StarExpo editorial: The more we learn about the proposed public-private water and sewer system under consideration by county officials, the less we think it’s a good idea. Talks in recent years about a joint water and sewer authority for the town and county have yielded frustratingly little, but county officials may have bitten off more than they can chew in trying to strike out on their own. Not only is the company’s recent track record less than perfect, now we have learned that a good chunk of this hefty price tag could very well fall to county taxpayers, despite initial assurances to the contrary. As part of the proposed plan to finance the massive project, the county would have to sell 128 tap fees a year for 25 years, starting at $30,000 a piece and increasing 5½ percent annually. The county would guarantee the first five years of sales. As the housing market and economy get progressively worse, we have serious doubts that the development demand will materialize. And if that were the case, as Salem Supervisor Tom Underwood frankly admitted during Wednesday’s meeting of the Town and County Interaction Committee, local taxpayers could get stuck with the bill. Even worse, signing this deal with Angler would essentially put the county in the terrible position of having to rubber stamp growth to meet its quota.
Financing : The $90mm cost has a $9mm interest, which looks like 10% rate. The project 's to be financed at 6% by Morgan Keegan. The Town of Culpeper is using Davenport as an Underwriter of debt. What rate could the County borrow through Davenport?
Brandy & Elkwood. Water & Sewer :Why doesn't the County build it's own water & sewer plant and serve the Airport and Brandy? The County can fince the new facility with grants and low cost loans of 0 to 3%, not 6%, which is the rate expected on the Morgan Keegan financing. Why build the extra line from 3Flags? Doesn't the Town alreadt serve 3 Flags?
The ConcernedCulpeperCitizens (CCC) recognize that the County Board and Staff have been thinking about these issues for at least a couple of years. The matter is so complex we have decided the only logical approach is to start at the beginning: "What are the questions that should be answered before we and the County can answer the larger question?" ....PerryCabot
TapFeeFinancing Breakeven:. Underwood said the county would sell 128 tap connections per year for 25 years. A single tap fee would start at $30,000, he said, and increase by 5 ½ percent every year.... ClosedSession In year 10 will the Tap fee be $60,000 What is the Town water and sewer Tap fee? How can builders and consumers pay the fees?
Breakeven Schools: 128 new Taps per year = 128 new kids per year for the school system?
Dan Holmes, a field officer and spokesman for the Piedmont Environmental Council, said there also are non-financial concerns. He cited the ability of Culpeper’s geography to supply enough ground water to meet the county’s long-term water needs and the possibility of increased pollution from the anticipated growth that the additional sewer capacity would bring. “There’s been no independent look at the recharge rates to supply long-term water to the county,” said Holmes. However, he said information from the county’s Soil and Water Conservation District indicates that the local geography may not be able to recharge groundwater supplies fast enough.
Financial Impact: We’re talking an amount of money equal to (an annual county) budget,” Perry Cabot
DEQ Double Alloocation: The DEQ gave the County a 2MM allocation and the Town an allocation? Was their double counting ?
Angler owns CopperRidge zoned for 600 houses. What is the Water and Tap deal in this Bankruptcy property? Will Angler pay the same $30,000 TAP Fee when this LLC comes out of bankruptcy?
Angler CulpeperCrossroads What Water & sewer TAP fees apply to this developement?
Build a new CulpeperLake before CUPLLC? As new details emerge about Angler Development’s proposed water and sewer system to serve county residents, we agree with Vice Mayor Billy Yowell that a “bad vibe” surrounds the $110 million gamble.
Where are the Town Council of Culpeper 's opinion of CUPLLC: Specifically DuFrane, Olinger & Jenkins who are on the Town/County Water committee....
