Residents on Edgewood Terrace and Stanly Street in West End are a step closer to having their water supplied by Moore County Public Utilities.
The County has been awarded a $41,000 grant by the NC Rural Economic Development Center, Interim County Manager Wayne Vest reported during the Tuesday, March 5 meeting of the Moore County Board of Commissioners.
The grant will cover half the expected $82,000 cost of laying water mains to bring County water to the small West End neighborhood, which has been plagued by failing wells.
It will not cover the cost of tap-on fees or regular water bills, both of which will be the responsibility of individual homeowners. The tap fee for a standard three-quarter inch meter is $1,950.
If the project moves forward, it will be the first application of a new policy the Commissioners approved in January, which allows Public Utilities to extend water to unserved areas within the current footprint of the County water system, based on a return-on-investment calculation.
Public Works Director Randy Gould told The Times that the cost of a system extension is laid against the expected revenue that will be generated by new customers in the target area, including income from tap-on fees and ten years worth of water bills at the base rate. If the projected revenue exceeds the expected cost, the project can move forward.
Girl Scouts Recognized
Also during Tuesday’s meeting, the Board of Commissioners passed a resolution applauding “the commitment Girl Scouting has made to support the leadership development of girls” and proclaiming the week of March 11 as “Girl Scout Week” in Moore County.
The Proclamation was read by Seven Lakes resident [and former Times Reporter] Laura Douglass, who serves as Membership Director for Moore and Harnett Counties for the Girl Scouts - North Carolina Coastal Pines Council.
Douglass was accompanied by Brownies from Troop 1118 in Cameron, and made a point of acknowledging Commissioner Randy Saunders as a Girl Scout Dad. In February, Saunders provided a warehouse for the annual distribution of Girl Scout Cookies to area troops.
Douglass said more than 700 Moore County girls are involved in Girl Scouting, supported by more than 300 volunteers. And more volunteers are needed.
“Our biggest challenge is not in finding girls,” Douglass explained. “We have more girls who want to join troops than troops that can accommodate them.”
Juvenile Justice Grant Application Authorized
The Commissioners authorized the Youth Services Department to apply for a $100,832 FY 2013-2014 grant from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety that will be used to support programs aimed at young people in trouble with the law.
Youth Services Direct Janet Parris explained that the funds will support programs including juvenile restitution, teen court, and psychological evaluation programs. The County will contribute a cash match of $5,348 and in-kind contributions of $39,328.
Responding to a question from Commissioner Saunders, Parris said those in-kind contributions include the value of a variety of volunteer services, as well as custodial services performed by County staff.
Sewer Project Approved
The Board approved project ordinance for a $1.3 million sewer interceptor repair at the traffic circle in Pinehurst. The cost will be covered by zero-interest loan from the NC State Emergency Revolving Loan Account.
Commissioner Larry Caddell told The Times that the affected portion of the County’s wastewater network is a major collection point that absorbs pressure from the entire system. Already slated for replacement, the interceptor recently malfunctioned, necessitating the repair.
“Rather than putting a $200,000 band aid on the problem,” Caddell said, “we decided to borrow the money at no interest so we can go in and fix it right.”
Communications Projects Okayed
At the Request of Public Safety Director Bryan Phillips, the Commissioners approved Radio Communications Company [RCC] of Cary as the sole source vendor for work completing the County’s new emergency communications network, as well as projects related to moving the 911 Emergency Call Center into the new Rick Rhyne Public Safety Center.
Under a federal mandate, the County is converting its emergency communications network to the VIPER system maintained by the State Highway Patrol. RCC will handle $455,000 in projects that include installing a microwave network to link all of the county’s towers sites together, as well as moving two towers and associated infrastructure.
In addition, RCC was approved as the sole source vendor for 911 call center projects totaling $21,376.
Lottery Funds for School Techonlogy
Interim County Manager Vest reported on a number of bills moving through the NC General Assembly that could impact Moore County, including House BIll 97, which would allow funds from the NC Education Lottery to be used to acquire technology to support digital learning in local schools.
Vest noted that the legislation had already passed the House and, as currently written, would give the Board of Commissioners rather than the School Board the responsibility to approve the use of lottery funds to pay for digital devices, internet connectivity, and digital textbooks.
Commissioner Saunders said he has already been in touch with representatives of the Moore County Board of Education to understand the size of the County’s allocation from lottery funds.
In the absence of Chairman Nick Picerno, Vice Chairman Craig Kenndy presided over Tuesday’s meeting.
Appointments
In other business during their March 5 meeting, the Commissioners appointed Beulah Warren to the Aging Advisory Council.
