Dare County Newsletter - December 2024

Christmas Holiday Closures

All Dare County offices and facilities will be closed on Tuesday, December 24, 2024, Wednesday, December 25, 2024 and Thursday, December 26, 2024 in observance of the Christmas holiday. These offices and facilities will reopen and operate with their regularly scheduled hours on Friday, December 27, 2024. 

New Year’s Holiday Closures

All Dare County offices and facilities will be closed on Wednesday, January 1, 2025 in observance of New Year's Day. Offices and facilities will reopen and resume regular operating hours on Thursday, January 2, 2025.

The Dare County Board of Commissioners will hold its regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Monday, December 2, 2024 at 9 a.m. The meeting will take place in the commissioners meeting room, which is adjacent to the Dare County Administration Building located at 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive in Manteo.

The December 2024 meeting will include the following key agenda items:

- Swearing in Five Commissioners
Five county commissioners will be sworn into office after being elected, or re-elected, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Commissioner Bob Woodard begins his fourth term on the board representing District 2 (Nags Head, Colington and Kill Devil Hills), and Commissioner Steve House begins his third term representing District 3 (Kitty Hawk, Duck and Southern Shores). Newly elected commissioners include Commissioner Mary Ellon Ballance representing District 4 (Hatteras Island), Commissioner Mike Burrus representing District 1 (East Lake, Stumpy Point, Manns Harbor, Manteo and Wanchese), and Commissioner Carson Creef, also representing District 1. 

-  Electing the Board’s Chairman and Vice Chairman
Following the swearing in ceremony for the five commissioners mentioned above, the board will vote to elect its chairman and vice chairman.

-  Public Hearing: VC-2 Village Commercial (Section 22-27.5)
The addition of marinas to the list of special uses in the VC-2 Ordinance for Hatteras Village.

-  Quasi-Judicial Hearing for Special Use Permit Application: Special Use Permit Application 7-2024
Submitted for the development of a travel trailer park on Parcels 017542000 and 017540003 located at 19143 Highway 64 in East Lake, N.C.

Watch the Meeting!

There are several ways to stay informed of the discussions that occur during Dare County Board of Commissioners meetings:

- Meetings are livestreamed on Dare County's YouTube channel and are also available for streaming on demand. 

- Videos of previous meetings are generally available the next day on the Dare County website, DareNC.gov. 

- Local Spectrum TV customers can watch the meetings live on Channel 191 (Current TV). 

Stay tuned for a meeting highlights release that will be published on DareNC.gov as soon as possible after the conclusion of the board’s meeting. To sign up to receive highlights from the Dare County Board of Commissioners meetings, go to DareNC.gov/Subscribe. 

Minutes of Dare County Board of Commissioners meetings are available on the Dare County website under Meeting Agendas, Minutes & Videos once they have been approved. To view the agenda packet for the Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting that will be held at 9 a.m. on Monday, December 2, 2024, please click here. For more information about the Dare County Board of Commissioners, visit DareNC.gov/BOC or click the button below. 

The Virginia S. Tillett Community Center in Manteo is accepting donations of a variety of items needed by members of the elderly and disabled community in Dare County through the center’s 12 Days of Christmas Drive. Donations of the following items will be accepted—and very much appreciated!—in the front lobby of the Virginia S. Tillett Community Center (950 Marshall C. Collins Drive in Manteo) until 5 p.m. on Friday, December 6, 2024.

12 Days of Christmas Drive Donation Items:

Shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, soap, lotion, toothpaste, sunscreen, towels and washcloths, Kleenex, Chapstick, Band-Aids, socks, gloves, scarves, playing cards and puzzle books, greeting cards, pens and notepads, flashlights, dish towels and hand soap, as well as any other new and unused items that would uplift this population for the holiday season!

The Virginia S. Tillett Community Center is also accepting donations of new blankets to help keep local seniors warm throughout the winter. For more information about the 12 Days of Christmas Drive, please contact the Virginia S. Tillett Community Center at 252-475-9270. Thank you for your donations and your support of our seniors and disabled community members!

The Dare County Library will host a series of fun, free and family friendly events featuring holiday themes at each of its three branches throughout Dare County during the month of December to get the community into the holiday spirit. Check out the events happening at a library branch near you! 

Kill Devil Hills Library Christmas Party

When: Monday, December 9, 2024 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Kill Devil Hills Library, 400 Mustian Street, Kill Devil Hills, NC

Join Dare County Children’s Librarian Donna Roark and Santa at the Kill Devil Hills Library for a jolly good time! Take a family picture with Santa and give him your letter, then craft and decorate a cookie at this free, all ages event that will provide fun for the entire family! We “ho-ho-hope” to see you there!

Manteo Library Christmas Party

When: Tuesday, December 10, 2024 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: Manteo Library, 700 Highway 64, Manteo, NC

Join Dare County Children’s Librarian Tammy Batschelet and Santa at the Manteo Library for a free, all ages event featuring a variety of stories, crafts and cookie decorating for everyone who attends! Be sure to bring your camera for your visit with Santa!

