During their regular Monday meeting, the Spring Lake Board of Commissioners unanimously approved an amendment to the town’s water and sewer fee schedule, a budget amendment totaling over $250,000 for sanitation equipment and authorized the sale of surplus property owned by the town. Here’s the breakdown:
Board approves fee schedule amendment
Commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance to update Spring Lake’s rate and fee schedule for bulk water services provided by the town to residential areas outside town limits.
Since 2009, Spring Lake has sold water in bulk to the nearby Overhills Park area. Under the terms of their agreement, Overhills Park agreed to purchase a minimum of 750,000 gallons of water from Spring Lake each month, and currently pays a rate of $4.14 per 1,000 gallons.
Town Manager Jon Rorie said Spring Lake purchases water from the Fayetteville Public Works Commission for $4.62 per 1,000 gallons, which means the town was selling water at a loss.
Effective immediately after the board’s approval on Monday night, the rate for bulk water to the Overhills Park area increased to $5.08, a 10% increase, to offset the difference in rates. This is expected to generate nearly $10,000 in additional revenue for Spring Lake’s water and sewer fund, and help to repair the town’s water and sewer lines, Rorie told CityView.
New sanitation vehicles and equipment
Commissioners approved a budget amendment of $257,000 to the town’s sanitation fund, to purchase new sanitation vehicles and equipment for the town.
Within this budget amendment, about $141,000 has been allocated for a new sanitation truck chassis, which is essentially the structural base of a trash collection truck. Along with the chassis, the amendment allocates about $12,500 for two new roll-off containers to carry trash and about $70,000 for a roll-off hoist, a system that helps to on- and off-load the containers on the truck.
Finance Director James Overton told the board that placing these roll-off containers within Spring Lake neighborhoods may help encourage residents to place their garbage in the proper receptacles. Overton also presented the possibility for the town to rent out the containers for trash collection at construction sites and during clean-up efforts at blighted properties.
“We have 167 blighted properties throughout town,” Overton said, explaining that the town will soon begin code enforcement efforts on these properties. “We could also use these things [roll-off containers] there, in case we do have to demolish buildings.”
Commissioners approved a surplus property declaration for an approximately five-acre, town-owned property located along W. Manchester Road, which was originally purchased for about $104,000 in 2019, according to Overton.
When a local government declares a property as “surplus,” it means that the town has determined that their departments have no use for the land or structures, and that they intend to dispose of it, according to N.C. General Statute. The town may dispose of the surplus property through several means, including through public auction, advertisement for sealed bids or through a negotiated offer.
Town Manager Jon Rorie spoke about the status of the property, stating that the town categorizes it as an “impaired asset.” This phrase refers to an asset whose value has fallen below the recorded value it was obtained for.
“The entire property has been used for an illegal dump site,” Rorie said. Military and veteran groups, along with Commissioner Marvin Lackman and other officials, have been working to clean up the property, he said. Even with the efforts to clean the site, Rorie said that the property is not worth its original $104,000 purchase price.
The town has accepted a $75,000 bid for the property, Rorie told commissioners. A 10-day upset bid period will begin on Aug. 13 to allow for any additional bids on the property, according to town officials.
The next Spring Lake Board of Commissioners meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 25 at Spring Lake Town Hall, 300 Ruth St.