Rich Alt for Southport

04/19/2026

Did you know:

Stormwater management

Stormwater management is more than just some piping and drains, though that certainly is a big piece. Southport has been engaged with FEMA and NC State personnel for 2.5 years now with various grant applications that concentrates on pipes and drains. Unfortunately, this has been bounced back and forth from the Federal to State Governments and back again. As that saga plays itself out, the Fodale Avenue/Stuart Avenue/Dosher Hospital area is about to enter another hurricane season. This delay in obtaining the funds is outside the control of the Soutport Government.

I do want to thank the city staff in following up on a grant opportunity I came across. Leland has been awarded a ‘St RAP Grant’ (Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance Program) from the NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, and is putting the final touches on a 29,000 linear feet Jackey’s Creek clean out project. To put that in perspective, the entire Southport Shoreline Project is only 4,000 linear feet.

As anyone who has driven or walked by any of Southport’s three creeks knows, the creeks are all heavily clogged with vegetation. That vegetation prevents the stormwater from free flowing which in turn adds to the city’s flooding problems during hurricanes or any significant rain event, such as experienced on September 16, 2024.
I look forward to hearing from city staff on how Southport can successfully apply to the state for this grant program which we badly need.

Feel free to share this post if you find it to be helpful.

Rich

04/12/2026

The Southport Fourth of July fund raiser at American Fish. The event is sold out!

04/08/2026

Did You Know

County Commissioners’ Meeting, April 06, 2026

I attended the Brunswick County Commissioners’ meeting on Monday, and here are some of the highlights:
While I spoke in support of the County providing a grant to the Southport 4th of July Committee, the real shoutout goes to 4th of July Committee Chair, Hugh Fosbury, and Commissioner Mike Forte, who orchestrated the agenda item. The $25,000 Grant passed unanimously, with all five commissioners praising the past and present 4th of July Committees for the All-American, home town, and patriotic memories they have provided for the county and the state. Kudos to all involved!

There was much debate regarding Commissioner Randy Thompson’s proposal to address three pressing issues:

• The commissioners state that they have no authority to regulate or enforce development vegetation removal (trees, etc.) and the subsequent burning of this debris. Permits to burn are the sole responsibility of the State Forest Service. While the Forest Service grants such permits, they have no real enforcement apparatus to ensure the requirements of the permits are not violated. So, when the winds change and the smoke impacts schools, medical facilities, and nearby residents, there is no enforcement. A letter to the General Assembly, via our local state representatives, is to be drawn up asking that Brunswick County be granted the authority to issue and enforce such burning.

• A letter to our local state legislators asking that the proposed law to limit local tax increases be revised to address any specific state-wide jurisdictions that have, without just cause, increased local taxes.
How this proposed law might impact Brunswick’s school bond and subsequent tax increase is not entirely clear to me, but it may very well put a crimp in that bond proposal. The county manager is to come back to the Commissioners within two weeks with a draft of this requested letter.

• A letter is to be sent to the general assembly, via our local state representatives requesting yet again, that the down zoning law be repealed. It was noted that this law prohibits the county and local jurisdictions from creating overlay zones; something the county and Southport have been trying to create for two years.

There was discussion regarding the virtue of the current county personnel rule that forbids department heads and supervisors from hiring next of kin; no nepotism is allowed.

Charles Drew, Southport’s Fire Chief, asked the commissioners to modify the county manager’s proposal on potential fire department grants to the 22 county fire departments this coming July 01. Specifically, the request was that the commissioners eliminate any nexus or linage to the grant money with the now proposed industry wide accepted set of safety standards. I look forward to the Fire Chief flushing this out further for the Southport Fire District fee payers, as why it is in the best interest of public safety to not insure all the fire departments meet at a minimum an ISO rating of 4.

Feel free to share this information if you think it is of value.

Rich

02/24/2026

How about some good news and some kudos for some city staff:

Tom Stanely, the city's Service's Director, or as many of us refer to it, Public Works, and his crew have been busy this Fall & Winter.

They have repaired and upgraded a number of storm drains around the city as part of the city's overall stormwater enhancements.

They oversaw the replacement of the Community Building back deck which came in under budget! Go take a look, it is great.

They oversaw the refurbishment of the Indian Trail building that had fallen into disrepair. The Public Works team did the actual interior floor instillation saving the city that cost, and that project also came in under budget as well.

Next up is the decades long wait for the actual paving of some streets in Southport. This has been talked about for at least since 2005, and last June (2025) the Board of Aldermen (BoA) and our new the city manager identified money to begin the multi-year program.

Kudos to Mr. Stanely, the BoA, the Finance Director, and the city manager.

Please share the good news

Respectfully

Rich

01/15/2026

As the City of Southport heads into its annual budget season, it’s worth noting why the January 20, 2026 County Commissioners’ Meeting in Bolivia is an important one to watch.

For more than six months, there has been extensive discussion—along with multiple newspaper articles—about how the county might address the growing gap between fire district fees (the current revenue source) and the idea of implementing a fire tax.

