Tag Archive for: #cityofoxford

Terry Garrison

Henderson Gets $5.4 Million For Water, Wastewater Projects

/by

An additional $5.4 million is set to flow into the City of Henderson to target drinking water and wastewater projects, most of which will go to fund the Sandy Creek Basin Sewer Rehab project.

The money comes from the American Rescue Plan Act and the state Water Infrastructure Authority approved funding for the local projects, according to information from the office of Rep. Terry Garrison, who serves District 32 – Vance, Granville and Warren counties.

In addition to $5 million designated for the Sandy Creek project, two allotments of $200,000 each were awarded to the city to conduct asset inventories and assessment planning for both water and wastewater.

“I am happy to see this critical funding come from the Department of Environmental Quality to Henderson,” Rep. Terry Garrison said. “Clean water is essential for every North Carolinian. This money is going to help Henderson ensure that everyone has access to clean, safe water.”

City Manager Terrell Blackmon told WIZS News Friday that this money will be used to address excess water that flows into sewer pipes from groundwater and stormwater, known as “infiltration and overflow.”

The $5 million is added to $2.5 million, zero interest loan the city got last year from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, Blackmon said.

“The other $400,000 will be used to perform a water study centered around inspecting our water lines…(to) help us better map our system,” he added.

Granville and Warren counties also received chunks of money for improvements to their water systems, Garrison’s office noted.

The City of Oxford got more than $9.5 million to fund sewer system improvements and the South Granville Water and Sewer Authority was awarded $150,000.

Warren County got money for three projects totaling $745,000. The breakdown includes two planning grants: a $189,500 planning grant for a regional elevated storage tank and a $400,000 pre-construction planning grant for the Eatons Ferry sewer extension and $155,500 for the Pleasant Hill pump station replacement.

City of Oxford

Oxford Makes Mask Mandate Optional For Employees, Visitors – With Exceptions

/by

Oxford City Manager M. Alan Thornton said Tuesday that, effective immediately, the city is changing its mask requirement policy.

“Face coverings will become optional in all city-owned  facilities, vehicles and  operations for employees and visitors,” Thornton said in a press statement. Department directors, however, may continue to require face coverings in certain settings determined to be high-risk transmission for COVID-19. Examples include responding to medical calls or transporting suspects in patrol cars, the statement continued.

“Employees may continue to wear face coverings, even when not required,” the statement continued. All unvaccinated employees are “strongly encouraged to wear face coverings, even in situations where not required.”

City Hall will re-open to visitors and the public, and visitors are encouraged to continue to wear face coverings. All routine utility payments will continue to be accepted at the kiosk locate at the front entrance. Residents who need to establish new utility accounts or handle other account management issues will be served in the city’s finance department.

Franklin County Logo

Franklin Asking State Commission For $15.1 Million To Improve, Upgrade Emergency Radio System

/by

Franklin County has submitted an application to the state’s Local Government Commission for funding to improve its public radio system used by law enforcement and emergency officials. It is one of several applications that will be reviewed when the LGC meets remotely tomorrow (Tuesday, Feb. 1).

The meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. and the public may attend virtually at the following Go To Webinar link:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8801061036096403215

Franklin County officials want the LGC to sign off on a private $15.1 million installment contract to improve spotty coverage and reliability of the public radio system used by law enforcement, fire, emergency and other agencies, and to expand its coverage across the county, according to a press release from N.C. Treasurer Dale Folwell.  County commissioners also are seeking a separate $4.4 million private installment contract to install new water/sewer meter equipment and for new billing system software; no tax increase is expected for either project, according to the statement.

“The LGC, chaired by State Treasurer Dale R. Folwell, CPA, and staffed by the Department of State Treasurer (DST), has a statutory duty to monitor the financial well-being of more than 1,100 local government units. The commission also examines whether the amount of money units borrow is adequate and reasonable for proposed projects and confirms the governmental units can reasonably afford to repay the debt,” the statement read.

Other projects include beach renourishment projects totaling close to $40 million in Dare and Onslow counties following recent hurricanes.

The LGC is expected to vote Tuesday on $3 million in grants from the Viable Utility Reserve. The requests – $781.000 in merger/regionalization feasibility studies and just over $2.4 million in asset inventory and assessment studies – would allow local government units identified as having distressed water/wastewater systems to begin working toward long-term solutions for their systems. The reserve was established in 2020 by the N.C. General Assembly to improve the viability of distressed water and wastewater systems in the state.

