Finding a new source for water has been listed as a top priority for the Hall County Board of Commissioners.

Another priority has been to keep costs low in light of recent budget restraints.

With that in mind, County Administrator Randy Knighton will deliver a report about the roles of the county's consultants for the Glades Reservoir project at the Hall Commission work session Monday morning.

The reservoir, if approved and constructed, is projected to provide 80 million gallons of water per day to the Northeast Georgia region. However, the project still awaits approval from the Army Corps of Engineers.

In December, Hall County's Board of Commissioners approved a contract to pay AECOM, an engineering, design and program management company, as much as $1.53 million to prepare an environmental impact statement that will help federal permitting officials determine whether to approve the construction of the proposed reservoir.

Meanwhile, the county was already spending about $65,000 a month for consultants assigned to the project - Tommy Craig and Joe Tanner and Associates.

Knighton's report is expected to address the roles of the consultants moving forward.

With AECOM taking the lead in the process for permitting Glades, county commissioners may choose to cut ties with the others.

Knighton did not detail proposals in his report to The Times, but said county staff has not made a formal recommendation to commissioners.

"We have looked at it," he said. "The board is going to consider it formally at the work session."

A federal permitting decision isn't expected on Glades Reservoir until the end of 2012.

In other business:

• Commissioners will also hear a request from the Hall County Sheriff's Office to expand regulation of pawn shops, precious metal and gems dealers, and metal recycling to deter crime and recover stolen merchandise through an electronic reporting system.
• The sheriff's office will also deliver a report on the Fulton County inmate housing agreement. Fulton County began removing some of its inmates from the Hall jail and transferring them back to its own jail due to Fulton budget deficits. Housing Fulton inmates has been a big source of revenue for the Hall County Jail.
• Knighton will also deliver a report on an annexation proposal from the city of Oakwood. The city is looking to acquire roads that would connect Oakwood to Lake Lanier.