Shallotte
To Sewer
BY SUSAN USHER
Board Approves Repairs
Spray Irrigation System
Shallouc employees got the go
ahcad Monday night to begin mak
ing improvements the state says
must be made to maintain the town's
current sewage treatment capacity.
"We're making up for operational
deficiencies over a five-year peri
od," consulting engineer Finlcy
Boney advised the board. "We did
not maintain that spray site."
Boney said the improvements to
the spray irrigation fields could cost
as much as S81,000 if done by a
contractor, but that town employees
could probably make them for half
that sum.
The board approved the project
on a 4-1 vote, with Alderman Roney
Cheers objecting that money
shouldn't be spent until "the town
knows what it is doing."
In making the motion. Alderman
Wilton Harrelson suggested, "We
don't really have a choice, so let's
stop quibbling over it and get it
done."
The N.C. Department of Environ
ment, Health and Natural Resources
directed the town to not only com
mit to making the improvements,
but to provide by next Monday a
timetable for their completion.
Otherwise, said Boney, the town
could lose 15 percent to 20 percent
of its permitted wastewater treat
ment capacity of 206,000 gallons
per day.
"We need that 206,000. If we lose
it we cannot consider taking on ad
ditional developments," he said. The
town currenUy pumps 130,000 gal
lons to 140,000 gallons of waste
water a day (67 percent of capacity).
That leaves the town approximately
25,000 gallons per day (gpd) avail
able for extending service to addi
tional users before reaching 80 per
cent of the plant's total treatment ca
pacity. When Shallotte reaches that
point, he said, it must begin expand
ing the plant "or go to a moratori
um" on sewer extensions.
Making the repairs will only pre
serve the plant's existing capacity,
not increase it or "lessen the cost of
future expansion, something the
town is considering to meet antici
pated demand for scrvicc.
The town plans to replace 200
sprinkler heads at S30 cach, cap an
other 100 sprinklers below ground at
a cost of S50 cach, add 3,000 linear
feet of irrigation lines with sprin
klers, build swales, shallow grassed
ditches, to improve drainage in low
lying areas, and install better screens
on the sprinklers that will reduce the
volume of solids sprayed with the
treated effluent.
Environmental management offi
cials found several problems with
the treatment system on two recent
inspection visits. These include
ponding of water in low areas of the
irrigation fields, sprinklers that arc
not working in some areas and arc
of the wrong size in other areas.
Because of clogging, small sprinkler
heads intended to reduce the irriga
tion flow to one-half inch per week
in areas of poor soil had been re
placed with larger sprinkler heads
that have pumped up to 1.75 inches
of water into those areas.
While the town would like to sec
the state approve a demonstration
project for a treatment alternative,
the state is recommending the high
water areas not be used to accept
treated wastewater and that the town
either reducc its permitted flow vol
ume or repair and expand the spray
irrigation system.
To meet future demands on the
system, the town is considering buy
ing up to 200 acres of timbcrland
near the existing treatment site for
additional spray irrigation fields. By
adding the fields, installing force
mains north of the U.S. 17 bypass,
building two booster pump stations
and another lagoon, the town could
double the plant's treatment capacity
at a cost of between S700.000 and
SI million. Installing a gravity col
lection system in the new develop
ment area instead of a pumping sys
tem could double the cost or better,
Boncy estimated.
Olhcr concerns raised Monday re
garding the sewer system related to
the S3.000 to $5,000 monthly cost
of replacing sewer pumps, the need
to identify and replace faulty septic
tanks through which stormwatcr
runoff is entering the sewer system,
and the possibility of moving to a
gravity collection system in new ar
eas of development The town used
a system of force mains when the
original system was installed be
cause substantial federal and state
money was available for that type of
system and not the other.
In other business, aldermen:
?Met briefly in executive session to
receive "advice" of an unspecified
nature from town attorney Mark
Lewis.
?Tabled consideration of a proposal
from JOBS Coordinator Ginger
DcBerry for the town to serve as a
work experience site, to which a
welfare recipient might be assigned
to Icam the tasks related to a partic
ular under the direction of a town
employee, at no cost to the town. A
"work fare" type program, JOBS
(Job Opportunities and Basic Skills
Training Program) tries to help
clients get off welfare and become
more self-sufficient by providing ed
ucation and job training. Benefit
payments can be reduced for eligible
clients who don't participate.
Aldermen want a chance to review
the contract before making a deci
sion.
?Heard that the police department is
participating in "Cash For Kids," a
Food Folks program in which mon
ey for children's programming can
be raised by supporters turning in
grocery store receipts. The officers
will use the money in their Explorer
program.
?Set a public hearing for July 6 at
7:30 p.m. on a request for a taxi cab
franchise received from Gordon
Gray. A non-exclusive one-year
franchise was issued in May to an
other party, Johnnie Moody.
Shallotte Considering Same
47-Cent Property Tax Rate
BY SUSAN USHER
Shalloue residents will get to
comment next Tuesday night, June
IS, on a SI.27 million budget that
once again proposes no change in
tax rate, but reflects a proposed wa
ter rate increase by Brunswick
County.
