MTO: Legislators try new tacks for water authority

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Legislators try new tacks for water authority

By Nancy Badertscher
The Macon Telegraph

ATLANTA - At least three Bibb County lawmakers were scrambling Tuesday to end the stalemate over legislation expanding the Macon Water Authority's powers.

The county's legislative delegation had been expected to meet today on a bill by state Rep. David Lucas, D-Macon, to give the authority the power to enter into industrial development, close the Macon landfill and open a new one and fund construction of a drug-treatment center.

But Rep. Billy Randall, D-Macon, chairman of the delegation, concluded there was no reason to meet.

"Nobody's moved from their position, so there was no point," Randall said. "I thought I'd let the air clear a bit."

Randall's cancellation of the meeting came the same day The Macon Telegraph reported that test wells south of Macon's unlined landfill show the carcinogenic chemical vinyl chloride at 20 times the level that is considered acceptable by the federal government.

Lucas said the Telegraph's report supports his contention that local officials need to be moving forward with plans to close the city landfill and develop a new one.

"That landfill will not last us 19 years," Lucas said. "It might not have 10 years."

Officials with the city and the water authority have said the public is not at risk and no one is supplied water from the wells.

Randall said he had been hearing reports that the local landfill had problems but did not realize the magnitude until reading Tuesday's paper.

Reps. Robert Reichert, D-Macon, David Graves, R-Macon, and Lucas said they have been working to garner support among the delegation for proposals that they said should ease some concerns of their colleagues and the public:

Reichert introduced a bill to enable the authority to enter into industrial development but not open a landfill or build a drug-treatment center.
Lucas introduced a bill to address concerns about the water authority having the power to condemn or buy land anywhere in the state for a landfill.
Graves pushed to amend the bill to enable the water authority to give Bibb County the money to construct the drug-treatment center that the state would operate.

Lucas' bill initially appeared destined to sail through the House as local legislation signed by four of the county's six state representatives. But it stalled the day it was introduced after Rep. Robert Ray, D-Fort Valley, withdrew his crucial fourth signature, and Bibb's two remaining House members balked at signing it.

Delegation members said they have been deluged with calls and questions since then, most centering on the water authority's intention to build and operate a landfill. Delegation members said there have also been questions about the logic of the water authority building a drug-treatment center.

Water authority chairman Frank Amerson has said the authority wants to repay the city's and county's past financial backing to upgrade the water system.

Amerson made a presentation to Macon City Council members on Tuesday - the first time many members heard of the chairman's plans - and most council members had questions similar to the ones fielded by local legislators.

Some wanted to know why Councilman Lonnie Miley waited three months to give information to the council about the water authority's plans. Miley is the city's representative on the MWA and is chairman of the council's public works and engineering committee. He had Amerson's plan in November and intended on meeting with the council in January but said the consolidation of city/county engineering departments took precedence.

Councilman Henry Ficklin and Councilwoman Brenda Youmas questioned Amerson offering money to the city to be used to close the city's landfill. Both said if money is given to the city, there should be no strings attached to its use.

Part of Amerson's proposal includes reimbursing the city and county for the approximate $33 million those governments provided to the water authority in the 1970s and 1980s for the expansion of sewer service and treatment facilities.

Under the proposal, the county would receive about $1 million annually for 25 years from the water authority, for a total of $25.3 million.

If the city were to agree to close its Walker Road landfill, the authority would pay the city about $300,000 every year for 25 years, for a total of $7.7 million.

The authority expects to pay that money from revenue generated by its expanded water, sewer and landfill service.

Councilman Mike Cranford wanted to know how long Amerson and others had been in negotiations over the proposal and whether the legislation would allow the MWA to become a private organization. Cranford also wanted Amerson to release Denmark Groover from his attorney/client privilege with Denmark Groover so the council could better understand the authority's plans. Groover is the bill's author and the authority's attorney.

Amerson, Macon Mayor Jim Marshall and Bibb commission chairman Larry Justice also have said that the water authority is the agency in the best shape to take on the expense of these projects, including closing the city landfill and opening a new one.

The drug-treatment facility would not be constructed without a firm commitment from the state to operate it, Lucas has said.

Reichert said he hopes to be able to circulate his bill, limiting the authority's new ventures to industrial development, among the delegation today in hopes of getting the four signatures needed.

"There may be a need for some of those other things, but I think a lot of people think it's too much, too quick and too many questions," Reichert said.

He said Amerson indicated to him last week that he "would rather have something than nothing."

Lucas said his new bill would amend a state law that enables certain authorities to buy or condemn land anywhere in the state. His bill states that an exception would be made for landfills.

A legal opinion obtained last week by Ray indicated that the power given to the water authority under Lucas' original bill would give the authority statewide reach.

Ray said Tuesday that even with Lucas' new bill, he was not likely to reverse himself and again sign the initial legislation.

"Anything with a landfill, I'm not going to sign," Ray said.

He also said that with the legislative session almost half over, he was not certain Lucas would have time to get the statewide change past the House and Senate and signed by the governor.


	Here is some information and sites to help you keep track of the General Assembly: Session guide: Finding information by television, phone, in person and online. GeorgiaNet Authority: Keep track of all bills and resolutions as they move through the General Assembly. Georgia Senate. Georgia House of Representatives.