By Jesse Wood
July 22, 2014. The Boone Town Council has as special meeting on Tuesday, July 22, at 5:30 p.m. inside the Council Chambers on Blowing Rock Road.
“The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss and make recommendations on revisions to the water ordinance, including but not limited to both new and existing connections in the extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ) – For Action,” the notice from the Town of Boone reads.
Once Sen. Dan Soucek’s bill to eliminate the town’s ETJ began making its way to passage, Mayor Andy Ball noted that the council was forced to reconsider all water policies into properties of the ETJ. The elimination of the town’s ETJ goes into effect Jan. 1, 2015.
The Boone Town Council met two weeks ago to discuss the bill’s impacts on residents of the ETJ. At the July 2 meeting, the Boone Town Council directed staff to cease all in-house approvals for new connections for water in the ETJ, pending a discussion with the Water Use Committee before the next Boone Town Council meeting in late July.
For some background on the ETJ conflict, click here and scroll down to peruse numerous articles. Below are two articles about water and the ETJ:
June 26, 2014. Water Becomes Attached to ETJ Controversy in Boone
July 3, 2014. Boone Town Council Discusses ETJ, Annexation and Water; Directs Staff To Cease New Connections in ETJ