Based on recent public comments from several county commissioners, it appears unlikely that a long-term financial solution will be included in this upcoming budget cycle. For that reason alone, I encourage you to pay close attention to the January 20 meeting for further clarification on where things may be headed.

So how does this affect Southport taxpayers?
The numbers tell a clear story. In fiscal year 2024, the fire service budget ended in the red by approximately $164,000. In fiscal year 2025, that deficit grew to $574,844. For the current fiscal year, 2026, the projected shortfall is $1,244,681. The trend is hard to ignore.

When fire district expenditures exceed the revenue generated by fire district fees—as they have for the past three years—the City of Southport’s taxpayers are required to cover the difference. In practical terms, residents in county areas such as Smithville Woods and other unincorporated parts of the Southport Fire District pay only the fire fee, while city taxpayers absorb the annual budget overage.

This isn’t a problem that can be solved in a single year. That said, there are efficiencies and adjustments that could begin to slow—and eventually reduce—the accelerating budget shortfall. Recognizing the issue and staying engaged in the discussion is an important first step.

With City Manager Saldo and Finance Director Kronenwetter at the helm this is solvable, with the Board of Aldermen's full support to address this runaway budget.

01/09/2026

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. Over Christmas, I had the chance to visit several small towns that have done an exceptional job of applying “best practices” to enhance their historic character while keeping things lively and welcoming.

Old Town Alexandria, VA, for example, did a terrific job with Christmas lighting, particularly in their concentrated restaurant and bar district. They’ve clearly solved a challenge that continues to perplex Southport: access to power. Alexandria’s infrastructure supports seasonal lighting with adequate outlets already in place. By contrast, as Southport replaces older streetlight poles, the newer models being installed do not include built-in outlets—limiting options for Christmas wreaths, tree lighting along Howe and Moore, or even security equipment. While outlets can be added, the cost runs into the thousands and hasn’t been budgeted. It raises a fair question about how long Southport can continue offering these festive touches under the current equipment choices.

Gloucester, VA offers another compelling example. Their historic town square includes a courthouse built in 1766. Rather than treating it solely as a relic, someone had the inspired idea to make this 260-year-old building the home of county commissioners’ meetings. Remarkably, they preserved the historic look and feel while seamlessly integrating modern audio-visual technology needed to run county government. It’s a great reminder that honoring history and meeting modern needs don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

In Tappahannock, VA, we had dinner in a building originally constructed in 1710—some four or five generations before Southport/Smithville was founded. The renovation was painstaking, preserving the structure’s character while installing a kitchen that fully meets today’s fire and health codes. Locals consistently say it’s the best food in the seven-county region. The owners used framed plexiglass portholes to reveal 300-plus-year-old brickwork, while still protecting the interior from the weather.

These examples offer some thoughtful ideas as the city continues its work to capture and showcase the full history of the Old Brunswick County Courthouse. They show that with creativity and intention, historic preservation can coexist beautifully with modern functionality—and even become a point of pride and attraction for the community.

IF YOU SEE City Manager Noah and/or Finance Director Joey Kronenwetter out and about shake their hands. For the first time in DECADES the City of Southport got the state mandated audit in on time and there were no flaws in the record keeping. We really concentrated all the city assets to make this a reality; KUDOS to the staff!!!

12/30/2025

12/16/2025

I saw this article today and wondered if the Brunswick County drinking water intake was upriver or down river from this latest NC toxic waste discharge into the Cape Fear River. The county has confirmed that its intake is well upstream from this polluter. That is a relief in terms of yet another pollutant in our water supply.

On the other hand, there seems to be no coordination between agencies, and even within agencies, to address the fact that on any given day people are eating fish and oysters from Southport area waters, and it is not all that unusual to see a shrimper harvesting their catch from these same waters with no oversight.

Is it not a shame that the only river in NC that leads directly to the Atlantic is polluted and yet the polluting plants are allowed to operate and there is no recognizable education program to alert the public of this matter.

I look forward to seeing how our state and county officials will address the fact that most people are unaware that it is NOT recommended, by DEQ announcements, to eat any fish or oysters from the Cape Fear.

NEW BERN, N.C. — American Distillation Inc. (ADI) pleaded guilty to knowingly polluting the Cape Fear River with tert-Butyl alcohol (TBOH) and other chemicals in violation of the federal Clean Water Act.

ADI is a chemical processing company located in Navassa.

According to the North Carolina Department of Justice, the company’s owner, Andrew J. Simmons Jr., also pleaded guilty to failing to pay federal taxes.

This follows Barry Darnell White, the company’s former plant manager, earlier guilty plea for discharging pollutants into the Cape Fear River in violation of the Clean Water Act on ADI’s behalf.

“This was not an accident, and it was not a paperwork violation,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “ADI deliberately decided to dump harmful chemicals into a North Carolina river to increase profits. When corporations choose pollution over safety, we will hold them criminally accountable and enforce the law without hesitation.”

According to court information, ADI was incorporated in 1992 to make and sell industrial grade ethyl alcohol. ADI regularly accepts large quantities of tert-Butyl alcohol from its customers. TBOH is a highly flammable, colorless oily liquid with a sharp alcohol odor. TBOH is a pollutant that constitutes a solid waste, chemical waste and an industrial waste under the law.

