Our September 14th Town Council meeting included the public hearing on ordinance language regarding Chapter 85, the Lake Regulations, as well as deleting the requirement for fishing permits by the town, and providing for elimination of all personal watercraft by January, 2000.

A goodly number of residents came to speak for leaving the grandfathering of these jet skis as is. In 1989 there were some 28 jet skis grandfathered. There are about 13 now. The Lake Advisory Committee met on Monday, September 13th, and recommended this matter be allowed to remain as is.

The general consensus among Council was to make the minor changes in language and delay the matter of jet skis with the intent of further interchange with Lake Advisory Committee.

As Lake Advisory Committee Liaison, I wish to add letters from Reimer Steffan, George Pressley and Bruce and Jerry Coats which were given lengthy consideration by LAC. Chairman Bob Washburn stated he would deal with the suggestions by Coats and the buoy requests by the others. The Lake Advisory Committee further requested there be a standard operating procedure for the Hydro Plant/Wastewater Plant. These requests, among others, were presented to Council via letter from Mr. Bob Washburn.

It is continually rewarding to view the efforts of our boards and committees; all of whom are volunteers and spend many hours at their task. In this issue is a copy of the VWIN report for July, 1999. Please read it. This is another product by volunteers.

I salute the fine show of courtesy by our audience during the public hearing. Nearing the end of my four years I further salute a fine group of Town personnel in every department!

Don't forget to make yourself aware of candidates for the November 2nd election. This is your Town and your Council. You will be voting for a mayor and two commissioners. Please care enough to go to the polls.

Sincerely,

Carolyn H. Cobb

TOWN MANAGER’S REPORT

by H. M. "Chuck" Place III, AICP

By now, many of you know that we have successfully concluded months of negotiations with Duke Power over the sale of electricity from the town hydro-electric plant to Duke. The negotiations were prompted by the expiration of the previous 15 year contract in February of this year. Under that contract, the town was paid an average of 4.6 cents per kilowatt hour (kwh). This earned about $400,000 per year, on average. When the contract expired, Duke offered to pay 2.13 cents per kwh (or $185,000 per year) which is only 46% of the previous rate. In addition to the rate, the proposal also affected the "peak period" within which Duke would pay the most for power by reducing the number of peak hours per day and the number of months that peak hours would be allowed. The length of the new contract was also reduced from 15 to 5 years. The reasons for this radical reduction were many and complex, including the fact that the electric utilities have been "de-regulated." Suffice it to say that the town was not happy with the prospect of losing a substantial portion of our annual revenue!

In response to this offer, the town hired Cardinal Energy Service, a consulting firm from Raleigh, to look at our alternatives. Andy Givens of that firm began negotiations with Duke while, at the same time, filing a complaint with the North Carolina Utilities Commission stating that we were not being treated the same as other electric generators. Andy’s counterpart at Duke Power was Ken Keels, their Non-Utility Generation Manager. Andy and Ken began serious negotiations even before the old contract expired. Both men were cognizant of the needs of their own employers while recognizing the positions of the both the town and Duke Power.

The result of the negotiations is a new contract, signed by both parties, which is much more favorable to the town while satisfying Duke’s needs. We agreed to a lessor contract length and somewhat reduced peak periods and Duke agreed to a higher rate and peak periods more in line with our operating schedule. The rate average approved is 3.4 cents per kwh which should earn about $300,000 per year; less than before, but a lot better than originally offered.

Finally! A crew should start the process of erecting the new street signs in the coming weeks. Council authorized the signing of a contract for the purchase and installation at their September meeting. This long awaited project to make it easier for emergency personnel to locate individual addresses has been delayed for several years due to the complications of trying to determine which street names needed to be changed, mapping all the streets in the county, and proofing the map changes. The contract calls for a 12 to 14 week installation period, after which we can all take a breath of relief.

This month, Town Council recognized the efforts of two outstanding town employees for their efforts beyond their normal responsibilities. Honored were Police Chief Mike Bustle and Hydro-Generation/Waste Water Plant Supervisor William Grimes. Congratula-tions to both Mike and William from all of us.

In other actions, long time public works employee James Parisi has resigned and his position as supervisor of the Water Division has been taken by Mark Pobanz who transferred from the golf course. Newly hired is Steve Greenlee to replace Mark at the Lake Lure Golf Course.