LGC members also are being asked to approve several cost-saving refunding proposals at lower interest rates, as well as increases in revolving loans, including a $4.7 million loan to the city of Oxford for replacing water mains that are at least 100 years old.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Water Treatment Plant Project May See $3.5 M In Federal Funds

/by

 

 

The regional water plant improvement project continues to move forward, but so far, it’s more like a steady trickle than a blast from a firehose. Rep. David Price visited the water treatment plant last week and met with officials from the area to share that there likely will be $3.5 million in federal funds appropriated for the project, which has an estimated price tag of $66 million.

Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington said Price toured the Flemingtown Road facility and spoke with the tri-county delegation about the project, which will double the daily treatment capacity when it’s completed.

The KLRWS serves Henderson, Oxford and Warren County; Henderson is the managing partner at 60 percent and the City of Oxford and Warren County each have a 20 percent stake.

Ellington told WIZS News Tuesday that the visit  gave Price a chance to meet with mayors and managers to see first-hand how federal funding would be used.

“As the demand for water from our neighboring counties, new customers, as well as the growth we are experiencing, this is vital to our future,” Ellington said in an email. “I spoke with Rep. Price as he was leaving and he assured me he’s confident that this would make it through Congress for this fiscal year.”
Others on hand for the visit in addition to Ellington were KLRWS Chief Operator Steve Gupton, Henderson City Manager Terrell Blackmon, Oxford City Manager Alan Thornton, Warren County Manager Vincent Jones, Oxford Mayor Jackie Sergent and others, according to Ellington.

The city of Oxford is in Price’s district and he received a request for funding from city government officials; Warren County and Henderson are in G.K. Butterfield’s district and Henderson city officials requested funding on behalf of those entities. City Manager Blackmon said each congressional district was given the opportunity to submit the 10 best projects to be considered to receive federal funds in the 2022 Interior Appropriations Bill. This project represents a collaborative effort from both congressional districts, Blackmon said.

“This appropriation is only a small part of the total funding for the expansion project,” Blackmon said. The current funding commitment from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality SRF Program for the expansion project is more than $45 million, leaving a gap of about $20 million. The $3.5 million appropriation will assist in filling the funding gap for this project, he added.

Price issued a press statement in June about his efforts to fund projects in his home district. “Clean water is not a luxury – it’s fundamental to the health and safety of our communities, but our aging water infrastructure urgently needs funding,” Price stated. “I’m pleased that the House Appropriations Interior and Environment Subcommittee included these critical projects in their annual funding bill, bringing them one step closer to reality with the passage of the House bill in Subcommittee.”

In addition to making repairs and forming expansion plans, the overall price tag is heftier because costs simply have gone up. The funding gap is preventing the project from getting underway.

One option would be to raise water rates slightly to cover the increased project cost.

In January 2021, the Henderson City Council approved a revised project cost of $57 million for upgrades to the regional water system, which serves 15 municipalities in three counties. At that time, Council member Garry Daeke, who also serves as the KLWRS advisory board chair, told WIZS that council’s action would allow the project to continue, but if additional grants or other funding streams couldn’t be secured, it could mean a rise in water rates.

Since talk of the project first began several years ago, there have been several challenges to overcome, including purchase of a new pump and rising construction costs. The original price was estimated at close to $40 million, but by the fall of 2020, the cost had risen considerably.

Register Now For Hot Sauce Contest Car Show

/by

Just past the food trucks, live music stages and hot pepper contest is another popular aspect of the annual Hot Sauce Festival in downtown Oxford: The car show.

Whether it’s a restored Model A or a souped-up Chevy, car enthusiasts flock to the car show to ooh and aah over the shiny, well-cared-for vehicles.

Owners of classic, antique and custom cars and trucks may enter their vehicles to be judged. Trophies will be awarded to the winners and all participants will receive a dash plaque.

Registration is required, and details regarding site and entry points will be sent via email prior to the day of the hot sauce festival.

Visit https://oxfordnc.recdesk.com/Community/Program to register for the car show.

Registered participants can come as early as 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11, but everyone must be parked by 10:45 a.m. Please have the exhibitor’s entry number clearly displayed on the driver’s side windshield for judging.

