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State of PTC is ‘outstanding’

By STEVE BROWN
Mayor, Peachtree City

Peachtree City turned 45 on March 9, 2004, a year that marked a number of significant accomplishments by citizens and the city government, and the city also received some national attention.

Three of the most visible signs of progress are the widening of Ga. Highway 54 West, construction of the expanded Peachtree City Library, and the completion of the new national headquarters for Cooper Wiring Devices, but there were many other positive achievements that marked the year.

The City Council has slowed the pace of residential growth by being tightfisted with rezonings. The Building Department showed only 187 permits for new single-family residential units.

As a result of the slowed growth, the city registered fewer residential building permits than Fayette County, the city of Fayetteville, and the town of Tyrone for the first time in the last several decades.

However, Peachtree City did register more commercial building permits than all others in the county.

We are allowing appropriate commercial growth to aid our tax base and we are looking for smart growth opportunities where we can partner with developers to supply vital infrastructure that the city cannot afford to build without raising taxes.

Peachtree City homeowners recorded a significant investment in their property, with a sizable 621 permits for alterations or additions to residential properties. The growth of local commerce continued on a notable pace with 336 new businesses registered in 2004.

The mayor and council also passed a new Landscape and Tree Preservation Ordinance, helping to protect this important resource and aesthetic element of the community. The ordinance guarantees that trees planted as part of the commercial development plans must be maintained and replaced if they are destroyed, die, or are removed for any reason.

For the first time in the city’s history, the ordinance set the maximum number of parking spaces that are allowed for different types of development.

Also a first is a requirement for the use of pervious surface for larger parking lots. We are no longer locked into a developer dominated environment, and the citizens now have a lot more say in protecting the character of our community.

Peachtree City’s Financial Services Division received the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for FY 2004 for the first time ever, and the GFOA Certificate of Achievement in Financial Reporting for FY 2003 for the sixteenth year.

Both the city clerk and deputy city clerk were certified through the Georgia Municipal Clerks and Finance Officers Association, and the city’s human resource manager also earned professional certification.

The Peachtree City Fire Department underwent a comprehensive outside consultant review of activities to help make fire and emergency service operations more efficient and more effective.

The city added an in-house city solicitor position to represent the city in municipal court, at a savings to the taxpayers over the formerly contracted service.

The Public Works Department increased the paving of paths by 32 percent in 2004 due to new, more efficient equipment that the City Council purchased for this type of activity.

The department also managed a rapid cleanup following three hurricane systems in August and September, and one severe storm system in November, removing over 100 downed trees from area roadways and paths.

The Peachtree City Recreation Department saw the addition of several programs and groups, including the Senior Adult Council and local chapters of the Red Hat Society, and the completion of such facilities as the Field of Hope and the All Children’s Playground. By the end of the year, 39 groups and individuals had signed on to the Adopt-A-Park Program.

To top off the year, police Officer Heather Lackey was recognized as the City Employee of the Year for her outstanding efforts in law enforcement, and Facilities Manager David McDaniel of the Public Works Department was named Supervisor of the Year for his additional dedication during major staffing changes in the department in 2004.

Improving customer service and convenience was stressed in 2004. Although the city’s web site, www.peachtree-city.org, will be undergoing a complete makeover in 2005, several new features were added in 2004.

The Virtual Neighborhoods feature, which provides zoning and covenant information by subdivision, also included a popular listing of weekly yard sale addresses.

Peachtree City’s municipal court and recreation departments added online payment options for citizen convenience, and citizen suggestions resulted in the addition of a page spotlighting locals serving their country in the military and a holiday lights tour for the Christmas season.

Peachtree City kicked off the New Year by swearing in two new City Council members, Stuart Kourajian and Judi-Ann Rutherford. Both Judi and Stuart have come on board with a sense of cooperation, and we have worked as a team to make a number of positive things happen in a short period of time for our citizens.

Rutherford was also elected to serve as Mayor Pro Tem for the year.

One of the council’s first acts was to adopt architectural design guidelines and an overlay district for Hwy. 54 West as part of the Livable Centers Initiative Program, helping to ensure quality development in the corridor.

This was the first time in our city’s history that we installed an overlay zone and took control over the architecture and landscaping of an entire corridor to ensure high standards.

The city received national recognition as CNN and Money Magazine listed Peachtree City among the most desirable places to live in America. Peachtree City ranked 17th among cities with under 100,000 residents in the eastern portion of the United States.

On the humorous side, the story of the blind man cited for wrecking a golf cart was reported across the United States and in several foreign countries.

