Wednesday, January 29, 2003
|
Wednesday, January 29, 2003 |
|
Development Authority sets transfer to new PTC group By JOHN MUNFORD
The Development Authority of Peachtree City wants to make sure the transition of tennis center and amphitheater operations to a new recreation and entertainment authority goes smoothly. So authority Vice-chairman Scott Bradshaw has volunteered to create a "rough transition plan" to help smooth the process. "It's in our best interest to put our best foot forward and cooperate with the [Peachtree City] Council," Bradshaw said at Monday night's authority meeting. There are contracts and agreements that must be transferred in addition to budgetary and payroll matters that must be considered, Bradshaw said. There is also between $600,000 and $900,000 in property that is actually owned by the authority (the city, not the authority, owns the tennis center and amphitheater). Most of that property was donated by vendors, sporting goods companies and also paid for with revenues from the city's hotel-motel tax, Bradshaw said. Authority member Robert Brooks said during the negotiations with council representatives, both sides indicated they wanted to continue meeting to insure a smooth transition. "I just think it's important because we have 30-some-odd full- or part-time employees whose lives are involved," Bradshaw said. Mayor Steve Brown, who attended the authority meeting, said he thought the new authority could be created "relatively quickly." He said an important part of the transition would be getting concrete information on the authority's debt so the city can determine how much of the debt can be wrapped into tax-free municipal bonds. Meanwhile, with one last-minute change to satisfy Brown, the City Council approved a draft of state legislation Thursday night that would create a new recreation and entertainment authority to operate the city's tennis center and amphitheater. Originally, the document allowed the city's development authority which currently operates both venues to appoint two of its members to serve three-year terms on the new recreation and entertainment authority. But Brown protested, saying the council should have the final say. So the council agreed that the authority will recommend candidates for the recreation and entertainment authority but those candidates must be ratified by the council before the switch is made official. The same concession was made for the representatives who will be appointed to the new authority from their current position as members of the tennis center and amphitheater advisory boards, which are separate entities. Council hopes to have the new authority issue bonds to pay off the development authority's $1.45 million in debt, which was accrued by building improvements to the tennis center and amphitheater in addition to operating the venues. Brown had said he thought the three-year term for the two development authority members who will serve on the recreation and entertainment authority was "a bit long" but he felt more comfortable after determining the council will have the final say on who is appointed. "They're city facilities (the amphitheater and the tennis center) and I'd like for the city to make that decision," Brown said. Councilwoman Annie McMenamin said she understood that the Development Authority planned to appoint two of its newest members to the recreation and entertainment authority and both of those persons were originally appointed to the development authority with Mayor Brown's approval, she pointed out. "It's not like this is part of the old court or old establishment that has raised such concern," McMenamin said. Councilman Murray Weed said the compromise position "is simply trying to reach somewhere in the middle." "What we're trying to do is take the politics out of this," said Councilman Dan Tennant, who added that he appreciated Brown's flexibility on the issue.
|
||