BROADCAST VIA FACEBOOK LIVE SITE: CITY OF HIAWASSEE
OPEN TO PUBLIC – October 26, 2026, 6pm
Hiawassee City Hall 50 River Street – Upstairs Training Room
SPECIAL CALLED MEETING & COUNCIL WORK SESSION AGENDA
1. Call to Order
- 1.1. Invocation –Nancy Noblet
- 1.2. Pledge of Allegiance
- 1.3. Approve agenda as distributed
2. Motion to approve the Milage rate Rollback – 1.494
3. Executive session
4. Adjournment
5. Call the Work Session to Order
6. Consent Agenda
- 6.1. Minutes of October 6, 2026, Council Meeting
- 6.2. Minutes of October 26, 2026, Work Session Meeting
- 6.3. Minutes of October 9, 2026, Special Called Meeting
- 6.4. August Financials
7. Mayor’s Report
8. Alcohol Licenses for 2027
9. Department Head Report – Carl Grizzle
10. Fletcher Holliday – EMI
11. Public Comment
12. Executive session
13. Adjournment
SPECIAL CALLED MEETING & COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES OCT 26th
The Hiawassee City Council met for the Special Called Meeting in the Training Room at City Hall on October 6, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Jay Chastain. Present, in addition to the Mayor, were Council members Andrea Bell, Jonathan Wilson, Scott Benton, and Jeff Scott. Nancy Noblet was in attendance via phone. Staff present were Water Department Superintendent Carl Grizzle, Water Treatment Plant Supervisor Andrew Sims, Officer J.P. Smallwood, Economic Development Director Lily Ponitz, City Clerk Bonnie Kendrick, and Court Clerk Sheryl Branson.
The Invocation was given by Mayor Chastain and was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
Approval of the agenda as distributed was made first by Andrea Bell and second by Jonathan Wilson with all in favor.
Motion to approve the Milage Rate Rollback-1.494 was made 1st by Andrea Bell and 2nd by Jonathan Wilson with all in favor.
No need to go into Executive Session
Motion to adjourn the Special Called Meeting was made 1st by Jonathan Wilson and 2nd by Jeff Scott with all in favor.
Meeting was adjourned at 6:02 PM
Call the Work Session to order at 6:02 PM was 1st made by Jeff Scott and 2nd by Scott Benton with all in favor.
The Consent agenda, consisting of minutes from October 6, 2026, City Council Meeting, October 26, 2026, Work Session, the minutes of the October 9, 2026, Special Called Meeting, and the August 2026 Financials, will be voted on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Mayors Report
The Road Runner Lift Station
We have met with the contractor and have everything lined out to begin construction. We plan to start Monday, November 2nd, provided all materials have been delivered and are in the contractor’s hands. Lead times continue to be a real challenge.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Control System
The equipment for the sewer plant control system has arrived. Aqua-Aerobic still has us scheduled for December. That is somewhat of a relief, but we will not breathe easy until the project is complete. These are large pieces of equipment, and we are hoping for a smooth transition.
Storm Response and Water Plant Protection
During the recent storm, the city fared well overall. One large tree fell at the water plant, putting us on generator power for several hours. We identified additional large trees that could damage our only clear well or critical pumps if they fall. We are seeking estimates for removal, and I plan to speak with EMC about possible assistance.
Water Distribution Storage Building
Phase 1 of the water distribution storage building and equipment garage is almost complete. I will send pictures to the council once the work is finished.
Southern Tank Maintenance Contract
Thomas Mitchell and representatives of Southern Tank have reached an agreement on contract terms. We do not yet have a firm schedule for the maintenance work to begin. I will keep council informed as soon as the start date is established.
Water Distribution Leaks
Our crew continues to repair an average of approximately two waterline leaks per week. This is a continuing demand on staff time and city resources and reflects on the ongoing challenges with our ageing infrastructure.
Street Striping and Signage
Striping of the city square has been completed. Restriping and re-signing of Bell Street, through the SAP grant, is also being done.
Towns Conty Time Capsule
The time capsule was buried following the last commissioners’ meeting. I was unable to attend because I was responding to a life-threatening emergency call, but the city did include a letter. I hope that when the capsule is opened someday, future citizens will understand how much we love Hiawassee and how hard we are working to preserve the special character and feel of our community.
Berrong-Oakley House
The Berrong-Oakley House is receiving some dirt from the church project to help complete the parking area. This is another step forward in the restoration effort.
Increasing Operating costs
As I previously advised council by email, gravel and material prices continue to rise. The latest figures I reported include an increase of approximately $2.50 per ton for crusher run and $4.00 per ton for riprap. Chemical costs continue to inch upwards as well. These increases affect our everyday operations and the cost of repairing city infrastructure.
Proposed Wate and Sewer Connection Fees
Fletcher Holliday is here to address the proposed connection fees. The changes are intended to bring Hiawassee closer to typical rates and better reflect the cost of new utility connections.
