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it D cif <br /> 1,› c. Capacity Use Public Hearing <br /> 030 Jacobs asked if minutes were to be available from <br /> the public hearing . Collins responded he would <br /> request them from the Division of Water Resources. <br /> Best asked when the Board had to make a statement <br /> regarding the capacity use designation . Collins <br /> responded that March 3 is the deadline for written <br /> comments to the Division of Water Resources. <br /> MOTION: Best moved that a statement be prepared to accept <br /> the capacity use designation with assurance from <br /> the State that they will work with the local <br /> governments and in a designated time frame to <br /> develop regional cooperation and a management plan <br /> that would eventually lift the capacity use <br /> designation . Seconded by Pilkey . <br /> Pilkey reported on the capacity use public hearing <br /> noting that of the forty-five people speaking at <br /> the February 3 public hearing, only five were <br /> against the capacity use designation and two <br /> remained unsure. Almost everyone spoke to the <br /> concern of water management. She noted that an <br /> elected official from the Town of Smithfield <br /> thanked State representatives for the Capacity Use <br /> Hearing and urged the designation for the benefit <br /> of those users downstream. Pilkey continued that <br /> most of the people speaking were landowners along <br /> the river all the way to Smithfield and they <br /> expressed the desire for a capacity use designation <br /> because of lack of water. Concerns were also <br /> expressed with the raising of flashboards by the <br /> Town of Hillsborough . Farmers expressed concern <br /> with the 100,000 gallons noting that it in times of <br /> drought such an amount could be used very quickly. <br /> It was indicated that by those directing the public <br /> hearing that farmers would fall in a different <br /> designation . <br /> Collins stated that OWASA spoke in opposition to a <br /> capacity use designation . He continued that those <br /> opposed seemed to be municipalities, utilities and <br /> agricultural interests. Those in favor of the <br /> designation were property owners along the Eno who <br /> are environmentally oriented as well as the Eno <br /> State Park and Wildlife Associations. <br /> Jacobs informed the Board that the Commissioners <br /> had stated their support for a capacity use <br /> designation with the reservation that they wished <br /> to have some opportunity to develop - a local <br /> mechanism for administration of the allocation of <br /> the water resources . He asked if this was to be in <br /> conjunction with the capacity use designation . <br /> Collins responded that his impression was that the <br /> Commissioners wanted to set up a local mechanism as <br /> a means of avoiding a capacity use designation. <br />