The City of Griffin added $9 million to its budget thanks to a check from Coweta County.

The city commissioners approved a budget amendment for the check, a payment from Coweta County and the Coweta County Water & Sewerage Authority as part of a settlement agreement from September on the water sales dispute. The payment was part of an agreement on a change in water rates for Coweta and its water authority.

The funds will be set aside for the Still Branch Reservoir expansion and infrastructure improvements as well as the Flint River pump station to help fill Heads Creek Reservoir. Schedule of improvements includes $1,483,000 for this fiscal year for Still Branch expansion, with a task order of $483,450 for design and engineering and $1,000,200 for a “Clari-DAF” unit.

Public Works Director Brant Keller explained this unit blows air into the water to help collect sediment, replacing filters which are not performing as designed.

For the 2013-14 fiscal year, $1,477,000 of the $9 million is set aside for expansion at Still Branch, plus another $1.5 million for pump stations at Heads Creek. For 2014-15, $2,385,000 is planned for Still Branch expansion, $1,054,000 for Heads Creek pump stations and $1,146,000 for Still Branch infrastructure.

In other business, the city approved the purchase of 4-yard stationary compactor from Nu-Life Environmental, for $16,598.10, to be installed at Caterpillar for old corrugated cardboard recycling. Caterpillar requested the compactor for their waste reduction and recycling program.

The purchase is funded from proceeds of recycling the cardboard and other recyclables. The solid waste utility fund had $18,150 in increased revenue, and the compactor purchase was approved as part of a budget amendment to add the revenue and fund the purchase.