Orange County supervisors agree to accept grant to begin study on water supply.

Date published: 3/16/2006

By ROBIN KNEPPER

Orange County supervisors have voted unanimously to accept state grant money to help pay for the preparation of a water-supply plan for the county.

Orange County was one of six localities in the state to receive the grant funds made available by the Department of Environmental Quality. The $50,000 grant was awarded on behalf of the county, the towns of Orange and Gordonsville, the Rapidan Service Authority and the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission.

Supervisors also approved Tuesday a $328,150 contract with engineering consultants Wiley & Wilson Inc., to develop the plan.

Wiley & Wilson will collect and review previous water-supply reports, evaluate existing public water sources, evaluate population and land use and analyze water-supply needs.

At the end of the one-year study period, which will include meetings with DEQ and county technical committees, Wiley & Wilson will present alternatives and recommendations for the second phase of the study.

According to County Administrator Bill Rolfe, the county has had a loosely knit water committee that has been meeting for several years. At his request, supervisors agreed to formalize that committee at its March 28 meeting so the panel can work with Wiley & Wilson on the water study.

In other action, supervisors unanimously agreed to spend $39,700 to fund software and technical costs of an integrated financial planning model for the county. The software will take six months to set up, Rolfe said, and will assist the county in assessing the impact of development and developing accurate proffer guidelines.

Assistant County Administrator Ted Coberly informed the board that although proposals to rehabilitate the airport runway were higher than expected, the county was advised by the Federal Aviation Authority that federal funding would cover the increased cost of the project.

Chemung Contracting Corp. has been awarded the contract for the runway rehabilitation.

The FAA will fund 95 percent of the $2 million project; the state will pay for 3 percent, leaving 2 percent to be paid for by the county. Appropriation of the funds will have to wait until after a public hearing.

To reach ROBIN KNEPPER:540/972-5701
Email: rknepper@earthlink.net

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Date published: 3/16/2006