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THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 5. 2009 — PAGE 3A
Danielsville hears from citizens regarding sewage spill
Colbert finished
’08 in the black
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
Danielsville leaders said
Monday they will do all they
can to make sure there is
not another sewage spill like
the one that was discovered
in November, which released
an estimated 200,000 gallons
of city waste water into an
unnamed tributary that feeds
into the south fork of the
Broad River.
That spill, which was discov
ered off Colbert-Danielsville
Road and Madison Street
Nov. 13, also left fecal matter
in a private pond.
And Mosley Drive resi
dents, who were affected by
the spill, presented the city
council with a letter citing
their concerns about possible
future spills.
“Our biggest concern other
than the long-term impact
of 200,000 gallons of waste
water being flushed into our
family lake is the possibil
ity of a re-occurrence of this
situation in the future,” stated
the letter from Mosley Drive
residents John and Dot Wood,
along with Andy and Carol
Wood. “We understand that
accidents will occur. We do
not understand how some
thing like a waste water acci
dent can go undetected for
almost two weeks.”
The Woods said the prop
erty has been in the family for
four generations. They said
they understand that there is
no way to fully gauge the
destruction of the spill “with
out having water and environ
mental tests conducted prior
to this situation.”
“Needless to say, that the
knowledge of this spill will
taint the taste and appeal of
any fish that may be harvest
ed from the lake for years to
come,” the Woods said.
The family said they have
“investigated our options
regarding the damage that
200,000 gallons of waste
water will cause our stream
and lake.”
“It seems impractical to
attempt to clean up the creek
without completely draining
and excavating the lake,” the
Woods said. “We are not con
tent with our options and are
still investigating our rights
regarding this matter.”
They added that they would
like to be kept informed about
any preventive steps the city
may take.
“We would like to be
informed of all proactive steps
that are hopefully being put
into action in order to avoid
this situation ever happening
again,” the Woods said.
The family noted the close
proximity of large trees to the
sewage pipe and suggested
that the roots from neighbor
ing trees could have interfered
with the pipe.
“...It’s hard to understand
how else a pipe in this remote
location would suddenly fail,
especially with such large
trees in close proximity,” the
letter said.
City maintenance staff
member Scott Anglin told the
Woods that the spill area is
being closely monitored, not
ing that weekly tests are being
conducted 100 feet below and
above the spill site. He said
the city is checking the area
daily and that water quality
readings have not been bad.
City officials noted that
the sewage line was installed
sometime in the 1980s and
that the exact whereabouts of
a portion of the sewage line
are not known, since there are
apparently no old documents
showing the location. They
agreed to seek help from past
city officials and employees
in determining exactly where
part of the line is. They agreed
to do what they can to prevent
future spills.
“I would like for this not to
ever happen again,” council
member Junne Temple told
the Woods.
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
Colbert finished 2008 with
cash to spare, according to
recent audit figures.
The city started the year with
$156,319 and finished with
$160,797, leaving a $4,478
surplus.
Colbert maintained a reserve
despite undertaking roofing
projects at the old Colbert
school building ($42,000) and
city hall (around $7,000). It
also spent $13,000 on side
walks.
"We did OK,” Colbert mayor
John Waggoner said.
In an unrelated matter, the
council discussed potential use,
if any, of a county engineer. The
Madison County Industrial and
Development Authority has
agreed to an intergovernmental
agreement with the county for
the services of an engineer if
one is hired.
City attorney Dale Perry
said Colbert could also arrange
for those services, but said he
thinks a county engineer would
have the county’s interests pri
marily in mind.
"I really think we have an
interest in having our own
engineer,” Perry said.
Colbert’s meeting was an
information-only gathering.
With just three members
present, including the mayor,
the council fell short of a quo
rum.
That prevented members
from taking any action —
including a motion to adjourn.
THREE QUALIFY FOR
VACANT COUNCIL SEAT
The city announced that
Dennis Moon, Evelyn Patton
Power and Ellyn Trinrnd have
qualified as candidates to fill
the seat of former councilman
Jeff Roberts, who resigned in
October.
The election is March 17.
The voter registration deadline
is Feb. 17.
Danielsville council to consider giving mayor a vote
Colbert council again
pondering water tank
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
Should the Danielsville
mayor be given the right to
vote on all city business?
The Danielsville City
Council heard from city
attorney Victor Johnson
Monday who urged the
group to consider amending
its city codes to allow the
mayor to vote regularly and
not just when there is a tie.
Danielsville has a four-
person council. And the
mayor only votes when
there is a 2-2 tie. But the
council also has a provision
in its charter that action can
only be taken when there
are three votes in favor of
that measure.
Changing that provision
would require action by the
Georgia General Assembly.
Johnson recently proposed
that the council seek a leg
islative amendment to the
city charter to wipe out that
provision.
But council member
Barbara Dove, who has
announced that she plans to
step off the council, voted
last month not to seek that
legislative change. She noted
that the council tried to take
the same action last year,
but another council member
blocked the measure. Dove
said she is remaining on
the council to help the city
until a replacement for for
mer council member Roger
Watson is at the table.
Right now, the council is
short one member. So the
group can’t take any action
without a unanimous vote
of all three council mem
bers. Johnson said giving
the mayor the right to vote
would eliminate some situ
ations in which the coun
cil would be prohibited
from taking action — for
instance, if any of the cur
rent council members are
absent from a meeting and
three votes aren’t available
to carry out business.
He also noted that allow
ing the mayor to vote could
include complications, such
as creating possible 2-2 ties
when the council is not at
full capacity.
The group took no action
on the matter and agreed to
consider the issue at its next
work session.
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
Colbert mayor John
Waggoner will again consult an
engineer regarding the possibil
ity of a water tank on the south
end of town.
Another tank would up the
city’s storage capacity as well as
improve the water flow needed
for firefighting in that portion
of the city.
“We need it for the fire flow
on this side of town particu
larly,” Waggoner said.
Colbert’s current water capac
ity is 100,000 gallons.
The city leaders discussed the
possibility of building a 200,000
gallon tank back in October, but
never revisited the matter.
For residents in the Colbert
Fire District, greater capacity
and flow could mean a lower
ISO rating, which would trans
late into lower fire insurance
rates.
Attorney Dale Perry is cur
rently reviewing Colbert's 2003
— See ‘Colbert’ on 7A
H.E.A.T. provides funds for heating bills
The Heating Energy Assistance Team (H.E.A.T.), Inc. — an
Atlanta-based nonprofit organization that provides energy assistance
statewide to low-income Georgians — is providing $1.02 million to
the Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) to assist quali
fied families who are unable to pay their heating bills.
For more information about H.E.A.T., or to donate online, visit
www.heatga.org.
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3-gal. containers 4-5 ft. tall $9.00
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Markets at Town Center
Red light in Comer
Pictured (L to R): Two people who
don't believe in giving up.
Police officer Courtney Gale and Physical Therapist Laurie Fox
understand that the words "I quit" are not in Courtney's vocabulary when it
comes to rehab. For eight months, she has faced it all without complaint —
muscle re-education, cardio work, core strengthening, muscle strengthening,
orthotic training and gait training — so that she could overcome a vicious
knife attack she suffered while working a night security job.
Some thought she may never walk again. Courtney and Laurie knew better.
CAM-
Tallulah Falls School is an equal opportunity institution and admits
students ol any race, color, and national or ethnic origin.
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