Resident urges city to fix litter and stormwater before adding water fees; warns fees will burden low‑income households

At the Feb. 17 meeting, resident Sue Hallam used the public‑comment period to urge the council not to impose a proposed $20 per household water fee without addressing visible city upkeep and drainage maintenance. Hallam said many Statesboro residents live on limited incomes and that charging additional fees would impose a disproportionate burden.

Hallam said she pays $66 annually for stormwater and referenced a proposed $240 figure she said she could not afford. She pressed the council to improve litter pickup, clean ditches and address neighborhood cleanliness before instituting new fees. Council members responded that staff are continuing conversations about utility policy and that no final decisions had been made.

The transcript records Hallam’s concerns and the council’s general response that the matter remains under consideration; it does not record any specific policy action or vote on the proposed fee at this meeting.