Newspaper Page Text
March 16, 2022
Page 3B
Forsyth council offers industrial
water rates for potential prospect
Forsyth's South Waste Water Treatment Plant
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Forsyths council meeting
on March 7 included some
‘mysteries’. What big industry
that uses a million gallons
of water each day is looking
at Forsyth? Will the county
have anything to say about
the city annexing another 35
acres? Will the city put more
water line projects on hold
indefinitely because con
tractors won’t bid until the
cost of materials stabilizes?
Which days will the splash
pad really be closed? What
personnel issue did council
discuss behind closed doors
for almost an hour and a half
before re-convening with no
comments about it?
Joyce White, executive
director of Monroe County
Development Authority, and
Tom Baugh of the Develop
ment Authority board of
directors asked Forsyth to
set a water/sewer rate for in
dustries that use at least one
million gallons of water/day.
White said that for Forsyth
to be competitive in being
chosen by large industries
it needs a more attractive
charge for its high volume
water/sewer users. Forsyth
had only one rate for all of
its water customers, from an
individual residence to an
industry, and the sewerage
rate is based on water usage.
White said Forsyth is one
of four Georgia communi
ties in the running for an
industry that uses a million
gallons of water/day, but the
industry has asked her about
industrial water rates and
she expects Forsyth to be
dropped from the short list if
she doesn’t respond quickly.
Council voted to create an
industrial rate of $3/1,000
gallons for industries that use
at least one million gallons/
day.
City manager Janice Hall
said she had been talking
about creating a tiered price
structure for water/sewer. She
said all customers now pay
$4/1,000 gallons for water
used after the first 10,000
gallons. City consultant Mike
Leverett had been asked to
bring information to council
but was delayed because
of covid. The city will look
at more diversified rates
when Leverett can provide
information. Mayor Eric
Wilson said there are differ
ent rates for water customers
that are inside Forsyth city
limits and customers outside
the city limits and asked if
that was considered by the
Development Authority in
the industrial rate. White said
it wasn’t.
A council member asked
how many customers the city
currently has that use one
million gallons/day, and Hall
said there aren’t any.
Council member Mike
Dodd asked if $3/1,000 gal
lons is a competitive rate.
“We don’t really know how
that compares, but we have
to answer in a timely way’
said White. She said Georgia
Power is working to gather
data on rates around the state
but doesn’t have the informa
tion available, yet.
“If it’s not competitive
enough, well be back,” said
Baugh.
Wilson said that his experi
ence is that an industry’s
search for a site is a process
of “exclusion not inclusion,”
that is, the industry elimi
nates all sites that don’t have
everything they need and
look seriously at as few sites
as possible.
Council member Chris
Hewett asked how a mil
lion gallon/day customer
would impact Forsyth’s water
system. White said the city
would be able to work that
out because “a project of this
magnitude will take at least
two years to complete.”
Bill Bazemore asked how
many jobs the prospective
industry might bring to
Monroe County.
“We can’t disclose anything
about the process or project,”
said Baugh, but added, “You’d
be happy with this.”
For the second time,
council postponed its vote on
annexing another 35 acres
to the city. The land is on the
northeast side of Montpelier
Road and Three Oaks Con
struction requested annexa
tion because it plans Phase 3
of the Manor at Montpelier
subdivision on the property.
Forsyth Planning &
Zoning recommended
approving the annexation,
and council held a public
hearing regarding it on Feb.
7. However, by law the city
must send a notice to the
county regarding planned
annexation and give the
county at least 30 days after
receipt of the notice to reply.
City attorney Bobby Melton
said the city hasn’t heard
anything from the county,
and the county has four more
days to respond. He advised
council to wait until its
March 21 meeting to vote on
the annexation, and council
members voted to do so.
Forsyth’s water/sewer
engineer Carl Hofstadter
of Hofstader & Associates
updated council on its $30
million project with the
U.S. Department of Agri
culture to upgrade its water
treatment plants (WTP)
and water system. He first
addressed the bids for storm
drainage improvements on
Adams Street This project
is intended to alleviate the
flooding of the former Wel
come Center/city offices on
N. Lee Street.
Hofstader said the work
was estimated to cost
$250,000. The city received
only one bid, and that was for
$500,000. Hofstadter recom
mended the city put the Ad
ams Street work on hold and
re-bid it when prices stabilize.
Council voted to follow his
recommendation and reject
the bid.
“The world has turned
construction upside down,”
said Hofstadter. “I don’t trust
any estimates any more.”
He said that two paving
companies with which he
deals can’t finish jobs they
have now because of the
price of asphalt so they aren’t
bidding on any new jobs. He
said he will try to come up
with some temporary fixes.
For the big WTP projects,
Hofstadter said dredging
sediment from the Tobe-
sofkee Reservoir is ready to
begin. The survey has been
completed showing where
the sediment has settled, that
is, where the dredging needs
to be done. He said a barge
will be floated into the area,
a suction pipe will suck the
sediment into bags that will
let the water leak out and the
bags will be piled in a storage
area until the soil is needed
or the decision is made to
dispose of it.
