The Demorest City Council will proceed in earnest with extending its water service along Pea Ridge Road in Hall County.
The vote came during Thursday night's rescheduled council meeting, and is based on preliminary discussions with officials in Hall County regarding the unserved area, according to Demorest Mayor Rick Austin.
Austin said the paperwork process will begin now allowing Demorest to serve customers on the southern end of Pea Ridge to Belton Bridge Road.
Many of those residents have expressed concerns over well failures in the area, Austin said.
“Last week we discussed extensively moving our water service area into northern Hall County,” Austin said following Thursday night’s meeting to service some people that are on Pea Ridge Road that are, as I understand it, in dire need.”
New information about potential customers changed as late as the point in the agenda when the issue was discussed.
Jim Welborn, pastor of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church on Pea Ridge Road in Hall County, brought to the council news that differed from what they initially had heard about the church wanting to tap onto Demorest water.
“One of those potential customers is Pleasant Hill Baptist Church,” Austin said after the meeting. “Their pastor was with us tonight, and they actually took a vote [Sunday] that they do not wish to go on city water, that they don’t see the justification of the expense of the minimum water bill that it would take in order to wash hands and to use the restroom a couple of times a week. We fully understand that. I think that once we get the water line out there and they see that there’s an opportunity for potential fire protection, that may change the dynamics just a little bit.”
During the meeting, Welborn told the council the decision not to tap onto the Demorest Water System was through a split vote of the congregation.
“Whether they participate with us or don’t does not mitigate the fact that we’ve got people out there that in need of water,” Austin said. “We’re going to do our best to be able to do that. In addition to that, it helps us close several dead-end loops on our system, so it’s beneficial to us as well to have water circulating rather than as long as 2,000-foot service lines [to homes], so we’re moving forward with that. We’re always excited to be able to help people and extend our water lines into new areas.”
Austin clarified that when he said “officials in Hall County” last week, it was not specifically Hall County government, but rather government officials within the county. He stressed that only verbal talks have been held, but now that the council has voted officials will begin the paperwork process to make sure agreements are in place for Demorest to serve that area of northern Hall County.
The approximate cost to the city is about $35,000.
