Greetings and Happy Holidays Neighbors,
The frequency of emergency repairs of our aging water system this past year has
hit an all time high. Our well has reached its life expectancy and is operating with
short-term fixes. Its current design leeches rust into the river and does not allow
for fire hydrants in our community.
Our HOA Board has been quite busy managing the repairs, communicating with
the county, and exploring options for a long term fix.The time has come for us to
decide on a permanent solution.
In early 2022 the County applied for a grant/loan combination from the USDA,
and in May 2023, the USDA approved a grant of $1,029,00.00 to be used for
construction.The remainder of the cost of that construction above the amount of
the grant will be in a loan to the County at 3 percent interest/year for 40 years.
This loan will be included in our water bill from the County.
After multiple meetings and consulting with Sharp water and the County, the
Board has examined the pros and cons of several options. On Wednesday,
December 13, 2023 the Board determined that our best course of action is to
abandon the well and accept the County’s USDA application to finance
construction of a connection to the County Water system.
This recommendation from the Board will require at least a 60% approval from
home or lot owners. In order to fully explain the project and answer any
questions, we will be examining key points in this communication, posting to the
website, and holding both virtual and in person meetings over the next month in
preparation for a community vote at the February Annual meeting,
Included in this message you will find: an explanation of the options rejected
(keeping the well), expected timeline for construction, and estimated costs.
Board Recommendation
Accept the County’s USDA application to finance the construction of a connection
to the County Water system. This project will include a new 8” main and replace
the current 2” piping throughout the community, each house will be metered and
billed separately for water, and 7 fire hydrants will be installed.
Open .PDF to view full document