County signs agreement with Wilkes Co. for water

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners voted to sign an agreement that will allow Wilkes County to withdraw water from a hydrant near the county line for fire supression in the event of an emergency.

Wilkes County is not as fortunate as Lincoln County in that it does not have as many water lines extending into the unincorporated areas of the county.

The action was taken at the regular meeting of the board of commissioners held Thursday, August 14.

However, prior to withdrawing water from the hydrant, located at the intersection of C.E. Norman Road and Highway 378, Wilkes County will have to get permission from Lincoln County to ensure there is enough water in the tank.

According to Roby Seymour, director of the Lincoln County Water Department, "If Wilkes County calls dipatch and needs water, the dispatcher will call both myself and Ernie Doss (Lincoln County Public Safety director). If I cannot be reached in a reasonable length of time, dispatch will have access to the water system and can release the water as long as there is a sufficient amount in the tank. We can also get more water from the City of Lincolnton in a dire emergency."

It was mentioned that Director Seymour has a laptop computer which allows him to monitor and control the water system from virtually anywhere.

"I'm glad to be able to assist Wilkes County in this life and property-saving endeavor," said the director. "They have assisted us with ambulance calls for years."

According to Commission Chairman Walker Norman, "Wilkes County has been good to work with — we need to be ready to assist our neighbor in case there is a fire near the county line."

In other business, the commission:

.. Heard the Department of Public Safety Report given by Director Doss, who said the ambulance and fire/rescue services responded to 128 calls for emergency assistance during the month of July. Call volume was up one call when compared to July of 2007.

Concerning the E-911 center, operators handled 617 emergency calls last month, monitored 7,315 radio transmissions, and dispatched a total of 617 public safety, law enforcement, and fire calls.

.. Heard the Department of Public Works Report given by Director Seymour, who said his office billed 1,324 water customers and 417 "availability" customers last month for a total of $59,054.09.

Concerning roads, the director reported that his staff has been busy bush-hogging; hauling crush-and-run, soil, and asphalt; motor grading; repairing driveways; working on signage; cutting trees off of the rightsof way; working to pave Apalachee Drive, Pawnee Drive, Delaware Drive, and Midway Church Road; and patching Tabernacle Church Road.

.. Reviewed the Recreation Department Report submitted by Director Kathie Davis, who indicated that soccer registration will be held through Friday, August 22. The season is scheduled to begin the week of September 8.

In other items of information, the director noted:

.. The pool at the recreation complex closed for the winter on Wednesday, August 6.

.. The fixtures have been installed in the new restrooms at the complex. The doors will be hung this week, and the painting should be completed shortly.

.. Concerning the gymnasium under construction at the complex, the first coat of paint is on the walls; the basketball goals are up; ceilings, windows, and the glass front are being installed; tile floors are being laid in the concession area and bathrooms; and the air-conditioning units are set.

In conclusion, Director Davis in- formed the commission that someone broke into the concession stand on Friday, August 1, and stole approximately $200 worth of merchandise.

.. Heard the Finance Department Report given by Director Traci Bussey.

.. Heard the Planning and Zoning Department Report given by Director Meg Burg, who indicated that her office issued four business licenses during the month of July for a total of $131. The county likewise received $200 in revenues in connection with zoning requests.

Regarding code enforcement, 63 building permits were issued last month for a total of $2,880 and 134 building inspections were conducted.

In addition, the department is currently dealing with 34 active code enforcement violations.

.. Voted to rezone .85 acres on the Augusta Highway, belonging to the Wade Family Partnership, from A-3 to C-1 to accommodate a construction, real estate, and boat dock sales office.

Commissioner Mike Hawkes abstained from the vote because he currently does contract work for Sandra and Lamar Wade.

.. Voted to award the bid for the county's property and liability insurance to the Franklin Insurance Agency in the amount of $88,548 for the period from August 1, 2008, through June 30, 2009.

The county's previous carrier was ACCG (Association County Commissioners of Georgia), which submitted a bid of $97,620 for the same time period.

.. Voted to approve a cash bond release of $2,108.40 and a bank bond release in the amount of $471,507.60 to Generations Land Companies, LLC, developer of the Larkspur Landing subdivision.

.. Voted to approve a cash bond reduction request made by the developers of the Serenity Pointe subdivision.

The requested draw amount was $355,610.56: $124,635.56 to Barnett Southern (road infrastructure); $4,800 to Mattison & Associates (surveying); and $226,166 to Rayle EMC (underground electrical service).

The balance remaining is $1,539,682.76.

.. Voted to approve bond reduction and release requests made by the Energy Conversion Corporation for Phases A, B, and C of the Providence Ferry subdivision.

Funds will be released for the following: paving Walter M. Remsen, Sr. Drive, formerly known as Murray Creek Road — $156,500; a 12" water main — $48,463; water lines (Phase B) — $47,045; and roads (Phase B) — $156,840.

Bonds will be reduced for soil and erosion work on all three phases of the subdivision, totaling $249,816, and in the amount of $68,750 for the water system for Phase C.

Twenty-five percent of the original bonds are retained by the county for a one-year warranty period.

Commenting on the awarding of the insurance bid and the requests for bond reductions and the cash escrow releases, Chairman Norman said, "All of the items were brought before either the Finance Committee or the Public Works Committee. A lot of time and effort was put forth by these committees prior to making recommendations to the full board.

"I think this process is working very well," the chairman added.

.. Voted to accept an easement on Ludwig Lane at the request of Water Department Director Seymour.

"The road is currently a private road, but the county uses it to access the two county wells behind Mr. (John) Ludwig's house," said the director. "The alternative is to spend thousands of dollars to develop the easement that the county currently has that runs through several pastures to the wells."

The EPD requires county personnel to visit the wells at least once a day.

The county incurred no cost in acquiring the easement.

.. Voted to sign a cooperative agreement with the CSRA Regional Development Center (RDC) for the reimbursement of meals for the senior citizens program.

The CSRA RDC reimburses the county for 90 percent of all Title III C-1 and C-2 meals, which are meals provided for adults age 60 and older.

The projected meal cost for FY 2009 is $30,330.81; the county's match is $3,081.54.

The next regular meeting of the board will be held Thursday, September 11, at 6 p.m. in the courtroom at the Lincoln County Courthouse.