This “Letter to the Editor” is the first time I have ever written to The Observer or any other newspaper for that matter. After much consideration and many, many questions from others, I felt compelled to tell “The rest of the story” about my latest development The Enclave, on 31st Ave. S.E. There has been a lot of misinformation given by the city manager and some city council members. While I agree 100 percent with the city policy to not allow city utility services outside the city limits, I disagree with their “Pick and Choose” policy of allowing some developments to get the services and refuse others the same benefit.

First on October 21st, 2016, my engineer submitted plans to the city for my 24 apartment complex which consisted of 12 duplexes with 2 apartments each. Then on October 25th, 2016 the city utilities department sent an email to my engineer and copied me, Elvira Gibson and Pete Dillard stating that the city had a policy in effect that did not allow them to go outside city limits. When I received the email I called Mrs. Gibson, the director of utilities, and advised her that these services had been provided in the past for the 80 apartment complex on Tallokas Road called “Tallokas Point Apartments.” That development is not inside the city limits, I conveyed to her it was unfair and unwise to “Pick and Choose” which developers are allowed to get the services. Pete Dillard became aware of the city policy at this time.

Then on November 7th, 2016, Mrs. Gibson sent me an email, also copying Pete Dillard, and my engineer. In that email she said she and Pete Dillard had made a decision to extend the utilities to the Enclave development without annexation into the city. Pete Dillard continues to say he was “unaware” of the city policy, which is obviously incorrect due to the chain of emails being sent to him starting October 25th,       2016.

As market conditions changed (PCOM coming, other apartments being built, etc.) I decided to change The Enclave from 24 rental apartments to 19 single-family home sites, similar to The Preserve development which is adjacent to the The Enclave site. It was at this time Mrs. Gibson said the city had changed their decision to provide utility services unless I annexed into the city. I met with Daniel Dunn, Elvira Gibson, and Pete Dillard on March 24th, 2018 to ask them to reconsider their decision to deny utility services to the Enclave. It was at this meeting they asked me to consider annexation. Pete Dillard and Daniel Dunn’s statement that we had a “hand shake” agreement to annex at that meeting is not accurate. Pete Dillard said he would get all the data together and thought the city could pay 1/3 of the water/sewer piping in the Enclave. April 2nd, 2018 I sent Pete Dillard, Daniel Dunn and Elvira Gibson an e-mail asking for the answers to all the questions we had. Later that day Mrs. Gibson, the utilities director, sent Pete Dillard an email stating that the city could not pay the 1/3 for the water/sewer lines. Also later the same day, the planning and zoning director sent an email with a list of requirements and charges involved to annex the development into the city and ended the email with “But I want to go on record and state that there may be another fee that I’m forgetting at this time.”

I forwarded all these emails to the mayor and city council and asked that they get involved. On July 17, 2018 at the city council work shop, I met with them to discuss all this. I reminded them of Sweetwater Subdivision on Hwy. 319 just south of Sunset School that had city utilities to those homes and of Tallokas Point apartments, both of them are in the county and get city utilities.

Council woman Lisa Clark Hill said she couldn’t support city utilities to developments outside the city limits and asked who was serving on city council when this was allowed. Mayor McIntosh and others reminded her that she was serving when the 80 apartments were built. Pete Dillard, Daniel Dunn and Cecil Barber all stated at that work session that although the city manager and utility director “deviated” from city policy by allowing my apartments to get city utilities without annexation that they would honor that commitment. I asked if they would consider allowing me to do the 19 single family homes instead in the light of the fact that the housing development on Hwy. 319 South received city utilities without                 annexation.

On August 7th, 2018 I expected the city council to act on my request but they decided that that the decision was administrative and sent the matter back to the city manager.

This type of discriminatory enforcement of policy is unfair, unwise and probably has legal ramifications that could be negative for the city. I implore the mayor and city council to take a leadership role in this matter and honor the commitment I received on November 7th, 2016 to receive city utilities for the Enclave without annexation.

Larry Franklin

Moultrie