Moore County will apply to the state for a $1 million loan to replace the lift station serving the No. 8 golf course area in Pinehurst.

Earlier this month, the board of commissioners approved an application to the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources for a loan through the Clean Water Act program.

Public Works Director Dennis Brobst told the board that he expects the loan, if approved, to carry a 2 percent interest rate under the revolving loan fund.

Cost of the lift station replacement project is estimated at $1 million.

The present lift station, located on the seventh tee of No. 8, is a Gorman Rupp style pump station originally built in the early 1970s.

The application says that because of several problems, the station now requires a portable pump on site because of the failure of the backup gasoline drive. Repair parts are no longer available.

Brobst said the lift station has had sewer overflows, and the county recently spent more than $20,000 for maintenance, including repairs to the pumps and outdated electrical controls. The lift station has no standby power and has only one standby engine for one of the two pumps. He also cited inflow and infiltration issues.

Commissioner Craig Kennedy made the motion to adopt a resolution authorizing the application, and approval was unanimous.

At the same meeting, the commissioners approved an application to the N.C. Housing Finance Agency for a $75,000 grant through the fiscal year 2011 Urgent Repair Program. The grant requires a $5,000 match from the county.

Tim Emmert, community development planner with the planning department, said the $75,000 grant awarded under the 2010 program served 15 low-income households in Moore County.

The commissioners also voted to buy a replacement ambulance from Northwestern Emergency Vehicles Inc., of Hampstead, whose bid was $144,023.

County Public Safety Director Bryan Phillips said the purchase is part of the policy to replace one ambulance a year. He said the county currently has three ambulances that are at least eight years old and have more than 250,000 miles on the odometer.

Delivery of the new ambulance, a Chevrolet Type III Class One AEV, is expected within 90 days.

In other business, the commissioners voted to reject all proposals for billing services for the tax and public utilities departments because of circumstances that prevent determination of the lowest responsible, responsive proposal.

The purchasing office recommended the rejection because of an apparent misunderstanding among bidders about inclusion of postage costs in the contract.

Terra Vuncannon, purchasing coordinator, said the billing service requirements would be reviewed and modified as needed before a new request for proposals would be issued.

Contact Florence Gilkeson at florence@thepilot.com.