Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / Aug. 26, 1993, edition 1 / Page 12
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Powell Engine BY ERIC CARLSON One week after utility owner Billy Burnett accused hired consultants of exaggerating Calabasn's sewerage nrcds in an effort to increase their fees, Powell and Associates engineers issued a 10-page written response that calls Burnett's charge "totally unfounded, malicious and slanderous." In the Aug. 24 letter, Powell Engineer Jim Billups stands by his earlier assertion that Burnett's Carolina Blythc sewage system may suffer from stormwatcr infil tration problems that could be costly to Calabash if the town purchases the treatment facility. The statement, addressed to the Calabash Board of Commissioners, responds directly to an Aug. 19 Beacon interview in which Burnett accused Powell engineers of misleading Calabash officials about the value and condi tion of his utility company in an effort to convince the town to build a larger sewer system than it needs. Powell Associates denies the charge, saying design fees would actually be higher if Calabash chose to pur chase Carolina Blythc as part of its proposed joint sewage system with Sunset Beach. Under that plan, the town would have to pay engineers to design a necessary expansion of the Blythc facility. Those designs would be needed in addition to planning for the regional system. The consultants asserted that the regional sewerage er Blasts Back At Sewer Plant Owner Burnett effort was initialed at the request of the two towns ant) was not suggested as a means of increasing their con tracted services. "The regional system has always been a part of ihc implementation program since the completion of the wastewater studies." the Powell letter said. "The state ment or implication that design fees would in any man ner influence our recommendations to the towns is total ly unfounded, malicious and slanderous." Powell Engineer Jim Billups repeated his charge that he and two Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) offi cials observed an overflow of wastewater at the Carolina Blythe plant that could indicate problems with its design or maintenance. In last week's interview, Burnett contended that the overflow of treated effluent was caused by a backup in the town's drainage ditches caused by a severe rainstorm and was not indicative of an infiltration problem, as Billups claimed. "...the plant was obviously hydraulically overloaded," Billups said in the letter. "Backing up of water in the discharge canals should not result in a spillage at the plant if properly designed. "Either the discharge from the chlorine contact tank to the canals is not designed and constructed properly, or the lank docs not have a raicd design capacity, or there is significant infiltration and inflow into the existing col lection system. "At any rate, the event raised questions in our mind regarding the value of the facilities and the FmHA offi cials expressed similar concerns." In other statements made in the written response, Powell Associates said: ?The idea, proposed by some, of purchasing sewage capacity from Carolina Blythe for downtown Calabash, would be prohibitively expensive. The engineers esti mated that "the up-front cost per two-bedroom residence would have been about S3.600; per 100-seat restaurant, 536,000; and per 200-scat restaurant, 572,000." ?The engineers were never able to establish a true value for the Carolina Blythe system and acted under the town's direction when it sought advice from other con sultants who suggested that it "might be worth substan tially less" than the 54.5 million purchase price Burnett said was "not negotiable." ? "Concerning the Carolina Blythe offer to provide temporary service for 300,000 gallons of day waste water flow.. .we heartily recommend acceptance of the offer. We are concerned, however that either the DEM (Division of Environmental Management) or the Public Utilities Commission may not allow the temporary ser vice." Billups said Burnett was not asked for a bid on temporary service bccause he had previously indicated that it could be provided only as part of an agreement to purchase the company. ?The town of Calabash "cannot on its own afford to purchase Carolina Blythe and complete its expansion and the collection system program without exceeding the state- mandated limitations of debt based on tax val ue." Billups said the purchase and upgrade would cost an estimated SI 0.6 million, which would cxcccd the town's maximum allowable indebtedness of $7.2 mil lion. ?It was the loud protests from residents of Carolina Shores, not the advise of engineers, that led Calabash to drop its plan to purchase Carolina Blythe. As a result of that opposition, "the governing bodies decided to put the purchase on indefinite hold and instructed Powell Associates to examine other alternatives for meeting both short-tenm and long-term needs. These decisions were made by the governing bodies and not by Powell Associates, although we concur with their decisions." ?Due to the current schedule regarding funding appli cations, the towns should put off any consideration of a Carolina Blythe purchase until after the South Brunswick Water and Sewer Authority is implemented. Billups said the authority would have more flexibility in financing the purchase "without any obligation of the tax base of either town." Among the many treasures you'll find on all the Brunswick County beaches... Nothing covers Brunswick County better than the Beacon... not even the mosquitoes! Subscribe today... read it every week. r ? HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO ! THE BRUNSWICK&BEACON | POST OFFICE BOX 2558 SHALLOTTE. NORTH CAROLINA 28459 AND GET ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY MAIL: Sr. CHIz?n In Brunswick County Q6.30 Q5.30 N.C. Sales Tax .38 '.32 Postage Charge 3.68 3.68 TOTAL 1Q.36 9.3Q Elsewhere In North Carolina Q6.30 Q5 30 N.C. Sales Tax .38 .32 Postage Charge 8.18 8.18 TOTAL 14.86 13.80 Outside North Carolina Q6.30 05.30 Postage Charge 9.65 9.65 TOTAL 15.85 14.95 Complete And Return To Above Address Name : Address City, State Zip
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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Aug. 26, 1993, edition 1
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