The city of Moody sent notice late Tuesday of a special called meeting of both the city council and the Government Utility Services (GUS) Board. The meetings are scheduled for Thursday, to begin at 5:45 p.m.

Mayor Joe Lee, who also serves as chairman of the GUS Board, said the city intends to take complete control of its sewer system at that meeting.

“The city’s going to buy it and own it all,” Lee said.

Alabama Utility Services, a private firm who has handled the day-to-day operations of the city’s sewer system since the city bought it from Birmingham, recently filed for bankruptcy. At an April meeting, the GUS Board authorized Lee and attorney Bill Weathington to “take any action that might be necessary on behalf of the GUS and the sewer system.”

In addition to purchasing the system, Lee said the council will borrow $3 million to help satisfy some outstanding debts, and re-finance its bonds, to have only a single payment.

“Since everything fell apart (at the beginning of 2010), the GUS has been working on ways to make it whole again,” Lee said. “This is our plan we want to put into place.”

The mayor said city project manager Dave Treadwell will remain day-to-day operations manager, as well. Payments will all come through city hall.

“Everything has gone real well (since the city took over),” Lee said. “Since we took control of the money, all the payments have been made on time, and there’s been money to make the payments with.

“We’ve been real pleased with that.”

Contact Will Heath at wheath@thestclairtimes.com.