Baldwin updates water, sewer adjustment policy

BALDWIN, Ga. — The Baldwin City Council approved a new water and sewer billing adjustment policy Tuesday after revising several provisions, including preserving sewer bill adjustments for residents who fill swimming pools.

The policy was one of several actions taken during the council’s meeting, which also included approval of a Livescan fingerprint scanner for the police department, an updated school zone speed camera agreement, two replacement trucks for the Public Works Department and two zoning variances.

Utility billing policy revised

City Manager Tiera Morrison presented the revised water and sewer billing adjustment policy after incorporating changes requested by council members during previous discussions.

Among the revisions, Morrison removed a provision that would have limited water leak adjustments to once every 24 months because leaks involving city-owned equipment should not prevent customers from receiving future adjustments. She also removed language related to one method of calculating adjustments at the council’s request.

Council members also debated whether residents should continue receiving sewer bill adjustments when filling swimming pools. Morrison said Baldwin has historically allowed the adjustment because the water used to fill a pool does not enter the sewer system, although her original draft policy would have eliminated the provision.

Councilman Mike Tope supported continuing the sewer adjustment while requiring residents to pay the normal rate for the water they use.

“I do think that the pool filling policy makes sense,” Tope said.

Councilman Joe Elam said the revised policy addressed his primary concern by eliminating any provision that would forgive the cost of treated drinking water.

“The fact that there’s no proposition in here to allow for a discount on treated water is admirable, and I’m thankful that it’s not in here,” Elam said.

Elam said he supports sewer adjustments for pool fillings because the water never enters the wastewater system.

“The reality is that sewer never enters the sewer and is provable,” he said. “I have no problem with writing that off. We have no cost to it.”

Elam also said the policy appropriately preserves the council’s ability to consider adjustments in extraordinary situations, such as widespread water line breaks caused by a natural disaster.

During the discussion, Tope addressed previous public criticism surrounding a water bill adjustment he received after a plumbing leak caused extensive damage to his home.

“I did not ask for it,” Tope said. “It was not me asking for a favor. It was not me having the inside to anything.”

He said the leak caused approximately $50,000 in damage and that his parents contacted City Hall to have the water turned off while he was out of town because they did not know how to shut off the service.

The council approved the revised policy without objection.

Fingerprint scanner approved

The council also approved the purchase of a Georgia Crime Information Center Livescan fingerprint scanner for the Baldwin Police Department after hearing additional information about the equipment’s maintenance, lifespan and revenue potential.

Police Chief Chris Jones said the scanner’s maintenance agreement covers replacement parts as long as the city’s support plan remains current. He said the FBI-certified printer is the component most likely to require replacement.

Jones said the manufacturer recommends replacing the hardware on about a five-year cycle, although the current scanner model has remained on the market for more than a decade.

Finance Director Angela Adams said the scanner could create a new revenue source by allowing Baldwin to offer fingerprinting services for employers, school systems, churches and other organizations throughout Northeast Georgia.

She estimated the city could charge between $65 and $75 per fingerprint scan, comparable to what applicants currently pay elsewhere.

Councilman Joe Elam asked how the purchase would be funded.

Adams said the scanner was included in the city’s budget and predicted the investment could quickly pay for itself.

“My thing would be we would probably have this paid for within a couple months,” Adams said. “If we market it right, we’ll have the $11,000 to $12,000 for the machine, the training, all that we paid for, and then the rest is profit until we have to buy again.”

The purchase was approved without objection.

School zone camera agreement updated

The council unanimously approved an amended agreement with Ultimate, the vendor that operates Baldwin’s school zone speed cameras, to bring the contract into compliance with changes in state law.

City Attorney Sammy Tomasello said the city rejected an earlier version of the agreement because it included provisions that went beyond what the law required, including an extension of the existing contract. After negotiations, Ultimate submitted a revised agreement that only changes the fee schedule required under state law.

“We thought the agreement went far beyond what was required under new state law,” Tomasello said. “We worked with them to get something much more pared down.”

Councilman Joe Elam asked whether the revised fee schedule would reduce the city’s share of citation revenue or require the city to pay additional costs.

Tomasello said it would not.

Instead, he explained, the new law caps the amount Ultimate can recover for processing citations. Under the previous agreement, violators could be charged up to $25 that was passed through to the vendor. The revised agreement limits that fulfillment charge to $10 and restructures the processing fees to comply with state law.

“I don’t think the city is losing money because of this,” Tomasello said. “I think it’s just capping what Ultimate can get kicked back through this process.”

The agreement also received retroactive approval effective June 30 to satisfy the vendor’s state compliance requirements. Tomasello said the date has no practical effect on the city but ensures Ultimate remains in compliance with state regulations before Baldwin’s school zone cameras resume operation for the new school year.

Animal control agreement heads to executive session

A proposed amendment to Baldwin’s intergovernmental agreement with Habersham County for animal control services was removed from public discussion and taken into executive session under the grounds of pending litigation.

The revised agreement was drafted after several municipalities requested changes clarifying liability, cost-sharing and procedures for resolving disputes or withdrawing from the countywide agreement.

No public action was taken on the amendment.

Fleet replacement continues

The council approved the purchase of two replacement trucks for the Public Works Department as part of the city’s long-term vehicle replacement program.

Public Works Director Scott Barnhart said the trucks, one for the streets department and one for utilities, were included in the city’s budget and are part of a 10-year, 150,000-mile replacement schedule designed to avoid replacing multiple vehicles at the same time.

Councilman Joe Elam said he supports the long-term approach because it creates a sustainable replacement cycle.

Barnhart said not every vehicle is replaced strictly on schedule. Instead, the department evaluates equipment based on its condition and how often it is used.

He noted the city’s bucket truck has exceeded its recommended service life but remains in operation because it is used infrequently, while snowplow trucks have also remained in service beyond the target replacement date because they continue to perform reliably.

“It’s the ones that we use every day,” Barnhart said. “We want to make sure we get there when we get called.”

He said the city is nearing the end of its transition to the replacement program, which should allow future truck purchases to occur on a staggered schedule rather than requiring several vehicles to be replaced at once.

The purchase was approved without objection.

Zoning variances approved

Following separate public hearings, the council approved zoning variances for properties at 739 Dawn Place and 580 Baldwin Falls Road.

Neither request drew public opposition, and both variances were approved without objection.