Grovetown to set up stormwater plan

Grovetown residents moved one step closer to getting a stormwater utility fee Monday when city officials hired a consultant to help set up a program.

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City council members approved spending $18,750 to hire Integrated Science and Engineering Inc., to help establish the city's stormwater management program as required by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

The funds will pay for a feasibility study and other services, which helped establish the state's first stormwater management program in Griffin, Ga., and specializes in such programs.

The study and company will help city officials determine what type of repairs, upgrades and maintenance are needed, City Manager Shirley Beasley said.

Currently, stormwater problems are dealt with as they arise through the city's water department.

Beasley said the company will assist the city in setting up the self-supporting program, which she said will be proactive in solving stormwater issues.

"They'll tell us what is the most simple, the most cost-effective way to go about it without making it too much of a burden on the customers," Beasley said.