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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-12-01 Water & Sewer NEW HANOVER COUNTY WATER AND SEWER DISTRICT BOOK 3 REGULAR MEETING, DECEMBER 1, 2003PAGE 45 ASSEMBLY The District Board of Commissioners of the New Hanover County Water and Sewer District met in Regular Session on Monday, December 1, 2003, at 2:11 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the New Hanover County Courthouse, 24 North Third Street, Wilmington, North Carolina. Members present were: Chairman Robert G. Greer; Vice-Chairman Nancy H. Pritchett; District Commissioner Julia Boseman; District Commissioner Ted Davis, Jr.; District Commissioner William A. Caster; Assistant County Manager, Dave Weaver; Assistant County Manager, Patricia A. Melvin; County Attorney, Wanda M. Copley; and Clerk to the Board, Lucie F. Harrell. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN AND VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE WATER AND SEWER DISTRICT FOR THE ENSUING YEAR Chairman Greer called the meeting to order and requested County Attorney Wanda M. Copley to preside over the election of a Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Water and Sewer District for the ensuing year. County Attorney Copley opened the floor to receive nominations for Chairman of the Water and Sewer District Board. District Commissioner Greer nominated District Commissioner Caster to serve as Chairman. The nomination was seconded by District Commissioner Boseman. Hearing no further nominations, County Attorney Copley closed the nominations and called for a vote. Vote: Upon vote, the District Board elected William A. Caster to serve as Chairman of the New Hanover County Water and Sewer District Board of Commissioners for the ensuing year by a 3 to 2 vote. District Commissioner Davis and District Commissioner Pritchett voted in opposition. County Attorney Copley opened the floor to receive nominations for Vice-Chairman of the Water and Sewer District Board. District Commissioner Greer nominated District Commissioner Pritchett to serve as the Vice-Chairman. The nomination was seconded by Chairman William A. Caster. District Commissioner Pritchett declined to accept the nomination. District Commissioner Boseman nominated District Commissioner Robert G. Greer to serve as Vice- Chairman. The nomination was seconded by Chairman William A. Caster. Hearing no further nominations, County Attorney Copley closed the nominations and called for a vote. Vote: Upon vote, the Board elected Robert G. Greer to serve as Vice-Chairman of the New Hanover County Water and Sewer District Board of Commissioners for the ensuing year by a 3 to 2 vote. District Commissioner Davis and District Commissioner Pritchett voted in opposition. MEETING RECONVENED TO THE REGULAR SESSION OF THE NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Chairman Caster convened to the Regular Session of the Board of County Commissioners at 2:09 p.m. Chairman Caster reconvened to Regular Session of the Water and Sewer District Board at 3: 10 p.m. NEW HANOVER COUNTY WATER AND SEWER DISTRICT BOOK 3 REGULAR MEETING, DECEMBER 1, 2003PAGE 46 NON-AGENDA ITEMS Chairman Caster announced that time had been reserved for anyone from the public 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. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Chairman Caster called for a motion to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting held on November 3, 2003. Motion: District Commissioner Boseman MOVED, SECONDED by Vice-Chairman Greer, to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting held on November 3, 2003, as presented by the Clerk to the District Board. Upon vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. REMARKS FROM BETTY W. SCOTT AND MARK O. COPE REGARDING THE KINGS GRANT WATER AND SEWER PROJECT Chairman Caster welcomed Ms. Betty W. Scott and Mr. Mark O. Cope and requested them to limit their remarks to 15 minutes. Ms. Betty Scott spoke on the following issues of concern by the residents of Kings Grant: •The provision of water and sewer to Airlie Gardens when the Kings Grant area has experienced septic tank failures and unsafe drinking water from wells for the past 20 years. •There are veterans living in the Kings Grant area who are 70 to 80 years old, and there are veterans living in the community who are serving in harm’s way to ensure that our freedom and quality of life are preserved. These veterans are extremely concerned about paying a $2,000 sewer tap fee and a $1,700 water tap fee. Residents in Kings Grant should not have to pay the increased fees because the District promised to provide services 20 years ago. •The County has used all available local resources to foster development. Many of the new homes receive water and sewer and pay little or nothing for the services. No attempt has been made by the County to take care of people living in older communities that are experiencing septic tank failures that have created health problems. This is an unethical policy that should be changed because people have not been treated equally. •The building industry has a powerful impact on the County’s economy. This industry contributes millions of dollars to local, state, and federal elections which has allowed the building industry to be almost