FEMA Administrator Announces Sweeping Changes to Disaster Assistance Program to Make it Easier for Survivors to Receive Assistance

[January 24, 2024] – According to a news release from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), last week FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell announced the most comprehensive updates to FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program in the past 20 years. Commissioner Frank Williams, who has advocated for simplification of FEMA’s individual assistance programs, said, “This is long overdue.…

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Brunswick County’s Rotary Clubs holding Mental Health Summit, screening of “The Veteran’s Battlefield” on February 2

Brunswick County’s Rotary Clubs are holding a Brunswick County Mental Health Summit on Friday, February 2, 2024 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation, located at 795 Ocean Highway West, Supply, NC 28462. The event, which is open to the public, will include an overview of mental health issues in Brunswick…

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Update: Cape Fear Memorial Bridge Preservation Project Scheduled to Begin Mid-January

People in the Wilmington area should prepare for travel impacts on the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge to begin after the holidays.  “While the bridge is safe, it is in need of critical repairs,” said Division Engineer Chad Kimes. “We need to start the project now to ensure enough time to complete this work before hurricane…

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Preservation Project to close multiple lanes of Cape Fear Memorial Bridge for several months beginning in January

The N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) announced on December 1 that a preservation project intended to extend the life of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge will temporarily close portions of the bridge in the coming months. The work is scheduled to begin in early 2024 will repair the moveable bridge deck. According to NCDOT: NCDOT’s…

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Williams appointed chair of national storm resilience committee

[August 7, 2023] — National Association of Counties (NaCo) President Mary Jo McGuire has appointed Brunswick County Commissioner Frank Williams as Chair of the NaCo Resilient Counties Advisory Board (RCAB). According to the RCAB page on the NaCo website, “Hurricanes, wildfires, economic collapse, and other disasters can be natural or man-made, acute or long-term, foreseeable…

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Brunswick County Commissioner Frank Williams’ FEMA resolution adopted by National Association of Counties

AUSTIN, TX – A resolution introduced by Brunswick County Commissioner Frank Williams was adopted at the National Association of Counties (NaCo) annual conference in Travis County, TX on Monday, July 24, 2023. The resolution, which was adopted for the second consecutive year, puts Counties on record as advocating for a more streamlined FEMA individual assistance…

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Williams attends National Association of Counties Annual Conference

Appointed to National Position; Successfully Passes Resolution Calling on FEMA to Streamline Individual Assistance Commissioner Frank Williams attended the National Association of Counties’ annual conference in Travis County, TX from July 21-24. Williams served as Brunswick County’s voting delegate at the annual business session. Ramsey County, Minnesota Commissioner Mary Jo McGuire was sworn in as…

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Comments on the Ocean Isle Beach ETJ Request

by Frank Williams As noted in the meeting recap linked here, the Board of Commissioners voted to approve the Town of Ocean Isle Beach’s Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) expansion request at our most recent meeting. If you’re not familiar with the concept of an ETJ, it is an area outside of a city or town’s voting…

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Clarifying Misinformation about Budget Vote

[June 20, 2023] — It appears that misinformation is being circulated related to last night’s county budget vote. Apparently, there is a rumor circulating that the proposed budget considered last night had a different proposed tax rate than the budget that was presented on May 15 and for which the public hearing was held on…

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Statement on adoption of FY 2023-24 County Budget

[JUNE 19, 2023] Statement by Commissioner Frank Williams: “Tonight, the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners approved a fiscally responsible budget that focuses resources on our key priorities, including public safety, education, and water and sewer infrastructure, while meeting our unfunded state and federal mandates and dealing with cost increases due to inflation. In response to…

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