’s In the Works/Loose Ends queue:
The definition of loose ends is a fragment of unfinished business or a detail that is not yet settled or explained, which is the current status of these items. All of these items were started and then put on hold, and they were never put back in the queue. This Board needs to continue working on them and move these items to closure.
.
Lost in the Sauce –
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From 2024
Boat Access
Another boat access could enter the water near Holden Beach
During the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s (NCWRC) Committee of the Whole meeting on Feb. 21, the committee discussed creating another boating access area near Holden Beach to connect to the Intracoastal Waterway. Local fishermen, captains and residents have been fighting for more boat and trailer parking space in Holden Beach for over a year, and this potential project could bring that to the area, along with a potential third boat ramp. The commission unanimously voted in favor of moving the project to “phase I.”Ben Solomon, assistant chief and land acquisition manager of the commission’s Land and Water Access Division, presented a slideshow on the land purchase opportunities and the roughly drafted project. He said the boat access sketch plan and parking plan are only conceptual. “Most boat ramps in Brunswick County, aside from Holden Beach, operate at over-capacity status at this time,” Solomon said. Brunswick County only has six public boat ramps with 233 trailer parking spaces, he explained, and it would be important to keep the existing ramp on Holden Beach. He said the existing Holden Beach boat access is a small ramp with limited parking for the high volume of boat traffic that residents and visitors bring. “Just within Brunswick County, we have 12,000 registered vessels,” he said. “There’s an additional 18,000 registered vessels in surrounding counties.” Solomon showed the commission three separate parcels they are looking to purchase off Cedar Landing Road SW — adjacent to the Holden Beach Marina and Holden Beach Bridge — noting a developer also wants to purchase them. If purchased, the access would be located in county jurisdiction. There are two options the commission considered: Option A and Option B. Option A calls for purchasing all three parcels that total 3.7 acres and Option B calls for purchasing only two parcels that total 1.9 acres. The asking price for Option A is $5.9 million and the asking price for the Option B parcels is $3.2 million. The NCWRC received phase I approval to pursue the acquisition of the three parcels for Option A, Solomon told The Brunswick Beacon on Monday, March 11. “Phase I approval is the first step in the Commission’s land acquisition process and allows commission staff to work with the State Property Office to order an appraisal for the subject properties and further develop the project,” he explained. He told the commission that the access site will have maximum level parking if they pursue all three parcels. Option A would bring 98 trailer parking spaces and 17 car parking spaces to the area if the project comes to fruition. Option B would only bring approximately 53 trailer parking spaces and six car parking spaces. Solomon said the trailer parking spaces would fit both the vehicle and the trailer. Tax parcel 232NA001, the middle parcel, houses a commercial building with an existing boat launch. Solomon said the commission would try to permit a second boat launch to be put in the access area. The conceptual design is still subject to permitting and approvals that could restrict plans, Solomon added. “This is a good baseline for us to look at and get a feel for,” he said. The project could cost between $1.5 and $1.9 million, he said, but that cost would include site-level parking, two boat ramps and structure removal from one of the parcels. Solomon said potential funding sources for the project are the coastal recreational fishing license grant, state funds and possible legislative appropriation. “The Commission does have an interest in expanding public boating access opportunities around Holden Beach and plans to further assess feasibility of this potential boating access area by ordering an appraisal and developing funding partnerships,” he told The Brunswick Beacon. To access the recording of the February Committee of the Whole meeting, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQPj77J1jZE.
Read more » click here
Paid Parking
No exception for parking during the festival
The third motion made was to charge for parking during festivals. Currently just do not enforce paid parking regulations anywhere on the island when there are festivals. The motion made is to not enforce regulations in the festival area only.
No decision was made – No action taken
Days at the Docks Festival 2025 / April 29th & 30th
Editor’s Note –
It is my understanding that since they did not approve any motion regarding festivals they will need to charge for parking island wide and they cannot just decide to not enforce the regulations. In order not to enforce the regulations they would need to execute an amendment to the contract which is what they have done in the past.
The fourth motion made was to provide full-time residents an annual pass for $20 that is restricted to one per household only for vehicles that are registered on the island. The Town Attorney Moore requested that the motion be tabled until she could do some research regarding the legality of the proposed resident permit.
No decision was made – No action taken
Last year we ended paid parking early to allow free parking island wide for festival weekend. The thinking was that in order to promote the festival it would be advantageous to suspend paid parking. The Board agreed to suspend the paid parking early. Frankly, I did not agree with that decision. It’s a zoo out there during the festival weekend. With all the parking problems that happen during the festivals you would think we would want to continue enforcing parking in designated areas only. By suspending enforcement, people can and will park anywhere they want. Paid parking should be enforced during festivals.
As for any other ordinance considerations, it is important that any definitions and conditions are clear to help the public avoid inadvertent errors and enable enforcement. In other words, it needs to be standardized and easily understood. Parking should only be in designated parking spaces whether its paid parking or not, plain and simple. I personally object to parking in the rights-of-way, but I understand why some property owners want to be able to park there on their property. A potential accommodation would be to issue a day specific one-time permit for any homeowners that have an activity at their property that requires them to occasionally park in the rights-of-way.
KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid!
Audio/Visual
The motion was made to direct the Town Staff the task to review and assess what other towns are doing and make recommendations for audio/video improvement. In other words, benchmark what other towns are doing and determine what are the costs associated with providing this service. Commissioner Paarfus specifically requested various price point options.
Roadway Work
Discussion and Possible Award of Contract for Roadway Work
Previously reported – November 2015
Streets Condition Survey Report is a planning document. We have a total of 12.8 paved asphalt roadways with @40% of the roads in need of maintenance. Subject streets are Class A (low volume) roads the cost estimate is for pavement repair only, with the costs being variable. The total estimated costs are a whopping $1,200,000. Surface evaluation was done rating each street and prioritizing the work that needs to be done. Recommended we address it with a ten-year game plan, budgeting accordingly, tackling it on a yearly basis. Understandably we can expect our streets to continue to degrade while costs will continue to go up.
In 2015 the Board implemented a tax increase of $.010 specifically for street paving and maintenance. The penny worth of tax revenue earmarked for paving is money that is already in the budget. Last year, Right Angle Engineering reviewed the bids and recommended Highland Paving.
Hurricane Season
For more information » click here.
Be prepared – have a plan!
No matter what a storm outlook is for a given year,
vigilance and preparedness is urged.
Hurricane season is 3 months away. Will it be as active as last year?
What to know at this early stage.
One of the first things that tipped scientists off that 2024 would be an unusually active hurricane season: excessive ocean warmth in a key region of the Atlantic Ocean. But that’s just one of many factors different as this year begins. With the Atlantic hurricane season less than three months away, forecasters are making early efforts to understand how this year may differ from the last. And while specific forecasts for the number of hurricanes can’t be accurately made this far out, forecasters can look to planetary climate patterns for clues. At least two key differences suggest odds are lower for another extremely active season: For one, the tropical Atlantic isn’t as warm as it was last year. And a La Niña (known for cooling a vast swath of the Pacific Ocean) is not expected to form during the season. But it’s still early — and current conditions don’t entirely eliminate the odds of an overactive season. In the Atlantic Ocean, hurricane season runs from June through November, typically peaking in September. Last year, hurricane season was hyperactive, based on a metric called Accumulated Cyclone Energy. There were 18 named storms and five hurricane landfalls in the United States, including the devastating Hurricane Helene.
The Atlantic is cooler than last year
Among the many complex puzzle pieces that start to create a picture of hurricane season — including winds, air pressure patterns, Saharan Dust and monsoonal activity — sea temperatures are a key driver. Scientists look as an early signal to what’s called the Atlantic Main Development Region, or MDR, which extends from the Caribbean to the west, and to near Africa in the east. Sea surface temperatures in the MDR have a statistical relationship with hurricane activity. In 2024, there was excessive warmth in the MDR. But it’s not currently as warm as last year, nor is it forecast to be in a few months. When the MDR is cooler, it can contribute to atmospheric conditions that aren’t particularly conducive to lots of hurricanes. Forecasts for the MDR extend to July 2025, and they suggest that while seas in the region may be somewhat above-average, the Atlantic’s most unusual warmth will be located farther north. Comparing forecasts made for July of both years shows how much warmer the MDR was predicted to be in 2024 — a prediction that turned out to be correct. If the predictions hold true this year, that might reduce the odds for a season as active as 2024. Andy Hazelton, a physical scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Environmental Modeling Center, said the cooling of the MDR is the biggest factor that has stood out to him so far. “It’s still pretty warm, especially in the Caribbean, but the subtropics (north of the MDR) look warmer overall right now,” Hazelton said. If the pattern were to continue, he said, it could put a cap on how active the season may be.
La Niña may be fading
During hurricane season, the Pacific and Atlantic oceans are more than distant neighbors — they’re connected by the atmosphere. What happens in one doesn’t stay there; it sends ripples to the other, shaping storm activity on both sides. One pattern that causes a Pacific-Atlantic ripple effect is known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which has three phases: El Niño, La Niña and neutral. El Niño is marked by warmer-than-average seas in the eastern Pacific, while cool seas are prominent there during La Niña. Neutral periods often occur during transitions between El Niño and La Niña, as sea temperatures temporarily become less anomalous. Early this year, the tropical Pacific entered a La Niña phase — but it’s not expected to last for much longer. The cool waters associated with La Niña can suppress rainfall and thunderstorm activity in the tropical Pacific. But as the atmosphere balances itself, increased rainfall and thunderstorm activity, as well as winds that are more conducive to hurricane formation, can occur in the tropical Atlantic. This is why, in addition to the record-warm Atlantic seas, forecasters were so concerned about the level of hurricane activity last year. But a period of weaker winds in the eastern Pacific this month has caused a substantial warming of the ocean to the west of South America. Because the winds have been less robust, a process known as upwelling — which happens when strong winds churn cool, subsurface waters to the surface — has slowed down. If the warming continues, it will put the Pacific in a much different state than it was heading into the last hurricane season. This year, a developing tongue of warm water in the eastern Pacific could have the opposite effect as it did last year, promoting rising air and more rainfall there, while having a drying effect on the Atlantic. However, predictions of El Niño and La Niña are not made equal. A phenomenon known as the “spring predictability barrier” can lead to less-skillful forecasts during spring in the Northern Hemisphere. “ENSO still has the spring barrier to cross,” Hazelton said. “But cool subsurface conditions and persistent trade winds suggest we probably won’t be getting a rapid flip or setting up for El Niño in the summer.”
