Friday, November 14, 2003
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Friday, November 14, 2003 |
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Tourism board to ‘move forward’ By J. FRANK LYNCH A unifying call to “put the past behind us” and “move forward” came from all corners at the first meeting of the Peachtree City Tourism Association on Wednesday. The board of directors for the new non-profit — less than a week old — met for the first time this week to begin sorting through the mountain of details necessary to begin managing the Peachtree City Tennis Center and Fred Brown Jr. Amphitheater by Dec. 1. The five-member panel met briefly early Monday morning to OK the terms of the association’s incorporation, but otherwise the midweek meeting at the Gathering Place was the first opportunity to get down to business. Donna Romeo, director of the amphitheater, and Sean Ferreria, senior pro and acting director at the Tennis Center, each gave emotional reports on the year past and offered budgets for 2004. Of main concern to both: That the facilities continue to prosper. City Manager Bernard McMullen, who proposed the tourism board as a means of taking on the duties resigned last month by the Development Authority, reassured employees and patrons of both venues that the new management group is committed to the future. “The most important thing we’re looking to do for both of these venues to make them just as good or better than they were before,” said McMullen. “We’re not looking to cut any programs, to diminish any services that are already being provided. “In fact, we don’t see that there’s going to be any drastic changes in those two venues,” he said. “As they are now, they are both very successful. Any changes we make, it is our desire to make the venues better.” In addition to McMullen, the tourism board includes councilmen Murray Weed and Steve Rapson, as well as Paul Salvatore, city finance director, and David Ring, chairman of the volunteer Recreation Commission. Mayor Steve Brown made a brief appearance but didn’t stay for much of the meeting, and some have indicated he isn’t welcome. Both Weed and Rapson expressed sentiment that Brown not be allowed to sit on the panel, and be kept at a distance in Tourism Association affairs as well, considering his role in bringing down the management contract once held by the Development Authority. As for funding, McMullen said the two venues would be considered two different accounts, each self-supporting. Both Romeo and Ferreira presented balanced budget proposals Wednesday night, McMullen said. “The reason people go to the amphitheater is not because of the turmoil, it’s because of the quality of entertainment,” McMullen pointed out. “And the budget for this year’s shows should be the same as last year. The quality of entertainment will be the same.” “The way we’re budgeting the facilities is different than the way the Development Authority did,” he explained. “The arrangement they had was to accept funds from the City Council intended to supplement the amphitheater and tennis center, but they didn’t include those funds in their budgets for each facility.” As a result, the tennis center finished the year in the red, McMullen said, but it could have easily been avoided. The tourism association will also have a small general fund budget for operations of the board, to include legal expenses, personnel items for a recording secretary, legal counsel and the like. For now, city staffers are filling those roles. Eventually, said McMullen, independent hires will be made. Over time, McMullen envisions the board of directors being filled with citizen appointees, as the association gets off the ground and its finances settle into a routine. He wouldn’t give a time frame, suggesting instead it would be a natural transition. The board meets again next Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at The Gathering Place, to consider amended budgets from Romeo and Ferreria in anticipation of adopting an overall budget within the week.
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