THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 25, 1996 TAG: 9601250412
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY MASON PETERS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: EDENTON LENGTH: Medium: 99 lines
For the first time since it was created in 1992, the Northeast North Carolina Economic Development Commission went on a big-bucks spending spree Wednesday, shelling out more than half a million dollars for two major projects, plus a $75,000 annual salary for a new executive director.
The commission, which has been criticized for being too timid with its pump-priming efforts, also agreed to make stabilization of Oregon Inlet a goal during the coming year.
``If something isn't done soon with that inlet, it'll migrate south down Hatteras Island, and when tourists come to see Oregon Inlet, it won't be there anymore,'' Carl Miller, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oceanographer, told the commissioners.
At the panel's first 1996 meeting, Chairman Jimmy Dixon, a Pasquotank County commissioner, tackled a crowded agenda by quickly pushing through three of the most expensive proposals ever considered by the commission:
A $170,000 state-of-the-art computer system that will soon be linked to state and national data-banks so the commission can provide almost instant information when needed by Albemarle businesses.
A $240,000 tourism program to take the place of a previously scuttled $200,000 plan that caused a major upheaval within the commission last year. Before the dust had settled, the commission fired a paid tourism director and an executive director.
A salary of $75,000 a year to Richard Glen ``Rick'' Watson, a Bladen County economic developer, as a replacement for the director dismissed last year. Watson's salary is by far the largest ever authorized by the commission.
``We expect Rick Watson to go to work for us early in February,'' Dixon said after the unanimous vote.
Dixon and members of the panel's executive committee previously checked out Watson and sent a glowing report to the full commission.
``Does Rick Watson understand that he's on call 24 hours a day, whenever we need him?'' asked Charles Shaw, a retired Edenton oil executive who keeps a close watch on commission proceedings.
``He certainly does - I told him,'' said Dixon.
Under the leadership of Mary Lilley, a commissioner who is also head of the Martin County Chamber of Commerce in Williamston, the new tourism group will develop nearly 30 programs with the $240,000 voted by the commission.
Lilley's plans include matching grants to communities and a variety of promotions, including festivals and national media advertising to promote tourism in the Albemarle.
The new program replaces a $200,000 plan developed last year by a former director who was fired along with the paid executive director.
The initial $200,000 was never spent, and Lilley won agreement to include the money in her new $240,000 program.
A delegation from Dare County showed up to plead for improving and otherwise ``stabilizing'' Oregon Inlet as a means of assuring the continued existence of Bodie Island and northern Hatteras Island as well bridges across the ocean passage.
The commission last year went on record favoring improvements at Oregon Inlet, but the project was never included in the panel's official goals.
``We hope you will do that, and we particularly need this commission's help in getting a congressional vote to stabilize the inlet,'' said Harry Schiffman, a member of several Dare County organizations that have long sought help for the turbulent ocean passage. Schiffman operates the Salty Dawg Marine in Manteo.
The commissioners were told by Miller, the Army Engineer oceanographer who accompanied Schiffman, that funding is urgently needed to continue surveying the waters in and around the inlet.
``There is no money in sight for any stabilization efforts at the inlet,'' said Miller.
He said that without a protective groin along the north shore of the inlet, erosion will continue to slowly cause the inlet to creep southward.
Miller said a groin protecting the south bank has worked well, but the unprotected north bank is rapidly washing away and shifting sand into the ship channel.
``Some of the pilings designed for the scheduled new bridge will have to be six feet in diameter and more than 200 feet long to reach solid supporting ground,'' Miller said.
At present the U.S. Interior Department, which owns the land on each side of the inlet, has refused to allow the Corps of Engineers to build either full-scale $90 million jetties or a smaller north-side groin to protect the ocean passage.
Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., has introduced a Senate bill that would turn over the inlet shore land to the corps, but the measure is stalled in committee. A similar bill in the U.S. House has also died on the vine.
The commission gave the $170,000 computer contract to Maps Systems Inc. of Raleigh. David Stuart, director of the technology engineering company, told the commission the new installation would also include Internet capability.
The commissioners, with obvious enthusiasm, approved Stuart's contract after hearing his glowing description of their future in cyberspace.
``If somebody wants to know about a factory site here, you can quickly send them a computer-generated picture, based on aerial photography, that will show them what the site will look like and with a computer generated factory already in place,'' Stuart said.
Before the commission started spending money, Treasurer Buck Suiter, a commissioner-banker from Ahoskie, told his colleagues they had $1,820,388.79 in the bank as of Jan. 21. by CNB