Utility Billing System
We continue to work through water rate and billing issues with Black Mountain. Our goal is to transition to Muni Billing by the first of the year. Staff have been participating in weekly instruction to prepare for the changeover.
Water and Sewer Department Training
Our water and sewer departments completed the eight-hour Georgia soil and erosion class toward their Blue Card credentials. I will say the instruction was some of the most difficult teaching I have ever sat through, but I appreciate our employees getting the training done. This week, our water and sewer personnel will also attend the annual Georgia Rural Water training classes in Helen.
Towns County Water Agreement
We met with Towns County Water Representatives and are working toward an agreement on the rate for the coming year. This has been a difficult process. The contract developed after mediation has been hard to interpret, and different readings of it have contributed to errors, including bookkeeping issues. Lacey with EMI has clarified the contract so both parties have a common understanding. We are working to identify and correct mistakes dating back to the start of the agreement. Our next step is to agree on a date and time to read the meters together. Initially, both parties will read both sets of meters at exactly the same time to see whether the readings differ. We want to establish a clear procedure, resolving outstanding issues, and follow the contract consistently until it ends in 2030.
TVA Coordination
I will be attending a TVA meeting this week and will keep council informed of any meaningful updates affecting the city and our water system.
Thank you to the council and our employees for your continued support as we work to protect and improve our infrastructure and preserve the community we all care about
Next up is the Alcohol License Renewal for 2027. The renewals are due to our office by October 31, 2026, to be voted on at the November 3, 2026, Council Meeting. We have several renewals in already but are still waiting for more to arrive.
Department Head Report – Carl Grizzle
The three-year sanitary survey has been completed. Carl took the surveyor out to all of the lift stations. There will likely be some minor findings that need to be corrected, and the final report will be expected next month. She wanted to see all the booster pumps. Carl thinks that the survey went well.
Fletcher Holliday – EMI
Water System Zone Meters – This was previously discussed at the city retreat and identified in the capital improvement plan as a valuable tool. Water loss is defined as treated water measured leaving the plant (Andrew), versus metered usage by end users(distributed by Carl)The city experiences significant water loss: AWWA recommends implementing water zone meters to identify and reduce losses. Zone meters are strategically placed to break the system into zones, enabling evaluation of usage per zone rather than only system-wide metrics. Water loss is simply water that is treated at the water plant and does not reach the end user.
EMI proposes five targeted zones with meters, including one leveraging the existing plant meter. Zone-level readings will be compared to individual meters to calculate loss. Monthly comparisons will highlight loss trends and allow targeted interventions. Water loss causes include leaks, aging meters (8-10 years or 1 million gallons), and data handling errors. Zone meters help pinpoint these issues.
Beyond loss quantification, zone meters facilitate ongoing leak detection by highlighting anomalous zone usage over time for targeted field response. Zone meters provide continuous monitoring; unexpected increases in a zone’s usage signal potential leaks.
The estimated construction cost for four (4) new zone meters across five (5) zones is $260,000.00, with project total $375,000.00, including engineering, administration, and $50,000.00 contingency. EPD permitting is required for zone meters. The immediate authorization sought $60,000.00 to start engineering, bid-phase, and administrative work, not the full project cost. The zone meter project is already on GEFA’s Intended Use Plan and can be financed via a 3.03% low-interest loan through Georgia Environmental Finance Authority.
Next is the water and sewer system connection fee ordinance to recoup capital costs, protecting existing users from future expansion/improvement costs driven by new connections and aligning with AWWA standard.
City assets total approximately $13.3 million for water and 6.5 million for wastewater; derived costs are $4.46 per gallon (water) and a consumer value referenced as $12.00. For water it is $1337.00 per ERU, and for sewer, it’s $3809.00 per ERU.
Lift Stations are used in sanitary sewer systems to distribute sewage throughout the collection system due to significant elevation changes common in mountainous terrain. They are critical where gravity flow is insufficient to reach the wastewater treatment plant. Based on AWWA standards, the ordinance establishes an 80% maximum capacity threshold for lift stations. If a new development discharge into a lift station and causes it to reach or exceed capacity, that developer must fund the necessary lift station upgrades to accommodate their usage. This protects existing utility customers from absorbing infrastructure costs through higher rates.
The administration and enforcement of the ordinance will be overseen by the Mayor upon approval by the City Council. Funds collected under O.C.G.A 36-71-13 must be placed in a dedicated account and used only for water and wastewater improvements, expansion, or debt service. Separate accounting is required and non-water/sewer uses are prohibited.
The first reading of the ordinance is planned for Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
No Public Comment was requested.
No need to go into Executive Session.
Motion to adjourn the Work Session was made 1st by Scott Benton and 2nd by Jonathan Wilson with all in favor.
Meeting was adjourned at 6:49 PM