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NEWSLETTER SIGN UPlpanter@barrowcountynews.com
The Barrow County cities met with County Commission Chairman Danny Yearwood Friday, and the chairman took time to explain his actions at the last meeting, when he alluded to breaking water contracts and exiting the room.
"I did not mean to hurt anybody’s feelings," Yearwood said, "or act like I was abandoning y’all."
Yearwood said he had to take an emergency personnel call regarding an elected official.
At the meeting, Winder Mayor Chip Thompson seemed to lead the way, presenting the Chairman with a folder of all the information that is fully agreed upon by the cities regarding its Service Delivery Strategy, which keeps counties and cities from duplicating services for residents.
The only two unfinished areas, Thompson told Yearwood, are utilities and public works.
When discussing utilities, Yearwood again brought up the water contracts. The county is losing money selling water to its municialities, according to Water Authority Director Myron Garrett.
The county has proposed moving the water fee from $1.60 per thousand gallons, to $2.07. City employees and officials said they would have to think about such an increase.
Auburn City Administrator Ron Griffith told the members that he felt "we’re paying for an asset we don’t own."
He further said that an increase such as that would have to be passed on to residents.
"You’ve got to look at the whole pie," Griffith said. "This means we’ve got to raise rates."
"I’d rather you raise your rates rather than lose $200,000," Yearwood told him.
"We’re looking at a 30 percent increase to break where we are right now," with the new proposal, Griffith said. Renogotiating the bond that the county is paying with the money is also a possibility.
The city representatives agreed to look over the information before coming back to the next mayors meeting.
Public safety also was briefly touched on at the meeting. Thompson spoke about the mutual aid agreements Winder has with the county regarding the Winder Police Department, Barrow County Sheriff’s Office and the fire departments.
Yearwood said he was looking to speak with Athens-Clarke County, which has a unified government and one police force. He tossed out the idea of combining forces.
Griffith told the Chairman that would be impossible because the Auburn charter states the city must have a police force.
Attendees agreed to look over all the information discussed at the meeting, and adjourned in slightly less than an hour’s time.
The Chairman and mayors will again meet next Friday to continue discussions on the SDS.
