Town Council - Regular Meeting

like to welcome everybody out to this April the 1st, 2026 town council meeting. [clears throat] Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Again, thank you all for coming out for our public forum where we'll be dealing with anybody has any public comments on agenda items only today. Does any member of council have a conflict interest or appearance of conflict interest with in regards to any item on the agenda? So, please state at this time, Mr. Mr. Bachelor.

No. No. No. No. Okay. All right. The public forum is now open. If anyone would like to speak on an agenda item, you're more than welcome to come up. [clears throat]

Come on up. Hi, I'm Aaron Cassenza and I live at 4228th Street, Sunset. Good. I had a couple of questions about um how the meetings go because this is my first one. So, I know my sister who lives on 29th submitted questions or comments regarding the agenda items for next week. So, what we're covering today anyways, she did it through email. So, the question is, do you get those and read those in this forum and then respond to them or how does that work? Go ahead, Cam.

Did she submit through the portal or did she send she submitted through the portal? So, anything that's sent through the portal is given to the town council for them to review. As far as response, um, how do we do the response? It it's not well really whenever it goes into the portal, if if she submitted it in the portal, she will get an automated response back letting her know that we got it. Um, I'm looking right now to see if it's in there. Um, because when did she submit it? Because ah, um, like when the agenda first came out. So, a couple days ago. Okay. Okay. So, this week. Okay. And what we do is we get a summary of them weekly

at the end of the week, but um I know I get them. I get every one. I get a notification. I know Kimberly gets one and some other council gets one for each one. Um so, um so we do get those and we we look at them and read it if it's for the agenda item, but it can be agenda item or not agenda item. Obviously, we get lots of different ones. And um then we look at it and kind of depending on what it is determines whether or not we contact them directly. Um some say, "Do you want to be contacted or not?" You know,

she had sending me an email. But my my question was since it relates to this type of meeting, but she's physically not here today. Um I was just curious if you read those questions and responded to them in this forum. And it sounds like the answer is no. They don't read them out, but they do come in where everybody sees them. So, you'll do that privately versus it could be of interest to other people. That's my point for questions. Um,

and Aaron, one thing for for next week's meeting, the actual meeting, at that meeting, Kimberly gives us each the print out that we have up here during the meeting as well. And it's added into her minutes. So, it's just like you speaking here today, what she puts in in the portal or what that is added into the comments. So everybody then can see it. Um yeah, and that was another question related is on the agenda it says public comments or something like that. So I didn't know what that was referencing. So you guys will take what you've gotten over the last month and address the concerns and relay or what what what is that what happens in that section?

Let's let Mr. Claymore answer. Yeah. So, in in the April 7th meeting, there's another opportunity for public comment similar to what we're doing here where people in the audience could come up and address the council and make a statement, ask a question. If it's appropriate, I more often than not would answer that question. So, if your sister attends that meeting and she asks the question at that public forum, she would get a response at that time. There are sometimes in excess of 50 comments in this portal and to read all of those and try to give an explanation at that individual meeting is it's just not possible. Yeah.

Sometimes and I have seen and I apologize for not I didn't quite understand your question but sometimes I've seen where comments are directed to an individual department. So it has to do with streets or storm water or police activities. Those will be sent to the department head to have a response back to the resident that way. So if in this case depending upon what the question was that may happen. Okay. That may get filtered down to a department head or to me as the interim administrator to answer her questions.

Okay. So I'm referencing 10.1 on the agenda where it's on 10 is public comments and under it says electronic portal comments. So that's where I'm trying to figure out like what is covered in the public forum comments on the agenda. Is it stuff you've gotten that you're reading to people on the internet, you know, watching? That's where our confusion is. So, what do you do in that section 10.1? Tell me

that was that was just added in there and and my understanding of it is those minutes will anything that will be sent in will be in the official minutes where anybody could access it and go back in and read it. But you don't we don't address it one by one up here. No, we don't. All right. We don't. They still have the opportunity to come in public and ask it, but it's still there for people to go back and read, not only listen to. All right. Cool. Yes, ma'am. Do you happen to have her comments that you could read today? And which [clears throat] sister was that? Cuz I'm not seeing Tracy's in here, Erin. Oh, well, she got the automated response back. I don't know. Um, yeah, it was about the um community center. She had questions on that.

I'm not I'm in the Kimberly. I'm in the thing and it's not there. So, we'll have to look and see. I'm not sure what why it's not showing it for me. Yeah, no worries. Okay.