The bottom line: It’s still early, but 2025 looks different
One thing can be said confidently at this point: So far this year, the elements that drive the Atlantic hurricane season look markedly different from 2024. The Atlantic Ocean is shaping up to have a different sea-temperature configuration than last year, with the most unusually warm seas sitting outside of the MDR. A marine heat wave — expansive blobs of unusual oceanic heat that are becoming more common in a warming climate — no longer covers the MDR, but remains active in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, areas where hurricanes derive their energy from. In the Pacific, the door may be closing on La Niña as seas warm up in the east. But a full-fledged, hurricane-halting El Niño doesn’t look particularly likely, either. Hazelton said it’s possible there will be ENSO neutral conditions during peak hurricane season. These are some of the factors forecasters will be monitoring closely as hurricane season approaches. Seasonal outlooks of hurricane activity are typically released in April and May. And while the data may change, one thing is certain: It’s never too early to prepare, especially considering the United States experienced impactful landfalls from Hurricanes Beryl, Debby, Francine, Helene and Milton last year.
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Lou’s Views . HBPOIN
. • Gather and disseminate information
. • Identify the issues and determine how they affect you
. • Act as a watchdog
. • Grass roots monthly newsletter since 2008
Lou’s Views
News & Views / March Edition
Calendar of Events –
N.C. Azalea Festival
April 4th thru 6th
Wilmington
Wilmington has been celebrating Spring Southern Style since 1948. There’s something for everyone among their community’s rich array of artwork, gardens, history, and culture. This festival is considered one of the top events in the Southeast.
For more information » click here
Southport Springfest
April 19th
Southport
Welcome Spring Easter weekend in style at the Southport Spring Festival, a tradition that started in 1996. This festival features a wide variety of activities.
For more information » click here
Strawberry & Wine Fest
April 27th
Sunset Beach
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The Strawberry and Wine Festival, hosted by the Old Bridge Preservation Society since 2014. There will be wines available from Silver Coast Winery with strawberries as the main fare of the day. It’s a day of wine, food, entertainment, and craft vendors.
For more information » click here
Days at the Docks Festival
April 29th & 30th
Holden Beach
The annual festival which started in the 1980’s occurs in April or May and is sponsored by the Greater Holden Beach Merchants Association. It’s the Holden Beach way to kick-off the Spring and start the vacation season. In addition to the food and arts & crafts, enjoy live music & entertainment, a horseshoe tournament and the world famous “Bopple Race”. Lots of activities for the entire family!
For more information » click here
Blue Crab Festival
May 17th & 18th
Little River SC
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Little River has been celebrating the World Famous Blue Crab Festival since 1981. It is held on the waterfront in Little River and is one of the largest festivals in the Southeast. The purpose of this festival is one that supports and showcases the fabulous atmosphere of the local communities.
For more information » click here
Brunswick County invites residents to participate in lifesaving certification training
Brunswick County’s Risk Management and Parks and Recreation departments are partnering to offer First Aid/CPR/AED Certification Training in 2025. This new training program is designed to provide residents with the knowledge and skills needed to recognize and respond appropriately to cardiac, breathing, and first aid emergencies.
“Many accidents at work and at home—such as bruises and cuts sustained from tripping or burns given by heating equipment—can be helped by a bystander with the proper resources and training,” Risk Manager Andy Yoos said. “That’s why it’s important for everyone to know how to perform basic lifesaving care.”
The training is open to any Brunswick County resident 12 years of age and older. Participants under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult guardian for the entire training session. Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive an American Trauma Event Management (ATEM) First Aid/CPR/AED certification card, which is valid for 2 years.
The 2025 training sessions will be held on Feb. 15 inside the Town Creek Park Community Building, April 26 inside the Leland Field House, June 7 inside the Lockwood Folly Community Building, Aug. 9 inside the Waccamaw Park Community Building, and Oct. 4 inside the Leland Field House. Participants must register and pay online before the training date.
There are only 12 seats available per training session and the registration fee is $10 per person. Each class will consist of an AM Session from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., a 30-minute lunch break*, and a PM session from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. You must attend and complete both sessions to receive certification.
*Participants must bring their own lunch and beverages.
Upcoming Training Session
Saturday, June 7, 2025 / Supply Area
Location: Lockwood Folly Community Building, 1691 Stanbury Rd SW, Supply, NC 28462
Time: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Cost: $10 per person
Learn more and register online on the Brunswick County Parks and Recreation RecDesk website.
For questions or more information about the training program, email Brunswick County Risk Management.
For more information » click here
Discover a wide range of things to do in the Brunswick Islands for an experience that goes beyond the beach.
For more information » click here.
Calendar of Events Island –
THB Newsletter (02/26/25)
Yoga Location Change
The Town of Holden Beach offers beginner friendly yoga classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:00 a.m. The class is taught by Alice Ledford. Fee is $6 for residents and $8 for non-residents. Classes will be held at the multipurpose court at Bridgeview Park.
Family Nighttime Easter Egg Hunt
The Town will hold its annual nighttime Easter Egg Hunt on Friday, April 18th beginning at 7:00 p.m. Teams of four will compete against each other. Participants will need to bring their own flashlights to the event and something to place their eggs in. Participants MUST register by April 7th. Space is limited to the first 100 families. Email Christy at [email protected] to register. Check-in on the evening of the event will be on the sidewalk in front of Town Hall.
HBPOA Easter Membership Meeting
HBPOA membership meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday April 19th at Town Hall.
Easter Sunrise Service
Holden Beach Chapel is sponsoring an Easter Sunrise Service at 6:00 a.m. Easter Sunday, April 20th beside the Holden Beach Pier.
Parks & Recreation / Programs & Events
For more information » click here
Reminders –
Free Cleanup Week
The next Free Cleanup Week at the Brunswick County Landfill will take place April 21 through 26, 2025. Brunswick County property owners and residents can dispose of all materials, except for regular household trash and hazardous waste, free of charge during Free Cleanup Week. Individuals can dispose of metal, tires, electronics, latex paint, clothing, shoes, used oil, oil filters, antifreeze, gasoline, fluorescent bulbs, used cooking oil, smoke detectors, household batteries, rugs, mattresses, furniture, and yard debris in their designated area at the Landfill during this week. Participants must show proof of Brunswick County property ownership or residency. Brunswick County accepts various items at the Brunswick County Landfill year-round at no charge to Brunswick County property owners and residents. See a full list of accepted items on the Accepted Items and Tipping Fees webpage. For questions, contact Brunswick County Operation Services at 910.253.2520 or email [email protected].
Location:
Brunswick County Landfill
172 Landfill Rd NE
Bolivia, NC 28422
Hours of Operation:
Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 7:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
Hurricane Vehicle Decals
Property owners were provided with four (4) decals that were included in this month’s water bill. It is important that you place your decals in your vehicle or in a safe place. A $10 fee will be assessed to anyone who needs to obtain either additional or replacement decals. Decals will not be issued in the 24-hour period before an anticipated order of evacuation.
The decals are your passes to get back onto the island to check your property in the event that an emergency would necessitate restricting access to the island. Decals must be displayed in the driver side lower left-hand corner of the windshield, where they are not obstructed by any other items. Officials must be able to clearly read the decal from outside the vehicle.
Property owners without a valid decal will not be allowed on the island during restricted access. No other method of identification is accepted in an emergency situation. Click here to visit the Town website to find out more information regarding decals and emergency situations.
Smoke Detectors
Time change means time to check smoke detectors, too. The fire department is encouraging people to test their smoke alarms and change the battery. Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years, whether they are battery-operated or hard-wired.
Yard Waste Service
Yard debris pick-up will be provided twice a month on the second and fourth Fridays during the months of March, April, and May. Please have yard waste placed at the street for pick-up on Thursday night. No pick-ups will be made on vacant lots or construction sites.
Debris must be placed in a biodegradable bag or bundled in a length not to exceed five (5) feet and fifty (50) pounds. Each residence is allowed a total of ten (10) items, which can include a combination of bundles of brush and limbs meeting the required length and weight and/ or biodegradable bags with grass clippings, leaves, etc.
News from Town of Holden Beach
The town sends out emails of events, news, agendas, notifications, and emergency information. If you would like to be added to their mailing list, please go to their web site to complete your subscription to the Holden Beach E-Newsletter.
For more information » click here
Paid Parking
Paid parking in Holden Beach
Paid parking will be enforced from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily with free parking before and after that time. All parking will use license plates for verification.
Rates
Parking rates for a single vehicle in all designated areas will be:
$5 per hour for up to four hours
$20 per day for any duration greater than four hours
$80 per week for seven consecutive days
Handicap Parking
A vehicle displaying a handicap license plate and/or hang tag parked in a designated handicap space is free. Any other parking space will require a parking permit via the app.
Annual Passes
Annual permits for the calendar year allow vehicles (this includes low-speed vehicles and trailers) access to designated parking.
$175 for a single vehicle
Passes can be purchased via the app, website or by telephone.
Where to Park
Per ordinance, there is no parking on the streets or rights-of-way except in designated parking spaces identified by Pay-to-Park signs. Click here to view an interactive map. The table with authorized parking can be viewed below.
Citations will be issued for:
• Parking without an active paid permit in a designated parking area
• Parking within 40 feet of a street intersection
• Parking in a crosswalk, sidewalk, or pedestrian access ways
• Parking blocking a driveway or mailbox
• Parking facing opposing traffic
• Parking in a no parking zone, or within right-of-way
• Parking on any portion of the roadway or travel lane
• Parking a non-LSV vehicle in an authorized LSV location
How Do I Pay to Park
The Town uses the SurfCAST by Otto Connect Mobile Solution. This is a mobile app downloadable for Apple and Android devices. Download the app today. Users will setup their account, enter their license plate details and pay for parking directly on the app. Alternatively, users can scan the QR Code located on the parking signs to access a secure website.
The Otto Connect customer service team will be available to help via phone and email.
Solid Waste Pick-Up Schedule
GFL Environmental change in service, October through May trash pickup will be once a week. Trash collection is on Tuesdays only.
Please note:
. • Trash carts must be at the street by 6:00 a.m. on the pickup day
. • BAG the trash before putting it in the cart
. • Carts will be rolled back to the front of the house
GFL Refuse Collection Policy
GFL has recently notified all Brunswick County residents that they will no longer accept extra bags of refuse outside of the collection cart. This is not a new policy but is stricter enforcement of an existing policy. While in the past GFL drivers would at times make exceptions and take additional bags of refuse, the tremendous growth in housing within Brunswick County makes this practice cost prohibitive and causes drivers to fall behind schedule.
Solid Waste Pick-up Schedule –
starting October once a week
Recycling –
starting October every other week pick-up
Curbside Recycling – 2025
GFL Environmental is now offering curbside recycling for Town properties that desire to participate in the service. The service cost per cart is $119.35 annually paid in advance to the Town of Holden Beach. The service consists of a ninety-six (96) gallon cart that is emptied every other week during the months of October – May and weekly during the months of June – September.
Curbside Recycling Application » click here
Curbside Recycling Calendar » click here
THB Newsletter (03/05/25)
2025 Recycling Deadline
Renewals for 2025 are due by April 1st. If payment is not received by April 1st, you recycling cart will be picked up by GFL. If you decide to reestablish the service after your cart is picked up, you will be assessed a fee of $50, in addition to the annual service cost. The 2025 service cost is $119.35 annually paid in advance to the Town of Holden Beach. The service consists of a 96 gallon cart that is emptied every other week during the months of October – May and weekly during the months of June – September. You may apply in person at Town Hall or by clicking here to download the application and mailing it in with your check payment.
