Nags HEAD LINES Summer 2022

Welcome to the Semi-Annual Nags HEAD LINES Newsletter

You may have noticed that our Nags HEAD LINES newsletter took a brief hiatus over the past year. We apologize for that, but the newsletter is back and hopefully better than ever.

As mentioned in the headline above, we intend to produce this newsletter semi-annually. One newsletter will be published in the summer, after our fiscal year budget has been adopted, and a second newsletter will be produced in the winter, after our elected officials and staff have completed their annual strategic planning workshop. This workshop sets the goals and plans for our future budgets, so the winter newsletter will give you an idea of what you can expect to find in our upcoming fiscal year budget and the summer newsletter will explain what we've included in the budget.

We'll continue to send out a weekly email, but the semi-annual newsletter will be a bit more broad in scope, highlighting our larger, more long-term initiatives. We hope you find both to be informative. As always, feedback makes us better, so if you have any comments or suggestions, please email our public information officer, Roberta Thuman.

On June 1, 2022 our Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted a $41,834,417 balanced budget for the July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023 fiscal year, with no property tax or water rate increases. Our elected officials and our staff worked diligently over the past year to prepare for this budget, starting as early as the fall of 2021 with the annual strategic planning workshop. During this workshop we assess the current environment and create plans and goals so we can be the best at what we do. This big-picture, long-term planning effort is the first step in our budget process each year prior to developing a funding plan to accomplish the goals we've established.

As part of those strategic planning goals, we are focusing on maintenance of our assets and infrastructure. We've developed master plans for our streets, drainage infrastructure, drinking water systems, beaches and beach accesses, and buildings and grounds and are busy implementing those plans.

In addition, we’re working on a large project to redevelop our aging Public Services Complex, which is the Town’s base of operations for Facilities Maintenance, Water Operations and Distribution, Sanitation, Fleet Maintenance, and our public bulk trash drop off site. We hope to break ground after January 1, 2023 and expect it to be completed over the course of 18 to 24 months.

To conduct these projects, we’ve created a capital investment fund that considers annual capital needs well into the future, allowing us to set aside adequate funding to meet our projected expenses. We have moved a portion of our unassigned fund balance into the capital investment fund, creating a cash reserve that will allow us to cover those years with higher expenses so we can pay cash for capital items, such as equipment, rolling stock, and most infrastructure projects. Only larger projects may still require financing, but with cash on hand to pay for most of our other capital expenditures, we’ll save taxpayer money on interest. In addition, we’ll be seeking a bond rating so we can extend financing terms on large projects like the new Public Services complex. The rating will also open the Town to more competitive interest rate markets.

Like many other communities, we're facing challenges with employee retention. With the rising cost of housing in Dare County and surrounding communities, we are finding fewer applicants for our positions. Our Board has prioritized making sure we are an employer of choice in the region and the budget reflects this by strengthening our pay plan’s competitiveness as well as our benefits.

This year, we completed a comprehensive review of our Septic Health Initiative by updating the 2005 Decentralized Wastewater Management Plan. The update recommended several changes to the popular Todd D. Krafft Septic Health Initiative, which incentivizes homeowners to maintain their septic systems to protect water quality in Nags Head. In this budget, the Town increased the water bill credit that property owners can receive for having their septic system pumped from $45 to $150. Low interest loans are also offered to property owners who need system repairs. The program can now authorize up to $12,000 per project.

Other Fiscal Year 2022-2023 budget highlights include:

• Renovations to the Conch and Hollowell Street public beach accesses.
• Renovations to the skateboard and dog park.
• Professional design work for modifications at Whalebone Park. Grant opportunities will be sought for upgrades in fiscal year 2023-2024.
• Aggressive vehicle and equipment replacements including two dump trucks, four police vehicles, a commercial sanitation truck, and a stormwater backhoe.
• Establishment of an enhanced cart rollback service for properties with driveways on South Old Oregon Inlet Road and South Virginia Dare Trail. This fee-based service is charged to the property owners receiving the service.
• Increased lifeguard coverage due to a larger post-summer beach population.

Funds of $488,182 are budgeted towards design, drainage, and resurfacing projects in the following areas:

• East and West Soundside Road
• East Barnes Street between South Croatan Highway and the Barnes Street public beach access
• East Bladen Street between South Wrightsville Avenue and the Bladen Street public beach access
• South Memorial Avenue between the East Bladen Street intersection and the southern terminus of the street
• East Barnes Street drainage pipe replacement

• A 7% cost of living adjustment for all full-time Town employees and an increase in the Town’s 401K contribution for all non-sworn law enforcement officers from 3% to 4%.
• Conversion of the part-time events planner position to full time and a new stormwater technician position is also included.
• In Fiscal Year 2022, we received grant funds to replace the bathhouse at the Epstein public beach access; construction will begin in the fall of 2022. Also in Fiscal Year 2022, we received a grant to update its Emergency Operations Plan, which will take place in Fiscal Year 2023.
• Update to the Town’s 2018 Water System Master Plan.
• Continued systematic replacement of asbestos cement waterlines
• Pursuit of funding opportunities to implement smart water meters throughout the town.

