By Miles Layton
SWAN QUARTER — The Hyde County Board of Commissioners opened the new year Monday night with a wide-ranging meeting that included approval of major infrastructure funding, updates on county finances, expanded fire protection coverage, coastal resilience planning, and a review of community events that closed out 2025.
A few notes for our Hyde County readers before we get into the commission meeting.
News — just to spread the word — Tedrick Dough is still missing. Reward offered for credible information leading to Dough’s discovery — contact Dare Central Communications Center at 252-473-3444. Dough has been missing since early December.
“For one month now, our beloved son, brother, nephew, grandson and uncle Tedrick has been missing,” his mother, Amy Dough, posted to this website that seeks to raise money to hire private investigators to assist law enforcement efforts to find her son. “Every day without him is unbearable. We wake up hoping for answers and go to sleep praying that tomorrow will be the day we find him. No family should ever have to live with this kind of fear and uncertainty.”
For more information, see www.facebook.com/amydough
In other news, the Hyde County NAACP Breakfast is on MLK Day, Monday, Jan 19, at the Lake Comfort Sub Station, 149 NC Hwy 94, Swan Quarter. For more information, contact Mike Adams at aadams3@embarqmail.com
Lastly, the annual Waterfowl Festival will be held between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, in the Mattamuskeet Gym. The festival will feature antique decoys, local vendors, artists, food, and a swan-calling competition.
On that note, Mattamuskeet Lodge will be having an open house between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Jan. 17 — event coincides with Decoy and Waterfowl Festival.
And RIP Argo — the retired K-9 from the Hyde County Sheriff’s Office. Surrounded by family, the dog passed away Jan. 4.
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Back to the Hyde County Commission meeting — Commission Chairman Randal Mathews called the Jan. 5 meeting to order before moving into agenda adjustments.
Board Clerk and Assistant County Manager Richard Mann asked commissioners to approve two agenda amendments, including a public hearing related to a Community Development Block Grant Neighborhood Revitalization Program and the ratification of a Motorola Solutions contract for a microwave backhaul upgrade.
Although the hearing had been advertised in the newspaper, Mann said it did not appear on the agenda and the county would accept public comments online to address the oversight. The second addition involved a time-sensitive communications contract.
“It is the ratification of the Motorola Solutions contract for microwave backhaul upgrade,” Mann said, noting the county’s emergency management director and attorney were involved in the negotiations.
Commissioners unanimously approved opening the public hearing, and Mann invited Chris Hilbert of Insight Planning Consulting to explain the proposed grant amendments.
“There’s two concurrent grants going on at the same time,” Hilbert said. “One is doing five houses, the other is doing seven houses.”
Hilbert explained that after bids were received, one home would be more cost-effective to demolish and rebuild rather than rehabilitate.
“We revised the scope of work and we rebid it, and it’s actually like $2,000 less to build a new house,” he said. “But the environmental review for the project only approved of the rehabilitation.”
Because of that change, the county must submit a formal amendment to the state. Hilbert also said updated surveys revealed additional elevation requirements and hazards, including lead-based paint and a historic property in Engelhard.
“We’re projecting $275,158 to add to this grant,” Hilbert said, bringing the total request from $1,231,388 to $1,506,546. “Because that amount exceeds 10%, we’re required to do an amendment.”
After no public comments were received in person or online, commissioners authorized the chairman or manager to sign the amendment paperwork when finalized and unanimously approved moving forward.
The board then accepted the county’s annual ABC Board distribution.
“This year that check is $32,065.15,” Mann said. “She was smiling and happy as ever, but I figured we’d probably be smiling harder than she is.”
Commissioners also heard the monthly tax report from Tax Administrator Ryan Bishop, who said December collections were strong despite staffing limitations.
“Our collection rate as of 12/31/25 is 73% and we currently have $3.198 million of the 2025 levy still unpaid,” Bishop said. “Even with the additional fees and taxes on this year, we are still up around 6% compared to last year for this collection.”
Mathews called the numbers encouraging.
