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Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 4A
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS Sunday, April 8,2001
Commission prepares to choose
representative for water agency
• By Bill Johnson
Staff Writer
Forsyth County will choose its
representative to the newly creat
ed Metro North Georgia Water
Planning District on Monday
when the Board of Commiss
ioners meets in regular session at
the County Administration Build
ing on Main Street.
On Thursday, Gov. Roy E.
Barnes signed the bill into law
creating the 29-member board to
help “ensure Georgia has a clean
and ample water supply.”
The board will appoint one
member to serve on the agency
this year.
Next year, the mayor of
Cumming will fill the seat. From
then on, the two government enti
ties will occupy a seat on the
board in alternate years.
A federal judge has given
Georgia until 2003 to come up
with a plan to control pollution in
the state’s waterways.
The newly created district will
be charged with implementing a
plan to accomplish that task in the
Barnes touts need for water planning agency
By Bill Johnson
Staff Writer
Gov. Roy E. Barnes signed
what could become a landmark
piece of legislation Thursday
the long-awaited Metropolitan
North Georgia Water Planning
District Act.
The bill is aimed at ensuring
Georgia has a “clean and ample
water supply” to meet the future
needs of its citizens.
“There is nothing more essen
tial to our future than protecting
our water, “ Barnes said Thursday.
“Without water, our quality of life
will suffer.”
Before signing the bill, Barnes
said, “We are reaching the limit of
how much treated wastewater the
Chattahoochee and other rivers in
the region can accept.
“Our current treatment capaci
ty is 535 million gallons per day.
By the year 2020, it’s estimated
we’ll need to treat 700 million to
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18 north Geoigia counties it repre
sents.
The bill signed by the gover
nor also creates a Water Planning
Study Committee and Water Plan
Advisory Committee.
The study committee is
charged with developing a long
term solution to water quality and
quantity issues.
The advisory committee will
assist the study committee in
developing principles, processes
and a schedule for the develop
ment of a comprehensive plan.
An amendment co-authored by
Sen. Casey Cagle, R-Gainesville,
and backed by Rep. Tom Knox,
R-Cumming, also gives one mem
ber of the Lake Lanier Assoc
iation a seat at the table on the
advisory committee.
LLA President Jackie Joseph
said her organization expects to
name its representative later this
week.
“We worked extremely hard on
this,” said Joseph.
“We were at the state legisla
ture quite frequently working with
Sen. Cagle and [state] Reps. Clint
1 billion gallons a day.”
The bill creates advisory coun
cils to help shape plans for each
watershed in the region. The
Watershed Advisory Committee
will recommend principles,
process and a schedule for devel
opment of the plan. The Water
Planning Study Committee will
use those recommendations to
create solutions that will be rec
ommended to the governing
board.
The state’s Environmental
Protection Division will be the
enforcement arm of the new dis
trict. Counties are not required to
comply with the district’s plan,
but they risk the loss of water
withdrawal and wastewater dis
charge permits if they do not.
Those permits have a major
impact on whether or not individ
ual counties continue to grow and
prosper.
The governor stressed the need
Smith and Tom Knox. It repre
sents a real effort on their part.”
In other action at Monday’s
meeting, the board will:
• Hear a request to waive per
mit fees and contribute $22,137
for water and sewer service to the
proposed facility for The Place of
Forsyth County;
• Consider a bid for the pur
chase of 25 Scott Aviation Air
Packs for the fire department;
• Consider approval of
BellSouth contracts for T-l
Internet access and frame relay
services and approval of addition
al monies for frame relay hard
ware and installation;
• Consider a request for
issuance of alcohol license for
Anwar Ali Janmohammed d/b/a
Stripland Shell, to sell beer and
wine by the package;
• Consider renewal of medical
care contract for detention center
inmates with Dr. Daulton Todd;
• Consider bids for culvert
replacement at Castleberry Road
at Fenwick and at Majors Road,
and a wireless security system for
the courthouse.
for community involvement in
making sure Georgia solves its
water woes.
“Neither this new water plan
ning district nor any other agency
of government, whether state or
local, can solve our water prob
lems alone,” Barnes said. “That
will require the continued com
mitment and involvement of every
one of those governments, the
business community and of every
citizen in the region.”
“PmJB
Serving Forsyth County
for seven years
'• ®l ?? • ■ ' i rV- ■'
Photo/Submitted
Club presents scholarships
The Sawnee Woman’s Club recently awarded scholarships to three international students to
help in continuing their education. Recipients were: Cecilia Ferna, South Forsyth High
School, with counselor Brenda Levin; Evelyn Dudaric, Forsyth Central High School, with
counselor Evelyn Peterson; Veronica Rodriguez, North Forsyth High School, with counselor
Maureen Weirham. The students spoke to the SWC on March 14 and received their schol
arships at that time.
Immunizations
The Forsyth County Health
Department will host
Immunization Day on
Monday, April 9. All kinder
gartners and preschoolers who
need immunizations to enter
school are urged to attend.
For more information, call
(770) 781-6900.
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