This $100 million project comes to us from the same people who are now having a bankruptcy auction of the Copper Ridge properties. Remember that offer of land for the police station? Where did that go ? We live in the Cedar Mountain District but are concerned about this deal because it will affect us all. We all need to speak up, voice our concerns and ask questions. Nowhere is this needed more than in the Stevensburg District, where Angler would carve a path right through the heart of this beautiful part of the county. It became obvious at our meetings that BOS Chairman Bill Chase’s actions on this proposal will be the swing vote. He will decide what happens. Residents in the Stevensburg district need to call Mr. Chase, let him know that you care about maintaining the rural atmosphere that we all cherish in Culpeper. That atmosphere will be destroyed by Angler. Our family farms will be lost — where water and sewer go, so goes development. Call Mr. Chase, tell him you don’t want this. Let your supervisor know how you feel. Persuade him to vote against Angler. He represents you, let him hear from you — Jens U. and Mary P. Tholand
The Angler project foresees in the distant future megahousing developments to provide taps for financing their MegaWater and Sewer Treatment Plant. We have in Culpeper what other towns are seeking — by trying with restoration to recover what they destroyed in the name of progress as interpreted by megacompanies such as Angler. .....Geraldine Schneider is a 58-year resident of Brandy Station
Because of the weak economy and uncertain credit markets, Angler has been unable to obtain a bank loan to develop the Cross Creek Shopping Center site. Lacking that option, the the financially strapped Warrenton developer has sought private investors to help it make the project work, Vento said....Fauquier Times Democrat
Three years ago, the Centex Corp. agreed to pay $17 million to build a water plant and sewage-treatment plant along the Rappahannock River in exchange for favorable zoning for its Clevenger's Village project in the northern part of the county. The facility would be owned and operated by the county. Trying to cover all its bases, the county put a clause in its contract with Centex that held the national construction company liable for any operating losses the plant might incur in its first two years of operation. It was felt that after that time, the new homes Centex planned to build would at least allow the county to break even. But that contract was written in a vastly different economy than exists today. Three years later, Centex has not built the first house on the 1,700-acre tract near Jeffersonton. The company honored its funding commitment, however, and the county has built both a water plant and a state-of-the-art sewage treatment plant on the site. "We're going to wait until the sewage-treatment plant is ready in September," Howard said. When that happens, the clock will start ticking toward what could become a major yearly expense for the county starting in 2010. "We figure we (Culpeper County ) could lose half a million dollars a year operating that plant [if Centex and three other neighboring subdivisions don't build]," Howard said.....Centex
We are at a point in the history of our town and county when the choices we make will change Culpeper forever. One of those choices, to accept or deny the proposal to enter into public-private partnership with Angler Development, should be of utmost concern to every citizen in this county — not just those in the Stevensburg District. Aside from Angler’s dubious record in this community and others, the urban infrastructure that is proposed in this plan, with a sewer line that runs from Three Flags to Brandy Station, will surely lead to an untold number of rooftops. This system will provide the backbone for unbridled development that will eventually consume and destroy much of the richest farmland in the county. BethBurns
How can a group of polliticians even consider involving Culpepere County and its citizens in with Angler in a joint project to develope a sewer and water facility in the Brandy Station or any other area as far as that goes.Angler's track record stinks to High Noon considering the projects that they have been involved with lately. It appears to me that they want to use the tax payers of Culpeper County to jumlp start a failing business. When you consider the historical data concerning wells in that area and that during the times that rain fall doesn't meet normal conditions and that the Farmers and citizens wells failed what will sinking shafts do to provide all those homes and business's that they want to place in that area. It appears that those Sulpeervisors are so Hell Bent is helping those persons that want to tar and cement our county that they will throw out good judgement on anything that will release them from the Towns water and sewer. The historical data can be found in a law suit J.A. Bragg, Jr. vs. The Town of Culpeper. This is true and also I am vehemently opposed to doing alot of developement in the Brandy Station Area as you can tell.. GeorgeBryson
I am concerned that the BoS thinks it it is their right and the right thing to do, to sign a secrecy agreement with a private corporation to build a public works facility. Tax payers $$ are on the bottom line without full disclosure to the taxpayers and without input from the taxpayers because the taxpayers don't know what is going on here because BoS are lying by omission to the taxpayers-...Jens Tholand
Town & County Cosolidation: Town-County Interaction Committee Chairman Tom Underwood is concerned the next eight months may slip by without a complete plan in place to consolidate the town and county.
Expand BaldRunLake/ Lake Catalpa from 50 to 200 acres and take care of Water reserve first...Jack Rhoades
I am opposed to the Angler Water Sewer Project means contol of growth will be dictated by repaying Angler it's $100.
Too much control fro a developer who already has
CopperRidge which remains in Bankruptcy
What is the yearly cost of Centex Water and Sewer to the County?
On the town side, duFrane said their long range plan includes the possible construction of a new reservoir between Mountain Run Lake and
Lake Pelham.
County officials expressed hope that if completed, the town’s existing system and their new system could eventually be joined together.
An update on that issue is expected next month.
Angler has Vento on Copper Ridge, Carouso Development is next to Copper Ridge. The BOS has Bossio? What control are there on Italians?
Angler Utility Partner Development The Virginia Department of Health, Office of Drinking Water is the regulatory agency for the permitting, development and
operation of community water supplies in Virginia. They should be consulted about the feasibility of the Angler proposal.
