Emerald Tidings, composed monthly by Town Manager Frank Rush,

is the official newsletter of the Town of Emerald Isle, NC.

Gold Star Memorial Dedication - April 16

The Emerald Isle Garden Club and the Town of Emerald Isle will dedicate a new Gold Star Memorial on Thursday, April 16 at 2 pm at the Emerald Isle Public Boating Access Area located at 6800 Emerald Drive. The public is encouraged to attend and join us in honoring the military men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our Nation, and their families.

The new Gold Star Memorial will be unveiled adjacent to the existing Emerald Isle Veterans Memorial near the boat launch ramps. The Town greatly appreciates the Emerald Isle Garden Club's efforts to provide the new Gold Star Memorial in our community. The Garden Club previously dedicated a Blue Star Memorial marker on NC 58 near the Welcome Center in 2015.

EI4Vets, a local organization supporting our veterans, will also assist with the Gold Star Memorial Dedication.

Lifeguard Service Begins April 1

The prime beach season is nearly upon us! The Emerald Isle Fire Department has assembled another strong lifeguard group for 2026, and Wednesday, April 1 marks the first day of lifeguard service at the Town's Western Ocean Regional Access and Eastern Ocean Regional Access.

Initially, lifeguards will be in place at the two regional access facilities daily from 10:30 am until 6 pm. Additional roving lifeguards will patrol the entire beach strand on weekends, and also on weekdays once we get deeper into the season.

Enjoy our beautiful beach, and BE SAFE! Click HERE for helpful safety tips and important beach regulations.

Paid Parking Fees In Effect Beginning April 1

Beach parking fees will be charged beginning Wednesday, April 1, and will continue through September 30. An hourly fee of $5 applies between 8 am and 6 pm at the Western Ocean Regional Access and Eastern Ocean Regional Access, with a maximum daily charge of $25.

Debit and credit card payments may be made at the on-site parking kiosk, online at the website included on QR codes posted at these facilities, or via a downloadable app. To learn more, click HERE or simply visit our facilities!

The Town expects to generate approximately $450,000 annually from regional access parking fees, and these proceeds provide funding for various visitor services on Emerald Isle's beaches, including lifeguard services, Police patrol, regional access facility maintenance, trash collection, and more.

New Beach Access Walkways Complete



Town contractors have completed the construction of new beach access walkways at 5th Street and 20th Street, and these improved facilities are now available for public use! The new walkways include the Town's updated design, with wider walkways and plastic SureStep decking.

The total cost for both new walkways was approximately $60,000.

Beach Driving Temporarily Suspended for Easter Week



Beach driving will be temporarily suspended during Easter Week.

Beach driving will end on Thursday, April 2 at 9 pm, and will reopen on Monday, April 13 at 5 am. Beach driving will end for the entire season at 9 pm on Thursday, April 30.

Cedar Street Drainage Improvements Complete



Public Works staff have completed beneficial drainage improvements on Cedar Street (oceanside) that are designed to infiltrate storm water underneath of the street. The project includes the installation of new curb and gutter, 3 new catch basins, large underground infiltration chambers, and asphalt repairs, and is intended to reduce the volume and duration of standing water in this area after significant rainfall events.

Town Awarded Tree City USA Grant



The Town was recently notified that it has been awarded a grant from the NC Forest Service that will enable the Town to achieve the Tree City USA designation sometime in the next 1- 2 years. The Tree City USA program is national designation that recognizes communities that manage public trees responsibly, invest in urban forestry, and engages residents in responsible tree stewardship.

The total grant award is $37,500, and will be matched with $10,000 of in-kind services and $2,500 from the Town's annual budget. These funds will be used to develop a public tree inventory, develop an urban forest management plan, and complete additional public education and awareness activities to promote a healthy urban forest in Emerald Isle. The Town also expects to invest additional Town funds for tree preservation and additional tree planting efforts as part of this program.

Grant funds are expected to be available in July, with work beginning soon thereafter. The Town is pleased to be pursuing this important designation, and furthering our historical and current efforts to maintain and promote a healthy, attractive, and robust tree canopy in Emerald Isle!

Chief Panzarella Announces Retirement

Emerald Isle Police Chief Mike Panzarella has announced his retirement, effective July 1. Chief Panzarella has served Emerald Isle in this role since July 2021.

