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Dare County’s Board of Commissioners took final action on April 2, 2024 to finance the Manteo Youth Center, the Manns Harbor EMS Station and the Kitty Hawk EMS/Fire Station.

The commissioners adopted an approving resolution to issue Series 2024A limited obligation bonds in the form of an amendment to last year’s installment purchase contract with Dare County Public Facilities Corporation Board.

The amendment states that the amount financed is not to exceed $28,500,000. The county will grant a deed of trust on real property, namely the Kill Devil Hills EMS/Fire Station.

The action is on the North Carolina Local Government Commission agenda on May 7, 2024, with a bond sell date set by the commission for the next day, May 8, 2024.

On the adopted consent agenda is a budget amendment to “re-establish the budget for State Affordable Housing Grant in Fiscal Year 2024.”

The amendment shows the $35 million less the amount spent in fiscal year 2023 of $990,920. Paid expenses and land option make up the bulk of the $990,920.

However, since that budget amendment was submitted, the land option of $595,837.75 has been returned.

Expenses from Sept. 7, 2022 to April 30, 2023 total $389,633.73 as submitted by Coastal Affordable Housing LLC. The invoice was authorized for payment May 11, 2023. Also paid were two bills from Environmental Professionals for $2,762.50 for wetlands delineation and coordination and $3,250 for Phase 1 and environmental assessment of property.

Outstanding is a second invoice covering from May 1, 2023 to Jan. 31, 2024, totaling $274,612.51 for Coastal Affordable Housing LLC.

This amendment was passed April 2, 2024, prior to the board’s voting to cut ties with Coastal Affordable Housing LLC.

Also on the consent agenda is a series of resolutions requesting funding from the state’s Shallow Draft Navigation Channel Dredging Fund. The fund provides a 75% match for dredging activities.

Dare County has budgeted $3 million each fiscal year for dredging in and adjacent to Oregon Inlet and $250,000 for Hatteras Inlet.

This results in a total of $12 million for Oregon Inlet. The Oregon Inlet Task Force allocated the funding for Oregon Inlet at $10 million, 17 Extension to Wanchese and Range 4 at $600,000, Walter Slough and Crack at $1 million, and Old House 2 at $400,000.

Hatteras Inlet receives $1 million with $900,000 dredging costs to the Hatteras Connector and $100,000 for the Rollinson Channel, as allocated by the Dare County Waterways Commission.

Each project has an item for “Total Administrative Cost.” Barton Grover, administrator for Dare County Grants and Waterways, wrote that total administrative cost is for expenses complied by Coastal Protection Engineering for such items as agency coordination, pre-dredging meetings, quarterly dredging plans, etc.

In Hatteras Inlet, Coastal Protection is coordinating with Division of Coastal Management on two permits and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on two permits.

In Oregon Inlet, Coastal Protection has four Division of Coastal Management permits and three Corps of Engineers permits. When Dare County was dredging the Hatteras Connector, Coastal Protection did the administrative work. Now that the Miss Katie is also operating in Oregon Inlet, that same administrative work must be completed.

On another note, the Dare County Tourism Board asked for commissioners’ consent to spend $60,025 on July 4th fireworks grant awards. The commissioners consented to awards to Avon Property Owners Association for $14,875; to Town of Kill Devil Hills for $12,400; to Town of Manteo for $19,000; and to Town of Nags Head for $13,750.

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