In the absence of Mayor Gregory Richardson, the Riceboro City Council Tuesday set a budget workshop for June 26. Council members hope the mayor will attend.
The city’s new fiscal year begins on July 1, and decisions are needed in matters dealing with the state Department of Community Affairs and naming a CPA to perform the annual independent audit as well as the budget.
Mayor Pro Tempore Lelia Jones, who presides in Richardson’s absences, said, “We need to push the mayor to get this done. Put it back on the agenda for next month.”
Lindsey Swida of Water Systems Management Inc. appeared before the council to notify them that their water treatment plant was at maximum capacity since Chemtall had started using the facility.
Although the council and Swida both agreed to closer check figures, it appeared that Chemtall was discharging 70,000 gallons of wastewater into the city plant daily. This is far more that the 25,000-50,000 gallons daily which Swida and city officials expected, although they admitted they had not checked the written agreement.
Riceboro citizens and businesses, aside from Chemtall, send about 15,000 gallons of wastewater to the plant daily. Swida said that when he described the heavy use of the plant to engineer Paul Simonton, Simonton seemed shocked.
Council members were concerned about the effect of the wastewater treatment plant being “maxed out” on future development, especially the construction planned in the South Newport area.
In other business, the council heard from Dennis Fitzgerald, who, along with Councilman Henry Relaford, had attended the Midway Day festival. They said that such an event was a good idea, that many Riceboro residents attended and that they believed they could do a better job.
The council members encouraged this and Fitzgerald will develop and present a proposal for a Riceboro Day, with emphasis on the history of Liberty County’s first city.
The June 26 budget workshop will be at 6 p.m. at Riceboro City Hall and is open to the public.