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open discussions with Mebane and Hillsborough. There are roughly 212 customers being <br /> served now, 16 residential units that could be served but are not and 83 vacant parcels where <br /> service is available. He said that staff is looking at a rate charged to users that are using the <br /> utility and a service availability fee to those who could use it but do not and then a fee on the <br /> vacant lots. He does not have the numbers yet, but he is pursuing it. <br /> Commissioner Yuhasz asked if the planning policies encourage water and sewer in <br /> these areas and Craig Benedict said yes and that they are called urban transition areas. The <br /> Efland Fire Department will probably also be pulled into the discussion regarding fire <br /> suppression and the big picture in emergency services. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs verified that the ultimate system includes Buckhorn Road and <br /> Craig Benedict said that for the future sewer system, the EPA grant has a north Buckhorn <br /> Road program. It does not include areas south of I-85. It does include the People for <br /> Progress. Commissioner Jacobs said that, as part of that, Mebane agreed to waive its <br /> availability fees for the people in that area. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs asked what the County pays the Town of Hillsborough for water <br /> and Craig Benedict said that the County only pays for what it uses at this time. <br /> Commissioner Pelissier asked about a rough timeframe for looking at the availability <br /> fee. Frank Clifton said that they want to make sure the Board of County Commissioners is <br /> open to this approach. He is trying to get verification of this information and have discussions <br /> with the Town of Hillsborough before bringing it back to the Board of County Commissioners. <br /> PUBLIC COMMENT: <br /> Elvira Mebane said that when the County came to them to talk about the problem at <br /> Efland Cheeks Elementary School, the community decided to help the County and sign on to <br /> the sewer system even though they did not have failing septic systems like the school did. <br /> Some of the people are paying the rate but are not hooked onto the system because they <br /> wanted to help the community. She said that it was the community understanding that money <br /> would be available to hook everyone up to the sewer system, but the money ran out. This is <br /> not the community's fault. She said that they thought that the County would try to seek funds <br /> to complete the job, but this never happened. She said that the systems continue to fail in <br /> Buckhorn and people cannot drink their water. She said that this leaves the community having <br /> to pay double rates because the County has failed to find money to complete the job in 1984. <br /> She said that the community came together in good faith and now it seems that the community <br /> is being penalized. <br /> Sam Gharbo distributed a PowerPoint presentation. <br /> Orange County Sewer in Efland <br /> The impact of the new rate structure <br /> and next steps <br /> How will the full rate hike impact a customer on the system once the rates are fully <br /> implemented? <br /> How will the full rate hike impact a customer on the system once the rates are fully <br /> implemented? <br /> Monthly budget <br /> $1,157 Cash per month <br />