Updates and Reminders

KEY INFORMATION:

Drone flights will be taking place next Monday 9/16 through Wednesday 9/18.
A section of Kitty Hawk Way will be closed through Wednesday 9/18.
The Department of Public Safety honors first responders in its 9/11 Memorial Lighthouse Climb.
The Dune Ridge Main lift station upgrade project is complete.
2024 election information, guidance on campaign signs and flags.
PSOs complete drug-assisted intubation certification.
Hurricane Florence, six years later.

REMINDERS & EVENTS:

The next Village Council meeting is on Monday, September 23, 2024 (please note this is a change from the regular meeting schedule).
The Village is having a Hospitality Meeting on Wednesday, October 23, 2024.
Barge closure 10/23 – 10/25, this will impact package delivery.
Bridge work will close a section of NC 133 from 10/24 through 8/25.
Plans are in place for an unveiling of educational signage for the Pollinator Garden, stay tuned!

Drone Flights

UNC Wilmington Graduate Student Brittany Morse is conducting marsh sea level rise research which is being funded by the Johnston Center for Coastal Sustainability. Part of this research will include performing drone surveys of three sections of marsh surrounding Bald Head Creek. The drone surveys will take place Monday, September 16 through Wednesday, September 18.

Flights will be conducted at 50 m (164 feet) above the ground on pre-planned tracks (see drone flight zones below). Morse and her team, including personnel from UNCW and Bald Head Island Conservancy, will also be placing survey points in the marsh and dry land to assist with LIDAR (fine-scale elevation) surveys.

This imagery will be used to create maps of the Bald Head Island marshes and a model to predict the marsh’s response to sea level rise. If you have any questions or concerns about this work, please contact BHIC Director of Science Dr. Beth Darrow at darrow@bhic.org.

Kitty Hawk Way Road Closure

A section of Kitty Hawk Way (see red arrows on map) will be closed through Wednesday 9/18 to accommodate construction activity.

9/11 Memorial Lighthouse Climb

At approximately 8:46 yesterday morning (9/11), our Public Safety Officers began their annual 9/11 Memorial Lighthouse Climb. PSOs went up and down the steps of the Old Baldy Lighthouse at least 11 times to equal the 2200 steps the first responders would have made that day. A few of our PSOs wanted to keep going and did more than 11 climbs. PSO Joyce climbed the most, at 15 climbs!

*Public Safety’s D shift participated in the climb this year with Sergeant LeBer from B shift, and Chief Gibson and Deputy Chief Homick joining in.*

Dune Ridge Main Lift Station Upgrade

The Dune Ridge Main project was completed by the week of August 26. The Village will be seeding and mulching the area so that vegetation will grow in the cleared space for this project. As with the previous project, we will screen the equipment with natural vegetation and encourage the regrowth of native flora. The next project will be Stede Bonnet Main. As soon as the parts are received for the project, it will proceed.

More info on our lift station upgrade project: https://ow.ly/Nrcf50T7vs1

*The project area, located near Peppervine Trail, will be seeded and mulched so that vegetation will grow.*

2024 Election Information

All elections in Brunswick County, including municipal elections, are conducted by the Brunswick County Board of Elections. The Board of Elections office operates voting sites, maintains voter registration lists, and handles many other aspects of elections administration. The Board of Elections is in contact with the municipalities within the county and has requested that certain information be shared via municipal communications channels.

Here are a few items the Board of Elections would like voters to know about:

Voters can check their registration through North Carolina’s voter lookup: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/
If you need to register to vote or make changes to your registration, the deadline for the November 2024 election is October 11, 2024. For registration and updates, go here: https://bit.ly/3yw8etu
The voting location for Bald Head Island is the Southport 1 precinct located at The Brunswick Center at Southport at 1513 N Howe Street Suite 1.
Voters will be asked to show an acceptable form of photo ID when presenting to vote at the polls. Information on acceptable IDs is HERE.
Voter residency requirement information is HERE.
Voters can sign up for the Brunswick County Board of Elections email list HERE.

The Village has a webpage on its website to post-election information under “Residents & Owners,” “Learn About…” “Elections” or you can access the page HERE.

