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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988-08-30 Special Meeting I I I 25~ .., MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING, AUGUST 30, 1988 ASSEMBLY The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners held a joint meeting with the Wilmington City Council on Tuesday, August 30, 1988, at 9:00 o'clock A.M. in the Garden Room of the Wilmington Hilton Hotel, 301 North Water street, Wilmington, North Carolina. Members present were: commissioner Jonathan Barfield, Sr. Commissioner W. Albert Corbett, Jr. Commissioner Robert G. Greer Vice-Chairman Fred Retchin Chairman Nolan O'Neal Council Members present were: Councilman Gloria Berger Councilman Sandra Barone Councilman Katherine P. Hoyt councilman Robert Shipp Mayor Donald H. Betz Chairman O'Neal called the joint meeting to order. Status Report on New Hanover County Water and Sewer District County Engineer, Wyatt Blanchard, presented the following update on Phases I and II of the County Sewer System: Phase I - From Millbrook Subdivision to Eastwood Road to Intra-Coastal Waterway to City Limits Design and Construction began in 1985. Areas 1, 2, and 3 are complete and ready to provide service. Area 4 Green Meadows to Longleaf Acres to Windemere Subdivision Now under construction and estimated to be completed by January, 1989. Phase II - From Whiskey Creek Basin to Ogden Shopping Center to Bayshore area down to Blair/Noble School Construction Phase II will begin in early 1989 with completion of phases by late 1990. County Engineer Blanchard stated funds in the amount of $23 million have been budgeted for the four areas under Phase I not including funds allocated for expansion of the Souths ide Treatment Plant or annexed areas A and B. He stated with Phase I underway and near completion, the County selected Talbert, Cox & Associates to perform a 201 Plan Update and design the interceptor system for Phase II with all documents being completed and submitted to the North Carolina Division of Environmental Management by July 1, 1988, in order to receive EPA grant funds in the amount of $2.9 million. As of this date, documents have been submitted to the State and are being reviewed for final approval. Talbert, Cox & Associates are now preparing a new study for scheduling of the remaining phases of the Sewer System with cash flow projections utilizing user fees, sales tax, and grants as sources of revenue. Commissioner Barfield stated when the 201 Plan was first prepared, discussion was held on providing water and sewer to the unincorporated areas of the County. He commented on the length of time involved in eventually extending sewer lines throughout the entire County and requested the Wilmington City Council to consider establishment of a Water and Sewer Authority. ~ ~~S OF SPECIAL MEETING, AUGUST 30, 1988 (CONTINUED) Vice-Chairman Retchin commented on a proposal by the City's Long Range Planning Task Force requesting a joint City/County feasibility study for establishment of a Public Utilities Authori ty. He stated stormwater management as well as solid waste could be tied into a Public Utilities Authority and encouraged both governing bodies to work toward creating an authority. Status Report on Wastewater Treatment Facilities City of Wilmington City Manager Farris stated the City's major, cooperative role in assisting the County with construction of the County Sewer System is in treatment of wastewater collected through expansion of the Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant which has been a joint City/County venture. He stated the expanded plant will serve the area through the year 2000 with a total capacity of 12 million gallons per day allocated as follows: n, \....../ City of Wilmington - 5.25 million gallons New Hanover County - 5.25 million gallons Wrightsville Beach -1.50 million gallons Discussion was held on expansion of the Northside Wastewater Treatment Plant and participation in cost of the design study by the New Hanover County Water and Sewer District. Ci ty Manager Farris stated preliminary engineering has been performed with authorization from the City Council to proceed with the final design stages as follows: Phase I - Upgrade capacity of plant from current 5.5 million gallons per day to 8 million gallons per day. Expansion should handle the City's waste treatment needs for 20 years. Compatible to meet future needs of the Water and Sewer District. o Expanded and upgraded in two additional phases when the Water and Sewer District is ready for usage. City Manager Farris listed the following issues that will have to be addressed in treatment of wastewater: 1. More stringent regulations governing the treatment of waste. 2. Development of Sludge Management Program. 