Appomattox county, town officials discuss proposed waterline

The first face-to-face discussion Wednesday between Appomattox county and town officials regarding a proposed waterline resulted in a long list of issues that need to be hashed out before any agreement could be approached.

According to Courthouse District Supervisor Sam Carter, the Appomattox County stance is this: Building a waterline along U.S 460 is critical to the long-term growth of the county. Because of that, the county wants to build the nine-mile line to the town limits and sell water to the town at cost. Additionally, water rates to town and county users would be equal and the town would do all maintenance because it has the existing hardware and expertise.

“The county never has been in the water business,” Carter said. “We see it as you all reading the meters, passing the bills, collecting the money because everything’s already in place.”

According to Councilman John T. “Plicky” Williams, the Town of Appomattox stance is this: Four town council members and some members of the community still aren’t convinced that the town needs to replace the well system or spend taxpayer money for infrastructure that won’t benefit everyone in the county. Additionally, if a waterline were to be built, the town would have to own it and operate it.

“Economic development is not very reasonable conversation in these days and times,” Williams said. “If the waterline comes, it will be because the town controls it and most likely be because they own it. There’s not a whole lot of wiggle room.”

Whomever takes out the loans or pays for the line has to have ownership for liability reasons, Appomattox County Administrator Aileen Ferguson said.

For more than a year, town and county officials have proposed and countered several offers regarding the waterline, with the county offering to pay 75 percent of the cost. The town countered several months later, saying the county pay 100 percent of the cost and transfer ownership to the town as well as a “friendly” boundary line adjustment.

The county then responded that the county should pay for the line and sell water to the town through a master meter. The issue has stood at a stalemate since that final offer in May.

Town and county officials said they will meet again; however, a date has yet to be set. Monday, area engineer Earl Dickerson told the Appomattox County Board of Supervisors that there likely will be significant federal money available in early 2009 for water infrastructure projects and to start thinking about proposals.

Currently there is a total of $1.8 million from federal STAG grants in hand for the town and county to put toward a water infrastructure project. However, the town and county must let Environmental Protection Agency officials know their plans for the money by this spring and the money must be spent by September 2009.

If a waterline deal is not reached, the town still can use its portion of the grants to pay for upgrades to existing infrastructure, Williams said. “Without an existing water project, you run the risk of losing yours.”