Friday, September 21, 2001
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Friday, September 21, 2001 |
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Commission holds off on paying dues By JOHN
THOMPSON
Coweta County's Commission decided Tuesday to hold off on paying their dues to a new regional water commission sponsored by Gov. Roy Barnes. The board decided to wait until next month to pay $71,372 to the Metropolitan North Georgia Water District Committee until they get a clearer understanding of the group's goals. Harold Reheis, director of the state Environmental Protection Division, appeared before the commission Tuesday and said the committee's charge is to help regionalize water utilities in 16 counties around Atlanta. By using a regional approach to water resources, Reheis said local governments will actually save millions of dollars. "We'll have fewer, bigger facilities, instead of a lot more smaller facilities," he said. Although the commission agrees with some aspects of the committee's ideas, Commissioner Vernon "Mutt" Hunter said the county has already committed $37 million to future water supplies and is dealing with governments from Atlanta to Griffin to meet Coweta's rapidly growing water needs. "I'd like to see if our plans are going to be thrown out by them, or if they're going to fit like a glove," Hunter said. Commissioner Jim McGuffey agreed with Hunter, but told Reheis the effort was on target to deal with the region's water needs. Commission Chairman Robert Wood, who is the county's delegate on the water committee, said he was initially skeptical. After hearing Reheis speak at the water committee meeting, Wood asked him to appear before the board. "I told him I needed help with Hunter," he said. The commission agreed to discuss the issue again at its Oct. 2 meeting.
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