3. Possibility of industry discharging in plants causing reduction of domestic wastewater design capacity. Discussion was held on a joint cooperative effort by both governing bodies in the areas of sewer policies, line maintenance, billing and meter reading. Status Report on City Water System City Manager Farris stated the City is in the process of creating a Master Plan for the City's Water System with two basic questions to be answered: Should the system be planned to meet the needs of the incorporated City, or should the system be planned to serve the urbanized needs of New Hanover County? He stated at this point, the City is proceeding with a plan to serve the urbanized needs of New Hanover County with the following points to be considered: o 1. Construction of a new water plant since the Sweeney Plant is outdated. 2. A broad customer base to distribute costs so customers will not be unduly burdened. .~~ I I ,I MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING, AUGUST 30, 1988 (CONTINUED) 257 .., 3. Planning for current and future needs. 4. Intergovernmental cooperation among all local governments. Discussion was held on working toward creating a Public Utilities Authority in order to efficiently handle water and sewer, solid waste disposal, and stormwater drainage. Councilman Hoyt recommended using more inter local agreements stating this would be the first step toward establishing an authority. Mayor Betz commented on duplication of services by local governments in equipment and personnel stating this cost could be substantially reduced under one entity. Discussion was held on hiring a consultant to perform a feasibility study for creation of a Public Utilities Authority. Chairman 0' Neal expressed concern for spending money to hire a consultant when County and City staffs are available and have the expertise to research and prepare recommendations. After further discussion, Mayor Betz recommended establishment of sub-committees composed of members of the City Council and County Commissioners working with key staff members of the City and County to research and prepare recommendations for addressing water and sewer, solid waste, and stormwater management. Councilman Hoyt recommended inclusion of the beach communities on the sub-committees. Status Report on Solid Waste Management - New Hanover County Director of Engineering & Facilities, Ed Hilton, gave background information on New Hanover County's Comprehensive Solid Waste Plan stating the program is composed of three major parts: 1. Waste disposal through the Landfill and Steam Plant. 2. Volume reduction of solid waste through recycling. 3. Collections. Director Hilton commented on future expansion of the landfill stating the current construction of Cell #3 will cost $1.2 million for seven acres of disposable area not including the original price of the land, site development costs, roads, and fences. He stated the proposed expansion of the Steam Plant will cost approximately $27.5 million with a scheduled referendum on November 8, 1988. If the bond issue is approved, the expansion will have an additional burning capacity of 250 tons per day plus a steam generating unit, electric turbine, and the latest state of the art air pollution control system. Director Hilton stated the County will develop a collection system by franchise or some other mechanism that will reduce repeti tious overlapping of services to establish a reasonable rate for everyone in the unincorporated areas of the County. He stated eventually the County would like to establish a county-wide system that will provide the most efficient and cost effective service to all citizens of the County including municipalities. Director Hilton commented on recycling stating this program should prove to be financially beneficial by avoiding costly expansion of the landfill. The County will hire a Director of Solid Waste in January, 1989, who will begin the process of planning a recycling program to be implemented in the mid 1990's. Director Hilton stressed the importance of a cooperative effort by all local governments in successfully running and operating a recycling program. ~ 2 ~rs OF SPECIAL MEETING, AUGUST 30, 1988 (CONTINUED) Discussion was held on legislation being enacted throughout the country to control solid waste disposal. Vice-Chairman Retchin requested both governing bodies to prepare resolutions to be forwarded to North Carolina Association of County Commissioners and North Carolina League of Municipalities encouraging the General Assembly to enact legislation that will control waste disposal. It was the consensus of all present that resolutions should be prepared by each government. BREAK Chairman O'Neal recessed the meeting for a break from 10:20 o'clock A.M. to 10:40 o'clock A.M. n Status Report on Solid Waste Management - City of Wilmington City Manager Farris stated the City provides twice a week refuse collection for residential customers and three to five collections to commercial customers depending on need. City crews collect 60% of refuse with the remaining 40% being contracted out. Plans are under consideration to provide once a week collection instead of twice a week; however, no def ini te decision has been made and the program would not be implemented until January, 1989. City Manager Farris commented on development of a recycling compost operation at the 23rd Street Wastewater Treatment Plant stating the City is concerned over the County's control of disposal and collection of solid waste with no City participation. He encouraged a joint, cooperative effort in this area stating the City is in the process of preparing a Solid Waste Management Plan to address collections, disposal, recycling and financial plans. The following issues were presented by City Manager Farris as areas that should be jointly addressed by the City and County: 1. County-wide mandatory refuse collection system. 