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By WILLARD KILLOUGH III
Managing Editor
CAROLINA BEACH – A task force was put together earlier this summer by the Carolina Beach Town Council to look at issues concerning Freeman Park on the North End. That committee was spearheaded by Councilman Alan Gilbert.
The Freeman Park Task Force met Tuesday October 6, at the Harbor Master’s Restaurant to discuss a list of issues in an attempt to prioritize them and seek ways to implement improvements.
Freeman Park is an undeveloped section of beachfront located at the end of Canal Drive and is one of only a few spots on the east coast that permit four wheel drive vehicle access. The Town recently raised the daily pass fee from $10 to $20 and raised the annual fee from $50 to $60.
Several people, including Planning Commission members, said they were not informed of the meeting location and one council member said he was unaware of the location until he went to Town Hall to attend the meeting and was told its exact location.
Councilman Dan Wilcox explained that people may not feel comfortable meeting at local restaurants and that meetings should be held at Town Hall to allow everyone to attend.
On Friday October 16, Planning Commissioner Leah Garcia wrote to the Mayor and Town Council members that, "I was appointed along with Greg Reynolds to serve on the Freeman Park Task Force to represent the Planning and Zoning Commission. I was disappointed to read n the Island Gazette today that a meeting was held on October 6, 2009 at the Harbor Masters. I was not invited nor was I told about the meeting. I do not believe Mr. Reynolds was invited or told about the meeting either. I also did not receive a survey and wanted to ask who came up with the survey questions. I have been asked by several community members about the survey and the task force as well as why Greg and I were not invited to the meeting. Please advise on whether you would like me to remain appointed to the task force and how to answer the many concerned community members."
Planning Commissioner Greg Reynolds said he inquired about the meeting at a Planning Commission meeting and then inquired as to why he wasn't invited to the meeting on October 6, since he was appointed to the committee.
On Tuesday October 27, Reynolds noted that, "I have yet to be invited to a meeting."
On October 17, Councilman Dan Wilcox responded explaining, "Alan/Task Force Members, I’ve had a few complaints regarding the last Task Force meeting place. They feel, as I do, that working committee meetings should be held at town hall instead of in a restaurant/bar atmosphere. Such locations do not bother me on a personal level, but some folks won’t go into any restaurant/bar for these meeting, other’s might not like the proprietor of a certain establishment (or vice versa), some might not care to enter any establishment that serves alcohol, etc."
Wilcox explained, "For whatever reasons, if any members of the public were not to attend these meetings because they are uncomfortable with the meeting location, it would defeat the public process. Therefore, to give everyone an equal opportunity to attend in a neutral meeting space, and to have a quiet and controlled meeting environment, I recommend future Task Force meetings be held in a Town Hall meeting room, that the meeting time/location be advertised effectively, and that extra care and attention be taken to insure that all Task Force participants from other committees be adequately notified."
Wilcox wrote, "Additionally, I have also received request that these meetings be recorded and those recordings be available to those that might not be able to make every a meeting. These same meeting location issues came up in the past with the A&A and BED Committees, and we had complaints as a result. It was my recommendation to them to keep their meetings at town hall, which they have done. Since then we have no complaints."
Wilcox requested, "Please add me to your meeting notification list, as I too did not receive any notice or reminder of the last meeting. In fact, I went to Town Hall looking for the meeting, and ended up having to call and ask someone else where the meeting was being held."
On October 18, Councilman Alan Gilbert responded to Wilcox stating, "We met with or state legislatures at the Harbor Masters Restaurant to discuss Town issues as well as restaurants in Raleigh, do you feel these meeting were inappropriate due to their location and should have been recorded? I believe the council voted unanimously to have a Task Group meeting and the meeting place was Harbor Master. This meeting was a focus group of various committee members and staff to consider if the Freeman Park issues were even a problem that needed councils attention. Are you proposing that all of our committee meetings both standing and ad-hoc be recorded? Would you also include TAC, and other staff meetings, please also consider our Ad-hoc Tourism Committee routinely has working lunches, do you propose they be recorded also?"
Gilbert explained, "If you look at your email from September 29th you will find the meeting date was shared with you, did you receive it? I would support a committee policy discussion at our next meeting and please include that our committee meetings should be held after normal business hours so the majority of our citizens may attend. I would also support codifying any present council policies concerning committees to insure compliance."
Wilcox followed up with a subsequent email correcting a typo. He wrote, "Whoops, should read: “I don’t recall it being discussed among Council."
On Monday October 19, Gilbert responded with a short email stating, "You may want to review the record, staff seemed to have an accurate recall."
