Lifeguard stand sponsorship
Wrightsville Beach replaced eight of its 13 lifeguard stands this year, and town leaders agreed April 14 on a program to let individuals or businesses sponsor the new stands.
For $3,500, each sponsor will receive a sandblasted, 12-inch by 18-inch gray and white sign on the stand for five years or the lifetime of that stand, the board of aldermen decided Thursday night.
The town implemented a similar lifeguard stand sponsorship program when the stands were replaced in 2008. It’s a cost-efficient advertising opportunity for businesses, alderwoman Lisa Weeks pointed out, but stands are also sponsored for more personal reasons.
“Sometimes people like to do ‘In Memory Of’ or something like that,” town manager Tim Owens said. “Or, if you live near it, it’s kind of neat to have your name on a lifeguard stand.”
Owens said he already has at least three interested sponsors.
David James and Company built the stands earlier this year for about $3,700 each, so the sponsorship program allows the town to recoup some of the costs. A few of the stands incurred irreparable damage last fall when Hurricane Joaquin generated high surf, but Owens said the town had planned to replace eight of the stands this year anyway. The other five will be replaced next year.
Billing changes
Starting in October, Wrightsville Beach residents will be able to pay utility bills by credit card. But they could also be penalized for paying late, depending on how the board of aldermen votes next month.
During the board’s April 14 meeting, members unanimously approved an agreement with a vendor to accept credit card payments for utility bills. Town leaders have discussed it in the past, but they decided to wait until an October 2016 update of the town’s financial software.
The vendor, Automated Merchant Systems, recommends the town charge a $4 fee per transaction to offset the vendor’s processing fees. Other governments charge anywhere from $2.95 to $11, town finance manager Erica Walters said. The transaction fee can be adjusted as needed, she added.
The town could also impose a late fee for overdue bills. In May, board members will decide when a bill is deemed overdue and how much to charge. Currently, the town sends out a late notice, but last year it had to send 1,320 late notices, incurring costs to the town in both man-hours and postage.
Because residents know they’ll get a late notice, Walters said, many of them wait until they get that notice to pay.
“There’s no incentive for customers to pay on time,” she said. “We have a lot that wait until the very last minute.”
She’s proposing that in place of the late notice, residents get charged a late fee. Their original bill will outline the new procedure and when to pay to avoid being penalized. Most governments bill residents that way, she added.
In May, town leaders will decide how much of a late fee to charge. Walters polled other towns in the area and found most charged 10 percent of the original bill, although one town charged a flat fee of $10.
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