October 1 deadline

Questions arose last night at the Coneross Wastewater Treatment Plant as to a proposed agreement to pipe sewer to the Golden Corner Commerce Park. The concerns were brought to the meeting table of the Joint Regional Sewer Authority by Walhalla and Westminster representatives. All commissioners decided to allow three more weeks to ask questions and comments before a vote. Seneca’s Greg Dietterick seeks a three-party agreement involving his city, Oconee County, and the Joint Regional Authority, saying the project is important to be able to create jobs. But Tally Grant and Lamar Bailes questioned using part of an annual $600 thousand payment from the county to the authority to pay for part of the project’s costs. Doing so, they suggest, will take away funds to do other rural sewer projects. Dietterick stressed that cost-sharing is behind the idea to sewer Golden Corner with the county committing as much as six of the eight million dollar estimated cost. Commissioner Rhett Smith of Westminster says the authority is made of reasonable people who he predicts will be able to figure it out. The next regular meeting of the authority commissioners is October 1.