Hofstadter said it was
decided not to spread it on
top of the landfill because it
is easier to store it where it
is and the fertile soil may be
useful later.
The next part of the project
is to upgrade the raw water
pumps, install a bigger pipe
and make other improve
ments to the intake building
at the WTP. He said the pipe
has to be replaced first be
cause the new pumps would
blow out the existing pipe.
One of the filters at the WTP
isn’t good and sometimes
can’t be used. Hofstadter said
he ordered a replacement
last year and expects it to get
here next month; everything
is ready for the replacement
to be installed as soon as it
arrives. He said Craig Helms,
who manages the Forsyth
water/sewer system, is doing
a good job “babysitting” the
filter until it can be replaced.
Hofstadter estimated about
2-2 1/2 years to complete all
the maintenance, cleaning
and other work that needs to
be done to upgrade Forsyths
water system from 3 mil
lion to 4 million gallons/day
capacity. He said some of the
contractors with whom he
works will only guarantee
bids for 48 hours now.
“This maintenance has
been deferred for a long
time,” said Mayor Eric Wil
son. ‘And this [$30 million
project] doesn’t even attack
getting water to neighbor
hoods.”
Hall told council that
it already approved two
emergency expenditures on
the water system. She said the
city has to pay for everything
up front and will get reim
bursed by the U.S. Dept, of
Agriculture grant when the
project closes.
Hall said that after Fire
Chief David Herndon got
approval from council on
Feb. 21 to close the city’s
splash pad on Mondays for
maintenance and cleaning,
he came back to her and said
there are three holidays on
Mondays. People will want to
use the splash pad on Memo
rial Day, July 4th and Labor
Day. He asked that instead of
closing on Mondays he be al
lowed to close the splash pad
as needed for maintenance.
There was no plan presented
as to when closures will be,
whether they will be for
full days or how notice of
planned closures will be
made to the public.
As for the last question in the
first paragraph, an answer
will be shared when or if the
city provides one.
Remember when...
Irish Tale
Continued from Page 1 B
give him good luck and why they trapped
themselves in the rock. A strange tale of
ancient magic, betrayals, his family, and
the faery folk. He finally understood why
they had to do it, but he thought he had
lost his parents forever.
They had one more surprise for him:
the ability to summon one of them for
a day, but he could alternate by flipping
the stone and catching the other side. He
could have one of his parents for a day,
then the other parent the next day. He left
Ireland the next day with his mom, and
went back to the States with his dad. And
he lived for a few more years like this,
summoning one parent each day. And
they were very happy years with his good
luck.
AmeriCorps
Continued from Page 1 B
AmeriCorps NCCC
members complete at least
1,700 hours of service dur
ing the 10-month program.
Corps Members are all 18
to 26 years old; there is no
upper age limit for Team
Leaders. In exchange for
their service, all program
participants receive $6,495
to help pay for college.
Other benefits include a
small living stipend, room
and board, leadership de
velopment, team building
skills, and the knowledge
that, through active citizen
ship, they can indeed make
a difference. AmeriCorps
NCCC is one of hundreds
of programs administered
by the larger AmeriCorps
agency. For more informa
tion about AmeriCorps
NCCC, visit the website at
www.americorps.gov/nccc.
CALENDAR
Continued from Page 1 B
and receive materials that
provide facts. This meeting is
hosted by the Monroe County
Democratic Committee.
April 1
Monroe County Middle
School FFA Plant Sale
Monroe County Middle
School FFA will have a Spring
Plant Sale on Friday, April 1
from 4-5 p.m. There will be a
selection of flowering plants,
herbs and tomato, pepper
& eggplant. Prices ran from
$2 for 4-inch pots to $10 for
hanging baskets. Checks and
cash accepted.
be sure to check back
freguently. Find a pink
rubber duck, read the
clue attached to it, and
follow the instructions to claim
a prize. For each lucky pink
duck you find and register,
we will enter a duck in your
name in the upcoming Great
Ocmulgee River Duck Race
in Amerson Park Macon on
June 1 1 where ducks are up
for adoption for $20, or 6 for
$100. On race day, adopted
ducks will be launched onto
the river and first duck to
get across the finish line wins
$10,000. Proceeds for the
event will go to Boys & Girls
Clubs of Central Georgia's
healthy lifestyle initiatives. The
Great Ocmulgee River Duck
Race is a win for all involved.
April 1,May 6, June 3
Boys & Girls Clubs of
Central Ga. present Duck
Scavenger Hunts
The Boys & Girls Clubs of
Central Georgia will host
a Duck $cavenger Hunt on
Fridays, April 1, May 6, and
June 3 (one rubber duck for
each date). Pink rubber ducks
will be hidden in downtown
Forsyth businesses. Clues will
be posted on B&GCCG
Facebook and Instagram so
May 6
Forsyth Tree Board Golf
Tournament
The 7th Annual Forsyth Tree
Board Golf Tournament
will be Friday, May 6 at
the Forsyth Golf Club, 400
Country Club Drive, Forsyth.
