The Carroll County Public Service Authority (PSA) will hold a pair of public hearings over the next three months that could change the county’s condemnation process as well as increase water and sewer rates across the county.

According to Carroll County Administrator and PSA Executive Director Gary Larrowe, changes in condemnation are necessary for the county to move ahead with its $7.8 million Long-Range Regional Water Project, which will connect many of Carroll’s water lines together throughout the county. He said federal funding agency Rural Development is also requiring counties to treat their water and sewer operations as a package in order to receive funding, necessitating an increase in water and sewer rates.

Carroll County PSA Chairman David Hutchins called a special meeting of the PSA for Aug. 29 at Countryside Restaurant to discuss the two matters. Larrowe said the PSA was informed that there is a very small piece of property that is needed to allow the massive Long-Range Water Project to move ahead. In order to do that, he said the PSA needed to take action which would allow for condemnation on the Long-Range Water Project.

“The Long-Range Water Project is being held from bidding due to a 50-foot by 60-foot piece of property where all other options of working with the landowners have been exhausted. The landowners were told that condemnation would start and they were agreeable as they said it would be one way to place a value on the property,” Larrowe said in a press release Monday. “The use of condemnation is NOT something the PSA wishes to ever use and respects property ownership, however after a due process of working with the landowners, at times it is the only way to provide for the better good of the citizens as a whole. The PSA always works diligently as a way to resolve matters prior to formal actions.”

Larrowe said the last time the PSA used condemnation was on the Gladeville-Cranberry Sewer project in 1998.

During the Aug. 29 meeting, the PSA voted to hold a public hearing on Sept. 14 at 12:30 p.m. to allow condemnation, if needed, for the construction and operation of the following water, sewer and/or utility projects currently under construction or planning: Long Range Water, Fancy Gap Water/Sewer, Honeycutt Dam Water, Exit 1 Water, Exit 1 Water/Sewer (Love’s Water/Sewer), Sylvatus/Mitchell’s Crossroad Water, Cana Sewer, Cana Water Extension, Pridemore Water, Fries Road Water, Dugspur Water (221 Water Extension), Exit 19 Sewer, Woodlawn-Galax Sewer, Coon Ridge Water, Galax Equalization Basin, Trapper Drive Water, Landcaster Water, Route 100 Water Extension.

“As a preparation move for current and future projects of the PSA, the notice has many projects listed so if a piece of property is needed to allow the work to continue in the future, the process can happen in a timely manner,” Larrowe said of possible condemnation. “There are no other properties in question at this time and it would be the hopes of the PSA that no other properties would be in question for future projects that would allow the PSA to move ahead in a positive manner. With all of the water and sewer projects in the ground (or underway) in Carroll County, it is extremely positive that the last time Condemnation was used was in 1998, and now the current property where the landowners are agreeable to the action.”

The second issue the PSA discussed Aug. 29 dealt with the financial status of the Authority. Larrowe said the PSA was recently informed that its major funding partner, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Agency, is treating water and sewer projects as a complete package.

“Therefore there will only be one water and one sewer operation in the future. This required move mandates that the PSA have standard rates across the entire county rather than by specific project,” Larrowe said. “Also, the PSA was informed of the rate structure that must be implemented to remain eligible for grant funds for future projects. It was pointed out that none of the hoped for projects in the works will be able to be constructed unless the new rate structure is implemented. This would mean that if the financial condition would warrant for the development of the projects, the project could not be completed unless the rates were adopted.”

Larrowe said projects at Sylvatus, Fries Road (Cliffview), Cana Sewer, Honeycutt Dam, Fancy Cap and Dugspur could not be financed unless the new rates were implemented by the time the project comes on line. Considering this new information, the PSA voted to hold a public hearing on Nov. 16 at 12:30 p.m. for the new rates. New rates to be advertised for the public hearing include a proposed water residential rate that would increase from the current price of $22 for a minimum of 0 to 2,000 gallons to $24 for the same amount. Residential water over 2,000 gallons would increase to $6.60 per 1,000 gallons over the minimum from the current rate of $5.50.

Commercial rates would rise from $32.29 for a minimum of 0 to 4,000 gallons to $37.20 for the same volume under the new advertised plan. Commercial water for 6,000 galloons would increase to $6.60 per 1,000 gallons from $5.40 under the advertised plan. The non-user water rate would also increase to $24 monthly from the current rate of $22 under the advertised plan.

New proposed sewer rates advertised for the public hearing include an increase in residential rates from $24 for a minimum of 0 to 2,000 gallons to $25 for the same volume. Residential sewer over 2,000 gallons would also increase to $8 per 1,000 gallons from the current rate of $7.50.

Commercial sewer rates would jump to $35 for a minimum of 0 to 2,000 gallons from the current rate of $30.75. The commercial rate for sewer over 2,000 gallons would increase to $8.50 per 1,000 gallons from the current rate of $7.50. The commercial glad/can rate would increase to $35 for a minimum of 0 to 2,000 gallons from the current rate of $30.75. That rate would jump to $8.50 per 1,000 gallons over 2,000 gallons from the current rate of $7.50. The non-user sewer rate would also increase to $25 from $24 under the new rates.

Both public hearings are set to be heard in the Board Meeting Room at the Carroll County Government Complex at 605 Pine Street in Hillsville.