Frustrated citizens voiced their concerns with such issues as the environmental and financial impacts during a public meeting on Guyton’s proposed wastewater treatment plant.
Guyton City Council wants to build a 500,000 gallon per day treatment plant on Riverside Drive. Approximately 65 people attended the meeting, conducted by the Ogeechee-Canoochee Riverkeeper, including Guyton City Council members Phillip King, Brenda Lovett and Jeff Lariscy and city attorney Ramona Bartos.
Chandra Brown, executive director of Ogeechee-Canoochee Riverkeeper, shared her organization’s concerns with the project and facilitated the group into separate discussions on ways they can get involved.
“Nothing is a done deal,” Brown told the group. “We cannot expect the state to make a decision in the best interest of the citizens.”
Several citizens, including Freddie Rollins, one of the adjacent landowners to the proposed site, discussed flooding issues. Brown encouraged those who lived on Riverside Drive to gather any photographs they have of the flooded street so they could use them as illustrations.
Wade McDonald brought up the financial burden a $13.35 million loan would have on the citizens of Guyton, stirring the audience to applaud.
“As a tax payer, we need to get riled up,” he said. “It’s just good, old-fashioned common sense.”
Audience members later separated into three groups — Guyton residents, county residents and anyone outside the county. All three groups brainstormed ideas on ways to inform the public of the situation in hopes that they can either get Guyton City Council to change their minds about building the plant or to at least get them to go a more environmentally safe way.
Some of the proposed ideas include:
• Getting more citizens involved by holding town hall meetings
• Erecting yard signs protesting the project
• Placing bumper stickers that call for saving the Ogeechee River on vehicles
• Writing letters to the editor
• Contacting city council members to discuss the project
Brown reminded the public that they would have two opportunities to voice their views. She also told them that the OCRK would notify all the individuals who signed in of any meetings or decisions that were to be held.
For more information on how to get involved, contact the OCRK at 866-942-6222.
