Emerald Isle
Town Meeting
FY 08-09 Budget Adopted
TOWN MANAGER Frank Rush’s FY 08-09 General Fund budget of $7,758,977
was met with unanimous approval by the Board of Commissioners during
the town’s June 10 meeting. The new budget, which is an increase of
$375,929, or 5.09%, is mostly due to the scheduled replacement of a
22-year-old fire engine and associated equipment (budgeted at
$450,000). Helping to balance the General Fund budget will be a new
tax rate of 7 cents, a 4.4% increase from the previous 6.75-cent
rate that still falls below the 4.5% change in the Consumer Price
Index. This balances out to approximately $17.25 a year, or $1.44 a
month, for the average-value taxpayer in Emerald Isle.
While recommendations to eliminate annual solid waste fees of $180
for developed residential properties and the associated 3.1-cent tax
rate increase remained in the budget as they were during FY 07-08,
the new budget had its share of changes as well, including a
significant amount of funding set aside to retire the outstanding
debt on Emerald Isle’s new EMS station by the end of July, freeing
up approximately $120,000 of budget capacity for the following
fiscal year. In turn, a decrease in capital spending and a focus on
completing previously initiated projects, notably the soundfront
McLean Park, were approved for 08-09. However,
the planned community events sign has been postponed until 09-10 and
construction on the bicycle path segment of
Coast Guard Road will be delayed as town
staff seeks grant funding, with hopes of returning to the board for
approval at a later date.
Three changes to the town’s fee schedule were approved, including a
$50 stormwater permit for residential projects less than 10,000
square feet, a $500 stormwater permit for those above 10,000 square
feet and a standardization of developmental permit fees to $50,
which raises base building permit fees up from $40, driveway permits
up from $35 and floodplain development permits up from $40. The
stormwater permits are in accordance with the state’s Universal
Stormwater Management Program but Rush was given the authority to
waive those fees until the town’s program has been approved by the
state.
“When the town gets approved we will issue the permit for the
state,” said Rush. “The developer pays the same amount of money,
just to us, and we get to approve it faster. It will be a completely
local program. The state will be delegating that responsibility to
the town, therefore we keep the fee. Our ordinance has been mostly
reviewed by the state … I would expect we would be approved by July
sometime.”
Following two years without a cost of living increase in the town’s
Pay Plan, a 3.5% bump was adopted to raise minimum, maximum and
hiring salaries for town employees. These increases will not result
in additional salary increases for town employees beyond the 3.5%
adjustment.
New EMS Dedication
The new Emerald Isle EMS Station, set for completion by September
and occupation before October, will be dedicated to the late George
D. Foster, who joined the Emerald Isle Fire and Rescue Squad in the
late 1970s and served as EMS chief from 1981-1987 when the two
departments became separate entities.
Former EMS Chief Mary Metzler presented the request, noting that
Foster “considered Emerald Isle his home and this community his
family.”
During his tenure as chief, Foster was instrumental in getting the
East End Substation built, raising funds for the town’s first beach
rescue vehicle and helped Emerald Isle EMS have one of the first
Advanced Life Support and Paramedic Squads in the county. Following
a decline in his health in 2005, Foster continued to serve on the
Emerald Isle Joint EMS Committee, where he helped establish a common
vision between the town and EMS communities. “Dedicating the
building in honor of George is not only a fitting a tribute to
George but also will be a constant reminder … of what Emerald Isle
is all about.”
Commissioner John Wootten made a motion to approve the dedication,
adding, “I would feel privileged to vote for him. Mary, you hit it
on the head.”
Emerald Isle will install a monument with an inscription honoring
Foster on the site of its new EMS station, located
on town-owned land adjacent to Fire Station 1 on NC 58,
during a dedication ceremony tentatively set for September.
Site Approved for Town Administration Building
With contingencies of a valid wastewater permit and the approval of
a stormwater management plan, the site and exterior features of the
new Town Hall building, which will be constructed on a recently
acquired vacant lot at 7509 Emerald Drive, was approved. In an
effort to reduce costs and take advantage of existing topography,
Burnette Architecture is developing a plan to divert parking lot
runoff to a natural depression located in the southwest corner of
the building.
The new building will have a coastal design with a variable roof
line, raised cupola, skylight features to allow penetration of
natural light and a wrap-around porch. The color scheme will also be
a shade of green matching the new EMS station’s color scheme.
Construction bids will open July 1 and the expected time needed for
completion is 270 days, however, the beginning construction date
will be largely based on the dollar amount of bid estimates.
Youth Committee Gives Final Report
Emerald Isle Parks and Recreation Director Alesia Sanderson and
Youth Recreational Opportunities (YROC) member Nick Lini gave a
final report in the group’s efforts to put a skateboard park in or
near Emerald Isle and to create more events at the Community Center
geared toward teens.
The committee concluded that putting a skate park in the town would
be difficult based on rising real estate costs but saw hope in the
program being spearheaded by Lisa Smith of Healthy Youth Healthy
Families, who is pushing for a large skate park at a centralized
location in the county or smaller satellite parks scattered
throughout the county. “We feel the county initiative has a greater
success opportunity,” added Sanderson. “Our final recommendation is
to support a countywide effort.”
By
Craig Ramey
Island Review Staff
Read more
articles in the May print edition of Island Review.
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