Alpharetta’s North Point submits its own NHL plan ► PAGE 5 A p r i l 2 , 2 0 2 6 | A p p e n M e d i a . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | 5 0 ¢ | Vo l u m e 3 0 , N o . 1 4
House bill sets limit on Forsyth County commission terms By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County is primed to undertake a yearslong construction project that will finally provide access to its own water source at Lake Lanier. County commissioners gave tentative approval at a March 24 work session for three construction, engineering and management contracts totaling $80 million. The contracts are expected to be formally approved at an upcoming commission business meeting.
Work includes constructing tunnels and an intake structure at Tidwell Park on the western shore of Lake Lanier. Commissioners gave tentative approval of a $70 million contract to Drill Tech Drilling & Shoring, an almost $7 million contract to HDR Engineering and a $3.5 million contract to Jacobs Engineering Group. The work represents the first phase of construction for facilities to allow Forsyth County to draw drinking water from Lake Lanier. It follows a $7,600 easement approved in January to allow access to a 180-foot-deep wet well shaft on county
property adjacent to Tidwell Park. County Manager David McKee said the project marks the conclusion of a decades-long effort to provide water redundancy for the county. For nearly 40 years, a multistate federal lawsuit forced the county to source nearly all of its water from a Lake Lanier intake facility owned by the City of Cumming. But, a 2021 U.S. Supreme Court ruling opened the door for the county to access water from the lake.
See WATER, Page 19 APPEN MEDIA FILE PHOTO
GO TO appenmedia.com/join or mail a check to 319 N. Main Street Alpharetta, GA 30009
APPEN MEDIA FILE PHOTO
Members of the Forsyth County Commission may implement a twoterm limit starting in 2027, pending legislative and voter approval.
RESS NP
A
UB CL
JOIN TODAY!
The Appen Press Club is a way for readers to support our work – directly. If you appreciate local news and want to help us make it happen, consider joining today.
See TERM, Page 20
APPE
Forsyth County primes the pump to draw its own water from Lanier
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County Commission may have a two-term limit beginning in 2027. The Georgia House passed a bill March 25 that would allow voters to decide in November whether to adopt the measure. The bill must first pass the General Assembly. Forsyth County commissioners serve four-year terms. If passed, the legislation would limit their service to eight years in total on the Board of Commissioners. Any terms served, in full or in part, before 2027 will count toward the term limit. County Commissioner Todd Levent said the original term limit language given to the Forsyth legislative delegation was not strict enough.