On Thursday, October 22, Wilcox responded, "Alan, Given the limited nature of your response, and your failure to acknowledge any of the concerns previously stated, I assume you are not only prepared to ignore the concerns of a fellow council member, but also those of the citizens that asked me to intercede in this matter on their behalf. Its unfortunate you appear more concerned about proving me wrong on some minute detail than addressing reasonable concerns raised by our citizens."
The same day Gilbert responded stating, "Dan, Sorry, I have been working today and I sent my last email on the 19th. I do not know what Whoops means, but since your memory has failed you council discussed the issue twice. Do you want me to send you the dates that council discussed it. If you want me to call the citizens who have concerns just forward their contact information. I expect that the distribution of the meeting information was incomplete and since we did not make any decisions and the results of the survey are due soon why not you handle the next meeting since you seem better connected to the Freeman Park issues than me."
Gilbert explained, "I am not sure what you mean about ignoring a fellow council member, but I think I answered you. “Whoops, should read: “I don’t recall it being discussed among Council” My response is below from the 18th, and what did you want me to say to your Whoops email? “I would support a committee policy discussion at our next meeting and please include that our committee meetings should be held after normal business hours so the majority of our citizens may attend. I would also support codifying any present council policies concerning committees to insure compliance.”
On Friday, October 23, Wilcox responded, "Alan, As expected, your response is not only intentionally off point; it was also delivered it in your typical arrogant and dismissive tone. It’s a shame that instead of addressing these simple citizen concerns, you prefer to dwell on my “whoops” email, which as you know was merely a correction to a typo. As for your fixation to proving Council discussed this, I expect it was more like you announcing it than discussion among Council, but either way, since I have already stipulated that I don’t recall it; I see your continued diversion to that point as little more than another transparent attempt to misdirect."
Wilcox explained, "If the people that contacted me with their concerns wanted to talk to you, they would have called you. Instead, they made it clear they don’t trust you and they certainly don’t want you calling to “interview” them (not my words, theirs). If the only people that can have a voice in this process are those you personally qualify, it won’t be much of a community process. As for running the next meeting, it’s not something I want part of. But after you talking almost continuously for 2-1/2 hours at the last meeting, perhaps you are right; maybe the “Task Force” would be better served by someone else running the meeting that is more willing to engage other participants and input."
Wilcox continued, "I realize this response is futile, as you will most likely continue to do whatever serves your personal agenda. Therefore, all I can leave you with is fair caution. When I voted with the rest of Council to support your request to form this Task Force, I did so, 1) out of respect for a fellow councilman’s request, and, 2) expecting you would manage the process in a fair and open manner. I can only remind you that as one vote on council, my consideration of recommendations resulting from this Task Force will have a direct relationship to the validity of the process you choose to employ."
The same day Gilbert responded, "Dan, Again, I am not sure of what your question is, why not give me a call and ask me the question instead of trying to bully me. The police department distributed a list of around 100 items, and distributed the emails for the meeting. Why were some of your people left off the list, I do not know. Some of the private citizens who attended seemed to have found out about it and seemed appreciative. Either you do not think we have issues at Freeman Park or you have alternative motives in this email stream. I am not sure what the intent of “leaving me with fair caution”, but the majority of your boardwalk committee meetings have been held during working hours when the average citizen is working, seems a little hypocritical to me."
Gilbert responded, "I have no personal agenda other than servicing the complaints of our citizens who amassed the list of 100 issues. You may want to review the minutes of the two meetings since the Harbor Master was mentioned and not one council member mentioned that it was a bad idea. Reflecting on the history of this council I doubt anyone was concerned with hurting my feelings. Your political machine seems to be doing well at spinning it that I am trying to close Freeman Park, which is fiction, or maybe that is just your bar talk. I have neither the time or energy to continue fueling your rant, so give me a call you like."
Wilcox responded stating, "Alan, I would think any 12 year old would understand the requests, as well as, the logic behind them. So, given you graduated Magna cum laude, I’m at a loss as to why you are having such difficulty understanding. Perhaps you are a victim of your own rhetoric. It might help to reread this thread of emails, which should refresh you regarding the two simple things asked of you."
Wilcox continued, "More misdirection? The Boardwalk Makeover is a private organization, not a town committee, and therefore your comparison would seem to be yet another attempt on your part to blow smoke, as I’m confident you know the difference. And by the way, we do hold those meetings in town hall for the very
same reasons expressed to you. As for calling you instead of responding via email, there’s nothing I have to say that I’m am worried about others hearing. In fact, I’ve come to learn that when dealing with you, its best to have things on record. Additionally, if you can’t understand such simple requests, I doubt a phone call is the answer. Like you, I’m busy so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what comes of things.
