Cape Connection

Town Planning for Productive 2024!

The Town is excited for 2024, with many significant initiatives either planned or under consideration for the future! The Mayor, Commissioners, and Town staff will all be working hard in 2024 to move the Town forward in a fiscally prudent manner.

Initiatives currently in progress or planned for 2024 include the completion of the Cape Carteret Trail along NC 58 and Taylor Notion Road, additional storm water improvements, the revision and simplification of the Town's development ordinances, park improvements, and more! The Town will also be working to devise a fiscally responsible plan for the future construction of a new Town Hall and Police Station, and the development of new zoning regulations for the Town Center area to promote quality new development that benefits the community and the affected landowners.

A special budget planning workshop meeting is scheduled for Friday, Feburary 23 at Town Hall, and the Mayor and Commissioners will begin to establish funding priorities for FY 24-25 and beyond at that meeting. The meeting will be held at Town Hall beginning at 9 am and is open to the public.

New Commissioners Seated, Martin Elected Mayor Pro-Tem

New Commissioners Courtney Barnhill and John Ritchie were formally seated at the December 11 meeting, along with re-elected Commissioner Cameron Watts and Mayor Will Baker. Commissioners Steve Martin and Charlie Morgan continue to serve the remaining two years of their terms.

The newly constituted Board elected Commissioner Steve Martin as Mayor Pro-Tem, and he will fulfill the Mayor's duties in the absence of the Mayor.

Limited Boat Ramp Passes Remain Available, Town Residents Eligible for 2nd Pass

A limited number of boat ramp passes remain available for 2024, and interested residents and property owners are encouraged to secure their boat ramp pass before the Town reaches the established cap of 285 passes. No additional passes will be issued for 2024 after the Town reaches the 285 cap. For more information and to apply and pay online, please click HERE or visit Town Hall during normal business hours.

Cape Carteret residents and property owners may secure a maximum of two passes, and all others are limited to one pass.

Trash Collection Adjusted to January 2

Due to the New Year's Day holiday on Monday, January 1, the Town's regular weekly trash collection day has been adjusted to Tuesday, January 2 next week.

The regular trash collection schedule will resume on Monday, January 8, and continue each Monday thereafter.

Next Vegetative Debris Collection Scheduled for February 19

The next Town-wide vegetative debris collection event will begin on Monday, February 19. Residents should place vegetative debris at the curbside between February 9 and February 18, and Public Works staff will collect the debris as soon as possible beginning on February 19.

Future vegetative debris collection events will begin on the following dates in 2024:

• April 15,
• June 3,
• August 12,
• October 7, and
• December 9.

Limbs should generally be limited to 8 feet in length and 6 inches in diameter. Please avoid placement directly under utility lines and large trees.

Donate Old Christmas Trees for Dune Restoration

Renew Your Golf Cart Registration for 2024

The Town is currently processing golf cart registrations for 2024, and Cape Carteret golf cart owners can click HERE to register and pay online. Golf cart owners may also visit Town Hall at 102 Dolphin Street to register your golf cart.

The annual registration fee is $75, and covers the period from January 1 - December 31, 2024. If you no longer own your golf cart, or if it is no longer in service, please return your plate to Town Hall at your earliest convenience.

Girl Scouts Expanding Into Additional Town-Owned Space

The Girl Scouts - North Carolina Coastal Pines has leased space in the Town-owned building at 204 WB McLean Drive since October 2022 for regional offices and participant meetings, and will soon expand into the directly-adjacent space recently vacated by the Cape Carteret Police Department. The Girl Scouts are expected to occupy the additional space beginning in March 2023.

The Town is pleased to have the Girl Scouts as a tenant, and encourages all young girls in our area to stop by their offices to learn more about their programs and events!

New Planning Board Members Appointed

At its December 11 meeting, the Board of Commissioners appointed Jeremy Grainger, Paxon Holz, and Minnie Truax to new 3-year terms on the Planning Board beginning in February 2024. The new members join currently serving members Alex Quintela and Ted Williams on this 5-member Board charged with recommending development policies and certain development plans to the Board of Commissioners.

