Minutes - 19971022 - Laserfiche WebLink

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VOTE: Motion Passed It was decided to address Item One at this time rather than Item Two. ITEM ONE (i): This item reads as follows: The Working Group recommends that water and sewer mains be extended to provide service to the area along the entire length of Rogers Road, Millhouse Road from Eubanks Road to New Jericho Road, and serving households on other side streets off these main roads (including, but not limited to Purefoy Drive, Rusch Road, Priscilla Lane, Sandberg Lane, Meadow Run Court, Manor Drive, Manor Court and Blackwood Mountain Road). These improvements would be provided by the completion of the 2002-2003 fiscal year. The costs of providing these improvements should be paid for by landfill funds to the extent allowed by North Carolina law. The remaining costs of these improvements should be divided among the owners of the Regional Landfill on the same basis as their ownership (i.e. Orange County 43%, Town of Chapel Hill 43%, Town of Carrboro 14%). The Working Group recommends that the Town of Chapel Hill act as the coordinating agency in carrying out these improvements. A motion was made by Mayor Waldorf, seconded by Alderman Gist to approve this item as presented. VOTE: Motion Did Not Pass A substitute motion was made by Alderman Gist, seconded by Alderman Zaffron, to approve this item with the removal of the words "and sewer" so that only water would be provided in this area. Alderman Gist stated that the water is not potable. She referred to the October 21, 1997 report from the Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources regarding the Old Mill House Road property belonging to Mr. Kirschner. A copy of that letter is incorporated herein by reference. County Attorney Gledhill stated that if this could not be justified as a landfill expense it could be justified as a joint enterprise expense. The elected boards are in a position to define what constitutes a community. What needs to be determined is whether or not the situation with the water is a result of the landfill. The well which is contaminated could be coincidental to its proximity to the landfill. The Rural Buffer issue is that the Joint Planning Land Use Plan strongly discourages public water and sewer in the rural buffer. The Orange County Water and Sewer Policy states that water and sewer will be extended into the rural buffer for water and sewer emergencies or essential public facilities only. There are two planning hurdles to providing water to this community. Commissioner Gordon asked if, in fact, this would be against the Orange County Water and Sewer Policy. She also asked if this property could be removed from the rural buffer in order to provide water. County Attorney Gledhill indicated that voting for this would be against the Water and Sewer Policy. Removing this property from the Rural Buffer could possibly be a solution. Council member Chilton suggested an additional amendment to this motion. He suggested that the properties included be limited to #1-11 and 29-52 as listed in Table 1 of the Hazen and Sawyer report dated October 1997. The cost of these projects would then be 2.2 Million dollars. Alderman Gist accepted this amendment. Commissioner Gordon stated that she felt that there was merit to this suggestion but is troubled about the Rural Buffer. She asked if the amendment could say that this would be in Carrboro or Chapel Hill's Transition area? Alderman Gist spoke in opposition to that possibility and stated that it was considered acceptable to put the landfill in the Rural Buffer. She did not see why providing water should be a large problem. Council member Capowski stated that his understanding was that in the entire area there were 330 homes. He asked if that was correct? There is only one clear case of contamination with no clearly identifiable cause for the contamination.