- Highlights from the October Village Council regular meeting.
- If you have a totaled golf cart, please let the Department of Public Safety know.
- Mosquito control efforts are ongoing after PTC #8.
- Post-event follow-up for PTC #8 is underway including the Q&A.
- Annual change from chloramines to chlorine.
- There was a great crowd for the unveiling of educational signage at the Pollinator Garden!
- The Village’s Lead & Copper Rule assessment is completed.
Reminders & Events:
- Get your absentee ballot notarized by the Village Clerk on Tuesday, October 22 at 1:00 p.m. at Project Longevity’s “Adults Only” event at the BHA Center.
- The Village is having a Hospitality Meeting on Wednesday, October 23, 2024.
- Barge closed for inspection from October 23 to October 25, this may impact package delivery to the IPC.
- Public Service Auxiliary Chili Supper Fundraiser is on Friday, October 25, 2024, from 4 to 7 p.m.
- Trick-or-Treating on BHI is scheduled for October 26, 2024, from 1-3 p.m.
- Cape Fear Marathon & Half is scheduled for October 27, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Lt. Barger and PSO Sudderth will run the race to support the BHI Conservancy.
- Village offices will be closed on Monday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day.
- The next regular Village Council meeting is on Friday, November 15, 2024.
Regular Council Meeting
The Village Council conducted its last regular meeting on Friday, October 11, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. Beginning this month, we will be posting the full recap of the meeting on our website HERE.
Below are a few highlights:
- The Village Council approved text amendments to Sections 32-11 and 32-126 of the Village of Bald Head Island Code of Ordinances. These changes added definitions for “Brewery, Cidery, Distillery, Winery”; “Bar, Tavern, Lounge, Wine Shop”; and “Restaurants, Cafes” and permits each as a special use in the Planned Development 2 Commercial (PD-2C) and Planned Development 3 Commercial (PD-3C) districts.
- There was only one update to the Transportation System Litigation Status table indicating a settlement agreement was reached on the proposed ferry services schedule amendment (VV announcement HERE). The parties are waiting for the NC Utilities Commission to approve the agreement. In the meantime, BHI Transportation, Inc. has opened November reservations under the old schedule.
- The Village Council approved a capital project ordinance amendment which increased funds for the engineering/administration and increased the contingency budget for the expansion and upgrade of the wastewater treatment plant.
- JP McCann, Public Services Director announced that the stop sign replacement project (using a standard 18-inch size) is about halfway complete. The Village is also helping with handicap signage. All new signs are being made with consideration of the Village’s wayfinding plan. Mr. McCann indicated that he welcomes feedback from the public on signage (email or via service request).
A full account of these meetings can be found in the minutes which are posted HERE. Typically, minutes are posted with the agenda of next month’s meeting (e.g. If you want to read the August meeting minutes, they can be found under the September regular meeting agenda).
Damaged Golf Carts
The Department of Public Safety would like golf cart owners whose golf carts were damaged by Potential Tropical Cyclone #8 beyond repair (totaled) to report this to Ms. Elizabeth Gray. You may contact Ms. Gray at (910) 457-5252 or email her at psadmin@villagebhi.org. She will need to know the serial number or the BHI number (sticker number) of the cart.
Annual Change from Chloramines to Chlorine
The annual change from chloramines to chlorine will be underway soon (October 26) and is expected to continue through mid-December 2024. Customers may notice some discoloration and the presence of sediment in your water. These conditions are not harmful and should be of short duration. For more information, view the full notice on our Utilities webpage HERE under Notices.
Mosquito Control
Standing water continues to linger in some areas after Potential Tropical Cyclone #8 (PTC #8) dumped about 20 inches on Bald Head Island in a short period. As soon as the precipitation ended, Public Works deployed all available mosquito control measures, and they have not let up since. They have maps at their disposal showing the areas known to hold water. They have concentrated on these areas and also completed at least four full cycles of spraying on all island roads. Efforts are ongoing until no longer necessary. If you would like your area treated again, you may place an online work request HERE.