Starting next month, Personnel Director Betty Hinson will take over the Personnel Notes section of the newsletter and will start a series of brief articles introducing town staff to our readers. This series will be called Employee Spotlight and will eventually showcase each of the 32 full and part-time people that serve our town.

REGULAR MEETING: The regular Town Council meeting was held at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 14, 1999.

Under the "Consent Agenda", Council approved the minutes of August 10, 1999 (Regular Meeting), August 13, 1999 (Special Meeting) and August 18, 1999 (Special Meeting); approved budget amendments regarding the police computer grant and approved a request from the Lake Lure Republicans to suspend section 63.01 of the Town Code of Ordinances in order to serve wine at the Lake Lure Town Hall for "Candidates Night" on October 7, 1999 at 6:00 p.m.

In other activities, Town Council:

* Held a public hearing regarding a proposed ordinance amendment to chapter 85 of the Lake Regulations of the Town of Lake Lure, making minor editorial revisions, deleting the requirement for fishing permits issued by the town, and providing for elimination of all personal watercraft by January, 2000;

* Adopted Ordinance No: 99-09-14 amending chapter 85 of the Lake Regulations of the Town of Lake Lure making minor editorial revisions and deleting the requirement for fishing permits issued by the town. The proposed section eliminating all personal watercraft by January, 2000 was deleted and referred back to the Lake Advisory Committee for further study. In addition, the LAC was asked to make their recommendations by February 1, 2000);

* Approved a request from Tom Hebb for a sewer connection in Chimney Rock;

* Agreed to recommend that the Lake Lure Golf Committee consider at their next special meeting on September 24, 1999 the merits of discontinuing complimentary golf at this time and report to them on their decision;

* Appointed Fred Noble to serve on the Board of Adjustment/Lake Structures Appeals Board with a term expiring on December 1999;

* Approved a request from Mayor Protem Carolyn Cobb for $450 to purchase a plaque to co-dedicate the Gazebo at Memorial Point in honor of former Mayor Priscilla Doyle;

* Approved a one year Water Purchase Agreement between the Town of Lake Lure and the Village of Chimney Rock;

* Approved a proposal to construct and erect street identification signs in the Town of Lake Lure to meet the 911 system requirements; and

* Approved a request from Police Chief Mike Bustle for $2,000 as the local match for a grant to purchase video and radar equipment for the police department.

SPECIAL TOWN MEETING: Town Council held a special meeting on Thursday, September 2, 1999, 9:00 a.m., at the Lake Lure Municipal Center.

Activities by Town Council included:

* Administered Oath of Office to Commissioner Blaine Cox;

* Held a discussion regarding the operations of the Lake Lure Golf Course;

* Approved a one time 3% merit bonus for Police Chief Mike Bustle and Hydro-electric Plant Supervisor William Grimes;

* Approved Resolution No. 99-09-02 renaming Shakespeare Point to "Memorial Point" and establish a garden area for recognizing individuals who served the Town of Lake Lure in an outstanding manner; and

* Held a closed session to meeting to discuss the expansion of an existing business in the area served by the Town of Lake Lure (G.S. 143-318.11(a)(4) and employment contract (G.S. 143-318.11(a)(5).

By Police Chief Mike Bustle

With the addition of two full-time lake patrol officers, we have seen a vast increase in compliance and overall safety on our lake. It appears that more users of our lake have become increasingly aware of boating regulations, state law, and local ordinances.

In addition to our officers, the North Carolina Wildlife Officers provide additional necessary patrol of our lake. These officers are most often concerned with boating regulations and offenses connected with the conservation and regulation of wildlife resources. Although these officers have the power of arrest statewide, administrative directives often limit their ability to enforce local ordinances. Statutory law requires North Carolina Wildlife Officers to investigate boating accidents with damages in excess of $500.

As you can imagine, jurisdictional and administrative matters may cause occasional questions. Please refer all ordinance violations and concerns to members of your local police department as we strive to serve you even better in the future.

General: Samples were collected on July 24th following light to moderate rains in the region.

The Broad River Watershed: Ten sites are monitored monthly. These include one site each on the Broad River, Hickory Creek, and Reedypatch Creek which all flow into the Rocky Broad River at Bat Cave, two sites on the Rocky Broad River at Chimney Rock and at Lake Lure, and one site each at Pool Creek, Cane Creek, the Public Golf Course Creek, Buffalo Creek, and Fairfield Mountains Creek. All of the latter sites are located just upstream from Lake Lure.

