Don't be silent about sewer fees

To the editor: On Nov. 6, 2006, the town of Sunset Beach and Brunswick County entered into an agreement for Brunswick County to provide water and sewer service to the town of Sunset Beach.

This agreement was made with little regard to property owners’ needs or desires. We are now being force-fed a sewer project that will result in many of our elderly and/or fixed-income residents having no option but to sell the homes they enjoy or secure loans to pay for the estimated $8,000 sewer assessment.

This is an unacceptable hardship.

The county is either unable or unwilling to divulge how they arrived at the figure of $8,000, which may or may not be the final cost. We have been advised the final assessment figure will not be available until the project is complete.

We have also been advised the area does not quality for grants or bonds.

Property owners will be expected to pay the projected $8,000 assessment within three years of invoicing; the first year being interest-free and 8 percent interest for the second and third years.

A lien can be taken against the property if the assessment has not been paid in full by the end of the third year. Brunswick County has a large surplus of funds. Is it not possible for a portion of this project to be funded by the county or federal or state funds?

Would it not be possible for the county to offer a longer time frame for repayment of the assessment at a lower interest rate?

Brunswick County is proposing three types of sewer systems be installed: gravity (only a portion of two streets qualify), vacuum (the island) and grinder (the majority of the mainland).

Gravity is not suitable for most of the area due to the water table. We have been told the vacuum system is the least expensive system to install and operate.

Why is the county proposing the grinder system for the majority of the project? The grinder system has inherent issues the property owner must deal with once installed.

I choose to believe the 2006 Sunset Beach Town Council’s intentions were honorable and desiring of maintaining the environmental beauty and status of our little piece of heaven.

As a property owner and year-round resident of Sunset Beach, I would like to ask Sunset Beach property owners to voice their opinions to Brunswick County commissioners, the Sunset Beach mayor and town council on the proposed sewer project.

Brunswick County commissioners meet the first and third Mondays of each month at 6:30 p.m. in Building I at the governmental complex in Bolivia. A public comment forum is provided at each meeting.

Sunset Beach Town Council meets the first Monday of each month at 6:45 p.m. at town hall.

If we remain silent, our county and town representatives can’t know how their decision-making processes will affect our standard of living. We elected these officials to represent the best interest of this community.

If you are unable to attend meetings, please write a letter to address your concerns.

Letters to the county can be written to: Brunswick County Board of Commissioners, P.O. Box 249, Bolivia, NC 28422.

Letters to Sunset Beach officials can be sent to Mayor Ron Klein or Town Council, 700 Sunset Blvd., Sunset Beach, NC 28468.