Pender County considers fire and EMS raises
During this week’s commissioners’ meeting, Pender County assistant fire chief Mark Haraway said his staff was struggling.
"I've had conversations with all my shift personnel. And my shift personnel are requesting me to please hire people so they can quit working 48-hour shifts and 60-hour shifts. That's what I have people working right now," he said. "They're working two and three days to try to fill the voids that we currently have so that we don't have to brown out stations. So yes, they are all on board with however I can get them some help."
Pender County commissioners are trying to execute a merger of local emergency services by July 1, 2026, the beginning of the fiscal year. But Haraway told them earlier this month that there wouldn't be any staff to merge by that time without making major improvements to staff pay and benefits.
"If we don't do something, you're not going to have anything to absorb July 1, there ain't going to be any people," he said.
That changed this week. Commissioners passed a $900,000 benefit package for fire and EMS workers. Around $300,000 will go toward bringing staff salaries up to spec, and another $500,000 will grant EMS and fire workers the same number of paid holidays as other county employees. Currently, firefighters only get eight paid holidays per year, whereas other county staff get 15.
This was a major sticking point for the commission - the agenda originally included a proposal for only $300,000. But at the urging of Commissioner Jimmy Tate, the board moved to consider the entire proposed package.
Tate and Commissioner Randy Burton voted for the package, and Commissioner Jerry Groves voted against. Commissioners Brent Springer and Brad George recused themselves from the vote.
Brunswick County considers a school bond referendum
Brunswick County also considered a major financial package this week: Commissioners voted to hold a referendum on a new school bond.
If passed, the bond — about $350 million — would fund the construction of several new schools in Brunswick County and renovations to existing facilities. Superintendent Dale Cole told commissioners Monday that increasing the district's capacity was a must — not just for better, easier instruction, but for safety reasons.
"Our current locations were not designed with schools in mind that had as many students as we have now, or that we're projected to have over the next 10 years," he said. "So as a result, we started developing a whole lot of traffic issues that are really outside of our control."
Initially, Cole asked for a $410 million bond, covering the costs of building two new elementary schools, a high school, and renovations for Pre-K facilities. This updated request, which he presented this week, would allow the district to open a new elementary school in 2028 and a new high school in 2031, as well as make renovations to the bleachers at several schools.
It would also set aside funding for the construction of a second entry point to Town Creek Middle School from Governors Road. Cole said that currently, traffic during pickup and drop-off times led to backups on Highway 17. It also caused issues during PTC 8, when the storm cut off Highway 17 — and access to the shelter area at Town Creek Middle.
"Anyone north of that area was unable to access the Rice Parkway to get to the complex. Had we had had another access point off Governors Road, it would have been a lot more useful to the citizens during the storm," he said. "Access is limited to this area to a single entry and exit point. A second connection, obviously would solve that. It would also create a lot more capacity for buses and family traffic."
Commissioners voted 4-to-1 for the bond referendum. If they get the okay from the North Carolina Local Government Commission, then the decision to fund these improvements will be up to county residents when they cast a ballot in November 2026.
Columbus County considers noise ordinance, cell towers
Finally, Columbus County: commissioners unanimously approved a noise ordinance for the county, which would allow a citation to be issued without a decibel reading.
They also set a date for a public hearing addressing a proposed revamp of the county's cell tower ordinance. Commissioners will consider tower height limits, setbacks — or the distance of the tower from a person's property — and other potential restrictions. The hearing will be held on November 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the commissioners' chambers in Whiteville.
