[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6558288,"mediaKeyId","3274179-29c53f2d85726a6c5e163f5fa51eb280","parentId",3274179,"title","Pender County beach towns outline Corps-led renourishment project; initial construction expected in December","audioSeconds",2128,"startMs",796000,"endMs",2924000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3274179-29c53f2d85726a6c5e163f5fa51eb280&start=796&end=2924","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3274179-29c53f2d85726a6c5e163f5fa51eb280/thumbnail_796000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6558288/Pender-County/North-Carolina/Pender-County-beach-towns-outline-Corps-led-renourishment-project-initial-construction-expected-in-December","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558288-a13380ab9cdc7861e14b02bff361ca77/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150852&Signature=I-DsTY1KDl6k6QXnHN1BV66mKARsEVdJnU8jAngC93DbijOEzzWfX5XO6nJxWL5CHPNIxl-5iy28fKWmjFhMrP7qk5DUlae-fsPYKYElq1ZejibHIp2yUdv8rfc~Db0ElBwwFR3fkuTduXIZWiDmkzJkXUr7vtkVoBN8IuHPw1cty-w6BnvkuqJKLUSc6tD5iXjEU-7BQpSOtpVZkpgQuHH6LPOFam3WQst5YInFvvpUPK8eYJjA2vGrnoRNPN4XVd~6mDzTVgQngyqNAWNM9nq0QtwPyudFA9Ubfhieurh8u4r3Gd30LgvaqrJ~-HhL1UPxglUhakNxNyTlUsrP7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pender County","date","2025-05-09T21:34:49Z","article","Surf City and Topsail Beach officials told Pender County commissioners that a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers coastal storm risk management project for Topsail Island is moving toward initial construction in December and will require substantial local funding and year-round dredging.

Kyle Brewer, town manager for Surf City, said the Corps project is expected to begin ‘‘in December of this year’’ and will be a 16-month, year‑round dredging operation that uses offshore borrow sites for initial construction and establishes a 50‑year renourishment program with periodic renourishments every six years.

The project’s initial construction cost estimate discussed in the meeting was approximately $187,000,000. Chris Gibson, an engineer with T.I. Coastal who has worked on island projects for decades, explained that the Army Corps project carries a roughly 65% federal cost share and a 35% local share; Surf City’s local obligation (about 17.5% of the total) was described as roughly $32,000,000 for initial construction. Periodic nourishment over 50 years was estimated in discussion at about $317,000,000.

Why it matters: the plan is intended to rebuild dunes and protective berms, protect homes and infrastructure, and preserve the islands’ recreational beaches, which local officials said are important to the tourism economy.

Officials outlined recent and interim work to reduce the scale and cost of the Corps project. Brewer said Surf City completed an intermediate project this spring that placed about 585,000 cubic yards of sand from Banks Channel on six miles of Surf City beach; the project cost about $18,000,000, with Surf City’s contribution about $4,000,000. Topsail Beach officials described a series of navigation and beneficial‑use projects over the last 15 years totaling roughly 6–7 million cubic yards of sand and about $88,000,000 of investment by towns, county, state and federal sources.

Funding tools and limits: presenters described a three-legged local funding strategy: a 10¢ ad valorem property tax set aside for beach nourishment (reported as generating roughly $2,000,000 annually into Surf City’s beach fund), a direct transfer of 3% of accommodations tax into town beach funds, and paid‑parking net revenues. Brewer said parking net revenues are ‘‘a little less than a million annually’’ but vary with weather and visitation. Topsail Beach officials said their current beach fund stood at about $5.656 million and that they expect to receive about $350,000 more from state reimbursements.

Presenters also described use of a North Carolina shallow‑draft navigation fund that provides a 3:1 state matching ratio for qualifying beneficial‑use dredging and cited intermittent federal reimbursements through FEMA after storms. Doug Shipley, Topsail Beach town manager, described repeated appeals and arbitration related to FEMA reimbursements after Hurricane Isaias and said that uncertainty has pressured the town to consider increasing its local tax allocation (Topsail Beach is discussing raising its ad valorem transfer from 6.75¢ to 10¢). Brewer said Surf City created a dedicated beach fund in 2012 by adopting a 10¢ ad valorem increment and transferring accommodations tax receipts directly to beach work.