Questions that might be asked of ODW:
Are records available that indicate the sustainability of wells as long term water supplies for a community?
Are those records available by geographic region, specifically the piedmont region and more so geologic conditions expected to be encountered in Culpeper County and
other Triassic Basins communities?
Production wells are required to undergo drawdown and stabilization testing to determine probable yields. Can ODW provide information and counsel on how initial capacity
estimates based on those tests relate to results of testing after 1, 5, 10 and 20 years of well operations?
Do well yields historically decline from initial production testing results and what percentage of decline can be expected?...ChipRussell
http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/DrinkingWater/index.htm is their website
EminentDomain:Does the County have the right to impose the sewer thru residents land?
Culpeper TDR's Transfer Development Rights? What rights will Angler have?
Public Forum to answer questions?
Can Angler Build Eco Friendly Sewer Facility? DZY Campbell
To pay for all this, Angler is going to sell tap fees at $25,000 per residential unit. $4.4 million divided by $25,000 equals 15,120 new houses needing to be constructed
each year for the next 25 years. Assuming each house contains three people, there will be a population increase of 45,360, mostly in the Stevensburg District.
Assuming each new house sends one child to public school, 15,120 students would be added to 7,383 students currently enrolled; therefore. a total of 22,503 students.
We currently spend $9,332 per student with an operating budget of $68 million. With 22,503 students, the operating budget for schools would extrapolate to $210 million
per year. Adding capital expenditure for new school construction: three new high schools at $80 million, total $240 million; three new middle schools at $70 million, total
$210 million; eight new elementary schools at $60 million, total $480 million, for a grand total of $930 million in capital expenditures.
....Doug MayHugh's prediction for Culpeper County.
Joe Daniels MountDumpling Project from 1992? Does Angler Development tie into this?
Water is a major Issue: Should there be a new Dam Built North of Town , before the Sewer Plant.
Culpeper County may be willing to gamble to save the vast majority of the 3.5 million-gallon wastewater allocation it received from the state three years ago.
That allocation, which the county quietly applied for and received in 2004, has since been used as leverage to force the town of Culpeper to join a regional water-sewer authority.
...Donnie Johnston,
I was surprised that such a huge project affecting potentially thousands of residents has not been made public. Salem District Supervisor Tom Underwood's questions were
well put, but Angler Vice President Steve Vento's answers were not enlightening.
...Elizabeth S. Kitamura, Brandy Station
It is very disturbing to read that the Board of Supervisors is even considering a $108 million duplication of water and sewer systems, another unnecessary waste of taxpayers'
money. The town has a system in place capable of serving the town and the surrounding area.
...Jim Caroon, Star Exponent
The move to keep terms behind closed doors was not what Salem District Supervisor Tom Underwood had in mind. He asked Angler Executive Vice President Steve Vento
why he sought to keep the details temporarily under wraps.....Nate Delestine
Culpeper Utility Partners has the details on its proposal to build a full water-sewer system for the county – all $100 million worth of it.
But it won't release them. Not until the financing is complete, at least....Jason Peck
School Budget must shed millions......Frank Bossio
What are the Credit Checks on Angler? What is Mr Hazel's, the primary owner of Angler , guarantee,
What are the expected costs to Culpeper County's Schools.
Morgan Keegan is financing the project? Explain the deatils of Culpeper Liability?
Culpeper Crossroads status? and Copper Ridge Bankruptcy status?
Why doesn't Culpeper County build the Sewer Plant and maintain conrol of services?
What's the cost? $100mm ? How many new homes for breakeven?
Given the Culpeper County Budget deficit, how will this be financed?
Can you make sure there is Transparenccy of the process on the CulpeperCounty.Gov ?
Will Culpeper use the Municipal Bond market for debt? The Subprime mess is causing radical change in the Municipal Bond Markets? What is Culpeper's CREDITt rating?
How can we be sure there is a competitive bid?
What is the status and cost of the Clevengers sewage and water plant?
Could the same people at least submit a counterbid to Anglers CUPLLC deal
John Todd Ecological Design? Has anyone contacted them ?.....
Dzy Campbell, CroftburnFarm
Have the neighboring landowners been advised and consulted.? What are the Environmental issues?
Will the present stench of Culpeper town sewage air be repeated in the SwampPoodle Sewage Plant?
Berryhill Farm has a mile of river frontage on Mountain Run. How will this be impacted?
.Cecila Schneider, BerryHill Farm , Brandy Station
Jack Rhoades, CulpeperGreenwayLLC, 710 S. East St, Culpeper 540-960-0489
eurobondonline@gmail.com