Councilman Alan Gilbert said the purpose of the October 6, meeting was to take the top issues identified by the Freeman Park Committee and other Town officials, review and reflect on those issues and seek input from other committees such as the Operations and Police Advisory Committees and the Town’s Planning and Zoning Commission.
Gilbert said, as an example, if there is a recommendation to put in 10 sets of bathrooms, “Then we would forward that issue to the Operations Committee” since they work with the Operations Department that oversees the port-a-johns in the park.
Gilbert said if underage drinking is an issue, the Police Advisory Committee would be called up to come up with potential solutions and implementation strategies. He said any recommendations would be brought to the Council for final determination.
Gilbert said the issue of camping and the population capacity within the park could be a topic for the Planning and Zoning Commission to consider.
A survey was handed out at the meeting as well as to all boards and committees. The results will be forwarded to appropriate departments and then to Council for review.
Survey questions covered topics such as establishing capacity limits, limiting camping, online reservations for campsites, limiting access to the park, organized events, lifeguards, bathrooms and many other issues.
The following is a list of items that appear on the survey asking the
participants to rate each one on a scale of 5 to 1 with 5 being
Very/Agree and one being "Not" in agreement. Some other questions ask
for a yes or no answer while others are more specific such as hours of
operation.
Establish Capacity Limits
• Daily Capacity Limits
• Holiday Capacity Limits Only
• Camping Capacity Limits
• Camping Capacity Limits Only During Season
• Fires Capacity Limits
Open 24hrs
• Limit Access Dusk 11pm 12am 1:00 am 2am
• Limit in and out after hours holiday only
• Gate needed
• Signage/Radio, public notification of at capacity
• Separate Website Online Reservations
Camping Management
• Restrict to certain areas
• Eliminate during portions of the year
• Eliminate completely
• Assigned Locations
• Size of areas and number of sites
• Number of Sites
• Camping Fees
• Camp/Fire Management Staff Private Volunteer
• Limit to Marker 6-24 only
• Number of Days
• Need to Define Camping Sleeping in Car/beach vs. Tent
Fires
• Eliminate fires
• Fire Permit/Fee Required
• Fires restricted to off season (fishing season)
• Fire Pit Required
Alcohol
• Restrict Alcohol
• Underage Drinking is a problem
• Curfew Unaccompanied minors enforced
Animals
• Allow unleashed domestic animals year round.
• Allow leashed domestic animals only during season.
• No Animals
• Horses off season only
• Unleashed animals off season only
Fees
• Fees Adequate Annual 60.00 Daily 20.00
• Yearly pass 40 50 60 80 100 200
• Daily pass 20 30 40 50 other
• Camping pass 20 40 60 other
• Fire Pass 5 10 15 20 25 30 40
• Discount for CB Residents needed
Organized Sporting/Fishing Events
• Limit time of Year
• Free Event Admission
Organized non-sporting concerts/festivals/commercial events
• Additional Security Required
• Permit Required
• Impromptu Events Allowed
• Stages and Power Generators Allowed
Lifeguards
• Hours of operation Start 7 8 9 10 End 5 6 7 8 9
• Stager Hours of Operation
• Number of guards adequate
Rescue or EMS Operations
• Emergency Lane Needed
• Moving patients
• Response Adequate
• Emergency travel on sand
• Fire Jurisdiction
• New Hanover County/Carolina Beach
Police
• Adequate
• Number of hours for coverage
• Holiday numbers
• Part Time during Peek
Bathrooms
• Adequate
• Determine number needed for normal operation
• Number for holiday operation
• Additional Pump Trucks Needed
Trash
• Trash cans Adequate
• Trailer needed
• Glass Containers
• Recycling
Traffic
• Canal One Way North
• CB North One Way South
• Canal One Way left lane local only/emergency/service
• Alternate Traffic Patterns in CBD and Marina
Towing
• Private Commercial Contract entire beach
• First 1000 feet Private Contract
• Allow Good Samaritan no fee required/allowed
Vending
• Permit Only
• Lottery to assign
General List
• Informational Signs Needed
• Digital sign near bridge or town hall for information
• Move large signs to a more visible location
• Brochure
• Information
• Add violations along with the fines
• Dune Management and Cleanup
• Yearly beach sweep
• Use of beach rake (permit for use)
• Turtle Management
• Zones
• Designating zones for day trippers (1-6)
• Ordinance Additions/Deletions
• Vehicle for parking or camping ambassador
• Number and types of vending
• Shuttle for walk ins
• Items carried onto beach
• Furniture “sofas and chairs”
• Vehicles Restrict size Number of Axels
• Trailers
• Entry way
• Needs improvements such as clay, shells, gravel, etc.
• Possibly need to relocate booth
• Noise levels at night
• Houses
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