GAINESVILLE - Gainesville officials are considering an inter-governmental agreement with Hall County for a litter trap in Flat Creek, which sits in both the city limits of Gainesville and unincorporated Hall County.
The total cost of the Bandalog Trash Trap is $174,000 with the city funding 40% ($69,520) and the county 60% ($104,480) of the finances.
"We've put together a price that's really a worst case scenario," said Kelly Randall, Director of the Gainesville Department of Water Resources, adding that officials will look further into cost-cutting measures.
The reason for the uneven split between the city and county, according to Randall, is that Gainesville will ultimately incur the long-term cost of maintenance and up-keep.
Randall said one advantage is that the company that makes the product is local.
"It's from a company out of White County. Basically it's a big wire basket that floats on a boom, so it rises and lowers as the water level goes up and down," said Randall.
It would be installed under the bridge on Old Flowery Branch Road on property owned by the city. The current plan would include a small parking lot adjacent the bridge for educational purposes.
"I have to say: this is marvelous," said Councilman George Wangemann at Thursday morning's city council work session.
The trash the device catches is mainly the "floatable" debris, which largely consists of recyclables, like cans and bottles.
"(It) enables us to remove that basket and take it to the recycling center, rather than it continue on downstream (toward Lake Lanier)," said Randall.
The next step is drafting that inter-governmental agreement for review by both the Gainesville City Council and Hall County Board of Commissioners.
"I would say (we'll have it) in the next month, month-and-a-half," said Randall.
