Joe Maltese, LaGrange’s assistant city manager for special projects, may have retired from the city Dec. 31, but his days as the point-man for West Point Lake aren’t over.

City Manager Tom Hall said Maltese, 55, has agreed to work for LaGrange on a contract basis regarding lake issues. His other duties as special project manager will be absorbed – at least temporarily – by other employees.

“We’re not going to be refilling the job with the current economic situation the way it is,” Hall said. “We’re just going to have to suck it up.”

Maltese originally was hired by LaGrange as a firefighter in 1977. He was made director of economic development, a department in which he’d worked part time, in 1982. In 2005, he was named special projects manager, giving up a number of his economic development duties.

“He’s done an outstanding job for the city,” Hall said.

The West Point Lake advisory committee also will be looking for some new personnel now that the holidays are over. Chairman Jeff Brown stepped down from the committee, overseen by the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce, to take part in a year-long Christian leadership program.

Patrick Crews, committee vice chairman, said members will start looking for a new chairman this month. In its two-year history, the group has raised money for economic and environmental studies of the lake and led a drive to get residents to the first public meeting on an updated water control plan for the Chattahoochee basin.

“We all agree the committee needs to go forward,” Crews said.

An advocacy group could take on even more importance if lake levels drop. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the lake, dropped it to 628 feet above mean sea level last month, in accordance with its “rule curve.”

Lake watchers here continue to worry, however, that dry conditions could mean West Point Lake would be slow to recover. Although the lake was “full” – 635 feet – for most of 2008 – in 2007 the lake was dropped and never even made it to its lower winter levels, which had a major economic impact on the area.

“I think the odds are 50-50 (that the lake will refill), but it will depend on rainfall and corps operations,” said hydrologist Mark Crisp. “At this point in time I think the chances are relatively good that the lake will fill this spring, but I can’t promise how long it will stay there.”

Jennifer Shrader may be reached at jshrader@ lagrangenews.com or at (706) 884-7311, Ext. 236.