Meetings, we've got meetings

Happy Belated New Year to everyone. While it is a fresh new year, the county still has its stale old problem………lack of a proper growth strategy.


Forgive any duplicated posting regarding this info. It’s too important to miss even a single person.

See the message below from Lee Becker. The meeting this Wednesday (7:00 p.m., County Courthouse) is of long-range significance for the county. As you have likely heard, the county received a harsh wake-up-call regarding the cost of building a reservoir off Barnett Shoals Road along the Oconee River. Since the current BOC seems determined to support sprawl across the entire county, they are now dowsing about for a new source of water.

Cheers,

Tony

-----Original Message-----
From: lbbecker@mindspring.com [mailto:lbbecker@mindspring.com]
Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2007 10:33 PM
Subject: Two Meetings about Water

Dear Friends:


Two important meetings are taking place this week and next.

At 7 p.m. on January 17, the Oconee County Board of Commissioners will hold a hearing at the courthouse in Watkinsville on plans for a new reservoir.

From 5:30 to 8 p.m. on January 24, The Georgia Water Council will discuss statewide water management in Masters Hall at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education, 1197 S. Lumpkin St., on the UGA campus.

Oconee County Board of Commissioners Chairman Davis said the County "needs" more water for growth. That is what the decision on January 17 will focus on: how to develop a water source to encourage more growth in the County.

More water coming into the County means more water flowing to its two sewage treatment plants, including the plant on Rocky Branch road. As you know, the County is seeking a permit to discharge 1 million gallons per day of water from that plant into Barber Creek and is considering expanding that plant to 4 million gallons per day of discharge in the future.

At the January 24 meeting, the Water Council will present draft policy recommendations on water quality and take comments on policy options to be addressed by the Comprehensive Statewide Water Management Plan.

Some of the Water Council objectives seem at odds with those of Oconee County.

Details about these two meetings are at http://www.oconeecountyobservations.blogspot.com/.

Please try to attend both of these meetings and to raise questions at both about how we can use and protect all our streams, not just Barber Creek.

Lee

Lee Becker

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