Barrow Journal

In response to business owners’ concerns, Auburn officials have developed an alternative rate structure for a proposed storm water tax that could go into effect in November.

Instead of paying up to $10,000 a year on a single parcel, owners of non-residential properties would pay a maximum of $600. Owners of single-family homes would pay $30 annually.

If adopted by the Auburn City Council next week, the new rate structure would generate $116,000, which is 75 percent of the $153,800 previously forecast. [Full Story »] 

The Auburn City Council over the next week or so will have three public meetings that could directly impact the wallets of local residents and businesses. [Full Story »] 

In an effort to ensure a ready supply of drinking water at a low cost, Auburn officials are exploring the possibility of building a municipal reservoir.

The city’s plans became public July 15 when two representatives of a Norcross engineering firm, Hayes James & Associates, appeared before the Auburn City Council to talk about a proposed $10,850 contract for preliminary water testing at two sites inside the city limits and a feasibility study to project the maximum “safe yield” of a new reservoir during drought conditions.

“We literally are just looking at it from the standpoint of ‘is there even a possibility?’” Mayor Linda Blechinger told the Barrow Journal after the meeting. “This is exploration. If the answer comes up no, then it’s no. But we won’t know until this company goes out and does this study.”
[Full Story »] 

Auburn property owners may see a new storm water utility fee on their water bills starting in November.

The Auburn City Council in September is scheduled to vote on the administration’s request to add the fee to enable the city to improve and better maintain the system of ditches, culverts and detention ponds that handle runoff inside Auburn's city limits.

City planner Larry Lucas said at the council’s Thursday meeting that the proposed fee for residential properties would be $2.58 per month, which totals $31 annually.

The annual fee for non-residential properties would be based on a rate of $31 for every 2,600 square feet of “impervious surface” on a parcel. [Full Story »] 

Auburn’s city government is planning to relocate its downtown ballpark to a slightly larger site off Parks Mill Road in order to accommodate an expansion that includes the first Pony League field for older players in Auburn.

If the city council approves the new plan July 1, the community garden now on the city property off Parks Mill Road will be moved this fall to the currently undeveloped 6th Street Park site.

Thomas Duncan, the city’s parks and leisure coordinator, presented the plans for the new ballpark and 6th Street Park at the June 17 meeting of the Auburn City Council.

City officials had expected to expand the existing ballpark downtown but ran into difficulty purchasing the adjacent property that would make that happen. [Full Story »] 

Auburn city administrator Ron Griffith on May 20 presented to the Auburn City Council an update of where the city’s finances stood on March 31, which was halfway through the current fiscal year.

“We’re operating in the black for the first six months,” Griffith said.

As of March 31, general fund revenues totaled about $1.8 million, and expenditures totaled $1.6 million – a difference of about $136,000, according to a spreadsheet provided with the agenda.

The document shows most of the departments had spent less than half of their annual budgets; the rest had spent just over half. [Full Story »] 

Five city-owned buildings, including the one housing the Auburn Library, are now connected to Auburn’s newly completed downtown sewer system.

On the public system are city hall, the police department, the J.D. Withers Building, the library, and the ABC building that is leased to a printing company.

The service to the busy library is particularly appreciated because of chronic difficulties with its septic system. [Full Story »]