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1996-09-08 Emergency Meeting NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS EMERGENCY SESSION, SEPTEMBER 8, 1996 BOOK 25 PAGE 587 ASSEMBLY The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners held a Special Meeting on Sunday, September 8, 1996, at 9:30 A.M. in Room 501 of the County Administration Building, 320 Chestnut Street, Wilmington, North Carolina. Members present were: Commissioners William A. Caster; William E. Sisson, Jr.; vice-Chairman E. L. Mathews, Jr.; Chairman Robert G. Greer; County Manager, Allen O'Neal; County Attorney, Wanda M. Copley; and Clerk to the Board, Lucie F. Harrell. Commissioner Sandra Barone was absent. Chairman Greer called the meeting to order and expressed appreciation to the elected officials who were able to attend the meeting. He requested the Director of Emergency Management, Dan Summers to present a status report on Hurricane Fran. The following report was presented. Meals: Approximately 18,000 meals were deployed at the food stations on September 7, 1996. Roads: All roads are essentially opened in the County. A portion of North Kerr Avenue needs to be closed to clear trees and fallen power lines. Road clearing and debris has been made more difficult because of people riding around. The Board agreed to use additional members of the National Guard and deputies to control this situation. Corporate Assistance: Aircraft is on its way to Charleston, South Carolina, to pick-up 200 additional two-way radios for the beach communities. These radios should be distributed by 8:00 P.M. tonight. The U. S. Coast Guard is providing logistical support on the aircraft. Mosquito Control: After discussion with Vector Control, an aerial mosquito spraying county-wide is needed to control the breeding of mosqui tos due to heavy rains. The cost will be $21,300, which should be reimbursed by FEMA. The Board was requested to approve the funding so Vector Control can move forward with the project. News releases have been prepared and will be released explaining the helicopter spraying to the public. Carolina Beach Town Manager, George Rose, commented on the need for the spraying and asked if there would be any risk to the public health with this type of spraying? Director Summers responded the aerial spraying would be done by helicopters, and there would be no human impact. Consensus: It was the consensus of the Board to approve funding in the amount of $21,300 for aerial mosquito spraying on a county-wide basis. Crisis Mental Health Workers: Crisis Mental Health Workers are coming from Raleigh. The workers will be distributed as follows: (1) two at Carolina Beach; (2) two at Kure Beach; (3) one at Wrightsville Beach. Emergency Medical Services for Re-Entry to Carolina Beach and Kure Beach: A paramedic and four wheel drive vehicle will be placed on each beach. Both beaches will be backed up by a squad utility truck from the Fire Department. If an EMS transport is needed, the ambulance will come from the Carolina Beach Road EMS station. Also, there are seven EMT' s and one Physician's Assistant with the National Guard Unit who will be able to provide services after approval is received from the State of North Carolina. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS EMERGENCY SESSION, SEPTEMBER 8, 1996 BOOK 25 PAGE 588 One major concern has been with municipal department heads calling for outside resources without going through the EOC. It is imperative that each municipal government go through the EOC for channeling resources. This communication loop must be used to properly distribute the supplies received. Discussion was held on National Guard troops being armed while on patrol. Vice-Chairman Mathews stated he had no problem with these troops being armed since many of the persons looting could be carrying firearms. Director Summers advised that after discussion with the National Guard, the Adjutant Officer was the person responsible for making this decision. As of this date, no problems have been incurred with firearms. Update on Shelters: The Dorothy B. Johnson Shelter is the only shelter open. There are 127 persons in the shelter, and it will remain operational for as long as necessary. Health Department: Personnel from the Health Department have been deployed to the beaches to provide tetanus shots. Emphasis was placed on the importance of emergency personnel receiving tetanus shots if they are assigned to work in ditches filled with standing water. Honaker's Ditch: Vector Control is in the process of checking on Honaker's Ditch to see if some outflow can be created to assist with removing water around the lake at Carolina Beach. Distribution of Resources: The distribution of resources has been working well at the site near the State Port. Six tractor/trailer units have arrived with ice and supplies for the public. BellSouth has provided pick-up trucks and drivers to distribute these supplies to strategic locations. Self-sufficient shower units from Ft. Bragg should be arriving and will be deployed to the beach communities. Flooding: With the prediction of heavy raln for the next two days, flooding could become a major problem. Prohibition on the Sale of Alcohol: The sale of alcohol has become more of a problem. The Commissioners were requested to prohibit