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Residents press commissioners for clean water, shorter travel for trash after Monagu center closure; board directs staff on lower-cost options
Summary
Residents from western Pender pressed the board for clean drinking water and restoration of a local convenience center; commissioners directed staff to pursue a lower-cost FEMA-buyout site option and to return with a budget amendment, and asked staff to consider expanded hours at neighboring sites including Burgaw.
Dozens of residents who spoke at a Pender County commissioners meeting asked elected officials to address two pressing local quality-of-life problems: lack of safe drinking water on the county’s west side and the closure of the Monagu convenience center, which has forced many people to drive 20–30 miles round trip for household waste disposal.
Residents described brown or contaminated well water, low pressure, and tests showing bacterial contamination in at least one daycare. Many said they had waited for decades for county water. Commissioners, including Dr. Tate, pledged continued advocacy — including lobbying state legislators and looking for grant opportunities — and said staff would assign a point person to move projects forward.
On the Monagu convenience center, staff presented three main options: (1) a full-service replacement at the Long Creek school site with paved surfaces and a compactor (engineer’s estimate $1–1.8 million); (2) use of an available FEMA buyout parcel for a lower-cost gravel-and-dumpster site (estimated ~$337,000) that FEMA allows but does not permit impervious surfaces; or (3) expand hours at nearby convenience sites. Commissioner Tate urged the board to pursue a combination of options 2 and 3 — approve use of the FEMA buyout parcel for a lower-cost site, expand hours at Atkinson or neighboring sites (and add an extra open day at Burgaw), and include tires/drop-off options — and to return with a formal budget amendment. The board signaled informal consensus for that direction and asked staff to bring back firm costs and any permitting constraints.
What happens next: County staff will return to the board at the next meeting with a budget amendment, details on what surfacing is allowed on the FEMA parcel (gravel vs. pervious surface), and precise operating-cost comparisons for expanded hours at neighboring convenience sites. Commissioners noted the county has a solid-waste fund balance and discussed using those funds if necessary.
Representative quote: “We’ve been waiting 25-plus years for clean drinking water. It’s not a luxury — it’s a necessity,” a western Pender resident told the board.
Why it matters: The board’s direction responds to immediate access needs cited by residents and aims to preserve county parks and planned amenities while restoring local disposal services with a lower upfront cost.
Ending: Staff will return with a written budget amendment and site-specific options for a follow-up vote.