Um, going through I see there's an RFP out for sanitation and an RFP for ground maintenance. And so, one question was um on the sanitation one that it reads that they would go out once a day to pick up trash and debris, you know, left by the barrels on the island. Um, and then another part says if needed a second run, but I want to address like in season where we're saying if you leave your broken beach chair, you know, anything left on the island uh on the beach after sunset, which is something you guys were going to go vote on, but wouldn't they that whoever wins the award have to then go back in [clears throat] lie of the doing it? I think is who was doing it in the past and picking up stuff that was left, cabanas, coolers, whatever. So, I don't see that explicitly written in the RFP, but is it going to be discussed? And

that's not something that we're going to ask the vendor to do. So, it's still going to be the responsibility of the police to go out after sunset and anything that falls in the definition of abandoned is moved to trash cans. Oh, okay. Um, that's the way it's been done since I've been here. Uh, it's just been different people that do it. So, the police will go back to that function should that ordinance change be approved by council on the 7th. Okay. And those items will be left for this contract vendor to pick up the next morning. Okay. Um I guess the question is when you look at the responsibilities of the public works department there's three bullets in on the government

that are being addressed through the RFP. So, the question is, um, what prompted an RFP to go out to take over some of the duties of the current public works department? And if you could just explain what prompted the RFP because when you think about it, you're like, oh, well, if these responsibilities are going away, what are they taking on? Are they overworked or what's the reasoning behind it? If somebody could explain,

I'll do my best. That would probably be best answered by the department head, but my understanding is the amount of time that it takes to do that. Sometimes multiple trips and the multiple staff members that it takes to do it. It's not a one-man operation. So, when you factor in the hourly rate for the employees plus the benefit package for the employees, the RFP is a a vehicle, if you will, for us to see if the town could in fact save money by contracting that service out. That's what I figured. And so I just wanted to hear it from you guys. Um, but also, do you see the town doing more of contracting to avoid having to hire people and thus all the benefits that are paid out by the town? You know, when you hire somebody new,

I can tell you that you're going to see uh, as you'll see on this agenda, there's additional RFPs. You're going to see more as time goes on. And it's a way that we can try to do our best to save taxpayer dollars. And if we can contract a service out, whether it's cutting the grass, picking up the trash, or trimming the trees, I don't, you know, insert your I guess your task here. Um, if we can find a way to contract it out and save money, then I believe this council would vote affirmatively for that. Okay. Um, I think that's all my questions. Thank you. Very good.

The timer has officially died. So, we will have to buy a new one. It's completely died out. It did. I It's It's fine. It's It's fine. Yes, ma'am. You took some You want [laughter] Mr. Mr. Mayor and Council, thank you, Chief, for your service. My pleasure.

U this is I'm Lori Thomas Fast. I live at 620 Kingfisher Lane, Sunset Beach, North Carolina 28468. And I wanted to tell you to begin with, thank you for creating this forum. This is so much better than what it was before. I picture for you. I've been bringing in pictures every month. [laughter] [cough] give you a chance to get that. I have two issues today that I wanted to talk to you about. The first is um the issue that I'm confronting on parking on Main Street on the east side as you head down towards Palm Cove. And uh that area there that I'm pointing out, I used to park my truck there a long time ago before the town implemented parking, paid parking. Um and a and I take the my cart, my fish cart off my truck and pull it down the easement, go fishing on Tubs Inlet. And after the town created the paid parking, the residents on that left side, as you're looking down on my on my picture, planted trees in the rightway. So, I don't know whether that would be part of the town's new parking plan or not. But what I would say to you, the thing that's bothering me today is if you look at the right side of the street going down, the town has put up no parking indicating to me that the town is asserting authority over that right ofway. So if the town is asserting authority over the right side, then it would assume I would assume that the town has authority on the left side on the right of way also where the trees are planted. So my first issue today is

can the town please do something to remove those trees and if if at some point in the future we have parking down there then I would like to be able to continue to park there. So that's my first issue. My second issue I've been before you for three months now talking to you about how I feel about the uh gate and the fence uh access easement to Tubs Inlet. For years and years and years, I would park my truck, pull my cart down that easement, and I'd go down to Tubs Inlet and fish. Um, and I love that. And when we had the controversy over that fence and over the easement, um, the town decided, the former town decided to put the fence in and the gates, which totally blocked me off. So, the issue I'm raising with you, and I've talked to the chief a little bit about this. I believe it's my opinion. I'm not a lawyer. I'm a um constitutional economist. I have some background in constitutional law. I believe that that's a constitutional violation. And I believe that it's also a violation of the public trust document that we have, the doctrine of public trust access to the beach. and that as a result of that easement being there for the last uh since 1991 that easement has been there over that period of time I would argue with you that that easement now it irrevocably reverts to the public trust the other issue that I'm raising with you a constitutional issue is that due process and equal treatment on the law would require me as a public citizen to have the same rights as access as the chief and his police department. In other words, this town is holding me in an inferior position over

an easement where part of our public trust can access it, but the other part can't. And I believe that's a constitutional issue for this town to study. And I'm renewing my complaint against the town so you know how I feel. I'd be glad to accept any questions. I don't have any questions, but I I would like to comment on both of your um matters that you brought before the town council. Uh number one, with the picture that you showed us there, that is not a town roadway. Um so, as far as that is not a town, that is not a town roadway. Okay.

