County Balks On Water Study Funds

Friday, June 25, 2010

Local leaders and residents might be asked to donate funds to cover the county's share of the cost of a regional water system study.

The Lumber River Council of Governments has received a grant from the N.C. Rural Center for Economic Development to cover about half the estimated cost of almost $80,000, according to state Rep. Jamie Boles, who helped to organize the regional water effort.

Several towns in Moore County, including Southern Pines, Pinehurst, Aberdeen and Pinebluff, have agreed to contribute, but the county declined, Boles said. Scotland and Robeson counties and their towns are also participating.

"If Moore County doesn't pay the $2,500, then we're going to ask the citizens to donate the money for the county," a disappointed Boles said Thursday morning.

The Chamber of Commerce is hosting a meeting on the subject this morning. It's possible someone may pass the hat during the meeting.

Boles said "the citizens are smart enough to recognize" the county's need for water resources to strengthen economic growth throughout the region.

However, County Commissioner Larry Caddell said that the Board of Commissioners never committed to allocate any money for the study. He added that the county never had any significant interest in developing the water and sewer facilities on the Lumber River, but instead was willing to be a partner in the study, provided a grant could be obtained.

"We had been promised that if we participated, there would be no cost to the county," Caddell said Thursday. "We feel like we made a deal, and they didn't live up to it."

The facilities at the heart of the study formerly served a huge textile plant near Wagram in Scotland County.

Contact Florence Gilkeson by e-mail at florence@thepilot.com.

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CSmithson 2 years, 11 months ago

"He added that the county never had any significant interest in developing the water and sewer facilities on the Lumber River"

-Then why did the Commissioners get all bent out of shape when the Pilot reported in April 2009 that the County was not interested in the Wagram facilities?

-Then why in a meeting of the County and most of the towns and in the presence of Commissioners Caddell and Picerrno, did the County Manager and the Utilities Director say straight to all of us that they were interested in studying the Wagram option?

-Then why did they seek to undermine Pinehurst's attempt at getting partners in on the purchase of the Wagram facilities?

These are the same folks who keep saying of the County system, "we have plenty of water." That's present tense, short term thinking, The truth is that there are no specific plans or contracts on record for how the County will be able provide water to its customers once they max out their purchase contracts and dry out all the Pinehurst wells.

recondo 2 years, 11 months ago

because they were afraid money would be made and none of them or the county could be a part of it thats why CSmithson. I think it is time to clean house in Carthage too not just Raliegh and Washington

SoPines4ever 2 years, 11 months ago

Very good points Chris. The County only wants to participate in things that they can control. They can't come up with $2,500 of a $80,000 dollar study, but they can commit $50 million dollars to a jail for criminals without a vote of the people.

OBXNC 2 years, 11 months ago

OBXNC I know there are reasons that we may never understand why the county will not come up with a pitifully small amount of tax dollars to help in a study for our future water needs in Moore Co. This is when we as citizens just have to step up and make sure this study is done. We want to think that we as a county may never need to have an alternative water source, but who knows we may. Making a dollar, and controlling distribution etc. is not always the thing our local county goverment needs to be worried about. Instead it should be how to best make sure we are able to supply the county with the natural resources it may need help with down the road. Thank you Rep. Boles for your efforts and looking beyond political differences to get the job done.

SCCstudent 2 years, 11 months ago

Now hold on there folks => once Southern Software, Inc. can develop a software application for utilities, BINGO....we're in like flint. Just a suggestion here - software to monitor individual water usage by transmiting user amounts to a control center at Southern Software, Inc and they get a percentage of all of the meters installed and monitor. Good idea - HuH.