Newspaper Page Text
8A
THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2004
C'ville council
votes down loan
By Luci Joullian
HHJ Staff Water
CENTERVILLE - The
City Council voted Tuesday
night to go forward with one
city sewer extension project,
but vetoed another that they
have been considering for
months.
The city will apply for
grand funding that would
pay for 55 percent of the
cost to extend sewer infra
structure to Centerville’s
Sentry Oaks neighborhood
and surrounding areas. The
proposed sewer system
would serve about 170
homes and replace the
homes’ septic tanks, many
of which are faulty or out
dated.
If the city receives the
grant, the council said it will
apply for a Georgia
Environmental Facilities
Authority (GEFA) loan for
the remaining 45 percent of
the project’s cost.
City Manager John Harley
noted that the faulty and
aged septic systems current
ly in place in the neighbor
hood, coupled with poor soil
conditions, are having detri
mental affects on the city’s
environment.
One Sentry Oaks resident
who attended the meeting
noted, “there are some days
that we can’t go outside our
houses because of the
smell.”
One-time Centerville may
oral candidate Toni
Copeland expressed concern
that, during times of budget
constraint, the city might
take out a loan to provide
sewer service to non-
Centerville residents (some
of the Sentry Oaks area is
not currently within city
limits).
Harley said that those
homes that would be con
nected to the sewer would
be in Centerville proper
within the next four to five
months after planned
annexations take place.
Although the council
decided to pursue the loan
for the Sentry Oaks project,
they voted down accepting
an over $1 million, low
interest GEFA loan to
extend Centerville’s sewer
lines over 11,000 feet from
Webb Street to Dunbar
Road.
The council has been
debating whether to accept
or revert the $1,049,000
loan since it was approved
by GEFA last year.
Due to current budget
crunches, the council decid
ed Tuesday to renounce the
loan, possibly applying for
another loan at a later date.
If the city had accepted
the loan, it would have to
pay SIB,OOO every quarter
for the next 20 years, a com
mitment that might be
unwise considering the
city’s belt-tightening and
recent fundraising efforts,
including a recent tax
increase.
Another former
Centerville mayoral candi
date, Troy Windham, said in
meeting that he felt the city
was making a mistake by
Kids hop to
help MDA
WARNER ROBINS - With
giggles, cheers and lots of
smiles, youngsters at
Children’s Friend Inc. #2,
101 Wisconsin Ave., will be
learning about disabilities
today while helping “Jerry’s
Kids.” Children will partici
pate in the Muscular
Dystrophy Association’s
fun-filled Hop-a-Thon.
In this recreational group
activity, children have a
“hopping” good time while
helping youngsters who are
unable to hop or walk
because of muscular dystro
phy. MDA provides free edu
cational materials and staff
support for the Hop-a-Tbon
and related classroom activ
ities.
Schools or childcare cen
ters interested in planning a
Hop-a-Thon can contact the
local MDA office at (478)
471-9090.
- From staff reports
reverting the loan to GEFA.
He said that the extension
that could attract develop
ers to the area and, eventu
ally, provide the city with a
larger tax base.
“This is a golden opportu
nity to annex a lot of land
and houses into the city,”
Windham said. “They’re
turning down one of the
biggest opportunities for
revenue this city has seen.”
City Councilman Cameron
Andrews noted that the
council could not possibly
fund the repayment of such
a large loan at this point in
time.
“I am a proponent of
growth in Centerville, but I
am also responsible for its
money and am accountable
to the citizens,” said
Andrews, who pointed out
that the Sentry Oaks sewer
project could provide imme
diate financial returns,
unlike the proposed Dunbar
extension. He also noted
that property north of
Dunbar Road is not current
ly available for annexation
by Centerville, according to
a decision made by the
Houston County
Commissioners on Tuesday.
Said Andrews, “At this
point in time, the city is not
fiscally able to make the
payment on a loan to run
sewer where there are few
houses.”
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www.georgiacup.com
Come to the Georgia Cup Race in Perry as it brings the sports’ most exciting events to our
community! The race will draw hundreds of cyclists to compete at speeds of over 30
mph through downtown Perry.
April 17 th and 18 th ’ 2004 ssooo*
Saturday April 17th 8 a m Saturday
Anderson Trail TT
The Raoe on an out «t>d b«ct 13K course through beautiful farm land and forests.
NO SACS DAY REGISTRATION! Mast pit register for time trial by Friday niglit.
TT starta at Sam in ardor of erites i*m starts.
Saturday April 17th „ c .
Carroll SuWcrtteHum »-9 P-m. Saturday
A rippin' fast, four-corner ooune in ciowntown Perry on Main St. and Carroll Street
[REGISTRATION qptns # upn and ends 30 prior to event ] MAR Point! aaaoanerd by Prime bell.
Sunday April lßth **«n. Sunday
m GAFairgroundaand Agriccntcr, Perry-Roubaixßß
adinahamnnapiiaiil
HARD PACK and In riticahir. even in rain. [REGISTRATION opraa # *aaa and eaada 30 prior to eaefe
aim
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HHJ Jon Hugg*
This crash along Moody Road blocked traffic for about an hour Tuesday afternoon as emergency workers strove first
to extricate the drivers - both were taken to the Medical Center of Central Georgia for unspecified injuries - and then
to sort out exactly what happened. One vehicle apparently crossed the centerline, according to authorities, but offi
cials at the scene had not yet determined why.
Two hurt in Tuesday wreck
georgiacup
7 cities
17 races
over $40,000
*■ S m JggE3£'
PnM mm
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only one leader’s jersey
wtßßmm
THERE CAN BE BUT ONE
And its coming to you!!!
; **gw «u\ .
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL