Jackson Progress-Argus

Photo by Mike Davis

Butts County officials recently disclosed a potential conflict of interest surrounding a water authority board member and planned sewer improvements that would be funded by hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants.

In a called meeting Feb. 28, the Butts County Board of Commissioners approved a letter drafted by the county's attorney, and addressed to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, that states that Butts County, et al. Water & Sewer Authority Board Chairman William "J.B." White owns property along the route of the planned sewer improvements.

Officials are seeking an Employment Incentive Program grant through the Department of Community Affairs to help fund the extension of a sewer line from the west side of Interstate 75 to the east side, under the interchange at Ga. Highway 16.

County and water authority officials are hoping for a total of $1 million in grant money -- $500,000 from the OneGeorgia Authority that has already been awarded and $500,000 in the EIP grant -- to help fund the project.

The letter approved by commissioners states that White has fully disclosed his interest in property adjacent to the planned sewer improvements, and has abstained from all votes on the project.

"Accordingly, Mr. White has not participated and will not participate in any decision-making process concerning this project," the letter states.

According to a map presented to commissioners Feb. 28, White owns several parcels of property along the south side of Ga. 16, west of I-75, adjacent to the proposed line.

White said he estimated that he owned 30 to 35 acres in the area, having been accumulating property there since the 1980s. He said one parcel was already served by sewer when he bought it several years ago.

County Administrator Alan E. White said a third-party consultant determined the most effective and economic route for the extension of the line was to run along Ga. 16 toward the interstate, which put the line in front of some of J.B. White's property.

According to Water Authority General Manager Marcie Seleb, the project would include a total of 12,700 feet of sewer line and pump stations, and would ultimately help serve development on the east side of the interstate.

A travel center project is already under way on the east side of the interstate, and more development on the east side is being planned.

"If we avoided running the gravity sewer in front of the property that was owned by Mr. [J.B.] White, we'd be hurting other properties out there that have key access to the interstate and none of those properties would develop as quickly," Seleb said.

The sparsely developed interchange is largely seen as a potential hub for future commercial development in Butts County. According to the letter drafted by the county attorney, "There are many parcels of property, owned by diverse individuals and entities, that stand to benefit from this [sewer] project. The benefits to the County as a whole will be tremendous.

"Butts County only has two (2) interchanges on I-75. The State Route 16 interchange is not significantly developed, primarily due to the absence of sewer service," the letter continues.

J.B. White, who has been on the water authority board since 2000 and has been its chairman since 2001, acknowledged that his property would benefit from the sewer improvements, but maintained that he had no immediate plans to develop it, and said the county as a whole would benefit from increased development at the interchange.

"I certainly didn't have any game plan when I bought the property," he said. "That's just kind of the way it worked out."

J.B. White said he is planning to soon spend as much as $200,000 on sewer improvements to land he owns near the I-75 interchange at Ga. 36.

"This is one of those things, when you're in a position like me, you can't stop living. You can't stop your own business," he added.