TOWN OF DUCK TOWN COUNCIL RETREAT February 19, 2025 The Town Council for the Town of Duck convened at the Paul F. Keller Meeting Hall at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 19, 2025. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Don Kingston, Mayor Pro Tempore Monica Thibodeau; Councilor Sandy Whitman; Councilor Brenda Chasen; and Councilor Kevin Lingard. OTHERS PRESENT: Town Manager Drew Havens, Director of Community Development Joseph Heard; Town Attorney Robert Hobbs; Interim Fire Chief Matthew Dudek; Interim Deputy Fire Chief Jeffrey Del Monte; Police Chief Jeffrey Ackerman; Deputy Police Chief Melissa Clark; Public Information and Events Director Kristiana Nickens; Senior Planner Sandra Cross; Joseph Anlauf of Anlauf Engineering; Town Engineer Michael Robinson; Finance Administrator Lauren Creech; Deputy Town Clerk Christy Hanks; and Town Clerk Lori Ackerman. ABSENT: None. Mayor Kingston called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. and welcomed everyone to the Retreat. He stated that the Retreat was held on an annual basis over the course of two days and was a working session between the Town Council and Town staff, refining direction for the budgeting for the upcoming year as well as the Town's longer-term vision. He noted that due to the weather, the Retreat would only be held today. He stated that the Retreat was not open for public comments, but the audience was welcome to talk to Council and staff during the breaks. He noted that around noon Council and staff would recess for a lunch and other business with no food provided for the public this year, adding that snacks were available throughout the day. PRESENTATION ON LOT FILL AND RETAINING WALLS Senior Planner Sandy Cross was recognized to speak. Senior Planner Cross went on to give a short presentation on lot fill and retaining walls to Council and the audience, discussing current ordinance standards for lot fill and retaining walls. Senior Planner Cross then took questions from Council. She asked if Council wanted to refer the matter to the Planning Board. Council went on to discuss potential changes to the standards. Councilor Whitman moved to send lot fill and retaining walls back to the Planning Board to have them discuss with Town staff and come back to Council with an outline. Motion carried 5-0. Mayor Kingston thanked Senior Planner Cross for her presentation. 1 PRESENTATION ON STORMWATER MANAGEMENT Senior Planner Cross went on to give a short presentation on stormwater management to Council and the audience, discussing stormwater management best practices, the emergency stormwater pumping policy, and the pumping ordinance with regard to pools and private properties. She then took question from Council. She asked if Council wanted to refer the matter to the Planning Board. Council went on to discuss the matter. Councilor Chasen moved to have staff consult with the Planning Board regarding pumping on private properties to deal with general nuisance issues and report back to Council with the findings and recommendations. Motion carried 5-0. Mayor Kingston thanked Senior Planner Cross for her presentation. He called for a 10- minute break. The time was 10:14 a.m. Mayor Kingston reconvened the meeting. PRESENTATION ON HERRON LAND Town Manager Drew Havens was recognized to speak. Town Manager Havens went on to give a short presentation on the potential uses for the Town-owned properties at 101 and 103 Scarborough Lane and 1165 Duck Road, asking Council if they wished to engage with a professional to develop with staff, Council, and public input, some options for improvements to the property. He then took questions from Council. Mayor Kingston thought it would be good to engage with a professional to work with the Town because they could help with a needs analysis as well as seeing what use the property was. He thought the question was whether or not there needed to be some type of structure on the property for one of the Town facilities, which he thought was an unknown. He added that he would hate to see it be totally used for parking because he thought it would be a waste of land. He thought it would be valuable for staff and Council to engage with a professional to work on preliminary plans and some options. Mayor Pro Tempore Thibodeau agreed with Mayor Kingston with regard to having a professional to guide Council and staff as well as asking the right questions. She stated that she liked the idea of receiving public input if it gets to the stage of options. She felt with regard to developing the property, she thought Council agreed that it should be used for something, adding that it could be a phased approach where it would be available for parking and then site the restrooms as well as a picnic area to the point where Council could decide to put a building on the property. She didn't think things needed to be completed right now and that it could evolve. She reiterated that she liked the idea of bringing in a professional. She understood that the Town was in dire need of Public Safety facilities and she was still hopeful that it could start moving forward with the 2 Army Corps of Engineers and use the property for more benign purposes with the idea of a future development. Councilor Lingard pointed out that Aqua Restaurant and Urban Cottage's parking were around the property at 1165 Duck Road. He