Forgotten Words

 “Now the final say-so of the overall direction of the town, it’s going to be with the citizens. That’s the way a town should be.”

Those were the words of Edgar Smoak in an interview with the News and Observer titled State to give up reins on Butner. This was one of many pieces written about the Incorporation of Butner.

How quickly those words were abandoned and forgotten.  At Thursday nights Butner Town Council meeting it became obvious the words of the citizens of Butner and Granville County do not matter.  The Town Council passed a resolution to limit public comment ( free speech) to 3 minutes per person and no more than 3 people could speak on the same topic.  In this instance the topic was the National Bio-Agro Defense Facility (NBAF) and the citizens whether they were a member of Granville Non-Violent Action Team (GNAT) or not, essentially had a gag order placed on their free-speech. Butner Public Safety was instructed to arrest anyone disrupting the Town’s business.  What are they afraid of? A group of sixty citizens wanting their voices heard?

One must ask the question at this point, Did the community leaders pushing for the incorporation of Butner do so to support the infrastructure needed for the National Bio Argo Defense Facility. The burden of the infrastructure prior to the incorporation was placed on the state of North Carolina because Butner was run by The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.  After the incorporation the burden of the infrastructure was passed on to the citizens of Butner as well as a large increase effective January 1, 2008 in water and sewer rates imposed by the South Granville Water and Sewer Authority(SGWASA).  Was the Incorporation of Butner part of the process to attract the National Bio Argo Defence Facility (NBAF)?  One need look no further than the legislation written supporting the incorporation.

The original article of Butner Incorporation  was filed with the NC General Assembly on  3/22/07, on 6/23/07  a favorable Committee Substitute rewritten bill including text and easement exception for the National Bio-Argo Defense Facility was filed, with the final bill passage on 7/27/07.

House Bill 986 Ratified Bill   There shall be excepted from the above easement area that certain tract or parcel of land consisting of 85 acres more or less and labeled “Proposed NBAF Site” on the above‑described map; provided, however, that if said tract or parcel of land is not selected by the United States Department of Homeland Security for use in connection with the National Bio and Agro‑Defense Facility project (NBAF Project) within five years of the date hereof, said area shall become subject to the terms of the easement to be granted. If no deed is recorded within five years in the Granville County Registry conveying said tract or parcel of land or some part thereof for use in connection with the above‑described project, it shall be conclusively presumed that said tract or parcel of land or part thereof not so conveyed is subject to the terms of the easement herein granted. Said easement also shall grant to the South Granville Water and Sewer Authority and its successors the right to enforce the terms of the easement related to the protection of the public drinking water supply. The Town of Butner shall be allowed the continued use, including the expansion and improvement, of the recreational facilities described in Section 3(b)(89) of this act.

The Department of Homeland Security started the Expression of Interest process for the NBAF,  January 19, 2006. The Incorporation of Butner was signed into law on July,27, 2007 a full 18 months after the EOI from DHS.

In my opinion given the time-line someone on the Town Advisory Board knew about and was supportive of the NBAF while seeking public acceptance for the Incorporation of Butner and at no time did they inform the citizens. Would you have been supportive of the incorporation if you knew the NBAF could possibly be in the town’s future? Also the NBAF Scoping Meeting held in September would have gone much differently had the citizens of Butner been informed and had time to prepare.

 In order for everyone to express their concerns we must have an honest and open dialogue. To the members of the town council who spoke up for neutrality and addressed our concerns we all must extend a sincere heartfelt Thank you.