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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-08-18 Water & Sewer NEW HANOVER COUNTY WATER AND SEWER DISTRICTBOOK 3 REGULAR MEETING, AUGUST 18, 2003PAGE 33 ASSEMBLY The District Commissioners of the New Hanover County Water and Sewer District met in Regular Session on Monday, August 18, 2003, at 5:51 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the New Hanover County Courthouse, 24 North Third Street, Wilmington, N. C. Members present were: Chairman Robert G. Greer; Vice-Chairman Nancy H. Pritchett; District Commissioner Julia Boseman; District Commissioner William A. Caster; District Commissioner Ted Davis, Jr.; County Manager, Allen O’Neal; County Attorney, Wanda M. Copley; and Clerk to the District Board, Lucie F. Harrell. NON-AGENDA ITEMS Chairman Greer announced that time had been reserved to allow anyone from the audience to present an item that was not listed on the Regular Agenda. He requested all persons to limit their remarks to three minutes. No items were presented. STATUS REPORT ON THE JOINT CITY-COUNTY EXPANSION OF THE NORTHSIDE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT County Engineer Wyatt Blanchard reported that Mr. Alex Monroe, a consultant with McKim & Creed, would present a status report on the joint City/County expansion of the Northside Wastewater Treatment Plant (NSWTP). Mr. Monroe presented a report on the progress made from the beginning of the expansion project in 1999 through the current date. He advised that all plans and contract documents were completed and submitted to various state and federal permitting agencies in November 2001 and stated as of this date no comments have been received. Two attempts have been made to submit the Environmental Assessment to receive a Finding of No Significant Impact, which means that all regulatory agencies have reviewed the project and found no significant impacts on the environment. The Environmental Assessment has been sent back several times because the City and County have been battling to maintain the existing 15 BOD 10 Ammonia (15/10) limit in the Cape Fear Water Basin instead of the 5 BOD 1 Ammonia (5/1) limit desired by the N. C. Division of Water Quality. An extensive water quality model was prepared and it showed that the 15/10 limit would meet the planned effluent and the 5/1 limit was not needed. There was no sufficient evidence shown by the N. C. Water Quality Division to support a 5/1 limit. The City and County could have agreed to the 5/1 limit, but if the effluent limit should be reduced in the future, the cost of the technology and equipment would greatly increase, and another expansion would cost much more than the current expansion estimated at $55 million to $56 million. The City and County Staff are comfortable with the 15/10 limit in terms of treatment, and an effort is being made to get the agencies to agree to tie the Total Mass Daily Load (TMDL) to the permitted limit. Mr. Monroe reported that after numerous meetings and negotiations, it is felt that the Environmental Assessment will be reviewed by the various permitting agencies in the near future. The inability to obtain the assessment had delayed the project. Chairman Greer suggested preparing a letter to the local legislators to see if they can assist the City and County in speeding up the process. He expressed concern for the length of time taken to permit the expansion. Mr. Monroe responded that a letter to the legislators may not be a good idea because of the River Basin Policy Plan adopted by the State. The City cannot jeopardize its water allocation because the State determines the amount of water that the City can draw from the Cape Fear Water Basin. Chairman Greer spoke on working 10 years with the City to expand the NSWTP and asked what would happen in a year, if the County had to stop construction of new homes and prohibit the location of new industry into the area because there is not sufficient capacity left in the NSWTP to provide sewer allocations to the unincorporated county. Mr. Monroe responded that development will not be stopped because the developers will build package treatment plants, and the State will have no choice but to issue permits for the treatment plants if all requirements and conditions NEW HANOVER COUNTY WATER AND SEWER DISTRICTBOOK 3 REGULAR MEETING, AUGUST 18, 2003PAGE 34 have been met. In the last two years, 22 package treatment plants from the waterway at Topsail Beach to the Cape Fear River at Wilmington have been taken off line which has greatly improved the quality of water in the river. Many of the shellfish beds are beginning to come back, but the City and County have not received any credit for removing these plants. Once the TMDL is started, the