Byron will get $1 million for the Jones Road/Kay Road and Ga. 247 Connector/Houser's Mill Road/I-75 sewer projects; Fort Valley will receive $4 million for the East Peach Sewer Project; and the remaining $600,000 will go to the county's water line extension project near the Houser's Mill Road landfill.
The commission's action was in a 3-2 vote, with commission members Thomas Palmer and Walter Smith dissenting.
Palmer, echoing earlier remarks, said he was concerned residents in southwest Peach County will come up short.
"We should give consideration to southwest Peach," Palmer said before the vote, urging commissioners to further study water and sewer needs there. "My concern is we're not giving one red penny to the people in southwest Peach."
"We should consider giving them something," said Smith. "We should not rule for a few, but for all residents."
Commission member Martin Moseley Jr. hinted that the projects would help attract commercial and residential development in the county's eastern section.
"I think that advancing the infrastructure is a good use of the funds," said Moseley.
Commission member Roy Lewis said a study this summer indicated there was no justification to spend money running a sewer line to southwest Peach. "I feel we would be wasting $2 million," Lewis said. "We've got to move this thing along. We can no longer hide behind lawsuits."
Lewis was referring to a lawsuit filed in 2007 by former Water and Sewerage Authority Chairman Melvin Walker, Geoffrey Ibim and former commissioner Ira Hicks that sought to block funds disbursement unless southwest Peach could get some sewer lines. The Georgia Supreme Court earlier this year dismissed the lawsuit.
Commission Chairman James Khoury reminded the others that $1.3 million was spent on sewer lines in the Gano community, so the area wasn't being ignored.
"The SPLOST came about because in 1999 the cities had sewer needs and we could do the SPLOST," Khoury continued. "We helped them out, and that's the bottom line. I think that after nine years it's time to let go of the money."
Next up is an intergovernmental agreement signed by the county's governing entities: Byron, Fort Valley, the County Commission, the Fort Valley Utilities Commission and the water and sewerage authority.
In other action Tuesday, the commission agreed to advance $112,500 in indigent care funding to the Peach Regional Medical Center. The commission also agreed to sign a five-year agreement to continue the funding at the current $450,000 per year level. The action will help the hospital as it applies for a loan to build a new medical center on the Ga. 247 Connector south of Byron. The vote was 4-1, with Smith dissenting.
"We also have a health department, and they need funding too," Smith said, noting that the health department is responsible for immunizations and vaccinations.
The commission also asked Nancy Peed, hospital administrator, to
perform an audit to provide data on the indigent care patients.
To contact writer Jake Jacobs, call 478-923-6199, extension 305.