Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
� S <br /> the available grant funds are awarded in the first stage. <br /> Typically, only funds that become available as a result of <br /> revolving loan fund repayments are made available for grants <br /> awarded in the second stage. All grant applications that are <br /> not funded in the first stage become automatically eligible <br /> for consideration in the second stage without re-application. <br /> An applicant may elect to update project information or <br /> submit new information which may cause DEM to re-evaluate a <br /> project' s rated funding priority. <br /> The second potential grant funding opportunity which may <br /> exist for the Piney Mountain project results from a time <br /> limited special process created in the 1994 session of the NC <br /> General Assembly. The Assembly adopted House Bill 1628, <br /> which enables but does not require the EMC to apply a process <br /> involving the adoption of temporary rules to evaluate and <br /> fund projects addressing failing community waste treatment <br /> systems like that of Piney Mountain. The temporary rule <br /> process can occur outside of and apart from the normal grant <br /> funding cycle. The temporary process is, however, time <br /> limited with a December 31, 1994 deadline for submission of <br /> both grant applications and grant approval. Under the <br /> provisions of HB 1628, funding is available only to water and <br /> sewer districts, sewer districts or counties. HB 1628 does <br /> not mention by name the ten community systems which were <br /> owned and operated by Northstate Utilities, but it is common <br /> knowledge that the bill was specifically intended to address <br /> the Northstate systems. <br /> County and OWASA staff have proceeded under the assumption, <br /> as of the July 14th EMC vote, that the potential for grant <br /> funding of the Piney Mountain project was essentially non- <br /> existent. However, meetings between representatives of the <br /> Piney Mountain home owners and DEM staff have led the Piney <br /> Mountain home owners to believe that some hope for grant <br /> funding still exists. During the week of August 1st, the <br /> Piney Mountain home owners approached County and OWASA staff <br /> to request that the County continue seeking either high unit <br /> cost grant funding or the "temporary process" grant funding. <br /> Staff informed the home owners that both the BOCC and the <br /> OWASA board had already been notified that the Environmental <br /> Management Commission (EMC) had denied the County' s grant <br /> funding application; that the grant funding process had been <br /> completed; and that the County's role in the funding process <br /> was concluded. Staff informed the home owners that the BOCC <br /> and the OWASA board would be apprised of the situation and be <br /> requested to provide guidance to staff on the renewal of <br /> efforts to obtain grant funding. <br /> At this time, it is not clear to either County or OWASA staff <br /> as to the probability of grant funds being awarded for Piney <br /> Mountain should the County elect to continue with the grant <br /> funding process. The General Assembly did not directly order <br /> the EMC to adopt special rules or fund the Northstate <br />