Trash Can Requirements – Rental Properties
GFL Environmental – trash can requirements
Ordinance 07-13, Section 50.08
Rental properties have specific number of trash cans based on number of bedrooms.
* One extra trash can per every 2 bedrooms
..
§ 50.08 RENTAL HOMES.
(A) Rental homes, as defined in Chapter 157, that are rented as part of the summer rental season, are subject to high numbers of guests, resulting in abnormally large volumes of trash. This type of occupancy use presents a significantly higher impact than homes not used for summer rentals. In interest of public health and sanitation and environmental concerns, all rental home shall have a minimum of one trash can per two bedrooms. Homes with an odd number of bedrooms shall round up (for examples one to two bedrooms – one trash can; three to four bedrooms – two trash cans; five – six bedrooms – three trash cans, and the like).
Building Numbers
Ocean front homes are required to have house numbers visible from the beach strand.
Please call Planning and Inspections Department at 910.842.6080 with any questions.
§157.087 BUILDING NUMBERS.
(A) The correct street number shall be clearly visible from the street on all buildings. Numbers shall be block letters, not script, and of a color clearly in contrast with that of the building and shall be a minimum of six inches in height.
(B) Beach front buildings will also have clearly visible house numbers from the strand side meeting the above criteria on size, contrast, etc. Placement shall be on vertical column supporting deck(s) or deck roof on the primary structure. For buildings with a setback of over 300 feet from the first dune line, a vertical post shall be erected aside the walkway with house numbers affixed. In all cases the numbers must be clearly visible from the strand. Other placements may be acceptable with approval of the Building Inspector.
State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)
THB Newsletter (02/03/25)
Public Input Opportunity
The N.C. Department of Transportation is inviting the public to provide feedback on the Draft 2026-2035 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The STIP is developed under the Strategic Transportation Investments law (STI), which established the Strategic Mobility Formula.
Over the past 18 months, NCDOT has worked closely with the public, legislature, local planning organizations and other stakeholders to implement this law and develop the Draft STIP.
As part of this effort, NCDOT will host regional drop-in sessions (see flyer) across the state between February 17 and March 17, 2025. These sessions and the broader outreach effort aim to gather input on:
Feedback from these sessions will also help shape the development of the 2028-2037 STIP.
To learn more about this outreach effort, we encourage you to watch a short informational video at https://youtube/yRhAgZ_ywiw?si=PUO4sClDuqSyU682.
Your Input Matters
This communication is an invitation to participate in shaping North Carolina’s transportation network. The public comment period will run from January 31, 2025, to April 4, 2025.
Upon Further Review –
Carolina Bays Parkway project S.C. 31
Boom or doom: How a new highway could transform rural Brunswick County
A new road in southern Brunswick County will open the flood gates of opportunity for some but could close the doors of homes and businesses for others. The Carolina Bays Parkway Extension project could be the missing link for rural towns to become Brunswick’s next big, booming city. However, some small-town business owners are questioning if the boom will be big enough to reach them. The N.C. Department of Transportation and the S.C. Department of Transportation are working together to extend S.C. 31, known as Carolina Bays Parkway, from S.C. 9 in Horry County, South Carolina, to U.S. 17 in Brunswick County. “The extension would provide a more direct and efficient movement of traffic seeking to bypass congestion within the areas of Calabash in North Carolina as well as Little River and the Grand Strand areas in South Carolina,” per NCDOT’s website. “As a result, local and tourist traffic on area roadways would experience less congestion and delays.” That area includes Brunswick places on each side of U.S. 17: Growing Carolina Shores, Calabash and Sunset Beach at the coast and inland more rural Hickman’s Crossroads, Ash and Longwood. South Carolina is almost ready to begin construction on its end, but North Carolina has yet to find a landing spot as well as funding. With a majority of potential connection spots near Hickman Road and a new shopping center on the way near Carolina Shores, people and businesses in southern Brunswick County could be teetering on trouble or treasure.
Twenty years in the making
The Carolina Bays Parkway Extension project began in 2006 with a feasibility study with conceptual alternative routes and has evolved into seven potential routes being studied. Interactive maps of the alternatives can be viewed on NCDOT’s website. The NCDOT portion of the project is only funded for preliminary engineering, NCDOT spokeswoman Lauren Haviland said, but not for right-of-way, utilities or construction. Right-of-way, utilities and construction for NCDOT’s part of the project is estimated to cost $809,700,000, Haviland said. Shallotte Mayor Walt Eccard has watched and supported the road project for about 10 years. He said it’s a complicated project with multiple agencies involved in both states. “I’m a big supporter of this project, I think it’s critical,” Eccard said. “I think the area will benefit, I think citizens will benefit in their travels.” If constructed, the route will be built in phases and enhance evacuation routes, improve safety and smooth out traffic flow as the county continues to grow in population. Exact costs and timelines to construct each phase for the North Carolina side have not been determined, Haviland said. Despite eagerness, Eccard said NCDOT has no funding to support its portion of the road. “Ultimately, we cannot move forward even when a route is selected until we have adequate funding and that’s been an issue for several years now,” Eccard said. Horry County in 2016 passed a capital projects sales tax referendum that allocated $125 million for its portion of the project, according to NCDOT’s website. In North Carolina, $4.1 million was allocated for planning and design. Public hearings for the North Carolina side of the extension have been delayed several times but, Eccard said, there is hope the draft environmental impact statement will be available this spring so public hearings and review can start, and a final route can be selected by NCDOT. Haviland confirmed a public hearing will be held in late spring if the draft environmental impact statement is approved soon. NCDOT has seven alternative maps for preferred routes in Brunswick County that will eventually dump onto U.S. 17. However, five alternatives cross on the northern side of U.S. 17 around Hickman’s Crossroads along Hickman Road in Calabash.
Impacting generations
Distant relatives David and Myles Bennett were born and raised in the Calabash area. Myles was raised on Thomasboro Road near the heart of Calabash while David was raised on the northern side of U.S. 17 around Hickman’s Crossroads. The Bennetts have been in the Calabash area since the 1800s, Myles Bennett said, noting most know their family through farming and the seafood restaurant business. David Bennett is also related to the Hickman’s, who have lived in the Ash and Longwood areas since the 1700s. He said the property he lives on has been in his family’s name since 1845 and that his father’s entire life was spent on the property. “His life was here. … And he was so worried that if they took that away, then he had to leave here,” he said. One of the alternative routes connecting near Hickman’s Crossroads would place the road on top of David Bennett’s dining and living room and partially through the Manley Bennett Cemetery that holds approximately 300 graves, with some headstones dating back to the 1800s. SCDOT is currently working with NCDOT to secure the environmental permit from the Federal Highway Administration, SCDOT spokeswoman Hannah Robinson said in early January. “Once the document is secured, right-of-way acquisition can begin,” Robinson said. “At this time, we anticipate construction to begin in 2028.”
Needed project with a questionable future
The timeline and future of the project is still unknown. Though project start and completion dates are still in question, local leaders look forward to the additional road and evacuation route. “The county only has one main artery and it impacts the ability for people to move around,” Carolina Shores Mayor Dan Conte said. “The extension would be a boom to Ash, but it would also help us.” The extension is a “critical infrastructure need,” said Conte, because it will give southern Brunswick County residents more opportunity to move throughout the county with less traffic, especially during an evacuation. “There’s no provision right now to easily move people from our town or from the southern part of the county,” he said, noting N.C. 130 quickly floods during heavy rainfall and residents need an alternative route. With proposed and already approved developments near Ash, Calabash and Longwood areas piling up, the road could also declutter future traffic. Myles Bennett echoed Conte’s thoughts, believing the extension would help decongest existing traffic-prone areas. However, his neighbor Hannah Williams Crane fears the road will only make things worse. Crane was also raised on Thomasboro Road and has deep roots to the Calabash area through her mother’s side of the family, who were the Moore’s. She said Hickman’s Crossroads is already “so congested with traffic.” Many drivers who often travel through Hickman’s Crossroads already plan to get stuck, she added.
Local businesses consider the impact
Though the new road means less traffic along currently congested roads, south traveling traffic flow could stop in front of Carolina Shores as popular retail stores like Walmart and Publix build along U.S. 17. Calabash Deli co-owner Sean Grady said the extension could have a positive or negative impact on the Calabash community. Traveling will likely be easier but new shopping centers and fast food chains could take away customers from small businesses. Existing traffic jams and recent closure of the Calabash Bridge have already deterred potential customers from visiting the small town, he said. “A lot of people are avoiding Calabash because it’s a small, quaint town and some people don’t want to get caught up in the traffic and they kind of stick to the major highway and drive right past us,” Grady said. Like Grady, Coffee Cottage and Calabash Garden Tea Room owner Kathy Cody said it is hard to say the exact impacts the extension will have on the Calabash community since there is no finalized plan nor promised timeline. “The longer it takes them to actually initiate it and make it happen, the harder it’s going to be, and the more people and neighborhoods are going to be affected,” she said.
New road, high housing market, low rural life
Some major housing and commercial developments have already been approved around the potential route area, like the 2,950-home development named Ashton Farms. Housing developments are coming in while rural lifestyles are being pushed out. Myles Bennett and Crane explained they have already seen changes to Calabash as nearby wooded areas are cleared for new housing developments and vehicular traffic increases. “The stuff in front of us has been woods my entire life and just last year we saw them start clearing trees right across the road from Thomasboro,” said Crane, noting they are expected to have over 1,000 new neighbors. The heart of Calabash was built with family-owned businesses. Calabash would have to add more grocery stores and “convenient” businesses if the extension were to push more people to Calabash, Crane said. The “small town feel,” she noted, could be negatively changed. Like Calabash, the Ash and Longwood communities are full of generational families and homes, Crane and David Bennett said. “My grandfather loved this place, and he used to say that J.D. Rockefeller did not have enough money to buy his place,” David Bennett said. Some fear the new road, if built near Hickman’s Crossroads or Ash, will drain the history and culture of the Ash community. “It’s no longer going to be family land, it’s no longer going to be the quiet town that we know,” Crane said. David Bennett’s mother was from Longwood. He said the Longwood community was named after his great grandfather, noting he has relatives that will also be uprooted. The road could cause David Bennett and many others to pack up their lives with nowhere else to go. “I don’t want to go anywhere, I want to stay here, this is my home. … I don’t think people think about the lives that something like that is going to affect,” said David Bennett, noting many local generational families would not survive if they were displaced and forced to live elsewhere. Ocean Isle Beach Mayor and real estate agent Debbie Smith said road projects “typically” have a positive impact on property values, noting homes closer to the new road could increase in value. “Then again, it may change some of the uses from rural farming to more urban development,” Smith said. She said the road will be beneficial to the whole area and “critical for the future of our area” since it will increase access and emergency evacuation routes throughout the county and across state lines. “I think more than anything it would improve transportation and maybe keep some of our roads from becoming overburdened. … It is desperately needed for the area,” Smith said.
