Board of Commissioners Vote to Move to Subscription-Based Curbside Recycling Service

Nags Head’s Board of Commissioners, at their February 17, 2021 meeting, agreed to accept a bid provided by TFC Recycling of Chesapeake, Virginia, to provide a subscription-based curbside recycling service to Nags Head homeowners.

As Virginia’s largest residential curbside recycler, TFC provides recycling services for over 700,000 households and operates their own automated recycling processing facility. Therefore, they have the capacity to haul, market and sell recyclables, providing a stable outlet for the materials they will collect from Nags Head’s homeowners.

The bid price for the recycling subscription service was $14/month per residence. Nags Head’s Board agreed to subsidize the cost by $5/residence, bringing the final price down to an affordable $9/month for each homeowner.

“Reducing waste not only decreases the volume of material being sent to landfills, it also conserves other resources such as the trees, aluminum, and petroleum used to make new materials,” said Mayor Ben Cahoon. “To demonstrate how much we support curbside recycling and waste reduction efforts, our Board will be subsidizing the cost of the service. Based on our knowledge of the subscription rates in other nearby locales, the fee for our homeowners in Nags Head is likely the lowest in our immediate region.”

The Town still needs to contract with TFC but hopes to have the service in place by this summer. Because TFC plans to collect recyclables on Mondays all year long, the Town will fine-tune its trash collection schedules to accommodate the new service. In addition, Town staff will work on a plan for the blue recycling carts now at each Nags Head residence.

In May 2020, the Town suspended its town-wide curbside recycling service due to several recycling industry issues such as the collapsing market for recyclables and the rising costs to process the material. The Town had temporarily allowed its recycling vendor to haul Nags Head’s materials to a waste-to-energy facility, which was the only affordable option to continue the service. However, this was not consistent with the contract since the materials were not actively being recycled. This led to a re-evaluation of the program by the Waste Reduction Task Force and ultimately to the Board’s decision to move to a subscription-based service with a company focused solely on recycling.

To further support recycling and waste reduction efforts for non-subscribers, the Town plans to increase the volume of recyclables that can be accepted at its Town Hall and Public Works recycling collection sites.

Nags Head’s Board of Commissioners and Town staff would like to thank the members of its Waste Reduction Task Force for their diligent assistance and their thoughtful recommendations.

Monitor nagsheadnc.gov/recycling for more updates on the service including how to subscribe. For more information on TFC, visit their web site tfcrecycling.com.

A waterline replacement is taking place at the corner of E. Albatross Street and Wrightsville Ave in the northern area of town. Please drive extra slowly in the area until the project is complete, which should be mid-May.

A waterline replacement is taking place at the corner of East Albatross Street and Wrightsville Avenue in the northern area of town. Please drive extra slowly in the area until the project is complete, which should be mid-May.

Water System Flushing Schedule

The annual maintenance flushing of Nags Head's water system to remove sediment and other deposits that build up over time is underway.

What to Expect
Work typically takes place between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm.

When we are flushing the water lines in your area, you may observe any or all of the
following conditions:

low water pressure
no water pressure
discolored water

In addition, you are advised to raise the lever on automatic ice makers and to check the water quality prior to washing clothes or running automatic dishwashers.

The schedule may change due to emergencies and other workload priorities.

Schedule from Monday, February 22, 2021 through Friday, February 26, 2021

Water system flushing is not scheduled to take place.

For more information visit our web site.

Dune Vegetation Cost Share Program Still Available

The Town values planting native dune vegetation to establish and retain protective oceanfront dunes. Therefore, a cost-share program is available to oceanfront homeowners who would like to plant approved, native dune vegetation on their properties.

Grantees are eligible for 100% reimbursement of the cost to purchase approved dune vegetation plants. Requests shall be based on the total number of plants installed. For example: if 100 plants were purchased for $1.00 each, the total cost of reimbursement would be $100. Homeowners are responsible for providing the labor and fertilizer, arranging purchase and delivery of plants, as well as ensuring the plants are planted according to the specifications outlined in the Town of Nags Head Dune Vegetation Recommended Planting guidelines. The maximum reimbursement per grantee will be $500.

Click here for more information on the 2021 Dune Vegetation Cost Share Program.

CDC Vaccine Monitoring Report Provides Reassuring Information

Data from the first month of COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring provide reassuring information about the safety of the vaccines currently being given in the United States, a new CDC report finds. Most reports of an adverse event were non-serious. Common symptoms reported after vaccination included pain where the shot was given, headache, fatigue, and muscle pain and body aches. These reactions should go away in a few days. Reports of severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) were rare. Learn more: bit.ly/MMWR21921.

Commemorating the Pea Island Lifesavers All Black Lifesaving Crew

Pea Island Lifesaving Station Home to Nation's First All-Black Crew

The Pea Island Lifesaving Station, now part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore just a short drive south of Nags Head, was home to the nation's first all-Black lifesaving crew. Read more about these brave men on the North Carolina State Archives web site. Although it is closed at the moment due to the pandemic, you can tour the station's original cookhouse in Manteo, thanks to the Town of Manteo and the Pea Island Preservation Society. Until it re-opens, you can view a video about the cookhouse museum. Some of you may recognize Frank Hester, who, in 2013, was a guest speaker along with his wife Lynda, at our annual Memorial Day Ceremony. Both of the Hesters are retired from the US Coast Guard.

Source: Outer Banks History Center Facebook Page, @OBXHistory, February 10, 2021

Reminder - Access to Town Hall Now by Apppointment

Just a reminder that access to Nags Head's Town Hall, Public Works, and Police and Fire Departments is by appointment only.

Town Hall's main phone line is 252-441-5508, but we encourage you to visit our department directory for a listing of phone numbers to reach an employee directly.

Utility Payments
All residents are encouraged to conduct utility or other miscellaneous payments online OR by depositing your payment in our the utilities payment dropbox located outside by the Town Hall flag pole.

Planning and Development Services
Planning and Development staff can be reached either by email or phone.
If you have questions about applying or being issued a building permit, please email planning@nagsheadnc.gov or call 252-441-7016.
For zoning-related questions, email zoning@nagsheadnc.gov.

Beach Driving
Need a permit to drive on the beach in Nags Head? You can purchase a permit from Nags Head's tackle shops. Be sure to bring your current registration and driver's license with you.
Learn more about beach driving.

Beach Nourishment Easements
If you need to drop off an already signed and notarized beach nourishment easement, you can leave it in the drop box by the flagpole at town hall. If you need to sign your easement in front of a notary, please contact either of the employees below:

Deputy Town Clerk Michelle Gray
Michelle.Gray@nagsheadnc.gov
252-449-2021

Public Information Officer Roberta Thuman
Roberta.Thuman@nagsheadnc.gov
252-449-2022
Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.