Flowery branch water and sewer rates up 'slightly'

Flowery Branch - Flowery Branch City Council Thursday night adopted slightly increased water and sewer rates. City Manager Bill Andrew said rates were adjusted to keep up with increasing operation costs.

Council approved what Andrew called it a modest raise, two percent for water, two percent for sewer for residential users in single-family homes inside the city limits.

"For a 1,000 gallons you were being charged $5.53, that's going to $5.64," Andrew said. "We haven't changed the rates in a year and our cost in electricity alone has gone up nine percent and we have higher insurance rates."

Andrew said the city is trying to have small annual increases rather than have them jump because it was not on a regular adjustment schedule.

"In the past the city has not been on a regular schedule of trying to keep rates at pace with inflation or other costs and we're trying to have small increases over time rather than having them jump as they have in the past."

TAD ADVISORY

City Council got a word of advisory caution from Hall Commissioner Craig Lutz concerning plans for a Tax Allocation District on city owned property.

Lutz told council there could be a possible road block if they decide to use TAD funding to clear the old Mooney Manufacturing site and market it to a developer; Lutz said TAD funding could not be used if the property was tax exempt.

"It could potentially harm them if they want to do something with that property using TAD funds in the future," Lutz said.

Lutz,a former Flowery Branch City Councilman, said the city is asking the county to make the property tax exempt.

SOUTH HALL RECOVERY

City Council approved a $15,000 annual service contract with the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council.Economic Development Vice President Tim Evans said the contract comes at a good time, with increasing retail in the county.

"With all the retail we're seeing along Dawsonville Highway, we're seeing that here in South Hall too, that interest level is up," Evans said.

Evans said Hall County's unemployment rate is seven-point-nine percent, lower than surrounding areas, and it appears to be dropping.