COVID-19 Update:
- NC will be in Phase 3 until at least October 23, 2020
- Current case numbers for Brunswick County
Non-COVID-19 Items:
- New hours for the IPC/PO (10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday)
- The next Village Council Meeting will be on Friday, October 23, 2020
- 2020 Census will conclude on October 15, 2020
- REMINDERS – Flood insurance discounts, annual chloramines to chlorine, voting in the 2020 election, drone flying, and smart meter installs
COVID-19 Update
NC Remains in Phase 3 until at least 10/23/2020 – North Carolina transitioned into Phase 3 on Friday, October 2, 2020. This phase will last until at least October 23, 2020, unless the Governor repeals, replaces, or rescinds his executive order by another executive order. Under this phase, vulnerable populations are encouraged to stay at home. Per the Governor’s Phase 3 Executive Order most folks still must wear face coverings/masks in indoor and outdoor public places where social distancing is not possible. FAQ’s about the Phase 3 Executive Order can be found HERE.
On Friday, October 9, 2020, Bald Head Island Transportation, Inc. (BHIT) released a statement indicating that the NC Utilities Commission granted permission to increase the number of passengers per ferry voyage to 100. In order to maintain 100 passengers per ferry, BHIT needs your help and cooperation by:
- Wearing your mask while you are in line and inside the passenger boarding areas at Deep Point and on the Island.
- Waiting six feet apart and washing your hands frequently.
- And being kind and courteous to all as we get through this together.
The Village also strongly recommends that folks continue to practice the 3 W’s while in public and to be courteous to others.
Current Case Numbers for Brunswick County – As of October 14, 2020, there are 1,930 positive cases of COVID-19 among Brunswick County residents. Of the positive cases, 1,579 are considered recovered, 302 are isolating at home, 20 are isolating at a hospital, and 29 are deaths associated to COVID-19.
There are 17 cases involving non-residents who tested positive for COVID-19 while visiting Brunswick County, resulting in their contacts having to quarantine as well; these cases are not reflected in the County’s total case counts. Twelve of the cases are considered recovered, none of the cases are currently isolating at home. The County has transferred monitoring for three cases to the individuals’ home counties, and two are deaths associated to COVID-19.
Non-COVID-19 Items
New Hours for the IPC/PO – The last issue of the Village’s Voice mentioned that the Village has been working on making some improvements to the Island Package Center and Post Office. These changes are being made to improve service to our customers. The proposed changes included exploring options to change operating hours, upgrading software, hiring additional staff, adding more conditioned space, and updating existing contracts with USPS, UPS, and FedEx.
The Village implemented new operating hours for the IPC/PO beginning on October 11, 2020. The IPC/PO will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The later opening allows staff to focus solely on package processing (scanning, shelving, and updating the software so all packages are in the queue). This will help reduce the number of notifications being sent to customers and avoids customers from having to come in multiple times throughout the day to check on or pick up packages.
The change in hours will also enable staff to get all of the pallets processed in the morning and afternoons and allows staff to concentrate on some of the background tasks (daily package count reports/cash receivable receipts) without stopping to help customers at the window. This should ultimately reduce the wait times for our customers.
The Village would like to thank our customers for their patience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and your continued patience as we make more improvements to provide excellent customer service.
Next Village Council Meeting – The Village Council usually meets on the third Friday of the month. This month, Council will be meeting on the fourth Friday which is October 23, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. The agenda for this meeting will be posted online HERE. The meeting will include a public hearing on an ordinance text amendment to add a definition for brewery and to allow them as a conditional use in the PD-2C Zoning district. Some information about this item can be found HERE and additional information will be included with the 10/23 agenda packet. Comments about this item can be sent to the Village Clerk at dspivey@villagebhi.org to be included in the agenda packet for consideration by the Council for citizens who are not able to or prefer not to attend in person. Those who wish to listen in on the meeting can call the Village’s conference call line at 1-855-369-0450 Pin 41787483.
2020 Census – In a statement released on October 13, 2020, the US Census Bureau announced that operations for the 2020 Census will conclude on October 15, 2020. As of the date of the release, well over 99.9% of housing units have been accounted for in the 2020 Census.
REMINDERS
- Flood insurance discounts – As reported in the last issue of the Village’s Voice, these discounts (between 5-15 percent) were effective on October 1, 2020. Follow-up with your insurance agent to make sure that the discount is applied at renewal.
- Annual change from chloramines to chlorine – Taking place through the end of October/early November more info HERE.
- Voting in the 2020 Election –If voting absentee, you should not wait until the last minute to mail in your ballot since mail on the island can be delayed for a number of reasons. FAQs can be found HERE. Please contact the Brunswick County Board of Elections if you have further questions.
- Drone Flying – The project to map beach vitex will continue through the fall and should wrap-up before the holidays. More information HERE.
- Smart Meter Installs – Begin on Monday, October 19, 2020, more info HERE.