Water/sewer rates a Flowery Branch budget issue

FLOWERY BRANCH - Flowery Branch City Council Wednesday split its vote on first reading passage of the city’s FY 2010 budget over the issue of water and sewer rates.

Councilman Craig Lutz said the city’s $3.7-million no tax increase spending plan is sound and shows sacrifice by city employees to hold down costs.
Lutz said the water/sewer rate section is another story, however.
More recent residents are paying a higher rate and that’s not fair according to Lutz. Everyone should pay the same.
Mayor Pro Tem Allen Bryans presided in Mayor Diane Hirling’s absence and said long time residents have paid their share.

“There are residents in the city who have been paying for the system for 20 years,” Bryans said. “A few years ago the rate was increased for newcomers; we felt that since the previous citizens had been paying for such a long time they have paid off most of the infrastructure.”
“There was no reason to have a rate increase on them.”

Bryans said as far as he’s concerned there’s no equity issue.

“I don’t see a problem with it because the long time people were paying for the system," he said.

Bryans, along with council members Pat Zalewski and Mary Jones, voted yes for the budget on first reading with Lutz and Chris Fetterman opposed.


FALSE ALARMS

City Council members were not ready to consider a proposed false alarm ordinance and agreed to postpone it until their June 3d meeting.
Craig Lutz said he favored halting the increasing number of false calls from businesses and homes triggered by alarm systems, but felt getting permits violated privacy rights.

“I think we’re better off right now to deal with the issue, which is false alarms and not have everybody have to go through this permitting phase,” Lutz said.

City Manager Bill Andrew said city police answered over six hundred false alarms last year; one hundred and fifty came from one location.

ANNEX EXPANSION

Flowery Branch grew by another 20 acres or so with five annexations and rezonings in the Spout Springs, Hog Mountain Road area approved by City Council.
The biggest was a 15 site owned by Habersham Bank; Mayor Pro Tem Bryans said it means business expansion.
Council also approved a conditional use permit for construction of a duplex in a mostly single family neighborhood on Church Street.
The request from developer Bill Roberts did not get a motion at Council's meeting two weeks ago.