Thursday’s meeting between representatives of the Kerr Lake Regional Water System and the Army Corps of Engineers in Wilmington did not offer much hope for the regional partners to reduce a $3.46 million bill for water storage, according to one of the participants in that meeting.
Henderson City Council member Elissa Yount e-mailed a report on the meeting to HomeinHenderson.com. She attended the three-hour informational meeting with council member John Wester, her opponent in October’s municipal elections, as well as city staffers, city consultants and representatives of water partners Oxford and Warren County.
Among the tidbits offered by the Corps of Engineers:
* If Henderson, as managing partner of the water system, doesn’t sign the proposed water storage contract for Kerr Lake by the end of September, the interest rate for the 30-year financing will likely increase from the current 5.125 percent.
* If Henderson refuses to sign the contract in the hope of help from Congress, the price the corps wants will likely increase. The corps’ current demand is $3,455,197.
* If Henderson tries to take Kerr Lake water without a contract, the Corps of Engineers could seek a court order shutting down the water system.
Yount’s report from the meeting begins on the next page.