The Peachtree City Tourism Association (PCTA) assumed management of the Peachtree City Tennis Center and the Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater from the city of Peachtree City. Councilman Steve Rapson was elected the association’s first chairman.

The PCTA made a tremendous amount of progress through the year, adopting policies and procedures and an employee classification and pay plan, hiring a permanent executive director and employees for the association and the facilities, and operating the 10th anniversary season at “The Fred.”

Peachtree City also entered into a marketing agreement with the Peachtree City Tourism Association, through which the new “Official” Peachtree City merchandise, such as the July 4th T-Shirts and Peachtree City license plates, key chains and golf shirts that are now available.

The Georgia General Assembly passed legislation requested by the City Council for the Peachtree City residents – changes to the definition of “golf cart,” which would reinstate Peachtree City’s original rules allowing those without drivers licenses to operate golf carts on our 80-mile network of paths.

Governor Perdue visited Peachtree City personally in April to sign the bill and enact it into law to the cheers of the local senior citizens and the Peachtree City Youth Council.

In February, four employees from the Peachtree City Public Works Department resigned amid an investigation into misuse of city property. The mayor and council acted swiftly with an investigation and incorporated new operating policies and systems to ensure greater accountability and protect our taxpayers.

The World Basketball Association announced that the Southern Crescent Lightning team would be based in Peachtree City. The announcement made Peachtree City the first city in south metro Atlanta to host a professional sports franchise. The Lightning went on to play fantastic basketball and they brought the 2004 WBA Championship trophy to the city at the end of the season.

The Peachtree City Youth Council continued their outreach to community teens, opening membership to all high school students in Fayette County who attend four meetings and assist with one special event or community service project.

One of the group’s first events in 2004 was a “Halo” tournament at the X-Playground. The group held a Street Smarts trivia tournament with members of the Peachtree City Police Department in an effort to build better relations with the police.

Over 300 teens attended the Youth Council’s “Battle of the Bands” and they also sponsored the Rocktoberfest concert, with over 200 teens attending at the Amphitheater.

The Youth Council also held a Kids Halloween Party with over 100 young participants and the “Winter Jam 2004” at The Gathering Place.

The night-after-finals jam for high school students offered a variety of laid back options, including listening to live band performances, playing cards, Xbox, and Hacky Sack, or Open Mic Freestyle Rap, or just hanging out and talking to friends.

May 1 saw the city’s first Community Action Day, with area volunteers, scouts, churches and business donors helping local seniors and families in need make much-needed repairs and improvements to their homes. In addition to home and yard repairs, several of the city’s older cemeteries were also restored.

The Community Action Day was probably the most rewarding project of the year, and all of the volunteers left feeling like they had done something really special.

[I] called for the formation of a Smoking Ordinance workshop, which later led to the passage of the Peachtree City Smoke Free Air Act, the first ordinance of its kind in south metro Atlanta.

The City Council later adopted the requirement for all alcohol servers and sellers to undergo background checks and obtain Alcohol Handling Permits in an effort to reduce credit card fraud and other crimes.

Peachtree City’s first Senior Adult Council was formed in 2004 and they got off to a great start promoting the needs of residents age 55-plus on such issues as social activities, recreational opportunities and an additional homestead exemption for low income seniors.

The Senior Adult Council also helped with the Santa’s Co-Pilot Project for children in need at the Peachtree City-Falcon Field Airport.

The annual Independence Day Parade and Fireworks were again the holiday highlight of south metro Atlanta.

Hurricane Ivan’s passage through Georgia resulted in the postponement of an autumn tradition in Peachtree City — Shakerag Arts and Crafts Festival. The event has been rescheduled to April 16 and 17 of 2005.

The City Council eliminated its antiquated Annexation Moratorium that had been in effect for a number of years, adopting a new phased procedure for developers to request the annexation of property into the city limits without the city committing a large amount of city staff time to projects in which the community is not interested.

This new evenhanded process allows all developers to bring creative and innovative land plans that work to benefit the city. It is fair for everyone, not just certain influential entities.

The City Council has worked year after year to improve the city’s budget woes. The City Council was pleased to adopt Peachtree City’s FY 2005 budget with no millage increase, despite the addition of the voter-approved Library Expansion and adding seven new public safety employees and three administrative employees.

If you look at how much the City Council has focused on the city budget over the last three years, the progress has been nothing short of remarkable.

October saw the completion of two long-awaited city facilities that would not have come to be without the tremendous support of our community – the Field of Hope at the Baseball/Soccer Complex, and the completion of the third and final phase of the All Children’s Playground.