Registration is 8 a.m., with tee
time at 9 a.m. It will be 4-per-
son scramble-best ball. To
register, $75/person, $300/
team. Contact Lyn $andifer
at the City of Forsyth. Fees
include lunch, goodie bag,
green fees & cart and tickets
for door prizes. Cash prizes
for top three teams. Limit 1 8
teams. Proceeds help fund the
tree planting projects of the
Forsyth Tree Board, Sponsor
a hole for $50 or donate a
door prize. For more informa
tion, contact Michael Glisson
at Glisson6 l 3 : gmail.com
On-Going
Monroe County Library
temporary hours
Temporary hours of the
Monroe County Library, 62
W. Main Street, Forsyth are
9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday,
closed on $aturday and
Sunday.
New pavers at Monroe
County Veterans Memo
rial to be engraved
For those who have been
thinking about honoring a
family member or friend who
is a veteran by engraving a
paver at the Veterans Memo
rial on the Monroe County
Square with his or her name
and information, it is time to
follow through with that inten
tion. It is necessary to wait
for engraving until there are
a sufficient number or orders.
1992
Gov. Zell Miller proclaims
March 13-15 as Forsythia
Festival weekend in Ga.
The 4th Annual Forsythia
Festival gets underway with
the opening of the Chil
dren's Art Show at Monroe
County Bank on Monday.
Festival directors are
Carolann Evans and Marie
Webb. The Grand Marshal
is Bill Querry.
Commissioners are shocked
to learn their project man
ager for the permitting &
design phase of the Strick
land Loop Landfill, Stephen
Thomas Moreland of More-
and Altobelli Associates, is
under federal indictment on
drug conspiracy charges.
Monroe County’s unemploy
ment rate jumps from 4.7
percent in December to 5.8
percent in January.
Forsyth approves annexa
tion of land along 1-75. N.A.
Hardin speaks against the
annexations that give the
city “that solid block" east
of 1-75.
Culloden’s comprehensive
planning committee slashes
all zoning references from
the city’s five-year plan be
cause council makes it clear
it doesn’t want zoning.
Monroe County voters give
resounding support to Dem
ocratic presidential hopeful
Bill Clinton with 900 votes
but cast the largest number
of votes ever in a Monroe
County Republican primary,
675 for George Bush.
A Friday night raid on the
$harp 5treet residence of
Clarence (Bay Bay) Johnson
busts a gambling operation
and results in seven arrests.
Culloden’s 1992 budget
is $72,104, a decrease of
$5,000 from 1991.
Dohn Bonner is honored
by the Board of Education
upon retirement after serv
ing 16 years on the board.
Monroe County native W.
Thomas Raines, V.P, of op
erations & construction for
Atlanta Gas Light Company,
will retire after 42 years
with the company.
Monroe Countians Russell
Cole and Flora Giddens
complete American Red
Cross training to become
a certified Disaster Action
Team for the community.
Golden Years Olympics
for people 55 & over will
be held at Monroe County
Recreation Complex on
March 21.
Dender Distributing Com
pany of Griffin will bring the
world famous Clydesdale
horses to Forsyth Walmart.
2002
The property between the
former Tift College campus
and Ingles $upermarket may
be the site of a proposed
youth center.
Monroe County's budget
shows it will pay its workers
$6,415,478 in 2002, not
including overtime or hourly
employees without sched
ules, like those who work for
the Recreation Department
or Emergency Services.
Burglars steal several pieces
of equipment from Boling-
broke Small Engine Repair
on Rivoli Road.
Sadie Jackson will hold her
annual Easter egg hunt at
the corner of Powell and
Sharp Streets.
Forsyth mayor and council
give Monroe County middle
schooler Billy Myers the key
to the city for being one of
five runners-up world wide
in the Lions Club Interna
tional Peace Poster contest;
there were 325,000 entries.
Elizabeth Patterson cel
ebrates her 100th birthday
at Bolingreen Nursing Home.
Forsyth s Walmart holds a
Grand Re-Opening after
store-wide re-modeling.
John Manning of Forsyth
wins the Festival’s Annua
Horseshoe Tournament, and
Wendell Bowen is 2nd.
More than 60 fisherman
compete in the Forsythia
Festival High Falls Crappie
Tournament. David Wright &
Rodney Perry win big fish &
1st overall, adult division.
Lifters from Mary Persons,
coached by Pat Burdette,
compete in the Lee Murray/
GACA Strong Man Invita
tional for the 3rd year.
Regional Social Science
Fair winners from Monroe
County are James Anderson
and Megan Trammell.
Remember When
This look at what Monroe County residents were reading in the
Reporter 30, 20 and 10 years ago this week is brought to you by...
Monroe County
Memorial Chapel
We set the standards
that others follow 1
Harley Ray "Spanky" Beck
86 West Main Street • Forsyth
478-994-4266