Town Acquires Vacant Parcel on Taylor Notion Road / NC 58

The Town closed on the purchase of a vacant ~ 1 acre parcel located at the intersection of NC 58 and Taylor Notion Road on December 21, clearing the way for the planned construction of the Cape Carteret Trail across the southern portion of this parcel.

The final segment of the Cape Carteret Trail is expected to be constructed in late winter or spring 2024. The acquisition of this parcel enables the Town to construct a safer, more attractive multi-use path in this area, and will significantly reduce the Town's overall construction cost for the final segment.

The Town expects to utilize only ~ 1/4 acre of this parcel for the multi-use path, and the remaining ~ 3/4 acre will be retained for future development at the Board's discretion.

CCPD Welcomes New Officer

The Town is pleased to welcome new Police Officer Don Sutphin to Cape Carteret. Officer Sutphin began work with the Cape Carteret Police Department on December 28 after serving the Grifton Police Department since May 2019. Officer Sutphin is also a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

Officer Sutphin is excited to join the force in Cape Carteret, and looks forward to serving our residents, property owners, businesses, and visitors!

All Cape Carteret Residents Will Now Vote at Western Park

At the request of the Town and the Carteret County Board of Elections, the State Board of Elections recently approved changes to election precinct boundaries in Cape Carteret. All registered voters in Cape Carteret will now vote at the Western Park Community Center building for all future elections, beginning with the March 2024 primary elections. Prior to this change, some residents of Cape Carteret were required to vote in Bogue.

2024 Meeting Schedules Adopted

The official 2024 meeting schedules for the Board of Commissioners and the Planning Board were adopted at the Board's December 11 meeting, and a copy of those schedules is available by clicking HERE . The meeting schedule includes regular monthly meetings and anticipated special meetings for budget planning and review. The public is invited to attend all Town meetings, which are held at Town Hall located at 102 Dolphin Street.

Street Sweeping Planned in Early January

The Town has executed a contract with Butler Trieu, a Jacksonville, NC company, for periodic street sweeping along NC 24. The first sweeping event is tentatively scheduled for the first week of January, and will be completed every 3 months thereafter.

The Town is working hard to keep the main corridor through Town looking neat and clean, and this contract will aid in these efforts. Public Works staff also routinely mow and remove litter from this corridor, and the Town will be considering other aesthetic improvements in the NC 24 corridor in the future.

Driveway Culvert Cleaning Planned in Late January

The Town continues to address storm water drainage concerns in various locations in Cape Cartreret, and is contracting with SunLand Builders, a local contractor, to complete driveway culvert cleaning in the Lejeune Road area later in January. The Town is hopeful these efforts will enable storm water to flow more efficiently in this area in the future, and will be arranging similar work along other Town streets in the future.

Upcoming Town Meetings

The Board of Commissioners will hold its next regular monthly meeting on Monday, January 8 at 6 pm.

The Planning Board will hold its next regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, January 16 at 6 pm.

All meetings are held in the Debbie E. Stanley Boardroom at Town Hall, located at 102 Dolphin Street.

Stay Informed About the Town of Cape Carteret!

The Town of Cape Carteret is committed to providing timely, concise, and relevant information to the residents, property owners, businesses, and visitors to Cape Carteret, and "Cape Connection" is a great way to stay informed about the Town's issues, activities, and initiatives.

To join our mailing list, please click HERE . 

In addition to "Cape Connection", the Town offers the following opportunities to stay informed:

• Follow us on Facebook at Town of Cape Carteret NC. Please note the "NC" on the end.

• Follow us on Instagram - townofcapecarteret .

• Follow us on X - @TownofCapeC .

• Visit the Town's webpage at www.townofcapecarteret.org .

In addition, all of our customers are always welcome to call us at 252-393-8483, visit us in person at 102 Dolphin Street, or email Town staff .

Thank you for your interest in the Town of Cape Carteret!

Did You Know?

The Town limits of Cape Carteret include nearly 1,600 land parcels within a 2.4 square mile area. There are also 4 vacant parcels in the Town's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) that are subject to the Town's development regulations but are not in the Town limits and do not pay Town property taxes. Of these 4 parcels, two are owned by the Federal and State forestry agencies, and two are privately owned. In total, these two privately owned parcels include ~ 32 acres of land.