DSS News
Update on County Office Operations
Pender County remains ready to serve the public. Before visiting any county offices, please contact the department you wish to visit. Many services can be completed online or over the telephone. The Following County Offices are currently operating in the following capacity due to COVID-19:
Libraries
The Pender County Library can be reached at (910) 259-1234.
Pender County Public Library staff are busy broadcasting online story times on Facebook on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:00am. All due dates are being extended and automatic renewal is being implemented.
• They are also revamping the website, PenderPublicLibrary.org, adding new resources, such as Ancestry and TumbleBooks, that
customers can access online.
• E-books, E-audiobooks and videos are also available online through the library website.
• A library card number is necessary for most online services and you can apply online at PenderPublicLibrary.org.
• If you have questions, please call the libraries from 9am to 6pm Monday through Friday if you have a question or send them an email from the links provided at PenderPublicLibrary.org from “contact us.”
Tax Office
• Pender County Tax is fully operational.
• The listing forms can be submitted via mail submission back to the print vendor who will record and digitize them without the citizen having to enter the building.
• If a taxpayer would like to drop the listing form off at the tax office, they can use the outside drop box to submit those forms.
• Tax payments can still be made online and over the phone as well as at the secured lockbox in front of the Howard Holly building.
• As always, staff is available over the phone, via email and by appointment.
• Website to pay Pender County Tax bill: https://mss.pendercountync.gov/MSS/citizens/default.aspx
• It can also be found under the “I WANT TO” header on our website and click on view/pay my tax bill
• Email: assessorinfo@pendercountync.gov
• Tax Collections Phone Number: (910) 259-1222
• Tax Assessment Phone Number: (910) 259-1221
Parks and Recreation
Pender County Parks and Recreation can be reached at (910) 259-1330.
• Per the Governors Executive Order 121 Pender County Owned Playgrounds are closed until April 30th. At which time things will be reassessed.
• The Holly Shelter Shooting Range is closed until further notice.
• All organized league play and County Sponsored activities are suspended until further notice.
• Restroom Facilities remain open and are being cleaned and disinfected daily.
• Trails, Greenways, Athletic fields, and open space in parks remain open for normal operating hours. Social distance guidelines must be followed – park visitors should always keep at least 6 feet of distance between themselves and others, and no gatherings of more than 10 people may occur.
• Staff is not taking any new facility reservation request until further notice. This includes athletic fields, picnic shelters, the Hampstead Annex rooms, and the Pender County Courthouse Square.
Planning, Permitting, and Inspections
For more information, please call (910) 259-1202.
• In response to COVID-19, Pender County Planning and Community Development has remained committed to serving the public in anything they might need.
• Staff encourages anyone interested in applying for a building permit to do so using the PORT, which is our online permitting portal and can be found at pendercountync.gov/port/.
• A directory of all employees including direct phone lines and emails within the Permitting and Inspections Divisions can be found at pendercountync.gov/inp/, while the Planning Division directory can be found at pendercountync.gov/pcd/.
• If an in-person meeting is necessary, appointments are strongly encouraged, and staff from each of the three divisions are available at either the main County Complex in Burgaw or at the Hampstead Annex.
Register of Deeds Office
The Register of Deeds Office can be reached by calling (910) 259-1225.
• Staff is limiting public entry at this time.
• All vital records request should be done online or by mail.
• Recorders are encouraged to use our E-recording services.
• In-person recordings are handled by appointment.
• Marriage license are issued by appointment and the application should be completed online before the appointment.
• Notary Oaths are administered by appointment.
Utilities
PCU can be reached at (910) 259-1570.
Payment for water/sewer bills are accepted online at: https://mss.pendercountync.gov/MSS/citizens/default.aspx In addition, drive up window and drop box payments will be accepted in Burgaw for utility customers. A drop box is also available for utility payments at the Hampstead Annex.
BURGAW – All Pender County Government offices will close Good Friday, April 10 and Monday, April 13 in observance of the Easter holiday. Offices will resume normal office hours on Tuesday, April 14.
Pender County Trash and Recycling Sites will remain open for regular service hours on the county’s Easter holidays of April 10 and April 13. The Hampstead Transfer Station house will also remain open for regular service hours during the county’s Easter holidays. Please display your recycle or full-service trash decals or provide proof of residency with a bill using your Pender County address.
“Let us take this opportunity to remind Pender County residents that many government services are available 24/7 online,” Chad McEwen, Pender County manager, said. “We urge residents to stay home and follow Gov. Cooper’s Stay at Home Executive Order 121. Please practice social distancing when shopping for essentials. Residents are urged to practice good hygiene, wear a face-covering mask, and use hand sanitizer with 60 percent alcohol. If we follow these simple guidelines, the quicker we can return to our normal lives.”
Here is today’s Situation Report. There are two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Pender County. The health department knows of 89 residents who have been tested for COVID-19 (this does not include the number of tests by medical providers outside the county); 72 of those tests were confirmed negative and 16 tests are currently pending.
Here is a message about face covering from Monique Travise, Health Educator here at the Pender County Health Department.
