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BEULAVILLE — Zoning violations, scam alerts, and infrastructure updates topped the agenda at the Beulaville Town Board meeting Monday night. During the meeting, town officials also approved several policy changes aimed at improving code enforcement and ensuring financial accountability.
Genes Norris raised a concern about a zoning issue at 139 Dogwood Acres Boulevard. This property is located in an area designated for residential and agricultural use, yet the owner has been operating a commercial Airbnb business. Board members requested clarification on the policy, and Town Manager Lori Williams confirmed that the owners were in violation. Williams mentioned that she had sent two letters to the owners regarding this matter, the most recent of which was sent via certified mail.
“Once the certified letter is acknowledged and received, the owner has 15 days to appeal in writing to the zoning board. If she doesn’t, it becomes a civil matter. Violations can be fined daily,” Williams explained.
Mayor Hutch Jones and Police Chief Jamie Rogers encouraged neighbors to call 910-296-1911 to create a record of any further issues or concerns on the property. They expressed hope that the issue would get resolved within the next 45-60 days.
Williams gave an update on behalf of Public Works and said they met with the USDA on possible grant money for repairs. Updates about the stormwater concerns can be expected in the October meeting. They are hoping to have a plan in place to present to the board by November. Work updating water lines is underway and is three months out from completion.
Concrete started on Sept. 9 and asphalt for sidewalks will come in a couple of weeks.
“There will be a minor inconvenience to concrete driveways. People will need to wait at least 24 hours before driving across fresh concrete,” Public Works Director Ricky Raynor said.
Rogers reported an uptick in scams. “Three suspects were identified in a multistate lottery fraud, and we are working on two more fraud cases,” Rogers said. One case involved a man posing as a landscaper doing cement work but never showing up to complete the work. The other case involved people buying a mower with stolen credit cards.
“Scammers are out and about,” Rogers warned.
In new business,
The board approved a request from James Carl Hannah to rezone property on Hwy 41S from commercial to residential, with the stipulation that a second driveway be added to the property just for residential purposes.
Next, the board approved the appointment of Justin Smith to the Zoning Board. Smith was present in the crowd and said he was happy to be able to serve.
Next, the board approved a series of policies required for Division of Water Quality grants. Town Manager Williams explained that the policies create internal accountability measures to help hold the town accountable for handling funds responsibly.
Next, the board approved an amendment to the trash policy that allows fines to be assessed to renters instead of property owners.
“There have been 39 citations so far in August alone for not bringing in trash cans as they should. This amendment allows us to assess any fines and add them to the utility bills to make renters — not property owners — accountable for their usage,” Williams explained.
The board discussed and set a date for their first special budget workshop meeting on Sept. 22.
Code enforcement reported that nine letters about landscaping, as well as other citations, have been sent out. It was reported that people are complying with the citations, paying them, and cleaning up their yards.
Mayor Hutch Jones commended the department on their efforts because the town has been looking a lot better. Meeting with property owners and having conversations before many citations are ever written was credited as the main reason for the change. Community patrols are being done on a weekly basis.
Some water damage to the roof and ceiling of the library was reported. The damage was caused by a rusted water pan.
Toward the end of the meeting, some commissioners commented on the loud mufflers that were driving through town. Jones asked for more police oversight, especially in high-traffic shopping areas after 9 p.m., where this behavior is prevalent.
