OCRACOKE, N.C. — Hyde County, the Ocracoke Civic and Business Association (OCBA) and the Ocracoke Access Alliance (OAA) are partnering to host a Public Comment Session at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, in the Ocracoke Community Center.
The public comment session will also be live-streamed on the Hyde County Public Information and OCBA Facebook pages.
The sole focus of the event is to provide a local platform for residents, business owners, and community members to share feedback regarding upcoming changes to ferry operations, specifically the proposed implementation of tolls and the preservation of resident priority boarding passes.
As state leaders evaluate future operational and statutory changes for the N.C. Ferry Division, local leadership is coming together to gather comprehensive feedback from the island community. The comments collected during this session will be compiled to help inform and support ongoing legislative advocacy efforts.
“The Hatteras–Ocracoke ferry serves as our community’s essential transportation link,” said Kris Noble, County Hyde manager. “By partnering with the OCBA and the Ocracoke Access Alliance, Hyde County aims to give every resident a clear opportunity to record their feedback so we can present a comprehensive, unified perspective to our state legislative delegation and decision-makers.”
Public Comment Guidelines
To ensure that all attendees have an opportunity to participate, organizers will implement a three-minute time limit per speaker. Given the expected large turnout, participants are encouraged to prepare and condense their verbal remarks in advance.
Organizers also strongly encourage the submission of written comments to ferry@hydecountync.gov or in person. Written statements are ideal for individuals who require more than three minutes to detail their feedback or for those who are unable to attend the session in person. All written and recorded remarks will be collected as part of the official record to share with state legislators and transportation officials.
Residents are also encouraged to review supporting materials, read the joint local resolutions, and sign the community petition by visiting ferry.hydecountync.gov and change.org/ocracokeferry.
