Key Information:
- BHI Transportation has released FAQs following education sessions on the new ticketing and reservation system.
- The Department of Public Safety is holding two education sessions this month.
- Ways to avoid getting a citation this summer.
- Hurricane season officially starts today, are you ready?
FAQs – After completing two education sessions on its new ticketing and reservation system, Bald Head Island Transportation has posted some Frequently Asked Questions on its website, you can view them HERE. BHIT is planning to transition to the new electronic ticketing on or about June 7, 2023. If you missed the sessions, you may view them on Bald Head Association’s YouTube channel, HERE and HERE.
DPS Education Sessions – The Department of Public Safety is holding two education sessions this month one on Thursday, June 22, 2023, and the other on Thursday, June 29, 2023. Both classes start at 11:00 a.m. and will take place in the multipurpose room at the Department of Public Safety. The first class is an Introduction to Department of Public Safety Services. In this class, attendees will learn what happens when you need emergency assistance while on Bald Head Island. The second class is Fire Extinguishers! How they work and when to use them! Attendees will learn to extinguish a fire and the appropriate type of extinguisher to use. No advanced registration is required for these classes.
Avoid Citations this Summer – If you checked the most recent Public Safety statistics (which are posted weekly online HERE & on social media) you may already know that the Village’s PSOs were busy issuing citations over Memorial Day weekend, which is considered the start of the busy season.
Here are a few citations that you, your family members, guests, and visitors can take steps to avoid:
No Helmet – Personal electric devices like electric bikes and scooters are becoming more common on Bald Head Island. These are only allowed to be operated by people with a driver’s license on BHI. Licensed drivers operating these devices MUST wear a helmet. Please also watch your speed and drive safely on these devices. We’ve observed operators speeding and passing golf carts. As a reminder, all children under the age of sixteen must wear a protective helmet when operating a human-powered device, such as a bicycle, a tricycle, rollerblades, in-line skates or roller skates, human-powered scooter, or human-powered skateboard on Village streets.
Open Container – All motor vehicle laws on the mainland apply on Bald Head Island. This includes no open containers and no driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Expired/No Registration – All golf carts/electric vehicles on the island must be registered annually. All golf cart owners should have had their carts registered by January of this year, with a grace period for those who had applied, but were still being processed. Since we are now over six months into 2023, all carts without a valid registration are being cited. Please make sure your carts are registered. If your cart has been previously registered, you can do it online HERE.
Parking – When parking at any one of the Village’s public beach access locations it is important to make sure that your golf cart is completely off the road (edge of paved surface). All four tires must be off the pavement. Not doing so is unsafe and could result in a parking citation. In many cases, carts are found blocking emergency accesses or taking up the roadway to the point where they impede the safe and swift travel of emergency vehicles. ALL vehicles (both electric and internal combustion engines) must park off the paved roads on Bald Head Island.
Fireworks – Village ordinance prohibits the possession and/or use of fireworks without a special permit by the county (Sec. 16-81). This includes sparklers!
Dunes – Please help the Village by reminding your visitors and guests to stay off the dunes and to use the public beach accesses or designated private beach accesses near your home. People who walk across the dunes are in violation of Village ordinance and could be subject to a civil fine of $500. The ordinance applies to West Beach, South Beach, and East Beach.
Hurricane Season – Hurricane season officially starts today. Village officials attended Brunswick County’s hurricane conference last week. Steve Pfaff from the National Weather Service Wilmington office announced the NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center’s forecast for this season at it is as follows:
NOAA predicts a near-normal 2023 Atlantic hurricane season with a range of 12 to 17 total named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher) of those, 5 to 9 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 1 to 4 major hurricanes (category 3, 4, or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher). NOAA has a 70% confidence in these ranges. They indicate that this Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be less active than recent years, due to competing factors – some that suppress storm development and some that fuel it – driving this year’s overall forecast for a near-normal season.
Mr. Pfaff reminded last week’s attendees that it takes only one storm to do severe damage to a community. Please make sure you, your family member, loved ones, and property are prepared for a major hurricane. The Village’s emergency preparedness webpage (HERE) has many resources and the Village has put together a playlist (HERE) of several hurricane preparedness videos.
The Village will be performing a test of the CodeRED system in the coming weeks. A separate announcement will be going out. If you are not signed up to receive the Village’s CodeRED messages, please do so now, online HERE.
Reminders & Events:
- DEQ is holding a public input session on the NC Flood Resiliency Blueprint in Wilmington on Friday, June 9, 2023.
- The next regular Village Council meeting is on June 16, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.
- Village offices will be closed on Monday, June 19, 2023, in observance of Juneteenth. This includes the Island Package Center & Post Office.
- Due to staffing shortages, the Dosher Clinic on BHI will not be open this season.
Flood Resiliency Public Input – The NC Department of Environmental Quality will be holding a public input session on the NC Flood Resiliency Blueprint in Wilmington on Friday, June 9, 2023, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 230 Government Center Drive. More details HERE.
Next Regular Council Meeting – The next regular Village Council Meeting is scheduled for June 16, 2023, 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.
Juneteenth – Village offices will be closed on Monday, June 19, 2023, in observance of Juneteenth. This includes the Island Package Center & Post Office. Please be sure to plan ahead when ordering essential items. FedEx and UPS packages that are due to arrive at Deep Point on Friday, June 16, will not be sorted and available for pick up until Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
Dosher Clinic on BHI – Due to staffing shortages Dosher Memorial Hospital will not be able to have a clinic on the island this season. This will not impact the Village’s current procedures for addressing walk-in non-emergent patients. The Village will continue to notify patients about their options to include the on-island provider and mainland providers when necessary. In addition, some medical providers and insurance companies have telemedicine options that individuals may wish to explore prior to staying on the island. As always, if you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911 and let the operator know you are on Bald Head Island.