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Town seeks grants to help with water systems upgrades |
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By Maurice Emery
Editor Emeritus |
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| Run off water and fresh water were on the minds of town leaders last week. Money for state offered community block grants was the focus at the public hearings to address the possibilities afforded the town under the 2007 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. It was an opportunity for the town’s citizens to express their feelings to the town leaders. Only two citizens showed up for the state required meeting. The first meeting started at 6 p.m. The purpose of the meeting was to receive input from town citizens regarding needs that may be addressed through the 2007 Small Cities CDBG Program. Under this program the board is considering applying for grant money to deal with the storm water problems in town. The money would provide funds to be used to improve the existing infrastructure. No citizens came to speak for or against the program. In the end the board decided to go ahead with an application for the grant money. The process could take several months before they know whether on not they will get the funds. The second meeting started at 6:15 p.m. The purpose for this meeting was to receive input from town and project area citizens regarding a proposed pre-application for the 2007 NC Small Cities CDBG Program to replace and install up to date waterlines in the east end neighborhood. Present at the meeting to provide an overview of the project were Dennis Patton, Director, from Planning and Development Services, Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments, and Joe Dooley, another official from the same organization. In addition to the overview they came prepared with a map showing the area that will be impacted if the town receives the funds. A memorandum to the town from the NC Department of Commerce, Division of Community Assistance, provided guidelines for consideration prior to being considered for the funding. Among the guidelines is that projects must eliminate serious water and/or wastewater problems having health and/or environmental consequences and primarily benefit low and moderate-income people. This consideration was addressed when one town citizen told the board that when she visited Littleton prior to moving here she could drink the water, now it is undrinkable. "It’s terrible," she stated. When she told the board where she lived it was revealed that her home is at the end of the water line where water can sit cause the problem she was talking about. She was told that if the money is approved for new lines they have changed the way they install the end of the water lines. The new method was designed to prevent water from sitting and becoming a problem at the end of lines, so the problem she is experiencing will be corrected. The only other complaint about the project was tied into the wastewater lines project that was recently completed. A resident was concerned about the guidelines for paying for the new water pipes from the main line to the house. She told the board that when it came to the sewer lines she was honest about her income and had to pay far more than her neighbors, who, she implied, did not reveal their total income. She was informed that once again the cost for running the lines from the mainline to the house will be based on income. New service will be provided to people under the poverty level. It was revealed that there is a need for new pipes in the east end neighborhood. Ninety-five percent of the pipes are bad and many of them are more than fifty years old. They have situations where a small line will come off the mainline and then be distributed to three houses. Situations like this easily lead to low water pressure when your neighbors are using the water. Under the new construction this will not be allowed. The information gathered at the town meeting will be used in applying for the grant. As of the grant application they are required to submit documentation of need from an official source-health department of the appropriate state agency or regional office in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Other information they are required to submit includes preliminary evidence of a first public hearing, copy of notice (of the meeting), affidavit of publication and minutes of the public meeting. They have until Aug. 31 to submit all the information to be considered for funding. In another situation that came up during the meeting regarding water was a citizen who expressed concern that her water bill has tripled. Prior to the present problem she shared water with her brother, who lived next door, and together they used less water than what the recent meter readings shows she is using now. When she was sharing water her high bill was for 11,000 gallons of water for one month. This month’s bill could be for 17,000 to 18,000 gallons of water. Keith Hamm superintendent of the towns wastewater treatment plant, was on hand to discuss the problem and insure the board that they have been and are doing everything they can to find the problem. In addition to various test they have tried to locate the problem they plan to dig up the pipes and place an additional meter on the lines to try to isolate where the probable leak is. In comments to the Observer, Hamm stated they will stay on this problem until it is resolved. |
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| Jul 25, 2007 | ||||||
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