PAST AND FUTURE ATTEMPTS
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (ARPA)
must have a 501c3 Non Profit or Fiscal Sponsor. The online application portal for ARPA funding is currently closed. The next round of funding is expected to open in the fall of calendar year 2022. -as of 8/22/2022
Grant funding to fix potholes? Although the main criteria of the funding are COVID related items, this is ultimately COVID recovery funds in order to get small businesses relief from COVID-related issues as well as other inequities caused by COVID rectified. This was an issue exacerbated by COVID and the buying power of corporate landlords increased substantially in the wake of COVID. https://www.mecknc.gov/Documents/MC-Strategic-Recovery-Plan-ARPA.pdf
HOUSE BILL 720
Rocky Ridge asked for no money out of homeowners pockets
House Bill 720 was introduced during the legislative session. The primary Mecklenburg County sponsors were Representatives Majeed and Belk. Mecklenburg County Co-sponsors included Representatives Autry, Hunt and Logan. House Bill 721 would authorize counties to allow repayment of special assessments in semiannual installments as a collection option and extend the repayment window to 20 years. The current law requires repayment to occur within 10 years.
The legislation was passed by the House of Representatives in September 2021 and is eligible for consideration when session begins in the Spring.
SPECIAL ASSESSMENT LOAN
Petition must contain 75% of owners signatures
Special Assessments Loans are those in which there has been a contract made between the property owner and Mecklenburg County for improvements to certain properties/roads. Per David Goode as of 2021, RR loan estimate for NCDOT standards with 3.0" asphalt $647.975.20 or 1.5" asphalt $479.260.24
STATUES
136-97. Responsibility of counties for upkeep, etc., terminated.
The board of county commissioners or other road-governing bodies of the various counties in the State are hereby relieved of all responsibility or liability for the upkeep or maintenance of any of the roads or bridges thereon constituting the State highway system, after the same shall have been taken over, and the control thereof assumed by the Department of Transportation.
160A-193. Abatement of public health nuisances. (a) A city shall have authority to summarily remove, abate, or remedy everything in the city limits, or within one mile thereof, that is dangerous or prejudicial to the public health or public safety. Pursuant to this section, the governing board of a city may order the removal of a swimming pool and its appurtenances upon a finding that the swimming pool or its appurtenances is dangerous or prejudicial to public health or safety. The expense of the action shall be paid by the person in default. If the expense is not paid, it is a lien on the land or premises where the nuisance occurred. A lien established pursuant to this subsection shall have the same priority and be collected as unpaid ad valorem taxes. (b) The expense of the action is also a lien on any other real property owned by the person in default within the city limits or within one mile of the city limits, except for the person's primary residence. A lien established pursuant to this subsection is inferior to all prior liens and shall be collected as a money judgment. This subsection shall not apply if the person in default can show that the nuisance was created solely by the actions of another. (c) The authority granted by this section does not authorize the application of a city ordinance banning or otherwise limiting outdoor burning to persons living within one mile of the city, unless the city provides those persons with either (i) trash and yard waste collection services or (ii) access to solid waste dropoff sites on the same basis as city residents
NCDOT CONTINGENCY FUND
10/30/2021 New Hanover County, NC receives funds
Jonathan Barfield Jr., first elected to the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners in 2008, led the charge on bringing the roads of Weaver Acres to the attention of NCDOT.
Barfield said in an interview Thursday the five roads in Weaver Acres, in fact, were actually turned over to NCDOT in the past. Most of the Weaver Acres road network is state-maintained. But the cul-de-sacs, beleaguered with deep potholes, are not, and they are the true target of repairs.
Barfield’s parents live on one of the cul-de-sacs. The county commissioner reached out to Lee to ask if anything could be done. The state senator soon informed Barfield there appeared to be a solution.
“He said, ‘Well, there are contingency funds that could be tapped into,’” Barfield said. “It’s still a process.”
NCDOT maintains statewide contingency funds for small-dollar roadway enhancements, typically up to $250,000, which anyone can apply for. The requests require a letter of support from either the president pro tempore of the Senate or the speaker of the House; the board of commissioners unanimously signed onto a resolution of support that will be voted on Nov. 1.
Lee requested $101,690 in state funds for the Weaver Acres repairs, according to the upcoming board of commissioners meeting agenda, and Sen. Phil Berger will sponsor the request.
“They found a way to make it work,” Barfield said. “If we can find ways to fix stuff, we need to find ways to fix stuff.”
HOUSE BILL 489
$30 million not included in Budget 2021
The most important step for solving this problem is to appropriate funds for bringing roads up to state standards. The North Carolina House's version of the 2021 budget would have allocated $30 million for this purpose. However, the funds did not make the final bill. The Homeowners Alliance will continue advocating for funds.