the sale of alcohol in convenience stores one hour before the curfew. Sheriff McQueen reported prohibiting the sale of alcohol would be of assistance to the Sheriff's Department, particularly with the increase in domestic violence that has occurred since the storm. Motion: Vice-Chairman Mathews MOVED, SECONDED by Commissioner Sisson to prohibit the sale of all alcoholic beverages one hour before the curfew. Chairman Greer stated he could not see where prohibiting the sale of alcohol would help if imposed one hour before the curfew. He stated, in his opinion, this may encourage people to rush out and purchase alcohol from 9:00 P.M. until 10:00 P.M. Sheriff McQueen reported he would be glad to monitor the situation and report back to the Board if alcohol becomes more of a problem. Vice-Chairman Mathews WITHDREW THE MOTION. Consensus: It was the consensus of the Board to defer action on this matter for 24 hours and request the Sheriff to monitor the situation and report back to the Board if the sale of alcohol should be prohibited. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS EMERGENCY SESSION, SEPTEMBER 8, 1996 BOOK 25 PAGE 589 Restoration of Electrical Power: As of 8:00 A.M. this morning, Carolina Power & Light Company had restored power to the following areas: Wilmington Area: Whiteville Area: Wallace Area: 27,259 with power and 61,800 without power 18,000 with power and 16,000 without power 1,900 with power and 11,000 without power In the history of Carolina Power & Light Company, there has never been an event that caused power outages to 800,000 customers at one time. Over five-hundred poles will have to be rebuilt and five-hundred miles of wire reconstructed. Damage: The following figures were presented on structural damage for Wilmington, Carolina Beach, and Kure Beach, not including the unincorporated County or Wrightsville Beach. (1) 341 structures have been totally destroyed consisting of 320 homes, 19 businesses and 2 other structures. (2) 668 structures have received major damage consisting of 530 homes, 127 businesses, and 11 other structures. (3) 3,420 structures have received minor damage consisting of 3,043 homes, 361 businesses, and 16 other structures. Figures on structural damage are still being received at the EOC Center. Hospitals: The hospitals are extremely busy; however, the facilities have sufficient beds and personnel. Commissioner Sisson recommended that a policy be developed for patients with special needs in order to avoid medical emergencies during events of this type. Director Summers reported that Staff was in the process of securing three locations for establishing three Refreshment Centers for persons who need to get out of the heat, get a cool drink, or take a shower. The logistics have been established and hopefully one center will be operational by 12:00 noon. Comments from the Beach Communities Mr. Herb McKim, Mayor of Wrightsville Beach, reported the Town was in the process of restoring water and sewer to the beach. Power will not be restored for a number of days; however, a decision on the re-entry to Wrightsville Beach will be made this afternoon by the Board of Aldermen. It is felt that re-entry will occur sometime on Sunday. The north wall of the lower level of the Shell Island Resort Hotel is gone, the dunes have washed away, Mason's Inlet did not move south, and the water washed over to the intersection of Highway 74-76 past the Marine Science Building. Overall, it is felt that Wrightsville Beach came out well in the loss of structures. It appears that new structures built under more stringent building codes survived the storm much better than older structures. Mayor McKim expressed appreciation to an Ocean City, Maryland, team, comprised of eighteen persons, who arrived at the beach totally self-sufficient with heavy duty equipment. He introduced one member of the team and stated without this assistance, the Town of Wrightsville Beach would not have been able to clear the streets so quickly. Wrightsville Beach Town Manager, Tony Caudle, reported structural damage was minimal with only one house destroyed. The majority of damage occurred on the northern end. Power will be out north of Salisbury Avenue until the north-end feeder can be reconstructed. Generators have been ordered and the wells and lift NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS EMERGENCY SESSION, SEPTEMBER 8, 1996 BOOK 25 PAGE 590 stations should be fully operational within the next day. When charging the water system to test for leaks, the Town experienced a loss of 850,000 gallons of water; however, the Town is in the process of addressing this issue. Also, there is concern for turning on power to water-soaked homes, and Staff is working with Carolina Power & Light Company to address safety issues. The beach received a tremendous amount of overwash, and sand is being removed from the streets to provide a basic level of fire service. Discussion was held on the dangers involved with the unsafe use of generators. Mayor McKim asked if the County had any way to control this situation. Director Summers reported there was no policy in place; however, the Volunteer Firemen were going throughout the fire districts and checking with the residents using generators to be sure the machines were correctly connected. Carolina Beach