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Board appoints Joshua Bartlett as zoning administrator; gets updates on multiple dredging projects
Summary
The Board approved Resolution 2025‑32 appointing Joshua Bartlett as Matthews County zoning administrator and received multi-project updates from the Army Corps on dredging (Davis Creek, Winter Harbor, Horn Harbor, Queens Creek) with several funding streams and scheduling risks.
The Matthews County Board of Supervisors approved Resolution 2025‑32 on Dec. 20, removing Ramona Wilson as interim zoning administrator and appointing Joshua Bartlett, who passed VASO certification exams on Dec. 8, 2025, as the county’s zoning administrator. The motion to approve the resolution passed unanimously by roll-call vote.
In the same meeting, County Administrator Ramona Wilson briefed the board on five federal navigation/dredging projects affecting Matthews County — Queens Creek, Milford Haven, Winter Harbor, Horn Harbor and Davis Creek. She said the Army Corps has shifted to phased funding (planning/real-estate/environmental work funded first, dredging funded later) and provided project timelines: Milford Haven construction is slated for 2028; Winter Harbor was previously slated for 2026 but now pushed to 2027 with $3.2M federal funding pledged; Davis Creek has $1.7M federal Corps funding plus DCR ($851,969) and VPA ($411,497), but DCR’s spending deadline (Feb. 2026, with one-year extension request to Feb. 2027) creates schedule risk if all parties do not align.
Wilson described technical constraints (core sampling to determine fine vs. sandy material, upland placement needs, easement requirements and seasonal restrictions tied to protected species such as tiger beetles). She also noted the Army Corps’ recent decision to place some dredge material back in the water at an established placement site (requiring expansion) rather than upland placement at certain projects. Wilson said the county is pursuing coordination with regional partners and the Public Access Authority to develop maintenance and funding approaches, including a municipal dredging program.
The board acknowledged the long timelines and complexity of multi‑agency funding and urged continued attention to alignment of grant deadlines and easement requirements.
