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FIREWOOD
Play it safe
~ pect the chimney
S YIN FORSYTH
VOLUME LXXV—NUMBER 66
City approves hiking water, sewer rates
By Doug Allinger
Tha Sunday Hwwi
To eliminate a growing operating deficit
and provide funds for improvements for the
city water and sewer system, the Cumming
City Council Tuesday voted to raise water
and sewer rates.
The rate increases were recommended by
the city’s engineering consultant after a $50,-
000 operating deficit was recorded for the
system in 1963 and a $71,000 deficit projected
for 1964.
Water rates for residential customers in
side the city limits went up from $4 for the
first 2,000 gallons and $1 per each additional
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Good morning, Forsyth
Good morning! Today is Sunday, Oct. 21, and
the ‘'summer’’ weather will continue wuh a
high in the low 80s. There is, however, a 20
percent chance of an afternoon thundershower.
While you’re cooling it, spend some time with
the Sunday News.
" "i" 1 "’**■" ■ *. " 111 "■ 1
Building permits zoom
Forsyth County building permits climb about
SO percent in the third quarter over the same
period four years ago. Permits issued during
July, August and September this year totaled
263.
Page 3
Start early
The first blast of cold air may take away your
late blooming flowers, but that shouldn’t stop
you from planning next year’s flower displays.
It’s time again to consider spring flowering
bulbs, which give us our first glimpse of beauti
ful color and signal the end of dark, cold winter
days.
Home and Garden
Business expands
Frames N’ Things opens a new shop at the Tri-
County Plaza to take care of increased busi
ness. Yolanda Arango, wife of Gabriel Arango
is managing the new shop.
Page 2B
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Sophia Loren’s son stars
Sophia Loren helps her son, 11-year-old
Edoardo Pond, realize his dream of becoming
an actor. The two will be seen in the TV movie
"Aurora."
TV Focus, Inside
.
1,000 gallons, to $5 for the first 3,000 gallons
plus $1.25 for each additional 1,000 gallons.
Residential customers outside the city will
pay $7.50 for the first 3,000 gallons and $1.75
per each additional 1,000 gallons, up from $8
for the first 2,000 gallons and $1.50 for each
additional 1,000 gallons.
Commercial water users inside the city
will pay $8 for the first 3,000 and $1.25 for
each additional 1,000 gallons, compared with
the previous $6 for the first 2,000 and $1 for
each additional 1,000 gallons.
Outside the city, commercial users will
pay sl6 for the first 3,000 and $1.75 for each
additional 1,000 gallons, compared with the
former sl2 for the first 2,000 and $1.50 per
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1984—CUMMING, GA. 30130—82 PAGES 4 SECTIONS
Council
approves
budget
By Doug Aliinger
Th# Sunday Newt
The Cumming City Council Tues
day night approved its 1985 budget,
allocating $1,862,800 for operation of
city government and services next
year.
More than half the $201,000 increase
in expenditures over last year’s sl,-
661,800 budget will go to the city
water and sewer department, which
will receive $1,011,006 next year.
The $136,000 raise for the water and
sewer department was needed,
according to Cumming Mayor Ford
Gravitt, to update and replace equip
ment.
The administrative department of
the city government got an SIB,OOO
increase over last year with funding
at $201,000. Gravitt said the increase
was due to pay raises and increases
in other administrative costs.
Gravitt added that part of the in
crease in each department’s budget
was targeted for employee pay raises
and bonuses.
The only department to have its
budget cut from last year’s level was
the parks department, which will get
$175,000 in 1985, $5,000 less than last
year. Gravitt said last year’s parks
budget was higher than usual be
cause of state tournaments and other
special, one-time events at the park.
The Cumming Police Department
was funded at $277,500, getting a $14,-
000 increase over last year, part of
which is targeted for a new patrol
car.
Equipment purchases were also a
primary reason cited for a $16,500
increase in the street department
budget, which was set at $196,500.
The City Council set aside $1,500 for
the fire department.
Gravitt said the council will be
working on where the city is going to
get the money to fund next year’s
budget soon. “I don’t anticipate any
property tax increases,” the mayor
said.
In other action at Tuesday’s 30-min
ute meeting, the council voted to
increase water and sewer rates. (See
separate story this page.)
The council also voted to buy a
Ditch Witch trencher for the city
water department at a cost of $38,021.
The machine will be used to install
water meters and pipe. The council
also authorized attorney Zack Rice to
advertise for bids on a dump truck to
haul the trencher.
“The city is in the water business to
stay. I recommend that we buy the
equipment we need to operate the
water plant,” Gravitt said before
calling for a vote on whether to adver
tise for a truck.
In other business, the mayor re
ported that a request for a study of
the need for traffic lights at the
intersections of Georgia Highway 9
and Buford Dam and the intersection
of Mary Alice Park Road with
Georgia 9 had been denied by the
state Department of Transportation.
The DOT said, unless major im
provements were made in the routing
of the roads at Cumming’s five points
mi Georgia 9, a traffic light would do
little to help the situation there.
The council voted to ask Rep. Bill
Barnett to try to apply some pressure
to get traffic lights at the intersec
tions.
each additional 1,000 gallons.
Residential sewer rates were changed
from $4 for the first 2,000 gallons and 50 cents
per each additional 1,000 gallons to $4 for the
first 3,000 and $1 for each extra 1,000 gallons.
Commercial sewer users’ rates were
raised from $6 for the first 2,000 gallons and
75 cents for each additional 1,000 gallons to
$lO for the first 3,000 and $1.25 for each
additional 1,000 gallons of sewer.
The rate increases will take effect with the
November billing.
Nolan Johnson Jr., consulting engineer
with Southern Engineering Co., said the
revised rate schedule will eliminate the
current operating deficit and will bring
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The colors of autumn were displayed
early this year thanks to Jon Heard
(right), who for several weeks has
displayed the products of his annual
summer project. That project for the
'■ y .' i iisP' 9
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Hopefuls tell plans during forum
By Chuck Thompson
Th# Sunday Newt
National issues dominated Tuesday’s po
litical forum at Forsyth County Courthouse,
as Frank Cofer, candidate for Ninth Dis
trict U.S. Representative, addressed nu
merous subjects ranging from utilities to a
proposed flat-rate tax.
The forum was the third held by the
Cumming-Forsyth County Business and
Professional Women’s Club (BPW) this
year, and included candidates for local,
state and national offices in the upcoming
General Election.
Candidates were given an opportunity to
introduce themselves prior to questioning
by members of the audience, and Cofer
began by attacking his opponent, Congress
SUPER TEACHER
Sandra Moore honored
as Teacher of the Year
PAGE TWO
Cumming’s rates into line with those of
surrounding areas.
The rate increases are the first since 1977
for sewer service and since 1980 for water.
In addition to putting the water and sewer
system in the black, the increased revenue
will help the city undertake major im
provements to its sewage treatment facility.
The improvements, mandated by the State
Environmental Protection Division, will cost
between an estimated $1.5 to $2.9 million and
must be made before new sewer customers
can be added.
Johnson, who recommended the rate
schedule after studying rates of other metro
Atlanta systems, said he figured that the
Jon, Jason and autumn
past several years has been to grow
pumpkins and Indian com. Shown
with Jon 16 his brother, Jason (left).
They are sons of Wayne and Linda
man Ed Jenkins, who did not attend the
forum.
Cofer said political action committee
contributions from outside the state consti
tute 52 percent of the money received by
Jenkins.
He then shifted to utility companies,
noting that Social Security recipients spend
64 percent of their incomes on utilities, and
that the reason for large escalations in
utility rates is due to the inaction of public
officials.
Cofer said Jenkins received “thousands”
in contributions from AT&T, Southern Bell
and other utility companies.
In response to questions from Mac Rog
ers, representing Taxpayers United for
Forsyth (TUFF), Cofer said he favors a
average residential customer using 4,000
gallons of water per month will see an
increase in his November bill of about 25
cents from $6 to $6.25.
A key component of the revised rates is a
30 cents per pound surcharge for commer
cial customers on the biochemical oxygen
demand in excess of 300 parts per million
and on suspended solids in excess of 200
parts per million.
The water and sewer department has
retained a policy of offering a 50 percent
discount to customers over age 62 who live in
the city and a 25 percent discount to senior
citizens outside the city.
Queen Lyn
Lyn Anderson, a senior at Forsyth County High
School, was crowned 1984-85 Homecoming Queen
Friday night during halftime ceremonies of the
Forsyth County-Dacula football game. Miss Ander
son was crowned by last year’s queen, Miss Susan
Thomas. Named to Queen Lyn’s Homecoming Court
were Leslie Rich, Ginny Orr, Kim Brown and Nan
Garrett.
Staff Photo Ores Little
lfl
Bteff photo Johnny Soletbee
Heard of Route 12, Cumming. Jon’s
display can be seen on Georgia 306
between Coal Mountain and Georgia
400.
flat-rate federal tax and wiser use of tax
dollars.
Rogers pointed to abuses of taxpayers’
money, such as government agencies pay
ing thousands for items like coffee pots.
According to the TUFF representative,
the philosophy in Washington, D.C. is that
you have to spend all the money you’re
allotted in order to get as much the next
year.
In response, Cofer said politicians talk in
terms of input, and how many dollars they
were able to get for certain programs.
He pointed out, however, that what mat
ters is output, and that Congress should
require a pay-back in output for the money
it allots.
See HOPEFULS, Page 12A
35 CENTS