For people who live in unincorporated Gwinnett, the cost of garbage pick-up is going up by $16.38 a year.
This comes as a result of rising fuel and labor costs, worker shortages, supply chain issues and a higher volume of trash and recycling. Gwinnett County has amended its contract with residential solid waste haulers.
Changes to the agreement will increase payments to haulers and provide them with the resources needed to deliver better services, while holding them accountable for services that are not provided – like missed routes.
Residential property owners in unincorporated Gwinnett County will see a $22.44 increase in their annual solid waste fee for 2023. The increase is based on the annual adjustments for fuel costs and Consumer Price Index changes that would have taken effect regardless of the revised agreement. In addition to the increase, residents will receive a $6.06 credit that will be applied to the annual solid waste fee from liquidated damages assessed to haulers last year. With the credit applied, the annual increase will be $16.38, or $1.37 per month.
The 25 percent senior discount will continue for qualifying accounts. The County will continue to assess how to best use liquidated damages to benefit residents.
Here’s a more in-depth look at the performance requirements haulers must meet:
- Haulers will be required to implement notification systems for missed routes when scheduled routes are not completed;
- Reporting requirements have been enhanced for better performance tracking;
- Specific performance measures and liquidated damages have been added missed collections;
- Standards for failure to correct missed collections and chronic problems have been strengthened; and
- Procedures for any suspension of service due to uncontrollable circumstances have been strengthened.
Additional costs for 2022 and a portion of the increases for 2023 will be paid from the solid waste fund. The current agreement expires in June 2026. The county will revisit its current Solid Waste Management plan to address residents’ needs within the next 10 years.
Gwinnett now able to use Lake Lanier for water storage
The Board of Commissioners on Tuesday voted on a Water Storage Agreement with the State of Georgia to allow the county to use storage volume in Lake Lanier for water supply. The contract remains in effect for a minimum of thirty years.
Early last year, Georgia entered into a Master Storage Agreement with the United States Department of the Army to secure water supply for multiple jurisdictions, Gwinnett County included. While Gwinnett and others have used water in the lake for many years, this contract for the first time grants long-term rights to storage volume in Lake Lanier to meet Gwinnett County’s water supply needs.
As part of the agreement, the County will pay an annual fee to the State. A roughly $1.5 million annual payment goes toward the cost of storage. Additional fees for the county’s percentage of the cost of lake repair, rehabilitation and replacement, as well as operation and maintenance, will be assessed every year.
Water Resources Interim Director Rebecca Shelton says: “This contract is the result of many years of work to gain access to adequate storage volume to secure water supply for the communities that depend on Lake Lanier for their drinking water,” said DWR Interim Director Rebecca Shelton. “Recently, due to the hard work of DWR staff to properly treat the water from the lake, we recently received the award for best tasting water in Georgia.”
Hudgens plans juried art show for its members
The Hudgens Center for Art and Learning invites artists to submit works for review by this year’s juror, Artist and Curator Amanda Shelnutt!
This juried show is open to all current members of The Hudgens (as of September 2022). Artists aged 18 and over are invited to submit artwork in the following media: Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Mixed Media, Ceramics, Glass, Photography, Fiber Art, Textile and Sculpture. Artists will be sent juror results of accepted pieces via email on or before October 10.
Note that this is a competitive juried show for members of The Hudgens. Not all entries will be selected for inclusion in the exhibition. Artwork must not exceed 48 inches in any direction and cannot weigh over 75 pounds. Artwork must have been completed within the past two years.
Accepted pieces can be for sale or listed as “Not For Sale”. The Hudgens take a 30 percent commission of all exhibition sales.
All accepted works must be delivered to The Hudgens by Saturday, November 5.
The opening day of the Juried Members’ Show will be Saturday, November 12, 2022. The last day of the exhibition will be January 14, 2023.
Three “Hudgens Juror’s Award” will be given, at the levels of $300, $200 and $100 plus an honorable mention award of $50 will be selected by the juror and announced at the reception. The Hudgens Center will have a Purchase Prize of one piece of artwork (up to $1,000) from the exhibit to purchase for its Permanent Collection. Direct any questions to Kate Driscoll, exhibition and public programs manager at The Hudgens, at kdriscoll@thehudgens.org or 770-623-6002 extension 205.
Elder heads new county housing-development Division
Elder
Gwinnett County will soon have a new Housing and Community Development Division operating within its Department of Planning and Development. This division was created as a response to one of the recommendations in a housing study requested by the Board of Commissioners. Matt Elder has been named as the division’s director. He has nearly a decade of experience in housing and community development and served the last four years as the director of HomeFirst Gwinnett. He joins the department on August 22.
Peachtree Corners working with automated vehicle group
Peachtree Corners has announced a partnership with non-profit Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE), an educational coalition of industry partners and nonprofit groups with the mission of educating the public on autonomous vehicle technologies. As a member of PAVE’s Public Sector Advisory Council, the City will assist PAVE and academic experts in raising public awareness on autonomous vehicle technologies. It will also analyze the effects of these technologies in various areas including public transit and mobility, sustainability, public health and safety, infrastructure and more.
PAVE enhances public education of autonomous vehicles and driverless technologies through a variety of channels. That includes hands-on demonstrations open to the public, virtual educational panels and public forums. In addition, PAVE also holds policymaker workshops to aid public sector officials in making informed decisions around the usage and deployment of these technologies. The goal is to encourage the public sector to further explore the full capabilities of autonomous vehicles technologies to form the roadways of the future.
Three appointed to Leadership Gwinnett Foundation Board
Leadership Gwinnett announces the appointment of three new members of its Foundation Board. They are Lisa Anders, executive director of Explore Gwinnett; Jennifer Fennell, Gwinnett District Manager of Jackson EMC; and Tim Le, broker/owner of NDI Maxim Real Estate LLC. The Foundation Board of Directors are responsible for the overall governance and well-being of the organization. This governing board maintains the organization’s vision, mission and core values as well as provides strategic direction and fiscal health.
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