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Whether to leash all dogs or let most run free was the big topic for the Oriental Town Board’s June meeting. Yet while the Town Board and some residents in the audience did spend more time talking about dog waste than most adults might like to do, there were other matters that the Town Board attended to at the June 3rd meeting.

Here’s a brief overview:

$827,000 Town Budget for 2008-2009 Fiscal Year Passed
The Town Board had been meeting in recent weeks on the budget and held a public hearing to get public comment on it. There were no comments and within a minute, the $827,120 budget for July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009 was passed. There are no property tax hikes. However, the garbage and water fees are increasing slightly.

Town Manager says the garbage fees are going up 40 cents to $8.30 per month. The water fees have the base fee going from $8 to $9 per month. Those who use less than 2000 gallons a month will see no hike beyond that. Those who use more than 2000 gallons a month will note a 10 cent hike per 1000 gallons. Wyatt Cutler says the rates are: 0-2000 gallons $2.55 per thousand gallons. 2001-5000 $2.85 per thousand. 5000-10000 2.95 per thousand. 10-15,000 gallons would be 3.05 per thousand.

South Avenue Lawsuit Update
Mayor Bill Sage gave a brief update on the South Avenue lawsuit, saying that the litigator hired for that case, Attorney Steven Weeks had filed a notice of appeal on May 30th, ahead of the June 2 deadline. Mayor Sage said that this appeals process could “extend many months in to the future.” The town is appealing a Superior Court’s decision this spring that found that nearby landowner Lacy Henry could claim the 60 feet of harborfront at the end of the town street, South Avenue. (The town’s part time attorney, Scott Davis, was not present at the meeting Tuesday because the Town Board felt it not necessary to have him there.)

Planning Board Report
Overlay District
Planning Board Chairman Paul Olson spoke to the Town Board about the Overlay District that the PB has drawn up for the business corridor along Hiway 55 (essentially, from North Street to the town limits near the Town and Country grocery store.) IN summarizing the Overlay District, Olson said it would require new buildings there to either have front porches (as most other buildings along that route have) or to have landscaping that covers an unporched front of a building. Landscaping with trees would be required, regardless, along the streets.

Conditional Zoning
Paul Olson also spoke of the draft for Conditional Zoning that the Planning Board is proposing. He said it had come about during the discussions of annexing the St. Peters Catholic Church property on White Farm Road, which if zoned residential woudl not allow an assisted living facility the church talks about putting in place some day. A more lenient MU zoning woudl allow not only the assisted living but any other business use in what is now a mainly residential, woodsy neighborhood. Paul Olson spoke of conditional zoning as a “good tool” for allowing a specific use but not all the uses of MU. It could put businesses in Oriental’s residential neighborhoods. The Planning Board is proposing this not just for the White Farm Road area but for every neighborhood of Oriental. (This “tool” could also allow denser condo construction in residential neighborhoods such as the R2 and R1 than is allowed now. )

Public Hearings Set for Conditional Zoning and Overlay District
The public will get an opportunity to comment on both Conditional Zoning and the Overlay District at the next Town Board meeting on July 1. The board set public hearings on both those proposals.

Planning Board Members Reappointed
The Town Board re-appointed Planning Commissioners Bob Miller and Bill Marlowe to the five-man Planning Board. The two men were appointed to 3-year terms.

The Board accepted a letter of interest in serving on the board from another resident, James Barton. who was described as a retired Navy officer who spent 20 years in strategic planning and 10 years in business.

It was suggested that, as with Tourism Board appointments, those seeking positions on the Planning Board attend a few meetings.

Tourism Board Update:
$2,500 on Cable TV Ads
Commissioner Candy Bohmert gave a report of the Tourism Board. It was spending $2,500 for commercials about Oriental that would run every other week on the NC Fishing Report on a cable channel in Morehead City. The tourism board also paid $350 for creation of the commercial.

Public TV To Film in Oriental in September
This September, Commissioner Bohmert reported, another crew from UNC Public TV would be visiting Oriental to shoot some video. She expressed appreciation for the public TV features as “getting a lot of free advertising.” Another board member mentioned seeing a re-run of another piece about Oriental on UNC TV (a statewide network) a few nights earlier.

