Among the list of items handled by the Kill Devil Hills Board of Commissioners at their July 10 meeting were changes to the town’s charitable event guidelines, approving a request to use a town-owned vacant lot during a May 2020 event, establishing a west-side recreation study group, designating August 6 as National Night Out and voting to change the board’s September meeting date.

Making a fourth appearance for board consideration, special event guidelines for charitable events received a green light Wednesday.

After reviewing and discussing the existing ordinance in March, April and then again in May, commissioners provided additional directions at each appearance on developing recommendations for itinerant vendors and special events.

Planning director Meredith Guns advised that the final version was based on direction from the Board of Commissioners.

As approved, a business can now use up to 10 percent of required parking for a special event while remaining open for regular business.

The changes also allow businesses to have four commercial yard sales a year.

In addition to setting out new guidelines, a revised special event application and a commercial yard sale application were developed. The special event application was modified to clarify elements of the application that may or may not be applicable based on the specific event. The commercial yard sale application is intended for basic information and to track the number of yard sales.

Guns explained that the ordinance still does not permit itinerant vendors outside of an approved event and that non-charitable events must still be approved by the Board of Commissioners.

Although commissioner John Windley said he preferred a different term than “yard sale” be used, Guns said the term was consistent with other parts of the code.

Mayor Pro Tem Mike Hogan also pointed out that the terminology was primarily for staff use and that merchants could call an event anything they wanted.

With little other discussion, the board approved the recommended changes for special events on a 5-0 vote.

Having concluded his own special event, Mike Tillett, public relations officer and one of the founding partners for Garage Band Charities, Inc., was at Wednesday’s meeting to present assistant police chief Dana Harris with a certificate of appreciation in recognition of the department’s help during the recent inaugural OBX Rod and Custom Car Festival.

The custom car show serves as a charity event with proceeds designated to support local causes, such as the Dare County Motorcycle Toy Run.

Tillett said he had planned to make a check presentation to Dare County Motorcycle Toy Run event coordinator and commissioner Terry Gray, but that transaction has been delayed until Richard Quidley, another founding partner who is out of town, can attend. The motorcycle toy run has helped raised thousands of dollars for the benefit of Dare County children at Christmas.

Tillett said plans are already in place for the 2020 auto show scheduled for May 1 and 2 and asked the board to consider allowing a vacant town-owned lot at the north corner of US 158 and East 8th Street be used for parking.

According to Tillett and verified by town manager Debora Peele Diaz, many of the hot roads and specialized, custom vehicles participating in the auto show are brought in to Kill Devil Hills by trailers 24 to 26 feet long. The vacant lot could serve as a holding area for several trailers during the festival weekend since the available parking at hotels is limited.

The East 8th Street property is 41,000 square feet.

Tillett said this past May five hotels and two motels were booked and this year two Outer Banks hotels are already filling up in preparation for the 2020 event.

After a brief discussion, the board approved the request to use the East 8th Street property on a 5-0 vote.

The board also gave unanimous approval to create a west-side recreation group to study the more than 20 existing recreational sites located west of US 158 and determine the best use of those facilities.

Commissioner Gray was picked to chair the group with the other members to include Christine Damrose-Mahlmann, Daryl Davies, Will Foxwell IV, Dillon Heikens, Stacie Huelsman, Kelli Miller, Amy Seyler and Mark Shafer.

Other issues voted on by the board included:
– rescheduling September’s Board meeting for Wednesday, September 11, in order to allow the Board of Elections set up for the general election scheduled for Tuesday, September 10.
– re-appointing Jacqueline Ricks-Sample to a three-year term to end August 2022.
– designating August 6 as National Night Out with a 5 p.m. community event at the Lowe’s parking lot on West Landing Drive.
– authorizing the town manager to appoint a staff member to represent Kill Devil Hills on the recently established Dare County Complete Count Committee which will assist with the 2020 Census.
– approved a Consent Agenda with June 10 meeting minutes and budget amendments for Hurricane Michael reimbursements.

There was also an announcement by Coleen Almoney that the Neighborhood Watch group will take August off and meet again in September.

The next Board of Commissioners meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Monday, August 12 in the Administration Building Meeting Room at 102 Town Hall Drive. The meeting is open to the public to attend.

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