permitting process will move forward and construction on the expansion should begin in the early summer of 2004. Chairman Greer strongly objected to the length of time involved in the permitting process and spoke on the amount of money already paid by the taxpayers during the last six years for water quality tests, engineering services and permitting fees. He stated that it was not right for the taxpayers to continue to pay these fees, and he suggested meeting with the Governor or appropriate State officials to speed up the permitting process so construction can begin on the NSWTP expansion. Mr. Monroe responded that two separate trips have been made to Raleigh to discuss permitting issues with the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the City has written several letters. An environmental attorney was hired to speed up the process, and the point has been reached where the various agencies will review the Environmental Assessment which has been a stumbling block since 2001. The documentation is voluminous and more information is requested. A tremendous amount of work has gone into the project with numerous meetings being held with State agencies. It is important to remember that these regulations are mandated by State Law. In further discussion, the Board agreed to request the County Manager to meet with the City Manager to discuss scheduling a meeting with the local legislators, Board of County Commissioners, City Council, and the engineering team to discuss the delays and problems being experienced with the NSWTP expansion. County Manager O’Neal advised that he would be glad to discuss this issue with City Manager Cheatham and report back to the Board. Chairman Greer expressed appreciation to Mr. Monroe for the report. APPROVAL OF CONTRACT TO PURCHASE A SITE FOR THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT County Engineer Blanchard reported that Staff has been working to find an 8-acre site for the District to construct a Water Treatment Plant northeast of Ogden. He presented a map showing a 46.4 acre tract located at 7601 Oak Road recently released by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. He advised that the owner would not sell a portion of the tract but has offered a price of $1,075,000 for the entire tract which equates to $23,169 per acre. The land has a minor amount of wetlands, and even though the District does not need 46.4 acres, the remaining land can be used for other County purposes. County Engineer Blanchard advised that if the District Board is interested in purchasing the land, the agreement calls for a $10,000 deposit, and the offer will remain in effect until October 20, 2003 to determine if the land can be used. District Commissioner Davis asked if the property could not be used, would the $10,000 deposit be refunded to the District. Mr. Phil Trice, a realtor working on behalf of the District, advised that if the District should determine the property cannot be used by October 20, 2003 the entire deposit will be returned. Chairman Greer requested direction from the District Board. Motion: Vice-Chairman Pritchett MOVED, SECONDED by District Commissioner Caster, to enter into a contract to purchase 46.4 acres of land located at 7601 Old Oak Road for $1,075,000 to be used as the site for the Water Treatment Plant, approve earnest money in the amount of $10,000 with the money being returned if the land cannot be used by October 20, 2003 and authorize the Chairman to execute the necessary contract documents. Upon vote, the motion carried 4 to 1. District Commissioner Boseman voted in opposition. NEW HANOVER COUNTY WATER AND SEWER DISTRICTBOOK 3 REGULAR MEETING, AUGUST 18, 2003PAGE 35 A copy of the contract is on file in the Legal Department. ADDITIONAL ITEMS Discussion of Poor Construction Work on Installation of Water and Sewer Lines in Churchill Estates Commissioner Caster advised that he had received numerous e-mails from residents concerned about the quality of work being performed by contractors installing water and sewer lines in Churchill Estates and the Middle Sound area. He requested Staff to comment on this issue. County Engineer Blanchard explained that Staff was aware of the problems and stated that meetings have been scheduled with the contractors to resolve this matter. Chairman Greer advised that Staff was in the process of correcting the situation. ADJOURNMENT Chairman Greer called for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Motion: District Commissioner Caster MOVED, SECONDED by District Commissioner Boseman, to adjourn. Upon vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Chairman Greer adjourned the meeting at 6:19 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Lucie F. Harrell Clerk to the District Board