Robbins Gives OK on Wells, Opposes VIPER System

As of Saturday, February 11, 2012

Robbins is moving ahead to seek new wells as a source for town water.

At Thursday’s regular February board meeting, the commissioners directed the I.E. Wooten Co. to refocus its engineering efforts.

The board also voted to send a letter to the county opposing a request to help fund the new VIPER emergency communications system.

After an update from Wooten’s John Grey laid out a number of promising sites for test wells, the board agreed with his recommendation and voted unanimously to amend the scope of the existing contract.

Wooten is now to proceed toward obtaining N.C. Drinking Water State Revolving Fund financing for a well system and try to meet a May 31 deadline for ready to proceed status.

Robbins qualifies for an 80 percent “forgivable” interest-free loan of up to $1.5 million with the balance payable over 20 years, interim Town Manager Jeff Sheffield told the board.

Questioned by Mayor Lonnie B. English and other commissioners about costs, Grey said Robbins could save from $20 million to as much as $60 million over what the town would pay under its current plan of buying water from Montgomery County.

An alternate route of buying from Asheboro came in at an even higher price.

English wanted to know how long it could take before such a well system would be up and running.

“That depends,” Grey said, pointing out a number of questions that test wells would answer. If the water is clean and needs only chlorination, it would take less time, he said. Adding treatment would take longer, though needed processing systems could be installed at the old plant. Grey projected 18 months, perhaps as soon as December.

A number of previously considered test well locations are below the 100-year flood plain, and using any of them would mean expensive operations to add fill dirt, the board was told. The four sites Wooten’s hydraulic expert selected include only one — near one corner of the reservoir — that would need fill.

Another site on the other side near the reservoir point would require additional land purchase — though only if it were to become a production well.

One site, while on town land, would require access over privately owned property. That site is on the opposite side of Bear Creek from the reservoir.

All of the test wells — since they are drilled through rock — will be drilled to production size and standards. If they prove out, they can then be restyled as production wells. If only chlorination is needed, all one would see would be pipes.

If more well-site processing were to be needed, small structures about 10 by 20 feet would do, Grey told Commissioner Terri Holt when she asked about appearance.

Oppose VIPER

On the VIPER matter, in addition to objecting to any town payment for equipment or service, the board also said it is opposed to that choice of emergency communications system itself.

In this, Robbins joins a view held by virtually every municipal police department and fire department in the county, according to Sheffield.

“I am speaking now as your chief of police,” Sheffield said. “VIPER doesn’t work up here, and it doesn’t work at all in buildings. Somebody is going to get killed. If a fireman is trapped inside and needs help, he won’t be able to call out with VIPER.

“We are going to end up getting killed — or, something we all hate to think about — we are going to end up killing somebody.”

VIPER is a narrow-band digital system designed for highway patrol used on Interstate highways here and in other parts of the country — in open country — the chief said.

“It is expensive,” Sheffield said. “It is like a name brand,” “I know of other systems that are more like Walmart.”

Davis agreed vigorously, and all complained that towns had been led to believe that if VIPER were mandated by county action, county funds would pay the cost. Sheffield still insisted that no matter how much or how little, this system would be worse than useless in the Robbins area — it would be dangerous.

Audit Consultation

The commissioners split on only one issue.

The board voted 3-2 for additional consultation from Lloyd B. McConnell, a certified public accountant (CPA) who has done town audits. Commissioner Clair A. Barrow said she’d called him with the idea of looking over current fiscal year expenditures to get ready for budget planning.

“I did not want to bring this up,” she said. “Mac said he was very concerned about the last audit, about the lack of experience of the people he had to work with.”

Commissioner Rocky Davis objected to spending this additional $600. He said such reports could easily be computer generated by the finance officer.

Barrow replied she hadn’t wanted to say anything, but that the CPA said he’d had trouble doing town audits.

Holt, Barrow and Kevin Stewart supported the motion, while Davis and Joey Boswell opposed.

Charter Issue Raised

During the comment period of the meeting, Davis raised another issue.

“I have been told that there are commissioners that are campaigning to go back to the mayor-council form of government,” Davis said. “This is probably one of the most politically corrupt forms of government. It is a step backward. With manager/council you’ve got a professional. You’ve got professional people running your systems.

“When you step back, you are going to amateurs. You are a whole lot more liable. It shouldn’t even be considered.

“It took this town a long time to get to a manager-council plan and start making some progress. You do that, and you start backing up.”

Boswell agreed, again pointing out the risk of personal liability.

After the meeting, English said he would oppose any effort to change the charter.

