Powder Springs is planning to replace outdated piping on Lynn Court near downtown that caused damage to one resident’s basement.

The city’s new sewer system was first installed in 1974, but the piping on Lynn Court—off Lynn Drive which is off Pineview Drive—dates back to the 1960s, Croy Engineering’s Buddy Allison explained to the City Council at Wednesday’s work session.

“They’ve had a number of problems with it,” he said. “It’s just in bad shape.”

The City Council is set to vote on Monday on a $6,000 payment for planning the project. With the council not meeting again for another month, Mayor Pat Vaughn asked if more immediate action would need to be taken after planning work was complete.

“Would this be something that we would need to act on before then so we would get relief to these people?” she asked.

Croy’s Don Hicks said planning would take between two and three weeks, so a meeting before the one in mid-August shouldn’t be necessary.

The cost of the overall project won’t be known until after the planning stage is done.

Also on Wednesday:

• The council decided against voting on setting the city’s storm water fee at Monday’s meeting.
• The council discussed renewing Powder Springs’ contract with Moore and Cubbedge to do the city’s annual audit. The cost would be between $35,200 and $37,500, with an additional fee of $1,250 for a conversion from the city’s new software. City Clerk Dawn Davis said she believes last year’s contract was about $35,000. The council will vote on the contract Monday. Councilwoman Cheryl Sarvis asked if the city would need to bid the work out. Davis said the city could, but it’s not required.
• Councilwoman Nancy Hudson voiced her opposition to an ordinance that would require those who install vinyl siding to be certified. She cited government intervening in what should be a homeowners decision and asked why the city was isolating just siding out of all contracting. Vaughn mentioned homeowners who had ran into problems with vinyl siding being installed incorrectly and not receiving relief for it. Councilman Tom Bevirt said Georgia doesn’t offer much consumer protection, and this would be a step toward that. The council is set to vote on the ordinance Monday.
• The council discussed keeping the millage rate at 8.5 and is planning on voting on the annual required ordinance to do so at Monday’s meeting.
• Bevirt presented a plan that would save the city and its retirees on their health insurance. For those 65 and over and on Medicare, the new supplemental plan would be pull the retirees off the city’s company policy. Bevirt, who is of retirement age but is still employed with the city, said under the supplemental plan, he would be paying a $144 monthly rate with BlueCross Blueshield with a percentage paid for by the city, about $40 a month for drug coverage, and $0 in deductibles. “I don’t know exactly how much we’ll save per year—it depends on how many retirees go off of the company policy and on to this supplemental policy,” he said.  Vaughn asked: “You’re saying if the city goes to a supplemental policy for the people over 65 years old on Medicare that it will save the city and the employee?” Bevirt responded: “That’s the way it looks, yeah.” Davis said: “I think what they’re saying is at age 65, they would drop the city’s insurance; they would no longer be entitled to the city’s group insurance plan. But the city would pay some portion of the supplemental plan.” The council is expected to adopt the plan on Monday.
• Vaughn said the city is still looking at when to rescheduled the fireworks display that was rained out during the Independence Day Celebration. One strong possibility, she said, is during Powder Springs Day, scheduled for Oct. 8.
• At the beginning of the meeting, the council went into a nearly two-hour executive session to discuss a personnel matter. One possibility: discussing applicants who could become the new Public Works director.