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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. 7 G’s Farm WINTER SALE Ley land Cypress Trees 1 -gal. containers 3-4 ft. tall $5.00 3-gal. containers 4-5 ft. tall $9.00 7-gal. containers 6-7 ft. tall $21.00 7 G's Farm • 2331 Old Kings Bridge Rd. • Nicholson, Georgia Phone: (706) 757-2526 • www.7gsfarm.com • Open Daily 10-6 Admissions Open House Monday, February 16, 2009 8:45 a.m. Reservations Required (706) 754-0400 • fully accredited college prep program • Growing day program witli morning and afternoon Inis service in surrounding counties • Music, arts, drama and sports • 3 and 7-day boarding programs • National leader in providing need-based financial aid • Class of 2008 - 100% college acceptance Faculty and admissions representatives will be on hand to conduct tours and answer any questions. Students will be able io attend classes and tour the campus. 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