Chief Panzarella has worked in law enforcement since 1992, including service to Police Departments in Pine Knoll Shores and Newport, the Carteret County Sheriff's Office, and the EIPD. The Town is thankful for Chief Panzarella's commitment and dedication to the Emerald Isle community and the Emerald Isle Police Department over the past 5 years, and wishes him the very best in retirement.

The Town Manager will begin work to replace Chief Panzarella in the coming weeks, and hopes to have a new Police Chief named by June in order to promote a smooth transition from Chief Panzarella to the new Police Chief.

Board to Consider CAMA Grant Application to Improve Handicapped Beach Access

The Board of Commissioners will consider authorizing a grant application for the construction of a significant, handicapped accessible walkway extension at the Channel Drive public beach access at its April 14 meeting. If authorized by the Board, the Town expects to submit a $75,000 funding application in late April to the NC Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access Program that would extend the existing handicapped-accessible walkway an additional ~ 300 feet across an expansive dune field and enable handicapped individuals to access the beach more easily at this location. If grant funds are ultimately awarded, the Town would provide a $25,000 local match to fund full construction of the proposed walkway extension.

The Channel Drive public beach access currently includes two handicapped parking spaces, with a flat walkway route to an observation platform. The current observation platform is located approximately 300 feet away from the flat sand beach in this area, with a difficult up and down walk through the dune field to access the flat sand beach. The new walkway is intended to make it easier for handicapped individuals to access the flat sand beach and/or simply secure a quality view of the beach and ocean in this area. The Channel Drive access is also the closest walkway to the Town's Station Street parking area, which provides free parking at the corner of Station Street and Coast Guard Road.

New Bogue Inlet Survey Available, But ATONs Not Yet in Place



The US Army Corps of Engineers completed an updated survey of the Bogue Inlet navigation channel on March 23, and a copy of the survey is available by clicking HERE . The current channel is in a relatively stable location away from The Point, with depths of at least 8 feet across most of the channel. Conditions are shallow across the ocean bar, however, and boaters are advised to use caution while traversing this area.

The aids to navigation (ATON) have not yet been placed in the official channel location due to the Federal government impasse over funding for the Department of Homeland Security. The US Coast Guard is responsible for maintaining the ATON, and hopes to relocate them soon after impasse has ended. In the meantime, boaters should rely on broadcast notice to mariners such as SEC SNC BNM 0398-25.s.

Reed Drive Pipeline Installation Contract Awarded



At its March 10 meeting, the Board of Commissioners authorized an ~ $125,000 contract for the installation of a new storm water pipeline to connect a planned new storm water pump station on Reed Drive to a planned discharge location on Old Ferry Road. SunLand Builders, Bogue, NC, was awarded the contract, and is expected to complete this work via horizontal directional drilling in April or May. This work will be followed by the installation of the planned new pump station later this spring or summer.

The area of Reed Drive between East Seaview Drive and Sea Oats Drive has experienced nuisance flooding following significant rainfall events for many years, and the new pump station is expected to resolve these flooding concerns relatively quickly. Currently, the Town reactively places portable pumps and fire hose in this area to resolve flooding concerns after they've already occurred, and the new system would provide a fixed, proactive solution for these issues.

Roundabout Flagpole Installation Expected Soon



The Town has received the appropriate NCDOT permit and has taken delivery of the planned new flagpole to be installed in the center of the roundabout at the intersection of NC 58 and Mallard Drive. The new flagpole is funded by donations provided to EI4Vets, a local veterans advocacy group in Emerald Isle.

Public Works staff will relocate the existing bird sculpture in the roundabout to a location near the Publix sign, and will then intall the new flagpole later in April or May. The new flagpole is expected to be in place in time for the Memorial Day holiday.

Fire Station 2 Construction Cost Exceeds Available Budget;

Town Working to Address Shortfall



The Town received a construction cost proposal from DR Reynolds, the design-build team lead for the planned new Fire Station 2, in early March. The initial cost proposal of $4.475 million for an ~ 8,000 sq. ft. station is considerably higher than the Town's available FEMA funding of $2.76 million.

As such, Town staff are currently working to identify acceptable cost and scope reductions and potential additional funding sources to enable a quality new Fire Station 2 to be constructed in eastern Emerald Isle. The Town Manager expects to present a recommendation to the Board of Commissioners in April or May, after which the Board will make a decision on how best to proceed with this project.

