Jeff Brown has decided not to take an appointment to the regional statewide water planning committee.

In a letter dated Thursday to Carol Couch, the state Environmental Protection Division director, Brown told her he found out about the appointment after he was accepted to Chuck Colson’s Centurion program. At the time of that acceptance in mid-December, Brown resigned from a number of local committees, including the West Point Lake Advisory Committee.

“This is a rather in-tense program that began soon after being selected and formally continues until January 2010 and with a continuing involvement, albeit less time consuming, thereafter,” Brown said in his letter. “As one example of the conflicts that would have compromised my involvement by trying to be both an informed and active member of the council and doing the Centurion Program is that my first residence weekend in Washington, D.C., starts March 13 which is the same day of your kickoff event for the councils.”

Brown was named to the committee along with La-Grange Mayor Jeff Lukken and Dr. James Woods, a large-animal veterinarian from Pine Mountain. Two of the three alternates are from La-Grange: William Gregory of Milliken and Co. and Don Watson, president of Dixie Well Boring Co.

Brown asked Couch in the letter to name one of two of LaGrange’s “most knowledgeable” men on the lake, Joe Maltese or Dick Timmerberg, in his place.

“They are two of the most knowledgeable and active people on Georgia water issues that I have ever met,” Brown said. “Their absence will compromise the results of at least this regional council and I must admit raises questions about the selection process.”

Kevin Chambers, spokes-man for the EPD, said Friday that according to the rules set out in the water plan, such an appointment could be possible if Gov. Sonny Perdue, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and House Speaker Glen Richardson choose to do so.

“In the event of a vacancy, the official who made the initial appointment shall appoint a replacement,” the rules state. The named alternates already are required to attend all meetings and vote if needed to establish a quorum. The alternate could be named as the replacement, but then a new alternate would have to be named, Chambers said. People who were not nominated can be selected to serve on the councils.

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