Parks and Rec Board Report
Croaker Relay Street Closing Requested
As liason to the Parks and Rec Board, Commissioner Bohmert reported that the Croaker Relay would return as a part of the Croakerfest on July 5. That would require the temporary closing of parts of King, Vandemere and Factory Streets so that runners could pass thru. Mayor Sage asked what the Croaker Relay was. Commissioner Bohmert replied that it was a race whose relay batons were plywood croakers. “it’s not about who wins the race but who’s wet and can throw the croaker in the end. “ She said that she understood relay organizer and Parks and Rec Board member Turtle Midyette was arranging for a catapault this year.

Police Report
Chief Cassasa was not present for the Police Report. Mayor Bill Sage said there was one animal complaint. Police officer Bill Caraway said that “that was in reference to a possibly rabid raccoon” near the Schoolhouse condos. It “had been poring thru garbage,” Caraway said, indicating that it then “went down a storm drain, who knows where it went from there…”
Commissioner Kellam reported that some animal complaints made to Chief Cassasa did not end up on monthly reports because the cases were sent to the Animal Control Office in Bayboro. She said she had asked him to tally the numbers in Oriental.

Sidewalk Repairs at the Town Dock
Town Manager Wyatt Cutler reported on repairs being made to the sinking sidewalk near the Town Dock. Work had begun in recent days. He said the concrete had been undercut over the last 20 years and would be replaced.

Mosquito Control Money
The Town Manager also reported that in the past fiscal year, the town has gotten $5,000 in grant money from the state for mosquito control. This coming fiscal year, starting in July, it’ll be $600. Wyatt Cutler said he was going to “go ahead and buy some additional chemicals to stockpile.” Cutler said the town was focussing more on larvacide which he said had ‘less environmental impact.”

Financial Statement
The Town Manager said the town had $17,000 more in revenue from property tax than it had projected.

Animal Control (see separate article)

Recycling Bin for County Residents on Town Property
The board discussed its plans to let the county put a recycling center on land the town owns between the fire station and the corner of Straight Road and White Farm Road. The town also owns the large container in which newspaper is deposited for recycling and will let that be used for the county recycling center. There was discussion about the aesthetics of that property and putting at least a 6 foot screen between it and the residence next door.

Many residents outside the city of Oriental, who don’t pay town taxes and who don’t get the curbside recycling that goes with trash pickup in town, have been without a convenient, nearby place to recycle their bottles, papers, plastics and cans in recent months. The previous recycling center, next to the Circle Ten gallery, was shut down earlier this spring at the request of that property owner. In offering this service on town land to non-residents, the Town Manager suggested that town residents would also make use of the recycling center, in particular for cardboard.

Signs Warning That The Speed Limit In Town is 25MPH
Police officer Bill Caraway told the board that if it doesn’t have signs clearly posting the town speed limit at the entry ways in to town, he may not be able to enforce the limit on certain roadways. He said that 6 signs reading, “Town of Oriental 25MPH Unless Otherwise Posted” would cost $1,000. They would be about 3-1/2 feet by 4 feet. Commissioner Sherrill Styron said that he thought, “we have to come up with the $1,000 if that’s what the signs are.”

Dog Stations
There was also some discussion about the “Dog Stations” which hold a supply of plastic bags for people to use to pick up dog waste. Commissioner Bohmert estimated them as costing $150 apiece. There are already several in town, but the recent discussion about dog waste, has prompted calls to install the “Dog Stations” in more places. The town can seek a $2,000 grant which could go toward covering 75% of the cost.

Stop Signs That Are Hard To See
The town will be looking in to fixing two stop signs that are difficult to see. One next to the white building where Paddle Pamlico is based, at the corner of Hodges and Factory. Large oleander shrubs obscure the stop sign. The other stop sign in question is on First Street at Freemason, coming in to the downtown area. It is set farther from the street than the standard stop sign and is up higher. In both instances, drivers have been passing right past them without stopping.

Posted Thursday June 5, 2008 by Melinda Penkava

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