Both of these outstanding facilities offer access and interaction for children of all physical ability levels.

The mayor and council, working with local homeowners associations, gained nearly 50 concessions and architectural improvements from the developer of the Target store with the approval of the Kedron Village Shopping Center Expansion Plan.

The City Council, with the cooperation of the Fire Department staff, submitted a letter to the Fayette County Board of Commissioners requesting that Peachtree City taxpayers no longer be required to pay for county EMS services they do not receive. Fair taxation for city residents was a theme throughout 2004.

The Peachtree City Fire Department sponsored their second annual haunted house with much success. The first ever “Christmas at the Fred” was held to kick off the holiday season, with holiday music and a golf cart parade to City Hall for the lighting of the holiday tree and a chance to speak to Santa.

Mayor Steve Brown, in his first term in office, was elected by unanimous vote to be the 2004-2005 chairman of the Metropolitan Atlanta Mayors Association that includes the 62 cities in metropolitan Atlanta.

Councilman Murray Weed was elected to preside over the municipal attorneys section of the Georgia Municipal Association and was selected to participate in the Regional Leadership Institute in 2004.

Some of the Peachtree City community highlights that the City Council celebrated are:

· Starr’s Mill girls volleyball team won state Class 5A championship.

· McIntosh High School girls soccer team won state AAAAA championship, with the Starr’s Mill High School girls soccer team runners-up.

· J.C. Booth Middle School team again won the National Science Olympiad.

· Rising Starr Middle School was named a Georgia Lighthouse School to Watch.

· Rising Starr Lady Panthers volleyball team championship.

· Little League “World Series” winners included Peachtree City’s 10 and under Georgia Seminoles and 13 and under Georgia Tigers.

· Starr’s Mill High School wrestling team championship.

· Peachtree City District 4 Big League Baseball team won the Georgia state championship.

· The Flat Creek Baptist Church men’s softball team won the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association state championship in the Men’s Unlimited HR Tournament.

· Following the US Track and Field Georgia Junior Olympic State Cross Country Meet, PTC Flash Youth cross country team had 14 athletes advance to the USTAF Jr. Cross Country Meet in Illinois.

· The Southern Crescent Aquatics Team had eight swimmers qualify for the Junior National Championships and two state champions.
Mayor Brown: State of PTC is ‘outstanding’

By STEVE BROWN
Mayor, Peachtree City

Peachtree City turned 45 on March 9, 2004, a year that marked a number of significant accomplishments by citizens and the city government, and the city also received some national attention.

Three of the most visible signs of progress are the widening of Ga. Highway 54 West, construction of the expanded Peachtree City Library, and the completion of the new national headquarters for Cooper Wiring Devices, but there were many other positive achievements that marked the year.

The City Council has slowed the pace of residential growth by being tightfisted with rezonings. The Building Department showed only 187 permits for new single-family residential units.

As a result of the slowed growth, the city registered fewer residential building permits than Fayette County, the city of Fayetteville, and the town of Tyrone for the first time in the last several decades.

However, Peachtree City did register more commercial building permits than all others in the county.

We are allowing appropriate commercial growth to aid our tax base and we are looking for smart growth opportunities where we can partner with developers to supply vital infrastructure that the city cannot afford to build without raising taxes.

Peachtree City homeowners recorded a significant investment in their property, with a sizable 621 permits for alterations or additions to residential properties. The growth of local commerce continued on a notable pace with 336 new businesses registered in 2004.

The mayor and council also passed a new Landscape and Tree Preservation Ordinance, helping to protect this important resource and aesthetic element of the community. The ordinance guarantees that trees planted as part of the commercial development plans must be maintained and replaced if they are destroyed, die, or are removed for any reason.

For the first time in the city’s history, the ordinance set the maximum number of parking spaces that are allowed for different types of development.

Also a first is a requirement for the use of pervious surface for larger parking lots. We are no longer locked into a developer dominated environment, and the citizens now have a lot more say in protecting the character of our community.

Peachtree City’s Financial Services Division received the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for FY 2004 for the first time ever, and the GFOA Certificate of Achievement in Financial Reporting for FY 2003 for the sixteenth year.

Both the city clerk and deputy city clerk were certified through the Georgia Municipal Clerks and Finance Officers Association, and the city’s human resource manager also earned professional certification.

The Peachtree City Fire Department underwent a comprehensive outside consultant review of activities to help make fire and emergency service operations more efficient and more effective.

The city added an in-house city solicitor position to represent the city in municipal court, at a savings to the taxpayers over the formerly contracted service.

