Friday, March 23, 2001
Friday, March 23, 2001 |
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Budget, hotel-motel tax key issues on PTC council agenda for annual retreat
By JOHN
MUNFORD The planning and budgeting process will speed up in earnest this weekend as the Peachtree City Council holds its annual retreat beginning today at 1 p.m. at the Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center. This is seen by city officials as a key year for the budget, as impact fees from new residential developments will continue to shrink as the city nears residential build out. The possibility of raising the hotel-motel tax from 3 percent to 5 percent will be discussed, with the idea of steering the funds to the Development Authority and Airport Authority. The Development Authority wants the funds to pay for an expansion of the tennis center that would add a number of courts, including some in a covered area. Those covered courts will allow the city to seek out major college tennis tournaments to stay in town, such as the Southerneastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference tournaments, according to tennis center director Virgil Christian. The Development Authority also recently agreed to purchase the Drake Point area along Lake Peachtree next to City Hall for over $1 million, and council will discuss ways to fund that purchase so it might pay the authority for the property. The Airport Authority is considering spending over $1 million to purchase land adjacent to the airport to insure that it is developed with businesses that use the airport. The city will also discuss the stormwater management program that it will have to implement due to more stringent federal regulations. The Peachtree City Water and Sewer Authority has agreed to consider operating the program since it has equipment similar to what is needed which is already used to maintain the city's sanitary sewer system. Other items to be discussed by council include: Debt financing options for capital projects. Revenue and expenditure projections for the next 10 years. A review of all revenues generated by the city. A user ID system to employ at recreation facilities. A push for the city to create a teen center. A discussion on employee medical insurance. A review of the non-profit organization funding program. Saturday, the retreat will be dedicated to meetings with the various commissions, authorities and boards the city funds. The 45-minute meetings begin at 8 a.m with the Development Authority, followed by the Airport Authority at 8:45, Water and Sewerage Authority at 9:45, the Commission on Children and Youth at 10:30, the Recreation Commission at 11:15, the Library Commission at 1:30 p.m. (after a lunch break) and the Planning Commission at 2:15.
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