Cochran warns TWSA's vote to help Sylva sets precedent

By Rose Hooper

Sylva Mayor Brenda Oliver appeared before the board Tuesday to request financial assistance in expanding sewer service to the recently-acquired REACH property just off N.C. 107.

REACH, which plans to construct transitional housing for victims of domestic violence, has agreed to contribute $50,000 towards the $310,000 project. The town faces the remaining share, Oliver said, and asked TWSA to "provide realistic assistance" in sharing the cost.

Although the project will mainly serve the REACH property on Plum Street, it would also serve other properties on the east side of N.C. 107 South from Cope Creek to Jones Street. The lines will be TWSA property and that organization will receive revenue, approximately $200 a month, from the extension.

Cochran, Dillsboro's representative on the TWSA board, said he was opposed to granting Sylva's request for assistance because it would set a precedent for other municipalities to follow.

"When Sylva annexed that property along N.C. 107, they agreed to provide sewer service within one year. I think their time's run out," said TWSA Executive Director Jerry King.

Before any municipality plans to annex and promise services, board member Mickey Luker said TWSA needs to be consulted "well ahead of time. I can see helping if they come to us in plenty of time."

"Mickey's right," agreed board member Joe Carter. "We have a 20-year, long-range plan, and it will keep us to task just to follow it."

King also recommending that his board keep on track with the long-range plan.

"Basically, funds just aren't available this fiscal year for the N.C. 107 expansion," he said. "Remember, we've got three projects going on now, including the Whittier Sanitary District Sewer project, that together total $150,000, and they aren't in this year's budget either."

"We need to be good neighbors," TWSA member Marion Jones said. "I know we can't come up with all Brenda wants, but what about paying the engineering fee?"

King estimated that cost to be $59,000. Jones then made a motion to contribute $25,000, about half of the engineering fee, to the Sylva project. The motion carried 4-3.

Mayor Oliver also said Sylva and other municipalities would like to work with TWSA "to review some of the language we are concerned about in our original agreement, especially dealing with financial involvement"

In the agreement forming the authority, the municipalities agreed that if expansions for new customers were outside of TWSA's capital improvements plan, the municipalities must pay the costs.

TWSA attorney Raymond Large recommended to the board that the language not be changed.

Oliver further requested right of way for easements along the Tuckaseigee River so the property could be used for the Greenway Project. King said he thought the easements stipulated that the only use be for maintenance of TWSA lines. Large agreed to review the easements and the stipulations.

In other business Tuesday, TWSA received a "clean" audit report from Burleson Keel, PLLC of Asheville, noting there were "no instances of non-compliance." As of June 30, TWSA's assets total $13,332,038, up $1 million from last year, according to the report.

Several members from the Cashiers community attended Tuesday's meeting, but TWSA Chairman J.C. Alexander said the issue of expansion of that community sewer system was not on the agenda. "That's because the committees agreed to disagree," he explained.

Those committees were the TWSA committee appointed to review the proposal from a committee of Cashiers developers planning to purchase and operate a 100,000 gallon-a-day used sewer treatment plant.

"At this point," Alexander said, "they have reached no agreement, and therefore we have no proposal to present."

Back to Archive: 10/19/00.