Post-Event Follow-Up for PTC #8
Village Staff will meet later this week to conduct an after-action review for PTC #8. The outcome of the review will be discussed with a small working group (MPT Gardener, Village staff, and BHI Club personnel) which will result in a follow-up report. Staff will also be going over the questions received from Islanders and will finalize the Q&A document shortly thereafter and make it available to the public (we will send out a special Village’s Voice announcement when it is posted).
Educational Sign Unveiling
On Monday, October 7, the community got together to unveil new educational signage installed at the Pollinator Garden at Marina Park. Mayor Quinn thanked several folks for their efforts in getting the signs to the site including the Bald Head Association (Pam Henson) for designing the signs, Jennifer Wiggins at the Bald Head Island Conservancy, Betsi Stephen, and John Kinney for editing the educational content for the signs, and Public Services staff (JP McCann and John Parker) for designing and building the stand for the signs. Quinn also recognized the Garden Club for stepping up and maintaining the Pollinator Garden in particular, Grace Valentine, Barbara Giera, and Deb Feeney. He thanked the Wester family for donating the bricks and Miguel Medina and Trinity Builders for laying the brickwork in the garden. He also thanked Monarch Watch for the grant awarding free milkweed plants for the garden. Lastly, he thanked Megan Stephenson who had the idea for designing and implementing the Pollinator Garden.
For more photos of this event check out our YouTube video HERE.
Lead & Copper Rule
For the last several months, Village Utilities personnel have been assessing island properties per the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule. We are happy to announce that this assessment has been completed. No lead pipes were found. For more information, read our Lead & Copper Rule Fact Sheet HERE.
REMINDERS & EVENTS
Absentee Ballots
Village Clerk Darcy Sperry will be available to notarize absentee ballots at Project Longevity’s “Adults Only” event on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at the BHA Center. Make sure you bring your photo I.D. More details HERE.
Hospitality Meeting
The Village is inviting folks from all island entities who provide hospitality services to guests and visitors to the island for an inaugural meeting. This includes realtors, rental partners, VRBO, Airbnb, etc. At this meeting, we will discuss how we are currently communicating with the people who come to Bald Head Island, ways in which we may improve communication to express the island’s values, discover information gaps and needs, and learn how we can partner with each other to make each trip to Bald Head Island the most positive experience it can be. This will be a dialogue with Village staff and attendees.
Please help us disseminate this information to others in your organization who may benefit from attending. RSVP to Carin Faulkner, Public Information Officer, at public.information@villagebhi.org to secure your seat. Light snacks and beverages will be provided.
Barge Closure
The BHI barge will be closed for inspection from October 23 through October 25. During this time, BHI Transportation, Inc. has agreed to transport as many packages as possible via dolly on the passenger ferry.
Not all packages will make it to the island. Please prepare for delays.
PSA Chili Supper Fundraiser
The Public Safety Auxiliary’s annual Chili Supper is taking place on Friday, October 25, 2024, from 4-7 p.m. at the Department of Public Safety (273 Edward Teach Ext.). There will be a variety of chili available for purchase, along with chips, brownies, and cornhole competitions!
Trick-or-Treating on BHI
Annual trick-or-treating on BHI will take place on Saturday, October 26, 2024, between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. If you are going to be giving out treats at your BHI home, please email bhitrickortreating@gmail.com by October 15 at noon to be included on the list and/or map.
Cape Fear Marathon & Half
The Cape Fear Marathon & Half is scheduled for Sunday, October 27, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Lt. Steven Barger and PSO Chip Sudderth will run the race to support the BHI Conservancy. Donations can be submitted HERE.
More information about the race can be found HERE.
Veterans Day
Village offices will be closed on Monday, November 11, 2024, in observance of Veterans Day. This includes the Island Package Center and Post Office and Public Safety administration. Please call 911 if you need a Public Safety Officer to come to you.
Next Regular Council Meeting
The next regular Village Council Meeting is scheduled for Friday, November 15, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. in the multi-purpose room in the Department of Public Safety (273 Edward Teach Ext.). The agenda will be posted HERE. Zoom information to listen in remotely can be found HERE.
Bald Head Association events can be found HERE.
Old Baldy Foundation events can be found HERE.
BHI Conservancy events can be found HERE.
Village Chapel events can be found HERE
Project Longevity/Community Care event info HERE.
The Village calendar can be found HERE.
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