Water authority calls meeting

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Walter Geiger

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Wednesday, June 8. 2011

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The Lamar County Water and Sewer authority has called a meeting for Monday, June 13 at 5:30 p.m.

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#1 ME on 06/09/11 at 12:08 AM

be aware we the citizens of lamar are bout to be screwed watch like I told the news paper last week all bout control not whats best for the people of this county watch an you will see sit back an do nothing, guess we deserve it look who you elected

#2 ME on 06/09/11 at 12:10 AM

correction on e mail

#3 THEKING on 06/09/11 at 09:01 AM

city of barnesville is taking water authority over. lots of pckets being greased.

#4 Anonymous on 06/09/11 at 09:45 AM

So, what's wrong with the City of Barnesville taking over the Water Authority. Consolidation of services means lower costs for everyone. Right??

#5 ME on 06/09/11 at 11:54 AM

no it means we will be imposed with the same requirements that they have on city residents for example mandatory hook up to the water system and not only will you pay for water you will pay for sewer even if you don't have it.

#6 BTDT on 06/09/11 at 12:47 PM

yall are so stupid. the city is run like a business should be. county residents don't be hating.it isn't our fault you dont have professional mgt.

#7 Anonymous on 06/09/11 at 02:47 PM

As a paying customer of the Lamar County Water Authority, I am very concerned about the City of Barnesville taking it over. I chose to live in the County so that I would have an elected form of government, not an appointed for life City Manager and I did not want to be on City utilities.

Having said that, I know that there are probably no other options or solutions to the mess that the Water Authority now finds itself. If the county takes it over and assumes the debt, then taxes would have to be raised to cover that debt. There are only 880 paying customers - most having no choice and required to be hooked in to the system and not able to have wells because they live in subdivisions. How could you expect 880 households to pay for 8 million dollars of debt. Remember, they are not the ones that caused that debt. The other option would be to spread it over all of the tax payers in the county -- you would be able to hear the screams all the way to Atlanta if that were to occur.

But, "ME", you seems to be omniscient, so pray tell, what is your solution? Do have a real one, or do you just want to get on this blog and bitch and condemn those who are trying to come up with the best alternatives at the least cost for everyone in the county.

I don't always agree with our county commissioners, but they are not the evil people that they are accused of being. Have you forgotten what county government was like here in years past? Or maybe you are part of the "good ole boys" network and want to return to it.

How do you expect to get good people to run for office if they are just ripped apart once they assume that office? Every last one of us needs to participate and be part of the process and not just sit on blogs complaining.

#8 Anonymous on 06/09/11 at 04:06 PM

How about fire and replace the Authority personnel who have failed us.

#9 Anonymous on 06/09/11 at 04:10 PM

Because the jobs were handed out to people just because of who they knew and not because of expertise.

#10 anon on 06/09/11 at 06:22 PM

Let's go back in time. I remember when they started laying these water lines down. The economy was doing great, we had land developers buying land like Carter has pills. You need to remember who was in office at the time, making the deals with these land developers and sitting there thinking of all the money the county would be pulling in from all these new homes and subdivisions. Guess what? The housing market went down the tubes and so did the way to pay the company that installed the water lines. At the same time, unstood of putting money back for a rainy day the county commissioners at that time was having a field day playing with all the extra money coming in. Once again, we county citizens, one way or another will be stuck with the bill. I have never met a commissioner that is not on an ego trip or greed dripping from their fingers, once they are in office. Why should they care how they spend our tax money or run up bills, instead of cutting back and staying within their budget. If they were having to pay for their mistakes it would be a different story. Once again, government out of control and into our pockets. See you at the meeting this coming Monday at 5:30pm. The former commissioners that are responsible for this "irresponsible" spending in the county, need to be tarred and feathered and run out of town. Now it is up to the present commissioners to come up with a plan to pay for this irresponsible spending. I guess they can always come back and dig up the water lines and fire hydrants.

#11 ME on 06/10/11 at 10:57 AM

yes I have a solution dissolve the water authority fire all authority personnel county employee's operate maintain the system county has the same billing system the salaries and operation of the water authority is about two hundred thousand annually use the savings to pay down the debt. county has already assisted the authority installing water lines. then provide incentives to get more customers to hook to the water. example the hook up fee should be at cost (about 150.00) you will need no additional employees.