During distillation, ADI created and stored byproducts in an approximately 250,000-gallon storage tank known as Tank 14, which regularly stored liquid wastewater that included TBOH, isopropyl alcohol, and acetone mixed with water.

Beginning in late 2019 through 2024, ADI accepted more TBOH and other chemicals from its customers than it could legally and safely process and remove, despite its EPA-issued permit requiring ADI to properly dispose of TBOH byproduct.

“From 2020 to 2024, five to six times per year, White released approximately 2,500 gallons of liquid wastewater from Tank 14 by connecting a hose that drained into a nearby pipe that drained directly to the Cape Fear River. ADI released TBOH byproduct from Tank 14 into the Cape Fear River to ensure maximum profits without ceasing operations. ADI management had informed some employees that if operations came to a halt, the company would suffer serious financial harm, potentially including dissolution,” said the North Carolina Department of Justice.

ADI management allegedly informed some employees that if operations came to a halt, the company would suffer serious financial harm, potentially including dissolution.

“The Cape Fear River features diverse habitats, from freshwater streams to a vital saltwater estuary, supporting rare aquatic species and old-growth forests. The company’s multi-year illegal discharges of industrial waste poses a serious threat to the River’s water quality and is harmful to ecosystems,” said Chuck Carfagno, Special Agent in Charge of the EPA’s criminal enforcement program in North Carolina.

11/25/2025

Update Waterway Project burning: Using a full court press that included Commissioner Pat Sykes, Rep. Charlie Miller, Chad Paul (who is a partner with East West and not the lead anymore), along with City Manager, Noah Saldo, and Public Information Officer, ChyAnn Ketchum; East/West has agreed to to stop the burning altogether. I truly thank them all for working with me all this past weekend on this issue.

East West will be making a page to put updates on and I would think the city's planning director will follow up with Chad's offer to run her around the entire project every week to ensure all is being done as agreed to.

Mayor Rich Alt

11/02/2025

Mike Crosbie, Paul Gross and I met with the group of the Friends of Franklin Square Park on Friday, to discuss potential ways to put timelines on park projects, alternative funding sources, and reviewing the historical drawings of the park. Working together to find solutions.

10/31/2025

Did you know

Indigo II/Waterway Project

There has been a lot of social media buzz today (Thursday) regarding the Indigo II/Waterway project in terms of the burning of vegetation and clear cutting. I ask everyone to take a deep breath. Here is what is happening.

Today I walked a portion of the property from the Robert Roark side. Yes, the developer is putting in a road that is consistent with the county approved site plan. That of course results in approved trees being taken down. The property where the residential units would go are still treed.

I telephoned Mr. Chad Paul, the property owners’ representative, and within minutes I received a return call. There is a section of the property where a number of trees have been taken down and that could appear to be the beginnings of clear cutting. It is instead, the site of one of the future stormwater retention ponds. The state has requested the retention ponds be installed now to prevent surrounding properties being flood during construction.

Yes, the developers are burning the vegetation that has been taken down. As a reminder, this phase of the project is still in the county, and the county allows for such burning.

I, and the city staff, thank those who had questions and brought them to the attention of the city. Going forward if you have questions please bring them to our attention. I also want to thank the developer for inviting weekly oversite of the county’s phased build out so questions can be addressed as an ongoing process. So far everything is going as planned and there are more checks and balances in this development than any other one, I have seen.

10/29/2025

Recent updates as of 10/29/2025
Tuesday: I thank the Board of Aldermen for working collaboratively on the infamous “Alley” issue during our work session.
A unanimous vote was taken to provide the city manager guidance on next steps as to the immediate task of the claim of ownership of public property; to wit: a city alley. A unanimous vote was also taken to put into the public domain a series of documents that will allow the individual reader the opportunity to better understand the timeline of events, the overarching issue of precedent setting for the removal of any, and all, city owned property. Additionally, there are two County documents rejecting the claim of ownership to the original petitioner. A third unanimous vote was taken providing guidance to the city manager on forward looking view of how to identify such withdrawal claims as soon as they occur.

Wednesday: I met with several Brunswick County municipal mayors and county commissioners in a round table with Congressman Rouzer and his staff. Several regional issues were discussed to include Stormwater, FEMA re-organization and a bipartisan House bill to re-organize FEMA, but NOT to dismantle it. Also discussed is the impact on shorelines from deepening shipping channels.

There was a conference call with the lead for the 19 local municipal mayors regarding fire fees vs. fire taxes.

Time was spent prepping on Wednesday for the upcoming RPO (the decision making component of our regional transportation analytical group) which includes votes on future transportation needs. Regionalization, and looking for synergistic solutions to shared infrastructure challenges, is a much-needed approach to complex issues.

I thank all those who responded to my request for thoughts on the Historic Planning Commission draft report.

On Friday the city will put out a reminder of the various activities to be held on November 01. I believe there may be as many as nine (9) different events just on Saturday. I hope everyone will enjoy attending any or all of these events.

The above comments are those of this writer exclusively. Please feel free to share!

Rich