Wednesday, February 27, 2002
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Wednesday, February 27, 2002 |
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Let's hope mayor never offends soccer voters The Peachtree City Council meeting of Feb. 7 was exemplary of the kind of nonthreatening environment I think Mayor Steve Brown is trying to bring to our city. Two years ago, I brought my son to a "public meeting" (Peachtree City Council) to fulfill an obligation for a Boy Scout merit badge. It was the meeting where then-Mayor Lenox refused to let Steve Brown come to the microphone and address allegations made against him regarding a pending lawsuit. Frankly, I was disgusted with the conduct I saw, and concerned that the framework that has made our nation great was challenged in Peachtree City. Since then, I have attempted to become more informed and more engaged in activities focused on preserving the way of life that enticed me to make my home here. This latest meeting gave everyone the opportunity to speak their opinion without interference. How refreshing. The most recent blowup over the Peachtree City Development Authority, Tennis Center membership and to a far lesser degree amphitheater-goers depicts how special interest groups, fired up on the misinformation of an inflammatory e-mail, can create quite a stir. I sat through at least four hours of the Feb. 7 meeting, and the following are my comments for our citizens to chew on: 1. If the city Development Authority is made up of "business professionals" to provide the kind of expertise needed to move our economy forward, how come they totally miss the point in definition of the word they use to describe their relationship to the amphitheater and the Tennis Center? Projects: As a trained project manager, one thing you learn on day one is the thing that differentiates "Project" from other work initiatives and endeavors is that a project has a beginning and an end. When do these "projects" end? I am not a tennis player; I am a season ticket holder at the amphitheater. 2. The Citizen reported that 200 people "packed" city hall over this controversy. Sounds like it is time to take a poll of the membership of all the special interest groups in Peachtree City so we can appropriate new tax dollars to expand City Hall to accommodate the "average" special group size. We will obviously violate a fire ordinance if the City Council, Mayor, or other body ever offend the 4000-plus families involved in soccer here in Peachtree City. 3. Here's a question: If the city can "afford" to subsidize a world-class tennis center and amphitheater, why can't we also subsidize a world-class basketball center, aquatic center, soccer facility, softball facility, drama-fine arts facility, "Frisbee golf" facility, "public" golf facility, etc.? While the list could get long and ridiculous, trust me, there are groups that would support all these things. 4. Peachtree City has several outstanding golf courses that are "privatized" and very successful. Maybe that is the answer. Let the users bear the cost of that which they enjoy. I worked for a major corporation here in Atlanta for many years, and I can tell you that as business cases and projects are proposed and funded, the business unit beneficiaries must bear the cost of the project. These projects also have plans, timelines, and end dates, usually followed with a transition to a different management model for ongoing maintenance. I think our new mayor is for the most part on target in questioning how things have been done in the past. The only thing that is constant is change. Our electorate voted to elect him because they (the majority of the citizens who voted) did not want to continue down the "two-lane, railroad bridge" path blazed by the previous administration. This isn't over. It does strike me that the true message for us to consider is whether our hotel-motel tax dollars should be spread for the larger appreciation of all the citizens, or reserved for "pet" projects which have the capability of breaking even with a little bit of prudent management. Steven Fraas Peachtree City
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