County, city will agree on water issues says Nix

GAINESVILLE - Ownership and management of the Cedar Creek and Glades Farm reservoirs continues to be a hot topic for the City of Gainesville and Hall County.

Appearing Friday morning on WDUN's Al Gainey Show, Hall County Administrator Charley Nix says there will be a resolution to the issue, and he thinks his staff and the city staff can iron out the details.

"There's a lot of stuff that Gainesville needs to understand...the business plan, our long-term vision for Glades Reservoir...and we need to better, of course, understand their perspective on Cedar Creek," said Nix.

Nix says he and City Manager Kip Padgett will soon present a recommendation to a joint meeting of commissioners and council members so that Gainesville and Hall County can go to the state with a water management plan for the area.

Nix appeared on the show in response to media reports that quoted a letter from the City of Gainesville that asked for a delay in mediation on issues surrounding the two reservoirs. Nix said he was not sure how contents of the letter were released, since the letter was meant to be a rough draft of the city's wishes. The county, he noted, is also working on a rough draft letter to the Environmental Protection Division. City and county staffs will then combine components of the letters and send one version to the state before mediation takes place.