The Aberdeen Town Board met Monday at Aberdeen Recreation Center for a special called meeting and public hearing to discuss the proposed budget.
The budget passed unanimously, and Town Manager Paul Sabiston said property values are continuing to grow and have increased by approximately 3%, but property tax rates will remain at .49 cents per $100 valuation and $0.095 (county rate) in the fire district.
Partly due to the impact COVID-19 has had on sales tax revenues, next year’s projected spending will be $450,000 lower than this year.
Garbage collection rates will increase to $28 for residential and to $32.50 for commercial.
Water and sewer rates will increase to $15 base rate per two months, which is a $1 increase for each utility.
Town staff will receive a 2% wage increase, and the fee schedule for a sign permit is lowered from $75 to $25 effectively July 1.
The complete budget may be viewed at Town of Aberdeen Home page.
During the work session that followed the special meeting and public hearing, a recommendation for a Radium Removal Filter Design & Installation at the cost of approximately $45,000 for Well 28 was passed. The recommendation was introduced by Interim Public Works Director Joe Wood.
In 2012, public works dealt with excessive radium levels in Well 28 and are dealing with it again. Well 28 was made inactive and has a fiberglass design instead of stainless steel and needs a radium removal filter to work at 120 gallons per minute.
“When it sits too long inactively, have to start all over with state at square one,” Wood said.
The board also approved combining five parcels which include the Aberdeen Police Department facility and the Aberdeen Fire Department Station 41.
The board updated and revised the Town’s State of Emergency Declaration to include statewide COVID-19 Phase 1 and Phase 2 guidelines.
Three items were scheduled for a public hearing on June 22. A Special Use Permit from SBT Real Estate Holding, LLC for property located at 1590 N. Sandhills Blvd. for a “Vehicle Establishment, Minor” use on a parcel zoned Conditional Zoning – Office and Institutional will be open for comments.
Also open for comments, is a request for a Text Amendment from Neal Smith Engineering to add “Flea Market/Antique Mall, Indoor” and “Retail Sales, Large” as a permissible use to the Light Industrial zoning district.
Public comments will also be heard on a proposed Text Amendment to amend various typos of the Unified Development Ordinance.
Written by Sandhills Sentinel Journalism Intern Stephanie M. Sellers.