Wednesday, June 21, 2000
Wednesday, June 21, 2000 |
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of Commission letters to ARC & GRTA Mr. Charles
Krautler | Dear Mr. Krautler: The Fayette County Board of Commissioners understands the concerns expressed by the U.S. Department of Transportation regarding the ability of local governments to fund the local match of their Transportation Improvement Program projects, particularly FY 2001 and FY 2002. A check of your records would show that Fayette County has always planned and executed its projects on a timely basis. Our FY 2001 and FY 2002 projects have been properly planned and budgeted. In fact, some projects have already been completed. Barring any unforeseen, extraordinary occurrences which would cause us to direct these local funds to issues of higher priority, it is clearly our intention to ensure all of FY 2001 and FY 2002 projects are completed as scheduled. It is difficult to imagine anything which would alter our transportation priorities. However, rather than blindly committing to “...develop innovative funding mechanisms...,” we feel it is appropriate for the Board of Commissioners to reserve its right to alter our priorities and divert local resources, if or when it should ever become necessary to do so in order to provide for the health, safety and welfare of Fayette County citizens. We hope that all other metropolitan area jurisdictions will make as strong a commitment as has Fayette County in order that our fair share of funding can be released by the U.S. DOT. We look forward to working closely with the Atlanta Regional Commission to complete these critical projects. Our staff will be in contact with you to address the apparent inconsistencies your document lists for our share of funding of specific projects. Sincerely,
Catherine
L. Ross Dear Ms. Ross: The Fayette County Board of Commissioners has reviewed your letter and resolution dated May 22, 2000. We understand that on July 12, 2000, your appointed board intends to place the elected government of Fayette County under your “jurisdiction.” Although your letter indicates you will consider comments or evidence from us, we also note that we must prove that the county “...neither has nor contributes to excess levels as established by the Authority...” By placing us in a position to have to “prove the negative,” you indicate that our input would be useless. If we admit to having even one automobile in Fayette County, we would be “contributing to excess levels.” On the other hand, you have never proven to us that your determination that we are in a non-attainment area is based on irrefutable science or even that it is within the authority of the United States Environmental Protection Agency to dictate. Furthermore, you have no evidence which would indicate that actions you propose will have any effect whatsoever on the non-attainment status of the Atlanta Region. Your solutions may possibly make the problem worse. Perhaps even more troublesome is that you have never established that Fayette County has been negligent in any way of even that we are a major contributor to the region's problems. Our only “offense” seems to be that, despite the fact that our superior planning and execution has created the best qualify of life of the 159 counties in Georgia, Fayette County is located too close to Atlanta. Certainly our low-density, environmentally conscious county has not caused Atlanta's problems. Attached are our responses to the letters the Atlanta Regional Commission sent us at your urging. We clearly commit to fund our share of the FY 2001 and FY 2002 [Transportation Improvement Program] and pledge to continue our record as responsible, cooperative, and effective regional planners. However, we will never agree that our elected governments are under the jurisdiction of an appointed board. To do so would equate to us transferring to you the responsibilities and authorities bestowed upon us by our citizens. We sincerely hope that preserving the rights of our citizens and the authority vested by them in their elected government will not be considered to be “non-cooperative,” but rather will cause you to review your policies and procedures. We would assume that you are just as concerned about the rights and freedoms of our citizens as are we, and would urge extreme caution as you proceed. Sincerely,
Mr.
Charles Krautler Fayette County has been and will continue to be an active and responsible participant in the regional planning process. In a letter to you dated June 19, we have committed to provide the local matching funds to complete our FY 2001 and 2002 Transportation Improvement Program projects as scheduled. We have always completed and submitted our plans and reviews to you as requested and will continue to do so. We understand the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration have expressed concerns with the Regional Transportation Plan and TIP. We further understand from the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority Resolution dated May 10, 2000, that you are under considerable pressure from GRTA to have Atlanta Regional Commission members “address the federal government's concerns.” After a thorough review of your proposed Land Use Strategy and public discussion of it at our Board of County Commissioners' meeting on June 8, 2000, we must regretfully inform you that we cannot allow Fayette County to be bound by the provisions of your proposed Land Use Strategy. It would clearly allow the ARC and GRTA to determine land use and direct growth and density issues in the proposed Commuter Rail Corridor, as well as any other areas you may designate in the future, such as town centers, activity centers, watersheds, airport noise areas, etc. The members of the Fayette County Board of Commissioners were each elected by the entire citizenry throughout Fayette County. Through their votes our citizens endowed us with the responsibility and authority to make land use decisions and manage growth within our county. We are sure you would agree that Fayette County has planned and managed growth well. Considering variables used to measure quality of life we consistently rank at or near the top among all counties in Georgia. We cannot and will not ever willingly transfer the responsibility and authority given to us by our citizens, to appointed officials in the ARC and/or GRTA. We and we alone must exercise the authority vested in us by our citizens. We are aware that enabling legislation for GRTA included provisions to “punish” counties for failing to cooperate. Hopefully, elected officials standing firmly behind democratic principles and their belief in “home rule” will not be construed by ARC/GRTA appointees to be a lack of cooperation but rather will cause a reassessment of your proposals. In response to federal pressure, some officials in Georgia have, hopefully inadvertently, initiated a process that would, in the long run, be much worse than the problems it purportedly would solve. We will continue to be a responsive and responsible planning partner as we have been since joining the ARC. However, we respectfully request that you review and change any planning documents and programs which attempt to remove the authority given to elected officials by the citizens of their respective jurisdictions. Sincerely,
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