wondered if there was a possibility to work with both organizations to come up with a more efficient use of parking, while giving them designated parking within the lots. He thought the Town could get a lot more parking by combining the three parking lots with barriers between them. He pointed out that he wasn't saying it would work but thought the possibility of working with the two organizations to increase the efficiency of the parking would be good. Councilor Chasen thought Councilor Lingard's suggestion was a great idea, especially with the flow of traffic trying to get in and out of those parking lots onto Duck Road. She agreed with completing a phased approach for this process, adding that it could be used immediately for parking while the Town waits for the professionals to come in and advises Council based on resources what the best options for the property would be. Councilor Whitman agreed that a professional should be brought in. He stated that if the thought was to combine the three parking lots, a professional would be needed to lay things out. Councilor Lingard pointed out that there have been a lot of Facebook comments about having a pickleball court in Duck. He added that they were not expensive to set up. He thought it may be another recreational activity that could be put on the property. Mayor Kingston thought the consensus was to engage with a professional to work with Council and staff. He added that the property on Duck Road would be a great place for a welcome center where the restrooms would be located. Mayor Kingston thanked Town Manager Havens for his presentation. PRESENTATION ON COUNCIL TERMS Town Manager Havens gave a short presentation on the term of office served by Council members, discussing how they may be changed if Council wanted to do that. He then took questions from Council. After a discussion, it was consensus of Council to keep the terms as they currently existed. Mayor Kingston thanked Town Manager Havens for his presentation. DEPARTMENT UPDATE Community Development Director of Community Development Joe Heard, Community Planner Jim Gould, and Deputy Town Clerk Christy Hanks were recognized to speak. Director Heard, 3 Community Planner Gould and Deputy Town Clerk Hanks went on to give a short presentation on the Community Development department to Council and the audience. They then took questions from Council. Mayor Kingston thanked Director Heard, Community Planner Gould, and Deputy Town Clerk Hanks for their presentation. He recessed the meeting for lunch. The time was 11:34 a.m. Mayor Kingston reconvened the meeting. DEPARTMENT UPDATES Police Department Police Chief Jeffrey Ackerman was recognized to speak. Police Chief Ackerman gave a presentation on the Duck Police Department's activities as well as what they hope to accomplish in the future to Council and the audience. He then took questions from Council. Mayor Kingston thanked Police Chief Ackerman for his presentation. Fire Department Interim Fire Matthew Dudek and Interim Deputy Fire Chief Jeffrey Del Monte were recognized to speak. Interim Fire Chief Dudek and Interim Deputy Fire Chief Del Monte gave a presentation on the Duck Fire Department' S activities and what they were looking to accomplish in the future to Council and the audience. They then took questions from Council. Mayor Kingston thanked Interim Fire Chief Dudek and Interim Deputy Fire Chief Del Monte for their presentation. He called for a 10-minute break. The time was 1:11 p.m. Mayor Kingston reconvened the meeting. Public Information and Events Public Information and Events Director Kristiana Nickens was recognized to speak. Director Nickens gave a presentation on advertising, communications and upcoming events to Council and the audience. She then took questions from Council. Mayor Kingston thanked Director Nickens for her presentation. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN DRAFT REVIEW 4 Town Manager Havens gave a presentation on the draft 2026-2030 Capital Improvement Plan as well as a review of debt ratios to Council and the audience. He then took questions from Council. Mayor Kingston thanked Town Manager Havens for his presentation. OPEN DISCUSSION Mayor Kingston asked Council if they had anything else they wished to discuss. Mayor Pro Tempore Thibodeau thanked staff for all of their presentations. Mayor Kingston thanked the audience for attending the Retreat, further thanking staff for their work. He felt that everyone did a great job. He noted that the next meeting would be the Regular Meeting on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. CLOSED SESSION Councilor Lingard moved to enter closed session pursuant to North Carolina General Statute Section 143-318.11(a)(3) to consult with an attorney employed or retained by the public body in order to preserve the attorney-client privilege between the attorney and the public body, which privilege is hereby acknowledged. Motion carried 5-0. The time was 2:34 p.m. Upon return from closed session, Town Attorney Hobbs stated that Council met and discussed a legal matter, he provided advice and Council gave him and Town Manager Havens direction. ADJOURNMENT Councilor Whitman moved to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 5-0. The time was 2:55 p.m. R9 Lori A. Ackerman, Town Clerk Appreved: orch 2025 Don Kingston, Maydr TOWNIY DUCK NORTH CAROLINA 5