Village’s Voice

In this issue: 

  • Highlights from the January Village Council regular meeting.
  • Our area remains impacted by this week’s winter storm.
  • Smoke testing in two areas of the island will begin on Friday, January 31.
  • Update on the 2025 CDSR project.
  • Update on Department of Public Safety apparatus.

Reminders & Events: 

  • Annual golf cart registrations.
  • Project Longevity’s annual meeting scheduled for 1/24 has been canceled.
  • The Public Service Auxiliary annual meeting is scheduled for Sunday, January 26, from 1-2 p.m. at the Department of Public Safety.
  • The 2025 Trash and Recycling schedule is now available. 
  • Road construction is still underway on NC 133 and E. Moore Street.  
  • The next regular Village Council meeting is on February 4, 2025, following the conclusion of the Council Retreat on February 3-4, 2025.

Regular Council Meeting

The Village Council conducted its last regular meeting on Friday, January 17, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.  A full recap of the meeting is on our website HERE.

Below are a few highlights:

  • Mayor Quinn introduced the topic of land conservation and what role the Village may play in identifying properties that should be conserved and in so doing taken off the market.
  • Village Council awarded the contract for Phase III of the Wastewater Collection System Duplex Lift Stations project.
  • Village Council received an update on the delivery of the ladder truck and engine (more info below).
  • Staff briefed the Village Council on the upcoming expiration of the ICE vehicle transition plan and related issues with commercial trailers and ICE permits.
  • The Public Services Director announced that the Village completed the installation of two inserta valves which will help the Village move toward zoning the water distribution system on the island so that when there is a leak Village Utilities does not have to shut down the system for the entire island.

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). 

Winter Storm

According to the National Weather Service Wilmington, areas of Brunswick County received between 1.9 and 5 inches of snowfall Tuesday night into Wednesday.  

Temperatures were expected to dip below freezing once the sun went down this evening, making area roads slick with ice, again.  Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office is recommending that folks stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary. They are reporting secondary roads, bridges, and overpasses are especially dangerous and are warning of black ice.

Village offices will remain closed on Friday, January 24, with office employees working remotely.  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.  We expect the Village offices to reopen on their regular schedules on Monday, January 27.

As of publication of this e-newsletter, Bald Head Island Transportation has announced the following:

Due to hazardous road conditions and our commitment to the safety of our staff and customers, we will not operate on Thursday, January 23. Service interruptions are expected to continue into Friday, January 24, with potential delays as we resume operations. Please monitor our app and website for the latest updates. Thank you for your understanding, and please stay safe.

The Severe Weather Event webpage for the Village of Bald Head Island will be updated as impacts continue.

Lighthouse Wynd and Timber Bridge covered in snow.  Photo taken 1/22/25.  More snow day photos on our social media channels (HERE).

Smoke Testing

The Village of Bald Head Island has contracted Withers Ravenel to conduct a smoke test survey in two areas of the island — near the BHI marina and a section of S Bald Head Wynd near Muscadine east to Kinross Court — (map HERE), beginning 1/31/2025 and continuing until completed. It is expected to take one day, but if unfinished they would likely return Monday 2/3 to finish the work. A heavy rain event may delay the smoke test survey. For more information, view our notice HERE. Consumers in these areas will be contacted via the CodeRed notification system before the start of the project.

2025 CDSR Project

The dredging contractor has placed approximately 457,463 cubic yards of material in the west-end portion of the project.  As of today, beach fill has been placed up to Starrush Trail just west of Beach Access #18.

The west end phase of the project is currently expected to be completed around January 30 and will stop near the west end of Peppervine Trail, then the dredge pipe will be extended further down South Beach and sand placement will begin again near 805 S Bald Head Wynd and continue past the Shoals Club. 

Photo taken 1/22/2025.  Go HERE for more photos.

The beach fill has just passed the last soft-tube groin. The contractor removing and replacing the soft-tube groins (McPherson Marine Services) has completed the removal and installation of the first 6 groins and is moving west to east.  Beachgoers should expect areas of the west end of South Beach to be closed off as the work on the soft-tube groins continues.

Aerial photo of one of the soft-tube groins before backfilling and covering.

