Wednesday, February 14, 2001
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Wednesday, February 14, 2001 |
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Dunn to Lenox: 'We're not playing' By DAVE HAMRICK If Peachtree City Mayor Bob Lenox wants serious replies to his communications with Fayette County commissioners, he should communicate through mail or e-mail, rather than through the media, commission Chairman Greg Dunn said this week. "We're in a [situation] where if he doesn't like anything we do, he creates a media circus for us," Dunn said of Lenox. "This is the third time in a month and a half that I've read about [a letter from Lenox] in your paper before I got it," he complained. Dunn said he received Lenox's most recent letter, asking the commission to reconsider its recent approval of a shopping center on Ga. Highway 74 just south of Peachtree City, well after an article on the letter appeared in The Peachtree Citizen Review. In fact, he said, the letter was postmarked after the paper's publication date. Lenox said he gave he letter to a Citizen reporter for use in news coverage, but did not intend for the entire letter to be printed in the paper. Plus, he said, although the postmark may have been later, he always faxes letters to county leaders, or has them hand-delivered so that news stories don't come out before the recipient has a chance to see the letters. "I gave you the letter because John [Munford] asked me to. I'm pretty open with you guys," he said. "If you try to communicate with us through the media," Dunn told The Citizen, "then you're going to have to hunt for answers from us through the media." "That's OK too," responded Lenox. "I'll take a message on a billboard ... anything." Dunn said he doesn't mind the letters being given to the media. "It is public information, but if you have it before we have it, it puts us at a disadvantage," he said. City and county leaders have exchanged a series of contentious letters concerning tax equity issues and the county's plans to charge fees to the cities for housing municipal court prisoners in the county jail, ever since discussions on those issues broke down into heated arguments during meetings between city and county officials. Former commission Chairman Harold Bost received and responded to two letters, and when Dunn took over as commission chairman, he took over the task of answering the letters. But commissioners early in January began to wonder aloud whether answering some of the missives was necessary. Dunn said this week that it's time all parties concerned started acting in a more professional manner. "The relationship between the city councils and this commission is more important than me getting involved in some gamesmanship with Bob," he said. "It would be a net negative if I was to start a public display with him." Concerning Lenox's request that commissioners reconsider the Hwy. 74 rezoning, he said no one on the board is interested in doing that. Long-term, the group is willing to consider changes in its approach to zoning in the area south of Peachtree City, he added. "Already, before this [letter] came up, our staff has been directed to look at certain things that we can accomplish in that area. We have to be sure that we're adhering to the property rights of the individuals that live in that area," he said. Studying the land use plan now, after commercial zoning has already been granted in an area in which the plan calls for low-density residential growth, "is like locking up the barn door when the horse has disappeared over the horizon," said Lenox. Lenox's suggestions are welcome, said Dunn, if presented properly. "If his purpose is to clarify and inform, we're more than happy to deal with him. But if it's to embarrass and demean, we're not playing," Dunn said.
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