City accepts IBT settlement

The Marion City Council agreed to "hold its nose" Tuesday and accept the settlement of the interbasin transfer controversy.
At Tuesday's regular meeting, city officials talked about the recent settlement of the issue. Last month, the Hickory City Council voted unanimously to end a three-year confrontation over the taking of water from the Catawba River basin and sending it to the cities of Concord and Kannapolis.
In early 2007, the N.C. Environmental Management Commission granted Concord and Kannapolis permission to pump as much as 10 million gallons a day from the Catawba River basin. The action did not satisfy the local governments in the Catawba basin and environmental groups who were opposed to what became known as the interbasin transfer or IBT. The local governments and environmental groups came together to form the Protect the Catawba Coalition. Both the city of Marion and McDowell County were part of the coalition.
As part of the coalition, city of Marion officials agreed to spend $15,000 to fight the IBT. That money would be paid over a five-year period.
Last month, the coalition and the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation Inc. announced they had reached an agreement with the cities of Concord and Kannapolis to resolve the IBT controversy. The agreement states that Concord and Kannapolis will get 3 million gallons a day from the Catawba basin through 2015. After that, the two cities must draw 5 million gallons per day from the Yadkin before the amount from the Catawba can be increased.
At Tuesday's meeting, Mayor Steve Little said those local officials and environmental groups who were even more passionately opposed to the IBT than Marion decided to go through the mediation route and resolve this issue.
"I think it is a pretty good arrangement," he said.
Councilman Everette Clark said he had a real problem with the settlement. He said it fails to address the question of whether IBTs will happen at all.
"This paper is nothing more than a promise," said Clark. "It limits the amount of water they can use but they can take water out of one basin and transfer it to another basin."
Clark said the U.S. Supreme Court is still scheduled to hear the lawsuit between the states of South Carolina and North Carolina over the IBT. He had hoped this would be decided first.
"There's so many ifs, ands and buts about it," he said of the settlement. "There's no teeth in it."
Little said the city of Marion, like other local governments, is faced with either accepting the settlement or continuing to fight this very expensive issue on its own.
Council voted to accept the settlement without an opposing vote.
In other business, council approved a ban on large trucks that travel through Robert Street, Azalea Street and North McDowell Avenue. City officials agreed to ban tractor-trailers, log trucks and dump trucks that use those streets as a shortcut. The ban does not apply to local deliveries at Marion Elementary, the First United Methodist Church or other places in those neighborhoods.
City officials took this step because of safety concerns at the school and damage to the pavement on those streets. The ban takes effect immediately but signs will be posted before any citations are issued to offending truck drivers. Warnings will be issued first. The city has sent notices about the ban to all the residents on those streets, said City Manager Boyette.
In other business, the Marion City Council:
· Agreed to start the process of condemnation for four dilapidated houses in Marion. They include an old mobile home on Morehead Road, a house at 216 Spring St., a house at 120 Bostic St. and a rundown structure on the five lane between the Budget Motel and Subavettes.
· Agreed to install a sound system at City Hall. City officials said people attending council meetings might have a hard time hearing what's being said by council. They agreed to purchase a sound system from Shelby Music of Shelby at a cost of $5,130. This system will consist of mounted speakers, a mixer, wireless microphones for city officials and a microphone that can be used by the public.
· Agreed to purchase two new marked cars for the Police Department. The city accepted the bid of $63,340 from Elderton Dodge of High Point for two Dodge police cars that will come fully equipped.
· Agreed to make a $200 donation to the local Boy Scouts. Jim Wilken, representing the Boy Scouts, earlier asked the city to waive the $200 rental fee for use of the Depot. The local Scouts plan to use the building to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the BSA's founding. As with similar requests, council voted to make a donation to the group rather than waiving the fee. The donation can be used to pay the fee.
· Heard an update on the possibility of receiving additional federal stimulus money for sewer improvement projects.
· Recognized Utility Maintenance Crew Leader Fred McCormick and Police Chief Mika Elliott upon their retirement. Kathy Rabb was honored with the Main Street Champion Award. Wayne Miller of McDowell County Farm Bureau and Marc Cook of the Marion Business Association were recognized with the N.C. Main Street award for the best public-private partnership for the farmer's market shelter.