By Sarah Vogelsong
CP Reporter
As the year winds down, Port Royal is plunging ahead with its attempt to secure funds that could allow the town to maintain control of its rapidly deteriorating water system.
At the Town Council’s Dec. 16 meeting, the last of the year, newly appointed grant administrator Alex Long presented a report on the status of efforts to investigate and apply for grant and loan opportunities.
The most significant step taken by the committee headed by Long was the submission of an application to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Office for a $30,000 Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (SEARCH) planning grant.
This application, said Long, is nearly complete, lacking only a financial report for fiscal year 2013. Although accounting for Port Royal’s finances is a complicated matter—until this year, the town had no formal budget—Long expected to have a full application into RD by Dec. 19.
However, as a water system update written by Long for the Council Dec. 14 explained, the town’s chances of receiving a SEARCH grant may be in jeopardy because of recent policy changes on the federal level that set a threshold for the number of planning grants that can be allocated to each state during the fiscal year.
“From what I understand, the money is very tight,” said Long in a phone conversation.
To address this potential problem, Long intends to reach out to the offices of Senator Mark Warner and First Congressional District representative Rob Wittman for assistance.
Port Royal’s Town Council previously identified a SEARCH grant as the best step forward for the town in deciding whether or not to privatize its system. The grant would fund a preliminary engineering report and environmental report that would provide hard data on the existing system and the costs and scope of its replacement.
Without this information, it is difficult for the town to determine whether it should seek to retain control of its water system or turn it over to a private company such as Aqua Virginia, which has expressed interest in purchasing the system.
Other actions taken by Long and his committee include investigation of grant opportunities from the Southern Rural Community Assistance Project, Inc., which disburses grants in July of between $30,000 and $50,000 for waterworks improvements. At the Dec. 16 meeting, Long announced his intention of seeking funding from this group to meet needs in three categories: replacement of critical infrastructure, creation of a preliminary engineering report, and design and build of a system.
The committee has also investigated programs through the Virginia Department of Health, but, as Long’s update notes, VDH programs “are thin on grant money,” and the loans they offer often come with higher interest rates.
Finally, the committee has continued to meet with Alan Roberson of the American Water Works Association. Roberson previously addressed Town Council at its Aug. 19 meeting on behalf of the Community Engineering Corps, a group that provides engineering expertise and resources to underserved communities.
Port Royal at its Nov. 11 meeting voted to adopt a two-pronged approach to dealing with its water system problem. While Long’s committee investigates grant and loan opportunities, the town is also working to find an attorney who could provide legal assistance in the case that the town opts to privatize the system.
Port Royal needs to replace almost every aspect of its system, parts of which are almost 100 years old. Particularly at risk are the 72-year-old water tower, which cannot be filled to capacity, and its 12,600 feet of water lines, which continually spring leaks.
One leak near Route 301 was the subject of discussion by Council at its Dec. 16 meeting. A report from the Virginia Rural Water Association stated that engineers had been unable to determine the exact location of the leak but had identified the need for several valves to be replaced.
“We can’t mess around with this,” Town Manager Bill Wick told Council, noting that an unfixed leak under Route 301 could cause severe damage to the road.
Wick stated that the valves would be replaced within the next two weeks and that a meeting with Caroline interim director of public utilities Joey Schiebel had been set to discuss repair options. King George has also offered assistance with repairs.
In other news from the Dec. 16 meeting, Council discussed re-erecting streetlights in the town. Financial shortfalls previously required the town to turn off half of these lights.
Any individual wishing to request that a particular streetlight be turned back on should contact Bill Wick, who will forward the request to Council for consideration.