Brighter light shone on Oconee’s taxpayer-backed bond issue

Rumors that sewer lines will gobble up valuable farm property, combined with a heretofore lack of transparency on the part of Oconee government, produced a standing-room-only audience for last night’s special county council meeting, much of which was citizen participation.  And, after two-and-one-half hours dialogue, it fell to the council’s newest member, Don Mize to put a bow and a ribbon on what all heard and witnessed.  And Mize called it a “great meeting” that served him and his colleagues well as they proceed to economic development for Fair Play, a community that, with the exception of a large building supply business, has been left out of the prosperity gains enjoyed by central parts of the county.  Fair Play’s proximity to I-85 and three of its exits for which the county holds hopes that infrastructure is going to be the carrot that snares the commercial and manufacturing rabbit. By his own count, Mize estimated that of last night’s speakers from the audience, 10 to 11 favor Sewer South, four made negative comments, and two or three were middle-of-the-roaders.  Dan Thrasher sounded like one of those middle-of-the-roaders.  He’s both a farmer and land developer.  Thrasher’s main point centered on the rights of a property owner to sell land for financial profit.  But, some in the agricultural community stressed their alarm that farm land could further decrease and ruin livelihoods that have been part of generations of families.  Last night Justin Ables, president of the county’s State Farm Bureau, engaged District Four Councilman Glenn Hart about a county GIS map that alarms farmers because it suggested a sewer pipe intrusion that could penetrate farm land.  That’s one of the more controversial aspects connected to the sale of $25 million dollars in general obligation bond to create the upfront monies to extend sewer from the Golden Corner Commerce Park through Fair Play to exits 1, 2, and 4.  A few murmurs could be heard from the audience when county administrator Amanda Brock gave a figure of $42, 204, 361. 11 as the total of the cost to pay off the county’s 20-year issue.