Barrow warned about a coming land use and appraisal plan that, based on a working document, she worried would impact every landowner in the county.

The board also agreed to call a special meeting for Feb. 14 to open sealed bids on the fire station project.

Contact John Chappell at jfchappell@gmail.com.

More like this story

KevinStewart 1 year, 3 months ago

Just to clear up the headline, the Town did not approve wells, we approved a "change of scope" of a previously awarded contract with the Wooten Co. for the engineering study for the possibility of wells.

difflook 1 year, 3 months ago

Not surprising!!! wrong quote and facts again!!! guess writes on the position the writer wants!

deidretg 1 year, 3 months ago

The quote may have been wrong but the Town of Robbins ia absolutely right in what it is doing. This is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise depressing county situation. A shining light in a room full of dark, backroom, spend crazy, political power mongers who are driving us to financial ruin. Since the one stabilizing force is leaving the building next December the future for my children here in Moore County looks bleak, indeed.

MooreNorth 1 year, 3 months ago

Thanks! Haven't laughed that hard, and long, since the River Dance Chimps on that TV commercial.

MooreNorth 1 year, 3 months ago

And on the whole charter change thing, I think someone told Mr Davis a story.

SoPinesNo1 1 year, 3 months ago

I'm not sure that wells in Moore County, in and around Robbins, are the answer to the Town's water long term water needs. Isn't this the same area of the County that some want to sacrifice to fracking? Isn't this the same area where many households signed up to be potential customers of the Northwest Moore Water District because their existing wells contained too much sulfur and iron to drink or do their laundry? Isn't this the area in the County with the highest concentration of mining for minerals and other deposits? Why risk millions of tax dollars on the chance that a long term supply of public water can be acquired by digging wells and treating the contaminents that it may contain?

I not sure about the advantages/disadvantages of VIPER, but it is obvious that McSwain is the source and cause of the funding problem as stated in a post on another article by Deidretg. How long before the BOC sees this and rids the County of the McSwain plague?

difflook 1 year, 3 months ago

So PinesNo1-TRUE!!!! Why just look short term??? on the water?? why not help ALL northern Moore Residents to be able to have water?? you can do more with all than you can just on your own!

Frank14623 1 year, 3 months ago

I am glad the Robbins Police Chief Jeff Sheffield added his voice to the opposition of the ultra expensive VIPER system. I am glad that I am not the only one who thinks there are major flaws in the design of this system for Moore County. Let's pray our elected officials get their heads out of the sand and thoroughly investigate this wasteful project before as Chief Sheffield said ends "up getting killed. Frank Carrara

deidretg 1 year, 3 months ago

I'm amazed that The Pilot has not taken this article and the other one about Viper down yet. Typically, these kind of inconvenient responses to the goings on by the powers that be in Moore County will get cause them to be trash canned immediately, lest the light shine too brightly on the back room boys.

prfxshn 1 year, 3 months ago

Yep, everyone get your comments in before they put the block on!

deidretg 1 year, 3 months ago

Here is a portion of Florence Gilkeson's article in The Pilot concerning the BOC annual business meeting held on January 19, 2012; ".......(At a previous meeting some board members expressed preference for negotiating with Robbins in a closed session, a proposal that met with opposition.)

The board reached a consensus to concentrate first on the Robbins system. Gould said it would take about two weeks to “tweak” the Robbins option in preparation for a meeting with the Robbins board, and the board asked County Manager Cary McSwain to make arrangements for a meeting with Robbins........." The important part of this quote is "....some board members expressed a preference for negotiating with Robbins in a closed session....". This is always the attitude of bullies. Lets get the job done in the dark and when you have the likes of a T. Cary McSwain to do the dirty work, it's a no brainer. Just look at what this used to be "Detention Center Administrator (Richland County, SC) has going on in downtown Carthage right now ($42 million Detention Center). Fortunately, most people still consider this kind of heavy handed, back room bullying outrageous and enough was said to make the BOC back down. Hopefully, Robbins will keep their independence and freedom (unlike poor Vass and Pinehurst) and lock their doors until that crowd is out of office and McSwain is shown the door.

SoPinesNo1 1 year, 3 months ago

I wish someone would post something good that McSwain has done while here in Moore County. Anyone?

deidretg 1 year, 3 months ago

Maybe he is angling for some kind of separation package similar to the one he got at the termination of his last job at the hands of the exasperated Richland County, SC Board of Commissioners (full pay for 10 months after he was shown the door ($100,000+ according to the existing public record). According to statements made by some commissioners, it took years for them to recover enough to fill the position that he left in disarray.