The board agreed to negotiate a contract for engineering services with Hobbs, Upchurch & Associates for a drought relief grant project involving construction of four new wells in Pinehurst.
The other issue covers a water purchase contract between the town of Robbins and the county that dates back to a Community Development Block Grant project completed about two years ago.
Public Utilities Director Dennis L. Brobst reminded the commissioners that in March they agreed to accept a $400,000 grant from the North Carolina Rural Center with the understanding that the county would pay the remainder of construction costs for four new wells in Pinehurst.
The recently approved purchase agreement reached by the county and the village of Pinehurst requires that the village reimburse the county for these matching funds if and when the village does acquire its utilities systems from the county.
The village has offered to pay $9 million to acquire the county-operated utilities serving Pinehurst, and the county has accepted.
The purchase is subject to approval by Pinehurst voters in a bond issue referendum on Nov. 4.
However, the board’s action on Monday was not directly related to the Pinehurst purchase offer or acceptance of the Rural Center grant, both previously determined. It was instead an action authorizing the county staff to negotiate fees for the Hobbs, Upchurch engineering services in connection with the wells.
Hobbs, Upchurch was one of four engineering firms that submitted proposals for the project.
“Each proposal was reviewed separately, and it was decided that Hobbs, Upchurch & Associates has the best qualifications,” Brobst said.
The Southern Pines-based engineering firm holds several other contracts for a variety of projects with the county.
On a motion by Commissioner Colin McKenzie and a second by Commissioner David Cum-mings, the board unanimously approved the selection.
Approval of the water purchase contract with Robbins means that the county will be paying lower rates than the rates paid since the CDBG project was completed. Brobst said the old rates were the same ones charged to out-of-town customers.
Under the new contract, the county will pay a rate of $2 per 1,000 gallons of water consumed based on a reading of the master meter and will be charged $4 a month for the master meter.
As part of the block grant program, the county installed a water line running from the intersection of North Broad and Middleton streets in Robbins in a northerly direction along N.C. 705 into what is known as the Davis community. The project included installation of meters, vaults, piping and related facilities.
County Manager Steve Wyatt said the county wants to buy potable water at bulk rates from Robbins for resale to customers along the water line.
The Davis community project was coupled with a similar project in the Love Grove community near West End.
For the Love Grove project, the county is buying water from its own water system, which was already available at nearby Seven Lakes.
The Robbins Town Board approved the new agreement at a July meeting.
The commissioners engaged in minimum discussion of both issues. The board adjourned the meeting in about 20 minutes.