Environmental and operational notes: Gibson emphasized the operational constraints of dredging—‘‘weather, weather, and weather’’—and noted that Surf City lacks an inlet borrow source, so Surf City must rely primarily on offshore sources, which raises cost and complexity. Officials said the Corps project will include a constructed dune template intended to provide storm protection and recreational beach and that the Corps’ project would establish a renourishment schedule where the Corps returns approximately every six years to rebuild the template, with local/federal cost shares for periodic nourishment.

Local ecological issues were also discussed. Town officials described coordination needs with sea‑turtle protection groups during year‑round dredging and renourishment work. The commission also described a grant‑funded beach vitex eradication project (vitex is an invasive dune plant) awarded at a 1:1 cost share; officials said the initial grant round was about $690,000 and that bids came in under that amount.

Political and program risks: presenters warned of federal policy uncertainty. Shipley and other speakers said federal programs and guidance—authorizations through the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) and FEMA public‑assistance rules for beach work after storms (often called Category G)—are subject to policy change, which could affect future renourishment authorization and reimbursement. They urged continued coordination among the three towns, Pender County and state and federal partners.

Commissioner questions and county response: commissioners asked how the county’s 3% accommodations transfer is used. Officials said towns use the direct transfer for beach funds and to maintain crossovers, boardwalks and visitor programs; Surf City described some direct transfers that also cover parking program costs. County commissioners thanked the towns for the briefing and said they want further collaboration.

What’s next: local officials said they will continue financial planning, pursue state reimbursements for completed work, and coordinate with the Army Corps on the Corps preconstruction activities and general reevaluation requirements that followed North Topsail Beach’s withdrawal from the joint project earlier in the decade.

\"We're gonna have to have some bake sales and everything we possibly can to be able to afford this project,\" Brewer said of the local funding challenge, a remark he used to emphasize the scale of local contributions required. Gibson added a caution about operations: \"weather, weather, and weather.\"","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","May 12, 2025 Board of Commissioners Budget Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","Surf City and Topsail Beach officials told Pender County commissioners that a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers coastal storm risk management project is expected to start initial construction in December and will require major local funding and year‑round dredging.","taxTitle","Pender County, North Carolina","taxId",75713,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6558282,"Pender County budget workshop focuses on reclassifications, sheriff pay options and outside‑agency grants",3551,3604000,7155000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3274179-29c53f2d85726a6c5e163f5fa51eb280&start=3604&end=7155","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3274179-29c53f2d85726a6c5e163f5fa51eb280/thumbnail_3604000.jpg","/articles/6558282/Pender-County/North-Carolina/Pender-County-budget-workshop-focuses-on-reclassifications-sheriff-pay-options-and-outsideagency-grants","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558282-1fd794ead605fe0145ceeb41e8bde86a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150852&Signature=E6dnwmjGTMhUQCyhzhMTXqTzF63B3A-69t9uh6ndklMvIMS3rrj5ghU0EXi6HnPmwBjHl-bxmtpWKD8KR1B657ciee5EY0t1oF9Pt08oVMcPJv35AxDKzPxpBA2btSzSVuRYv~hFpVDT-~wiUKuh-BdkyAkH2nuWrz6QXU-ATV233BnpZ8ZItu9bRMZcjIOoYXup5x7DsgRd8JT6YAhlkSRi6zUdw4A8-gKIQlihZH8htN8mrTUEAbq8YdJmXyJLJ1zyRtBiHuc6CPds20dD-CBmhPNt5gHtzk1n-yCyERTPUPsBrcHpR~l25jHjt9wMst7N8QU15wgeVYW7xYAGIQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pender County staff presented a draft fiscal plan and a set of personnel reclassification proposals that include 23 reclasses, two new positions and several options for adjusting sheriff’s office pay, prompting a detailed discussion among commissioners about recruitment, retention and how to pay for recurring costs.