Show organizers recommend that car owners be on hand during the contest to answer any questions from the judges. Judges also must have access to all areas of the show vehicle including trunk, interior and engine compartment. But the judges will not open these areas themselves.

 

Blood Drive Aug. 24 At Oxford Public Works Building

/by

The City of Oxford is hosting a blood drive on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021 at the Public Works Building, 127 Penn Ave.

The event will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Schedule an appointment at www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code Oxford, download the Blood Donor app or phone 1.800.RED.CROSS.

City of Oxford

New Tethering Ordinance Takes Effect Aug. 1 For Oxford Dog Owners

/by

Beginning Aug. 1, Oxford residents who tether their dog could be in violation of a new city ordinance that carries a civil penalty of $100 for each day they are found to be out of compliance.

The board adopted the ordinance at their July 13 meeting.  City Commissioner John Tovey said he brought the issue before the board several weeks ago “in response to a concern from a city resident about an older dog who was tied 24 hours a day.” Tovey told WIZS News Friday via email he went to see the situation for himself and “it was then I decided that the city needs to have an ordinance to stop this abuse.”

Community feedback since the ordinance was adopted has been “nothing but positive, very positive,” Tovey said, adding that there have been more reports of dogs being tied out all day, every day – “it’s good that light is being shed on this problem.”

Tovey researched laws and ordinances in other communities and states to see what, if any, policies are in place elsewhere.

Animal Control will make initial contact with a person not complying with the new ordinance. If the issue is not resolved, police may be called in, he said.

The objective of the ordinance is “to regulate the unattended restraint or tethering of dogs” and provides details to describe “acceptable tethering devices.”

“No person shall tether a dog to a tree, fence, post, dog house, or other stationary objects for more than three (3) hours total in a twenty-four (24) hour period,” the ordinance states. The rope or chain used has to be at least 10 feet long and fastened in a way to prevents the animal from getting tangled or causing itself harm.

A cable system is considered an acceptable form of tethering – for no more than the three hours specified in the ordinance, which also has details about how the tether is attached to the dog, as well as weight restrictions.

“Someone HAS to speak for the animals, we are (basically) a nation of animal lovers, but there are always a few who will abuse animals, it has to stop,” Tovey wrote.

Read the entire ordinance (here) or use https://www.oxfordnc.org and click on the Government tab and select Ordinances from the dropdown box.

Oxford Police Dept

Oxford Announces Interim Police Chief

/by

The City of Oxford has announced that former Oxford Police Department Captain Pat Ford will return to the Police Department to serve as interim police chief. Ford will begin the job on Aug. 2 and will lead the department as it conducts a search for a permanent chief.

Chief Al Coley announced in June that he will retire, effective Aug. 1.

“The City of Oxford is both pleased and thankful to have someone with nearly 25 years of service and experience with the Oxford Police Department to serve in this capacity,” according to a press release issued from the city’s executive offices.

 

Oxford Spreads Its Generosity at Thanksgiving and Christmas

/by

THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

— information courtesy of the City of Oxford and Executive Assistant Alyssa Blair

Just out Monday afternoon, the City of Oxford has released its January newsletter.  In it, Oxford announces the second annual Thanksgiving Food Drive and inaugural Holiday Toy Drive were each a major success.

“Because of the generous and helpful spirits throughout our community, we were able to give food and gifts to approximately eight families, totaling 23 men, women, and children throughout the Oxford area. Not only were we able to help all our sponsored families, but we were able to donate more to the Central Children’s home,” the publication states.

All participants and those who gave are much appreciated.

The Oxford January newsletter says, “2020 was a difficult year and the City of Oxford is overjoyed at the amount of love and generosity received.”

Also in this edition, save the date items, an employee recognition, the public works facade and more.

The Facebook post containing the entire newsletter is embedded here.

Oxford Logo

City of Oxford’s First Holiday Toy Drive in Full Swing

/by

100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

The City of Oxford is proud to bring the 1st Annual Holiday Toy Drive to the community. Donations of new, unwrapped toys for children are needed.

Donations can be brought to Oxford City Hall, located at 300 Williamsboro St., by December 18, 2020.

Toys are needed for children between the ages of 3 and 11 years old, as well as for a baby (girl) on the way. No toy shall be turned away!

If you are interested in more specific information, please call (919) 603-1102.