Greensboro City Council held its second meeting of the month Monday night and discussed several new concerns within the community.
The meeting lasted nearly an hour due to the council’s decision to go into executive session regarding an undisclosed legal concern.
During the meeting, council members discussed approving the water and sewer rate study and requesting preliminary plat approval for a townhome subdivision on Eatonton Road.
The preliminary plat approval has been an ongoing discussion with the city council and the planning and zoning board. Originally, it was scheduled for discussion at the city council’s July 1 meeting but was postponed to Monday’s meeting, per the request of Mayor Corey Williams.
The Lake Oconee News received no comments about why the plan was removed from the agenda of the previous meetings. City Clerk Toinia Clark, who removed the plat approval from the July 1 agenda, said she needed clarification on Williams’ reasoning behind the postponement.
The townhome subdivision would be on Old Eatonton Road, where Greyden Engineering, the development company, plans to build on 22 acres. The company plans to place approximately 119 homes in the designated area.
Project developers are also working on constructing condominiums adjacent to the townhome property on Old Eatonton Road. The two properties will not connect but were placed on the single blueprint given to the city council during the meeting.
According to the development company, they hope to build the townhomes on 22 acres because they “deviate from the existing economy.”
“Our thought process for laying out these townhomes is that it gives a better product and provides a better overall subdivision layout,” said Taylor Gallimore, a developer for Greyden Engineering. “We have developed these specific footprints for size and clarity. We feel like it would be an excellent addition to that corridor.”
The council approved the preliminary plat proposal.
Later in the meeting, City Manager Autron Hayes discussed approving Greensboro’s water and sewer rate study.
“What you have before you is an agreement with Carter & Sloope to review the city’s existing water and sewer rates,” Hayes said. “Not only on the current rate but also for the new commercial construction."
With inflation and the city’s growing population, Hayes said addressing the water and sewer rate study is essential.
“As our system grows, we do not want to have it where the current base is,” he said. “We want equitable rates for everybody.”
With the proposal, Carter & Sloope can “study surrounding jurisdictions” and compare their water and sewer rates to Greensboro's.
“I don’t know when the last time [the rates] were adjusted,” Hayes said.
He believes the proposal is needed for the city of Greensboro due to the demands of the current water bills.
“I thank this city for what I have seen and others we try to work with. I’m not going just to go out there and just shut somebody off,” Hayes said. “If they need help saying, ‘Mr. Hayes, my bill is due today, but I will get paid next Monday.' We are going to work with them.”
The city council vote approved the water and sewer rate study, with Cynthia Rivers, Morris Miller, and Chris Moore voting yes. Jontavious Smith and David Neal abstained from voting.
More essential topics from Monday’s meeting:
• Greensboro has been approved for a grant for the Safe Streets and Roads for All Program. The grant is for the federal government and will provide $160,000. The city needs to contribute $40,000, totaling the funds to $200,000
• The water and sewer rates model will cost $2,800
• The annual review and project updates will cost $4,300 due to upcoming capital improvement projects.