Charles Sherrod is shown at the controls of the Blountstown Treatment Plant
by Teresa Eubanks, Journal Editor
The Altha Town Council has agreed to kick in $435,000 on the sewer extension project that will link their community – along with homes, businesses and the industrial park along SR 71 - with the treatment plant in Blountstown.
The money has been held in escrow after the town was awarded funding for a sewer several years ago.
The money will be added to other funding to link the soon-to-be constructed new Altha School to a main line that will carry their sewage to the Blountstown plant.
The bulk of the financing for the $3.2 million project is already in place. Blountstown received a $2 million legislative appropriation for the project. The Calhoun County School Board allocated $250,000 for the line extension.
“This funding from Altha is crucial,” Justin Ford, a project engineer with Preble-Rish, told the council at their meeting on July 2. “Without it, we wouldn’t be able to go forward.”
While much still needs to be worked out, plans are to begin work on the line in the next couple of months, according to Ford.
“By all of us pooling our money together we can accomplish something that will open up so many opportunities for Calhoun County,” Danny Ryals told the council. Ryals, who is Chairman of the Calhoun County School Board, is serving as a liaison with other county entities on the project.
The area has already lost out on prospective businesses in the county because the sewer system didn’t extend far enough, according to Ryals. In Altha, he pointed out, being on the sewer line will allow the two local diners a chance to expand if they want.
• • • • •
“It’s a win-win situation for the county, for Blountstown and for Altha,” said Jeff Clark, who owns and operates the Altha Diner.
“There’s too many health department issues when you’re on a septic system,” he explained. Now with the sewer line in the works, he’s getting ready to make some changes.
“This will give me room to expand my building,” he explains. Currently, he said he’s hemmed in on both sides of the building by septic tanks but when the sewer line comes, “I can use some of my land that is unavailable now.” He’s planning to move a wall and build a large walk-in cooler.
By getting rid of the septic system, he will be able to increase the seating capacity, which is monitored by the Florida Division of Hotels and Restaurants.
“Once you get on a municipal sewer system, you’re going to start seeing other businesses come in,” he said.
• • • • •
“It’s going to open up that Hwy. 71 corridor,” said Blountstown Mayor Tony Shoemake about the effect the sewer line will have on the industrial park. “We’re ready for a small manufacturing company to come in and provide some much-needed jobs,” he said. Sewage and water availability are one of the first things prospective business tenants ask about, he pointed out.
There are many positives to the project, explained Blountstown City Manager Traci Hall.
“Obviously, it will be a feather in our cap to help our community, but’s it’s going to be a great thing for the environment,” she said about removing decades-old septic tanks.
The treatment plant in Blountstown is only operating at about one third capacity, she said, so there should be no concern about adding more hookups.
Ryals said a big part of the success of the project was the foresight of Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce Director Kristy Terry in organizing Super Council meetings to bring together the area’s elected officials. “It made it a whole lot easier to keep informed on everyone’s goals and projects,” he said. Those meetings have also gotten the attention of the state, he said, and added, “So now when a project comes along, they know we’re already meeting and working together.”