2. Disposal of household hazardous wastes. 3. A cooperative effort in disposal and collection of solid waste. 4. Settlement of Flemington Law Suit. o Discussion of Stormwater Management Director of Engineering for the City of Wilmington, Howard Wood, gave background information on the City's 1977 Master Drainage Plan. He listed the following methods being used by the City to address stormwater management: 1. On-going preconstruction program. 2. Development Standards requiring curb and gutter. 3. Erosion and sedimentation control through the retention and detention concept. 4. Recommendations of study performed on eight watersheds in the City with the following recommendations: (a) Continuance of sod detention policy with emphasis on aesthetics. (b) Actively pursue rights-of-way acquisition on existing tributaries within the City. [ (c) Establish area wide detention facilities as deemed appropriate. or retention Discussion was held on drainage being a county-wide problem with Director Wood presenting the following areas of mutual concern: , \~. I I 'I MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING, AUGUST 30, 1988 (CONTINUED) .., :2.5_9 1. Review of ordinances governing Erosion and Sedimentation in order to assure compatibility between the City and County when issuing permits. Emphasis should be placed on enforcement of ordinances. 2. A compatible set of Development Standards between the City and County. 3. A more coordinated effort between the City and County in new development as it impacts upon drainage systems. 4. A cooperative effort between the City and County in developing regional facilities for stormwater management. Director Wood commented on the GEO base mapping currently being developed by the City and County stating this mechanism will be a useful tool in preparing a master drainage plan. He emphasized the importance of working together in trying to develop a plan for the entire County. Discussion was held on Burnt Mill Creek and the City's plan for a proposed retention pond to be located on this tributary to provide drainage relief during small storms. Director Wood stated plans have been developed and construction should begin shortly. Discussion of Parking Assistant County Manager, Mary Gornto, commented on parking stating emphasis must be placed on changing attitudes. Discussion was held on encouraging people to accept walking a number of blocks from their office building without feeling inconvenienced and to use the bus system when convenient. Discussion was held on the joint parking arrangements developed by the City and County to accommodate employees during and after the renovation of Thalian Hall. Discussion was also held on various sites being submitted to the City Council and Board of Commissioners for construction of a parking facility with no final site being selected by either governing body. Assistant County Manager Gornto stated after study of the parking problem, it is the feeling of staff that a multi-level parking facility should be constructed in the downtown area on land owned by either the City or County. She emphasized the importance of working jointly to address the overall parking problem. Establishment of Sub-Committees After discussion of the major issues which need to be addressed jointly by the City and County, it was the consensus of the Governing Bodies to establish the following sub-committees to study and prepare reports on these issues to be presented at a joint meeting of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners and Wilmington City Council tentatively scheduled for November 29, 1988, at 7:00 o'clock P.M. Water and Sewer Sub-Committee Commissioner Jonathan Barfield, Sr. Vice-Chairman Fred Retchin Councilman Tony Pate Mayor Donald H. Betz Solid Waste Management Sub-Committee Chairman Nolan O'Neal Commissioner Albert Corbett Commissioner Robert G. Greer Councilman Catherine Hoyt Councilman Gloria Berger ~ @@'@S OF SPECIAL MEETING, AUGUST 30, 1988 (CONTINUED) Stormwater Management Sub-Committee Chairman Nolan O'Neal Councilman Robert Shipp Councilman Sandra Barone Councilman Luther Jordan ADJOURNMENT Chairman O'Neal adjourned the Special Session at 11:25 o'clock A.M. ~::;~~d. Lucie F. Harrell Clerk to the Board o n l_J [ \ ~