Where to grow from here
Brunswick County is seeing tremendous growth and municipalities are planning projects, setting budgets and updating unified development ordinances to prepare for more. “Until we see the final plans, it’s really hard to say,” Eccard said of the extension bringing more traffic to Shallotte. Conte said Carolina Shores is almost completely built out with no room for more major developments. Though the town has no more room, he said traffic will always be an issue. Families living along the alternative routes are conflicted, depressed and worried because they do not know what to do, David Bennett said. For example, he said, upgrading his house could be a waste of time if the home is destroyed in a few years. “It’s constantly in the back of your mind. …. Where are we supposed to go? What are we supposed to do?,” he said. Potential impacts to noise, low income and disadvantaged populations, cultural resources and the environment are considered when selecting the least environmentally damaging and practicable alternative route, Haviland said. “In cases where impacts to private properties are unavoidable, NCDOT will work with individual property owners to help minimize impacts or mitigate through appropriate compensation,” Haviland said. The NCDOT representative said it should have a recommended alternative route selected after the public has time to review the draft environmental impact statement, look at preliminary designs and make formal public comments. “As part of the alternative analysis process, impacts to communities, properties, landowners and businesses are considered. … Comments from the public are always welcomed and encouraged. The formal comment period will take place once the public hearing has been scheduled,” Haviland said.
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Previously reported – November 2023
Carolina Bays Parkway project S.C. 31
As many of you know the extension of Carolina Bays 31 from SC to NC has been an ongoing project for many years that has been accelerated by the fact that SC has the funding and the desire to complete the existing SC31 to the NC state line. This has caused NC to produce a plan even though they have no funding for the road to enter NC and go north towards Wilmington.
There have been numerous rumors about what routes are and are not being considering and quite honestly there are some things that we do know for fact after the most recent meeting but there are even more things that we, and NCDOT for that matter, don’t have answers to at this point. The purpose of this communication is to make everyone aware of what we know. At the Sept Board meeting the Community Impact Committee made a presentation that clearly identified 2 of the proposed routes along with many of the details surrounding a project like this. It is suggested that if you haven’t seen it to review the below “Enumerate Engage – Login” link for more detail about this project.
What we know based on the last meeting with the NCDOT two weeks ago;
Without funding, NCDOT continues Carolina Bays Parkway discussion
On Oct. 16, the Grand Strand Area Transportation Study (GSATS) Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) and the GSATS Policy Committee with both North Carolina and South Carolina participants met. Both meetings were held at Ocean Isle Beach Town Hall. Both meetings were open to the public and focused on the Carolina Bays Parkway Extension project that will extend Carolina Bays Parkway — also known as South Carolina Highway 31 — from South Carolina Highway 9 in Horry County, South Carolina, across the North Carolina state line to US Highway 17 in Brunswick County. Representatives from participating towns, cities and counties and project leads from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) were in attendance. During the combined policy meeting, participants received a presentation by NCDOT Division 3 Engineer Chad Kimes and Project Development and Environment Analysis (PDEA) Engineer Mason Herndon. Kimes told the committee that NCDOT wants to start obtaining funding for the extension by the end of next year to get the North Carolina side of the project moving. “I can tell you, Carolina Bays is one of our number one priorities in this region that’s unfunded, currently, by the state of North Carolina,” he said. Kimes explained that they are going to try several ways to get state funding over the next few months and they will know a little more by spring 2024. He noted that the project had been submitted for state funding in the past, however, they have yet to receive any money. “The lowest project to score in our scoring system that got picked up in our [Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP)] program scored a 74.6,” he said. “We were scoring the Carolina Bays at a 62.71. The difference between that 62 and that 74.6 is about $14 billion worth of projects in between, so there was a big difference…” He told the board that NCODT will be applying for federal grants too, however, all grants will require a match by the state. “On a price tag like this, North Carolina can match anywhere between 30 and 50% on federal grants but we will be pursuing it,” Kimes said. If they do apply for federal grants, the project may score better in the prioritization process because it will bring down the overall cost of the project for North Carolina. Kimes noted they are looking to lower project costs by eliminating interchanges and installing superstreets, adding they may reduce the number of right a ways, too, and that things can be changed in the future. Kimes said they are seeking to connect the project to US Highway 17 sooner to lower overall costs and are still considering installing tolls along the project to offset the total cost as well. Herndon gave the Policy Committee, along with a good-sized audience, a presentation on NCDOT’s progress on the project, funding and planning. Herndon said they are studying seven different routes in the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), however, alternative route four is the preferred one at the moment. He explained that one of the interchanges would go up to Ash Little River Road in Ash. Alternative four would connect with South Carolina at Hickman Road Northwest in Calabash, and travel through Hickman’s Crossroads. It would cross the Hickman’s Branch River and the Cawcaw Swamp. The suggested route would take the project to Gwynn Road Northwest in Longwood and Bland Road Northwest in Longwood. If alternative map four is chosen for the extension, the project would not connect with US Highway 17 until its intersection with Longwood Road and Seaside Road near Grissettown. “Alternative four ties into [US Highway] 17 at the 904 intersection,” Herndon said. Asked how much money had been committed on North Carolina’s end, Herndon said none. He said they were told by the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) to look at an “affordable solution” to get the project started since they have no funding currently. He said NCDOT has been working on it and has sent the draft EIS, which includes all seven alternatives, to the FHA. He said NCDOT will eventually have a financial plan to show their commitment to the entire project with South Carolina. Herndon said the project would be done in phases — phase one would either stop at the North Carolina and South Carolina boarder or carry into Brunswick County up to Ash Little River Road. “Now, we’re not talking about this as the complete project, this is just phase one of the project,” he said. “Every project that we’ve got is so many miles long that we build it in sections, and it has to have logical termini. So, basically, those are the two logical termini we feel like we can start with.” If phase one were carried into Brunswick County, he said an interchange would be built at Ash Little River Road. “This would require us to do improvements along Hickman Road and along Ash Little River Road to get traffic to 904 until phase two is built,” he said. A timeline for phase one could not be provided at this time. “Until we actually have money in the bank for this project in North Carolina… that’s going to be when we can really develop a timeline,” Herndon said. He said they hope that having this plan, with some committed funds, will help move things forward, and also explained that the final EIS may not get approved without a full financial plan for the entire project. Kimes said he felt confident that they will receive right of way funding by the end of 2024 to kickstart the project. With the project plan coming together, Herndon said he expects public hearings to commence in early 2024. Shallotte Mayor Walt Eccard said he has been telling folks for three years that there would be a meeting to discuss the draft EIS. He asked how sure they were about the public hearings and if early 2024 was a reasonable date to tell people. In response, Herndon said he felt fairly confident that there would be public meetings for the extension, and they could begin in early 2024. He noted that the final EIS meeting might not be until the end of 2024 or beginning of 2025. “The public hearings after the draft EIS [are] to give public input on what we’re proposing,” Herndon said. He explained the final EIS would contain the final determined route for the Carolina Bay Parkway Extension, however, the drafted EIS, used for information purposes, will include all seven alternative routes. Brunswick County Board of Commissioners Chair Randy Thompson said there would be major construction work that would take years if alternative four is chosen. He said he was concerned about the potential traffic on affected roads during the duration of the project’s construction, noting that traffic is already a major issue with the county’s increasing population growth. “We need the highway; there’s no doubt about that. We need the highway,” Thompson said. Kimes said they will look at all the potentially effected roads to see what they can handle and make sure steps are in place for potentially needed improvements. All of the alternative routes can be found online on the NCDOT website at https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/carolina-bays-parkway/Pages/project-maps.aspx
Corrections & Amplifications –
With improvements made,
a Brunswick rest area and visitor center to soon reopen
The Brunswick County Visitors Center, a state-operated facility in Shallotte, is reopening after several delays. The facility, located at the intersection of U.S. 17 and N.C. 130 between Wilmington and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has been closed for renovations since fall 2023 and has not yet reopened. Though the center and facility were set to open in January, the completion date has moved to early March. Here’s the latest.
Project details and timeline
The project involved several improvements, including a new family restroom facility, water line, updated drainage and landscaping improvements. Kowen General Contractors began construction in October 2023, but according to Lauren Haviland, spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the firm did not start groundwork until March 2024.
Why the delay?
“That delay was due to the contractor had never done work for NCDOT before and was unfamiliar with the processes, such as working with certified sub-contractors,” Haviland previously told StarNews in an email. “Also, several items of work have been added, extending their agreement to the end of the year.”
When will it open?
The center will reopen on March 3, Shallotte Town Manager Mimi Gaither said. Andrew Barksdale, NCDOT communications officer, said the restrooms and parking lot will open March 3 and the Brunswick County Visitor Center will open March 4.
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Previously reported – January 2025
When will the Brunswick County Visitors Center re-open?
The Brunswick County Visitors Center, a state-operated facility in Shallotte, is a popular rest stop for those driving along U.S. 17. Located at the intersection of U.S. 17 and N.C. 130 between Wilmington and Myrtle Beach, the facility is a North Carolina Department of Transportation rest area that serves thousands of patrons each year. But the facility has been closed for renovations and has not yet re-opened. A reader recently wrote to the StarNews and inquired about plans to re-open the facility. Here’s what we found out.
When did the facility close?
The visitors center closed in fall 2023 for construction.
What did the project include?
According to a previous StarNews article, the project involved several improvements, including a new family restroom facility, water line, updated drainage and landscaping improvements. The article stated a construction contract for $981,000 was awarded to Kowen General Contractors out of Maxton for the project.
What was the project timeline?
Kowen was able to begin construction in October 2023, but according to Lauren Haviland, spokeswoman for the NCDOT, the firm did not start groundwork until March 2024. “That delay was due to the contractor had never done work for NCDOT before and was unfamiliar with the processes, such as working with certified sub-contractors,” Haviland said, in an email. “Also, several items of work have been added, extending their agreement to the end of the year.”
What items were added to the project?
Haviland said additional work includes waterline and hydrant installation, additional tile work, removing and replacing existing sidewalks, additional support at one of the entrances, cabinet work in one of the rooms, and removing and replacing the fascia. Haviland noted that while the original contract amount was $981,000, the project was funded for $1.5 million. As of the November 2024 estimate, Haviland said NCDOT had spent about $1,352,000.
When will it be completed?
According to Haviland, construction is expected to be completed in late January 2025.
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Odds & Ends –
Brunswick Community College holds groundbreaking for new first responder training center
Brunswick Community College held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday morning for the new “Alan Holden Public Safety Center,” named after the chair of BCC’s Board of Trustees. The building will be located directly behind the main entrance to the college off highway 17. Construction of the more than 28,000 square-foot facility is scheduled to begin Monday. The state-of-the-art facility will feature a wide array of specialized labs and training rooms. Including a moveable wall tactical firearm room, a self-defense arrest techniques mat room, fire truck and police scenario simulators, and EMS scenario training rooms. College president Gene Smith says the new facility will continue BCC’s mission of expanding with the community. “This facility will provide the opportunity for BCC to continue to serve our students and meet the needs of our community for many, many, many, years to come,” Smith stated. Construction is estimated to finish in March of 2026.
