In the midst of residents’ mounting annoyance over a protracted water outage that is now in its second week, the Baldwin City Council will convene on Tuesday, July 8, right after its work session at the Baldwin Police Training Facility.
Since June 26, parts of the city, especially the Baldwin Mountain Water System, have had intermittent or total water outages, depriving many households of running water for essential purposes. The problem is caused by deteriorating infrastructure, including as leaking and undersized pipes on high terrain that are expensive and difficult to fix, according to city officials.
The Council will vote to approve the June 26 Declaration of Emergency, which gave the city permission to start urgent repairs and ask for more funding, during Tuesday night’s meeting. A report on the condition of the water and wastewater systems is anticipated from City Engineer Fletcher Holliday.
In order to help finance long-term upgrades to the Baldwin Mountain Water System, the Council will also think about applying for a loan from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, or GEFA.
A review of an unpaid invoice for animal control services and the approval of a new contract for school resource officers with the Habersham County Board of Education are among the other topics on the agenda. A list of projects that will be financed by the next SPLOST VIII vote will also be up for approval by council members.
Early in the meeting, the public is asked to provide feedback.
