Newton Citizen

COVINGTON - The City Council voted Monday night to waive $31,290 in outstanding costs for installation of electric lines needed to power a pumping station and wastewater treatment plant serving Georgia Perimeter College.

The costs were owed by Brick Store Utility Company, a firm created by The Arnold Fund to provide sewer service to the college. Brick Store Utility owns and operates a lift station and wastewater treatment plant on the east side of Ga. Highway 11.

Frank B. Turner had written the city on behalf of The Arnold Fund requesting relief from payment of the outstanding bills for partial costs of installation of service lines to the facilities.

Turner cited a city ordinance that states that "upon receipt and acceptance of application for service ... the city will proceed to do such work and to provide and install such equipment as it may be required to do in order to render the service, including the extension of an existing line when necessary, as determined by the location and character of the service."

The ordinance states the city will not pay more than 3.5 times the estimated annual revenue derived from the service. That figure would be $37,013.

In other council news, the council approved a special-use permit for a transfer station on Bob Williams Parkway. The Covington Planning and Zoning Department had recommended denial of the permit.

The transfer station, which will be developed on 11.64 acres by East Georgia Rolloff, will handle construction and demolition debris.

"It will not be household garbage or that sort of thing," said Debbie Dial, zoning administrator for the city. "It will be strictly building supply and demolition debris."

The city approved the conditional use permit for a period of five years, after which the owner can apply for renewal. The property is zoned M-2, heavy industrial.

Other conditions placed on the approval included:

· Adherence to Georgia Environmental Protection Division guidelines for transfer stations;

· Limiting hours of operation to Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.;

· Installation of external outdoor lighting for security purposes;

· Development of a 75-foot buffer on all property lines except along the entrance;

· Installation of substantial plantings as approved by the planning department;

· Preservation of the wetlands on the site in a land trust;

· Erection of an 8-foot-high fence that obscures any view of the site.

In addition, all sorting of debris will take place inside a building. All waste brought to the site must be removed within two business days.