Agenda - 10-01-2003-9e - Laserfiche WebLink

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E. 2002 EPA Grant In 2002, County Commissioners worked with Congressman David Price to secure an EPA grant to address the wastewater collection needs of the Buckhorn Community and to create the nucleus (a main pumping station and force main) of a system that would ultimately provide wastewater collection for the Buckhorn EDD. Approximately $900,000 in EPA funding was awarded to the County to address these needs in early 2003. Subsequent to the award of the EPA grant, County Planning and Engineering staff began working with the Orange County School system to identify potential school sites in the Efland area that could be served with public utilities. The County Manager's and Planning Department staff were also working with City of Mebane staff to determine the feasibility of using the EPA grant to fund the development of a Buckhorn Road community and EDD utility service area connected to the City's wastewater collection and water distribution systems at and near the Buckhorn Road PetroMart site. These discussions led to the conclusions that it was possible to connect the Buckhorn community and EDD are to Mebane's utilities, pending the successful outcome of formal negotiations between the County and the City on utility extension and annexation agreements. An opportunity now exists to coordinate the use of funds from the 1997 Efland Bond with the EPA wastewater grant to develop a relatively large wastewater utility project for Efland. This project can provide for: a) the long awaited extension of wastewater collection service for central Efland: b) the extension of utility service to the Buckhorn EDD (without which the EDD may not become a viable entity). F. Sewer Service and Grant Challenges There are a number of challenges that must be met before these opportunities can come to fruition. The EPA grant is a matching fund grant (55% EPA/45% local) which means that the County must: 1) tie the Efland Sewer Bond project to the Buckhorn project so that the bond funds serve as the grant match; 2) not tie the projects together, but come up with another source of funds to match the grant; or 3) decline the grant funding. Tying the Bond and Grant funding together means that simultaneous design and bidding of both projects will be required although actual construction may be accomplished in two phases. Furthermore, if the County accepts the EPA grant, it must adhere to all EPA guidelines dealing with selecting consultants, bidding, contract administration, etc. for both phases of the contract. Orange County Middle School #3 The Orange County School District, with approval from the Board of County Commissioners on June 27, 2003, has pursued an option on 102 acres within the Buckhorn EDD. Feasibility of a school site include as priority the investigation of utilities. The school board may be able to purchase a site at relatively low costs in the portion of the EDD where the core portion (initial developed phase) of the overall utility system would be built. Other public uses in conjunction with the school as determined by the county could also share in the expanded utility system.