Brie, the county’s new housing director, told the board her department requested a modest one‑time increase of $7,200 to hire an outside certified inspector to complete inspections for about 160 housing units because the county’s previous inspector held a certification that allowed internal inspections. \"We are not allowed to conduct our own,\" Brie said, explaining that the work must be performed by an outside INSPIRE‑certified inspector unless the county has a certified individual who is not inspecting their own properties.

Budget team staff presented a longer list of requested changes to pay grades and positions across county departments. Highlights included:

- Regrading the inspections director position from grade 15 to grade 18 to resolve a salary‑compression issue with the planning director and senior inspectors.
- Adjusting register of deeds employees’ step placement to credit years of service rather than regrading the positions.
- Regrading custodians and jail cooks from a grade 2 to a grade 3 to better match regional comparators (total recurring cost shown for custodians was about $29,000).
- Multiple proposed changes in the sheriff’s office with two principal scenarios: a narrower adjustment limited to road deputies (presented as the lower‑cost option) and a broader plan that would regrade additional positions above deputies to avoid compression. Staff presented a recurring cost estimate of about $550,000 for the more limited change and roughly $6 million–$6.5 million for the broader package. School resource officer (SRO) regrades would add cost on top of those figures.

Commissioners asked staff to consider intermediate approaches. One commissioner suggested focusing on sergeants and below (rather than moving lieutenants and captains), and staff agreed to model costs for partial approaches. Commissioners raised the question of whether the recurring increases could be covered without a tax hike; county staff said they would do pencil‑sharpening to show tradeoffs and noted that existing fund‑balance and debt service transfers have constraints.

Other budget items discussed included:

- Four new deputy positions requested by the sheriff that staff recommended moving to next fiscal year to align with training and hiring timelines. Training and certification timelines were described as substantial: basic academy and on‑the‑job shadowing can take many months, and detention officer certification requires state courses.
- New jail staffing tied to the county’s new jail project, with officials noting the facility is expected to open in late 2026 (speakers referenced October–November 2026 as a target window).
- Reclassifying an administrative support role in elections to an elections coordinator to reflect duties and avoid adding headcount.

Outside agencies and community grants: staff reviewed annual requests and recommended a baseline approach for community‑based organizations (many receive $5,000 in the draft). Agencies paid through contractual obligations or state agreements (for example, Trillium, a regional behavioral health contractor) were flagged separately. Commissioners requested more information on agency outcomes and urged staff to consider moving large, one‑time capital requests (for example, museum repairs) into a capital process rather than funding them from the ongoing operating budget.

Commissioners also discussed the county’s opioid‑settlement funds and whether applications from community groups (for example, long‑term recovery after storms) might fit that funding stream; staff said applicants would need to apply and that a review committee would evaluate fit with settlement criteria.

Next steps: staff said they would refine cost models, provide narrowed scenarios for the sheriff’s office regrades (including a focused option for sergeant and below), and return with a balanced draft budget. The county must make the proposed budget available for public inspection for 10 days before adoption; staff said they expect the public hearing and vote at the first (or possibly second) June meeting and will publish public notices once the final draft is ready.

Brie’s contracting request for inspections and the sheriff pay scenarios were among the items flagged for prompt follow‑up. \"Retention of deputies is step number one,\" said Ms. Blue, the county’s finance officer and interim county manager, summarizing the public‑safety rationale behind some of the proposed recurring costs. Staff committed to present costed options to the board.","Pender County staff presented a draft budget including 23 proposed reclassifications, two new positions and multiple options for sheriff pay adjustments, prompting questions from commissioners about costs, training timelines and how to prioritize recurring personnel expenses.","actionData","errors"]

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Pender County beach towns outline Corps-led renourishment project; initial construction expected in December

Pender County budget workshop focuses on reclassifications, sheriff pay options and outside‑agency grants