The Onslow Board of Commissioners will meet in a regular session at 11AM, Monday, March 7, 2022 in the Commissioners’ Chambers at the Onslow County Government Center, 234 NW Corridor Blvd, Jacksonville, NC.

Three rezoning requests are before the Board which will hold public hearings for each. 

The first rezoning request is for a site at the intersection of Old 30 and Piney Green roads in the White Oak township. The request is to rezone the half-acre site from residential 10 to community business. 

The second rezoning is for a nearly 3-acre site at 676 and 680 Swansboro Loop Road. The request is rezone from residential to Rural Agriculture. The third rezoning request is on behalf of Coastal Bay Developers and White Hats companies for the Coastal Village rezoning. The thirty-acre site is located on the southeastern side of NC 210 in the Stump Sound Township and the requested rezoning is from Residential 15 to residential 5.

Another public hearing is the second required for Coastal Carolina CPR LLC doing business as American Ambulance Service in order to be given a franchise to provide non-emergency transportation within Onslow County. This does not affect the Onslow County EMS system. The company, based in Holly Ridge, is new but has a franchise to operate similar services in Pender County. A favorable recommendation was given by the Onslow County Peer Review Committee which is recommending the award of the franchise. No one spoke at the first public hearing and the commissioners will consider the franchise after the public hearing. 

Among the general items for the Board of County Commissioners, approval for a grant application seeking $393,875 from the NC Parks and Recreation Trust Fund for projects at Hines Farm Park and Stables. An inclusive playground with accessible surfacing, two picnic shelters and furnishings, walking paths, parking lot and site work as well as utility work to make the projects work would be built if the grant was approved. The funds are a dollar-for-dollar match, the County intends to use proceeds from the Tourism Fund to provide for the match.

New restrooms at Onslow Pines Park cannot be constructed where they are needed because of poor soil conditions, permission to purchase a mobile restroom trailer is being sought from the Board of Commissioners. Tourism Funds would be used to purchase the $100,000 restroom trailer if approved.

Tourism funds are also being sought for participation in the Jacksonville Welcome Center set for the intersection of Marine Boulevard and Old Bridge Street. City officials estimate the Center will cost a million dollars and are seeking $350,000 from the County to help build the Center. The County would allocate funds from the Tourism Fund for the project if approved by the Commissioners. 

Commissioners are also being asked to approve the applications for two schools to be partially funded by the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund. The NC Lottery provides the funds through the entity for needed schools. Nearly thirteen million dollars would be sought for expansion projects at Northwoods Middle School in Jacksonville and thirty million dollars would be sought for a new Eastern Onslow Elementary School. Fifteen million dollars in matching funds are required and would come from the County’s allocation to the School Board for construction. The approval from the Commissioners would authorize the grant application.

 The acceptance of additional funding for the Women’s and Children’s Health and Nutrition program is before the Commissioners for action. The state increased the allocation to recipients of the program, and therefore the amount sent to Counties increased. The action is to approve the additional funding and approve the necessary budget amendments.

Property owners who have not paid their taxes for the year are to have their names and amount of tax owned published in the Daily News March 28, 2022. Because of software issues, the County was unable to meet the original date intended for the publication, and the action of the Commissioners is to approve the new date. 

A series of budget amendments and an appointment are before the Onslow County Board of Commissioners. Tanya Foreman has applied for a seat on the Museum Advisory Board and her appointment will be considered by the Commissioners.

The Commissioners are expected to present two proclamations: One in honor and celebration of the Onslow County Senior Games and another in honor of National Social Work Month.

 The meeting also has a place for public comment where Citizens can address the board on any issue upon which the Board Commissioners has control for five minutes.

Items on the consent agenda include a tax releases and refunds.