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Action items during the March 3 Currituck County Board Of Commissioners meeting included providing a letter of support for the removal of abandoned and derelict vessels from coastal waters, approval of a list of appropriation and policy priorities for the state legislature, approving a five-item consent agenda, and removing a closed session request from the night’s agenda.

Vice Chair Selina Jarvis opened the meeting with commissioners J. Owen Etheridge and Paul O’Neal absent for unrelated family matters.

With minimal discussion, commissioners approved a 2025-2026 state legislative appropriations priorities list that included seeking appropriations for Currituck County Regional Airport needs, county beach nourishment and dredging projects, ongoing water and wastewater system expansion needs, expanded broadband connectivity in the county, and a highway safety study funding for shared pedestrian and bicycle use paths in Moyock and Grandy.

Policy priorities approved include:
■   monitoring developments related to proposed homeowner insurance increases,
■   a secondary diploma track that recognizes and values technical education,
■   inclusion of population as a NC Department of Commerce tier ranking criteria,
■   require life safety systems for new homes with 10 or more bedrooms,
■   to modify or eliminate the 10 acre lot exemptions to county land use authority,
■   seek revisions to the recent changes to the state’s down zoning laws imposed by Senate Bill 382,
■   raise awareness about potential risks coming from beyond the state’s northern border to Corey’s Ditch and Knott’s Island,
■   monitor legislative activity and progress of Mid-Currituck Bridge project and defend existing project funding,
■   monitor and address dredging needs at Whalehead Club,
■   work to modify coastal regulations and streamline permitting processes,
■   modify county board of commissioner mode of election and alter voting district boundaries,
■   alter the local board of education structure to a partisan board.

During the approval process, commissioners agreed that it might help to have a meeting with State Senator Bobby Hanig and Representative Edward C. Goodwin to discuss the list.

Also approved was a letter of support for the establishment of a permanent, state-level funded program to remove abandoned and derelict vessels from coastal waters as proposed by the North Carolina Coastal Federation, NC Wildlife Resources Commission and North Carolina Division of Coastal Management.

It was noted that between 2018 and 2020 several storm events left an unprecedented number of abandoned and derelict vessels all along the North Carolina coast. Although the NC Wildlife Resources Commission has authority to remove some vessels, there is a lack of funding and authority is limited to emergency situations.

On hand for an annual audit presentation was Madonna Stafford with Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC, of New Bern.

According to Stafford, the June 30 audit ended with a clean opinion indicating that nothing materially wrong was found with any accounting procedures. She added also that all state and federal programs appear to comply with approved recording guidelines.

Financially, the county fund balance was just over $313.8 million, about $18 million better than the previous year. She went on to say that general fund revenues increased by about $10.6 million and expenses were up $9.6 million which was in line with the increase in revenues. Overall, she said, the year ended with an unassigned fund balance of $41,704,819 which is adequate reserves on hand.

Following the report a commissioner pointed out that the report has an incorrect register of deeds and a spelling error for vice chair Jarvis.

Moving through the agenda, commissioners passed the consent agenda with an $8,743 budget amendment transfer for register of deeds records management expenses, financial performance indicators of concern, a North Carolina Forest Service lease agreement, a vehicle surplus resolution-sheriff’s officer transfer to College of The Albemarle for BLET, and February 17 meeting minutes.

During public comments, a couple of speakers raised concerns over the lack of fire protection in the northwest area of Moyock due to the distance to the closest fire station and lack of public water sources and hydrants. It was pointed out that one result is higher homeowner insurance rates. Another concern was related to the “no comment” entry on every planning and inspections department technical review form by the fire chief.

At the end of business, commissioners recessed their regular meeting and entered a Tourism Development Authority session to approve a $40,000 budget transfer for additional destination advertising and to launch a new website to draw visitors to the northern Outer Banks.

Commissioners then adjourned until their 6 p.m. meeting on March 17.

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