Please help the construction crew by being mindful of the construction fencing and signage. Do not go beyond any signage or barriers as doing so may place yourself and others in harm’s way.

The Village will continue updating the project webpage (HERE) and posting on its social media channels (HERE) as the project progresses.  Please direct any questions to the Village Public Information Officer at public.information@villagebhi.org or (910) 457-9700 ext. 1025.

Public Safety Apparatus

Public Safety staff completed an inspection of the ladder truck and engine today.  Staff reported that there are a few minor repairs that need to be made (which unfortunately may take a few months).  The apparatus will then be heading to Rocky Mount, NC where Fire Connections will mount the equipment on the inside of the cabins, after that, they will be delivered to Southport for our guys to practice driving on the wider roads first, then they will be delivered home to BHI!

Chief Gibson’s photo of the ladder and engine taken when Village staff traveled to Florida for the final inspection this week.

REMINDERS & EVENTS

Annual Golf Cart Registration

If you have not already applied for your annual golf cart registration renewal(s), now is the time to do so. This must be done online. A “2025 Golf Cart Registration Renewal” button has been added to the Village’s webpage (HERE).

This year, please note the date you submitted your renewal. The Village’s webpage will be updated regularly as stickers are available for pick-up at the Department of Public Safety.  We will be indicating what renewals have been processed by the date they were received. We process renewals in the order they are received. 

As of the publication of this announcement, all renewals submitted through January 15, 2025, have been processed.  However, since administrative staff have not been on the island since 1/17, renewals submitted after 1/5 will not be available for pick up until staff returns to the island.

Please make sure you verify your cart number (the number on your big registration sticker), cart serial number (like a car’s VIN), and insurance information when registering.

Project Longevity Annual Meeting

Project Longevity’s annual meeting scheduled for Friday, January 24, 2025, has been canceled due to the winter storm.

Public Service Auxiliary Annual Meeting

The Public Service Auxiliary annual meeting is scheduled for Sunday, January 26 from 1-2 p.m.at the Public Safety Building. Elections will be held.

2025 Trash & Yard Debris Schedule

The Public Works Department has updated its Trash and Yard Debris Pick Up Schedule for 2025.  You can view it HERE. It is also posted on the Village website.  

A few reminders:

  • Please make sure you use your YES/NO sign for trash pickup.
  • Yard debris pick-ups are not “on-demand” and are only completed on the scheduled dates. You will still need to submit your pick-up request via our online service request portal (HERE) or by calling customer service at 910-457-9700 ext. 1000.
  • Yard debris requests must be made no later than 2:00 p.m. on the day before the scheduled pick-up.
  • Piles should be left on the roadside.  Please make sure not to cover up your water meter or any other utility infrastructure.
  • This service is for property owners who do their own yard work. If you have a contractor/landscaper, they are responsible for the debris removal.

Road Construction on 133 & E Moore Street Continues

NC 133 – The NCDOT is replacing the existing culverts carrying Sand Hill Creek under N.C. 133 with a new bridge. N.C. 133 will be closed for several months with an off-site detour route on N.C. 87 and U.S. 17.  More information on this project can be found HERE.   The completion date is set for fall 2025, however, there are incentives for the contractor to complete the project earlier.

East Moore Street – East Moore Street in Southport, near Deep Point Marina, was damaged in September during Potential Tropical Cyclone #8 and has been closed ever since.  Crews began to replace the existing washed-out culvert with a single-span bridge in early December.  This $2.4 million project will also include a new guardrail and waterline.  The project is expected to be finished in the spring.  Drivers should be cautious near the work zone.  Road closure information is HERE.

Next Regular Council Meeting

The next regular Village Council Meeting is scheduled for February 4, 2025, following the conclusion of the Council Retreat on February 3-4, 2025. The retreat and regular meeting will be held in the multi-purpose room in the Department of Public Safety (273 Edward Teach Ext.).  The agenda for the retreat and regular meeting will be posted HERE.  Zoom information for listening remotely can be found HERE.

If you are unable to attend, we will be publishing a written recap HERE and uploading the presentations on our YouTube channel.

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 event info HERE.
The Village calendar can be found HERE.

Find us on Linktree.