#12 ME on 06/10/11 at 08:44 PM

I gave you my solution but no one in this county has the knowledge and guts to stand up to the ignorant commission that none of them has run a real business in their life and most of you believe everything they say,
do the research.

#13 Anonymous on 06/10/11 at 09:00 PM

I live in the northern part of the county and they just got done putting in the water pipes here. I watched them waste so much money. The came in dug the hole, laid the pipe and hooked up the fire hydrants, graded the dirt seeded, then came back tested the hydrants.
After the grass was growing they came back out dug it up and put the meters in then had to grade it back out and reseed it.

Now why could they not hook up the meters the first time, it cost a lot of money to truck the same machines back and forth and to dig the same hole twice.

On top of that they only put in about 10 meters and laid about 15 miles of pipe.

The water workers did the funniest thing about 2 weeks ago they were back out here messing with the hydrant they had it running for about an hour or so. The guys were sitting on the tail gate of the tuck watching the water run when another water authority truck showed up and back right in to the first tuck knocking one of the men off of the tail gate.

#14 Anonymous on 06/11/11 at 04:43 PM

"ME", I think that YOU had better do a little more research before you call others ignorant.

First, I do agree with you on one thing. If it were at all possible, I would prefer to have the County take over the Water Authority. And yes, they could put the Authority's operating expenses toward paying down the debt by having current County employees operate and maintain the system. And that would be a wonderful solution if the debt were a mere $200,000 or even a $1,000,000. But the debt is $8,000,000 with an annual note of $460,000 which was due this past April. Since the Authority could not make the payment, GEFA will be calling in the full amount of the loan. On top of that, the first payment on the USDA loan is due this year. That means that at a minimum, Lamar County would be responsible for paying the full amount owed to GEFA this year. How do you propose that they come up with that amount of money? I don't know about you, but I cannot afford what would probably have to be at the minimum a 4 mil hike in property taxes to do so.

As far a lowering the cost of hooking on to the system, you could charge nothing and still not get people to hook on and become paying customers. People who already have wells and septic tanks are not going to hook into a system and pay for water when they already have it for free.

I don't think that your solution is viable.

Now, "ME" and "# 6", I am as upset as the next person about how poorly the Water Authority was run. I am upset with the poor economic planning from the get go. Were deals made and pockets lined? Who knows? I prefer not to be as cynical as you, but I am not ruling out that someone wasn't trying to "cut a big ole fat hog". But you need to understand that the County and the Water Authority are two different entities. While we have a right to be angry with those who got us in this mess, it it doesn't solve anything to sit on this blog, criticizing those who are now trying to find a remedy that will have the least detrimental impact on the Citizens of the County. What happened in the past is done and over with. A solution has to be found for the future.

I have really grown tired of people calling our current Board of Commissioners ignorant and crooked. As I said before, I don't always agree with them and sometimes I think they make poor choices, but I know that I don't always make the wisest decisions either-- do you? And, I KNOW that I don't have all of the answers. Please, if YOU do, why don't you run for office. And thank God, I am not so jaded as to believe that once someone gets into office, they all become self serving crooks.

#15 Anonymous on 06/12/11 at 09:34 AM

I do not understand why the people of Milner is paying a average of 110.00 a month for water.While people in surrounding counties are paying half.This shows the people who running this county all and both Barnsville and Milner are but nothing but crooks.

#16 H B on 06/12/11 at 02:06 PM

I thought the water authority, as it calls itself, was financed by Government Grants, and Splost money. Where did the debt come from? Incompetence? It appears to me some persons spend money they dont have and "Bet on the Come", for the funds to cover it. I would think they would be self sustaining by now.
Guess ignorance is bliss to some.

#17 anon on 06/12/11 at 09:55 PM

Which commissioner are you? I am not on county water and do not want it. That is why I have to pay extra electricity and maintain my pumphouse. It is by choice. I do realize we americans are getting more federal, state and county regulations every year and eventually we have next to nothing on personal choices. It seems the government can decide what is best for us. It is amazing to me how a group of people voted in (county , state, federal) end up using our money how ever they want and tell us what we are and are not allowed to do. Are you saying the water authority can do whatever it wants without any say so from the county? Usually the board has county commissioners on it. Are you saying there were no contracts signed by the county opting out the taxpayers to pay the note if the water authority could not? The meeting should be very interesting tomorrow night.

