Nov. 29—Siler City has plans to expand its wastewater treatment facility capacity from four to six million gallon per day and recently the town singed an agreement with the City of Sanford to manage the expansion.
During last week's Sanford City Council meeting, attorneys Mac McCarley and Catherine Clodfelter discussed agreements between the municipalities that could lead to future cooperation in a regional water and wastewater system. The agreements could end up being similar to ones recently signed with Pittsboro.
"This starts with the legislation from the budget recently passed by the North Carolina General Assembly," McCarley explained. "It included $2.5 million to the City of Sanford to assist Siler City in the operation and management of their wastewater plant expansion. It also adds $72,750,000 to Siler City for that wastewater plant capacity expansion. If there is anything leftover in that, it can be used for other system improvements. The last piece of the legislation was a requirement that Sanford and Siler City enter into an agreement accomplish that project."
McCarley explained that the Legislature is asking Sanford to oversee the project to expand the Siler City wastewater treatment plant. McCarley said the agreement that council was considering was the one needed to accomplish the project.
"The agreement will reference the fact that there is a potential for the merger of the Siler City system into the Sanford system, much like we did in Pittsboro," he said. "That's not the agreement that is in front of you tonight. If you pass this tonight, that discussion will start next week,"
Clodfelter then explained that the agreement had two aims. The first is an operational agreement and the second to make Sanford an "agent" of Siler City for the construction of the wastewater treatment plant expansion.
"The budget requires Sanford and Siler City to enter into an operating agreement to receive the appropriation," she said. "Sanford will be receiving the money to perform that technical service."
City Council voted unanimously to approve the agreement, which began immediately upon the council's vote and will end if the two entities decide to merge the systems or when the all of funds are spent. Siler City also unanimously passed the agreement.