Hearing to decide fund date

Commission to determine time frame for stormwater utility for flood-prone areas after public meeting tonight

Web posted November 9, 1998

By Jason B. Smith
Columbia County Bureau

The Columbia County Commission will define a time frame for setting up a stormwater utility after a public hearing tonight.

``I think a lot depends on how the public hearing goes,'' said County Administrator Steve Szablewski.

The hearing will be held at 7 p.m. in the Evans Government Complex.

By early 1999, the county hopes to create a fund to deal with stormwater problems along Reed Creek and other areas where unrestricted development has magnified problems in flood-prone areas.

Columbia County would be the second county in Georgia to implement such a fund.

The utility would have the authority to collect fees from county residents to pay for stormwater improvements.

The fee could be collected separately or with water and sewer bills or tax bills.

The hearing gives utility consultant Ogden Environmental and Energy Services officials an opportunity to present findings of a recent study and potential service districts and fees, Mr. Szablewski said.

Officials expect to have one more public hearing in November before presenting a proposed ordinance creating the utility in December.

After another ordinance creates a rate structure, residents could begin seeing the first utility charges by July, according to County Engineer Jim Leiper.

``If there are some things that are brought up that we haven't looked at, we'll look at them and find out how long it is going to take us to get answers or formulate policy around certain suggestions,'' Mr. Leiper said.

Jason B. Smith covers government for The Augusta Chronicle's Columbia County Bureau. He can be reached at (706) 868-1222, Ext. 115, or ccchron@augustachronicle.com.