Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Water topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Aiken council holds second-reading public hearing on South Georgia Homes water-extension agreement
Summary
At second reading, council heard a development agreement with South Georgia Homes LLC to extend water service north of the city along Wire Road; cost-sharing, project length and potential new connections were presented. Public comment opposed partial developer reimbursement. No final vote on the ordinance is recorded in the transcript.
The Aiken City Council held a second-reading public hearing March 10 on an ordinance that would authorize the city to enter into a development agreement with South Georgia Homes LLC to extend water service along Wire Road.
City staff described the proposal as roughly 3,200 linear feet of water main that would add resiliency to the system and extend the city's service area north of the city, with the potential for future expansion and looping. The extension could provide about 57 possible new service connections, the presentation said, and the city's reimbursement to the developer would not exceed $321,862.50; the developer would be responsible for about one-third of the project cost.
The ordinance was placed on second reading after being continued from a prior meeting, when the engineer altered the alignment to run down Beaver Dam Road to improve resiliency, city staff said.
During the ensuing public hearing, Becky Phillips, a resident speaking during the public comment period, opposed the city reimbursing part of the cost. "If I buy land, you're not gonna pay for my water to get connected, are you?" Phillips said. "I don't think it's fair that the developer expects the city of Aiken" to cover part of the expense.
Councilmembers moved and seconded the ordinance for second reading and public hearing. The transcript records the motion and the public comment but does not record a final council vote or an ordinance adoption at this meeting.
Because the record in the transcript ends with public comment on this item, the council's final action on the ordinance is not specified in the transcript provided.
Background: City staff said the extension is intended to add redundancy and resilience to the system and to facilitate future service expansion toward Exit 29. The presentation characterized part of the project cost as eligible for reimbursement from capital project sales tax funds according to the proposed development agreement.
The council may return this item for a future reading or vote; no further schedule was included in the meeting transcript.
