Pickleball courts set for a makeover
News March 2, 2022
WHITE COUNTY, Ga. – The White County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved receipt of a dedicated donation by the Yonah Mountain Pickleball Club of $6,715 for the resurfacing of six pickleball courts at the White County Recreation Department. The County then approved a contract with Signature Tennis Courts to perform the work.
The Board also approved:
- Edward Lugo’s request for a conditional use permit on 1.12 acres at 171 Bennett’s Trail in Sautee Nacoochee to be placed in the county’s short-term rental program;
- Victor Alan Reynolds request for a conditional use permit on1.01 acres at 32 Running Deer Road in Cleveland to be placed in the county’s short term rental program;
- A contract with Waste Management for operation of the White County Transfer Station’
- A Memorandum of Understanding with the Georgia Department of Transportation for joint access, use and management of a temporary debris site.
The Board denied a request by Hetrip Unit LLC on behalf of Kirt Koch request to redistrict 2.03 acres at the intersection of Hwy. 115 and Hwy. 255 for the purpose of building a convenience store. The Board noted there have been several wrecks at that intersection and a convenience store at that location be a traffic hazard.
John Ziemer gave an update on the activity at the White County Water Authority which will be covered in a separate article.
White County Water Authority working to meet demands of growing population
News March 2, 2022
WHITE COUNTY, Ga. – A report by White County Water Authority Board of Directors Chairman John Ziemer presented at the Board of Commissioners meeting this week has raised questions about how the Authority will meet the future needs of a fast-growing White County population.
Ziemer pointed out that the Authority is an enterprise, meaning it receives no money from the county. It serves approximately 2,450 households and its revenue is derived from the sale of water (about 89 percent) and new service connections. The authority has $11.1 million in assets and $1.8 million he said.
Turner Creek is the Authority’s water source with an average production of about 850 to 1 million gallons per day.
In a phone interview Tuesday, County Commissioner Edwin Nix, the Authority’s Executive Director said the Authority bought one well about 20 years ago but it didn’t turn out to be the producer it should have been. “It’s so expensive to bring those things on line that when engineers say you can only run it 12 hours a day and have to let it rest 12 hours, it wouldn’t be worth the money to bring it online.”
Nix said there is another well on the Authority compound that hit water in late 2019 and is pumping water 24/7 but has to be throttled back to no more than 100,000 gallons per day while waiting for paperwork to be approved by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. “Once you go over 100,000 gallons a day, it has to be a permitted withdrawal,” he said.
“As soon as we get that permit, we’re going to drill another one here on the upper end of the compound. We’re hoping to have two good wells here on site.”
Nix also said the Authority had approached the EPD to suggest building a new plant to pull water out of Yonah Preserve “That was an absolute ‘no,’ he said. They said don’t even think about it so we don’t think about it.”