Friday, May 24, 2002
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Friday, May 24, 2002 |
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Authority contract changes presented to PTC City Council members at meeting By JOHN
MUNFORD
The "real story" behind the contract scandal in Peachtree City comes down to a by-the-book interpretation of a motion the City Council unanimously approved at its June 7 council meeting last year. Councilmen Steve Rapson and Dan Tennant contend the contracts they voted to have former Mayor Bob Lenox sign with the development and airport authorities were significantly different from the one they approved. Rapson and Tennant point to the version of the document in their "council books," the binder of information given to each council member the Friday preceding the Thursday meetings. The "books" contain information on topics council will consider at the meeting so council members have time to review the information and ask questions of staff if necessary, according to City Clerk Jane Miller. Rapson and Tennant contend council did not approve the amended version that was e-mailed to City Manager Jim Basinger by City Attorney Rick Lindsey. But the amended version of the contracts were also given to each council member at the June 7 meeting in a packet that was left on the dais, city officials confirmed. This is a routine occurrence since information on agenda items can change in the six days between the time council members get their books and the meeting occurs, Miller said. Sometimes when changes occur, packets of information are delivered to council members or the info is left in their box for them to pick up, Miller explained. Rapson said Wednesday that even if the contracts were changed, no one bothered to point that out verbally at the council meeting. In any other instance, Lindsey or City Manager Jim Basinger would have pointed out the changes, Rapson said. Normally, when there is such confusion about a matter, Lindsey is consulted for an opinion by council or city staff. But since Lindsey's actions are being called into question, council has decided to hire a special attorney to investigate the matter. Mayor Steve Brown claims a clause in the agreements binds the city to the contract for 50 years, but there is no official "end" date in either version of the contracts, which have been reviewed by The Citizen as part of an open records request. The change creating a protest among most of the current City Council members requires the airport and development authorities to agree to any reduction in hotel-motel tax funds that the agreement dedicated to them for operating the city's tennis center, amphitheater and airport.The previous version of the contract allowed the city to change the funding "at its sole discretion." Brown contends that takes away the city's sole control for how tax funds are spent.
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