Take action to slow the spread by wearing a cloth face covering in public spaces, keeping at least 6 feet of physical distance, and frequently washing your hands.
A cloth face covering can be made from items around your home, such as a scarf or cloth napkin. Make sure the covering reaches above your nose and below your chin.
CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.
To learn more visit: cdc.gov/coronavirus
BURGAW- The second case of Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, has been confirmed in Pender County.
“The individual’s exposure was travel-related,” Carolyn Moser, Pender County Health and Human Services director, said. “The individual is in isolation.”
Pender County Health Department’s Communicable Disease staff continues working to conduct contact tracing to make certain everyone who came in close proximity to this individual is quarantined.
Close contact is defined as anyone who was within 6-ft. of the individual for 10 minutes or more.
To protect the individual’s privacy, no further details will be released.
The first confirmed case of COVID-19, reported April 3, was also a travel-related exposure.
According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, there are no approved treatments and no vaccine to prevent COVID-19.
Pender County Health Department is open Mondays through Fridays, 8-5 p.m. The telephone number is 910-259-1230.
For updated information, visit pendercountync.gov, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus, or the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services at www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/public-health/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-response-north-carolina.
BURGAW – The first case of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been confirmed in Pender County. The individual who tested positive for COVID-19 has traveled outside the county. The individual was tested on March 31, 2020 and confirmation of a positive test result was received at the Pender County Health Department on April 3, 2020. This individual self-isolated at the onset of symptoms and remains in isolation.
Pender County Health Department’s Communicable Disease staff is working to identify close contacts. Close contact is anyone who was within six feet of the individual for ten minutes or more. To protect individual privacy, no further information will be released.
“There is nothing to indicate this was a community-acquired transmission,” stated Carolyn Moser, Pender County Health and Human Services Director. “All indications are this was travel-related. We are following all state protocols for contact tracing.”
Currently there are no approved treatments and no vaccine to prevent COVID-19 according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. However, there are known methods to reduce and slow the spread of infection. Residents should continue to shelter in place per the Governor’s Executive Order #121. We encourage everyone to practice social distancing of six feet, wash hands frequently, stay at home if you are sick, disinfect surfaces, and cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
Social distancing is the best way to prevent or limit the spread of this disease.
For more information on COVID-19 preventive measures, please visit:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- www.cdc.gov
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services- www.ncdhhs.gov
Pender County Government- pendercountync.gov
Or call the health department at (910) 259-1230
It’s important to note that we are not helpless in light of current news events.We can always choose our response. If you are struggling, here are some things you can do to take care of your mental health in the face of uncertainty:
We are in this together, and help is always available. If you’re feeling alone and struggling, you can also reach out to The Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741 or National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.
For more information click the link: https://afsp.org/taking-care-of-your-mental-health-in-the-face-of-uncertainty/
NC 2-1-1 to Provide Assistance for COVID-19
Statewide service can refer people to organizations in their community that are helping with health and human service resources
Governor Roy Cooper today announced NC 2-1-1 by United Way of North Carolina as a resource for people to call for assistance related to the COVID-19 coronavirus.
NC 2-1-1 is an information and referral service that families and individuals can call to obtain free and confidential information on health and human services resources within their community. NC 2-1-1 operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and resources are available in most languages.
“Services like NC 2-1-1 are critical during times of emergency,” said Governor Cooper. “North Carolinians can now call 2-1-1 to get the information they need while we continue working together to prevent the spread of this virus.”
North Carolinians can text COVIDNC to 898211 to receive general information and updates about COVID-19. Sign up now to get regular alerts on the rapidly evolving situation and North Carolina’s response.
NC 2-1-1 can refer callers to the organizations in their local community best equipped to address their specific health and human services needs including food, shelter, energy assistance, housing, parenting resources, health care, employment, substance abuse treatment, as well as specific resources for older adults and for persons with disabilities, and much more. Simply dial 2-1-1 or TTY 888-892-1162 for assistance.
NC 2-1-1 cannot provide direct medical services, and COVID-19 can only be diagnosed by a health care professional. If you suspect you or someone you care for may have symptoms or have been exposed to the virus, you should contact your health care provider. If you do not have a provider, you can call your local health department, free and charitable clinics or a Federally Qualified Health Clinic for guidance.
People should only call 9-1-1 if they are experiencing an emergency. 9-1-1 centers across North Carolina have been receiving general questions and other non-emergency calls related to COVID-19. Please do not call 9-1-1 unless you have an emergency.
For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 in North Carolina, go to ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus.
Due to anticipated high call volume, those seeking general information about COVID-19 are strongly encouraged to sign up for texts. People who are trying to locate specific services would benefit by calling. To learn more about NC 2-1-1, visit nc211.org.
For those with hearing impairment, the NC Department of Public Safety has prepared two videos regarding COVID-19.
Please share these.
What’s COVID-19: https://youtu.be/ZvzDRwARoYg
Self-care during COVID-19 outbreak: https://youtu.be/ooBRqfZjKhQ