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Agenda items during the December 4 Duck Town Council meeting included approval of 2025 meeting and budget process dates, a fiscal year 2023-2024 audit report, living shoreline monitoring report, requests for two unrelated text amendments, and a farewell to Duck Fire Chief Donna Black.

Last month, Black submitted her resignation and notice of retirement in order to accept a position with the U.S. Fire Administration. Black will join the USFA as the deputy U.S. fire administrator December 15.

During a career spanning more than 27 years, Black rose through the ranks as both volunteer and paid firefighter, filling in as interim chief in 2005 before being selected as Duck’s regular fire chief in 2006. Along the way, she served as co-chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs Women Chiefs Council and then President of the IFAC while developing a reputation across the state – if not the entire nation – as a dedicated and outstanding leader.

Attending her final Duck Council meeting as Duck fire chief, Black was recognized by staff and council with numerous comments of appreciation for her service to Duck and honored with a resolution thanking her for her commitment and being an integral part of the fire department since becoming a member in January 1997.

Following her special presentation, Black introduced Matthew Dudek as the Town of Duck Fire Department’s deputy fire chief.

A former Southern Shores Volunteer Fire Department Inc. deputy chief, Dudek comes with previous experience in New York as a captain at Troy Fire Department and firefighter at City of Cohoes, and has a bachelor’s degree in fire and emergency management from the State University of New York and a master’s degree in homeland security from the Naval Postgraduate School.

Prior to Wednesday’s meeting, Duck town manager Drew Havens said Dudek will serve as the department’s acting chief for the immediate future.

Returning to the day’s regular business, Addison Vlastnik, a third year UNC Chapel Hill OBXFS Environmental and Urban Studies and Planning student, gave an overview report of her research work as a Duck intern on the Living Shoreline Monitoring Plan for the NC12 Resiliency Project.

Another unrelated report came from Jonathan Dail, the town auditor with Johnson, Mizelle, Straub, & Consolvo, LLP, who said a review of the town’s documents show standard reporting guidelines were met and there were no deficiencies. Dail did note, however, that there appeared to be a Public Safety overage, but that Havens had already taken corrective action.

Following Dail’s presentation, council voted to accept the fiscal year 2023-2024 audit report.

Looking forward to the coming year, council approved a 2025 council meeting date schedule making one adjustment by delaying the first meeting of the year one week to avoid the New Year holiday. The meeting date schedule as approved includes:
● January 8
● January 15 (Mid-Month Meeting)
● February 5
● February 19 and 20 (Retreat)
● March 5
● March 19 (Mid-Month Meeting)
● April 2
● April 16 (Mid-Month Meeting)
● May 7
● May 21 (Mid-Month Meeting)
● June 4
● June 18 (Mid-Month Meeting)
● July 2
● July 16 (Mid-Month Meeting)
● August 6
● August 20 (Mid-Month Meeting)
● September 3
● September 17 (Mid-Month Meeting)
● October 1
● October 15 (Mid-Month Meeting)
● November 5
● November 19 (Mid-Month Meeting)
● December 3
● December 17 (Mid-Month Meeting)

Moving on to new business, community development director Joe Heard presented a request from Keith Bliss to allow amusement arcades as a permitted use.

According to town documents, the owner of the Duck Commons Shopping Center would like to amend several sections of the Duck Town Code to allow the addition of amusement arcades as a permitted use in the Village Commercial (V-C) zoning districts so that an amusement arcade could be established within one unit of the Duck Commons shopping center at 1211 Duck Road with classic arcade games from the 1980s to 2000s for a nostalgic throw-back environment for gamers of all ages 14 years and up. The space will offer walk-in visitors daily as well as off-season private event rentals as a way to supplement operation expenses.

Heard explained that although three Planning Board members voted to recommend denial of the proposed text amendments as incompatible with the current uses and character of Duck Village, two  members supported the proposal saying it is compatible with other uses in Duck Village and would provide a greater diversity of family entertainment currently lacking in Duck.

Heard went on to say that following the Planning Board meeting the applicant submitted a revised application with substantial changes to the proposed amendments to the application.

A similar proposal for indoor amusement arcade entertainment was proposed in 2021. Duck Planning Board voted 3-2 to recommend approval of that request and Town Council instructed staff to obtain public comments. When the majority of public comments received were in opposition to indoor entertainment facilities, the 2021 application was withdrawn.

During public comments Wednesday, Michael and Miriam Rollin voiced their opposition to amusement arcades, saying it would change the character of Duck and lead to ruin of Duck.

After a brief discussion council decided since there were significant changes to the application that the Planning Board should take another look and the request was sent back for Planning Board review.

Two other code changes – a correction to town outdoor lighting standards and a reference to the submittal timeframe for special use permits – were set for public hearings at the January 8 Town Council meeting.

Other council business included approving a consent agenda with a fiscal year 2025-2026 budget calendar and $124,762 budget amendment to purchase two police vehicles using fund balance money rather than make the purchase with borrowed funds.

Also, in addition to her public comments in opposition to amusement arcades, Miriam Rollin said she would like to see Duck explore turtle-friendly lighting similar to new exterior lights installed at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head. She then added that she is opposed to North Carolina Senate Bill 382. Presented as a relief effort to western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene, that bill actually limits local zoning authority and has several other unrelated provisions with little money going toward eastern North Carolina recovery.

At the end of business, council entered a closed session to discuss a legal matter.

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