Milton accepts $150,000 state grant offers and weighs emergency fix for Race Track Road water line

The Town of Milton Board of Commissioners on Aug. 12 unanimously accepted State Reserve Grant offers of $150,000 each for drinking water and wastewater AIAs and discussed emergency repair options after a storm collapsed a creek water line that left at least two households without service.

Mayor Angela Upchurch read Resolution 159-G, the resolution accepting the state offers, and said the town cannot receive funds until the signed resolution is returned. Commissioner Sherri Garrard moved to approve the resolution and Mayor Pro Tem. Robert (Bob) Palmer seconded; the motion passed with all in favor.

The action follows repeated service interruptions after heavy rains from Tropical Storm Chantal. Upchurch told commissioners Stuart Kendrick and James Fritz had been without water for about a month; the town arranged nonpotable storage tanks and Caswell Emergency Services provided bottled water. Town crews and contractors made temporary repairs but Upchurch said multiple failures—fallen trees, a leak at a meter off East Street and an incorrectly set time clock that briefly ran the well pump continuously—complicated recovery efforts.

Town staff described several funding and legal constraints. The town has explored emergency principal-forgiveness loans through state agencies and grants through SERCAP but said USDA approval may be required because the town currently has an outstanding USDA loan. The board was told that even if a loan were approved, any loan forgiveness process would likely take months and not yield construction until next year.

Upchurch summarized options from the UNC School of Government and other sources: ask affected property owners for easements (or increase compensation), require owners to seek private wells (an estimate provided for one homeowner was at least $22,000), or formally terminate service where the town lacks a legal or affordable means to continue service outside town limits. The town’s legal obligation to serve properties outside municipal limits was described by staff as limited; Upchurch said UNC advised the town that it is not necessarily required to supply water outside town limits.

Commissioners also discussed running approximately 2,300 feet of new line along Race Track Road; staff cited a contractor estimate of about $31,000 that included traffic control and DOT right-of-way work. Upchurch said one delivery of a water tank truck or the purchase of a tank was estimated in the $10,000 range for immediate emergency supply. She said mapping and DOT approvals are needed before construction can proceed.

Finance Officer Elizabeth Lattime delivered July fund balances showing the town’s general fund and water-sewer fund cash positions; the board noted two utility accounts had been disconnected for nonpayment in July. Upchurch and staff said limited town funds and the town’s USDA loan status constrain immediate capital spending and affect eligibility for some emergency assistance.

The board did not vote on a construction plan at the meeting but approved the state reserve grant resolution, giving staff authority to continue pursuing the available funding and to apply for emergency assistance where eligible. Upchurch said staff would continue mapping and pursuing potential grants or USDA approvals and would report back to the board.

The meeting also included public comment about private plumbing damage and other routine business. The board adjourned at the end of the agenda.