Uh that's private. So, as far as the the things in the right of way, I'll check with our code enforcement and see if that obstruction in the right of way needs to be removed. If it does, then the proper steps will be made in order to remove that. Um, but as far as parking there, we would likely sign that. No parking, or at least that would be my recommendation to council. parking would not continue there because on a private stretch of land there I don't believe that we'd have the ability to mark that as paid parking and all island parking right now as you know is is paid parking. As far as number two with the easement to Palm Cove, you and I have discussed this essentially a copy of the easement when that property changed hands. There was a survey done come to find out that the the the pathway that you're calling an easement the pathway to the beach strand essentially cut across lot one. that property owner realized that and said, "Well, this is my property. Um, I'm not going to build a house and have people walking through my front yard to get to the beach and my sideyard." Um, so they were going to block the whole thing off. They did block the whole thing off and the town entered into an agreement, an easement, a signed document that gives emergency vehicles authority to access the east end of the beach.

I understand completely. Thank you. Thank you. Any other questions? Thank you, town council. All right. Anyone else? Yes, sir.

Hello. I'm Mike Shannon, uh, 478 San Piper Bay Drive. Um, I've spoke to a few of couple of the council members and the administrator about uh, access for kayaks and paddle boards. Um, I noticed Majestic Oak Park has a uh planned uh kayak access. Um, and I would hope that in the future I've been try an advocate of trying to get additional access so that we could get on to the uh ICW. Um I am besides my personal interest in that I'm also uh the current president of Sea Trail Fishing Club uh which has about 180 members and many of those are kayak paddle board people. Um, I came here to offer uh the services of the club uh in what whatever way they can uh help uh either installation or advisement of when you get to the point that you can put uh paddle board kayak access in to do it in such a way as it would benefit the most people. That's all I have. Mr.

Shannon, I appreciate your offer to help. Um, it is something that this council is looking at and part of the grant requirements is that there will be access to the water. Yes. I know that uh Councilwoman Bachelor has looked at uh other municipalities and what they have for kayak launches. So, if you would after this meeting, please give me your phone number and if uh we can rely on you, that would be beneficial. Chrissy has my I'll send that please. Thank you, sir.

Uh yeah, there there are access points in other places around here. Some of those are I mean they have to be ADA um acceptable. I understand that. But even at that, uh, they're not always acceptable to, uh, the types of various type of kayak and paddle board crafts because they're larger kayaks, wider kayaks, they don't fit in the in in the ramps and that type of things. If there's a if there's an access at the end of a a pier where there's a 80 degree angle or or 90 degree angle, it's almost inaccessible for anyone to get around and maneuver their boards or kayaks into that location. I think that's where we could probably help and give some adisement.

Thank you, Mike.

Anyone else? I'm Noral Lin Finch if I can remember my address. 641 Oyster Bay Drive, Sunset Beach. Um, my background is college athletics. College athletics events, big events, parking is an issue. Doesn't matter what event you have, parking and priority parking are always at the center of planning. So, I have a proposal to just toss out to you that I don't need to tell you that there's some friction between people on the island and people on the mainland when it comes to parking over at the island. And I really applaud you for not requiring the taxpayers, the property owners who support all of the services whether on the mainland or on the island so that we are not now paying to park where we're maintaining. I want to throw out something else speaking about priorities. So, Wolfpack Club members get benefits, access to priority parking. That's true at the ACC. When you buy certain tournament clubs, you have access to priority parking. And I'd like to throw out the idea of taxpayers, property owners having access to priority parking on the island. So those streets that the town maintains, I understand, uh you can control, you could designate those streetscape, the gazebo, those areas as taxpayers only.

Just an idea following the whole concept in America for priority parking for those that are in the club. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else? Y'all mind yall mind speaking again? No. Go ahead. Go ahead.

I wanted to support what Mike Sha Shannon said and I don't know whether you're aware of this, but I wanted to let you know I'm also a kayaker. I have a pedal kayak 10 foot and I go out in the inter coastal waterway. I go all the way out to Bird Island. I go everywhere to fish. We have the town has a access a kayak on our website down and I'm going to get the street wrong uh chief where the big curve in the road goes and there's a condominium right there and you can go down park

bona park at the end of bona park the town is claiming a a kayak access point and it's wonderful at high tide I came in there one day at low tide and the tide was about 40 yards out and you can't get your kayak in. And so we've got an access point and what we need at that access point for kayaks is the ability to have some ramp or something so that at low tide I can get my kayak back in um both at high tide and low tide. So I wish that you would look at that at that access point. We already apparently we already have authority over that. Thank you.

Thank you. Anyone else? If not, do I have a motion to adjurnn? I'll make a motion journ. I have a second. I'll second. Any more discussion? All in favor? All right.