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PTC mayor calls
cops on DAPC
By J. FRANK LYNCH
jflynch@theCitizenNews.com
Peachtree City Mayor Steve Brown has fired the most serious volley yet
in the his ongoing dispute with Peachtree City Development Authority,
asking the city police chief to launch a criminal investigation into the
activities of the board and related parties.
Brown sent a letter to Police Chief James Murray Monday asking for an
investigation into the DAPC, which operates the city’s tennis center
and amphitheater in addition to conducting economic development activities.
Brown and the DAPC have clashed repeatedly since Brown’s election
in office over finances and how the tennis center and amphitheater are
operated.
Murray said Monday that he will make a determination on where the investigation
will go within the next three or four days and he will then issue a press
release to notify the public.
Murray said he has been presented with a “large pile of documents
that I’m just beginning to sort through.” He declined further
comment, saying he does not like to elaborate on open investigations.
Brown, at a training conference in Douglas in south Georgia, said he was
getting pressure “from the state level” to do something to affect
the future of the DAPC, which has withdrawn an earlier offer to give up
management of the venues altogether and now is in talks with a private
investment group about running the facilities.
“This is right, and it’s the right thing to do,” said Brown,
suggesting there were conflicts of interests with the group that has stepped
up to help save the tennis center, which has never operated in the black.
Among the names involved in the private management group proposing to
step in and take over the two venues from the DAPC is Bob Lenox, former
mayor and among Brown’s harshest critics.
Brown has said he will not support any DAPC management agreement that
includes Bob Lenox as an investor.
“No one in our city should,” he said. “Before this new
management deal is done and gets all out of control again, let’s
call it,” said Brown.
Meanwhile, Tommy Turner, the Fayetteville computer dealer and longtime
tennis center member, who singlehandley launched the campaign to privatize
the operations, has started exploring the financial situation in detail.
An organizational meeting to guage interest drew more than 20 people to
the Ashland Grill inside the tennis center last week, Turner said. Among
them was Terry Maple, the former director of Zoo Atlanta, a venue which
was rebuilt and financially shored up largely on the backs of industrial
clients.
“The consensus was that the first thing we needed to accomplish was
a financial analysis,” Turner said.
David Gardner and Bob Cooke volunteered to do an analysis of the last
three to five years of revenue and expenses for the Tennis Center. “This
will provide us with a basis to help determine what our options are,”
said Turner. “It is difficult to estimate how long this may take
but we are hopeful it can be done in two weeks.”
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