The Town is committed to constructing a new station to serve eastern Emerald Isle, and looks forward to initiating construction this summer once an affordable strategy is identified.

Land Acquisition for Future Fire Station 3 On Track to Conclude in May



The formal, legal process for the Town's friendly condemnation of a 2-acre tract of land on Coast Guard Road near Pebble Beach condominium complex is proceeding as planned, and the Town is currently on track to take possession of the land in late May.

The completion of this acquisition will enable the Town to achieve a long-pursued goal to secure land for a future Fire Station 3 to significantly reduce emergency response times in western Emerald Isle. Initial planning and design work for a future Fire Station 3 will likely begin later this year or in 2027, with construction not expected to occur until after the completion of Fire Station 2.

Reed Drive, Coast Guard Road Bicycle Path Paving Delayed



Bogue Banks Water Corporation (BBWC) has completed the installation of a new water line along Reed Drive and Coast Guard Road to connect a new well to the existing reverse osmosis plant near Osprey Ridge. However, the repaving of the impacted segments of Reed Drive and the Coast Guard Road bicycle path has been delayed while crews continue work to eliminate water line leaks associated with the construction.

BBWC expects to have the water line issues resolved within the next week. The repaving of Reed Drive and the bicycle path is tentatively planned for April 9 and 10, assuming all issues are resolved and weather does not delay paving work.

We appreciate everyone's patience over the past month. We look forward to restoring the impacted areas as soon as possible.

Coyote Trapping Efforts Complete



Biologists with the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (USDA-APHIS) have completed coyote trapping efforts in Emerald Isle. Trapping efforts occurred over a 2-week period at multiple Town-owned and private property locations in late February and early March.

The trapping effort resulted in the elimination of only 3 coyotes during the 2-week period, and USDA-APHIS primarily attributes this small number to beginning trapping efforts too late in the season. Ideally, trapping activities should occur in January, and it is believed that the Town's later than anticipated start, after mating season concluded, impacted the results.

Repairs Planned at Senator Jean Preston Playground



At its March 10 meeting, the Board of Commissioners approved $18,000 of funding for necessary repairs to playground equipment at Senator Jean Preston Playground located adjacent to the Emerald Isle Public Boating Access Area. This Town funding will be combined with warranty materials to restore the playgound to a nearly new condition. Work is expected to occur in May.

Happy Easter! Town Observes Good Friday Holiday - April 3



The Town of Emerald Isle wishes everyone a Happy Easter, and hopes everyone has a meaningful and enjoyable holiday weekend in Emerald Isle!

Town offices and the Community Center will be closed on Good Friday, April 3. Public safety and trash collection services will be provided as normal.

Praise Fest Concert Event Set for May 16



The Town is pleased to be the site of the inaugural Praise Fest event on Saturday, May 16 in Emerald Isle. Praise Fest is a privately organized gospel music event that is open to the public, with all proceeds supporting various charitable causes in and around Emerald Isle, including the EI Fire Department and Carteret Healthcare. Praise Fest will be held at the corner of Reed Drive and Islander Drive from 1 pm - 7 pm.

This all-day long concert event will feature prominent gospel recording artists, including Ben Fuller, Jason Crabb, and others. For more information, please click HERE.

Did You Know?

The Town's budget is more than $15 million annually, and Town staff are currently working to develop the FY 26-27 budget recommendation for Board review and consideration in May and June.

The Town encourages your comments and suggestions on the FY 26-27 budget, and comments may be submitted via email by clicking HERE , by calling the Town Manager at 252-354-3424, in person at the Town Administration Building, or in person at upcoming Town meetings. Budget comments and suggestions are welcome at the April 14 and May 12 meetings during Public Comment, and during the official budget public hearing scheduled for the June 9 meeting.

Stay Up To Date: Follow Us Online

The Town of Emerald Isle has a number of official online platforms you can use to stay connected to the latest news, our live beach and traffic cameras, and more.

• Town of Emerald Isle Website

• Facebook

• Instagram

• YouTube

The Discover Emerald Isle App is also available for download on the App Store and Google Play.

You can also view the monthly Board of Commissioners meetings, which are live streamed on our Facebook page. These meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m.

NICE MATTERS!