4-21-2023 BOC Regular Meeting Minutes

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1.13 Fire Station Mayor Salmon wanted to provide the group with an update on Fire Station #5 and introduced Assistant to the City Manager Holly Marosites to provide additional information. Ms. Marosites said the planning for the new fire station stemmed from the need to provide enhanced fire protection and to accommodate imminent growth in the northern part of the City. Construction is anticipated to begin in July of 2023 and be completed in September of 2024. The projected cost is $7.4 million, and the City will need to hire 21 new firefighters in late 2023/early 2024. The City applied for FEMA's Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant and, if awarded this cycle, the SAFER grant will pay salaries and benefits for the 21 firefighters for three years. Ms. Marosites presented an animated video of concept of the design, which allows for the addition of a third bay if needed. LC Law Enforcement and Fire Department Mutual Aid Chairman Kirk Smith added this item to the agenda due to concerns about which agency is responsible for responding to 911 calls in certain areas and noted the importance of interoperability. Sanford Mayor Rebecca Salmon said a responder's first duty is to help and not who should respond. She said we need to make sure our maps are updated and identify gray areas, and to work with GIS on the maps. City Manager Hal Hegwer noted that state annexation laws make it difficult for the City to pick up road maintenance, and that staff have reached out to the GIS Director Don Kovasckitz to work on maps. Mayor Salmon said we could work with the General Assembly on a local bill for roads and that all of our goals are the same — to render help as quickly as possible no matter the agency responding. She asked that this be added to the meeting on VIPER for discussion. Commissioner Mark Lovick said we need to look at mutual aid agencies and potentially make adjustments and add new sites based on the growth, so the closest unit can be directed to the call. I.D Water Plant Sanford City Mayor Rebecca Salmon added this item to provide an update to the group on the water filtration facility expansion. Assistant to the City Manager Holly Marosites said the continued industrial and residential growth has created the need for the City of Sanford to increase the capacity of its water filtration facility. This expansion would take the facility from 12 to 30 MGD. The City has partnered with the Town of Fuquay-Varina, Town of Holly Springs, and Town of Pittsboro and each partner's financial commitment will be based upon needed capacity. These partnerships are saving the City upward of$50 million and will decrease fees for residents. The design is currently 95% complete and the current estimate for the project is $257 million. The City has received $17 million through direct appropriation from the State, and a $85 million loan at 0% interest with $9.6m in principal forgiveness from the State Revolving Fund. The City anticipates beginning construction in March of 2024 and completing the project in July of 2027.