Commissioners ask for lake level information from residents

The Polk County Board of Commissioners decided this week to hire only one consultant to appraise Lake Adger and the Turner Shoals Dam in order to try to sell the water resource.

The county had previously sought two appraisals for the lake but after receiving two proposals, the total cost would have been $85,250.

Commissioners met Monday, May 23 and heard from county manager Marche Pittman regarding the two proposals he received.

Pittman said he found two consultants to help the county with appraising Lake Adger. He said he originally pitched the idea of two consultants, but didn’t really figure into it how much that was going to cost.

Pittman asked commissioners if they would consider going with one consultant. The bid from Hartman Consultants LLC of Windermere, Fla. is $35,300. Pittman said Hartman indicated his price would not change to do the appraisal on his own but new paperwork will have to be signed before moving forward with the bid.

The other bid came from Hulsey McCormick & Wallace, also out of Windermere, Fla. Hulsey McCormick & Wallace bid $49,950 to appraise Lake Adger. The two firms placed proposals based on working together to come up with appraisals for the lake.

Pittman said he will bring the new contract from Hartman Consultants to the county’s next meeting for Hartman to do an independent appraisal of the lake and dam.

Commissioners also discussed the need for Lake Adger to be dredged. Commissioner Ray Gasperson suggested the county speak with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission about the dredging. Gasperson also suggested getting word out to boaters to let the county know what the water levels are at the lake so the county can relay that information to N.C. Wildlife. Gasperson said the response from Wildlife so far has been that the state will continue to monitor the lake and its levels.

Pittman said he could get the information out that the county is seeking information from boaters and will get it on the county’s website at polknc.org as well as the county’s Facebook page.

Commissioners in January this year agreed to look into selling the lake and dam. Commissioner Shane Bradley had the original idea to sell the lake. Commissioners unanimously approved instructing Pittman and the county attorney to research the surplus value of the lake and dam for the potential of selling it as well as to research potential customers.

Polk County worked with Inman-Campobello Water District (ICWD) for over a year on a contract to share water resources for 75 years, including that ICWD would pay for initial repairs to the Turner Shoals Dam at Lake Adger and run at least $100,000 worth of water lines in the county as well as continuing to operate Polk’s water system.

Polk County amended ICWD’s second draft of the contract last year with the stipulation that ICWD pay for 75 years worth of repairs to the dam and after ICWD sought expert advice on the contract, ICWD pulled out of negotiations. It was after the contract negotiations ceased that the majority of commissioners decided they want to look into selling the resource. Commissioner Ray Gasperson said he wants an appraisal of the lake and dam but doesn’t necessarily want to sell the lake.

Polk County agreed to purchase Lake Adger and the Turner Shoals Dam in 2008 for $1.6 million. The county is allowed to pull up to 8 million gallons per day (mgd) of water from the lake for drinking water.

There is a public access agreement from 2004 that will go along with any potential sale of the lake. The agreement, a recreational easement, includes that N.C. Wildlife pay the Lake Adger Property Owners Association $15,000 per year for the ramp, etc. for public access. The agreement also includes a clause that Wildlife is to dredge the channel from the marina to the lake. Many residents have complained that sedimentation is filling up the lake, particularly in the area of the boat ramp where the Green River runs into the lake. Commissioners have asked that feedback regarding the current levels of the lake be emailed to Pittman at  mpittman@polknc.org.