The Spring Lake Board of Commissioners on Monday unanimously approved a $1.5 million capital project ordinance allowing for necessary repairs to be made to the town’s wastewater treatment plant. The facility sustained damage due to widespread flooding caused by Hurricane Florence in September 2018.
In 2020, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State of North Carolina approved the reimbursement of over $6.7 million in necessary funding for repairs to Spring Lake water and wastewater treatment system, recognizing the damage as a result of a natural disaster. Though the federal funding was approved in 2020, the state Local Government Commission took control of the town’s finances in October 2021 due to years of financial mismanagement. At the time, the repair project did not progress as expected, Town Finance Director James Overton said at Monday’s board meeting.
The original project ordinance was updated by commissioners in 2024 to allow funds to be redirected toward repairing and replacing aging water and sewer lines throughout the town.
While presenting the new project ordinance proposal at Monday’s meeting, Overton shared that the repairs to Spring Lake’s wastewater treatment facility are estimated to cost about $1.5 million, but explained that FEMA will reimburse about 75% of that, with the state covering the remaining 25%. This means that matching funds would not be required from Spring Lake, allowing the town to save more of their budget for other projects and initiatives.
Commissioner Marvin Lackman asked whether the recent actions of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk that purports to reduce federal spending, would affect the release of this funding to the town. DOGE has cut funding to a number of federal agencies and relief organizations, including the shutdown of USAID, an organization that provides humanitarian aid to millions of people worldwide. Trump has suggested a similar overhaul or shutdown of FEMA, as reported by Politico in early February.
Overton explained that any larger potential action taken in coming months by the federal government regarding FEMA will not affect the progress of this project, as this funding was approved by federal agencies some time ago and the money is now in the hands of the State of North Carolina.
The next Spring Lake Board of Commissioners meeting will be held at 6 p.m., Monday, March 10 at Spring Lake Town Hall, 300 Ruth St.
