When it comes to increasing the county's supply of drinking water, Moore County's Board of Commissioners have plenty of options, but appear to be no closer to making any decisions than they were nine months ago, when they made finding a long term solution for the County's water needs their number one goal for the year.
Public Works Director Randy Gould provided an update on a number of water supply options during the Commissioners' Tuesday, September 18 meeting, including a revision of the Robbins option, which would tap the Deep River to add nearly three million gallons per day to the Moore County system.
Previous Robbins Phase 1 scenarios envisioned tapping into Bear Creek, but a meeting last month with the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources [NC-DENR] established that Robbins' former water source would likely be permitted to provide a paltry 50,000 gallons per day.
During Tuesday's meeting, Gould presented a $16.6 million Phase 1 scenario that includes an intake on the Deep River, a 1.5 million gallon per day [GPD] water treatment plant, and a booster station and water line to carry water down Mt. Carmel Road and Dowd Road to Seven Lakes North.
Phase 2 of the project would expand the water treatment plant to 3 million GPD and bring water to Seven Lakes via Mt. Carmel Road, Beulah Hill Church Road, and NC Highway 73, at an additional cost of $10.5 million.
The $27 million question is how to pay for all that new water, and the answer may be one reason the Board of Commissioners seem reticent about moving forward with any option for increasing the water supply.
Gould explained that Moore County Public Utilities has no capital reserve funds that aren't already allocated to on-going projects. So, bringing water down from Robbins will require borrowing the money, and raising water rates in order to pay back that loan.
The US Department of Agriculture's Rural Development arm has money to lend at 2.75 percent interest, but qualifying for the loan involves a preliminary engineering report, an environmental assessment and hydraulic analysis, plus an analysis of alternatives. The impact of any project on water rates is taken into consideration, as is the household income of the target service area.
Perhaps based on those income qualifiers, Commissioner Tim Lea said the Town of Robbins may be in a better position to borrow the money for the Deep River project -- and then sell water to the county, much as Harnett County, Southern Pines, and Aberdeen do now.
Other Water Options
Other water supply options Gould presented Tuesday night included buying into a water treatment plant expansion in Harnett County. Commissioner Craig Kennedy asked for more information on that possibility.
Another option specifically targeting the Seven Lakes area is to lay $1.5 million in new water lines on NC Highway 73 that could tap into Harnett County water that is already available under the current contract.
Gould also addressed drilling three additional wells along Linden Road, at a cost of $1.2 million. So, far, test wells in two of the locations have produced favorable results.
Some County wells have been contaminated with radium in the past; Gould said a groundwater study currently underway will map radium deposits. “So we will know where to go and where to stay away from,” he said. “That will be the first step.”
Comparing the County's maximum water production capacity to demand, Commissioner Lea said the supply should be sufficient for the next ten years.
"We don't need but another million gallons a day for the next ten years," said Lea, "and we don't need but another million on that for the next twenty, and another million on that for the next thirty. So three million gallons more a day for the next thirty years will take care of us for quite some time.
“We don’t have a water shortage in Moore County,” said Lea, adding, “The County has numerous options.”
Gould noted that getting more water, and getting it to where it is needed, are two different things.
Gould's memorandum to the Board included in Tuesday's meeting packet indicated that pursuing any of the available options will require issuing requests for proposal to engineering companies for the various designs and studies required. But the Commissioners thanked Gould for his presentation without indicating any preference among the alternatives, or any timeframe for making a decision which to pursue.
Board Approves Edgewood Terrace Grant Application
The Board authorized Public Utilities to move forward with a grant application to the NC Rural Economic Development Center that could help bring County water to the Edgewood Terrace neighborhood in West End. Gould has been working to find an affordable solution for residents in the Edgewood Terrace and Stanley Road communities, some of whom of whom currently rely on unproductive or contaminated wells.
However, unless additional documentation required for the need-based grant can be assembled by the mid-October deadline, it may be possible to secure only enough grant funds to provide water to the half of the community for which documentation is already in hand.
Grant funds would be used to extend County water lines to the community, but residents would be required to pay the $1900 tap fee that is required for all new County water customers. However, that fee could broken up into payments as opposed to required in a single lump sum.
The Edgewood Terrace community will host a third meeting with Public Utilities to discuss the grant and their water options.
The Commissioners indicated that they would like to serve the entire area with water, if possible.
“Doing it halfway doesn’t seem like the right way to do it,” said Commissioner Jimmy Melton. “Sooner or later they're probably going to need it [water].”
Gould agreed, saying, “I would love to serve the whole area.”
The NC Rural Board meets on October 16 to discuss allocating funds. Gould said his goal is to be on the agenda for that meeting. If funding is approved, the project could begin as early as the Spring.
In other Public Utilities business, the Board approved a request by Gould to exempt Moore County from a requirement for engineering services for an interceptor sewer repair project, and then approved a $127,000 engineering agreement with Hydrostructures, PA for the sewer repairs necessary to fix a collapsed eighteen inch pipe.
Public Safety
The Commissioners approved a request by Public Safety Director Bryan Phillips for $140,000 in 911 Center Console Furniture to be paid to Russ Bassett Corporation. A portion of the E911 fund balance will be used to pay for the project.
The Board also approved a request by Phillips to spend $935,000 with Radio Communications Company on an Emergency 911 Radio and Telephone System. Funding for the project will utilize $511,000 in E911 funds and $424,000 in VIPER project ordinance funds.
