By Staff
Commissioners weigh other issuesat regular meeting Monday
DOUG GIBBS
Daily News Correspondent
SWAN QUARTER - The Hyde County Board of Commissioners voted Monday to join with Beaufort, Bertie, Chowan, and Washington counties in hiring a lobbyist to fight new storm water runoff regulations. The counties are coming together to hire Joe McClees, a consultant from Oriental, to fight the new rules at the short session of the General Assembly that begins May 13.
If the new regulations are adopted, development in the coastal counties would be severely restricted, coastal county officials contend. The Hyde County Board of Commissioners took the action during its regular meeting that was held at the government center on Monday evening.
In other business, Sheriff David Mason told the board that the sheriff’s department has received a $25,000 grant to purchase a new fingerprinting machine. He asked the county to provide $2,745 for a printer for the project. The board approved purchasing the printer.
The board voted also to send a resolution to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission requesting that deer hunting on the Fairfield Gamelands be permitted for five days instead of for three days. The commissioners believe that the additional hunting days are needed to reduce the deer population in the county.
Mark Carawan, from the mainland occupancy-tax board met with commissioners to discuss the expenditure of funds for the current fiscal year. The following expenditures were approved: The Greater Hyde County of Commerce will receive $5,000. The Engelhard Seafood Festival will receive $2,000 for event promotion. The Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge will receive $8,138 to construct walking trails within the refuge. According to state law, the occupancy-tax funds have to be used to promote tourism in the county.
Wesley Smith, the new director of the Hyde County Health Department, met with the board to discuss the need for home-health services on Ocracoke Island. Smith is currently working on several different options to provide home health services on the island. He asked the board for patience in getting the service started. The statewide nursing shortage is affecting the county’s ability to provide the service, he said. In another matter, the commissioners designated Smith as the county official who will determine if dangerous dogs should be euthanized by county animal-control employees.
J. W. Tomlinson, representing the Engelhard Baptist Church, asked the board to support the church’s efforts to get the N.C. Department of Transportation to fill in a ditch on the front of the church’s property. The board voted to support the project.
The board then discussed the need to provide a central place for the county’s ambulance service. A public hearing on the proposal will be held at the next commissioners’ meeting set for April 21.
The board also passed a resolution requesting that N.C. DOT look into raising the bridge over the Outfall Canal, on U.S. Highway 264 to accommodate boat traffic.