The rains caused erosion and runoff from some areas resulting in various levels of stream sedimentation. The most severe problem by far occurred on Reedypatch Creek which showed high levels of all pollutants analyzed. Sediment concentrations (stream siltation) and turbidity levels (a measure of water clarity) were both higher than any ever recorded by the VWIN program in the Lake Lure area or in Henderson County through which this stream flows. Copper, lead, and zinc concentrations also all exceeded water quality standards and nutrient concentrations were quite high. The extremely poor water quality was quite possibly the result erosion and runoff from road construction taking place in the Sugarloaf Mountain area.

Hickory Creek and the Broad River showed only slight increases in turbidity and sediment, but the effects of the high sediment load from Reedypatch Creek caused turbidity and sediment to be moderately high at the two sites in the Rocky Broad River. Turbidity levels exceeded the standard for trout waters at these two sites.

Pool Creek, Cane Creek, and Fairfield Mountains Creek all showed excellent water quality despite the rains. However, Buffalo Creek and especially, the Public Golf Course Creek both showed elevated turbidity and sediment levels. Nutrient concentrations (phosphorus and nitrogen) were also elevated at the Public Golf Course Creek.

Lake Lure: Four locations on Lake Lure are monitored for temperature and dissolved oxygen at one meter depth intervals. These locations are at the dam, in the main channel, at Buffalo Bay, and at Tryon Bay. A secchi (pronounced seckee) depth is also taken at each of the four locations to measure water clarity (the greater the secchi depth, the clearer the water). The extent of light penetration is approximately twice the secchi depth. The dam and lake center locations are also monitored for phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations at one meter from the surface and one meter from the bottom.

Lake Lure is typically highly stratified by July with warm water reaching down to about four to six meters (about 13 to 19 feet) and temperature and oxygen concentrations decreasing rapidly below this point (year-round temperature below 10 meters is around 46 to 50 degrees F). This year shows the same trend, however oxygen concentrations are somewhat lower near the surface this year than in previous years at this time. Weather conditions and time of day the samples are taken may cause slight changes in the results. In general, the oxygen concentration profile resembles the 1997 readings more than 1998 when oxygen concentrations at all depths were slightly higher. The main channel showed generally slightly higher oxygen concentrations than the other sites at all depths this July and temperature and oxygen stratification were more pronounced in the two bays. Below six meters (about 19 feet) oxygen concentrations are now too low to sustain trout (less than 5 mg/L) and above four meters (about 13 feet) water temperatures are too high for trout (greater than 75 degrees F).

Secchi depth was greatest at the dam location (81") but phosphorus concentrations near the surface were somewhat high at this location indicating a potential for algae growth during sunny weather. In the main channel the secchi depth was 77", in Buffalo Bay it was 70", and in Tryon Bay it has shown secchi depth to generally be greater than 110" (the exception being shortly after the flood of 1996 when secchi depth was only 29"). The dissolved oxygen profile would indicate that most algae growth is occurring just below the secchi depth.

1998 DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT

Town of Lake Lure Water Division

828-625-9983

The Town of Lake Lure wants the citizens of our beautiful Town to know that its drinking water is pure and safe to drink. This water quality report will answer your questions about Lake Lure drinking water, the treatment process for Lake Lure drinking water and information about substances detected in Lake Lure drinking water.

The Town of Lake Lure is proud of its drinking water and complies with all state and federal standards for drinking water. This report to consumers covers the calendar year from January to December of 1998. Annual reports such as this one will be provided by the Town each year in the future.

Where does Lake Lure's drinking water come from? The source of Lake Lure's drinking water is from a three well system located near and around the Bottomless Pools area of our Town. These three wells produce pure, clean mountain water from the deep aquifers within the rugged geological rock formations that edge this valley. These wells are capable of producing approximately 280,000 gallons of pure water each day.

How is Lake Lure well water treated for drinking purposes? Raw water is treated as it is pumped from the well head with a solution of Sodium Hypochlorite. This is the most preferred treatment currently available with many larger cities now switching from chlorine gas to the use of Sodium Hypochlorite. This disinfection process assures you that the water delivered to your home is safe to drink.

