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WARSAW — At last week’s November Warsaw Town Board meeting, Mayor-elect Wesley Boykin used public comment to thank the board for its service while urging a more formal and structured transition as new members prepare to take office in December. Boykin said that after meeting with Town Manager Lea Turner, he was told that managers and officials “learn as they go,” a characterization he challenged. He emphasized that elected officials must have a written, publicly available transition plan to ensure transparency, continuity of government, and adherence to established protocols.
Boykin also requested a change of venue for the December meeting, noting that a larger public turnout is expected and that Parks and Recreation facilities could accommodate the crowd.
“I was told that it would be too much work because we know that there would be a lot of people attending the Dec. 8 meeting and since the officers-elect are simply that, they cannot give directives,” said Boykin, adding that although officers-elect cannot issue directives, they may make reasonable requests. Boykin told Duplin Journal that the move would require minimal effort, likely involving only relocating microphones.
Following public comment, the town’s engineers provided a detailed update on Warsaw’s major water and wastewater infrastructure projects, emphasizing both current progress and long-term challenges. The first major effort involves a project to rehabilitate Well 3 and connect it to the town’s water treatment plant. This project aims to restore a critical water source that was previously removed from service due to high iron levels. According to the engineers, plans are completed, permits are pending, and once approved, the project will move to construction bidding.
A second, larger effort centers on a $7.5 million legislative earmark for water and wastewater system upgrades. Although the town previously applied for $33 million to expand and improve its wastewater treatment facilities, that application was not funded, in part because expansion projects typically do not qualify for grant assistance. The past proposal for a $33 million plant expansion is now estimated to cost $75–80 million and remains far beyond what grants are likely to cover.
With deadlines tied to ARPA funding, engineers recommended prioritizing immediate needs: replacing failing terracotta sewer lines on Frost Street, upgrading Pump Station 10, including new pumps and a required standby generator and rehabilitating 23,000 feet of aging sewer pipe to reduce stormwater infiltration. They also plan to install a new influent screen at the wastewater treatment plant.
“We met with the town and came up with a plan to first address a serious situation you have on Frost Street, where you’ve got old lines from the 50’s that are made of terracotta pipes. Those lines have collapsed in several places,” said the engineer. “We’re replacing lines from 24 on Frost Street down to where Julia Street extends to Frost Street and also on George Street, where there’s an undersized line that runs up George Street.”
A significant portion of the discussion focused on funding constraints and the difficulty of securing additional grants. Engineers clarified that most available assistance now comes as loans with limited principal forgiveness, usually no more than $500,000, primarily for towns classified as “distressed.” Warsaw is no longer designated distressed, which limits its eligibility for special aid.
Commissioners raised the possibility of redirecting funds, particularly the $3 million allocated for sewer relining, toward more urgent upgrades at the wastewater treatment plant. Engineers said this may be feasible, but only if the town can secure a formal extension of the 2026 federal spending deadline. Without that extension, the town risks losing ARPA-funded grant money. At the board’s request, engineers agreed to draft a letter on the town’s behalf seeking permission to reallocate funds and extend the timeline.
Finally, engineers reported that a separate study evaluating whether the wastewater plant can be expanded to two million gallons per day is underway, with seasonal sampling nearly complete. Depending on the results, expansion may be possible, but would require significant loan financing due to the lack of grant programs for capacity increases. The board agreed to continue advancing immediate repair projects while pursuing written guidance from federal and state authorities on whether timeline flexibility and fund reallocation are possible.
