Orange County NC Website
91 <br /> noted that there has not been an acceptable level of communication <br /> with Lake Orange residents about the raising of the dam. <br /> Chair Willhoit inquired what the dam level is and Spears respo <br /> nded that the rights that exist in the legal document appear to be to <br /> the contour level 615. Willhoit asked if there was an interest in <br /> raising the dam more than one foot. Some residents stated that the <br /> figure they had been told was two feet or more. Willhoit noted that <br /> 614 is the current level of the dam and to put flashboards on the dam <br /> to raise it one foot would yield approximately 120, 000. <br /> Chair Willhoit asked the County Manager the cost of raising the <br /> dam one foot. Thompson responded the expected expenditure is <br /> something over $100, 000 and it is a cost-benefit question as to <br /> whether one foot is worth that type expenditure. Willhoit asked if a <br /> new reservoir could be built for this amount and the response was <br /> "just about that" . Willhoit asked that it be clarified that the <br /> intent was to raise the dam only one foot and even that is not certain <br /> at this time. <br /> Motion was made by Commissioner Marshall, seconded by <br /> Commissioner Commissioner Carey to adopt a policy limiting the <br /> improvements to the Lake Orange dam to one foot of additional <br /> flashboard and in no case to exceeds the 615 level. <br /> VOTE: UNANIMOUS. <br /> Ms. Tilley stated that at a meeting with management, one purpose <br /> was to get approval from the property owners to raise the water level <br /> of Lake Orange two feet. She noted that this would cause considerable <br /> flooding over and above the property owned by the County. In the <br /> property owners ' opinion, the increase in water supply would not <br /> justify the high cost and damage to property. They felt that a more <br /> cost effective approach should be considered. She continued that if a <br /> reservoir were constructed on Seven Mile Creek, it would be much <br /> larger than Lake Orange and strongly suggested that this be the route <br /> the County take. <br /> Pat Key, Lake Orange property owner, stated that even with the <br /> motion stating only one foot, she still had concerns that the matter <br /> was not closed. She expressed concern with lack of notification also <br /> regarding the cost of "band-aid solution" . She felt a reservoir <br /> needed to be started that would benefit all of Orange County. <br /> Margaret Holton, speaking for the League of Women Voters <br /> presented the statement included in the permanent agenda file in the Clerk' s <br /> Office. <br /> Mary Frances Ramsey spoke as a concerned citizen who owns <br /> property on the Eno River. Ms. Ramsey expressed concern with the <br /> inadequate in stream flow. She requested that the in-stream flow <br /> should never be lower than the minimum 1.7 recommended by the State. <br /> Crawford Goodman spoke as Chair of the Preservation Fund of <br /> Hillsborough, a group concerned with the preservation of the beauty of <br /> the Town. Mr. Goodman expressed concern with the visible decline of <br /> the central natural feature of Hillsborough-the Eno River. In <br /> particular, he focused on what he termed "the missing link" between <br /> Lake Ben Johnson and the treatment plant outfall. He indicated that <br /> this section of the river was severely impacted during periods of <br />