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BCC breaks ground on Alan Holden Public Safety Center
Brunswick Community College (BCC) on Jan. 31 celebrated the groundbreaking of the Alan Holden Public Safety Center today, marking the beginning of a transformative project that will bolster educational and career opportunities while addressing critical workforce needs in the region. Construction of the 28,278-square-foot facility is scheduled to begin on Feb. 3, with an estimated completion date of March 2026. The state-of-the-art facility will feature a wide array of specialized labs and training rooms, including a VirTra Simulator, moveable wall tactical firearm room, self-defense/arrest techniques mat room, driving simulators, EMS scenario training rooms, and an apparatus bay. It will serve as the new home for numerous programs and certifications designed to train the next generation of public safety professionals. “Today’s groundbreaking is a monumental step forward in Brunswick Community College’s mission to meet the growing needs of our community,” said Dr. Gene Smith, President of BCC. “The Alan Holden Public Safety Center will provide top-tier education and training opportunities for students and support in-service training for our local law enforcement officers, fire, and rescue personnel. We are deeply honored by Alan Holden’s generosity and his trust in BCC to carry forward a legacy of excellence and service to our community.” The facility will house Associate in Applied Science degree programs in Criminal Justice Technology, Emergency Medical Science (EMS), and Public Safety Administration with specializations in Corrections, Law Enforcement, and Emergency and Fire Management, and 911 Communication and Operations. In addition, the center will offer diploma, certification, and continuing education courses such as Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET), Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Advanced Life Support (ALS), and a variety of firefighter training programs. “This project is a game changer for the safety and well-being of the people of Brunswick County and beyond,” said Sheriff Brian Chism. “The Alan Holden Public Safety Center will provide invaluable training resources for public safety professionals, ensuring they are prepared to protect and serve at the highest level. We are grateful to both Mr. Holden and BCC for their continued contributions to and support of our community.” For more information about Brunswick Community College and the Alan Holden Public Safety Center, visit brunswickcc.edu.
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Alerts
Brunswick County uses ReadyBrunswick as part of the County’s effort to continuously improve communications during emergency situations within our area. Powered by Everbridge, the ReadyBrunswick notification system sends emergency notifications in a variety of communication methods such as:
In the case of an emergency, you may choose to receive notifications via one or all of these communication methods. It’s recommended that you register several media options to receive messages in the event a particular communication device is unavailable.
For more information » click here
Brunswick County Emergency Communications Notification System
Get notified about emergencies and other important community news by signing up for our ReadyBrunswick Emergency Notification System. This system enables us to provide you with critical information quickly in a variety of situations, such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons, evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods, and more. You will receive time-sensitive messages wherever you specify, such as your home, mobile or business phones, email address, text messages and more. You pick where, you pick how.
SIGN UP HERE to choose the type of alerts you want to receive
Save the Date:
ReadyBrunswick Preparedness Expo is Wednesday, May 7
Are you prepared for emergencies? Come by the ReadyBrunswick Preparedness Expo on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, anytime between 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to meet with our team members and other local organizations to learn more about disaster preparedness and recovery in Brunswick County.
This family-friendly event is free to attend and will feature over 20 local organizations that are ready to help prepare you for local hazards and threats, guide you and your family in developing an emergency plan, and teach you about organizations that can assist with recovery needs.
There will be free Sunset Slush Classic Italian Ice, popcorn, a vast display of rescue vehicles, a free raffle contest, and many handouts related to emergency preparedness and recovery.
For any questions, contact our Emergency Management team at 910.253.2589 or via email.
Find preparedness information on our website anytime at brunswickcountync.gov/emergency. Learn more about the ReadyBrunswick Emergency Notification System and sign up at brunswickcountync.gov/e-alerts.
ReadyBrunswick Preparedness Expo Details
When: Wednesday, May 7, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (come and go anytime)
Where: Brunswick County Government Center, 30 Government Center Drive NE, Bolivia, NC 28422 (Parking available in front of the David R. Sandifer Administration Building)
What to Expect: All Brunswick County community members and visitors are welcome to come and meet local organizations that can guide you through emergency preparedness and recovery activities.
For more information » click here
This and That –
State’s fix for costly litter problem ‘not efficient or sufficient’
The cleanup of more than 7,000 tons of litter in North Carolina cost state agencies, local governments and nonprofits more than $56 million in 2023, according to a new report. Those figures highlighted in “The Cost of Litter in North Carolina,” a 14-page report created through a collaboration of nonprofits and the Duke University Environmental Law and Policy Clinic, are just the tip of the trash pile. “That’s a severe undercount,” said Rob Clark, Cape Fear River Watch Water Quality Programs manager and a coauthor of the report. “The issue is much, much worse than this report was able to convey.” The figures included in the report were pulled together from information obtained through public records requests, informal requests, and budgets from the North Carolina Department of Transportation and 44 nonprofits. Of nearly 40 of the municipalities requested to provide information, 19 responded. There are more than 500 municipalities in the state. Even on the low, low end, the pounds of litter and costs associated with removing it from roadsides, ditches, and creek and river banks to name a few, conveys a narrative that North Carolina has a costly, statewide litter problem. But the economic impacts of litter are only part of the story, one the report’s authors hope to place into the hands of state legislators. That’s because the basic approach to addressing litter in the state — spending money to clean it up — is not efficient, Clark said. “It doesn’t address the issue properly,” he said. “It addresses the byproduct of the litter issue, but not the sources. It’s like you’re Band-Aiding over an artery. It’s not efficient or sufficient.” That’s why the report, which was also compiled by North Carolina Conservation Network, Haw River Assembly, and MountainTrue, includes recommendations aimed at reducing litter at the source, keeping it out of the environment, and saving tax dollars. One of the report’s main recommendations, Clark said, is that the North Carolina General Assembly reinstate the ability of local governments to regulate auxiliary containers, specifically single-use plastics such as grocery bags, cups, bottles and other types of food packaging. In a last-minute move, legislators injected into the 2023 state budget language that prohibits counties and cities from adopting rules, regulations, ordinances, or resolutions that restrict, tax, or charge fees on auxiliary containers. The provision stopped locally elected officials in Asheville from moving ahead on a vote to ban single-use plastic bags and Styrofoam food containers. “We were really close for that to come up to a vote here locally and then the General Assembly put that provision into the state budget,” said coauthor Anna Alsobrook, French Broad Riverkeeper and MountainTrue’s French Broad watershed science and policy manager. The law also squashed local elected officials in Durham from deciding whether to require retailers tack on a 10-cent fee for each plastic bag given out to customers in restaurants, grocery stores and shops. “It’s really unfortunate that the state legislature took away the right of local governments to regulate pollution in their own jurisdictions,” Alsobrook said. “We’re hoping to change that.” North Carolina Sen. Julie Mayfield, D-Buncombe, and Durham Democrats Sen. Natalie Murdock and Sen. Sophia Chitlik, last month introduced a bill that would repeal limitations on auxiliary containers. The same year legislators banned a ban on single-use plastics. A survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy showed that more than 80% of some 650-700 North Carolinians polled across the state supported regulations on single-use plastics, Alsobrook said. The report found that the amount of single-use plastic litter – everything from cigarette butts, Styrofoam, bottles, bags, and food wrappers – picked up throughout the state has steadily climbed since the late 1960s. In the ravages left in western North Carolina from Hurricane Helene, there is one rather ominous, tell-tale sign illustrating the abundance of single-use plastics in the environment. “There’s a ton of devastation all over the place, but there’s tons and tons of plastic films and bags hanging from trees in any given direction,” Alsobrook said. “I think that was one of the most stark things we saw for a really long time. It’s very apocalyptic looking.” And there is ongoing research about the potential human health effects of microplastics, which are considered ubiquitous in the environment because they have been found in every ecosystem on the planet. Other recommendations in the report include the statewide implementation of a bottle deposit system where residents would receive a deposit for returning empty, single-use bottles, using the Clean Water Act in waters declared federally impaired as a result of litter pollution, and boosting funding the state transportation department’s litter cleanup efforts. The North Carolina Department of Transportation “by far” carries the burden for litter cleanup in the state, the report concludes. NCDOT spent more than $25 million of taxpayer funds to clean litter in 2023, according to the report. The department has spent about $270 million on litter cleanup over the past 15 years. Recommendations included in the report are not new, “crazy ideas,” but rather policies that exist in other states and countries, Clark said. “We’re just trying to take good policies and procedures that have worked in other places and implement them in our state,” he said. “Litter is, I think, viewed as an individual issue in our society. It’s seen as a failure of an individual, a litterbug. But really the reality of the situation is it’s a production issue, especially with plastic. There’s just so much production that we’re essentially drowning in it. We need to seriously address force reduction if we’re really going to get a handle on it.”
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Car insurance companies ask for 22.6% rate increase in North Carolina
Companies asked for proposed rate hike to take effect Oct. 1
Auto insurance companies are asking for a sizable rate increase in North Carolina, up an average of 22.6%. The request for the rate increase was filed by the North Carolina Rate Bureau on Monday, Feb. 3, the state Department of Insurance said. The companies asked that their proposed insurance rate hike take effect Oct. 1. Now that the request has been filed, the insurance commissioner has 60 days to review it, according to the department. During his review, Commissioner Mike Causey will determine if the companies’ request is justified. If he disagrees with their request, Causey has the power to have the Department of Insurance negotiate a settlement, or he can call for a hearing. State officials said settlements have been reached in the past, but if the companies’ request goes to a hearing, a hearing officer would have the final say. Monday’s filing comes two years after the companies asked for a 28.4% increase. That request eventually resulted in a settlement with an average 4.5% increase per year for two years. In a statement, N.C. Rate Bureau COO Jarred Chappell said the request for an increase comes as vehicles and repairs have become more expensive and accidents have become more common. “This request reflects the fact that vehicles and repairs are getting more expensive, partly because automakers pack so much technology into modern vehicles,” Chappell said. “Accidents have become more common, partly because distracted driving has eroded driving habits. Vehicle weights are up, and so is horsepower, both of which make accidents more severe.” Chappell said North Carolina has some of the lowest auto insurance rates in the country, and said an increase is needed to “ensure a large number of companies want to write policies in the state.”
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Why rising costs have left some Wilmington-area beach nourishment projects high and dry
Carolina and Kure beaches in New Hanover County and Oak Island in Brunswick County could be left waiting for sand due to rising dredging costs and a surge in demand for such projects nationwide
Some Wilmington-area beaches, recently covered by a rare snow storm, will soon again be a hive of activity as officials take advantage of the open environmental window − outside of sea turtle and shorebird nesting season − to pump fresh sand onto the vital economic engines for many coastal communities. The activity, however, will be muted this year, and that has officials in both New Hanover and Brunswick counties concerned.
