In their monthly board meeting, the Kill Devil Hills commissioners along with Mayor Ben Sproul met to appoint new board members and receive the annual financial report for FY 2018/19.

Teresa Osborne with Dowdy & Osborne in Nags Head presented the results of the KDH June 20, 2019 independent audit, which received an unmodified opinion.

The Town of Kill Devil Hills ended the year with an unassigned fund balance of about $12 million, which was an increase of $2.8 million from the previous fiscal year. This was attributable to the phasing on the updated public works complex.

Osborne reported that the operating revenue for water and sewage increased by $220,000 and operating expenses increased by $100,000. This led to an operating income of $495,000, a $122,000 increase from last year.

“Ideally, you want operating revenue to cover operating expenses and the town accomplished this,” Osborne said. Overall, the town was found to be in strong financial health. Osborne concluded by thanking the “high caliber work” of the finance department.

For the 31^st consecutive year, KDH received the award for excellence in financial reporting. “That’s pretty impressive,” Sproul commented. Charlene Allen, assistant finance director, added a button to the plaque that hangs in the meeting room of the Kill Devil Hills Town Hall to reflect this achievement.

Following this presentation, the board made the following appointments: commissioner Terry Gray volunteered to serve on the Government Education Access Channel Committee. commissioner BJ McAvoy chose to serve on the Street Improvement and Special Project Committee.

Sue Kelley was reappointed to the Personnel Board. There was expressed interest in this position from other residents, but Sproul noted, “I don’t think anyone else has come close when it comes to experience and background.” Commissioner John Windley agreed, “I think Sue is the perfect person for that.”

Their last appointment was for an open planning board spot. Mark Evans, who had been serving on the board, was reappointed. After little to no discussion from the board members in regard to these appointments, they were approved unanimously.

Sproul then addressed the upcoming commissioners retreat, which has not taken place in eight years. The board decided to hold this retreat on Saturday, March 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to establish goals and come together as a board.

To end a relatively short agenda, Sproul addressed a resolution to oppose reclassification of jurisdictional waters. The Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) addressed a “controversial” salinity value level to try and determine boundaries between inland and coastal waters.

This proposed salinity value would cause a loss of about 27 square miles of commercial and coastal fishing waters. This action is contradictory to the 2017 rule review, determining that there was no basis to adjust the boundaries.

“They seem to be breaking a lot of their rules with this,” Sproul commented after reviewing the resolution with the board. This resolution would support those that feel the resolution is not in favor of this area.

Mayor Pro Tem Ivy Ingram relayed to the board that Nags Head has already addressed this resolution. The board was in agreement that they were in favor of opposing the resolution and after Sproul’s motion to this effect, it was approved unanimously.

The next meeting will be held on January 22 and will consist of a joint work session between the Planning Board and commissioners to discuss regulatory changes the town could consider for large single-family dwellings/event homes.

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