A former Tyrone town councilman is calling into question the town’s sewer deal with Fairburn.

Hank Sanak appeared before the Town Council Oct. 20 and peppered the Council and town’s staff with detailed inquiries into the town’s 2001 deal to buy excess sewerage capacity from the city of Fairburn.

The deal has come back into the spotlight after the town earlier this year approved a John Wieland subdivision on Ga. Highway 74 and Kirkley Road.

The subdivision will be built using a spin-off to the conservation subdivision plan adopted by the town. A total of 117.4 acres of land will be used to develop the area. The remaining 99.6 acres will be set aside for green space, officials said.

Wieland’s newest subdivision will feature 2,800-square-foot and above single family homes ranging from $300,000 to $450,000. The minimum lot size would be a half-acre.

Some of the questions Sanak wants answered include:

• What provisions for sewage disposal on the half- acre lots near Kirkley Road have been developed to provide alternative treatment and disposal of said sewage?

• Is it the intent of the mayor and council to assure that the provisions and restrictions of this agreement made between the Town and John Wieland Properties and others continue? Again, in accordance with the John Wieland Agreement and other agreements, what assurances do the citizens of Tyrone have that no other contractors will be allowed to accept a transfer of Wieland’s or Phil Seay’s allotted capacity for sewage?

Sanak said the agreement stipulates that Tyrone’s portion of the Fairburn water sewer treatment plant was $2,477,932 or $205,587 per annum through the year 2020.

To the best of his knowledge, Sanak said, the construction of the sewage treatment plant has not started.

“Why are payments of $209,000.00 shown as a sewer expense each year on the Town’s budget as Capital Component to Fairburn for Wastewater Treatment Plant? Was this money paid to the city of Fairburn? And if not, what is the status of these funds?” he asked.

Sanak also said the town of is paying a 15-percent premium to Fairburn over the wholesale rate charged to the city of Fairburn by Fulton County.

“As the Fairburn plant is likely to not be built, will this premium continue to be billed? Is the Town of Tyrone going to continue to pay 50 percent of the $4 million bond premium until the Fairburn plant is built? If the City of Fairburn opts to not build a sewage plant, will the $4,000,000 bond be activated? What will be the cost to the town?” Sanak said.

Sanak asked that answers be provided at the Nov. 3 Town Council meeting.

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