#18 b0ville on 06/12/11 at 10:52 PM

so the good ole boys and gals are losing there jobs at the water authority.Let me see they can get a job at ingles like others around here, who have lost there job.OR they 2 good or not enough training to run a register, and tally up at the end of the night..LOL
when you are responsible you should tally up at the end of each day, My water bill is too high.

#19 Anonymous on 06/12/11 at 11:52 PM

You are incorrect in your assumption. While some grants were involved, much was financed by loans.

#20 Anonymous on 06/13/11 at 06:08 AM

riddle for the day. what does the business of the water, the water authority, the city of barnesville, an ex barnesville politician, a lamar county politician, a failed bank, the grwa, a city executive and money all have in common?

#21 fed up on 06/13/11 at 07:38 AM

maybe the County should investigate bankruptcy as an option

#22 Anonymous on 06/13/11 at 07:54 AM

Yep, it's amazing how the home of the Ga. Rural Water has the biggest financial-water disaster this side of Water Gate. Come on people read between the lines. Please get off City Managers Roberts back, he begged the county not to get into the water business 12 years ago.

#23 Anonymous on 06/13/11 at 10:18 AM

Whatever you want to believe, the water authority started downhill when Rick Macquery (sorry for the misspelling) left. And we wouldn't have the problems we have now if you people would have elected him to fill the chair.

#24 H B on 06/13/11 at 11:57 AM

I find your response amusing in some ways. I have seen publications indicating that Grants and Splost were the means of financing this action, now it is loans. I would hope someone would give a correct accounting. If it is by loans the voters should shut it down immediately.

#25 real deal on 06/13/11 at 03:12 PM

yep I agree with you I know this guy and he got ate up with political B.S. cause he stood up against the power in Lamar Co. and wouldn't go along with the good ole boy system that has controlled this county for ever. he tried to be honest and loyal to doing the right thing for us. I remember when he stood up against gene hardwick and B Burneete when they were commissioners shortly after he got voted off water authority. thats when water authority went on its spending spree he told me some things you wouldn't believe about their crooked ways as well as when the election with the absentee ballots was proven he beat burnette look at the prominate citizens that got fined by the secretary of state office. we just forget as time passes.saddddd!

#26 me on 06/13/11 at 03:27 PM

obivously you must be connected to the authority or commission I am not going to sit here on this blog and list all details of a good plan to put the authority in the black but use your own numbers 880 customers at adverage bill around 40.00 thats about 35,000 monthly cut over 200,000 in salaries and operating expense I bet my life GEFA and USDA would work out a modification to get that money without tax payer flippin the bill cause we are stuck with the debt no other entity is going to take this debt we are stuck this is the best way out. eventually this system will recover if you have the right people in place to over see this. the plan that would fix this is too complex to put all in this blog all i can say to you all is think OUTSIDE THE BOX!!!

#27 Anonymous on 06/15/11 at 12:35 PM

Seriously? He was the worst taking orders from the very worst. Not all the bad guys are home boys.

#28 Anonymous on 06/15/11 at 03:52 PM

UMMMMMMM......Matthews?

#29 Anonymous on 06/16/11 at 09:17 AM

Please do re-share all this information for those who have forgotten so soon.

#30 GM on 06/16/11 at 10:30 AM

Think about what you just said. "He was the worst taking orders from the very worst". Can't you see that one of the problems we have is people taking orders without question. I call them YES MEN. Rick wasn't like that. Just about everything that happens needs to be questioned to maintain a system of checks and balances. However, all we have now is a system of people writing checks that is killing the balance of us.

#31 seems on 06/19/11 at 05:26 PM

seems to me the best solution is to let the outside entity take over the authority , just as banks would default an owner of a home he hasnt made payments on... at least then the crooks that ran it into the ground would no longer be in control.

#32 amy on 06/22/11 at 04:16 PM

I agree we need to spread this to other comments on this site cause they have forgotten can you cut and paste the other comments to another article?

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