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MINUTES
<br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF' COMMISSIONERS
<br />OCTOBER 28, 1976
<br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners met jointly with the
<br />Orange Water and Sewer Authority on Thursday, October 28, 1976, at
<br />the Carrboro Town Hall in Carrboro, N. C.
<br />Commissioners present were Chairman Flora Garrett, Norman
<br />Gustaveson, Jan Pinney and Richard Whitted.
<br />Commissioner absent was Norman walker.
<br />Members of the Orange hater-Sewer Authority present were Ghairman
<br />Paul Morris, Arthur Hurow, Flora Garrett, Jonathan Howes, Ernest
<br />Patterson, Braxton Foushee, A11en Platers, and Shirley f4arshall.
<br />Others present were S. M. Gattis, County Administrator; Neal Evans,
<br />Finance Director, and Betty June Hayes, Clerk to the Board.
<br />Flora Garrett opened the meeting with a short summary of Orange
<br />County's interest and involvment with the development of water resources
<br />for Orange County. Mrs. Garrett stated that "the County had developed
<br />Lake Orange, and had acquired some land and had begun to develop on a
<br />slow basis Seven Mile Creek. She stated that "when the Authority and
<br />Southern Orange Community began to really get into difficult regarding
<br />additional water and we could see that resources were being transfer
<br />to a public body, we decided that it might be appropriate for us to talk
<br />about joining together in some kind of manner to create not only water
<br />resources for northern Orange County, in development of Seven Mile Creek,
<br />but to do it on a total county-wide basis and also to help in the develop-
<br />ment of water resources for southern Orange County, because there are
<br />many benefits. It is very easy to say that this only benefits the people
<br />who drink the water, or the urban residents, but I don't think that is
<br />true. There are many other benefits that can be acquired and many long
<br />range affects of planning for good and adequate water, so that we
<br />don't ever have to have conservation ordinances, maybe in the future.
<br />That is what we are' striving for. We are both striving for plans for
<br />the future. So, with those words, what we gave the other night, I
<br />think there was a consensus statement that the Commissioners were in-
<br />terested in developing a total water resource for the County. I think
<br />that was made a part of the official record. The first thing we ought
<br />to do beside asking for some up-date on Seven Mile Creek from Rose,
<br />Pridgen and Freemon, was to discuss with the Authority how the County
<br />and the Utility can work together. So the Commissioners are here to-
<br />night to discuss with you the opportunity."
<br />Mr. Faul Morris stated, "we might as well get into it, and that is
<br />the financing. The cost of construction of Cane Creek, and the extent
<br />to which the County would be interested and willing to do the initial
<br />financing. That would be, I guess, the initial part, and once that is,
<br />if there is an affirmative answer to that then there are a lot of things
<br />up the line to begin now to discuss. What would be the local arrange-
<br />ment and agreement between the County and the Authority so that the
<br />Authority could be guaranteed that this water resource would be adequate
<br />to meet the needs of south Orange as if we had gone on and built it our-
<br />selves. So, I guess, the first thing to do is too find out how serious
<br />the County is, and how logical the County thinks it is to talk about the
<br />initial financing from County resources."
<br />Mrs. Garrett stated, "there arm several ways. One of the advantages,
<br />I think, of the County proceeding is the use of general obligation bonds.
<br />Now there are several ways to use general obligation bonds but we, since
<br />you have just plunged right ahead, there are several ways to do it. We
<br />could propose to build the reservoir and the Authority could construct
<br />the pipe lines, the pumping station and what else is necessary to take
<br />the water into the County. There is another way, which is along the same
<br />line, the County could use general obligation bonds to construct the
<br />reservoir and also sell the water at a bulk rate to the Authority. Then
<br />the people who are using our water, who da not pay taxes, can share in
<br />benefits. There would still be a very substantial saving, it would seem,
<br />either way by using the revenue bonds. The other thing that I would hope
<br />the County could pursue, and the Authority also, is the fact that there
<br />are steps that need to be taken regarding sedimentation structures, rural
<br />conservation and development funding which the County is eligible as a
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