The Public Works Department increased the paving of paths by 32 percent in 2004 due to new, more efficient equipment that the City Council purchased for this type of activity.

The department also managed a rapid cleanup following three hurricane systems in August and September, and one severe storm system in November, removing over 100 downed trees from area roadways and paths.

The Peachtree City Recreation Department saw the addition of several programs and groups, including the Senior Adult Council and local chapters of the Red Hat Society, and the completion of such facilities as the Field of Hope and the All Children’s Playground. By the end of the year, 39 groups and individuals had signed on to the Adopt-A-Park Program.

To top off the year, police Officer Heather Lackey was recognized as the City Employee of the Year for her outstanding efforts in law enforcement, and Facilities Manager David McDaniel of the Public Works Department was named Supervisor of the Year for his additional dedication during major staffing changes in the department in 2004.

Improving customer service and convenience was stressed in 2004. Although the city’s web site, www.peachtree-city.org, will be undergoing a complete makeover in 2005, several new features were added in 2004.

The Virtual Neighborhoods feature, which provides zoning and covenant information by subdivision, also included a popular listing of weekly yard sale addresses.

Peachtree City’s municipal court and recreation departments added online payment options for citizen convenience, and citizen suggestions resulted in the addition of a page spotlighting locals serving their country in the military and a holiday lights tour for the Christmas season.

Peachtree City kicked off the New Year by swearing in two new City Council members, Stuart Kourajian and Judi-Ann Rutherford. Both Judi and Stuart have come on board with a sense of cooperation, and we have worked as a team to make a number of positive things happen in a short period of time for our citizens.

Rutherford was also elected to serve as Mayor Pro Tem for the year.

One of the council’s first acts was to adopt architectural design guidelines and an overlay district for Hwy. 54 West as part of the Livable Centers Initiative Program, helping to ensure quality development in the corridor.

This was the first time in our city’s history that we installed an overlay zone and took control over the architecture and landscaping of an entire corridor to ensure high standards.

The city received national recognition as CNN and Money Magazine listed Peachtree City among the most desirable places to live in America. Peachtree City ranked 17th among cities with under 100,000 residents in the eastern portion of the United States.

On the humorous side, the story of the blind man cited for wrecking a golf cart was reported across the United States and in several foreign countries.

The Peachtree City Tourism Association (PCTA) assumed management of the Peachtree City Tennis Center and the Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater from the city of Peachtree City. Councilman Steve Rapson was elected the association’s first chairman.

The PCTA made a tremendous amount of progress through the year, adopting policies and procedures and an employee classification and pay plan, hiring a permanent executive director and employees for the association and the facilities, and operating the 10th anniversary season at “The Fred.”

Peachtree City also entered into a marketing agreement with the Peachtree City Tourism Association, through which the new “Official” Peachtree City merchandise, such as the July 4th T-Shirts and Peachtree City license plates, key chains and golf shirts that are now available.

The Georgia General Assembly passed legislation requested by the City Council for the Peachtree City residents – changes to the definition of “golf cart,” which would reinstate Peachtree City’s original rules allowing those without drivers licenses to operate golf carts on our 80-mile network of paths.

Governor Perdue visited Peachtree City personally in April to sign the bill and enact it into law to the cheers of the local senior citizens and the Peachtree City Youth Council.

In February, four employees from the Peachtree City Public Works Department resigned amid an investigation into misuse of city property. The mayor and council acted swiftly with an investigation and incorporated new operating policies and systems to ensure greater accountability and protect our taxpayers.

The World Basketball Association announced that the Southern Crescent Lightning team would be based in Peachtree City. The announcement made Peachtree City the first city in south metro Atlanta to host a professional sports franchise. The Lightning went on to play fantastic basketball and they brought the 2004 WBA Championship trophy to the city at the end of the season.

The Peachtree City Youth Council continued their outreach to community teens, opening membership to all high school students in Fayette County who attend four meetings and assist with one special event or community service project.

One of the group’s first events in 2004 was a “Halo” tournament at the X-Playground. The group held a Street Smarts trivia tournament with members of the Peachtree City Police Department in an effort to build better relations with the police.

Over 300 teens attended the Youth Council’s “Battle of the Bands” and they also sponsored the Rocktoberfest concert, with over 200 teens attending at the Amphitheater.

The Youth Council also held a Kids Halloween Party with over 100 young participants and the “Winter Jam 2004” at The Gathering Place.

The night-after-finals jam for high school students offered a variety of laid back options, including listening to live band performances, playing cards, Xbox, and Hacky Sack, or Open Mic Freestyle Rap, or just hanging out and talking to friends.

