FLOWERY BRANCH — Flowery Branch City Council voted Wednesday to approve laws governing sewer use in the city, including adding a $15-per-month surcharge to businesses to help pay for testing and inspections.

The state Environmental Protection Division and the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District required the city to adopt the laws.

As part of the vote, the council pulled one provision requiring residents who don’t live near public sewer to connect to the system within 90 days after the city notifies the homeowner that the service has become available within 300 feet of their property.

Businesses also could face fines if testing shows chemical limits being exceeded, but city officials said they expect penalties probably will be small amounts.

The new laws would affect 141 businesses, inside and outside the city, served by the city’s treatment plant on Atlanta Highway.

Businesses dealing with fats, oils and greases — mainly restaurants — will face monthly inspections.

In other business, the council voted to formally agree with Hall County on allowing the county to assess the condition of 24 miles of city streets and provide a rating based on condition.

"We would, in turn, make the decision, based on our budget conditions, as to how much of that work we want to have done," City Manager Bill Andrew said of repaving efforts.

And then, "we could have those roads put into the county’s bid for that year and take advantage of their ability to have a cost savings because of the size of their contract," he added.

The city has budgeted $30,000, including $20,000 from the Gainesville-Hall Metropolitan Planning Organization, for road repairs and maintenance this fiscal year, which began July 1.

Agreeing to the county’s services, at a one-year cost of $1,970, would free up money to focus "more on structural issues with our roads and traffic flow," Andrew said.

The city has wrestled in the past year with how to correct some narrow roads in the city’s older portions, particularly two-lane Jones Drive, which ties into the vast Tide Water Cove subdivision.

Also, City Council voted to annex nearly 21 acres off Phil Niekro Boulevard and Interstate 985 and another nearly nine acres off Mulberry Street and including part of I-985.

And it approved designating nearly 11 acres between the two sites as highway business.