OCBA Minutes From August
All are welcome to attend. Prepare by reading the draft minutes from August:
OCBA Meeting Aug. 10, 2016 DRAFT minutes
Meeting called to order at 7:03 p.m.
Board Members present: Rudy Austin, president, Connie Leinbach, secretary-assistant treasurer, Ashley Harrell, treasurer; Teresa O’Neal, Justin LeBlanc and Wayne Clark. Absent: Martha Garrish, Chip Stevens.
Other members present: Tom Pahl, Peter Vankevich, Corey Cutright, Nancy Leach and Amy Srail.
Minutes: The minutes of the July meeting were approved.
Treasurer’s report: Ashley reported that our checking account balance is $44,751.11. Ocracoke Foundation will charge an additional $25 per month for rental of the small visitor’s center in Community Square starting with the July rent. A motion to approve paying this extra (for a total of $325 per month) was made by Justin and seconded by Connie. Motion approved and carried.
Travel & Tourism director’s report: Sundae was not present but her report is included at the end of these minutes. Connie read them aloud.
President’s report: Rudy reported that the grant OCBA gave SIDCO a few years ago to aid with their diving of a wreck in the Ocracoke Inlet will be returned to the OCBA since the state did not give them a permit to dive that wreck.
OCBA appointments to the Occupancy Tax Board: Rudy reported that some of the board members talked to Bob Chestnut about serving and again to Stephanie O’Neal, who actually had been appointed June 6 by Hyde County Commissioner John Fletcher. According to the statute that enacted the occupancy tax and its overseeing board, the OCBA is authorized to recommend two appointees and the county commissioner gets three. The Hyde County commissioners must approve all appointments. They had approved Mr. Fletcher’s appointments but told the OCBA to submit their recommendations. A motion to approve these two to the Occupancy Tax Board was made by Ashley Harrell and seconded by Justin LeBlanc. Motion approved and carried.
Trash: Justin reported that the management and condition of the Ocracoke Convenience Site is Hyde County’s purview. The problems with the trash and the site’s physical condition and layout is the county’s job. County Manager Bill Rich had said at a previous OCBA meeting that the county has informed the current hauler, David’s, that their contract will not be renewed and that the county is seeking other bids. A question was asked if the NPS take some of the construction debris trash to its site across from the campground.
NPS report: Corey Cutright reported the following: two bird closures near Ramps 70 and 72. Once those birds fledge, the ramps will reopen. Ocracoke has 93 turtle nests. The concert with the Madame Presidents, which was rained out, will be rescheduled.
Ferries: Amy Srail noted that the NC Ferry Division needs to schedule the seventh boat for runs and not have 45-minute gaps between departures. The gap of departures between 10 and 10:45 a.m. destroys the lunch trade on Ocracoke. Justin said he would contact Jed Dixon, deputy Ferry Division director, to see if they can fill this gap.
Mosquito control: Justin reported that the spraying truck goes out around 10 p.m. and Beaver Tillett turns off the spray if he’s going by pedestrians or bicyclists. He said they will get a small ATV to get access to the marsh and non-paved areas. The peepers are back as are the toads. As for drainage, Justin said there are two projects out for bid and repair. The next one to be repaired will be at Fig Tree Lane and Back Road, and that they are working down the list of major puddles.
Meeting adjourned at 8:16 p.m. Respectfully submitted,
Connie Leinbach, secretary
OCBA Travel & Tourism director Report for August 2016 by Sundae Horn
Website Update:
As soon as the Fig Fest is over, I will be able to finish up the last details, and the site should be ready to show everyone by Sept. 1.
I still need thumbnails of biz photos or logos. Specs: 250x250 pixels
Fig Festival:
Getting lots of press and attention; Our State magazine article was great. Already having people ask about next year. I’d like to suggest we move the date a weekend later in 2017 and have the Fig Festival on August 18-19. This will take some pressure off the lodging, which is full with more people wanting to come to the event.
Two visitors who called me are planning to stay on Hatteras and take the ferry to the Fig Festival. The schedule of events is online at ocracokevillage.com
Ocracoke in the news:
North Carolina Weekend is doing a segment on the Flying Melon this week.
Little Visitor Center (VC):
Ocracoke Foundation wants us to pay another $25 a month to use AC. When I was at the VC on Sunday for a Fig Fest committee meeting, the AC was not on, though Scott and I had already agreed we could use AC. Controls for the AC are in the Coyote Den. We need it to be cold to store the cakes on Friday, so I will ask Marcy to turn it low.
*I’d like $150 to purchase another card rack for the VC.
Distribution: I’ve been stocking ferries every week. Please bring rack cards to the VC.
