By PATRICK FOX
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Friday, January 30, 2009

About 40 residents turned out Thursday evening for the second of five public hearings to discuss the future of Gwinnett County’s solid waste plan. The meeting, held at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville, was overseen by the special committee appointed to draft recommendations for a trash-hauling ordinance.

During a 45-minute open forum, the panel discussed whether any portion of the meetings should be closed.

“This was, in the beginning intended to be a closed-off debate,” said committee chairman Mike Royal, “but I don’t want to go down that road. I don’t want the perception of it.”

Several committee members agreed, and a measure was adopted to provide for 45 minutes of public comments, then deliberations in full view of the public.

During the open forum, comments ranged from those opposing government involvement in garbage service to those seeking relief from truck traffic in neighborhoods.

Topics included whether the plan should include provisions to charge each homeowner for collection, whether the house is occupied or not; whether to grant exclusive franchises to reduce truck traffic in neighborhoods; and how a comprehensive plan could be devised that allowed customers the right to protest inadequate service.

One issue the panel appeared to resolve was that putting the issue to a county-wide vote would be impractical. There was little hope, the committee concluded, of developing an ordinance that a majority of voters wouldn’t find something wrong with.

The next committee meeting will be Thursday (02/05/09) in Snellville. The time and place have not been set.