Ocracoke Civic and Business Association
DRAFT Minutes
Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014. Ocracoke School Commons Room

Meeting was called to order by President Rudy Austin at 7:04 p.m. Board members present: Connie Leinbach, Kenny Ballance, Clayton Gaskill and Jim Borland. Members/others present: Sundae Horn, Fred Westervelt, Ruth Fordon, Gregg Honeycutt, Peter Vankevich, Arleen Burley, Mickey Baker, Kris Noble and Chaeli Moyer. County Manager Bill Rich joined the meeting via cell phone.

Minutes: The minutes of the Nov. 12 meeting were approved.

Treasurer’s report: Kenny reported that the beginning cash balance was $64,450.99. Additions for member dues and Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree; $17,679.29 total checks written for an ending balance of $76,685.39.

Travel & Tourism Director’s report: Sundae reported that costs for the Community Christmas concert in the Community Center will be $50 for having food and $50 for sound. Connie noted that, instead of sending a letter, she talked to Barbara Jemison (chair of the Community Center board) about reinstalling the curtains to help the acoustics. Barbara plans to do so. She has to get them cleaned then sew them herself.
Sundae has been getting lots of emails asking what is open over the winter.
Walking map: It’s too short notice to combine the asset brochure and walking map for 2015. However, Valerie Mason (Village Print) will do a mock-up, for which OCBA will have to pay extra. Sundae noted that for the OCBA website, she failed to add some of the hyperlinks for merchants who had asked for them, or about $500, if we have to reimburse/credit these members. While she suggested the OCBA could dock her salary for that amount, the group decided that the parties could have a credit for 2015 and Sundae’s pay would not be docked. Sundae will contact the members who are owed a credit/reimbursement. A motion to ask the members to take a credit first for 2015 and reimburse if they do not agree was made by Rudy and seconded by Jim Borland. Motion approved and carried.

Advertising: In 2014, the OCBA spent about $5,000 to $7,000 to advertise in a few publications in spring and fall to promote shoulder season visitors. A motion to approve spring advertising for up to $5,000, but not to spend all of it in the spring, was made by Connie and seconded by Mickey Baker. Motion approved and carried.

President’s report: Rudy reported that the Christmas decorations on the street lights need to be serviced— cleaned, repainted and repaired. He also said that in 2015 Tideland will require a new plug and box that the OCBA will have to purchase. Also, we need to find a new storage place for these decorations. A 12’ X 20’ space will be needed. The OCBA could possibly purchase a fabricated shed for these, but we’d still need to find a place to put the shed. If anyone in the community has space for the OCBA to place a storage shed, please contact Rudy (email: patriciaaustin63@gmail.com.)

Hatteras Inlet: Rudy said a meeting of commercial fisherman in Hatteras was taking place the same night as the OCBA meeting and that the inlet has filled in. Even shallow-draft boats can no longer use it. They have started using the longer, marked channel, but they want the short route back. He said the state of North Carolina is not pursuing opening the inlet. The state does not have a lobbyist in Washington, D.C., to promote this. Federal regulations say the channel has to be 100 feet wide, but it needs to be 200 feet wide for adequate passage between boats. “We need something for 2015,” Rudy said.

Bill Rich, via cell phone, noted that the NC Ferry Division has made arrangements for the first week in May for a trial passenger ferry between Hatteras and Ocracoke. The trial boat will make a stop here on its way coming from Tortola to Boston. During that time, the county will lease street-legal trams at the drop-off point at Silver Lake.

Rudy noted that if we give up on the short route our sister island of Hatteras also will be in trouble economically, as it is already due to lower traffic this year to Ocracoke. This is the first time that we’ve had the long route the entire year, but “everyone does not want us to give up on the short route.” Kenny added that we need to consider some kind of transit to take people to sightseeing points on the island (lifeguard beach, pony pens, etc.)

County manager’s report: Bill Rich reported that, according to U.S. Rep. Walter Jones’ office, the NPS has agreed to fund lifeguards next summer for all seven days.

A meeting of Coastal Resources and the Albemarle Commission Feb. 18 will deal with abandoned boats.

Blackbeard’s Puddle: The first remediation effort of storm water on the road outside of Blackbeard’s Lodge will be soon.

New business: Gregg Honeycutt, on behalf of the 5K/10K race, asked the OCBA to be a $1,500 sponsor of the race that will be Saturday, April 25. The race last year raised $31,000 for WOVV, the Community Park and Ocracoke School Boosters. According to the by-laws, requests for $500 or more must be voted on at two meetings before they are approved. A motion to approve the “first reading” of the request was made by Jim Borland and seconded by Rudy Austin. Motion approved and carried.

Elections of officers and board members: Proposed officers for 2015 are: Rudy Austin, president; Justin LeBlanc, vice-president, Connie Leinbach, secretary, and Jim Borland, at-large member. A proposed treasurer has not yet been found, but Kenny agreed to remain in the position until one is found. A motion to approve the entire slate was made by Fred Westervelt and seconded by Gregg Honeycutt. Motion approved and carried. (Note: this is a bookkeeping job—making payments and deposits; using Quickbooks; keeping the database of members; organizing the Occupancy Tax request; doing the taxes; checking the mailbox.) If anyone in the community is interested in helping the community by doing this job, please contact Rudy at patriciaaustin63@gmail.com.

Meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.

Next meeting will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, in the Ocracoke Community Center. (This is a change from the usual second Wednesday.)

Respectfully submitted,

Connie Leinbach, secretary 

A list of all the OCBA meeting dates for 2015 is here.