Editor’s note: The town held a special meeting last Wednesday to discuss the wastewater collection system and the capacity of the wastewater treatment plant. There’s been some confusing public discussion of the plan, so the Speckled Paw Times (Kyle Poplin) asked Town Manager Hiram Marziano to answer a few questions on the topic.
K.P.: What is the issue with the town’s wastewater treatment facility? Is it too old, too small, in need of repair, or what?
H.M.: There is no particular issue with the plant itself. The issue is that with the area growing around the town, if we want to facilitate that growth and be a part of it, we need to look at adding onto the plant – simply by just adding capacity. We are the only sewer service in this part of the county and if we want to help develop this side, we need to be able to provide this service in a responsible and responsive manner.
K.P.: As it exists today, how many more homes or businesses could tap into the system?
H.M.: This is partially what the study will help inform us of. At this point, any number would be a guestimate and not a solid figure.
K.P.: What brought this issue to the forefront and led to last week’s meeting?
H.M.: There are development pressures from industry and the lake area that Daniel Medley, public works director, has been trying to get ahead of for a few years now. We worked to develop this meeting to get the Town Board on board.
K.P.: What future developments have you heard about that could overload the system in the future?
H.M.: The county has a few developmental proposals that have come in over this year, but I am unsure how many are serious. We have had several conversations with the local industries about their future needs that may impact the system.
K.P.: If a proposed development overloads the system, will the developer be forced to pay for system upgrades, or will that fall on taxpayers, or is it a combination of both?
H.M.: One of the goals of the study will be the development of a plan to assess development fees as projects come in.
K.P.: From a purely financial point of view – disregarding politics, quality of life, etc. – are new residents/developments a positive or negative for Mt. Gilead, at this point?
H.M.: I am a big believer that responsible growth is always good for a community. As long as it follows a plan, the development will not get ahead of the financial burden that impacts infrastructure projects.
K.P.: What key point would you recommend residents keep in mind when discussing the wastewater issue?
H.M.: The wastewater issue is not a property tax issue. While they will have to pay fees for the service, those fees are easily regulated over time and will not impact their general taxes. This is more of an issue of, do we help grow our community and neighboring areas and help lower costs for wastewater services in the long run?