Friday, March 7, 2003
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Friday, March 7, 2003 |
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Funding issues top retreat agenda for PTC council this weekend By JOHN MUNFORD
Money, as in where it's going to come from, will be at the forefront of many of the issues to be hashed out by the Peachtree City Council at its annual retreat, which begins today at the Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center. The event will wrap up early Saturday afternoon. Peachtree City Fire Chief Stony Lohr is asking for 10 new firefighters, which would add three firefighter/paramedics to each 24-hour shift. The other position would add an assistant fire marshal to assist with various duties which include building inspections and analysis of structures containing potentially hazardous chemicals. The 10 positions are "essential," Lohr said in a memo to council. But if only one position is authorized, it should be for the assistant fire marshal, he noted. The Police Department is looking to add one full-time administrative position which would allow the department to remain open until 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; currently the department is open until 6 p.m. those days. Council will also face recommendations from staff to use more debt financing to purchase necessary equipment and a maintenance satellite auto shop. The auto should would help maintain the city's vehicle and equipment fleet; currently the vehicles are serviced outdoors even in harsh weather conditions according to city staff. Council will also face a list of $9.1 million in projects that are currently unfunded or underfunded. Included on that list is $1.69 million for a new fire station on the western side of town and another $1.65 million for another fire station on the south end of the city. Three separate projects for the cart path system also total over $1.11 million: tunnels under Hwy. 74 at Paschall Road and under Hwy. 54 to connect the Market Place and WestPark Walk retail center along with a cart path underpass on Hwy. 74 south. Other unfunded projects include $350,000 for two roundabouts in the Planterra Ridge subdivision, another $350,000 for the expansion of The Gathering Place; Council will also discuss a proposal from councilman Dan Tennant to create a beach access to Lake Peachtree at Picnic Park. That project's estimated cost is $250,000 and there might be problems getting permits since the lake is used for drinking water purposes, according to reports from city staff.
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