Council authorizes up to $450,000 interlocal with Union County for Morris Park waterline; council member recuses

The Town of Indian Trail authorized its town manager to enter an interlocal agreement with Union County for a Morris Park waterline project, with a town contribution not to exceed $450,000.

Town staff said the county designed the waterline in house and that the town’s participation will mirror prior interlocal arrangements the council previously approved (Emerald Woods and earlier agreements). The manager told council the town’s share was lower than earlier cost expectations and that the county was ready to advertise the project for bid. Staff said the formal interlocal agreement would be reviewed by the town attorney and that a budget amendment would be brought to council at a subsequent meeting.

On potential conflicts, Councilmember Dennis Gay announced he had the opportunity to tie into the waterline previously but had not done so and chose to recuse himself; he formally moved to recuse and the council accepted that recusal before voting on the interlocal. Following that recusal, the council voted unanimously to authorize the manager to execute the agreement, subject to attorney review.

Why it matters: the pipeline work is intended to address local water quality concerns raised previously by Morris Park residents, and the county is leading the design and bidding. The agreement follows the town’s prior practice of partnering with Union County on water‑line extensions and is consistent with prior council approvals.

Next steps: staff will return with a finalized interlocal and a budget amendment for the town’s share when the agreement is complete and bids or firm prices are available.