By By BETTY MITCHELL GRAY
betty@wdnweb.com
Contributing Writer
Saying it would bring unnecessary regulation to eastern North Carolina, the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to oppose a policy proposed by the state Division of Coastal Management intended to guard coastal communities against future sea-level rise.
The division has drafted a new policy recognizing sea-level rise as a threat to North Carolina’s coastal counties. As part of that policy, it estimates that the sea level will increase by 1 meter, or about 3.28 feet, by 2100.
The policy has not yet been approved by the Coastal Resources Commission, the board that sets rules for the coastal counties covered by the state’s Coastal Area Management Act.
If approved by the commission, the policy could be used as the basis for future regulations, including those that regulate development in the state’s coastal counties.
North Carolina is the first state along the East Coast to propose a future sea-level-rise rate, and it would be the first to develop a policy based on this future rate, according to information provided to the commissioners.
If the policy is approved, the 1 meter-rise benchmark would be required to be used in land-use plans developed by counties covered by CAMA, and private development and public infrastructure would have to be designed to avoid the effects of sea-level rise, the commissioners were told.
Commissioner Hood Richardson said the policy is not needed because federal regulations governing development in flood zones already address the concerns proposed by the sea-level policy and would result in “duplicate regulations.”
Commissioner Robert Cayton said rules that result from the sea-level policy will be an additional burden for Beaufort County.
“Because of where Beaufort County is located, we have become the victim of many, many unnecessary regulations,” said Cayton.
He said the proposed policy will “hold eastern North Carolina back.”
Commissioner Al Klemm agreed.
“We should be opposing it,” he said.
A three-member committee comprised of Cayton, Klemm and Richardson will work to develop a plan to defeat any future regulations proposed by the state’s coastal-management bodies as a result of the new policy.
In other business, the board:
• Voted unanimously to give a “vote of confidence” to efforts by Bath High School Preservation to obtain grants from Golden LEAF and other organizations to help the group renovate Bath High School.
“What you’re doing is noteworthy,” said Commissioner Stan Deatherage.
The first priority of the group is to renovate the exterior of the building, according to Jimmy Edwards, who gave a report to the commissioners on the group’s activities. Future activities include converting the former school’s cafeteria to a library and its northwest wing into a museum dedicated to the history of the Pamlico River region, Edwards said.
• Heard a report from Ann Emmerich, wellness city outreach coordinator for Beaufort, Pamlico, Jones and Washington counties for Recovery Innovations, on programs offered by the agency. The organization receives funding from East Carolina Behavioral Health to develop programs for clients affected by substance abuse, mental illness, and/or developmental disability. Emmerich told the commissioners she appreciated the county’s funding of ECBH programs.
“I am here to say thank you from the bottom of my heart,” she said.
• Heard a report from Lisa Woolard, director of the Beaufort Hyde Partnership for Children, on the Pledge to Protect Children. The pledge, she said is “a global vision to support children in our communities.”
Several groups charged with child advocacy will present signed copies of the pledge to Gov. Beverly Perdue asking for continued support of early care and education for North Carolina’s children.
“We can’t do a redo on our children,” she said.
At Woolard’s request, the commissioners individually signed copies of the pledge. 
• Unanimously approved a request for a tax deferral on builder-owned property made by Chris Furlough on unsold homes at the Somerset development. A vote on the request had been delayed from the commissioners’ meeting Monday.
• Voted 6-1 to approve $12,631.70 in travel requests with Richardson casting the sole dissenting vote.
• Voted 6-1 to approve a budget amendment for the Department of Social Services to reflect the receipt of federal funds for job readiness development for participating clients and the receipt of energy assistance funds and a budget amendment for the Beaufort County Health Department reflecting the receipt of state funds for breast-feeding related services. Richardson cast the sole dissenting vote.
• Unanimously approved a permit for Centro Cristiano Bethel W. on Slatestone Road for a variance from the county’s noise ordinance from 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. from March 4 through March 6 to allow cars to depart from an event on the property.
All commissioners attended the meeting.