Sewer system funding complex on Home Services

Jan

Sewer system funding complex

posted by admin in Sewer Septic

Locales, including Trent Woods, face financial decisionsThe Town of Dover wants to build a sewer system.Situated in a pocosin, the town has a drainage problem, said town Finance Officer Charles Barrow.”Some areas, there really is not enough land for a septic system there,” Barrow said. “Many perspective building sites will not perk for a septic system.”The town has received a $3 million grant from the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center to build a sewer system. But the grant is contingent on a 10 percent match, Barrow said, and the town has a grant application before the Clean Water Management Trust Fund requesting just that.”If we get that second grant, well be able to go forward,” Barrow said.Trent Woods is also seeking money from the fund to offset $7.6 million of its cost to hook onto New Berns sewer system.In Onslow County near Holly Ridge, just over 61 acres is up for sale at Morris Landing on Stump Sound, a place that has been traditionally used as a water access area.The North Carolina Coastal Federation and the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries has applied for a $972,000 grant from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund to buy the tract.Marine Fisheries would use the site to stock pile oyster shells for its cultch planting program, said Coastal Federation Executive Director Todd Miller. But the purchase would also ensure continued public water access and preserve a buffer along Stump Sound that will protect water quality, he said.”Its prime real estate in terms of development potential,” Miller said. “Youd probably end up seeing 100 houses along the waterway.”Already this year, in the first of two application cycles, the Clean Water Management Trust Fund has received $100 million-worth of grant requests from local governments and non-profit organizations, said trust fund Executive Director Bill Holman. About $35 million of those projects were reviewed and considered eligible, he said.”Thats a way of saying that if the General Assembly appropriates the money, they most likely will be funded,” Holman said.Just how much money the General Assembly will appropriate to the Clean Water Management Trust Fund is still up in the air.The Trust Fund was established by the General Assembly in 1996 to assist in financing projects to protect or restore water quality in rivers, lakes and estuaries. It was at first funded at $30 million per year, but in 2000 the lawmakers approved legislation that gradually increased that funding to $100 million a year in 2003 and thereafter.It has helped fund such projects as the acquisition of the Hoop Hole Creek property in Atlantic Beach and Huggins Island, now part of Hammocks Beach State Park.The initial House version of this years budget would have cut the Trust Fund to $25 million for each of fiscal years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005. The Senate version kept the funding at $100 million each year. A conference committee of both House and Senate members is negotiating the difference, and last week House conferees proposed a budget that would allocate $30 million each year to the Clean Water Management Trust Fund.Rep. Stephen LaRoque, R-Lenoir, said much of the House conferees reluctance to go higher in funding stems from the Trust Funds cash balance of about $123 million. The Trust Fund has spent only about $59 million over the past 15 months, LaRoque said.”Based on their history, theres ample money in there,” LaRoque said. “I think it would be very imprudent of us to over-fund a particular area by $100 million.”Holman said though that the Trust Fund operates under contracts with its grantees on a reimbursement basis.”Even though theres $123 million at the treasurers office for Clean Water, almost all of that money has been encumbered and promised to a local government or non-profit,” Holman said.There are other priorities as well, LaRoque said, such as paying back debt and beefing up the Rainy Day Fund.”If this state has a natural disaster, were in a mess,” LaRoque said.”We feel like were limited to the amount of money weve got,” said Rep. Robert Grady, R-Onslow.The Senate budget shows more revenue sources than the House.The House budget eliminates the so-called marriage tax penalty and increases child tax credits. The Senate plan delays the implementation of the family tax credits and also sets up some additional sales taxes and increases fees.”In our budget we had enough money to do the things that we had in our budget,” said Sen. Scott Thomas, D-Craven.But House leaders have said they cannot agree to raise revenues, Thomas said.The economy of eastern North Carolina is dependant on tourism, which is directly related to having clean, safe waters, Thomas said.”Its not just spending to be spending,” Thomas said. “Its spending to invest in our state and natural resources.”During the course of negotiations House conferees brought up cutting the Natural Heritage Trust Fund and the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, as well as the Clean Water Management Trust Fund. The discussions prompted Division of Coastal Management Director Donna Moffitt to send out an e-mail requesting that people lobby against the idea and as of this week some were still not sure where the proposal stood.”This is something that were mighty concerned about,” said Charlie Peek, spokesman for the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. “Those three funds are the engines that drive any kind of land acquisition projects — whether its state or local — for parks and open space.”Coastwide, the N.C. Division of Coastal Management has received 57 requests this year for grants for water access projects totaling about $4 million, said Steve Underwood, division assistant director for policy and planning. Twelve of these requests came from the central coastal district, which covers Carteret, Craven and Pamlico counties and Onslow County north of the New River, he said.However, Grady said cuts to the Natural Heritage and Parks and Recreation trust funds were not included in the House conferees proposal to the Senate.”I tend to think its done with,” Grady said. “I dont think theres going to be a reduction in those two funds.”