News
Currituck Advisory Boards Shuffled
by John H Snowden, III
Publisher / Editor
nencnews@yahoo.com
The Currituck County Board of Commissioners at their Monday, January 5 meeting completed the second step in adjusting county advisory boards. In several agenda items, the Board reviewed commissioner’s appointments of citizen members to several of the county advisory boards: Board of Adjustment, Planning Board, and Economic Development Board.
County manager Dan Scanlon explained, that at their previous meeting, the Bord adopted new procedures for commissioner’s appointments to several county advisory boards. As part of that procedure, county staf members had taken current appointees and assigned them to a commissioner. The current board appointments were laid out in each commissioner’s agenda package.
Scanlon noted in his presentation that the Board (of Commissioners) has taken the position that all appointments are up for reconsideration, reappointment or replacement, in effort to afford each commissioner, including the two newly created seats, the chance for a Board appointment.
Board of Adjustment
Two members of the Board of Adjustment were up for re-appointment. According to County Attorney Ike McRee, the Board of Adjustment is established by NC State Statutes and each member appointed by a Commissioner serves a three year term.
Members may only be removed for due cause, such as failure to attend meetings. Up for re-appointment was Donald Ferebee - appointed by the District 2 Commissioner (John Rorer), and Ralph Jones - appointed by the At Large Commissioner (Gregory Seat). According to Scanlon, the Board of Adjustment Chairman, Larry Etheridge of Knotts Island has requested that Ferebee and Jones be replaced due to lack of attendance.
Both commissioners Rorer and Gregory requested that their appointments be carried over to the next meeting so that they may have time to find candidates to fill the appointments. McRee explained that the Board of Adjustments is comprised of 5 regular members and 2 alternate members, and due to non-attendance by regular members, the alternates have been participating so that the board may have a quorom.
Commissioner Paul O’Neal added, “each district deserves a full voting member on the Board of Adjustment.” O’Neal requested that the county submit legislation to the NC General Assembly to change the Board of Adjustment to a 7 member board. McRee noted that a 4 of 5 member vote was required for Board of Adjustment decisions to be approved, so in the case of a 7 member board, the vote would just become 4/5 of the 7 members. Board Chairman Owen Etheridge suggested that this decision be held over to the next meeting. Etheridge also suggested a 9 member board consisting of 7 regular members and 2 alternate members.
No action was taken on Board of Adjustment appointments.
Planning Board
In other items, the Board of Commissioners cnsider an ordinance change, which created new language for the appointment of Planning Board members. County Attorney Ike McRee explained that rather than amending the County Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), a new division and section of the ordinance could be implemented to accomplish the change. The Planning Board will remain as a nine member board - seven members nominated by each of the commissioners to represent a board seat, and two additional members, one from the Outer banks and one from the mainland. The board approved the change by a 7-0 vote.
After adopting the new ordinance, the board considered appointments to each of the planning board seats. The appointment nominations were as follows: District 1, James Clark was nominated by Vance Aydlett; District 2, Forrest Midgette was nominated by John Rorer; District 3, Barry Nelms deferred his choice until the next meeting; District 4, Manley West was nominated by Owen Etheridge; District 5, Joe Kovacs was nominated by Janet Taylor; At Large, Bobby Bell was nominated by Paul O’Neal; and At Large, Gene Gregory deferred his nomination to the next meeting.
Commissioners voted on and approved the nominated slate, by a vote of 7-0.
In nominations for the Outer Banks and Mainland seats, Commissioner O’Neal nominated William Etheridge of Moyock, and Vance Aydlett nominated Lynne Wilson of Carova Beach. The two appointments were approved by a 7-0 vote
Airport Advisory Board
The Board of Commissioners considered changes to the county ordinance defining the Airport Advisory Board. Primary changes were to allow for the method of selection, which was passed at the last meeting, and to strike the word “Authority” from the ordinance, as a matter of clarifying any question over the Board’s role. The Boardvoted 7-0 to approve the ordinance changes.
Next the board considered appointments to the Airport Advisory Board. Nominations for appointments were as follows: District 1, Gary Bryan was nominated by Vance Aydlett; District 2, John Gross was nominated by John Rorer; District 3, Jim Weinbarger was nominated by Barry Nelms; District 4, Ed Ish was nominated by Owen Etheridge; District 5, Janet Taylor chose to defer her appoint to the next meeting; At Large, Paul O’Neal elected to defer his appoint to the next meeting; ; and At Large, David Messina was nominated by Gene Gregory. The Board approved the slate by a vote of 7-0
Economic Development Board
As in the previous agenda items, the Board considered language changes to the county ordinance establishing the Economic Development Board. These changes were in conjunction with the revised nomination and voting process for advisory board appointees. Changes to the ordinance were approved by a vote of 7-0.
The board the considered appointments to the Eonomic Development Board. Nominations for appointments were as follows: District 1, Elizabeth White was nominated by Vance Aydlett; District 2, John Rorer deferred his selection until the next meeting; District 3, Tameron Kugler was nominated by Barry Nelms; District 4, Owen Etheridge deferred his appointment to the next meeting; District 5, Kevin Burwell was nominated by Janet Taylor; At Large, Matt Converse was nominated by Paul O’Neal; ; and At Large, H.D. Newbern was nominated by Gene Gregory. The Board approved the slate by a vote of 7-0
Wild Horse Advisory Board
Commissioner Vance Aydlett nominated Kimberly Hoey to fill the unexpired term of Connie Johnson. Members of the Corolla Wild Horse Advisory Board must reside on the Currituck Outer Banks. Commissioners approved Hoey’s nomination by a 7-0 vote.
Email the author at nencnews@yahoo.com
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3 comments for “Currituck Advisory Boards Shuffled”
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I’m confused. Nelms nominated Kugler and then complained about Collins not being selected? Could Nelms have selected Collins or is there a factor of nominee residence in play?
Nelms could have selected Kugler or Collins, but not both.
From what I have been told, the board re-appointments were designed to give each commissioner a choice of an appointment.
Vance Aydlett chose to appoint Elizabeth White to the Econ. Dev. Board rather that re-appoint Collins.
All these appointments went awry in 2006 / 2007 when the board moved to “slate” style appointments, which allowed Gregory and Nelms to “load” the boards with their appointees, and simultaneously deny Etheridge his appointments.
The way it has been re-arranged provides that each commissioner will have a single appointment on a “slate” of candidates, and that slate is voted up or down - with each commissioner’s appointment remaining intact.
And no, from what I have been told the appoitment nominee does not have to live in the district represented by the commissioner making the appointment.
-John
No point in complaining then. It was his choice alone. He should have gone with the man. Imo, these R’s have a tendency to swoon (you need 250? nonsense it will be 300!.) Maybe the water lady had a better shot.