At the semi-annual meeting on March 31, 2018, the engineering firm of Moffatt and Nichol presented its proposals for improving and enhancing the Whalehead storm water drainage system. For members who were unable to attend the meeting, the slides from the presentation are posted on the WPOA website.
The Whalehead Drainage District Advisory Board held a special meeting immediately after the WPOA membership meeting. This email is intended as an informal update and is based on my memory of the Advisory Board meeting. It is not the official minutes of the meeting.
In response to concerns voiced by the WPOA members, the Advisory Board combined Phases 2 and 3 of the Moffatt and Nichol improvement plan, primarily in order to accelerate action on Bonito flooding. The Advisory Board will recommend to the County that the projects for Phase 1 (Dolphin, Sailfish, Coral, and Sturgeon) begin no later than January 2019. Work on the second discharge line to the Corolla Light pond cannot begin until the Drainage District obtains the necessary water-quality permits and the consent of Corolla Light. The northern Corolla Drive project also will require permits and the consent of Corolla Light.
The Advisory Board will ask the Currituck County Board of Commissioners to send a strong letter to NCDOT, reminding NCDOT that it is responsible for maintaining Bonito road, a state-owned road, and its associated drainage areas. We will ask the Board of Commissioners to seek funding assistance from NCDOT before committing service-district funds.
The Advisory Board also will explore the possibility of borrowing funds in order to accelerate progress on Bonito. However, the County cannot obtain another loan until the first loan is paid off in August 2019. The County is subject to legal limits on the amount it may borrow, and all loans must be approved by a financial board that meets in October of each year.
Lee Foreman
Chair, WPOA Drainage Committee