exempt from the environmental regulations. If a developer is caught violating a regulation, the penalty is only a slap on the wrist. This fact explains why not one health official, county government official, state representative, Attorney General, or Governor’s Office representative cared about the health of the citizens of Kings Grant when they were informed about the problems with water and sewer in the community. Environmental agencies seem to be more focused on educational issues than enforcement of regulations. Very few people purchasing homes realize the impact of uncontrolled high density development in wetlands. Unfortunately, these people will be impacted in future years by septic tank failures and flooding resulting from building homes in wetlands. •There are many loans and grants available for water and sewer services. After sending an email to Daniel Blaisdell, with the N. C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, about whether New Hanover County had received money from the Clean Water Act, the response was that New Hanover County had not received a grant or loan through the program for a wastewater treatment plant expansion; however, the NEW HANOVER COUNTY WATER AND SEWER DISTRICT BOOK 3 REGULAR MEETING, DECEMBER 1, 2003PAGE 47 County had received a grant in the amount of $3.2 million in 1998 for construction of sewer, interceptors, pump stations, and force mains in the northeast and southern areas of New Hanover County. Since 1972, the Federal Clean Water Act has issued $67 billion to clean up the environment. Special funds are available for storms and hurricanes, and there are many other areas in which money can be obtained through grants or low interest rate loans. It is difficult to understand why New Hanover County has not applied for the billions of dollars made available through thousands of grants and low interest loans from federal and state environmental funds to extend water and sewer to thousands of homes with failing septic tanks and wells. •Information from the State Resolving Water and Sewer Fund since 1998 shows that $320 million dollars of federal funds have been made available to the state government in forms of grants and low interest loans. After asking the Commissioners and a member of Staff in the Finance Department why the County had not received funds from the Clean Water Act, the response was that New Hanover County is too rich. If this is the case, all of the unincorporated county should have already received water and sewer services. The residents want to know why the County did not apply for water and sewer low interest loans to provide desperately needed services. In concluding her presentation, Ms. Scott stated that it should not have taken the County over 20 years to complete the sewer project; therefore, the County should not be charging older communities the increased tap fees. Mr. Cope reported that the Kings Grant citizenry has been abused by failures of the County Staff and presented the following items: •Properties in the Kings Grant community have changed hands since the 1984 bond issue but many of the houses in Kings Grant were already constructed before the sewer bond referendum was held. Yet no services have been available over this period of time. The excuse by Staff is that it is not the people who live on a parcel of land that generate the capital that justifies the taxes that provide the services. •There is no money in the County treasury. With a user fee of $12 million received annually for sewer, this money should be used to construct the infrastructure in Kings Grant; however, there is no wastewater treatment plant capacity left for the Kings Grant area. In 2001, Mr. Wyatt Blanchard reported that space was available in the wastewater treatment plant for Kings Grant. The residents want to know what happened to their sewer capacity. •The Kings Grant sewer construction project has consumed more time than sewer projects for Long Leaf Hills, Long Leaf Acres, and El Ogden, which have more houses than Kings Grant. It is difficult to believe that New Hanover County does not have enough money to provide sewer to all areas in the unincorporated county. Mr. Cope stated that the citizens in the Kings Grant area were promised sewer 20 years ago when the bond referendum was passed. The County was obligated to provide sewer to this area and that promise has not been kept. The residents have lived with septic tank failures for years that have created health problems. The citizens have been abused by not receiving assistance from the County. Now that water and sewer services are becoming available to the area, the Board must consider these facts and not charge the residents the increased tap fees. In concluding the presentation, Mr. Cope referenced the following axiom: “There is nothing worse than a prevaricator and less than a pontificating prevaricator.” ADJOURNMENT Chairman Caster called for a motion to adjourn the meeting. NEW HANOVER COUNTY WATER AND SEWER DISTRICT BOOK 3 REGULAR MEETING, DECEMBER 1, 2003PAGE 48 Motion: Vice-Chairman Greer MOVED, SECONDED by District Commissioner Boseman, to adjourn. Upon vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Chairman Caster adjourned the meeting at 4:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Lucie F. Harrell Clerk to the District Board