Clarkesville City Manager Keith Dickerson updated the city council on the courthouse project, the upcoming budget, and water thefts during its work session Monday afternoon.
Dickerson explained to the council that Parkside Partners, which plans to redevelop the property, extended their due diligence period for an additional 30 days. The additional time cost Parkside an additional $25,000. He told the council that he did not have a lot of information. What information he had been told was that Parkside needed to know where the property line was located for the agricultural building adjacent to the courthouse property. There was also some title work that still needed to be completed as well. He was unsure of the reasoning behind the additional title work.
As for the project, “I don’t see it not happening,” Dickerson told the council. He said that they have met with Parkside and the city has done their due diligence.
Dickerson told the council that they have not seen any plans yet for the project but expected them soon. He said that Parkside’s time for the project is running out and they will need to get started pretty quick.
2025 budget
Dickerson presented a draft budget to the council that will be reviewed at the city’s upcoming council retreat. “Chemicals are up,” he said. He explained that for water and sewer, chemical prices have gone up 40%. The increase is due to the cost of oil since many of the chemicals used are made from petroleum. “It’s not just us,” he said. It’s everybody that has water and sewer.”
He told the council that landfill tipping fees have increased, and utilities have gone up 4.5% due to Georgia Power’s increase.
The only thing added to the budget was a new police vehicle. Dickerson told the council that the city needed to restart purchasing a new police vehicle every other year. This would avoid the need to purchase several vehicles for the police department all at once.
Dickerson was encouraged by what he saw in the budget.
“I think we will have a favorable millage rate,” he told the council.
According to the tax digest, reassessments went up but there were very few new additions to the digest. However, he was concerned with the reassessments. He told the council that the way properties are reassessed by the county didn’t seem fair from one house to another.
“It’s just not fair neighbor to neighbor at this point in time.” Dickerson added, “I feel there needs to be some relief in there (the budget).”
Water theft
Dickerson addressed the council about issues related to water thefts from building contractors in the city. The problem the city has is enforcement. According to the city’s ordinances, in order for the city to pursue water thefts, the city must go to a judge and get a warrant and hear the case in state court. Once that happens, the city has very little involvement.
He wants to change the ordinance so that the police department can issue a citation for water theft and have the case go through municipal court. In addition to that change, Dickerson wants to add language to the ordinance that contractors must do utility locates with the city. Over the years, contractors have not requested those locates resulting in damages to city water lines. The city is then responsible for repairing the line at the city’s expense. Dickerson wants the contractors financially responsible for those repairs.
According to Public Works Director Joe Deputy, the city has been relaxed with enforcing water theft and water line damages over the years. He told the council that many of the area contractors are aware of the city’s position because the city wanted growth. Now that growth is here, those same contractors are taking advantage of the city regularly.
Dickerson told the council that not only are lines being damaged, but so are meters. Some contractors will use a fire hydrant to get water in an effort to avoid paying the city for water. Some have even tied into a water tap without a meter in place. Once they’re done with using the water, then they apply to have a meter installed to avoid paying for water usage.
Dickerson said that he and Police Chief Danny Clouatre would write an ordinance to address water thefts and water line damages and bring it back before the council for its approval.
