Wednesday, June 6, 2001

It just seems to get better and better, doesn't it? The more you hear and read about our community's problems and concerns, the more unbelievable it gets, and the more ridiculous our situation becomes.

In the past, my comments have been kindly published in the editorial section of The Citizen as communications made to an individual which I shared with the public to voice my concerns. This is my first real editorial. It is aimed at the real cause of our problems here in Peachtree City.

Though many of our current problems do seem to center on one or two of our current administration members who seem to have become enamored with their power and influence, the real problem lies, I believe, elsewhere. It lies with you and me.

I first moved to Peachtree City because I fell in love with the quaint, quiet, scenic, almost picture-book-like setting of a peaceful city of good people living in harmony. Care was taken to forbid blatant business signage, or the unnecessary cutting back of the natural beauty by developers.

Witness our greenbelt areas. Even today when traveling Crosstown Boulevard from Ga. Highway 74, at first glance, you cannot tell you are only a few feet from a shopping center. Good planning is good sense. Needed businesses living in harmony with the community.

Compare that to Ga. Highway 54 on the city's west side! Our first day in PTC I saw the local police patrol quietly on our residential street just to make sure all was well. This is a regular occurrence. Job well done, guys and gals! I felt immediately at ease.

The very city itself is intertwined with golf courses for beauty and recreation and golf cart paths meant for practical ecologically sound transportation within the city. The paths also offer joggers, seniors and children on bicycles a safe and beautiful way to exercise. Paradise seemed real and at hand. It should be no surprise that many of us weren't paying attention. After all, who would even think of changing our beautiful city?

Growth, and, yes, even added traffic problems associated with it, should be expected. Any community has but two choices, grow or die. The issues here are not concerned with, "Should we grow?" It is rather, "How should we grow?" We, you and I, have allowed some of our current administrators to rule by silent consent. This is a very old political concept: "No one said anything, so it must have been okay!"

This same reasoning was recently used in a very ethically questionable use of city council funds for a substantial severance-payoff of a city employee, which we all need to ask a lot more questions about. It allows the council to honestly say, "Hey, I never voted for it!" Yet it was done.

This is just one example of how we have ended up where we are today. The belief that "back-room deals" and use of tax revenue without open discussion and justification to you and me, the taxpayers, simply has to end. Further, laws, regulations and city codes need to be obeyed by everyone.

On the big box issue: It seems now that some of our administration has out-thought themselves. The law and codes seem clear. Since The Avenue, all traffic patterns in this area have changed drastically. According to our laws, the traffic surveys are no longer valid.

RAM, per the current codes can reapply for the development they wish, but at square one. It appears that under the current law they can do so and develop the area they intend, but with restrictions on the size of the buildings which our current administration thought they passed after the approval of the big boxes of Wal-Mart and Home Depot.

This was done so our city would obtain the impact fees needed by our sagging overspent budget and yet allow the administration to profess agreement with opposing such structures. Now what? Talk about shooting yourself in the foot!

These practices, and I think we all are suspecting by now that there are many more yet to be discovered, all suggest to me intentional deception, lack of concern for the public interest and well-being, and disrespect for the citizens and current businesses in Peachtree City.

But this again, fellow citizens, is our fault. We have allowed this to happen and to continue. We you and I need to get involved. Our time is a precious limited asset to all of us, but unless we spend some of it to correct our plight, then we deserve what we get. We made the mistake of trusting our leadership. Don't compound this error by allowing it to continue!

Whenever possible, attend council meetings, especially the one this Thursday, June 7! They are held at City Hall on the first and third Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. These meetings belong to you, not any one person! The itinerary for the meeting and topics are posted on the city website. If you have Internet access, it is http://www.peachtree-city.

Also listed there are the council member's and mayor's e-mail, phone numbers, and fax numbers. The proposed budget for our city is there. too; it makes good reading. Even with the proposed bond issues (increases in taxes), the ink turns red in three years! This information is also available by calling 770-487-4657 or visiting City Hall directly.

If you cannot make it to the meetings, but have questions or comments, let our leaders know about it. Make your voice known. If you do not like what is going on or have questions about something, ask.

Do not support the "silent consent administration" any longer. Someone "let the dogs out" and they have drawn attention to many problems and issues which call for all of our attention and action.

It's time for the citizens to take back Peachtree City!

Rick L. Gauthier

Peachtree City

rickg4@juno.com

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