In this issue:
- Highlights of the February Village Council regular meeting.
- Annual Council Retreat preview.
- Golf cart registration renewal system update.
- Tree maintenance continues along Village roads; expect detours.
Reminders & Events:
- The next regular Village Council meeting is on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, immediately following the conclusion of the Village Council’s annual retreat, which will start on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
- The next Badwater Cape Fear race is on March 21, 2026.
- Hazardous waste drop-off days for 2026 will be June 4 & 5 and November 19 and 20.
- Wipes clog pipes! A reminder from Village Utilities.
Village Council Regular Meeting
The Village Council conducted its last regular meeting on Wednesday, February 4, 2026.
Below is a short recap of the special presentations and a few of the actions taken:
Special Presentations
- Employee years of service awards were presented to the following:
5 Years: JP McCann (Public Services), Zachary Hewett (Finance), Michelle Kesmodel (Finance), Elizabeth Gray (Public Safety & Finance)
10 Years: Joe Forte (Public Services – Contractor Services), Clay Brendle (Public Safety), and Jacob LeBer (who was not present).
20 Years: Charles Trott (Public Services – Utilities), Wayne Ingram (Public Services – Utilities) – Mr. McCall explained that both gentlemen worked for the utility before it transferred ownership from the developer. Trott has a total of 25 years, and Ingram has a total of 49 years working utilities on the island.
- The Employee of the Year 2025 was presented to Kenneth (Junior) Adkins, who works in the Utilities Department.
Actions Taken
- Village Council adopted the 2026 Black History Month proclamation, a resolution adopting the Village’s Integrated Pest Management Plan (for Bee City USA), and a resolution amending the 2026 Village Council Regular Meeting Schedule. Due to Winter Storm Gianna, the Village Council Retreat was rescheduled for March 3 & 4. The March regular meeting will take place on March 4 at 1:30 p.m. instead of the third Friday in March (March 20).
- Village Council continued the public hearing on the proposed amendment to the Budget Ordinance Fee Schedule for ICE vehicle fees to the April 14, 2026, regular Council meeting. The working group had presented its guiding principles to the Council in January.
- Village Council adopted a budget amendment for shoreline legal fees, a budget amendment to transfer funds for beach nourishment GO bond payments, and an ordinance amending the capital project fund ordinance to close out the last beach renourishment project.
A full recap with additional details is posted monthly on our website HERE. You can also listen to a podcast episode recapping the meeting HERE.
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 December meeting minutes, they can be found under the January regular meeting agenda).
Council Retreat Preview
Each year, the Council holds an open retreat to meet with consultants, outside specialists, department heads, and other Island entities. The intent is to reorient, update data, and strategize areas of focus for the upcoming year, including potential budget implications. This year’s retreat was postponed due to the recent winter storm and will take place on
A few of the topics include:
- Shoreline Management
- Federal & State Funding Priorities
- Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion Design Presentation
- Presentations from the Village’s Consultants Working on Utilities Capital Spending, Asset Inventory, and Stormwater Infrastructure
- BHI Conservancy Environmental Overview
- Village Vision 2040 – Who Are We, Where Do We Want to Go?
- Council Priorities 2026-2030 Long Range Planning Discussion
The full agenda will be posted online HERE. All are welcome to attend in person or online. If you are unable to attend, we will publish a written recap HERE, upload the presentations to our YouTube channel, and we hope to produce a few podcast episodes on the topics discussed.
Golf Cart Registration Renewal System Update
The new golf cart registration renewal system has been up and running smoothly for most golf cart owners for over a month.
A few key items golf cart owners should know:
- The Village will not be enforcing registrations until it is certain that all have had an opportunity to register carts. This will be NO EARLIER THAN APRIL. An announcement will be made when enforcement begins.
- If you did not receive your invitation letter via USPS mail, you can request your PIN via email at golfcart@villagebhi.org. You must provide the following information: Name, BHI Address, identifying information on a cart you own (Insurance/Serial Number/Make/Color).
- If you have never registered a golf cart before, your information is not in the system, and even though your cart(s) may have been previously registered on BHI, this would not be considered a registration renewal. You can request a new registration PIN by emailing golfcart@villagebhi.org.
- Golf cart owners are being charged the full $30 for 2027 and then a prorated amount for 2026 based on each cart’s original registration date. If your golf carts were registered at different times, the charges will vary. (See table in the explanation letter for rates).
- If you are adding a property manager’s mailing address to the registration information so your stickers can be sent there, please make sure you are entering your current property manager. Some property managers have reported receiving stickers for properties they no longer manage.
Other than issuing new PINs to owners who did not receive the invitation letter, or those who were not in the system, we are aware of two other common issues:
- There are those who did not receive the correct number of stickers.
- Those who have identical carts in which the fulfillment letter that came with the stickers does not specify which sticker goes on which cart.
For both issues, we are asking that you please email golfcart@villagebhi.org and specify the issue.
Please be patient as the staff that are responding to golf cart registration issues are catching up after the recent winter storm. Enforcement will not begin until it is certain issues have been addressed and folks have had the opportunity to receive their stickers.
Updates and additional Q&As are being added to the website. Thank you for your patience.
Tree Maintenance on Village Roads
The Village’s contractor (Fitness Tree) has completed its work to perform routine overhead tree maintenance. Public Works will continue to perform routine tree maintenance along the Village’s main roads until around the Easter holiday. Islanders should expect lane closures. Any updates will be posted on the Village’s “Road Closures” webpage HERE and on social media. Here is some Tree Maintenance Info.
REMINDERS & EVENTS:
Next Village Council Meeting
The next regular Village Council Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 4, 2026, following the conclusion of the Council Retreat on March 3-4, 2026. 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, uploading the presentations on our YouTube channel, and there will likely be several podcast episodes generated from the topics discussed.
Hazardous Waste Drop Off Days
The Public Works Department has updated its Trash and Yard Debris Pick Up Schedule for 2026 to include the scheduled hazardous waste drop-off days. You can view it HERE.
This year, hazardous waste will be accepted at Public Works for four days, Thursday and Friday, June 4 & 5, and Thursday and Friday, November 19 & 20, at the Public Works Department (271 Edward Teach Ext.). During the first drop off event last yea,r they had folks line up near the trash compactors. The vendor’s semi-truck is hard to miss. Times are to be determined since the barge cannot be reserved this far in advance. If there are barge delays or another circumstance in which the days need to be rescheduled, the Village will send out an announcement. Additional details can be found on the Village website HERE.
Badwater Cape Fear
The Badwater Ultra Running Race is scheduled for Saturday, March 21, 2026. This all-day race will take place on several Village wynds, and Public Safety will provide traffic control. Other activities for the participants will be taking place on the Island beginning Friday. More information about the race can be found HERE.
Wipes Clog Pipes!
The Village Utilities department would like to remind Islanders to avoid flushing items that should not be flushed down the toilet, this includes wipes that are labeled “flushable.” These are not to be flushed no matter what the package says. Toilet paper is the only product designed to break down in a sewer system. When anything else is flushed – wipes, paper towels, adult diapers, gloves, sanitary products, etc. – it can combine with fats in the sewer system to make a nasty clump that blocks pipes. If the blockage is severe enough, it can lead to sewer overflows and expensive wear and tear on our infrastructure.
Help our Village Utilities crews protect the Village’s wastewater system:
- Never flush products other than toilet paper.
- Keep fats, oils, and grease out of your kitchen sink (tips on that HERE).
- Report sewer emergencies by calling (910) 457-9700 ext. 1000 or (910) 616-7716 (after hours).
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.
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