WHITE LAKE — Extending the sunset date of April 30 on the restrictions with the town’s State of Emergency are likely.
Mayor Goldston Womble delivered that message Tuesday night during a regular meeting of the commissioners, held through the internet application Zoom.
“I would say we’ll make a decision soon as to extending that,” said the town’s mayor since December 1985. “There is a very high probability that will be extended, given the current state we’re in. We’ll keep you advised, and we’ll advise the public.”
The topic was brief and included no other discussion from commissioners.
The declaration went effect March 27 and prohibits nonresident property owners or renters from entering the town. Rentals of less than 90 days are forbidden until at least April 30, with exceptions to those providing essential public services as determined by the town. Street parking by unauthorized vehicles is not allowed.
The town doesn’t own the lake, and it remains open for boaters. However the launch available to the public for a fee at White Lake Marina closed a week later on April 3, a decision made by the owners. Thus, boating is allowed but is pretty well restricted to those with a boat in the water who live at the lake.
The board was updated on the multi-use path from Eddie Madden, the project manager. As a means to an end of gaining points for its funding application with the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, the board gave a formal resolution endorsement of the Bladen County 2019 Comprehensive Recreation Master Plan.
The grant being sought has a maximum amount of $500,000 and is a dollar for dollar match. Phase II has a price tag of $686,989.
The town would commit to $343,495, and hope to fulfill that figure from various means such as more grants. In the event none can be obtained, it would dip into its available general fund balance.
Even with the adoption, Madden said in caution, “I will tell you, it’s going to be a stretch to get these points.”
He explained the reason is because the plan on file with the county focuses more on county parks and amenities rather than those that are throughout the county to include municipalities.
In an interview after the meeting, examples missing from the plan he cited were the bike park that draws upward of 1,000 people for weekend events, the board walk and the disc golf at Tory Hole Park, and it doesn’t include the multi-use path that opened at White Lake just before the 2019 White Lake Water Festival last May.
The plan was submitted May 22, 2018, by Dr. Deb Jordan of the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at East Carolina University, for the county’s rec department. County commissioners unanimously adopted it at the Oct. 1, 2018, meeting.
Madden said the other part of the ongoing second phase of the project is to obtain easements. Tom Keith and his family granted those for the first phase, which runs between Waterford and Turtle Cove subdivisions, and they will again have a significant portion of the second phase that extends from Turtle Cove to White Lake Marina.
“Mr. Keith, and his family, are the ones that we are focusing our efforts on at the moment,” Madden said. “Hopefully in the next few days, we’ll have one from the Keith family.”
The board also:
• Approved a cooperative agreement between the N.C. Division of Environmental Quality for an aquatic weed control program. Each party pays $16,000.
• Appointed Amber Glisson, the accountant and deputy finance officer, as the primary agent for the designation of applicant’s agent for COVID-19. This is required through the Disaster Relief Act, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has declared the coronavirus a natural disaster.
• Approved five budget ordinance amendments related to unanticipated revenues; revenues and expenditures for the newly created lake stewardship officer; revenues from scrap metal; the sanitary sewer improvement project; and emergency repairs associated with the water and wastewater fund.
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