OCBA Meeting Tonight

Monthly meeting 7 p.m. Wednesday July 13, 2016

Agenda:

1. Call to order

2. Approval of May meeting minutes.

3. Treasurer’s report 2016/17 budget Report

4. Travel & Tourism Director report (Sundae Horn)

5. Election to the board: Chip Stevens, Martha Garrish

6. OCBA appointments to the Occupancy Tax Board (need two by 7/7/16)

7. President’s report

8. Ferries and the NC budget (Connie Leinbach)

9. As-needed reports:
County Manager’s report (Bill Rich); National Park Service; County Commissioner (John Fletcher)

Old Business

10. OCBA appointments to the Ocracoke Occupancy Tax Boar

11. New business

12. Announcement

13. Adjourn

Note: Meetings are held the second Wednesdays of the month at 7 p.m. in the Ocracoke Community Center (unless otherwise stated). The next 2016 meetings will be: July 13, Aug. 10, Sept. 14, Oct. 12, Nov. 9, Dec. 14. 

OCBA Meeting June 8, 2016 DRAFT minutes

Meeting called to order at 7:03 p.m.

Board Members present: Rudy Austin, president, Connie Leinbach, secretary-assistant treasurer, Ashley Harrell, treasurer; Teresa O’Neal and Wayne Clark. Other members present: Sundae Horn, Marth Garrish, Chip Stevens, Nancy Leach, Arleen Burley, Fred Westervelt, Corey Cutright, Corky Pentz, Bill Rich (via cell phone.)

Minutes: The minutes of the May meeting were approved.

Treasurer’s report: Ashley reported that about $2,500 was spent on the British Cemetery ceremony. $2,500 was granted by Occupancy Tax, there were several donations and a donation jar at the reception. An updated tally is pending. The organization has $70,229.31, which includes the checking account, a specially- earmarked CD of $34,129.37 and about $13,000 in the Pirate Jamboree account.

Travel & Tourism director’s report: Sundae Horn reported that Ocracoke’s beach was ranked No. 4 in the nation this year by Dr. Beach. An article in the June issue of Southern Living highlighted Ocracoke. A freelancer was here taking photos for updating of the Visit NC 2017 guide.
Washington (NC) Magazine will do a story on Ocracoke.

Brownie Futrell, Democratic candidate running for state Senate against Bill Cook was the featured speaker at the Hyde County Chamber luncheon here on the island.
She received some good photos from Ocracoke Island Realty and Chip Stevens for the website, which should be finished sometime this summer and which will be previewed at a later OCBA meeting.

A man named Brand McMullen of South Carolina wants to conduct a king mackerel fishing tournament Nov. 3 to 5. He projects 30 boats and 120 fishermen needing about 60 rooms. They’re looking for a sponsorship from OCBA. Ashley suggested that the food suppliers sometimes donate food. Sundae will check with Ocracoke Oyster about this as well as Gaffer’s.

We need a better brochure rack on the Carteret ferry if it’s OK with the Ferry Division. She suggested we take one out of our Visitor’s Center, but we may need to purchase one.
A motion to approve the purchase of another brochure rack not to exceed $100 was made by Teresa O’Neal and seconded by Arleen Burley. Motion approved and carried.

New board members: A motion to elect Chip Stevens and Martha Garrish as at-large members was made by Ashley Harrell and seconded by Nancy Leach. Motion approved and carried.
County Manager’s report: Bill Rich reported that the General Assembly is still in session and ferry funding should be resolved in the next two weeks.

The Hyde County budget for next year is about $15 million with no new taxes. The county is still financially sound. The county’s flood insurance rating was improved and reduced flood insurance premiums should result.
The Occupancy Tax Board’s request for funding 2016-2017 to island nonprofits has been approved.

The county will undergo a county-wide property tax reevaluation, which will cost the county $300,000.

Bill said there are five variance issues that need to go before the Adjustment Board because they affect how businesses need to operate. Whatever comes out of that will affect the Ocracoke Development Ordinance. (He did not further explain this.)

Occupancy Tax Board appointments: According to the statute authorizing the establishment of the Occupancy Tax and the five-member advisory board, two of those appointees are for the OCBA to recommend. The terms of Frank Brown and Clayton Gaskill, who are OCBA appointees, are up. However, at the June 6 Hyde County Commissioners meeting, John Fletcher, the commissioner for Ocracoke, nominated Stephanie O’Neal and himself. This was approved pending a legal review, but these two were not recommended by the OCBA. Bill Rich said the two positions are “definitely (the OCBA’s) responsibility. Both appointments John Fletcher made are not valid.” The statute says these appointments must be made by July 30. The group agreed that we don’t need to do this hurriedly or lightly and will work on this. (Secretary’s note: since this meeting, the OCBA talked to both Brown and Gaskill, who both agreed to stay on the board. The OCBA submitted a letter dated June 29 to the Hyde County commissioners stating this and reiterating that these two were our appointees, but the commissioners on July 5 tabled the nomination.)

NPS report by Corey Cutright reported that from May 1 until now 289 yearly beach-driving passes have been sold; last year to date there were 313. 513 weekly passes have been sold, and last year at this time 600 were sold. From Jan. 1 to now, 769 yearly passes were sold and 783 last year by this time. There are 14 turtle nests on the beach. The new Ramp 63 will open soon.

The Park Service fixed one side of the public boat ramp with pea gravel. They expect to place larger rocks on top of these soon.

New business: Bill Rich sent Connie an email from an outfit wanting to offer paid rides in vintage airplanes at the airport in July. (However, after this meeting, Larry Ihle told Connie that no commercial ventures are allowed at the Ocracoke airport.)

Meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted,

Connie Leinbach, secretary