A vote by the Wrightsville Beach Board of Aldermen last week classified graffiti as a public nuisance in town code with a minimum penalty for the vandal beginning at $250 and escalating for multiple offenses.
Graffiti markings have appeared on structures throughout town during the past year and as recently as April 1, when the Shell Island Resort was vandalized. No suspects have been identified, despite the Wrightsville Beach Police Department’s implementation of an elaborate surveillance camera system. Town leaders hope the threat of hefty fines will deter the perpetrator.
Vandals could potentially receive both civil and criminal penalties under the original ordinance drafted by town staff. A first offender would be fined $100, but the aldermen were in favor of stricter penalties.
The board decided a first offense will carry a $250 fine, a second offense $500, a third offense $750 and all further offenses $1,000. In addition to the civil penalties, vandals could also be cited for a misdemeanor criminal penalty and $250 fine for a first offense.
Mayor Bill Blair asked town attorney John Wessell to define whether repeated offenses meant the suspect vandalized multiple structures or on multiple occasions.
Wessell clarified if one person vandalized four structures in one night, he or she would be penalized for four offenses.
The ordinance amendment also requires property owners whose structures have been vandalized remove or cover the graffiti to prevent copycat crimes. Once the town identifies a graffiti tag on private property, it will notify property owners by first-class mail they must remove the markings within 15 days.
If property owners do not comply, forcing the town to remove the graffiti, they will be charged the cost of cleanup.
The board also granted three conditional use permits. Scott Weismantel received permission to open nationwide franchise Carefree Boat Club at 96 W. Salisbury St. The permit allows him to operate an office at that location and rent three boats to club members.
The board was satisfied with his safety precautions, which require each club member complete both classroom and on-the-water training before operating a Carefree Boat Club vessel.
A recent addition to town code sets general rules for boat rental facilities, such as no storage of motor boats or trailers on the office’s lot, no Jet Ski or personal watercraft rentals and compliance with local, state and federal laws. Wessell recommended the board rely on those laws to govern rental facilities and not specify its own conditions on the CUP.
“Once we start establishing standards on how they’re supposed to operate, then I’m concerned we could be held liable if those standards turn out to be insufficient at some point in time. And, I’m not sure we are necessarily equipped to say what the appropriate standards are for boat facilities,” Wessell said.
The board also granted a CUP to the Surf Club, located at No. 1 Mallard St., to construct a permanent awning over its existing 52- by 34-foot deck and to Spring/Ericsson to plant a 50-foot temporary wireless facility in Wrightsville Beach Park until September to create better cellular service for its customers during the busy summer months.
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