Moore County is expected to turn to the Environmental Protection Agency for low-interest funding for the $37.8 million expansion of the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The Board of Commissioners held a public hearing during a Monday afternoon meeting to discuss financing alternatives for the sewer plant that serves the municipalities of Southern Pines, Pinehurst, Aberdeen, Pinebluff, Carthage and Taylortown, as well as the Addor community and Camp Mackall.

Fred Hobbs of the Hobbs, Upchurch & Associates engineering firm reported that a recommended planning schedule calls for work on design to begin later this month with bids to be sought and construction to begin in September 2010. Under that schedule, the expansion would be complete by the summer of 2012.

Debt service would be paid through user fees, expected to increase $12 to $13 per residential customer using as much as 5,000 gallons a month.

Hobbs said that state guidelines require the owner of a wastewater treatment facility to begin planning for expansion when the existing facility reaches 80 percent of capacity and to begin construction when it reaches 90 percent. Although the county has not reached that capacity, Hobbs reminded the board that as of 2008, the county had commitments that would mean 100 percent capacity usage once those commitments, such as planned developments, are carried out.

No one spoke against the financing recommendation, but Moore County residents Walter Bull and Elton Turner asked questions about rates and the contract with Camp Mackall.

In other business, the commissioners approved an application to the U.S. Department of Justice for a COPS grant of $634,368 to hire four entry level deputies over a three-year period. However, by the fourth year the county would cover 100 percent of the salary costs, expected to total $233,680.

Chief Deputy Neil Godfrey said it would cost about $120,000 to provide uniforms, equipment and patrol cars for the four deputies, but the sheriff's department would apply for a Justice Assistance Grant of $43,430 to help pay for two of the cars and would use drug forfeiture funds to cover the remaining costs.

The commissioners whipped through a two and a half-page agenda in an hour and a half before recessing for a closed session to discuss a personnel matter.

More details will appear in Wednesday's print edition of The Pilot.