Water, sewer deal near?

The town and county are moving down a road for a mutual agreement on a water and sewer authority and boundary line adjustment — finally.

Cooler heads prevailed on both sides at last night’s joint meeting of Culpeper Town Council and the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors as the gathering of 15 elected officials reached something like consensus on various key points of the complex deal.

Councilman Duke duFrane was absent.

By the end of the nearly two-hour meeting, council and the supervisors had found common ground on several terms on which they had previously disagreed.

Agreement, at least for the time being, was reached on the following:

* The town’s future geographic growth would take place in areas spelled out on the county’s water and sewer service area map from 2007; that map, generally speaking, includes the town and its environs on all sides, except for the west side.
* The town’s future growth then would be directly tied to areas of water and sewer infrastructure with the town expanding as the lines did.
* Yet-to-be negotiated economic “triggers,” based on commercial tax revenue, for example, would spark the town’s geographic growth, occurring in contiguous areas.
* For at least the next 25 years, the town, which currently spans about 6.8 square miles, would be limited to a maximum size of 15 square miles. Some councilmen were not completely sold on this point, but agreed to consider it further.
* The town would agree to not pursue hostile annexation for the next 25 years; again there was some disagreement here, but it seemed to be a negotiable point.
* Deliberate attention would be paid to preserving agricultural land.
* The town would not boundary adjust areas that are already intensely developed with industrial uses, but could potentially take in areas intended for future industrial, again, as designated by the revenue triggers.

In exchange for the county allowing the town to grow, the town would agree to relinquish control of its water and sewer system to an independent authority that would own the system and set rates for users in the water and sewer service areas.

Ultimately, however, it’s up to town voters to approve the transfer of the town utility assets.

Therefore, the entire agreement for a water and sewer authority and boundary line adjustment hinges on voters’ approval.

Some county representatives wanted the question to go to town voters in a referendum vote in May, when the Town Council election will be held.

But town officials felt that was too soon and did not provide ample opportunity for town citizens to understand the deal. Councilmen felt November would be a better time for the referendum, and that point, eventually, was also mutually agreed upon.

Either way, pointed out County Attorney Roy Thorpe, the referendum question to town voters needed to be kept simple, or as he described it, able to pass “the 7-Eleven test.”

Is it something people standing in line at the convenience store could explain amongst themselves before they checked out? Then it would pass the test, he said. “The simpler you keep it the more likely it is to pass.”

Of the 15 politicians present last night, Supervisors Sue Hansohn, Larry Aylor and Tom Underwood should be recognized for keeping the discussion moving in a forward motion along with Councilmen Jim Risner, Chip Coleman and Chris Snider on the town side.

Both bodies agreed to meet again Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. at which time the respective staffs would present specific bullet points of the new areas of agreement.