Wednesday, June 20, 2001
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Wednesday, June 20, 2001 |
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County aims to smooth rough ball fields By DAVE
HAMRICK
A level playing field for all of Fayette's sports enthusiasts is among priorities as county commissioners consider a 2002 budget of just over $1 million for recreation. "What the results will be ... will e a significant improvement to the playing surfaces of all the fields throughout the county," said county Finance Director Mark Pullium during a commission work session last week. Commissioners are expected to approve the total budget of about $65.3 million at their June 28 meeting following a second public hearing. They conducted the first of two required hearings at last Thursday's meeting (see related story). The group has tentatively approved an operating budget of $822,356 plus a capital improvement program of $230,480, including funds to crown and resurface ball fields, but did not put additional money into the spending plan for improvements to Shamrock Park as requested by the town of Tyrone. "I don't have any problems assuring them we will give them money toward recreation when all the problems are solved," said Commissioner Herb Frady. But commissioners said that environmental concerns being investigated by state agencies might result in the park being shut down, and they don't want to put money into ball fields until they're sure that's not going to happen. "I do not want to do it until we make sure that park is going to stay there," said Commissioner A.G. VanLandingham. Commissioners discussed using a $350,000 state grant for recreation recently secured by Sen. Greg Hecht to help fund the budget, but decided to earmark that money for a future park in north Fayette. County officials are currently looking for land in the Kenwood Road/Ga. Highway 92 area. A last-minute appeal from the Recreation Commission to add three more fields to the resurfacing list was turned down, but commissioners acknowledged something will have to be done about the fields. "We can't just leave it laying out there like a broken dish," said Frady. "We want to do what we can, but we need the definitive numbers and we need them much earlier than this," said Commissioner Linda Wells.
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