OCBA Draft Minutes from June

The agenda for the July 8th meeting is below last month's draft minutes.

Ocracoke Civic and Business Association DRAFT Minutes: Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Meeting was called to order by President Rudy Austin at 7:04 p.m. Since Connie Leinbach was the only other board member present, there was no quorum and no official business could be conducted, but we still talked. 

Others present: Sundae Horn, Corey Cutright (for the NPS), Ernie and Fred Westervelt, Arleen Burley.

Minutes: Of the May meeting were not approved since there was no quorum.

NPS report: Corey Cutright reported that all seven species protected on South Point have nests. There are 17 turtle nests and portions of the beach have been closed.

Beach driving permit sales to date: 793 annual permits (up from 761 last year at this time) and 857 weekly permits (up from 836 last year at this time)

He said the ORV access plan is up for review in 5 years.

Rudy noted that there are no pelican nests on Beacon Island; they have moved to the spoil island. He wondered how many protected birds actually fledge on South Point.

Travel & Tourism Director’s report: Sundae Horn reported that a travel writer, Brooke Morton, was sent to the island by VisitNC, who pulled out all the stops for her. She was working on Carolina coast stories for a Florida-based magazine and got two years’ worth of material during her visit where several locals took her around to various island sites.

Sundae met with Dave Hallac, Cape Hatteras National Seashore superintendent, who said he will consider our having July 4 fireworks on the beach in 2016. She is working on a proposal about this.

We have several ads in the work and Kris Noble, Hyde County economic development officer, is working on getting TRAC here in the fall. This is a tourism boot-camp kind of thing.

Discussion about advertising and also doing a rack card listing all the Ocracoke events.

July 4 events are on track and the Fig Bake-Off/Festival will be Aug. 14.

Ferries:  Rudy reported: The Coast Guard has limited the ferry shifts to 12 hours maximum and with the long route they can only do five round trips per shift. They have 22 boats in the yard and half of the number of people to work on them. One boat is out of service due to its not having been inspected. They are trying to do the same service with six boats and spending $2 million more per year in fuel and not getting the job done. However, the legislators are under the misconception that the Ferry Division is “using 13 boats to help 800 people (island residents),” which is not accurate.

Rudy said he talked to Ed Goodwin, chief of the Ferry Division, who said that he is not going to fight for the short route, but that WE have to do that.  Charter boat captains in Hatteras also have increased expenses from the long route—spending more in fuel per year to run the fishing fleet.

We also need to work with Hatteras to get the legislation changed so that the Army Corps of Engingeers can dredge the short channel wider.

Old business: OCBA still needs a treasurer/bookkeeper and we need storage for the 25+ Christmas lights.

New Business: None

Meeting adjourned at 8:12 p.mm.

Respectfully submitted,
Connie Leinbach, secretary

OCRACOKE CIVIC AND BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

Monthly meeting 7 p.m. July 8, 2015, Ocracoke Community Center

Agenda

1. Call to Order

2.  Approval of minutes of May and June meetings

3. Treasurer’s report

4. Travel & Tourism Director report (Sundae Horn) 

5. Approval of $500 scholarship for an Ocracoke School graduation senior 2015

6. Request for financial help from student Matteus Gilbert to attend a leadership convention the end of July 

7. Member business opportunities for Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree Oct. 30 to Nov. 1

8. As-needed reports:

            National Park Service (Ed Fuller will attend)

            County Manager (will not attend; Kris Noble will attend)

            County Commissioner (John Fletcher)

9. Old Business

     --OCBA needs a treasurer/bookkeeper

     --OCBA needs a new storage place for the Christmas street lights

10. New business

11. Announcements

12. Adjourn      

Note: 2015 meetings: Second Wednesdays of the month. 7 p.m.  Ocracoke Community Center (unless otherwise stated) Aug. 12th Sept. 9th, Oct. 14th, Dec. 9th (election of officers)