Sunset Beach council approves staff recommendations on services, awards contracts and adds employee incentives
June 02, 2026 | Town of Sunset Beach, Brunswick County, North Carolina
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At its June 1 meeting the Town of Sunset Beach council acted on a cluster of operational items covering waste services, grounds contracts, engineering support and employee compensation.
Trash pickup: Staff recommended rejecting the single RFP submission (High Tide at $186,500/year) because in‑house cost estimates were substantially lower (~$36,999). Council voted to reject the contracted proposal and continue in‑house trash pickup for the island and strand.
Grounds maintenance: Two firms submitted proposals; staff recommended awarding a town grounds contract (excluding supplemental island mowing) to Nature Works at an annual cost of $90,000 ($7,500/month). Council approved entering that contract.
On‑call engineering: After follow‑up negotiations with finalists, council approved Thomas & Hutton for on‑call engineering services to support ongoing and upcoming capital projects.
Employee incentives and policies: Council adopted an expanded educational incentive program for all town employees that provides a 2.5% base‑pay increase for an associate degree (any field), 5% for a bachelor or intermediate certification in a related field and 5% for an advanced certificate or master's (stackable up to 12.5%), retroactive to July 1, 2025. Council also adopted a random drug‑testing policy for governmental‑interest positions that permits random testing of safety‑sensitive employees and uses an external medical review officer; staff said budget lines for testing and training exist to cover estimated costs.
Roll‑back service: Staff reported April volumes (1,378 can moves) dropped sharply after resident notification; staff proposed issuing an RFP for a vendor‑administered subscription roll‑back program with individual fees to avoid town‑wide subsidization. Council gave consensus direction for staff to proceed with vetting and an RFP.
Council directed staff to finalize contracts and to ensure vendors meet town standards for emergency access, service quality and public‑facing communication.
Trash pickup: Staff recommended rejecting the single RFP submission (High Tide at $186,500/year) because in‑house cost estimates were substantially lower (~$36,999). Council voted to reject the contracted proposal and continue in‑house trash pickup for the island and strand.
Grounds maintenance: Two firms submitted proposals; staff recommended awarding a town grounds contract (excluding supplemental island mowing) to Nature Works at an annual cost of $90,000 ($7,500/month). Council approved entering that contract.
On‑call engineering: After follow‑up negotiations with finalists, council approved Thomas & Hutton for on‑call engineering services to support ongoing and upcoming capital projects.
Employee incentives and policies: Council adopted an expanded educational incentive program for all town employees that provides a 2.5% base‑pay increase for an associate degree (any field), 5% for a bachelor or intermediate certification in a related field and 5% for an advanced certificate or master's (stackable up to 12.5%), retroactive to July 1, 2025. Council also adopted a random drug‑testing policy for governmental‑interest positions that permits random testing of safety‑sensitive employees and uses an external medical review officer; staff said budget lines for testing and training exist to cover estimated costs.
Roll‑back service: Staff reported April volumes (1,378 can moves) dropped sharply after resident notification; staff proposed issuing an RFP for a vendor‑administered subscription roll‑back program with individual fees to avoid town‑wide subsidization. Council gave consensus direction for staff to proceed with vetting and an RFP.
Council directed staff to finalize contracts and to ensure vendors meet town standards for emergency access, service quality and public‑facing communication.
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