Public Notices

On Oct. 4, NC Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson presented Pender County departments with awards for safety.

Receiving first-year awards were Animal Control, Animal Shelter, Emergency Management, Facilities and Fleet Services, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology Services, and Planning and Community Development.

Receiving Third Consecutive Year honors were Social Services and Tourism.

Seventh Consecutive Year awards were presented to the Register of Deeds and the Tax Assessors Office.

Ninth Consecutive Year honors were presented to the Library.

Tenth Consecutive Year honors went to Elections and Housing.

Eleven Consecutive Years without a major safety violation or injury were presented to the County Manager’s Office, Mosquito Control, Parks and Recreation, Vehicle Maintenance, and Veterans Services.

Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties to benefit from the service

WILMINGTON – Starting today, residents of three southeastern North Carolina counties will have more flexible transportation options, thanks to an on-demand micro-transit pilot service that is being funded by a grant from the N.C. Department of Transportation.

RideMICRO is a new public transportation service provided by Wave Transit in partnership with Brunswick and Pender County transit agencies. This is one of the first on-demand ridesharing public transit services in North Carolina.

“Our new service is not only for our community but for neighboring communities as well, providing regional transit coverage in Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender counties,” said Marie Parker, executive director for Wave Transit. “Microtransit is designed to be responsive, economical, and accessible. It is very similar to a private app-based rideshare but will be an extension of our current transit network.”

Microtransit refers to demand-responsive transportation that does not require pre-booking and does not rely on fixed routes and stops, like a traditional bus system. Riders looking to take advantage of the new service can schedule a trip through Wave Transit’s website or by calling 844-764-1223. A mobile app, which will allow for hassle-free booking, will begin implementation by Feb. 2022.

“NCDOT is committed to public transportation innovation,” said Ryan Brumfield, director of NCDOT’s Integrated Mobility Division. “Pilot programs like RideMICRO are key to improving public transportation’s quality and ensuring that all North Carolinians have access to opportunities and services.”

RideMICRO is funded by a $600,000 grant from the NCDOT. Service delivery is provided by Bus.com and Moovit.

Last year, NCDOT supported the creation of Wilson’s RIDE program, the first rural micro-transit program in the state, which recently won accolades during the 2021 Southern Association of State Highway Transportation Officials conference.

For more information on RideMICRO, including stop and fare information, and how to book a ride, visit wavetransit.com.

BURGAW — Domestic and international visitors to and within Pender County spent $131.8 million in 2020, an increase of 8 percent from 2019. The data comes from an annual study commissioned by Visit North Carolina, a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.

“Despite COVID-19 shutdowns and challenges from the pandemic, visitor spending increased at a remarkable 8 percent,” said Tammy Proctor, Pender County tourism director. “Pender County was only one of 14 counties in the state to garner an increase in visitor spending.”

The travel and tourism industry directly employs more than 934 in Pender County. This equates to a 2020 payroll of $34.9 million.

Pender County was one of only 20 counties statewide to see an increase in tourism-related employees.

“State tax revenue generated in Pender County totaled $5.1 million through state sales and excise taxes, and taxes on personal and corporate income,” said Proctor. “About $8.1 million in local taxes were generated from sales and property tax revenue from travel-generated and travel-supported businesses.”

These statistics come from the “Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties 2020,” which can be accessed at www.partners.visitnc.com/economic-impact-studies. The study was prepared for Visit North Carolina by Tourism Economics in collaboration with the U.S. Travel Association.

Statewide, visitor spending was down 32 percent to $19.96 billion compared to 2019. Tourism employment fell 26 percent to 178,685. The losses were most acutely felt in urban areas.

“We are extremely gratified that tourism thrived in 20 counties in the face of pandemic shutdowns and other impediments to travel,” said Visit NC Director Wit Tuttell. “And despite the bad news for North Carolina as a whole, our ranking at No. 5 among states for visitation is a position of strength for rebuilding our tourism economy. Given the state’s resilience and vast appeal of its natural beauty, our creative cities and our authentic experiences at every turn, we’re confident that we’ll regain what has been lost and exceed the spending records of the recent past.”

“In Pender County, tourism is the second-leading industry,” said Proctor. “A healthy tourism industry is vital to our state and local economic health.”

