Town Council Mulls Fees for County Sewer Service
By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
September 27, 2013
Two days after Northampton County Board of Supervisors voted to put on hold any plans for a sewer pipeline to Cape Charles, the Cape Charles Town Council convened a work session to discuss how much to charge County customers for services the County does not appear to want.
The work session originally was scheduled for September 5, but was postponed until September 25 to occur after two meetings were held in the County, where dozens of speakers vociferously voiced their opposition to a special sewer district that would almost double their taxes plus entail an unknown monthly sewer charge.
The Town Council work session might yet have a purpose, however, since some observers have noted that even though the Board of Supervisors tabled further consideration of a special sewer district, they can easily reverse their decision following the November election.
But even after Wednesday’s work session, it’s still unclear how much County customers might have to pay Cape Charles for sewer service.
Some clarity did emerge at the work session – most importantly, recognition that treating sewage from out of town might kill any remaining hope of getting the developers of Bay Creek to contribute to the cost of future sewer expansion. Town staff was asked to seek a legal opinion on how a deal with the Public Service Authority might affect the Town’s Annexation Agreement with Bay Creek.
Councilman Mike Sullivan emphasized that he was certainly not willing to see the Town sacrifice $5 million [from Bay Creek] for plant expansion in order to get $80,000 a year from the PSA [for sewage treatment].
Among Council members, only Bay Creek resident Joan Natali was opposed to seeking legal advice on the question. “I don’t know why we need to make that decision now,” she said.
Councilman Frank Wendell suggested that the PSA should pay the cost of a legal opinion rather than the Town. [Read more…]
LETTER: Cape Charles DOES Care About Children
September 27, 2013
DEAR EDITOR,
Please print my response to the vacationer’s comment in the “Anonymous” section [click here to read “Anonymous”]:
Thank you for choosing Cape Charles as your family vacation spot. Families like yours are a vital part of this town’s economy, and I know the local businesses appreciate you choosing Cape Charles.
I understand that the Old School issue has soured a lot of people; however, I would caution people from making statements such as “I’m sad to hear that they don’t believe in investing in their youth,” when referring to this town.
Yes, the basketball nets are down, but this town has done an extraordinary job of creating other opportunities for children. Please take note of the tennis courts, skate park, soccer goals in the park, the countless programs offered year ’round by the library, as well as numerous special events throughout the year such as the upcoming Trunk or Treat, the New Roots Youth Garden, Movie Night in the Park, and the many athletic programs offered throughout the summer. [Read more…]