Town Manager, George Rose, reported there was extensive damage to the northern end of Carolina Beach. Currently, power has been restored to 50% of the residents. Approximately 30% of the beach has water with the sewer system functioning at 100%. These figures exclude the east side of the island because this area is closed off to the public. A majority of the roads on the west side of the island have been cleared. On the east side, asphalt roads floated away with huge volumes of sand on the streets. During the storm surge, the water crossed over to the First Baptist Church. Florida and Virginia Avenue on the northern end, did not receive as much damage as the oceanfront property. At the southern end, the lake overflowed. There are two pumps running and the lake is beginning to recede; however, the road in front of the lake is still under water. The east side of the island received considerable structural damage with homes completely destroyed. The west side received less damage with blown off roofs, loss of shingles, blown out windows, and other minor damages. There was considerable damage to the marinas. The re-entry into Carolina Beach was divided into two sections: East of Highway 421 and West of Highway 421. Residents will be allowed on the West side and homes can be occupied; however, the residents must remain on the beach and observe the curfew. Residents living on the east of Highway 421 must go to the Federal Point Food Lion Shopping Center where buses will take them within five blocks of their properties. Once the damage is assessed, these residents will have to leave the beach. Every effort is being made to provide security for the areas that are closed. The Charleston Police Officers and officers from other areas have been of great assistance to the Town of Carolina Beach in controlling traffic, looting, and enforcing the curfew. Wilmington City Manager, Mary Gornto, reported the City of Wilmington was in much better shape than the beach communities. She advised that the City would be glad to assist the beaches in any way possible. As power returns, the City may be able to release some genera tors to the beach communi ties. Household garbage will be collected today since the City was not able to follow its regular schedule on Friday. The debris removal process has already begun in the City, and most of the streets should be passable by this afternoon. Serious problems have been experienced with the drainage system because of erosion, cave-ins, and debris within the pipes. With a forecast for more rain, it is imperative that private companies and homeowners do not rake or blow debris into streets or storm drains. In closing, City Manager Gornto asked if the City would be required to perform a more detailed assessment report? Director Summers reported after visiting Raleigh, the threshold for individual grant assistance had been met and approved. An appeal for not being required to complete a more NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS EMERGENCY SESSION, SEPTEMBER 8, 1996 BOOK 25 PAGE 591 detailed assessment has been requested from FEMA. The FEMA Public Assistance Team is in town and may grant the request. Once a decision is made by FEMA, there will be sufficient time to complete a more detailed assessment report if necessary. Curfew Continued: It was the consensus of the Board for the curfew to be continued from 10:00 P.M. September 8, 1996, until 6:00 A.M. September 9, 1996. Discussion was held on the Price Gouging Ordinance adopted by the City of Wilmington. City Manager Gornto advised that the City Council adopted an ordinance which basically requires establishment of prices at the manufacturer's suggested retail price, or at a price above the pre-emergency level unless the merchant can document the purchase of goods at an increased cost. Employees from the City's Collections Office have been going into the field and requiring transient vendors to purchase privilege licenses. At this time, the vendors are informed about the Price Gouging Ordinance. If the ordinance is violated, this becomes a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $500 or imprisonment not to exceed thirty days. Motion: Vice-Chairman Mathews MOVED, SECONDED by Commissioner Sisson to adopt a Price Gouging Ordinance similar to the ordinance adopted by the City of Wilmington. Chairman Greer commented on the City having more need for an ordinance of this type and stated he felt additional work would be placed on the Sheriff's Department. Commissioner Caster requested an example gouging had occurred in the City, and stated, in the price is too high, a person should know not product. of where price his opinion, if to purchase the City Manager Gornto responded that a $500 chain saw was being sold for $1,500. Chairman Greer called for a vote on the motion to adopt a Price Gouging Ordinance. Upon vote, the MOTION RECEIVED A TIE VOTE AND DID NOT CARRY AS FOLLOWS: Voting Aye: Commissioner Sisson Vice-Chairman Mathews Voting Nay: Commissioner Caster Chairman Greer Absent: Commissioner Barone County Manager O'Neal reported County employees would return to work Monday, September 9, 1996, and the Media Center would be moved to Room 501. ADJOURNMENT Chairman Greer adjourned the meeting at 10:45 A.M. Respectfully submitted, Lucie F. Harrell Clerk to the Board