Banks County residents will be paying more for county water as of Jan. 1. The board of commissioners unanimously agreed Tuesday night to increase the water rates by .25 cents per 1,000 gallons used. The proposal was to increase the rate by .50 cents per 1,000 gallons used but the BOC decided to go with the lower increase.
Commissioner Ernest Rogers suggested the .25 cents and said he wouldn’t approve the .50 cents. Rogers said he is already hearing from poultry farmers that are struggling to pay their water bills.
The proposal was also to implement the same increase annually for the next four years but the BOC instead decided to do the increase for one year only and look at the request again next year.
“I would hate to lock us in for the next four years,” commissioner Charles Turk said. “I would think look at it again next year.”
The water rate increase approved will bring in approximately $37,000 per year in revenue to the water department.
“My goal is to make the utility department totally self sufficient,” water department director Steve Reece said.
In other business at the meeting Tuesday night, the BOC:
•approved two variance requests from David McNeal on setbacks from property lines for two tracts on Hwy. 323, Maysville.
•approved an update to the flood damage prevention ordinance to meet new state regulations.
•approved a request from Major Hunter to use one the fields at the recreation center on Saturday, Aug. 7, to hold a benefit softball tournament for a cancer patient.
•approved a request from Keith Rucker to use one of the fields at the recreation center on Friday, Aug. 13, to hold a benefit softball tournament for Neals Grove Baptist Church’s community center project.
•approved new map fees as recommended by Rebecca Murray of the GIS department. The BOC also agreed to spend $36,000 to complete the GIS map project. Turk voted against the motion to spend $36,000 on the project but the other commissioners all voted for approval.
•approved the annual public safety contract for the transit program, which provides van service to county residents.
•approved the annual contract with Legacy Link for the Meals on Wheels program at the senior center.
•approved the annual contract with Phillips State Prison to provide prisoners for road detail work in the county.
•renewed the liability insurance and the group insurance. The liability insurance has increased by $6,000 and the group insurance has increased by 19 percent.
•lifted the hiring freeze in order to fill the vacant public transportation driver position.
•agreed to advertise the proposed $12.6 million budget for 2011 and schedule public hearings to receive citizen input. Finance director Randy Failyer said the proposal is down almost $800,000 from the current budget.
•appointed Brandon Cook to fill a vacant seat on the planning commission. He will replace Louie Cleveland Jr., who resigned earlier. The term ends Oct. 31, 2012.
•agreed to take over ownership of two lakes from the NRCS as possible future water sources.
•approved a priority list of 12 roads to be sent to the department of transportation for possible road improvements. The roads are: Otis Brown Road, Ferguson Road, Neal Road, Barrett Road, Parson Circle, Gardiner Road, Moccasin Gap Road, Cedar Ridge Road, Sims Bridge Road, John Morris Road, Carson Segars Road and Carlan Road. This priority list will be submitted to the department of transportation for consideration for resurfacing under the new “LMIG” program. It does not mean that all these roads will be resurfaced.
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