Other information about elections can be found on the Brunswick County Board of Elections webpage HERE. Please direct all election-related inquiries to the Brunswick County Board of Elections.

Campaign Signs & Flags

The Village has received a few inquiries about the usage of campaign signs and flags on the island.

As far as the Village ordinance, temporary signs under the seasonal type are allowed on residential property. They should be removed in a reasonable time after the season (election) and one decorative flag is permitted under 10 sq/ft which could be a campaign flag. The Village cannot regulate signs and flags based on the content (1^st Amendment). However, if your property is a part of the Bald Head Association, the following applies:

The only signs that are allowed on residential properties are the construction signs that contain the permit boxes on the back or For Sale bollard caps. No other signs are allowed.

As far as flags, the current Design Guideline requirements apply to flags and flagpoles:

The request to install a ground-mounted flagpole must be submitted for ARC approval and must include a site plan with dimensions and specifications for the proposed pole location.
Only one ground-mounted flagpole may be installed on a property. Any ground-mounted flagpole must be made of wood or high-quality metal. The flagpole must be no taller than 25′ and no taller than the primary structure.
A bracket-mounted flag kit is allowed on main structures and does not require ARC approval.
The maximum flag size allowed is 4′ x 6′ and does require ARC approval.
In accordance with state law, United States and North Carolina flags smaller than 4′ x 6′ are not subject to approval by the ARC. United States flags shall be in good condition and displayed in a respectful manner in accordance with the United States flag code of 1976.

Folks will start seeing campaign signs on the mainland on the side of state-maintained right-of-way next Tuesday. There is no state-maintained right-of-way on Bald Head Island so the Village can regulate signs in its right-of-way as it sees fit. Only government signs (such as traffic or wayfinding) are allowed in the Village right-of-way.

Drug-Assisted Intubation Certification

Several Public Safety Officers recently received drug-assisted intubation certification through the County Medical Director. This means these PSOs can now sedate critical patients to maintain and control their airway. This is a highly involved skill that takes a significant amount of training to achieve proficiency.

*Hurricane Florence is a reminder that powerful and potentially deadly hurricanes can happen.*

Hurricane Florence Six Years Later

Six years ago this week, Hurricane Florence hit southeastern NC and BHI. Over 40 inches of rain (nearly 2 billion gallons) fell on the island over two days. Fallen trees and limbs scattered the island and blocked the roadways making first responders’ initial access to the interior of the island difficult and lengthy, prolonging the assessment of flooding impacts. Power was not restored until 15 days after the island issued its mandatory evacuation, and sewer service was inoperable even longer for many who had submerged grinder pumps. It remains a reminder that powerful and potentially deadly hurricanes can happen.

While we cannot control natural disasters, we can prepare for them. Since Florence, the Village has invested thousands of dollars into studies, and upgrading stormwater infrastructure, and equipment to improve storm readiness.

Property owners and residents should be prepared as well. Visit our emergency preparedness webpage HERE for all the information you need. Please make sure you are signed up to receive Village communications (HERE).

REMINDERS & EVENTS

Next Village Council Meeting

The next Village Council meeting is on Monday, September 23, 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.

Please note this is a change from the regular meeting schedule. The October and December meetings will also deviate from the third Friday of the month schedule, and are set for October 11 and December 13, view the full 2024 schedule 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.

Bridge Work on NC 133

Starting in late October (10/28) sections of NC Highway 133 connecting Leland to Southport are going to be closed for bridge construction and culvert replacements.

There will be two detour options:

Option 1: HWY 87 through Boiling Spring Lakes to HWY 17.
Option 2: HWY 87 to Funston Road in Winnabow, continue on Daws Creek Rd to HWY 133.

Unveiling of Educational Signage

Plans are in place for an unveiling of educational signage at the Pollinator Garden. The signs are a joint effort between the Village, the Bald Head Association & its Education & Recreation Committee-sponsored Garden Club, and the Conservancy. The Pollinator Garden is located at Marina Park (111 Keelson Row). Stay tuned for additional details!