The budget for this fiscal year is aggressive in meeting our operating needs as well as preserving and expanding our capacity to maintain and improve our infrastructure. As stewards of public resources, our role is to concentrate our budgeting efforts on maintaining and improving services, Town-owned property, and infrastructure while attempting to keep tax rates and fees reasonable. This budget reflects our commitment to preserving and enhancing our community while positioning us to be financially sound in the future. - Andy Garman, town manager

The adopted budget is available on the Town’s web site. You can also watch a short video with information about the Town's plans for Fiscal Year 2022-2023.

Dune Management Program Expanded for Oceanfront Owners

While the view of ocean front sand dunes covered in sea oats is an idyllic image, coastal sand dunes serve a more important purpose than just aesthetics. Dunes act as flexible barriers to ocean storm surges and waves, protect low-lying backshore areas, and help preserve the integrity of barrier islands.

In light of this, the Town developed the Dune Management Cost Share Program in 2021, to help oceanfront property owners with establishing and retaining protective dunes. Since then, the program has expanded to not only include reimbursement for native beach grass planting, but also sand fence installation. This summer, the Board of Commissioners voted to expand the program once more, to include funding to reimburse oceanfront property owners for costs associated with the accumulation of windblown sand. Each year, many oceanfront property owners experience sand accumulation on walkways, decks, stairs, pools, and buildings. This program offers a grant to help offset these costs.

The program will be closely coordinated with the Town's existing Sand Relocation Program, which allows oceanfront property owners to relocate sand that has accumulated on their properties back onto the dunes and the ocean beach. Grant applications are received on a first come, first serve basis. The maximum reimbursement for sand relocation activities is $3,000, and may be received once every three years. The maximum reimbursement for dune vegetation and/or sand fence is $500 - $1,000 per lot, depending on whether sand relocation funds were received; the total maximum funds received in one year per lot is $3,500. All applications should be submitted online at the program website starting October 1, 2022. Please see the program website (above) for guidelines and more information. If you have questions, reach out to Town of Nags Head planning staff at 252-441-7016.

Enhanced Sanitation Cart Rollout Service Update

In years past, if you had driven down South Virginia Dare Trail or South Old Oregon Inlet Road on a Saturday afternoon in the summer, you would have seen overflowing trash carts with bags of trash stacked around the bottom of the carts. Because most summer visitors check out of their rental homes on Saturdays, they place their sanitation carts out for collection on that day even though the carts will not be emptied by our sanitation team until Monday morning. Not only were these roads unsightly, but they would also become dangerous if a summer thunderstorm had blown a cart or trash onto the multi-use path or into the streets.

To address this important issue, on May 1, 2022 we began a enhanced cart rollout service, offered from May 1 through October 31, for homes with driveways facing South Virginia Dare Trail and South Old Oregon Inlet Road. The service was offered to everyone, but homeowners had the option of not participating.

For those in the program, a fee based on the home's number of bedrooms was paid so that their trash carts are rolled from the house to the street and returned after the trash has been collected twice a week. The carts are rolled out on Wednesday for Thursday morning collection and on Sunday for Monday morning collection. We are happy to report that we're now seeing fewer overflowing carts because they are placed out for collection on both Thursdays and Mondays, when last year, according to our tonnage records, they were not always placed out for collection on Thursdays.

With the carts being rolled out on Sunday for the Monday collection, instead of on Saturday, our visitors are now greeted by cleaner roads on Saturday as they make their way to their rental home to enjoy their visit to Nags Head. However, there is still more work to be done. Unfortunately, bags of trash and items such as tent frames, beach chairs, and boogie boards, which don't usually fit in our trash carts, are being placed by the side of the road to be removed as trash. And, sometimes these items are shoved into the trash carts and the bags of trash are placed on the ground next to the cart. Unfortunately, this is done despite dumpsters being available at Town Hall and the Hargrove public beach access in south Nags Head. We understand we must do a better job of educating our visitors about the new service. But, it is important that our property owners and the employees of the rental management companies know to place large items or extra trash bags in the dumpsters instead of overfilling trash carts or placing items on the ground next to the carts. We must get a handle on this situation and we need everyone's help to achieve our goal of decreasing the amount of blowing trash and overflowing carts.

Have a Say in Nags Head's Future By Joining a Board or Committee

Want to get involved in your town, but aren't sure how to start? Get your feet wet by sitting on a Town board or committee.

• Arts and Culture
• Board of Adjustment
• Board of Commissioners
• Community Watch Association
• Dangerous Animal Appeal Board
• Personnel Grievance Panel
• Planning Board

For more information, visit nagsheadnc.gov/boardsandcommittees. A listing of each board and committee is available, along with its members.