The hearing will begin at 7:30
p.m. at the town hall. Aldermen will
meet 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 14, at
town hall for a work session, re
viewing the budget, line item by line
item, and suggesting possible
changes.
The budget is built on a tax base
of S60 million, a tax rate of 47 cents
per S!00 valuation, and a collection
rate of 95 percent, said Town Cleric
Mary Etta Hewett, and includes rais
es for all town employees.
The owner of a SI00,000 home
would pay $470 in town property
taxes.
The overall budget includes a
general operating fund of S715,335
and a water/sewer fund of 5563,475.
Anticipated property tax collec
tions of 5268,234 would be the sin
gle largest source of revenue for
general operations. The second
largest source is sales tax collections
at 5117,000. The town also proposes
carrying over into the 1993-94 bud
get a surplus of 541,476.
The largest single expenditure
would be the police department's
5269,819 budget. Other items in
clude S 12,000, governing body
(salaries for mayor and aldermen,
and professional services); 51,000
each for elections and recreation;
56,185 for planning and zoning;
517,200 for public buildings;
552,358 for the fire department, in
cluding a $20,708 truck payment;
533,859, inspection; S46.000, sani
union (contract with Chambers of
South Carolina); 58,200, finance
(audit); and S10.000 contingency.
The S123.412 for administration
includes 52,000 contributions to the
South Brunswick Islands Chamber
of Commerce and to the Shallottc
Volunteer Rescue Squad and S250 to
the Brunswick County Chapter of
the North Carolina Symphony
Society.
The water and sewer budget in
cludes sewer equipment mainte
nance and repairs of S75.000 and
$46,000 for capital outlay improve
ments to the sewer system, 598,000
for water purchases from the county,
payments on water and sewer bonds,
and a 595,956 capital reserve fund
toward future upgrading of the sew
er system.
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Most Insurances Accepted
Mon.-Fri. 8:30-12 & 1:30-5:30, Thurs. 8:30-12
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STAFF mOTO BY SUSAN USHER
Something To Celebrate
Amanda Scoggins had her suspicions, but didn't catch on to a surprise pizza party given June 1 by Piz
za Hut in Shallotte and arranged by her good friend and cousin, I J. Ronald Hewett of the Brunswick
County Sheriff's Department (above left). The celebration reunited the Shallotte Middle School sev
enth grader, gravely injured March 19 when her school bus was struck in the rear by a logging truck,
with fellow bus passengers and driver Mattie Bryant, and others who played a part in their rescue and
recovery. These included the Rev. Douglas Huff of Oak Island Baptist Church and Brunswick County
Schools Supt. Ralph J. Johnston.
Rules Expanded For Lot
Cleanup
BY DOUG RUTTER
Holden Beach property owners
who move houses off the beachfront
now face stricter regulations when it
comes to cleaning up the lots.
Town commissioners voted Mon
day night to revise an ordinance and
require beachfront homeowners to re
build sand dunes on their lots when
buildings arc destroyed or relocated.
In doing so, the board added to a
rule that already mandated the re
moval of all concrete, pilings, septic
tanks, walkways, decks and erosion
control structures such as sandbags
and bulkheads.
"This is really a strengthening of
this particular subsection," Mayor
Wally Auslcy explained. "We'd like
to have it so that's done at the time
of removal of the house."
Town officials passed the original
ordinance earlier this year in re
sponse to several cases in which
bulkheads and other debris were left
on occanfront lots after erosion
threatened cottages were removed.
The revised ordinance will re
quire an owner to rebuild a sand
dune at least as big as the one that
existed before the house was re
moved or one that is comparable to
the dune on neighboring lots.
The dune also must be grassed or
seeded to prevent the wind from
blowing away the soil or sand.
Under the regulation, property
owners have 30 days from the lime
they are notified by the town to re
move pilings, septic systems and
other materials and rebuild the dune.
Commissioner David Sandifer
supported the rules, but said giving
the owner 30 days to clean up the lot
could crcatc problems. Some people
might not do the work if the proper
ty can no longer be used.
"I think this ordinance is neces
sary, and 1 support it. I just don't
know if it has enough teeth," Sand
ifcr said.
Nominations Made
Commissioners will appoint three
people to the Holdcn Bcach Plan
ning and Zoning Board and one to
the Board of Adjustment at their
June 23 meeting.
On Monday, commissioners re
nominated planner Ted Rivenbark
for another three-year term as a reg
ular member. Alternates Johnny
Craig and Jim Lowell also were re
nominated for one-year terms.
Dave Gibson was re-nominated to
serve on the board of adjustment.
Also nominated was Martin Fcldt.
More nominations for both boards
will be accepted prior to the appoint
ments in two weeks.
(?rant Awarded
Holdcn Beach has been awarded a
state grant that would help pay for
an update of the town zoning regula
tions.
But commissioners aren't sure if
they'll accept the money. To receive
the $4,020 grant, the town would
have to spend S990 and provide an
other $990 in in-kind services.
Commissioners asked the plan
ning board to interview consultants
who arc interested in the project and
then make a recommendation.
In other business Monday, the
town board took no action after
meeting for 45 minutes in executive
session to discuss "legal and person
nel" matters.
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