THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 11, 1995 TAG: 9510110648
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DEGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NAGS HEAD LENGTH: Long : 101 lines
George Farah opposes a town plan to automate trash pick up, preferring, instead, to retain curbside containers and garbage truck workers.
Doug Remaley wants to make the mayor a full-time, paid position, eliminate the town manager and assistant manager, and completely restructure the municipality's administrative system.
Chuck Thompson doesn't think a new beach high school should include a swimming pool or football stadium.
Harry Thompson pledges to complete a new town-hall complex.
The four candidates for the Nags Head Board of Commissioners sounded off about a variety of issues during a two-hour ``Meet the Candidates'' forum Monday night. Sponsored by the Dare County League of Women's Voters, the question and answer session was held at St. Andrew's by the Sea Episcopal Church. More than 50 people attended the gathering.
Commissioner Wayne Gray, who is seeking re-election, was not at the candidates' forum. He was unavailable for comment Tuesday.
Commissioner Harry Thompson, the only incumbent who spoke at the forum, was appointed to fill an unexpired seat on the board. He has never been formally elected.
Five candidates will vie for two at-large seats in the non-partisan town election on Nov. 7. Each seat carries a four-year term.
``The current town board has a plan that's already in place to cut down on manpower for garbage trucks and automate trash collection,'' said Farah, an employee of the Dare County Emergency Management Services who has lived in Nags Head for 17 years.
``This would mean a one-person-per-truck system like the county uses, with the big roll-out cans. I don't think the tourists will roll out those cans at the rental cottages.
``I haven't talked to anyone who's in favor of the new roll-out system,'' Farah said. ``I see it as a problem. I like the wooden racks we have for our cans now. If I was elected, I'd try to stop the implementation of this automated system right where it is. I'd have the town buy back those new cans it's issued in South Nags Head and say, `I'm sorry. We made a mistake.' ''
Remaley disagreed.
He said he supports automated garbage collection and curbside recycling. ``It's the way of the future,'' said Remaley, who serves as Dare County's fire marshal. ``Employees cost money. We need to plan for the future - and automated trash pickup is the way to go.''
Responding to a written question from the audience, all four candidates said they support the current town manager, Webb Fuller. But Remaley, who worked for Fuller for 10 years as Nags Head fire chief, said he doesn't agree with the town's management system - or with Fuller's style.
``I'd like to see the form of government changed,'' Remaley said. ``Fuller is a micro-manager. He controls every department with a very hands-on style. I don't agree with that. You're also paying him too much money for a town this size. You're paying the assistant manager too much money, too. They're both professionals. They're doing a good job. But Nags Head is not the big metropolis everyone thinks it is. We have fewer than 2,500 year-round residents here.
``I'm not running on any type of vendetta platform,'' said Remaley, who left the town earlier this year to take the full-time fire marshal position with Dare County. ``But in Nags Head, the department heads are stymied in their efforts to provide new services and programs for their citizens. The residents of Nags Head need a better voice in their government. The elected officials need to be a lot more responsible for running the town.''
Although the Dare County School Board recently completed a land swap to obtain a Kill Devil Hills tract for a new beach high school, candidates for the Nags Head board also had strong feelings on the proposed facility.
Farah said that when the time comes to build the new school, Nags Head should ``put our bid in for it.''
Remaley said he supports a bond referendum to build the new school.
Harry Thompson said the town board already is ``working to find facilities that can be improved for ball fields or other sorts of recreational activities.''
Chuck Thompson said he agrees the beach communities need a high school. But he disagrees with ``some of the frills I've heard they plan to put in there, like a swimming pool and football stadium.''
After the forum, Chuck Thompson elaborated on his concerns. ``The new high school could share a football stadium with Manteo High,'' said Chuck Thompson, a retiree who has lived in Nags Head year-round since 1992. ``One team could play Friday night, the other Saturday morning. They could rotate practice times.
``And if they get a swimming pool, we'd just have to fund an additional sport. Instead, I'd encourage private pools like the one at Old Nags Head Cove or the Village of Nags Head to let the Red Cross teach swimming lessons there and have water safety education for our students in the summer, when they're out of school.''
All four candidates said they supported the continued preservation of Nags Head Woods. All also agreed that the mayor should continue serving four-year terms, instead of switching to a two-year system that other beach towns use. The candidates also said they support small businesses and controlled development in Nags Head.
``Having people say we're the most regulated town on the beach is a compliment,'' Harry Thompson said. ``We all need to be protected when new development comes into this town. We want flags up on flagpoles. We're all struggling with this issue.
``We do not want our town to get tacky-looking.'' by CNB