Progress is being made toward appointment of a land-use plan steering committee, but the decision won’t be final until a future meeting of the Moore County Board of Commissioners.

Commissioner Jimmy Melton shared a list of names recommended for inclusion on the committee during a Tuesday board meeting. Melton and Commissioner Tim Lea, both former chairmen of the county Planning Board, were asked at a previous meeting to come up with a set of recommendations. Lea was sick and unable to attend the meeting, and the board decided to wait until all five commissioners could be present before taking a vote.

“This is a very serious part of our county’s future,” said Robert Hayter, the current chairman of the Planning Board and the man who will chair the land-use plan steering committee.

Hayter said he has discussed the makeup of the committee with Lea, Melton and commissioners’ Chairman Larry Caddell. Although Hayter said he did not want to restrict participation, he urged the commissioners not to form a committee so large that it would be unwieldy or cause problems with securing a quorum for vital decisions.

The county planning staff, now headed by director Debra Ensminger, has been urging the commissioners to appoint the committee so work can begin on development of a plan updating the initial one adopted in 1999. The new plan will take into consideration changes in population and other demographics since 1999 and will add such issues as utilities and related infrastructure needs.

Village Water Main

In other business, the board gave tentative approval to a memorandum of understanding with The Village Chapel pertaining to a water main to serve an addition to the church compound in Pinehurst.

Caddell made a motion to adopt an option that encompasses the chapel’s utility needs and also provides service to outlying areas. The board’s decision is subject to scrutiny by the county attorney.

The option finally approved by the board will provide sufficient water flow to provide fire protection for the chapel’s planned education building and will also serve a nearby area. The chapel has agreed to pay the $130,000 estimated cost of the water main serving the new facility, and the county is to pay the remaining cost, estimated at $94,600.

Public Works Director Randy Gould recommended the option serving both the chapel and the surrounding area. The design options were prepared by the engineering firm McGill Associates.

“It will benefit the entire area,” Gould told the board.

Caddell at first expressed reservations about committing a future board to paying for a capital improvement yet to be implemented.

However, County Manager Cary McSwain explained that the board is not committing the county for payment but is approving a concept to be developed in the future. A spokesman for the chapel added that board approval would enable the congregation to launch a fundraising campaign for its share of the cost.

“The chapel is willing to pay for one option in full. What they need is that we include their need in the plan,” McSwain said.

Approval was unanimous.

Other Business

Also during the meeting, the commissioners took the following actions:

• Adopted a cost allocation plan for the Community Development Division. Community development planner Tim Emmert said the plan would enable the planning department to forecast grant reimbursable costs related to block grants.

• Approved additional county review officers for approval of all surveys and plats recorded in the county. They are Richard Del Conte, Debra Ensminger, Robert Farrell, Tim Garner and Sue Girton, who will approve plats before they are recorded by the Register of Deeds.

• Tabled a Targeted Transit Assistance Program grant agreement for Moore County Transportation Services to give the commissioners time to review the agreement, not received until earlier on the day of the meeting. The agreement is with the N.C. Department of Transport-ation Public Trans-portation Division for grant amounts of $64,345 for capital needs and $94,733 for operating expenses. The local match of $53,822 is to be met through user fees.

• Approved a revision of the project ordinance for the wastewater treatment plant expansion. Gould reported that the revised budget lowers the cost from $32.9 million to $25.4 million, now that the county has awarded contracts and has received the correct amount of state loans.

• Approved a change order to the construction contract with Terry’s Plumbing and Utilities for a sewer line extension serving ATEX Technologies at Pinebluff. The change order increases the contract by $53,150 to a new total of $578,540. The changes include an additional spare pump, a manhole coating, gravity line changes and other additions and adjustments.

• Approved a new contract with West End Fire and Rescue to encompass both services into one contract.

• Approved a contract with the town of Aberdeen Fire and Rescue Department consolidating both services into one contract.

• Approved an amendment to the town of Pinebluff contract for fire protection and medical services to provide medical services following the dissolution of the Aberdeen Rescue Squad in July.

• Updated the lease contract with Cypress Pointe Fire and Rescue reflecting a change in the name of the unit now providing fire and rescue services as a result of the merger of Vass Rescue, Circle V Fire and Cameron Fire. The only change is in the name.

• Approved an updated product and service agreement with Century Link Sales Solutions Inc. for automatic number identification, automatic location identification, selective routing and the 911 emergency communications database. Under the new contract the county saves $12,304 a month, according to Public Safety Director D. Bryan Phillips.

• Approved mileage reimbursement for trips to be made by Commissioner Tim Lea to represent the county at Triangle J meetings for the remainder of the 2012 fiscal year. Potential cost for the year is projected to be $834.24.

Contact Florence Gilkeson at florence@thepilot.com.