What's new? Many thanks to the Mayor and Town Council for providing the needed funding for new water lines and monitoring equipment. New lines now serve residents along Memorial Highway with new lines coming soon to the residents of Boy's Camp Road. A radio controlled reservoir monitor was added to the Pool Creek reservoir to automatically maintain a constant water level and self adjust with water demands. This saves time, water and assures personnel that the reservoir will remain full. This new construction within the water system allows the Town to more easily deliver a quality water product to your home, which is in keeping with the increasingly more stringent water quality standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Why do we treat pure well water? Drinking water sources in the United States (both tap water and bottled water) include oceans, rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As source water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include: microbial contaminants, such as viruses, bacteria and other pathogens which may come from septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, wildlife and sewage treatment plants; inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic waste-water discharges, oil and gas production mining or farming; pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses; radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil/gas production and mining activities; organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic/volatile organic chemicals, which are by products of industrial processes/petroleum productions, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.

Is it safe to drink? The Town of Lake Lure contracts with Test America Inc., a North Carolina and EPA approved drinking water laboratory whose chemists analyze water samples from our systems for many substances including: metals, volatile organic chemicals, pesticides and bacteria. These tests are done as scheduled to comply with all national primary drinking water regulations. For a complete listing of all substances tested, call Lake Lure Town Hall at (828) 625-9983 and leave a message at extension 904.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA issues and regulates the limits for contaminants found in public water systems. The FDA provides the same regulations for bottled water.

The Environmental Protection Agency sets maximum contaminant level goals (MCLG) and maximum contaminant levels (MCL) for drinking water. The maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG) is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known expected health risk. MCLG's allow for a margin of safety. The MCL is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCL's are set as close to the MCLG's as feasible using the best available treatment technology. This water quality report will show the substances which were found in Lake Lures drinking water in 1998. Results are shown in parts per million (ppm) and parts per billion (ppb).

What's a ppm? 1 minute in 2 years. What's a ppb? 1 minute in 2000 years. Special Concerns. Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants found in drinking water than the general public. Immuno-compromised persons such as: persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy; persons who have undergone organ transplants; people with HIV/AIDs or other immune system disorders; some elderly and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. Also, these people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA / CDC guidelines are available from the safe drinking water hotline, (800) 426-4791 . Call them for more information on health concerns about contaminants and chemicals found in tap water and bottled water.

Monitored substances in Lake Lure drinking water for 1998 and primary substances regulated throughout the system for 1998.

Many more tests come around that are on cycles of three years and more. These are the relevant tests from 1998. Should you as a consumer have any questions, please contact the appropriate people at Town Hall and we will be glad to arrange a meeting.

NEWS AROUND LAKE LURE

With the cooperation of Rutherford Internal Medicine and the North Carolina Division of Services for the Blind, the Lake Lure Lions Club will be sponsoring a Free Health Clinic on Saturday, October 23, 1999 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Lake Lure Community Center. In addition to the regular checks of blood pressure, glaucoma screening and diabetes screening, the clinic is also offering flu shots. (Note: Flu shots are free to those presenting their Medicare Part B card, and for a small fee to all others.) Colorectal screening kits and cholesterol screening will be available for a small fee. The clinic is open to everyone as a public service. The Lions, whose central focus is to eradicate preventable blindness most often caused by diabetic eye disease and glaucoma, urge everyone to take advantage of this opportunity, since early detection of any health problem is extremely important. For additional information, call Marian Krull at 625-9511 or Helen Nelon at 625-9271.

Lake Lure Newcomers invites those who are a new resident in Lake Lure (24 months or less) to join them in various activities which include: potluck, gourmet, out'n about, theater, bridge/poker, book club, and hiking. If you are interested in becoming a member, call Fred Noble or Jeanine Noble at 828-625-8706.

Lake Lure VFW members will hold meetings every third Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the Lake Lure Community Center.

The Lake Lure Republicans have rented the Lake Lure Community Hall for Candidates' Night on October 7, 1999 at 6:00 p.m. Light buffet and beverages will be served. You are welcome to attend, however, you must call for a reservation no later than October 5, 1999. Reservations will not be accepted after that date. The two candidates for mayor and the three for commissioner have been invited to make a brief presentation and answer questions from the floor. Telephone LLR Secretary Carolyn Cobb at 625-1831 and leave a message. Our Council is non-partisan as far as requirements for office. This meeting is open to everyone and you are most welcome to attend! However, there will be no admittance without a reservation. LLR members must also make reservations. We must be able to prepare food and seating. Thank you.

ERRATA: In the last issue, the cost per gallon of town water was erroneously stated as eight cents per gallon. It should have read .8 cents.