Senoia city officials are looking at raising sewer rates after learning the sewer system is costing more than it is generating in revenues.
Sewer rates were a topic at Monday’s city council meeting at Senoia Magistrate Court. “I don’t want to go into a whole lot of detail on this tonight,” Mayor Robert Belisle told members of the council – explaining that he wanted council members to commit to a three-hour workshop on the issue.
“It should be noted that in our last audit, the sewer fund lost $63,000. This is the first year we’ve had to work in the negative,” City Administrator Richard Ferry said. For the last two years, Ferry has recommended a hike in sewer rates.
“Right now our historical debt service is not sustainable,” Ferry said.
Ferry said he thought the town should have a rate study done. “To me its a fairly straightforward mathematical proposition,” Belisle said.
City Attorney Drew Whalen said he thought the town was supposed to maintain a 1.0 debt service balance to meet the requirements for bonds. The city’s current rate is .78.
“If you were issuing a conventional revenue bond, it might have to be 1.2 or 1.25,” Whalen said. At 1.0, “you’re basically just breaking even,” he said.
A date for a meeting was not set. Belisle told the council he wanted to set a date to meet “not later than mid-July.” He added, “We cannot put this off any longer than that.”
In other business:
• Unanimously approved was a mutual aid agreement with Coweta County. The agreement connects local governments and services when an emergency occurs. Ferry told the council the agreement allows the city to withhold aid to others if it is needed within the city.
• The council voted to have Cato Contracting do work on the expansion of the Senoia Cemetery, event though their bid exceeded the budget by about $30,000.
Ferry had talked with Cato officials about adjusting the plan to save money. The changes discussed, however, “just didn’t flow into what the goals were,” Ferry said.
Total cost of the project will be about $84,000.
“I appreciate your taking the time to try to get that lowered,” Councilman Jeff Fisher told Ferry. Fisher made the motion to proceed with Cato, which passed unanimously.
• Accepted was a proposal from Cato for road work at the library.
• The council heard complaints from Keith Harrison about noise and odor related to dogs at a Senoia residence. Harrison asked what the parameters were for actions on “excessive barking of dogs.”
He said the owner of the dogs gets fined, but the situation continues.
“This has been going on for five years or more,” Harrison said. “How many times does she have to be cited for this to stop?”
He said the odor is so bad neighbors cannot comfortably sit outdoors.
He also asked about golf carts on city sidewalks – a common occurrence in some parts of town but not allowed by city ordinance.
Belisle said the city will be placing signs noting the prohibition. “Once the proper signage is up, we can start issuing citations,” the mayor said.
Harrison said that when people get a certificate for a golf cart, they sign a document that says they know and will abide by the city’s ordinance. “As soon as you get it, you’re now held responsible,” he said.
• It was announced Memorial Day events will start in Senoia at 10 a.m. on May 28.
• Police Chief Jason Edens also talked about the Swing for a Cure golf tournament set for June 25 at Whitewater Creek Country Club in Fayetteville. It is the first of what is hoped to be an annual event. Edens said “all the registration and information sheets you can download” are on the city website and the police department website.
“We hope for a good turnout,” Edens said. The tournament will raise money for a childhood cancer charity.