At the request of Commissioner Kennedy, the Board tabled approval of a proposed contract with VFIS to develop a fire service agency evaluation and emergency service master plan. Kennedy requested that the item be tabled until he could further review it.
The purpose of the $45,000 study is to evaluate the current emergency services staffing, operations, resource deployment, and district lines -- and to make recommendations for the current and future operations in anticipation of continued growth in the County. The study would also develop county-wide standards to ensure citizens receive the same level of services.
The plan is expected to provide guidance for the realignment of fire and emergency response districts.
The Commissioners approved a contract to purchase radio equipment from Motorola Solutions/Amerizon Wireless at a cost of $3.1 million. The equipment upgrade is part of the County's move to the narrowband VIPER system for emergency communications, mandated by the Federal Communications Commission. The County continues to seek grants to help offset the costs of the unfunded mandate, Phillips said.
Public Hearings
The Board approved the McLean Road Water Tank Lease Agreements, as requested by County Attorney Misty Leland. The tanks and communications towers mounted on them were expected to be dismantled; however, those towers are currently in use by Alltel Communications, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, New Cingular, Sprint, and USCOC, who are willing to pay to keep the towers up.
The companies will pay up to $750,000 for the rehabilitation of the tanks and towers over and above what each will pay in annual lease fees. The County will give each cell carrier $15,000 in rent abatement, for a total cost of $75,000, Leland explained.
Chairman Larry Caddell said, as a result of the agreement, the water tanks will be brought up to standard. “It’s kind of a win-win situation,” he added.
After a public hearing, at the request of the GIS department, the Board added three new roads and changed the names of four roads.
The Commissioners held the first public hearing for the Scattered Site Housing Community Development Block Grant [CDBG] Application which allows for improvement to be made to qualifying low-income homeowners in the County. The Board called a second public hearing on the CDBG application for Tuesday, October 2.
The Board also called a public hearing for Tuesday, October 2 for the 2012 Catalyst Program CDBG Funding Application.
Social Services
The Commissioners approved Director of Social Services John Benton’s request to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding [MOU] between the Department of Social Services and Moore County Transportation Services for Medicaid transportation services for eligible clientele.
The cost is $280,000, which is eligible for full reimbursement by the state and federal governments.
The Board approved the FY 2012-2013 Community Transportation Program Grant Agreement, as requested by Moore County Transportation Services Manager Tawanna Williams. The grant includes $387,000 for capital and $240,000 for administrative costs. The local match is $75,000, which will be met by user fees, Williams explained.
Westmoore Fire Insurance Rating Improved
The Westmoore Fire Insurance District served by the Westmoore Volunteer Fire Department recently completed an inspection and improved its insurance rating to a level seven, Fire Marshal Ken Skipper reported.
The improved rating will become effective on October 1 and could result in homeowners insurance savings of up to thirty percent, Skipper said. The Board approved a resolution recognizing the fire department for their work in lowering their insurance rating.
Sandhills Center Presentation
The Board approved a quarterly financial report for the Sandhills Center that was presented by Finance Director Carrie Neal.
Currently, the revenue for the Center is $35 million, with a $3.1 million deficit, largely due to a change in the timing of Medicaid payments. The Center also absorbed a number of state unfunded mandates, Neal said, and used fund balance to pay for them. Neal said she will monitor the Medicaid reimbursements between now and June 2013.
Airport Agreement Approved
In a four-to-one vote, with Commissioner Lea opposed, the Board approved a change in the wording of a previously approved motion authorizing upgrades at the Moore County Airport.
The additional language includes a Legal Airport Indemnity Agreement which was presented by County Attorney Misty Leland.
The changes were made to the resolution and project ordinance on the runway’s displaced threshold, taxiway extension, and runway projects.
The local match for the grant funding the upgrades is $329,000, which will come from the County’s general fund balance and be repaid through a portion of the Convention and Visitors’ Bureau’s lodging tax.
Other Business
In other business conducted by the Commissioners during their Tuesday, September 18 meeting approved:
• A plan for providing medical care to inmates a the Detention Center, at no additional cost over last year.
• A request by Property Manager Rich Smith for two change orders for the D.H. Griffin contract for the Public Safety Center. The first change order will result in a net decrease of $400,000, for a new total of $26.8 million; the second will result in a $38,000 increase, which will be taken from the project's contingency fund, set aside at the onset of the project.
• A request by the Convention and Visitors Bureau to add “Home of the US Open Golf Championships” to each of the ten "Welcome to Moore County signs," as requested by Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Caleb Miles. The cost is estimated at $350 per sign. The men and women’s US Open Golf Championships will be held at the Pinehurst Resort in 2014.
• An update to Moore County’s Equal Employment and Procurement Plan, Code of Conduct, Section 504, Section 519, and Language Access Plan.
• A $105,000 contract with Lime Chem to purchase lime slurry for the County’s Water Pollution Control Plant.
• The McLean Road Water Service Contract with Utility Service Company, Inc. for engineering, construction, inspection, lead abatement, renovation, repairs, and other aspects of the project to renovate the 100,000 gallon and 200,000 gallon water tanks located at 25 McLean Road and 30 McLean Road in Pinehurst.
In addition,
• The Board promised to explore reinstituting the Moore County Veterans Council as requested by Veteran Rora Keuis, who used to serve on the Council.
• Commissioner Picerno announced that the Board has paid off $6.2 million in General Obligation bonds, using funds from the Capital Reserve Fund for Government Projects. Picerno said this reduces debt and the burden to taxpayers.
