Water, security, a flea market and the cost of the public safety center claimed attention of the Moore County Board of Commissioners Thursday at Seven Lakes.

The delicate issue of incorporation also arose, but the commissioners diplomatically declined to take a position for or against.

Public Works Director Dennis Brobst assured Seven Lakes residents that new developments in the region will not be allowed to tap into their water supply.

"They will be required to supply their own water. The county won't allow them to tap into the supply of our existing customers," Brobst said. The developments in question include Dormie Club and Pine Forest, both in the N.C. 73 area.

Debra Ensminger, assistant director of the Department of Planning and Community Development, tackled questions about an unauthorized flea market often set up at the intersection of N.C. 211 and N.C. 73 in West End.

"It's trashy," one resident complained.

Ensminger said the vendor has not secured an itinerant merchant license as required by the county zoning ordinance and advised the public to call her office to complain about the unsightly business operation.

She acknowledged some frustration in dealing with such illicit operations, which are often gone by the time a zoning enforcement officer reaches the site. Her department has two officers to cover more than 65,000 parcels.

Sheriff Lane Carter said Seven Lakes generates less than 2 percent of the calls his department receives. He credited the gates with keeping that percentage low.

"It keeps the bad guys out," Carter said.

Carter said the calls from Seven Lakes range from worthless checks to harassing telephone calls to forgery. How-ever, he called drugs the major cause of crime in most places.

"People don't steal to feed the baby," he said. "People steal to buy drugs."

Carter also addressed complaints about speeding and cited one opinion that only 8 percent of the drivers obey the posted speed limit in Seven Lakes. He said his officers concentrate more on the serious crimes affecting personal injury and property.

Carter added that Seven Lakes has one strong advantage in its "enforceable law," something that other gated communities lack. Without such a law, he said it is more difficult for law enforcement officers to investigate and arrest wrongdoers.

Incorporation Question

A series of questions covered issues related to incorporation, a subject being pursued by two groups favoring incorporation and by a new group that opposes the change.

County Attorney Misty Leland said state law allows municipalities to annex adjacent land without a vote of the people being annexed. Except in special circumstances, the annexed land must be contiguous to the municipality, which is required to provide minimum services.

She said most municipalities claim extraterritorial jurisdictions before they attempt to annex outlying areas.

Her report was in response to a question about the recent controversy involving annexation by Pinehurst of the Pinewild development. Concern that Pinehurst may one day try to annex Seven Lakes is among the reasons cited for the incorporation movement.

Seven Lakers asked questions about securing such amenities as sidewalks and zoning changes that would prohibit unwanted business, such as a nightclub, and about the cost of the justice system to a municipality.

County Manager Cary McSwain reminded everyone that Seven Lakes residents now pay county taxes and would continue to pay county taxes if they were to become an incorporated municipality. Brobst, Ensminger and Carter joined McSwain in assuring the group that the county would continue to work with Seven Lakes regardless of incorporation status.

Commissioners' Chairman Tim Lea echoed their promise to work with Seven Lakes whether incorporated or not. However, he declined to express an opinion about incorporation.

"This is a sensitive issue from the county perspective," he said. "It's a question Seven Lakes must answer."

Bond Vote Debated

The Seven Lakers had just as many questions about the public safety-detention center.

The commissioners responded according to their recent votes on the question of issuing $50 million in bonds to pay for the building and for utility projects in Pinehurst.

Commissioners Larry Caddell, Jimmy Melton and Nick Picerno voted to issue the bonds without a referendum, while Lea and Commissioner Cindy Morgan preferred to call a vote.

The referendum issue stirred debate among the Seven Lakes residents, who expressed a variety of views.

During the meeting, Picerno revealed that bids for the building contract have come in almost $6 million below estimates. However, compared with the cost of similar projects in other counties, the Moore County project appears to be far more costly. The Moore County project carries a per-bed cost of $95,000, while the cost in the Harnett County detention center was placed at $49,135 per bed.

Lea said that county administrators plan to visit Harnett County Monday to check into the cost differential. The bids were recently opened, but the commissioners are not scheduled to award the contract until September.

About 100 people attended the meeting at the Seven Lakes West Community Center.

The Greater Seven Lakes Community Council, chaired by Ron Shepard, hosted the meeting, which was arranged after the council asked the board for inclusion in the periodic forums for all elected officials.

The council is composed of representation from the Seven Lakes Landowners Association, the Seven Lakes West Landowners Assoc-iation, the McLendon Hills Property Owners Assoc-iation, and the Seven Lakes Business Guild.

Lea promised that the board would return for similar sessions with the Seven Lakes leadership. He also thanked the county staff for taking "the heat" with questions from the audience but added that ultimately "the ball rests with us."

Contact Florence Gilkeson at florence@thepilot.com.