Lake Authority continues to discuss RV park

Lake Authority executive director Mike Binion noted that the county recently contracted with A.B.M. Building Solutions LLC to do a comprehensive study for infrastructure development at the lake, which would include a campground.

The work by the U.G.A. engineering student had begun shortly before the decision was made to engage A.B.M.

Lake Authority Chairman Steven Childs said it was good to have the information provided by U.G.A. through the Archway Partnership.

Binion said that demand for campground reservations is extremely high and he said he personally had been looking for the last several weeks for a vacancy at campgrounds in the region, but had not found one.

Authority member and County Commissioner Ray Prince asked if the increased popularity in camping could be a result of COVID-19. Chairman Childs said the pandemic had definitely had an impact, but he said that camping “had really taken off” in the last several years.

Grady County Commission Vice Chairman Phillip Drew, who is a proponent of a campground at Tired Creek Lake and attended Monday’s meeting, told authority members that even camper dealers had no inventory to sell. “They can’t build them fast enough,” Drew said.

Authority members discussed starting off with 25 sites and having the park designed to grow up to a total of 100 sites.

The plan developed by the U.G.A. student includes a single drain field septic system with multiple holding tanks. Chairman Childs said if at all possible he would prefer full hook up sites including sewer at each campsite. Commissioner Drew said that most state parks do not have that feature. Commissioner Prince and Chairman Childs said it was not a deal breaker but if at all possible they would rather not have septic tanks at the lake and would prefer full hook up campsites.

“Start of something big, we hope,” Drew said.

Commissioner Prince said that in addition to having water and sewer at the lake another key to the future development of the lake would be the implementation of comprehensive zoning in the county.

“It’s hard to get any interest out there without water and sewer. Water and sewer is one thing, but protecting what you’ve got out there is very important,” Chairman Childs said.

In other business Monday, executive director Binion requested the authority’s recommendation to bring before the county commission approval to spray a yet-to-be-determined amount of acreage for hydrilla. “We’ve got a heap of hydrilla out there,” Binion said.

He estimated the amount of money needed would exceed the $10,000 spending authority of the county administrator, so Binion asked for the authority to recommend to the board of commissioners to tap into the money that has been budgeted in the 2020 budget for spraying.

Binion said he wanted to have the lake sprayed before the weather cools off making the spraying treatments less effective.

“That’s one thing I hear from lots of fishermen is that the grass is horrible,” Chairman Childs said. Binion said that bass fishermen and duck hunters like it, but no one else.

The authority voted unanimously to recommend the commission approve the necessary funding for spraying from the budgeted funds, however, at Tuesday’s commission meeting no request was presented to the board by Binion or county administrator J.C. (Buddy) Johnson III.

Binion also reported that he had had some equipment malfunction including a flow meter, which he is in the process of getting back operational. In the meantime, he had been updating Leon County officials on the situation. According to Binion, a piece of equipment he uses for water quality sampling went out and the replacement cost is approximately $15,000, but it was under warranty and was replaced at no cost.

Binion also reported that his office at the lake has been completed with the exception of the installation of a septic tank, which he anticipates will be done within the next week to 10 days.