Hatteras Library Christmas Party

When: Thursday, December 19, 2024 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: Hatteras Library, 57689 N.C. Highway 12, Hatteras, NC

Join the Hatteras Library for a magical Christmas party for all ages on Thursday, December 19, 2024. There will be snow, pizza, cookie decorating, Santa and a model train. Create unique "potions" (children's drinks) and fun treats for a magical family experience!

For more information about the assortment of programs, services and resources that are available at the Dare County Library’s three branches, please visit DareNC.gov/Library or click the button below. 

The holiday season is a time for celebration and togetherness, but it’s also important to keep safety in mind to ensure the festivities stay merry and bright. Here are a few tips for preventing home fires and keeping your family safe this holiday season!

Inspect Holiday Lighting:

Inspect holiday lights each year before you put them up to decorate your home or Christmas tree. Be sure to throw away any light strands with frayed or pinched wires, as these can increase the risk of fire. Only use lights labeled for indoor or outdoor use as indicated, and always turn off lights and decorations before leaving the house or going to sleep.

Keep Trees Well-Watered:

If you have a live Christmas tree, it’s important to water it every day to prevent it from drying out and becoming a major fire hazard. A dry Christmas tree can burn very hot and very fast. Once the holiday is over and your tree dries out, dispose of it properly as soon as possible to prevent a potential fire from occurring.

Stay Away from Heat Sources:

Make sure your Christmas tree is placed at least 3 feet away from heat sources, such as fireplaces, radiators, space heaters, candles or heat vents. Also, make sure your tree doesn’t block any exits, and keep a fire extinguisher handy, just in case you need to use it!  

Practice Candle Safety:

Keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything that can catch fire. Make sure the candles are in stable holders, and place them in areas where they can’t be knocked down easily. Consider also using battery-operated flameless candles, which can look, smell and feel like real candles—without the risk that comes with actual flames!

Exercise Cooking Caution:

Stay in the kitchen while cooking on the stovetop, and be sure to keep flammable items like towels and oven mitts away from the burners. If you’re frying a turkey, do so outdoors and away from any structures that could catch on fire. Use a flat, stable surface for your fryer, and never leave the fryer unattended for any period of time. 

By taking a few extra precautions, you’re sure to enjoy a safe and joyful holiday season. From all of us at Dare County government, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District recently launched a survey designed to gauge the Dare County community’s interest in establishing a Restoration Advisory Board for the Buxton Naval Facility, a Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) property located within the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The deadline for completing the survey is Wednesday, December 4, 2024. 

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a Restoration Advisory Board is a stakeholder advisory group that meets regularly to discuss environmental restoration at Department of Defense sites, such as the Buxton Naval Facility FUDS property. These meetings are designed to bring the community together—in a more formal and structured manner than a typical public meeting—to enable the exchange of restoration information between regulatory agencies, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and interested community members. 

Although they are not a decision-making group, members of a Restoration Advisory Board can influence the cleanup decisions through discussions of ideas, concerns, questions, and providing direct feedback to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and regulatory agencies. To submit your responses to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ public interest survey before the deadline on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, please click the button below.

EMS Station 8 in Manns Harbor

A significant amount of progress has been made in recent weeks at the new Dare County EMS Station 8 facility that is currently being constructed in Manns Harbor. The building is now completely dried in, the roof has been installed, and all vertical walls are up. The storefront glass doors have also been installed, and permanent power for the facility has been established and turned on. The first phase of sidewalks has been poured, and they are in the process of curing. The first round of asphalt grading has also been completed, and the new surface is expected to be poured in the first week of December. The EMS station doors will be installed within the next two weeks, along with the epoxy floors being poured. HVAC startup is expected to take place in the middle of December. The project is currently expected to be completed during the summer of 2025.

EMS Station 9 in Kitty Hawk

Considerable progress is also being made on the construction of the new Dare County EMS Station 9 in Kitty Hawk. All of the exterior masonry walls in the living quarters have been poured, and the plumbing, mechanical and electrical rough-ins have been poured and cut. The required fire hydrant has been installed, and the lines from the hydrant to the building have been connected, flushed and chlorinated. Interior block walls will begin to go vertical shortly after Thanksgiving, and the apparatus bay walls will be completed in the middle of December. The project is currently expected to be completed in the fall of 2025.

Meet Ava—our Outer Banks SPCA Pet of the Week! Ava is a sweet and laidback 6-year-old girl who is looking for her forever home. She is gentle and easygoing, loves watching birds out the window, and she gets along great with other cats! 

To meet Ava, stop by the Dare County Animal Shelter, which is located at 378 Airport Road in Manteo, and click here to watch a video produced by Current TV. For more information, please visit OBXSPCA.org or contact the Outer Banks SPCA at 252-475-5620!

Outer Banks SPCA Adoption Hours:

Monday to Friday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. for naptime)
Saturday & Sunday: By appointment only