What’s going on?
Call it the law of supply and demand. Beach nourishment is inherently expensive, requiring lots of pre-project planning and permit work and then securing an acceptable sand source that can be pumped onto a beach. If that borrow site is farther away than say a nearby inlet, like Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach mine for their projects, it will cost more to move the sand from the source to the beach. “Sources of sand are drying up in some places,” said Dr. Robert Young, director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University. “Borrow areas don’t make sand. These are non-renewable resources. And as you creep offshore even a little, costs go up, often a lot. But another factor that’s helping send the cost of beach nourishment surging is the high demand for projects to rebuild beaches all along the Gulf and East coasts battered by recent hurricanes and the few number of American companies out there in the dredging business. “There are simply a limited number of companies out there that can do this kind of work, and competition is fierce because we’re literally trying to hold the line everywhere from Saco, Maine, to Padre Island, Texas, and that’s only a little bit of an exaggeration,” Young said. “When you have a lot of demand and not a ton of supply, the people who do work like this are really in the driver’s seat.”
What have been the impacts this year?
With prices coming in well above predictions, some Cape Fear-area beach towns are having to adapt and make painful decisions. In New Hanover County, the periodic federal nourishment of Carolina and Kure beaches is one that has fallen victim to the financial headwinds. The Pleasure Island project had an estimated cost of just under $20 million. But the only bid for the work the Army Corps of Engineers received came in at $37.5 million. In a letter to residents, Kure Beach Mayor Allen Oliver said the price differential was just too much to overcome this winter. “Getting additional bidders are slim and since the price was double the estimated project cost, the best possible solution is to postpone the event until next year,” the mayor said. “We should get better pricing and more bidders participating.” The delay means the two New Hanover beach towns will have to go longer than expected without a fresh injection of sand − a worry for officials and residents in a world where climate change is increasingly fueling stronger and bigger tropical storm systems. “This is not the most favorable situation for us and Carolina Beach, but honestly it is the most logical decision based on the lack of bidders and the cost of the single bid received,” Oliver said. In Brunswick County, Oak Island also is feeling the pain of higher prices and not enough competition. When the town opened bids up this fall for a large-scale, end-to-end beach nourishment project to take place this winter, the bids from two companies “were significantly above a feasible budget for the town, which was reflective of the fact that there is essentially no availability of dredging company equipment to conduct the project during that timeframe,” states a post on Oak Island’s website. The project is estimated to cost at least $40 million, with half of that covered by a one-time state grant. Bids for the same work to take place during the 2025-26 dredging window came closer to the town’s budget, and Oak Island officials are now in negotiations to see if the work can get done between mid-November and late April 2026. “If negotiations are not successful, the project will be rebid in 2025,” the town stated online. Now officials and residents have to hope the beach can hold out until then. Hurricane Isaias, which raked the Brunswick County shoreline nearly five years ago, chewed away a lot of the beach. Storms, king tides and gradual sea-level rise has since then added to the pain − not to mention the no-name storm and the remnants of Tropical Storm Helene that hit Brunswick County last September and October, respectively. Big beach projects aren’t the only ones getting caught up in the financial squeeze. A project put out to bid by the corps of engineers to dredge the shipping channel near the mouth of the Cape Fear River this winter and place the sand on Oak Island and Caswell Beach also came in 20% over estimates.
Is it all bad news?
At least one beach town in the Wilmington area will be seeing new sand this winter. This week, Surf City will begin pumping sand from Banks Channel on the Intracoastal Waterway side of the Pender County beach town onto its beach strand. The nearly $20 million project, which is expected to wrap up in late March, will nourish the town’s entire strand, adding an estimated 60 feet of beach from the Topsail Beach line to 1,000 feet north of the Surf City Fishing Pier. Town Manager Kyle Breuer said although Surf City only received one bid for the work, it was within the town’s estimates and the timing of when the dredging could take place within the fairly narrow fall/winter navigational window also worked. “We were very fortunate and very thankful,” he said. Breuer noted that not only will the project help nourish Surf City’s eroded beach but also piggyback on the earlier dredging of parts of Banks Channel done by Topsail Beach to improve navigation around the southern half of Topsail Island. The breakdown of the project’s cost is roughly $5 million from Surf City and about $14.5 million in funding coming through a one-time state grant.
What does the future look like?
Unfortunately, a lot like today − if not worse − for beach towns desperate to hold back the encroaching ocean, Western Carolina’s Young said. He said the pressures that are driving prices upward are only likely to increase as sea-level rise, more storms and increased development make shore protection efforts more frequent and necessary than ever along many parts of the country’s oceanfront. The new Trump administration’s stated goal of taking a fine-tooth comb to the federal budget and slashing a lot of discretionary spending also could leave many coastal communities hunting for new revenue sources outside of Washington just as dredging prices surge and the need for beach nourishment increases. “Beaches are not stable, they move, so the only future I see is one where costs are increasing because there’s only so much sand and we’re doing it more often and in more places,” Young said.
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Fauna & Flora –
NC State Native Plant Resources » click here
NC Sea Grant Coastal Landscapes » click here
New Hanover County Arboretum Native Plant Garden » click here
Audubon Native Plant Database » click here
Fauna & Flora » click here
Holden Beach recommended plant list – deer resistant & salt tolerant
Factoid That May Interest Only Me –
There are 6 venomous snakes in North Carolina. Know what they look like.
There are 6 venomous snakes in North Carolina. Know what they look like.
If it’s spring, it’s time for us to remind you about some of the slithering neighbors you might encounter when you’re outdoors over the next several months. As the weather warms up in North Carolina, snakes start moving around, doing snakey things, and we are more likely to cross paths with them. They generally aren’t cause for much concern, but encounters can be a little scary for some (for the snakes as well as the people). It’s important to know that of the 38 species of snakes in North Carolina, the majority are nonvenomous and not aggressive toward people unless threatened. Arm yourself with knowledge. Learn about the venomous (sometimes incorrectly referred to as poisonous) snakes in our area, and how to distinguish them from the harmless ones.
Lockwood Folly has a name as unique as its history
While boaters, beachgoers and coastal North Carolinians alike are familiar with the state’s well-trafficked waterways at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, there’s a less famous inlet with a unique name and the history to match. Lockwood Folly Inlet separates present-day Oak Island and Holden Beach. It is the endpoint of Lockwood Folly River, a 25-mile-long waterway that flows through central and southern Brunswick County before emptying into the inlet. In addition to being a productive outlet for boaters and fishermen, Lockwood Folly Inlet is a historical curiosity. Its location and name shed light on a period of North Carolina history overshadowed by the Lost Colony when 117 English settlers disappeared from Roanoke Island in the late 1580s, or the Albemarle settlements. The name of Lockwood Folly Inlet dates back to the 17th century to a mostly forgotten episode during the settlement of North Carolina. That episode, if successful, would have directly changed the fate of the colony and cured it of the “general economic backwardness,” according to historian Hugh Lefler, that defined its colonial reputation. Though Lockwood Folly Inlet is one of the more stable — its size and surrounding sandbars shift regularly — at only around 100 feet wide and sometimes only a few feet deep, the inlet doesn’t allow for sizable ships. As a result, it has not been the site of significant development over the past four centuries. The inlet was never a proposed site for a major dredging project or a new town like Beaufort or Roanoke. This limited development has likely been a reason why the inlet has kept its unique name for centuries. Much of the speculation about the inlet’s name has focused on the titular “folly” involved. One early theory was that the “folly” was a boat built so large that it could not sail out of the river. Louis T. Moore argued in a 1948 article for The State magazine, now known as Our State, that the name instead came from an attempted settlement or house by a man named Lockwood in the 18th century. Moore said that the homestead was destroyed by Native Americans he mistreated. As the author described, the “folly” resulted when “a man unable to control his temper or passions later was punished by being driven from the place he intended as his home.” While writers have worked hard to explain the second half of the inlet’s name, they have done much less to figure out the first half. Few people have researched who Lockwood actually was. Who was the man who built the ship that could not sail, or who made the failed settlement? In order to solve that mystery, one must go back to the earliest attempts to settle North Carolina, several of which have been almost lost to history. Moore posited that Lockwood Folly received its name in the early to mid-18th century, with Lockwood likely being a settler during that time. That period would have been after the 1720s when James Moore and his family first settled the Cape Fear River. The 1720s was the traditional start of European settlement in that area, the time when North Carolinians discovered the Cape Fear as a productive outlet to the ocean and began establishing some of their largest towns on it. Seeming to confirm this theory is the presence of Lockwood Folly on maps as early as the Edward Moseley map of 1733. Moseley held political appointments between 1715 and 1749. But Lockwood Folly is not just on the Moseley map, it is also on the Herman Moll map of 1708 and William Fisher’s “New Mapp of Carolina” dated to 1698. Both Moll and Fisher were London, England, mapmakers. The earliest map that contains a place named Lockwood Folly is the Ogilby map from around 1671. Taken from an influential book on the Americas published by British author John Ogilby, the map, “A new description of Carolina by the order of the Lords Proprietors,” was drawn decades before North Carolina’s first incorporated town and less than 10 years after the Lords Proprietor first received their Carolinas grant in 1663. It was one of the first maps drawn that focused primarily on North Carolina after the Lost Colony. Given many of the other details on this map, the most likely explanation for Lockwood Folly is that it was named after a man who was part of one of two lost British colonies of the Cape Fear area. The first, founded by explorer and Hilton Head’s namesake William Hilton, was settled by Puritans from New England in 1663. After the Puritans quickly abandoned the area, a somewhat more successful colony was formed by Barbadians led by the Yeamans and Vassall families. This Cape Fear colony, identified by historian Lindley Butler as “the first English town in the Carolina propriety,” included enslaved people from Africa and committed to producing food and goods to support Barbados. The colony lasted only three years before Native American attacks, a lack of supplies, and disasters in England led to its abandonment. Lockwood was not a known member of either the colonies or the initial William Hilton expedition. But of the dozen or so Cape Fear area names on the Ogilby map, several were from the Hilton and Yeamans expeditions. One of these was a region labeled Long’s Delight, likely named after Capt. Anthony Long, a leader of the Hilton expedition. Another was Turkey Quarters, an area noted by the Barbadians for its large number of turkeys. The Barbadian connection with Lockwood is bolstered by a story from James Sprunt’s influential 1914 book, “Chronicles of the Cape Fear River,” which combined historical narrative with local legends and stories. In one section, Sprunt, inspired by a 1734 travelogue, wrote of the inlet’s name, “One Lockwood, from Barbados, however, made a settlement farther to the south [of another proposed settlement up the Cape Fear], which the Indians destroyed, and hence the name to this day of ‘Lockwood’s Folly.’” While we may never know exactly who Lockwood was, the Barbadian lineage in Sprunt’s tale would appear to corroborate the theory that he may have been part of the Barbadian colony. The early settlement of the Cape Fear River is a fascinating what-if in North Carolina history. Cape Fear is a more stable and hospitable inlet to shipping than those by the Albemarle Sound. It might have quickly fostered towns like Beaufort in South Carolina or Norfolk in Virginia. Instead of existing for 50 years as an almost-forgotten backwater, North Carolina might have grown faster and with a more refined air had it been originally settled at Cape Fear. Along with Rocky Point, Lockwood Folly Inlet is one of the two last remnants on a North Carolina map of the Hilton and Yeamans colonies. Other names like Long’s Delight have disappeared from use and have no modern equivalent, illustrating the forgotten nature of the 1660s Cape Fear expeditions.
