In a Dec. 10 work session, city manager Butch Sanders proposed three options concerning the broken pipe in the dam over Johnson Lake, in the Summit Chase subdivision.
Residents of the neighborhood, along with concerned Snellville citizens, spoke up at a town hall meeting on Nov. 8. Some expressed the desire for the city to handle the problem, while others balked at the thought of taxpayer money going toward private property.
The problem is fairly straightforward -- the internal mechanism is shot, according to city manager Butch Sanders.
The matter of who will pay for the repairs is more complicated.
In December of 2011, the lake was drained by order of the Summit Chase homeowners association, according to Summit Chase resident Lorry Jordan. More than 50 fish died due to that action.
Subsequently, the lake is a bog. The residents along the lake -- who used to own lakeside property -- say it's a public health hazard. Issues ranging from giant rats attacking their small dogs to a child getting stuck up to his neck in mud have plagued the property.
The Homeowners Association doesn't have the money to fix the problem. Since there is a road that runs along top of the dam, they believe the city has some responsibility in the repairs.
The total cost to get the dam and lake back to normal is $96,396. The city has offered to pay a little over $30,000, since they say they are responsible for the road.
"Doing nothing is no longer an option," said Sanders.
With that understanding, he offered two other statements that he considered irrefutable. One, the cost should be shared by as many people as possible, and two, the HOA has an obligation to cover part of the cost. With that in mind, he offered three potential solutions to the problem. The first two options require the city to pay the cost upfront, with homeowners in Summit Chase then paying a tax assessment.
- Based on an assessment of how many people benefit from the lake, including stormwater drainage, a total of 371 parcels/homes would pay a one-time payment of $176.71, or two payments of $88.40.
- Assess only the HOA members, which is a total of 220 parcels/homes. That would bring the one-time payment to $298.16 or two payments of $149.08.
- The city would offer an incentive to the HOA to take matters into their own hands. They would back a loan, by co-signing, for the HOA to get the repairs done.
"We need to take the next step as quickly as possible," said Sanders. "A lot of people are affected by that lake."
Councilman Dave Emanuel expressed concern over the precedent set by the city if they handle this situation for the HOA.
"Our responsibility is the road," he said. "Once you get beyond that, you’re done."
Councilman Bobby Howard questioned how much money has already gone into work on the lake. Sanders stated that around $25,000 has already been invested.
After some further questioning by Mayor Pro Tem Tom Witts, council and staff discovered that no investigation has been conducted into the work of a contractor who allegedly screwed up the pipe to begin with. If the contractor was licensed and bonded, he would presumable carry liability insurance.
For the most part, council agreed that the third option was the best one, but no immediate action was decided on.
For further reading:
- Residents Request Help as Large Rats Make Their Home at Summit Chase
- Rats and Low Water Levels in Summit Chase Subdivision
- Live Coverage of the Town Hall Meeting
I cannot imagine, how any option other than 1 can be considered. The elephant in the room is the fact that this is PRIVATE property. The City has already spent thousands on consulting and engineering. The only expense should be the obligation(questionable) to road repairs. The amount of City resources applied to a PRIVATE matter is ridiculous. If option 1 is applied, it should be administered by the HOA and not the city. If a resident refuses to pay for repairs to PRIVATE property, the city should not be obligated to place a lean on their property for failure to pay taxes. That is government over stepping its boundaries. I wonder how much attention would have been given if the Council member and Mayor were not residents? If somehow cognitive reasoning is thrown out and the Co-sign option is approved, I want to know when the forms for getting a city backed loan will be online for the other residents of Snellville. Seems only fair that the city back repairs for my PRIVATE property if Summit Chase receives that benefit.
They are not aware that the HOA has spent enough money on legal fees suing thier neighbors to have made these repairs. If the HOA has a loan to repay with legal ramifications of thier own they would be less likely to continue to file law suits on foreclosed homes. The HOA insists that the banker they secured will only loan $100,000 and that 11 more homeowners need to pay their dues before the loan can be secured. Do the math. They only need $60,000 – who’s making excuses here. The lower Johnson lake and it's continued state of being emptied is causing eroision on the upper lake dam. When that dam is breeched it will flood houses along the lower Johnson lake, Timberline road and creek bed properties. This should be a City concern. Timberline road is the only road in and out of that subdivision. What kind of emergency situation will emerge with the flooding of this area? Not to mention the possible loss of life.
by the developer, were installed at a vertical angle not according to code; which caused the scoured hole at the bottom of the spillway. These issues should have been addressed when the road was accepted by the city, and dedicated to the city. The road and all appurtenances to it now belong to the City of Snellville - it is a public road. The politicians in Snellville do not want to make a decision; and to date, no decisions have been made. The City is trying to make S.C.H.A. pay for their "oversights" back in the 1980's, when Timberline was developed. Unfortunately, the individuals responsible for this mess are probably long gone.