Wednesday, April 4, 2001
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Wednesday, April 4, 2001 |
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PTC bond proposal misses mark for teens At first read ,the proposal to build almost $14 million in new public infrastructure sounds good. But several ominous statements clouded the issues. "Instead of letting the people who live here now pay for it ,let future residents...." "... a $5 million community center an investment for enhancement of property values but totally optional." [Mayor Bob] Lenox, in your prioritization you put emphasis on a $2.5 million addition to an existing tennis center, paying airport development debt and development authority debt as necessary? You also state needed buildings such as a fire station for the new west village, etc., using the Bricks to Mortar Municipal financing method. You stated the hotel tax would also help subsidize the airport authority and development authority for five years until they could operate on a self-sustaining basis. I made a presentation to the city recreation commission in February 2000 requesting a city subsidy for the teen center and was turned down flat as something the city would not do. I have been an advocate for a teen center in this town for a long time and by lumping it into a $5 million "totally optional third bond issue" is unforgivable to the 10,000-plus young people in this county. The city recently tore down a perfectly good fire station to build another park while refusing to consider it as a viable option for a non-city-run leased teen center. The need for a teen center for our young people is now! In this same newspaper issue , articles about Ecstasy (a drug) sales at McIntosh High School, teens arrested for breaking and entering in south Peachtree City and, in the Wednesday edition, youths arrested for possession of guns near school. The Fayette Youth Juvenile authority in conjunction with the Georgia Commission on Children and Youth is helping me prepare a grant request for a teen center based on a viable option to deter youth crime by offering bands, music and dance. I have launched a support letter campaign to help raise $100,000 in additional funds to lease a facility in Peachtree City again that will be big enough to serve the young people. The demand is there: over 14,000 kids attended Jitterbuggers Teen club before that building was sold for a furniture wholesale operation. I would request you reconsider your prioritization and stop planning on serving just the elite segment of the city and or building to serve areas that don't even exist and realize that our kids are the most important element of this community. Richard Thompson Peachtree City
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