“That’s good to see,” he said. “Those are good numbers.”
Following public comments, of which there were none, commissioners moved into items of consideration, beginning with a resolution supporting the extension of the Swan Quarter Volunteer Fire Department’s insurance district boundary.
Fire Chief Jeffrey Stotesberry said the change would include areas served by a substation built in 2022 near Lake Comfort.
“Everything in there will be in a rated insurance district,” Stotesberry said. “It’s going to save a ton of money.”
Mann said the boundary extension had already been agreed to by neighboring fire departments and would improve insurance ratings for residents.
“That’s really the bottom line,” Mathews said. “This is going to save people money on insurance.”
The resolution passed unanimously.
Commissioners next adopted a resolution accepting a $3.6 million Local Assistance for Stormwater Infrastructure Investment grant to fund improvements in the Fairfield Drainage District.
“This one is accepting the awarded amount of basically $3.6 million,” Mann said.
The funding will allow construction of a new pump station to supplement aging infrastructure.
“That 94 pump station was built in the 1950s,” Mann said. “So if something was to ever go wrong, you always have a backup.”
Mathews noted the critical role the pumps play in protecting county property.
“Without those pumps, water would probably be at the front door here,” he said.
The board also approved a memorandum of understanding with the North Carolina Coastal Federation and WSP to update Hyde County’s CAMA Land Use Plan through the Resilient Coastal Communities Program.
Mann said this work also includes community engagement, risk, and vulnerability assessments, with a focus on Lake Landing Township and Engelhard.
Mathews described the value of similar planning work completed on Ocracoke.
“It created an official flood map with elevations throughout the village and identified flood problems and solutions,” he said. “I can’t say how valuable it is in an official capacity.”
Commissioners then issued a statement of no objection to allow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to pursue acquisition of a 120-acre marsh tract adjacent to the Swan Quarter National Wildlife Refuge – mostly all marshland, maybe $500 in tax revenue. The kind of swamp that Master Yoda or Shrek might live.
The board unanimously approved the request.
Several routine items followed, including approval of the IRS mileage rate increase to 72.5 cents per mile and lease renewals for Beaufort County Community College and the BHM Regional Library. The county’s broader insurance coverage would apply if needed.
Commissioners then ratified the Motorola Solutions contract for the county’s microwave backhaul upgrade, retroactive to November 2025.
“This upgrade will significantly enhance the reliability, capacity, and resilience of the county’s communications infrastructure,” Mann said.
Emergency Management Director Joey Williams emphasized the importance of the system.
“Just a necessary cost to be able to communicate in Ocracoke,” Williams said. “We all use the VIPERS system.”
Budget revisions were also approved, including airport repairs, leadership team expenses, and drainage district work. Airport Manager Johnny Gibbs explained recent maintenance issues at the county airport.
“The tank needed to be painted after some time,” Gibbs said. “It accumulated rust and a hole, and it wasn’t pumping any fuel.”
He said runway lights and water leaks had also been addressed and fuel sales should resume soon.
“We’re working through the credit card part of it,” Gibbs said. “Hopefully in the next week or two.”
The meeting concluded with management and commissioner reports highlighting a busy holiday season across Hyde County.
“December was a fun month,” one manager said. “Engelhard had theirs the following Saturday and it was probably the biggest parade ever for Engelhard.”
Commissioner Jan Moore praised the turnout at county events.
“It’s amazing that Hyde County has their own pyrotechnics team,” she said. “Everybody in surrounding counties talks about it.”
Mathews highlighted Ocracoke events, ferry funding concerns, and a recent meeting about Highway 12 access.
“It was a hard discussion because of the reality of what we’re facing at the north end,” he said. “But I believe the key to that is continued communication.”
Before adjourning to closed session, county leaders emphasized teamwork among departments.
“We’ve got a really great thing going on with a really great group of leaders out here,” County Manager Kris Noble said. “Our department heads and all our employees are really knocking it out of the park.”
Mathews agreed.
“We’ve got a great team,” he said.