In spite of appeals for postponement of their decision by Powder Springs Councilwoman Nancy Farmer and city resident Larry Thomas, the Cobb County Board of Commissioners decided 5-0 on Dec. 17 to buy the water/sewer systems of Powder Springs.
Powder Springs will receive $5.5 million in 10 equal, annual payments, according to Cobb Water System Agency Director Steve McCullers, with implementation of the transfer from April 1 to July 1.
The proposed arrangement is similar to that through which Cobb purchased Acworth’s water and sewer systems in 1987 and Kennesaw’s systems in 2004, he explained.
As a part of the agreement, Cobb will attempt to hire eight current employees of Powder Springs that would be displaced by the purchase of the systems by Cobb.
The increase in operating and capital costs associated with the additional customers and infrastructure will be offset by additional revenues received from Powder Springs customers, McCullers said.
While Farmer and Thomas told the commissioners the city residents need more time to understand the facts of this transfer, Powder Springs Mayor Pro Tem and Councilman Patrick Bordelon told the commissioners, “We feel like we’ve gotten enough feedback from the public.”
Bordelon said this change would result in a 30 percent reduction in the water bills of the city’s residents with hopes by city officials to use the $550,000 annual payments over the next 10 years to reduce city debt.
Cobb District 4 Commissioner Lisa Cupid, who represents Powder Springs, said this decision is “a win for both Powder Springs and Cobb” in making her motion for approval.
