Friday, August 18, 2017

Public trust in a small town?

First: For their fine performance-of-public-service, Gilbert Alphin has complete confidence in the abilities of duties of both Kure Beach’s Police and fellow Fire Fighters.

Dear Editor,

From my understanding, the first Kure Beach public meeting, “devoted” to its “New $5 Million Municipal Project” was held Monday, August 14, 2017, eight months following a 60% non-approval rating by Kure Beach’s official citizens’ survey. Following this meeting was part 2. “Where to house town activities while construction is underway?” This sounds like their public works project is well underway. For such a fantastic idea, lasting the next 25 years or more, and until recent weeks, why are Kure Beach citizens not having an on-the-street “5 million-dollar municipal project’s-topic” conversation? Townhall does an excellent job informing us of the many nice town activities using email and web “HEADINGS”. Why not this one? And why not before two weeks ago?

In June, by chance, I learned of this project. Three days later, I went before the Kure Beach Town Council and reported 4 other Kure Beach business owners and 6 Kure Beach citizens knew nothing of a 5 million-dollar public work’s project.  At June’s meeting, I suggest site signage like “New Fire Station and other Works coming soon”. (Please check the town’s June minutes.) To date at 7th and K-Avenue, there is no onsite public signage.

Last year, Kure Beach asked its citizens for public input. A town survey of many questions. Question 7, New Fire Station, Townhall and Police Station improvements.  20% Favor, 20% not sure, 60% of Kure Beach Citizens No to project.   This survey should-have-put-the idea to rest OR at least opened a public symposium!  

By February 2017, January’s 5 million-dollar architecture forecast should have made our TOWN’S BIG HEADLINE NEWS LETTER!  If council did make drastic announcements, I, and along with many other Kure Beach citizens, well, we missed it! To find this large public project, I must search many pages of minutes for something that’s frightened the confidence of this citizen!  Up until recent weeks, I saw no town drawings and no town web topic headings for this special $5 million project. Searching the world-wide-web I did find few scattered news reports by preforming a “specified” Google search for “Kure Beach News”.

This morning, Friday, August 18th, sad to say, my count of-me-informing Kure Beach citizens continues to rise to approximately 40 Kure Beach citizens not knowing of the town’s new 5 million dollars public works projects. Folks, THIS IS KURE BEACH’S TOWN HALL, POLICE AND NEW FIRE STATION. The outside building style has already been chosen!  If this project is needed, as officials say it is, a $5 million debit will be a part of our lives! For our small town, and the upsetting memories of the not too distant past oceanfront-park’s formation, this project is another example of one’s lack of public confidence in a small town.

Gilbert Edwin Alphin
Blue Marlin Apartments and Beach Shop
Kure Beach, NC 28449