Cobb Raises Bus Fares

Aug. 9, 9:56 a.m.

The commissioners meeting is closed.

Aug. 9, 9:45 a.m.

The commissioners approved hiring a consultant for capital improvements to Cobb County Airport-McCollum Field and hiring a consultant to manage the 2011 transportation improvements program for the county.

The commissioners voted 5-0 in favor of a proposal to raise local fares by 50 cents per trip to $2.50 and express fares by $1 per trip to $5, which will produce $1.05 million in added revenue if the higher costs don’t lead to fewer people riding the buses.

Paratransit remains unchanged. The fare increases will take place Oct. 1. CCT will bring in a projected $606,000 in net additional revenue, according to the Cobb DOT proposal.

Other agenda items were also approved by a 5-0 vote.

Aug. 9, 9:37 a.m.

Larry Savage said during public speaking, "The Community Improvement Districts' involvement in the T-SPLOST projects is a conflict of interest. They are for-profit real estate investors. The CIDs have submitted their own project lists. They endorse projects. They are not government entities. After the last SPLOST election they argued that they are not covered by the ethics requirements as government officials are. The CIDs have no ethics requirements. Their behavior is outside the limits of what they are appointed to do."

He asked the commissioners to look at the role of CIDs in the county.

Aug. 9, 9:26 a.m.

Karen Jones said during public speaking, "I'm Anthony Fuller's sister. He was born blind and deaf in 1959. He has always used the Cobb CCT transportation system. He is not on welfare. He has a job in Cobb for over 10 years. We were not notified until July 28 that my brother would not have transportation to go anywhere. Disabled riders pay $80 a month for the Cobb transportation; they do not get a free ride."

( to end three CCT bus routes, and the service for people with disabilities along those routes also came to an end.)

She said the commissioners have taken away Fuller's ability to work and survive.

"You say that it costs $600,000 to provide transportation for over 600 disabled workers. Disabled riders used to pay $80 a month. I have the solution: Have the disabled workers pay $100 a month instead. It will earn $156,000 more than what it should cost to provide the transportation service for these riders who desperately need it," she said.

The Cobb Department of Transportation is projecting a loss of nearly $400,000 in revenue from those service cuts in fiscal 2012, which starts Oct. 1.

Aug. 9, 9:20 a.m.

Public hearing. Commissioners will vote on a July 12 decision to employ a public management consultant service for the McCollum Field capital improvements. The Cobb commissioners approved a five-year agreement for capital improvement projects earlier this year. The agreement expires May 8, 2012.

"We need to quit using outside contractors," said a man during the public speaking portion. "There are no cost constraints. These are your campaign donors. If we want to get a handle on cost in this county, we need to use in-house contractors."

Aug. 9, 9:07 a.m.

State officials gave wastewater awards to treatment plants, engineering managers and others. There are four major wastewater properties in Cobb.

The Cobb County South Cobb Water Resources Facility received the Gold Award for no permit violations over the previous calendar year from the state.

The Cobb County Northwest Facility and Noonday Creek Facility received the Platinum Award for no violations in five years from the state.

Kathy Winn received an award for water conservation.

Judy Jones received, for the second time, the President's Award.

Allison Hughes of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, who works for Georgia Adopt-A-Stream, is presenting an award to the Cobb County Watershed Stewardship Program, headed by Jennifer McCoy and her staff. McCoy oversees volunteers who monitor 60 stream segments in Cobb County.

"Cobb County has one of the best programs in watershed stewardship," Hughes says.