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The City of Statham decided not to establish a roofing permit fee despite city workers continuing to find improperly disposed of shingles throughout the city.
The proposal, for a $200 fee — $150 of which would be returned to the purchaser after proper disposal — was voted down after some debate.
Heavy rains and hail have damaged rooftops throughout the county, and many Statham residents made repairs or have had to completely reroof their homes.
And while many homeowners have hired roofing contractors who use onsite dumpsters for waste, there have been incidents of shingles being thrown into ditches and other places throughout the city, said Randolph Gordon, Statham building official and code enforcement officer.
Council members — including Joe Hayes — questioned whether adding fees to the roofing would be helpful. He noted the roofwork has brought business to some that have been down on their luck through the recession.
Some of the shingles may not even be coming from the city, as people across the county have had to have work done on their homes after the rainy weather.The council decided to vote against the fee.
Also at the meeting, the council decided to go with a new insurance for its employees. The new insurance, offered by Consumer, will offer employees comparable benefits and save the city thousands of dollars.
Two readings on annexation and rezoning were tabled for next month.
The city also decided not to pursue a Community Development Block Grant for sewer and stormwater work, as the amount of money the city would have to put back into it over the next few years would be substantial, and Mayor Robert Bridges said the city could not handle that unless "things changed."
The city has had some issues with its water in recent weeks, after the heavy rains. Organics and sediment got into the system, and while the city proceeded to flush its pipes, many residents complained about foul odors and a bad taste when they ran their taps.
Residents had attended past council meetings, and even November’s candidate forum, to ask about the water situation.
The organics in the water had to first be taken care of at the plant, and would then push the organics-free water out into the city. Despite the odd smell and taste, the water was not harmful to consumers, city officials said.
The city worked with the Environmental Protection Department to ensure its safety, Director of Public Works Tim Powell told attendees at the candidate forum. "We’re working hard to get it out," he said.
Bridges said the water problem was under control, and that if a situation with lots of rain ever came about again, the city would know to work faster to address the problem.
The council meeting held one moment that seemed bittersweet to its members — when Bridges acknowledged council member Edna Jackson’s last meeting.
Jackson has served on the council since 1998. She did not seek re-election in November.
"We definitely appreciate your service to the city," Bridges told her.
Jackson’s seat will be filled by David Huth, who — along with sitting council members Betty Lyle and Gayle Steed — won one of three open seats in Statham during the Nov. 3 election.
