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OCRK to hold meeting on Guyton's plans
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The Ogeechee-Canoochee Riverkeeper is holding a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Pine Street Baptist Church in Guyton.

“The purpose of the meeting will be to go over OCRK’s concerns with the proposed wastewater treatment plant and help to provide some constructive ways for people to get involved who are concerned,” said Chandra Brown, OCRK executive director.

Currently, Guyton City Council plans to build a 500,000 gallons-per-day facility on Riverside Drive with a $13.35 million loan from the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority. However, before plans can move forward with the Environmental Protection Division in obtaining the required land application system permit, Council has to hold their own meeting to give the public the opportunity to give input regarding the project and its environmental impacts.

So far no public meeting has been advertised. In the meantime, citizens have voiced their concerns with OCRK.

“We’ve been flooded with phone calls and emails from people in Effingham and surrounding counties who are concerned about the proposed plant,” Brown said.

Guyton city clerk Debra Scruggs said she notified Guyton council about Thursday’s meeting. At a special called meeting Monday morning, council approved a resolution to modify the source of funds to pay for the GEFA loan.

The original resolution was to deposit 75 percent of both water and sewer connection fees into a special debt reserve fund. GEFA required the city to “restrict a minimum of $1,000,000 in a separate bank account for the purpose of satisfying or guarantying the GEFA debt.”

The approved modification segregates out water connection fees, said city attorney Ramona Bartos. GEFA told Bartos that they were OK with the change. In the July 8 council meeting, Alderman Phillip King announced that the city had reopened discussion with Springfield regarding the possibility of them staying with them instead of building their own plant. 

For more information on OCRK’s public meeting, contact Brown at 866-942-6222, ext. 1 or via email, cbrown@ocrk.org.

Guyton City Council held a special called meeting on Monday morning and approved the following:
• Resolution to modify the source of funds for the debt service reserve fund for the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority loan (#2008-LO6WQ). The resolution authorizes 75 percent of sewer tap-in fees to be deposited into a separate bank account to pay of the $13.35 million loan for the proposed wastewater treatment plant on Riverside Drive.

• Expenditure of $50,000 from 2001-2006 SPLOST monies to pay engineering invoices from Hofstadter and Associates for work on wastewater treatment plant.

• Lighting agreement in the amount of $14,267.53 from Georgia Power for installation of wooden pole streetlights along West Central down to Whitesville subdivision.