Pantego–For fiscal year 2014, Tideland Electric Membership Corporation will return $552,000 in capital credits to members and former members of the not-for-profit cooperative. The total is composed of two types of refunds: a general retirement and retirement to the estates of deceased members. Members who received electric service from the cooperative during the years 1986 and 2013 were included in the general retirement that takes place this month. The general retirement of $288,500 was authorized by the electric co-op’s board of directors. Depending on the size of the refund and individual account status, members will receive their refund either as a December electric bill credit or in the form of a check. Additional retirements totaling more than $263,500 were paid to the estates of deceased co-op members.
Tideland EMC is a member-owned cooperative providing electric utility service at cost. Therefore, any funds remaining after all expenses have been paid are eventually returned to Tideland members and former members through a series of capital credit refunds. The amount returned to an individual member is based on the total amount they paid for electricity during the year for which the refund is made. Since 1993, Tideland EMC has returned more than $9.3 million in capital credits to its membership.
During the period of time that capital credits are retained, Tideland EMC reinvests those funds in system improvements thus reducing the co-op’s borrowing costs. The decision to retire capital credits is based on the co-op meeting financial performance goals as established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service.
In addition to capital credit refunds, Tideland EMC members have reaped the benefits of a wholesale power cost adjustment (WPCA) credit issued monthly since January 2013. The WPCA credit for the past 24 months has averaged just under $5 per 1,000 kilowatt hours purchased.
Unclaimed capital credits are eventually forwarded to North Carolina Escheats at the State Treasurer’s office. In the case of a deceased member, the estate executor or clerk of clerk should contact the cooperative at 1-800-637-1079 to request a refund application. A request form may also be downloaded at the cooperative’s website: www.tidelandemc.com.
Tideland EMC serves 22,500 accounts in Beaufort, Hyde, Washington, Pamlico, Craven and Dare counties.

By Peter Vankevich

On the stormy Saturday night of Nov. 1, Byron Miller and his dad Norman braved high winds to secure an unattended boat in Silver Lake that had unmoored and was banging against their dock.
“When the winds are coming from the northwest to northeast, I know it’s going to be bad for us,” Byron said.
There’s always the possibility of an anchored boat breaking loose, especially in a northeaster, he said. So, he went to the dock his father and mother Sharon Sjoblom own at Ocracoke Harbor Inn, found the errant boat, and he and Norman tied it off.
A second boat that had gotten loose and blew into the Pirate’s Quay and McWilliams Landing area was secured early the next morning by Charlie Mason, Nelson Adams, John Ivey and Van O’Neal.  Both boat owners were eventually contacted and the boats are now secured at a private dock.
Norman Miller reported this event at the Nov. 3 Hyde County commissioners meeting and asked the county to look into it.
“When they break lose, they’re missiles of destruction,” Norman observed.
While boats that rent dockage around the harbor are better secured in storms, there have been at least six boats anchored for some time in the middle of the harbor. Some are without their masts.
In most harbors around the country boats are able to anchor freely, Byron said.  Along with registration, they are supposed to have anchor lights.
Unattended/derelict boats have been an ongoing problem in Silver Lake and in other boating communities in eastern North Carolina.
Marci Mason, who has a dock at the Pirate’s Quay, noted that over the years, sailboats have anchored with many of the owners not living on them. She has seen many boats drag anchor during thunderstorms, not just during  hurricanes.
“There are several issues with these boats–lack of insurance, no lights and sewage in the harbor,” she said.
Some boaters say the lack of enforcement is frustrating because loose boats can damage other boats and docks.
Byron Miller said that none of the enforcement agencies seemed to see these violations as a problem or think they should intervene. He said the Coast Guard has jurisdiction over anchor lights and sewage disposal. Like cars, boats should have registration, insurance and responsible owners, he noted.
“A boat that loses its anchor can cause significant damage not only to docks they may crash into but other boats as well,” he said. “If word gets out that Ocracoke has a problem with derelict boats that can damage other boats, legitimate boat owners may avoid docking, which could harm to the island’s economy.”
One agency that does have enforcement authority is the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NC Wildlife). Its enforcement officer for Hyde County, Robert Wayne, said that he has been involved with violations of moving boats rather than stationary one.
Lt. Lane Munroe, North Carolina’s Command Center Chief for the Coast Guard, said the Coast Guard will work cooperatively with the National Park Service and NC Wildlife and other agencies, but unless a boat is blocking a channel or is a pollution hazard, he sees this more as a state issue.
Hyde county officials are unsure how to deal with unattended boats, some of which may be abandoned and some with absent owners.

“They could be treated as abandoned property,” noted Ocracoke commissioner John Fletcher at the Nov. 3 Commissioners’ meeting. “The deputies could take some steps to deal with them.”
County Manager Bill Rich said that he and Hyde County attorney Fred Holscher would research this problem more.
While Hyde County puzzles over enforcement, other municipalities have taken action.
The coastal town of Beaufort, Carteret County, has a regulation for handling unregistered and/or boats left unattended for over 30 days. Michele Davis, the town clerk/executive assistant of Beaufort, cautioned that it continues to be an ongoing problem since it is very difficult to track down an owner of an unregistered boat.
Oriental in Pamlico County does not have a regulation, but in August formed a Harbor Waterfront Advisory Committee that could deal with this issue. Committee chair, Gerry Crowley, said in an email that Oriental does not have any unattended boats at this time.
Last year, Dare and Brunswick counties managed to get the State Assembly to pass legislation for them only called “An Act To Allow Certain Counties To Remove Abandoned Vessels From Navigable Waters” (session laws 2013-182).
This law permits these counties to take action against hazardous vessels and vessels in danger of sinking or that have sunk.
Ocracoke might be able to set up some form of enforcement regulation under the Ocracoke Development Ordinance (ODO), which is being reviewed and updated by the Ocracoke Planning Advisory Board.
This ordinance (Sec. 36-149. – Area) covers that part of Ocracoke Island outside the boundaries of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, including streams, creeks, ponds, harbors and the Pamlico Sound within one-half mile of shore.
Corky Pentz who chairs this board, said it would be added it to the agenda for their Thursday, Dec. 4 meeting, 5:30 p.m. in the Community Center.