2018-05-17 Agenda Review
NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 34
AGENDA REVIEW MEETING, MAY 17, 2018 PAGE 118
ASSEMBLY
The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners met for Agenda Review on Thursday, May 17, 2018 at
4:00 p.m. in the Harrell Conference Room at the New Hanover County Government Center, 230 Government Center
Drive, Wilmington, North Carolina.
Members present: Chairman Woody White; Vice-Chairman Skip Watkins; Commissioner Jonathan Barfield,
Jr.; Commissioner Kusek; and Commissioner Rob Zapple.
Staff present: County Manager Chris Coudriet; County Attorney Wanda M. Copley; and Clerk to the Board
Kymberleigh G. Crowell.
Chairman White called the Agenda Review meeting to order and announced that the purpose of the meeting
is to review and discuss the agenda items for the May 21, 2018 Regular Meeting with discussions as noted:
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Regular Item 5. Consideration of a Resolution Recognizing the 35 Anniversary of the Fifth Judicial
District Guardian ad Litem Program.
Commissioner Zapple will read the resolution.
Regular Item 6. Consideration of a Resolution in Support of House Bill 409.
Commissioner Kusek will
read the resolution.
Regular Item 10. Consideration of Budget Amendment to Fund the Carolina and Cure Beach Coastal
Storm Damage Reduction Event.
In response to Board questions regarding the request of an advance payment, Shore
Protection Coordinator Layton Bedsole stated that the US Army Corps of Engineers (ACES) was requesting the
payment in advance because they are unable to put the project out for bidding without having all of the funds. It is
rare that they request this, but this is an opportunity for the County to possibly have more bidders if it is presented to
the public early. The project is scheduled to begin this fall, so the sooner it can be put out for bid the sooner the bidding
can begin. There would be no loss of interest in the money. County Manager Chris Coudriet stated the funds are being
requested early by a matter of several weeks, as staff would have asked for this to be approved as part of the FY19
budget ordinance that, if adopted, will be effective July 1. County Manager Coudriet confirmed that the Room
Occupancy Tax (ROT) fund will be used for these projects.
Regular Item 12. Consideration of Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions for Oak
Grove Cemetery.
In response to Board questions, County Manager Coudriet stated that staff feels it is being quite
forward in asking the Board to put covenants on properties that they own. As such, a four-fifths vote, a supermajority,
would be difficult to achieve, but staff was not comfortable saying the Board should limit itself to only things it agrees
on unanimously.
A brief discussion was held about past consideration of covenants for a cemetery. Ownership of Oak Grove
Cemetery was transferred to the County in 1882. From that time to today, no board action has been taken to place
covenants on this cemetery. An email from a former County employee who oversaw cemeteries for the County stated
that there were covenants on another cemetery which were undone by a prior Board. County Manager Coudriet stated
he was unaware of covenants that were placed on another cemetery until he was notified of the email that was sent
today. He does not know why one cemetery had covenants and others did not. Chairman White stated he was not sure
about supporting anything that has not been done in recent years.
County Manager Coudriet stated there had been inquiries/unsolicited offers about purchasing the property.
Commissioner Barfield stated that several years ago he and the then County Manager were approached about
purchasing a portion of the property to gain access to a stormwater retention pond. The offer was declined. County
Manager Coudriet stated he asked staff to prepare the document in order to be clear that it is not for sale because the
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Board has restricted it by placing covenants on it. There are not less than 6,000 graves on the site even after the 17
Street was extended in 1961. Chairman White stated that he recognizes the inherent dignity and sacred value associated
with someone’s burial, particularly with 6,000 souls. However, for action to be taken absent some imminent reason to
do so, he needs to be convinced as to why it needs to be done now. He is not advocating or suggesting it ever be sold
and agrees in theory with the County Manager. However, this Board will not be the Board in 100 years and things
may change in the future. In response to Board questions, County Manager Coudriet confirmed that this is to have the
ability to say this property is not for sale and to ensure long term sanctity of the graves. It was a pauper cemetery as
well as a public cemetery.
Further discussion was held that in the future there may be an offer to purchase the property with a proposal
of relocating the graves to a more dignified location. Commissioner Zapple stated that he can see in the future offers
to purchase only parts of the cemetery, not the entire parcel. This request, if approved, sends a message that this is a
serious issue, is not going to be easily undone, and needs to have full Board discussion to undo even a portion of it.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, Chairman White adjourned the meeting at 4:18 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Kymberleigh G. Crowell
Clerk to the Board
Please note that the above minutes are not a verbatim of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners meeting.