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Hot Button Issues –
Subjects that are important to people and about which they have strong opinions
Climate
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There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear
Hottest decade
The latest “State of the Global Climate” report has been released and the news is pretty dire: our world has just experienced its hottest decade. According to the World Meteorological Organization, 2024 was the hottest since record-keeping began and was likely the first time global temperatures exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above the baseline set in 1850-1900. Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide were at the highest levels in the last 800,000 years. Such record levels of greenhouse gases — along with the El Niño weather pattern — were mostly to blame for the higher temperatures.
Earth’s 10 Hottest Years Have Been the Last 10
A report from the World Meteorological Organization confirms that 2024 was the hottest year on record and the first year to be more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial era.
With the addition of 2024, yet another record-hot year, the past 10 years have been the 10 hottest in nearly 200 years of record-keeping, the World Meteorological Organization reports. “That’s never happened before,” said Chris Hewitt, the director of the W.M.O.’s climate services division. It marks the first time since record keeping began that all of the 10 hottest years have fallen within the most recent decade. 2024 was the single warmest year on record, surpassing even 2023’s wide lead over other recent years. The planet’s surface was approximately 1.55 degrees Celsius warmer than its average during a reference period that approximates the preindustrial era, from 1850-1900. The annual report from the W.M.O., a United Nations agency, includes input from dozens of experts and institutions from around the world and sheds further light on the record-breaking heat of 2024 and places it in the context of Earth’s long-term warming from climate change. The extra energy in the atmosphere and the oceans helped fuel climate-related disasters around the globe. Extreme weather events like drought, storms and wildfires displaced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes, the report says. Atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases released from fossil fuel combustion continue to rise. In 2024, the concentration of carbon dioxide hit amounts unseen in at least two million years, according to the report. Concentrations of two other important greenhouse gases, methane and nitrous oxide, reached levels unseen in at least 800,000 years. Homo sapiens, or modern humans, emerged around 300,000 years ago, so our species has never before experienced an atmosphere so laden with planet-warming greenhouse gases. When countries signed the Paris Agreement in 2015, they agreed to try to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. “While a single year above 1.5 degrees C of warming does not indicate that the long-term temperature goals of the Paris Agreement are out of reach, it is a wake-up call that we are increasing the risks to our lives, economies and to the planet,” Celeste Saulo, the secretary general of the W.M.O., said in a statement. The new report estimates that long-term warming has reached 1.25 to 1.41 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, although the margins of error for some estimates extend beyond 1.5 degrees. The report authors estimate that last year, El Niño and other factors contributed an additional 0.1 or 0.2 of a degree of temporary warming. El Niño is a natural climate pattern that tends to slightly raise the overall surface temperature of the planet. Record warmth, however, continued into 2025, even through El Niño’s transition into the opposing pattern, La Niña. “It’s been really quite extraordinary to see that warmth continue for so long,” John Kennedy, the scientific coordinator and lead author of the report, said during a call with reporters. This warmth is especially apparent in the oceans, where key indicators of climate change are now accelerating. The oceans have so far absorbed around 90 percent of the additional heat trapped inside Earth’s atmosphere by greenhouse gases. The oceans’ heat content — a way to measure this warmth throughout different depths — also reached a record high last year. Over the past two decades, from 2005 to 2024, the oceans warmed more than twice as fast as they did from 1960 to 2005, according to the report. Increased ocean temperatures have had devastating consequences for marine life. By April 2024, warm-water corals had been bleached in every ocean basin where they grow. Global average sea-level rise also reached a record high in 2024, according to the report. The speed at which the seas are rising has also more than doubled in recent years: 4.7 millimeters per year in the past decade, from 2015 to 2024, compared with 2.1 millimeters per year from 1993 to 2002. The World Meteorological Organization’s work depends on international cooperation among its 101 member countries, including the United States. “If you look at how weather has progressed since the initiation of the W.M.O. in 1950, you can now see that you can have the forecast on your smartphone,” said Omar Baddour, the W.M.O.’s chief of climate monitoring. “You cannot believe how much collaboration is behind this.” Data from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which recently lost hundreds of staff positions as part of the rapid, large-scale cuts to the federal bureaucracy the Trump administration undertook beginning earlier this year, are included in the W.M.O.’s new report.
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Flood Insurance Program
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National Flood Insurance Program: Reauthorization
Congress must periodically renew the NFIP’s statutory authority to operate. On March 14, 2025, the president signed legislation passed by Congress that extends the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP’s) authorization to September 30, 2025.
Congress must now reauthorize the NFIP
by no later than 11:59 pm on September 30, 2025.
GenX
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Homeowners Insurance
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Hurricane Season
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Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30
Hurricane season is 3 months away. Will it be as active as last year?
What to know at this early stage.
One of the first things that tipped scientists off that 2024 would be an unusually active hurricane season: excessive ocean warmth in a key region of the Atlantic Ocean. But that’s just one of many factors different as this year begins. With the Atlantic hurricane season less than three months away, forecasters are making early efforts to understand how this year may differ from the last. And while specific forecasts for the number of hurricanes can’t be accurately made this far out, forecasters can look to planetary climate patterns for clues. At least two key differences suggest odds are lower for another extremely active season: For one, the tropical Atlantic isn’t as warm as it was last year. And a La Niña (known for cooling a vast swath of the Pacific Ocean) is not expected to form during the season. But it’s still early — and current conditions don’t entirely eliminate the odds of an overactive season. In the Atlantic Ocean, hurricane season runs from June through November, typically peaking in September. Last year, hurricane season was hyperactive, based on a metric called Accumulated Cyclone Energy. There were 18 named storms and five hurricane landfalls in the United States, including the devastating Hurricane Helene.
The Atlantic is cooler than last year
Among the many complex puzzle pieces that start to create a picture of hurricane season — including winds, air pressure patterns, Saharan Dust and monsoonal activity — sea temperatures are a key driver. Scientists look as an early signal to what’s called the Atlantic Main Development Region, or MDR, which extends from the Caribbean to the west, and to near Africa in the east. Sea surface temperatures in the MDR have a statistical relationship with hurricane activity. In 2024, there was excessive warmth in the MDR. But it’s not currently as warm as last year, nor is it forecast to be in a few months. When the MDR is cooler, it can contribute to atmospheric conditions that aren’t particularly conducive to lots of hurricanes. Forecasts for the MDR extend to July 2025, and they suggest that while seas in the region may be somewhat above-average, the Atlantic’s most unusual warmth will be located farther north. Comparing forecasts made for July of both years shows how much warmer the MDR was predicted to be in 2024 — a prediction that turned out to be correct. If the predictions hold true this year, that might reduce the odds for a season as active as 2024. Andy Hazelton, a physical scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Environmental Modeling Center, said the cooling of the MDR is the biggest factor that has stood out to him so far. “It’s still pretty warm, especially in the Caribbean, but the subtropics (north of the MDR) look warmer overall right now,” Hazelton said. If the pattern were to continue, he said, it could put a cap on how active the season may be.
La Niña may be fading
During hurricane season, the Pacific and Atlantic oceans are more than distant neighbors — they’re connected by the atmosphere. What happens in one doesn’t stay there; it sends ripples to the other, shaping storm activity on both sides. One pattern that causes a Pacific-Atlantic ripple effect is known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which has three phases: El Niño, La Niña and neutral. El Niño is marked by warmer-than-average seas in the eastern Pacific, while cool seas are prominent there during La Niña. Neutral periods often occur during transitions between El Niño and La Niña, as sea temperatures temporarily become less anomalous. Early this year, the tropical Pacific entered a La Niña phase — but it’s not expected to last for much longer. The cool waters associated with La Niña can suppress rainfall and thunderstorm activity in the tropical Pacific. But as the atmosphere balances itself, increased rainfall and thunderstorm activity, as well as winds that are more conducive to hurricane formation, can occur in the tropical Atlantic. This is why, in addition to the record-warm Atlantic seas, forecasters were so concerned about the level of hurricane activity last year. But a period of weaker winds in the eastern Pacific this month has caused a substantial warming of the ocean to the west of South America. Because the winds have been less robust, a process known as upwelling — which happens when strong winds churn cool, subsurface waters to the surface — has slowed down. If the warming continues, it will put the Pacific in a much different state than it was heading into the last hurricane season. This year, a developing tongue of warm water in the eastern Pacific could have the opposite effect as it did last year, promoting rising air and more rainfall there, while having a drying effect on the Atlantic. However, predictions of El Niño and La Niña are not made equal. A phenomenon known as the “spring predictability barrier” can lead to less-skillful forecasts during spring in the Northern Hemisphere. “ENSO still has the spring barrier to cross,” Hazelton said. “But cool subsurface conditions and persistent trade winds suggest we probably won’t be getting a rapid flip or setting up for El Niño in the summer.”
The bottom line: It’s still early, but 2025 looks different
One thing can be said confidently at this point: So far this year, the elements that drive the Atlantic hurricane season look markedly different from 2024. The Atlantic Ocean is shaping up to have a different sea-temperature configuration than last year, with the most unusually warm seas sitting outside of the MDR. A marine heat wave — expansive blobs of unusual oceanic heat that are becoming more common in a warming climate — no longer covers the MDR, but remains active in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, areas where hurricanes derive their energy from. In the Pacific, the door may be closing on La Niña as seas warm up in the east. But a full-fledged, hurricane-halting El Niño doesn’t look particularly likely, either. Hazelton said it’s possible there will be ENSO neutral conditions during peak hurricane season. These are some of the factors forecasters will be monitoring closely as hurricane season approaches. Seasonal outlooks of hurricane activity are typically released in April and May. And while the data may change, one thing is certain: It’s never too early to prepare, especially considering the United States experienced impactful landfalls from Hurricanes Beryl, Debby, Francine, Helene and Milton last year.
