WINNSBORO (Oct. 20, 2016) – Last month, the Town’s long-awaited McCulley Creek sewer line project appeared ready to go. Council authorized John Fantry, the Town’s utilities attorney, to begin the process of obtaining rights of way on properties near the Town’s water treatment plant for the installation of the line.
But Tuesday night, one holdout on those rights of way remained.
After negotiating with Donald Swygert for more than an hour in executive session, Council once again authorized Fantry to work out a deal with Swygert, which Mayor Roger Gaddy said would be a “final offer.”
“All we can do is make him a fair offer,” Gaddy said after the meeting, “and if he doesn’t accept it then we’ll probably have to go through the process of condemnation for a temporary easement.”
Gaddy said Swygert’s property was forest land, and that the Town would have to reimburse Swygert for the timber value for the temporary easement.
The project is being funded through a Community Development Block Grant, which has a time line for the expenditure of those funds. But with that deadline sitting at next July, Gaddy said it was likely the Swygert delay would not impact the Town’s access to those funds.
Capital Expenditures
Council also approved $3,900 for a new copier at Town Hall, as well as up to $3,000 to retrofit a truck from the Electric Department for the Wastewater Department. Council gave the OK as well to $12,845 to upgrade Department of Public Safety radios to meet state standards before Jan. 1.
Council also approved $20,000 to upgrade the Town’s meter reading system, and up to $30,000 for a new truck for their newest meter reader.
