The Wake County board of commissioners met Monday to vote on items that included a grant for fuel efficiency improvements in Wake County vehicles, a financial policy for Wake County water, sewer, and road, and the sale of county surplus property at Aerial Center Parkway in Cary.
The consent agenda passed in full.
The grant for fuel efficiency improvements is worth nearly $59,000 and came from North Carolina State University’s clean energy technology center. The $59,000 will allow for the installation and operation of telematics systems that increase accountability and decrease fuel consumption by encouraging “smart driving” habits. The total project cost is $73,000, with the remaining funds being provided by Wake County.
The board of commissioners adopted the Wake County water, sewer, and road financial policy, which sought to revise the existing policy adopted in 1998. Due to several recent groups approaching the county for assistance with water and road infrastructure projects, a revision was said to be needed.
The changes from the 1998 policy include revising county principles and role statements, removing the section called “Implementing the Water and Sewer Plan” and adding the section “Failed nonmunicipal community and individual sewer systems.”
Joseph Threadcraft, of Wake County Environmental Services, said the two main additions include the principles that the county should not promote urban sprawl and that the county should encourage regional solutions. There was a framework added to address community issues, wells, septic systems, and roads.
“It’s wide-ranging in terms of the scope of the inquiry,” Commissioner Calabria said.
The board of commissioners conditionally approved the acceptance of a $1.1 million offer for a 33 acre parcel of land at Aerial Center Parkway in Cary. The property, known as the “Stella Watkins Property,” was declared as surplus land after two nearby watershed projects were completed. The county had been working to sell the property since the mid-1990s.
The property is located off Aerial Center Parkway in Cary
“The market has changed a lot over the years,” Mark Edmondson, county employee, said. “The zoning of the property has changed a lot over the years.”
He added, “The Town of Cary has adopted a set of policies that have affected the value of the property.”
Sentinel Acquisitions Corp., a Delaware-based company, made the $1.1 million offer, which would have expired on April 15 if the board of commissioners had not moved to conditionally approve the acceptance. The condition is based on an appraisal that will give the county an accurate per acre value for the property.
The board of commissioners approved the appropriation of $260,000 for the Wake County transit investment strategy. The additional funds will be used for additional consultant services and community outreach, to better inform a final recommended plan by September or October 2015.
“We’ve all collectively made a decision that we’re not coming to the well any more for this one,” Tim Maloney, director of planning, development and inspections, said. He added, “The amount of public outreach, I think, was underestimated by the partnerships.”
