Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
12 <br /> County' s project account. Funds expended by the Association to <br /> test, repair and construct portions of the subdivision collection <br /> system and the individual STEP systems are also not shown within <br /> the project cost/expenditure figures. These expenses are not <br /> eligible for payment from the County project fund, even though <br /> monies for these expenditures were included in the estimates which <br /> determined the total amount of the fund. This situation has <br /> occurred because the procedures by which those expenses were <br /> incurred did not conform to statutory bidding requirements for <br /> publicly funded projects. <br /> The contracts governing the actions and responsibilities of OWASA, <br /> the Homeowners Association and the County relative to the <br /> wastewater treatment system improvements make provision for repairs <br /> to the STEP systems owned by the individual homeowners in the Piney <br /> Mountain subdivision. The agreements require that an engineer <br /> provide a certified evaluation of needed STEP system repairs with a <br /> cost estimate for accomplishing those repairs. The homeowners are <br /> required to deposit with the County a sum equal to 110% of the cost <br /> estimate provided by the STEP system engineer. The Piney Mountain <br /> Homeowners Association has authorized the County to transfer funds <br /> remaining in the existing wastewater improvement account at project <br /> close out into another account which will fund the required 110% of <br /> the STEP system repairs. As of June 1995, the most recent <br /> engineer' s estimated cost of repair for all STEP systems was <br /> approximately $26,000. The required STEP system deposit totalling <br /> 110% of this amount is approximately $29,000. This $29,000 is not <br /> shown as an estimated expenditure in the Piney Mountain project <br /> cost/expenditure figures provided above. It is anticipated that <br /> all repairs to the STEP systems will be completed within the same <br /> time frame as the pump station/force main project. In this event, <br /> it is unlikely that any funds will be required for or transferred <br /> into a STEP system repair account. Assuming that no STEP fund <br /> transfers or other unanticipated and additional charges against the <br /> County project fund are incurred, the Homeowners Association stands <br /> to be reimbursed approximately $66,000 plus accrued interest at the <br /> close out of the pump station/force main project. <br /> In response to the Piney Mountain Homeowners Association petitions <br /> for remission of OWASA and County administrative/legal charges, the <br /> following information related to those charges has been compiled. <br /> To date, OWASA' s charges to the homeowners total $22,312. OWASA <br /> charges up through culmination of the grant application were <br /> $11260, which included approximately $6500 in legal costs <br /> associated with development of the agreements among the County, <br /> OWASA and the Homeowners Association. All of the remaining OWASA <br /> charges, approximately $15,812, reflect the engineering and <br /> administrative costs related to development of agreements, project <br /> construction administration and supervision, etc. OWASA has <br /> determined that all additional costs incurred after 1 July 1995 <br /> will be integrated into individual sewer bills. <br />