Study highlights include:

• Domestic and international travelers spent $19.96 billion in North Carolina in 2020. The spending marks a 32 percent decrease from the $29.22 billion spent in 2019.
• Fourteen of the state’s 100 counties saw gains in visitor spending: Warren, Greene, Yancey, Clay, Stokes, Polk, Northampton, Pender, Ashe, Alleghany, Rutherford, Jones, Currituck, and Tyrrell.
• Visitors to North Carolina generated nearly $3.0 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2020. The total represents a 26.6 percent decrease from 2019.
• State tax receipts because of domestic visitor spending decreased 26.4 percent to more than $891.6 million in 2020.
• Local tax receipts from domestic visitor spending dropped 21 percent to $906.4 million.
• Direct tourism employment in North Carolina decreased 26 percent to 178,685.
• Twenty counties had increases in employment related to visitor spending in 2020: Warren, Greene, Clay, Stokes, Ashe, Yancey, Alleghany, Pender, Macon, Northampton, Jones, Polk, Rutherford, Montgomery, Tyrrell, Dare, Carteret, Madison, Currituck, and Swain.
• Direct tourism payroll decreased 24.5 percent to $6.4 billion.
• Visitors spend more than $54 million per day in North Carolina. That spending adds $4.9 million per day to state and local tax revenues (about $2.4 million in state taxes and $2.5 million in local taxes).
• Each North Carolina resident saves on average $170 in state and local taxes as a direct result of visitor spending in the state.
• North Carolina hosted 37 million visitors in 2020.

Burgaw – The Parks Foundation of Pender County is seeking applications for residents interested in serving on the Board of Directors. The Foundation board is expanding as the Pender County Parks and Recreation Department continues to grow.

The Parks Foundation of Pender County is a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization under Section 501 (c)(3). The Board of Directors will encourage and arrange for gifts, grants, bequests, and works to further the objectives of the Foundation.

Foundation directors also serve as ambassadors for County parks and participate in and support County parks events and programs.

“We are looking for residents that are willing to serve on the board of directors for the foundation,” states Doug Shipley, Pender County assistant county manager. “We would like the members of the public to engage and assist with the work of the Foundation.”

 Residents interested in serving on the Board of Directors can apply by visiting the following link: https://form.jotform.com/210534054763047 by Dec. 1. Terms would begin in 2022.

For more information about the Parks Foundation of Pender County contact the Pender County Parks & Recreation Department at 910-259-1330 or parksandrec@pendercountync.gov.

County departments reported activities and progress on projects within the two weeks, ending today, Oct. 1.

BURGAW – The North Carolina Office of Emergency Services and North Carolina Emergency Management sent 10 strike teams to Southeast North Carolina today to assist with the large volume of emergency calls.  

“We have seen a significant increase in EMS calls,” said Stacey Wright, Division Chief. “Pender EMS & Fire joined with New Hanover, Brunswick, and Robeson counties to request assistance from NCOEMS due to call volumes and extended wait times at the ER.” 

Pender County received two strike teams. Today one team was assigned to the west side of Pender County and the other assigned to the east side.  

“After just a few hours on assignment, the crews have already responded to five calls,” said Wright.  

Pender EMS & Fire have not missed an Emergency Medical Service call, but the extra crews give the Pender EMS crews a chance to breathe.  

Division Chief Stacey Wright states that the administration of Pender EMS and Fire are extremely proud of the staff’s dedication since the COVID 19 began. The increase in calls, risk factors, hospital wait time, and long shifts have made it difficult at times but they have remained strong and dedicated to the Citizens.

“A lot of our calls are COVID-related,” said Wright. “The hospital has been extremely busy and sometimes our crews wait on average 1.5 hours. That means they are out of the area for a substantial length of time. Having the two extra crews will help us considerably.” 

The two strike teams are assigned to Pender County for the next 10 days. If the state’s offices of emergency management and emergency services feel the demand for assistance continues, they have the option of reauthorizing the teams for an additional stay. 

The state offices assigned four strike teams New Hanover; Robeson County received three teams, and Brunswick and Pender received two teams each.  

“We appreciate the assistance,” said Wright. “It gives our crews a chance to catch their breath.” 

For emergency services, dial 911. For questions, call 910-259-0891.