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The State Soil and Water Conservation District covering Fulton County has declared that Johns Creek's erosion control team is not just good, but exceptional.

After a careful review early this year, the District gave Johns Creek 488 out of a possible 500 points.

"Following the assessment, it was concluded that the City's Erosion and Sediment Control Program is Exceptional," wrote District Chairman Alan Toney in a report.

To receive an exceptional ranking, the City crew had to score at least a 426 in six categories graded by Fulton County and the state Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. There were five possible grades, the worst of which is Complete Failure.

The designation helps the City clear a major hurdle in its effort to convince the state to let Johns Creek approve erosion control plans without state oversight. Having the state approve the plans can delay construction by weeks. Of 881 cities and counties in Georgia, the state has granted that approval to only 51.

Technically called the Land Development Division, the four members of the group reviews plans; inspects sites under construction to ensure sediment doesn't wash away in a storm; makes sure construction doesn't occur too close to streams; and they're empowered to halt construction if developers violate any of those conditions.

The six categories that were assessed were: program administration and record keeping; qualification and training of the staff; complaint resolution; inspection frequency and level of enforcement; reporting; and site conditions.

The team members are Chris Moss and Richard Cooper; land development inspectors; Julie Paquin, plans coordinator; and Seth Yurman, land development manager.