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Inlet Hazard Areas
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Lockwood Folly Inlet
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Seismic Testing / Offshore Drilling
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Offshore Wind Farms
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As NC wind energy projects advance, uncertainty rules
Wind projects that are leased, permitted or under construction in or near North Carolina are likely to survive buffeting by renewed wind energy skepticism from the Trump administration. Shortly after taking office in January, President Donald Trump issued an executive order barring new offshore wind leases and requiring reviews of existing and permitted wind projects. Although it was not targeting existing leases, industry supporters have questions about what rules, permits or projects it could impact and the potential for broader impacts through the workforce and manufacturing industries. “It’s not that companies are moving on as business as usual, but there’s so much uncertainty that they can’t just come to a screeching halt, and then all of this could change in five minutes,” Karly Lohan, Southeastern Wind Coalition’s senior Carolinas program manager, recently said in an interview with Coastal Review. “They have to keep going and figure this out as they go. And realistically, we’re probably not going to know an answer to a lot of those questions, and the true implications of this offshore wind executive action until … we know.” Lohan noted that the nonprofit coalition she represents is focused on educational outreach about wind energy and does not speak or act as a trade organization for the industry. A wind project off Kitty Hawk along the Outer Banks that’s owned by Avangrid Renewables and Dominion Energy is not yet under construction, but it still has active leases. Dominion Energy’s $9.8 billion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, or CVOW, project off Virginia Beach is going full speed ahead. The 2.6-gigawatt project is currently about half done and is expected to be completed on schedule by the end of 2026, according to company spokesman Jeremy Slayton. Duke Energy, along with Total Energies, has leased an offshore area off Southport for a wind farm known as Carolina Long Bay project, but it is in very early permitting stages. “We are still easily at least six or seven years away from construction for any of those projects,” Lohan said. The two land-based wind energy projects in North Carolina — Amazon Wind U.S. East in Elizabeth City, completed in 2017, and Timbermill Wind in Chowan County, completed in 2024 — will not be affected by the orders, Lohan said. Duke Energy has expressed interest in future land-based projects in North Carolina, but no information has been released about potential locations or plans, she said. While Dominion is working to complete its Virginia Beach project, it is keeping its CVOW-South, formerly the Kitty Hawk North project, on hold for the time being, Slayton, the company’s spokesman, said. “CVOW-South provides us with a potential option for additional offshore wind development,” he said in an email. “Our most recent long-term planning document, the Integrated Resource Plan, forecasts this project, if we pursue it, for the mid-2030s. At this time, we do not have a firm timeline or cost for developing this lease area.” Dominion Energy came to an agreement in July 2024 to purchase one-third of the Kitty Hawk North project, which is about 27 miles east of Corolla, the northern end of the Outer Banks, and about 38 miles southeast of the Sandbridge community in Virginia Beach. “Avangrid was willing to sell a portion of the project at a reasonable cost,” Slayton told Coastal Review at the time. “And we believe it was prudent to take advantage of this opportunity to meet the growing needs of our customers with clean energy and also help us achieve the requirements of the Virginia clean Economy Act, which calls for up to 5.2 gigawatts of offshore wind.” If developed, the project will connect to the grid for CVOW-South at a new substation at Corporate Landing in Virginia Beach, near Naval Air Station Oceana, he said. Katharine Kollins, president of Southeastern Wind Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy group, said that wind power production in the U.S. is behind the mature development of both offshore and onshore wind in Europe, but it has the capacity and resources to build a robust wind energy industry. “It requires economies of scale in manufacturing, all of the components it requires, economies of scale in construction and development and even in operations and maintenance,” she told Coastal Review recently. “And so, what the manufacturers have been saying to advocates in the industry for years is, ‘We need a solid pipeline of projects before we can commit a billion dollars to building a manufacturing facility in the U.S. that can then produce the major components, or an offshore wind turbine that would include your towers, your blades.’ Right now, I think the only thing that we can manufacture in the U.S. is foundations.” Like any energy production, wind energy is an equation of risk versus benefits, she said. And wind is economical, clean and safe, she added. “You don’t hear anything about wind spills,” she said. Yes, there are bird mortalities associated with strikes, but far, far less than the estimated one billion annual deaths from birds striking buildings. Kollins said the problem is uncertainty. “You know, uncertainty is not good for investment, and so if you have some significant political uncertainty, which makes it really hard for investors to move forward with any of those components that I was mentioning, whether in components, referencing manufacturing, referencing development, even thinking about leases. “Like, am I going to go pay $100 million to lease a square of ocean that, then I might have another presidential administration that says, ‘I don’t really like this?’ No thanks,” she said. “It does make it hard to overcome. This is an industry that should be nonpartisan.”
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Trump’s decision to pause offshore wind farms creates stormy waters for NC projects
The president’s move has brought into question the political and financial viability of future offshore wind farms, including two large projects for near-shore waters off Brunswick County
They are expensive to build, just finding their footing on this side of the Atlantic and have faced backlash from parties as varied as beachfront property owners and fishermen to coastal businesses and fossil fuel backers. But the U.S.’s still-young offshore wind industry has recently run into its biggest challenge of all, and one that could seriously destabilize the entire industry − including here in North Carolina: President Donald Trump. “I’d say it’s in critical condition,” said Dr. Brian Murray, director of the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment and Sustainability at Duke University. Trump’s move announced on his first day in office to cancel all future leases for offshore wind farms and block the federal government from issuing new permits for existing projects has effectively taken the wind out of the sails of several projects that were in the exploratory and planning stages, including two off Brunswick County and one off Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks. The president also has asked federal officials to see if they could claw back any permits issued for existing projects. Trump’s executive order doesn’t stop the handful of offshore wind projects, primarily in the Northeast, that are already under construction from moving forward. But because building offshore wind farms is incredibly capital intensive, which much of that money coming at the front-end of the massive projects, stopping any additional offshore wind projects severely limits companies and utilities from taking advantage of economies of scale. Murray said the president also has hinted that he could seek to end the tax credits for renewable energy projects included in President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which was one of the big financial incentives that made many of these billion-dollar wind projects financially attractive in the first place. “Now there’s a big question if those tax credits will even materialize,” he said. Katharine Kollins, president of the Southeastern Wind Coalition, a nonprofit that advocates for wind energy development in the Southeastern U.S., said all of this political and financial uncertainty has left the industry largely in limbo and wondering what the future of offshore wind is in the U.S.
Ceding another industry to China?
Trump said he was taking the step to all-but end future offshore wind farms, which he railed against during his campaign, because the U.S. is facing an “energy emergency.” But to clean energy supporters and environmentalists, the president’s actions don’t add up. “To most folks in the energy industry, you don’t declare an energy emergency and then ensure your country can’t access one of the largest and easiest ways to generate electricity,” Kollins said, noting that it also up ends the “all of the above” approach to having a diverse mix of energy sources in your power portfolio. Ending federal support for offshore wind could also cede another renewable energy business sector that most economists believe will offer huge growth opportunities in the coming decades as fossil fuels run out and become more politically unpalatable to foreign countries, particularly China. Already, the West has all but given up in competing in the solar panel market, with China dominating the industry, and the Chinese are making great leaps and strides in dominating the electric vehicle market as American and European automobile manufacturers dither. That’s not to say the offshore wind industry doesn’t already have a sizeable economic footprint in the U.S. According to the Oceantic Network, which promotes the offshore renewable energy industry and associated supply chain, there’s a $25 billion supply chain in 40 states and at more than two dozen ports that supports the industry. One business that has been looking to get into the wind field is the N.C. State Ports Authority, which last year floated a plan to build a multi-use terminal that would support the state’s offshore wind and automotive industries at its Morehead City port. “These initial actions by the president have been incredibly harmful for the industry,” she said.
‘Delays cause more problems’
With federal support for renewable energy sources looking shaky at best, it isn’t known what that might mean for states and had planned on integrating lots of offshore wind into their future energy grids as a way of increasing their clean energy footprint and reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, which is the primary driver of climate change. According to Oceantic, as of the start of 2025 there are six offshore wind projects in operation or under construction delivering 5 megawatts of power to the nation’s grid, with state demand for another 116 megawatts to meet future power demands and clean energy mandates. In North Carolina, the latest iteration of the Carolinas Resources Plan approved last fall by the N.C. Utilities Commission calls for including up to 2,400 megawatts of offshore wind in Duke Energy’s portfolio by 2035 if a study due later this year shows it is feasible to move forward. Two of North Carolina’s major wind projects are planned for the waters just south of Brunswick County, with initial development and evaluation of the projects − including potential impacts to marine life like the high endangered North Atlantic right whale − already started. One of the Brunswick sites is leased to one of Duke’s unregulated affiliates, while the other is leased to France’s TotalEnergies. “We are continuing to evaluate all the Presidential Executive Orders that came out in January, including the executive order on offshore wind,” said Duke spokesperson Bill Norton. “We look forward to working with the new administration on constructive outcomes to ensure reliable and affordable energy for our growing customer base.” Kollins said the industry already was facing some headwinds because of inflationary pressures and the need to rework or cancel existing contracts with utilities that didn’t make the offshore projects financially viable. Now with Trump’s actions, some companies are abandoning projects or completely exiting the U.S. market. That, in turn, leaves businesses that support the industry with fewer potential customers and projects and wondering if they’ll be able to weather the storm until the political winds hopefully change in a couple years. “There’s a negative feedback loop with the supply chain, unfortunately,” Kollins said. Duke’s Murray said the political and regulatory uncertainties have put a big chill on the offshore wind industry. “It was already a challenging industry in many respects,” he said. “But what’s happened now will cause delays, and delays cause more problems.”
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Things I Think I Think –
Eating out is one of the great little joys of life.
Restaurant Review:
The Dinner Club visits a new restaurant once a month. Ratings reflect the reviewer’s reaction to food, ambience and service, with price taken into consideration.
///// March 2025
Name: Ceviche’s
Cuisine: Panamanian
Location: 7210 Wrightsville Avenue, Wilmington NC
Contact: 910.256.3131 / https://www.wbceviche.com/
Food: Average / Very Good / Excellent / Exceptional
Service: Efficient / Proficient / Professional / Expert
Ambience: Drab / Plain / Distinct / Elegant
Cost: $26 Inexpensive <=20 / Moderate <=26 / Expensive <=35 / Exorbitant <=60
Rating: Three Stars
Ceviche’s is a Latin America seafood restaurant ranked #4 out of 666 restaurants located in Wilmington. It is located on Wrightsville Avenue, just before the bridge. They offer a creative Panamanian inspired menu specializing in serving ceviche which is a seafood dish popular in the coastal regions of Latin America. The dish is typically made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices and spiced with various peppers. It is a very busy place, which is filled nearly every evening. The cuisine is fresh and interesting, it’s a nice change from the same old same old. We enjoyed the dining experience at this place, it was – Delightful!
Dining Guide – Local * Lou’s Views
Dining Guide – North * Lou’s Views
Dining Guide – South * Lou’s Views
Restaurant Reviews – North * Lou’s Views
Restaurant Reviews – South * Lou’s Views
Book Review:
Read several books from The New York Times best sellers fiction list monthly
Selection represents this month’s pick of the litter
A DEATH IN CORNWALL by Daniel Silva
This is the twenty-fourth entry in the bestselling Gabriel Allon series, which chronicles the adventures of an art restorer, assassin and master spy, former chief of the Israel intelligence secret service, now retired. Gabriel comes out of retirement and joins forces with a team of operatives to track down a Picasso painting stolen by the Nazis and return it to its rightful owner. The story evolves into a complex conspiracy involving international stakes.
That’s it for this newsletter
See you next month
Lou’s Views . HBPOIN
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