ONWASA board authorizes local outreach and modified draft letter seeking Marine Corps partnership for wastewater capacity

The ONWASA board of directors authorized the chair and CEO on July 5 to finalize a draft letter seeking a partnership with the U.S. Marine Corps and possible federal funding to expand regional wastewater treatment capacity, and to pursue local municipal buy-in before elevating the request.

The CEO presented the draft letter, saying the request aims to address growth-driven needs in areas including Swansboro, Sneads Ferry and parts of the Jacksonville growth area and could free capital for other projects if federal money is secured. "That's what we're asking here — maybe some support or a motion to authorize to finalize the letter based on the draft that you've received and submit that to the leadership at the base," the CEO said (CEO).

Why it matters: the board’s action starts a formal outreach process that could alter the authority’s capital plan. Board members repeatedly emphasized the trade-offs of involving a major military installation: federal support might speed capacity increases but could come with operational or contractual implications. One director warned that the effort began outside the board, saying, "Somebody outside the ONWASA board initiated" the push and urged caution about surprises in chain-of-command communications (Hines).

Board members debated tactics. Several argued for a local-first approach: meet with the CPG group (an elected-officials-and-command forum) and the member municipalities to craft language that those partners would defend. "My experience is ... you want it almost to be their letter, so they'll defend it to the death," one director said in favor of shaping the draft with municipal input (Board member).

Others stressed timing and transparency: directors asked whether the proposed capacity reflected regional growth assumptions and expressed concern about prior negotiations held outside the board. Staff responded that the authority has evaluated alternatives — renovating Swansboro, building a new plant near Hubert, or piping to the base — and that prior CIP work informed the site selection and capacity estimates. The CEO said the base has been cooperative in prior data-sharing and that local command changes present an opportunity for renewed dialogue.

The board’s action and next steps: the motion approved by voice vote gives the chair and the CEO authority to incorporate Director Herbert's suggested edits to the draft, present the revised draft to municipal leaders for their review and signatures where practical, and then proceed based on local feedback. The chair said staff will pursue meetings with town councils and the CPG group and may engage the congressional delegation later if needed.

What the board did not decide: the board did not commit to a specific construction approach or a federal funding guarantee; it approved only the process of finalizing the letter, engaging municipalities and pursuing next-step discussions with the base.

Provenance: discussion introducing and framing the letter begins at SEG 678 and continues through the board’s vote at SEG 1543.

Speakers quoted are listed in the meeting roster.