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6. What in your past or present career best prepares you for the Town Board?

David White: Before becoming a Town Commissioner two years ago, I spent four years on the Planning Board gaining an understanding of the Town’s operations and issues. Prior to this, I was with IBM for 39 years in their Public Sector area working with State, Local and Municipal Governments worldwide. I have worked with many Government leaders on infrastructure improvements, best practices implementations and governance models. My current focus areas as a Board Member are Human Resources, Finances and representation on the Planning Board and the Harbor Water Committee.

Sandy Winfrey: I started working here when I was about 10 years old, so I’ve seen a lot and I’m familiar with just about every part of town.

Gwendolyn Gibbs: As a nurse for 33 years, I have had countless opportunities to participate in the processes of evaluation, planning, implementation, and resolution of many issues. I have dealt with people of all cultures, backgrounds and financial status. I’ve had to make critical decisions quickly, delegate duties to subordinates and see to the overall care of up to 23 surgical patients on a day to day basis. As an associate minister at my church, the words honesty and integrity are not just words for me anymore they are a part of who I am. My desire to do what is fair and right, as a lifelong resident of Oriental is part of what drives me to seek a position on the Town Board.

Charlie Overcash: Board of Adjustment member for many years. Chairman of the Planning Board for almost three years. Town Commissioner for last two years. Director level of a large communications company. That job involved budgeting, goal achievement, personnel management and planning.

Allen Price: In my job I have represented our company calling on customers and dealing with various issues that occur between a supplier and its customers. It required listening, gathering and analyzing data, and working out the best solutions for all involved. My 40+ years of listening and working with customers has prepared me to listen and work with our citizens, even when we disagree. Keeping opposing groups together is needed for future success.
Larry Summers: I have served in many elected and appointed positions starting in my college days to the present. As a political science major I was always involved. I like to joke that I received the volunteer gene from my parents and think that giving back is important.

Barbara Venturi: I had my own business, so know budgeting pretty well. I had my own consulting firm and specialized in problem solving major computer and data base systems. My professional life was as a problem solver, and a town has its share of those.

I like using my skills and talents for my community, but believe me, nothing prepared me to serve. I thought I’d walk in the first day and be able to contribute. Luckily we had Wyatt Cutler then, very capable and experienced, so not knowing it all the first day wasn’t that important. But, we were four new commissioners of the five. We made mistakes, lots of them. We meant well, but were so new. Most of us ran for office again and have contributed to the town as we gained in understanding and experience.

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7. The proposed bike pathway between the two parts of Oriental has been in the planning stages for years. Can it be accomplished? What would you do to cut thru the impasse?

Sandy Winfrey: The only way I see a bike path happening is through grant money.

Gwendolyn Gibbs: The proposed bike path can be accomplished at some point in our long range plan. I see the bike path as a amenity that should only come to pass after basic infrastructure type issues have been dealt with, such as town roads, streets, appropriate signage etc.

Charlie Overcash: Strive to realize the already initiated grant request for money to complete the project.

Allen Price: I think a bike path would be an asset; however, I would like to get the details and review what has already been done in order to proceed to the next level. We need to apply for any grant that might help us achieve this goal.

Larry Summers: I think that we have done a lot of talking about this issue but talk alone does not make it happen. At one point we apparently had permission from Progress Energy to use their right-of-way under the power lines. It is now Duke Energy and we have not renewed this permission. Without that we would have very little possibility of connecting anything until the adjoining tracts were developed and a road system was in place. Sylvan Friedman used to own the adjoining tracts and apparently gave us some permission to explore a pathway. Those tracts are now owned by Chris Fulcher. While a couple of people have mentioned the issue to him, no one has actually shown him possible routes through his property. It is vital to get him involved and insure that what we do is good for his investment in the land and good for the town. Win-win is the answer. Once we have some possible routes then we need to get a survey or study involved to make it the best possible route. There are grants available that might take care of this. Then of course we would have to clear and pave the route. That would be an expensive proposition. We could only do it with a major grant. The town would have to commit substantial funds to support any matching fund requirements of such a grant. It would be good to start dedicating some money annually to support his project. This is not a project where the use of occupancy tax monies would be appropriate. It must come from our regular appropriated funds. We will have to take many potential costs into consideration including policing, lighting and maintaining the route. There is a lot of work to be done but physically connecting the two major parts of the town is important.

Barbara Venturi: Can it be done: yes. How: with public funding through grants or private contributions. Break the impasse?: establish a team to do nothing else than pursue this project.

I originally conceived of the bike/pedestrian trail between Oriental’s two peninsulas in 2006. I thought if we could used the power company rights-of-way that traverse between HWY 55, through the Northern end of Whittaker Creeks wetlands, over to White Farm Road that we’d be able to provide an alternative pedestrian/bicycle/golf cart route connecting the two areas of town. Eight years ago (Wyatt Cutler was in his first stint as Town Manager) we did our own estimate of the cost (remember, wetlands: permits, CAMA, DWQ). The cost was based on having to “bridge” 800 feet of wetlands. The estimate: $250,000. Since then I’ve written some private grant proposals for surveys and planning help, and also some Department of Transportation grant proposals trying to get the resources to fully plan and complete the plan. We’ve gotten some grant money for planning, but not the big ones for execution. The cost relative to the town’s population is a significant factor in these proposals having been denied, even when we can show overwhelming support for the project from the town’s residents and businesses.

The town will never have $300,000 to put into that trail (our annual budget is about $850,000). There are only 900 residents; one penny of town tax brings in $20,000 per year. I’ll be submitting another grant request to NC/DOT by Friday, October 30th, again trying to get funds to move the bike trail forward. Without external funding, we, the town, will not be able to make it happen. Of course, if there are any entrepreneurial spirits out there who think they can pull together such resources, please call me (249-1141).

David White: You are correct in that it has been in the planning stages for many years. For the bike path to become a reality, it needs to be elevated to a must-do project. As stated above (ED: in Mr. White’s answers to previous questions), we have a limited budget and need to decide where those limited funds are to be spent. To make this a reality, the Board, with public input, needs to vote to make this a priority, or not. If the vote is “no,” we move to other projects. If selected, the steps that need to be taken are: 1) make it a priority, 2) determine the cost to complete, 3) develop an implementation plan with steps or phases, 4) determine funding sources (grants, Town budget, private donations, business donations, etc.) and then finally construct.

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Posted Monday October 26, 2015 by Melinda Penkava