BPW will donate water taps
By CODY SOSSAMON Ledger Publisher cody@gaffneyledger.com

Commissioners of the Gaffney Board of Public Works (BPW) unanimously approved donating 33 water taps to low- to moderateincome residents who will be served by a new water line in the 99 Island community.

Cherokee County received a $450,000 grant to complete the third phase of the project designed to supply water to residents in that area. This phase will serve 38 households, according to BPW General Manager Donnie Hardin.The $49,500 value of the taps will be used by the county as its share of matching funds for the grant.

Fred Kirby made the motion to approve the action and Roger Harris seconded it.

In other action, Hardin informed commissioners that a 2.2 percent rate increase from the Board's electric power supplier, Piedmont Municipal Power Agency (PMPA) is scheduled to be implemented May 1. Hardin said the increase was figured into the Board's recently approved 2008-09 budget, which contained no rate increase for customers.

Harris questioned Hardin about the status of city streets repair projects. The Board is working with the city to inventory streets damaged by utility work and to prioritize and develop a cost estimate and timetable to complete the work. Hardin said he hoped the work would begin by summer."The ball is in the city's court now," Hardin said.

He added that the city is now inspecting repairs of all utility cuts in the pavement so once the old ones are repaired the problem should be eliminated.

Commissioner Joe Dean Knuckles reported on a trip he made to Washington, D.C. with other PMPA representatives. He initiated preliminary talks about grants available for dredging lakes and reservoirs to add capacity, which the Board has discussed doing at Lake Whelchel.