Flowery Branch's newest City Council member will get a serious schooling in city issues tonight.

Amanda Swafford, elected Tuesday night, is set to get sworn in at the council's meeting, which begins at 6 p.m.

And then she'll sit for an agenda that features new water and sewer rates, discussion about impact fees, a new contract for citywide trash pickup and a new sign ordinance for the historic district.

Pumped up about her new job Tuesday night, she said she was glad to put an exhaustive campaign behind her and "continue Flowery Branch on its path of progress."

The issue with most pocketbook impact at tonight's meeting is the utility rates, which have been discussed by council and put before a public hearing in the past month.

The council is set to vote on a new rate structure for all residential and commercial users, one that ends the city's practice of charging residents different amounts based on how long they have lived in the city.

Current rates have "established" residential customers paying $19.90 monthly for using up to 4,500 gallons of water and $22.39 for up to 4,500 gallons of sewer.

"New" residential customers, or those who moved into the city after June 2000, now pay $24.89 for up to 4,500 gallons of water and $29.87 for up to 4,500 gallons of sewer.

To have all users pay the same, established customers would now pay the new customer rates, meaning basic water-sewer rates would go up a combined $12.47 monthly, or about $150 yearly, for longtime residents.

However, City Council has agreed informally to create a rate structure for residents who use less than 1,000 gallons of water and sewer per month and residents who use between 1,001 and 2,500 gallons per month.

Minimum charges, as had been proposed, were based on 4,500 gallons or less.

City Manager Bill Andrew has said he believes that additional revenue from the higher rates across the board will more than make up the loss in revenue from the reduced rates for low water and sewer users.

The new rate structure, if approved, would go into effect in October, with the first bills going out in November, City Clerk Melissa McCain said.

In other business, the council is set to hear from City Planner James Riker on an analysis of impact fees.

Riker brought up the fees, once a popular tool used by governments in good economic times, at the council's August meeting as something to consider as part of city efforts to update its comprehensive plan, last adopted in 2006.

The council directed city staff to gather more information on the concept.

The city's consultant on the matter, Jerry Weitz of Gainesville-based Weitz & Associates, has issued a report taking a look at what services and infrastructure could benefit from a potential impact fee.

Weitz concludes the city should only consider fees associated with public safety facilities.

"The consultant further indicates that trying to fund multiple facilities, such as community centers and multiuse trails, along with police facilities would result in limited revenues," Riker said in a report to council.

Impact fees weren't dismissed or warmly received at the August meeting.

When city officials noted that neither Buford nor Oakwood have impact fees, Councilman Chris Fetterman said, "If we have impact fees, that could make developers decide they want to go there and build."