Commissioners Postpone Extension on Water Contract

With the highly controversial water contract between Forsyth County and the City of Cumming about to expire and the threat of "drastically" higher water rates hanging over the county's head, commissioners voted Thursday to postpone a decision until October 31, well after the Republican primary.

That would take some commissioners off the hot since three sitting commissioners are up for re-election on July 31.

Dist. 2 Commissioner Brian Tam's motion to postpone a vote until April 19, was approved 4-0. But the issue will surface again at Tuesday's work session, when Dist. 4 Commissioner Patrick Bell says he will present a plan he believes will receive the board's approval.

Bell, who was on vacation and did not attend Thursday night's meeting, sent a prepared statement that was read by Chairman Jim Boff.

The statement, in part, read: "I was a proponent of the extension and believed it was in the best interest of the county to delay finalizing until October. However, I am now of the opinion that a resolution with respect to both agreements is very close and an extension is no longer necessary."

Several people addressed the board during the public hearing, including former Commissioner Julian Bowen who said he failed to see the point of Thursday night's public hearing.

"Of course you need to extend the water contract," he said. "It's how you extend it that's the question. We don't have anything to comment on right now because we don't have a proposal in front of us."

Cumming has an Environmental Protection Division permit to withdraw water from Lake Lanier and for years has been the county's primary water supplier. The contract expires on May 26, however,

Forsyth County currently pays the city 10 cents per 1,000 gallons of raw water and $2.43 per 1,000 gallons of treated water.

The mayor has also demanded the county pay the city $11.4 million for its share of a new raw water intake the city built on Lake Lanier.

County officials, thus far, have refused stating they are not contractually obligated to pay for a facility they don't own.