May 1 saw the city’s first Community Action Day, with area volunteers, scouts, churches and business donors helping local seniors and families in need make much-needed repairs and improvements to their homes. In addition to home and yard repairs, several of the city’s older cemeteries were also restored.

The Community Action Day was probably the most rewarding project of the year, and all of the volunteers left feeling like they had done something really special.

[I] called for the formation of a Smoking Ordinance workshop, which later led to the passage of the Peachtree City Smoke Free Air Act, the first ordinance of its kind in south metro Atlanta.

The City Council later adopted the requirement for all alcohol servers and sellers to undergo background checks and obtain Alcohol Handling Permits in an effort to reduce credit card fraud and other crimes.

Peachtree City’s first Senior Adult Council was formed in 2004 and they got off to a great start promoting the needs of residents age 55-plus on such issues as social activities, recreational opportunities and an additional homestead exemption for low income seniors.

The Senior Adult Council also helped with the Santa’s Co-Pilot Project for children in need at the Peachtree City-Falcon Field Airport.

The annual Independence Day Parade and Fireworks were again the holiday highlight of south metro Atlanta.

Hurricane Ivan’s passage through Georgia resulted in the postponement of an autumn tradition in Peachtree City — Shakerag Arts and Crafts Festival. The event has been rescheduled to April 16 and 17 of 2005.

The City Council eliminated its antiquated Annexation Moratorium that had been in effect for a number of years, adopting a new phased procedure for developers to request the annexation of property into the city limits without the city committing a large amount of city staff time to projects in which the community is not interested.

This new evenhanded process allows all developers to bring creative and innovative land plans that work to benefit the city. It is fair for everyone, not just certain influential entities.

The City Council has worked year after year to improve the city’s budget woes. The City Council was pleased to adopt Peachtree City’s FY 2005 budget with no millage increase, despite the addition of the voter-approved Library Expansion and adding seven new public safety employees and three administrative employees.

If you look at how much the City Council has focused on the city budget over the last three years, the progress has been nothing short of remarkable.

October saw the completion of two long-awaited city facilities that would not have come to be without the tremendous support of our community – the Field of Hope at the Baseball/Soccer Complex, and the completion of the third and final phase of the All Children’s Playground.

Both of these outstanding facilities offer access and interaction for children of all physical ability levels.

The mayor and council, working with local homeowners associations, gained nearly 50 concessions and architectural improvements from the developer of the Target store with the approval of the Kedron Village Shopping Center Expansion Plan.

The City Council, with the cooperation of the Fire Department staff, submitted a letter to the Fayette County Board of Commissioners requesting that Peachtree City taxpayers no longer be required to pay for county EMS services they do not receive. Fair taxation for city residents was a theme throughout 2004.

The Peachtree City Fire Department sponsored their second annual haunted house with much success. The first ever “Christmas at the Fred” was held to kick off the holiday season, with holiday music and a golf cart parade to City Hall for the lighting of the holiday tree and a chance to speak to Santa.

Mayor Steve Brown, in his first term in office, was elected by unanimous vote to be the 2004-2005 chairman of the Metropolitan Atlanta Mayors Association that includes the 62 cities in metropolitan Atlanta.

Councilman Murray Weed was elected to preside over the municipal attorneys section of the Georgia Municipal Association and was selected to participate in the Regional Leadership Institute in 2004.

Some of the Peachtree City community highlights that the City Council celebrated are:

· Starr’s Mill girls volleyball team won state Class 5A championship.

· McIntosh High School girls soccer team won state AAAAA championship, with the Starr’s Mill High School girls soccer team runners-up.

· J.C. Booth Middle School team again won the National Science Olympiad.

· Rising Starr Middle School was named a Georgia Lighthouse School to Watch.

· Rising Starr Lady Panthers volleyball team championship.

· Little League “World Series” winners included Peachtree City’s 10 and under Georgia Seminoles and 13 and under Georgia Tigers.

· Starr’s Mill High School wrestling team championship.

· Peachtree City District 4 Big League Baseball team won the Georgia state championship.

· The Flat Creek Baptist Church men’s softball team won the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association state championship in the Men’s Unlimited HR Tournament.

· Following the US Track and Field Georgia Junior Olympic State Cross Country Meet, PTC Flash Youth cross country team had 14 athletes advance to the USTAF Jr. Cross Country Meet in Illinois.

· The Southern Crescent Aquatics Team had eight swimmers qualify for the Junior National Championships and two state champions.