Coats board weighs higher solid-waste fee, outsourcing and $29,000 water-rate study in budget work session

The Town of Coats Board of Commissioners met March 26 in a budget work session that focused on possible fee increases and service changes that could affect residents and developers.

Town Manager Barbara Hollerand opened the session and flagged a projected 15% increase in animal-control costs for the coming year; she said she had reached out to the nearby city of Dunn to ask whether Dunn would consider handling animal control for Coats. Hollerand introduced department-by-department budget breakdowns and several staffing proposals to be discussed later.

Public Works Director Wesley (Wes) Blount outlined proposed changes to inspection and solid-waste fees. Blount said inspection-fee adjustments would primarily affect developers and contractors. On solid waste, he recommended increasing the in-house charge from $6 to about $9 to better reflect costs. "$9 rather than $6 would be more reasonable for in-house services," he said.

Blount also presented outsourcing as an alternative and named Carolina Trash as a potential contractor. He said outsourcing would remove maintenance responsibilities from town staff, and that "Carolina Trash trucks have cameras." When Commissioner Marc Powell asked about cost, Blount estimated it would be "around $9 and some change." Commissioner Monique Warren-Clegg said customers should be clearly notified of any yard-waste changes.

Blount summarized results of a water-rate study and a system-development-fee study presented to the board on March 12. He said the studies would cost roughly $29,000 and emphasized that water-rate changes would affect all customers while system-development fees would mostly apply to new construction.

No formal votes were taken on the fee or study recommendations during the work session. The board adjourned at 8:45 p.m.