October 2014
By Connie Leinbach
Installation of replacement street signs on Ocracoke is scheduled to be finished by Oct. 6, said Bill Rich, Hyde County manager.
Their replacement began in late September . Last year’s budget included purchase of the signs and this year’s budget includes the installation, he said. Street signs for a number of streets in the village have been missing since Hurricane Irene in 2011 and more were lost during Hurricane Arthur July 4. However, all of the signs might not be replaced.
“We have an inventory of signs ordered last year,” Rich said, “and since then I’ve noticed some stop signs are down.” There also are places on the island that could use some safety signs, such as a yield sign at the intersection of Back Road and Old Beach Road, he said.
In other Hyde County action, the commissioners agreed to join with Dare and Tyrell counties to provide consolidated
911 dispatch service for all three counties to be based in Dare County for an annual savings of about $150,000. The
dispatch center is being built in Manteo. Two of the five of Hyde’s current dispatch staff would be reassigned to Dare
County and the other three will have to interview for the new positions, Rich said. New infrastructure is being built but won’t be finished for 30 months.
“It’s a real gift,” Rich said about the consolidation. The NC State Secretary of Commerce Sharon Decker visited mainland Hyde in September to assist in economic development of Lake Mattamuskeet Lodge, cold storage for fresh catch from county waters and the water lagoon in Engelhard. The prospect of an unmanned aircraft vehicle company relocating to the mainland is being explored, Rich said. All of this would mean more revenue for the county.
