MACON, Ga. — With tens of millions of dollars in projects on the horizon for the Macon Water Authority, its board members are doing a doubletake on spending and missed revenue.
At this month’s meetings, the authority learned of an $8,000 operating deficit for public fishing at Javors Lucas Lake, unrealized rental income at the old Woodmen of the World lakeside event space there and the high cost of bottling their “best tasting water” upon request.
The Authority is rethinking how it handles all three.
MWA offers public fishing March through June, September and October at the Authority’s 581-acre reservoir off Upper River Road in Jones County.
There is a fee structure, but it did not cover expenses over the past year.
It costs $5 a day to fish from the shore and $10 for a boat, but no gas-powered motors are allowed. Seasonal passes run from $50 for shore fishing and $100 for boats.
“Security is what drives these costs in a negative way,” MWA Executive Director Ron Shipman told the board Thursday.
Michel Wanna, MWA’s Assistant Executive Director and Vice President of Field and Plant Operations, said protection of the reservoir is a top concern when allowing the public to come and fish.
“We can’t let them just wander, that’s the issue. The reservoir is for drinking water and security is going to be high,” Wanna said.
The Authority plans to consult those who regularly use the lake, but a June article on the 20th anniversary of MWA’s public fishing might not lure more business and could turn away some fishing enthusiasts.
MWA Finance Committee Chair Dwight Jones mentioned what he characterized as an unflattering review of the lake in a recent edition of Georgia Outdoor News. Spotted bass are taking over and the headline stated the lake was “not as good as it once was, but Lucas still provides anglers with a small-lake option.”
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources reports non-native spotted bass can change a lake’s ecosystem as they are more aggressive and diminish the supply of native species, such as the largemouth bass.
Jones questioned the wisdom of continuing to pay to stock the lake with smaller fish to feed larger ones now that the spotted bass are in the Ocmulgee Watershed.
“All you’re doing is enhancing the spotted bass and that, I think, is a bad expense,” Jones said. “I think the reservoir fishing quality — and it pains me to say it as someone that does this professionally — it’s going to be what it’s going to be.”
Shipman said the Authority consulted the state fishing experts and considered installing structures for native fish to hide from the predators.
“More spotted bass are coming in and growing bigger, And at the end of the day, are you fishing for the enjoyment of fishing, or are you looking for that record largemouth bass?” he asked. “Well, you’re not going to find the record largemouth bass at Javors Lucas Lake.”
“If you do, he’s been hiding a long time,” Authority member Frank Patterson responded.
Jones favors keeping public fishing as a benefit to the community with the goal of breaking even financially. He recommended further study.
$100k renovation needed for lakeside event space
In reviewing recreational operations at Javors Lucas Lake, Shipman could not find any rental income over the years from the old Woodmen of the World building used for the annual Kids Fishing Derby and for employees in the know.
The revelation that there was no official rental policy, no revenue and only one $105 invoice for porta potties stymied Jones.
“I personally know from coming and goings out there, I know that there’s reunions and such like that out there that I assumed were being paid on some sort of rate structure established by someone,” Jones said.
Shipman discovered that certain employees in the know did hold personal events there.
“There were many events,” Wanna said. “The only problem we have is that they were taking a check on a Friday from the family and if they didn’t do any harm to the building, on Monday the check was returned.”
Macon-Bibb County Commissioner Bill Howell, who represents the county on the Authority along with Commissioner Valerie Wynn, said somebody must have been authorizing the use of the facility, but Shipman could not find any documentation in MWA records.
“I’m looking at a liability thing we didn’t even know we had,” Howell said. “Not unlike several other things. Sometimes, when you pick up a rock you find things you don’t want to find.”
He said there better not be any more events until a policy is developed.
“I will assure you there will not be any,” Wanna said. “Three weeks ago it was stopped and the building is locked.”
Last month, Jarad Zellner took over as Director of Water Treatment for the Amerson Water Treatment Plant after the retirement of award-winning MWA executive Gary McCoy.
Operating costs for the Woodman of the World building came from the plant operations budget, but it now needs about $100,000 in repairs for plumbing, heating and kitchen renovation, Wanna said.
He suggested waiting until after planned renovations to the Amerson building at the water treatment plant.
Shipman couldn’t find any records or information on the origin of the building, which has always been referred to as the Woodmen of the World, or WOW building.
Authority Chair Gary Bechtel said he understood the building predated MWA’s property acquisition for the reservoir and it’s theirs to decide what to do with it.
Jones encouraged staff to “noodle on it” and bring back ideas for discussion in the fall.
He thanked Shipman for his transparency concerning the lack of a clear policy on renting the WOW building.
“It’s just disheartening that we’ve had leadership issues at various levels for years,” Jones said. “We call on you and your good office to root out any bad actors. I’m not saying anything illicit happened here, but I have concerns about it. But I think we need to set the tone that this institution is not for personal use or personal gain.”
Bottled water cost another drop in the bucket
After surveying the business operations of MWA, Shipman wanted the board to realize how much it costs them to bottle free servings of the “best tasting water in Georgia.”
Although he doesn’t understand why anyone would want to put MWA’s high-quality water in plastic bottles instead of getting it straight from the tap, the Authority has filled requests from nonprofit organizations and others to provide bottled water.
It costs about a dollar a bottle under normal circumstances and up to $1.75 per bottle on a tighter deadline, Shipman said.
“When we bottle water, we have to pull two people off their daily tasks and that’s where the cost comes in,” he said. “If it’s a rush job we have to do three.”
Wynn asked how much the Authority is giving away.
“The last request was for 960 bottles,” Shipman replied.
“That’s close to a $1,000 in one request,” she noted.
Jones also pointed out the MWA’s bottled water has no preservatives, has a short self-life and can taste a little “funky” if not consumed in a timely manner.
“My worry with that, I think it’s a good marketing thing, but if somebody takes a six-pack home and drinks it two months later, it ain’t going to taste like the best drinking water in the United States of America.”
The Authority will consider charging a minimal fee for bottled water, or providing large water dispensers boasting of the MWA’s awards for best tasting drinking water, or continuing the free service for the community.
When requests come in, leadership has to weigh whether it’s worth pulling workers off their jobs to fill bottles from the spigot, said Shipman, a former Georgia Power executive who took over as head of the MWA in 2022.
“Did Georgia Power bottle electricity? I’m asking for a friend,” Howell joked.
Shipman shook his head “no.”
Authority attorney Jay Strickland said: “Sounds like this is one of those other places where there might need to be some guidelines — who can make a request and what type of entity gets free water bottles or whether they’re free.”
The Authority will revisit the issue in the coming months.
— Civic Journalism Senior Fellow Liz Fabian covers Macon-Bibb County government entities for The Macon Newsroom and can be reached at fabian_lj@mercer.edu or 478-301-2976.