Friday, November 16, 2001
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Friday, November 16, 2001 |
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Commission adopts fairgrounds fees By JOHN
THOMPSON September's successful opening of the new fairgrounds complex on Pine Road has presented an outpouring of community support for wanting to use the facilities. The number of people requesting to use various buildings at the facility caused the Coweta County Commission Tuesday to establish a fee structure for using any of the buildings at the complex. The discussion started with Commissioner Vernon "Mutt" Hunter saying that every group in the county should have the chance to use the buildings once without paying a fee. But, after that ... "I really thinks it's too big for small groups to use it on a continuing basis," he said. County Administrator Theron Gay agreed with Hunter and said that's why staff had drawn up the fee schedule. The schedule has different fees for different organizations. For example, if a nonprofit group wants to use one of the rooms in the exhibition building, it would cost between $200 and $400 for a half-day's use. But a business or commercial operation would pay $700-$900 for a half-day. "I think the fees will preclude any of the smaller groups from wanting to use it on a monthly basis," Gay said. Hunter said the county needs to provide space for the smaller civic organizations, but said the fairgrounds facilities are meant to be used by larger groups. "We just don't need to lease a $5 million facility to eight or 10 people. It costs too much to heat and cool," Hunter said. The other commissioners agreed and said the rules governing the facility would probably have to be modified for some government groups. But the commissioners were clear that they did not want to hear every request to use the facilities. Commissioners said they will also look at the idea of staffing the facility, according to how much it is used. "We need somebody out there that knows how to operate some of those complicated systems," Hunter said.
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