Steve Brown, Thanks for answering my questions

Steve,

Sorry it took so long to respond to your answers. I appreciate you taking the time. I don't necessarily agree but don't want to argue them all. I do want to address one of your replies, specifically about TDK. You replied that I "pieced words together." Actually, NOT TRUE! I have asked you about this before and am asking again...You blame everyone from Lenox to Logsden for TDK while always maintaining you fought it. My question and quotes come from your Letter to the Editor of Oct. 5 2005. You always seem to dodge your own words. So I am going to copy and paste THE ENTIRE LETTER! Will you please show us where, in this letter, you tell us how YOU tried to stop TDK. It seems you take credit for it only a few months before Logsden took office, then blame Logsden for not killing the project. Again, WHY didn't you simply kill the project.
Anyway, here is the letter YOU wrote:

"Consider what record shows about council’s TDK extension decisions

It is time to correct all of the misinformation related to the TDK extension road project. I am citing all references and I urge to you check them. The political opposition is having a difficult time bringing substantive complaints against our current City Council. Their strategy has been to throw as many negative and misleading statements in the press as possible in the hopes that someone will believe them. Please look at officially statements of record.

The TDK project had been talked about for decades prior but the City Councils failed to act. In 2001, “[Councilwoman Annie] McMenamin felt the City needed to move ahead on the project, which had been going on since she came on Council 11 years ago,” (Council Minutes, Oct. 18, 2001).

In March of 2000, the Lenox administration finally acted but had no funds appropriated for the road. “[Councilman] Brooks made a motion to transfer $295,725 from the Council Contingency fund to award the contract to Dames and Moore for $272,725 and to provide $23,000 for geotechnical testing services through Untied Consulting,” (Council Minutes, Mar. 16, 2000).

Dames and Moore (later changed their name to URS) was the same firm that told the city council in a public meeting that the big box stores would not cause additional traffic on Ga. Highway 54 West and it became the top accident corridor in Fayette County.

The design changed several times and more non-budgeted funds were used. The road was planned for the spillway at Lake McIntosh. “She [McMenamin] moved to approve the $30,000 from the PIP contingency fund for the advanced design services for Lake McIntosh,” (Council Minutes, Oct. 18, 2001).

What the then-City Council did not tell the general public is that they used our taxpayer dollars ($165,000) to engineer the Coweta County side of the road as well.

It would not be until almost 2004 that I learned of that funding arrangement. I have spoken with Coweta County officials and the Coweta developer and they seem amenable to paying us back.

Most of my current City Council took office in January 2002. My two concerns were the priority of widening Ga. Highway 74 and the significant budget problems that we had inherited. “Mayor Brown introduced the next related item, saying he initially had concerns about TDK Boulevard because he did not want to supersede the emphasis on widening Hwy. 74 South, which was still important. Brown said that there had been significant progress on Hwy. 74 South, with cooperation from state representatives to local representatives, leading to some major breakthroughs. Barring anything happening to delay Hwy. 74, Brown said he had no problem with the TDK Boulevard project. Brown also expressed appreciation for Coweta County’s support of the project. He said funding for the project was the number one concern, and Peachtree City’s budget was very lean. A balancing act would be needed to prioritize the projects,” (Council Minutes, Sept. 5, 2002).

Our current council was the only one that actually programmed funds in the city’s budget for TDK. “Rapson said he had always been in favor of TDK, but highways 54 and 74 took precedence. No funds were committed to TDK extension until this Council approved the 2003 budget, which included capital funding for FY 2004 (October 2003), bringing the total to $825,000 on the table. Brown said there was not a person on Council against TDK,” (Council Minutes, Jan. 2, 2003).

However, signs of trouble were foretold in the newspaper headline that read, “Fayette-Coweta Connector: FORE! Errant golf balls, low-flying aircraft to greet motorists driving on future TDK Boulevard across Line Creek,” (Citizen, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2003).

Councilwoman McMenamin made a motion to which I seconded to sign a resolution in support of the TDK project asking for Fayette County to help with the effort because of the dire budget situation we were battling. “Motion carried unanimously,” (Council Minutes, Jan. 23, 2003).

Later a deal was made with Fayette County and the council unanimously approved to make a final payment of $200,000 toward the construction of the TDK extension (Council Minutes, Feb. 6, 2003; “County, PTC strike deal to move forward on TDK road extension,” Citizen, Feb. 5, 2003).

It later came to our attention that additional funding would be needed and “Brown moved to approve the additional expense of $18,650 to use toward the engineering for the changes requested for the Fayette-Coweta extension. Weed seconded,” (Council Minutes, June 5, 2003). We had met our commitments to build the road.

A 2004 headline read, “FAA opposes location of TDK Boulevard extension project,” (Citizen, Mar. 14, 2004). As it turned out, the engineering firm (URS) hired by the previous administration failed to consult with the Federal Aviation Administration regarding the location of the proposed road even though the end of the Falcon Field runway appeared on most drawings, maps and photos.

Even worse, URS has an aviation division and had no excuses about not knowing the official FAA concern (FAA 5200.8). A letter from FAA program manager Philip R. Cannon stated that the road “will degrade the runway 13 safety area.”

A runway safety area violation could negatively affect our airport’s chances of getting a precision landing system in the future. Falcon Field Airport is a multi-million-dollar asset that cannot be jeopardized and the City Council shared the concern of the Airport Authority.

“City staff met with Airport Authority members, airport staff, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to look at alternatives to resolve the conflict. They had looked at a couple of ideas, and the proposal to realign the road prior to construction around the runway safety area looked like the best solution; however, that route was in conflict with holes five and six at Planterra Ridge Golf Course. The holes would have to be relocated,” (Council Minutes June 3, 2004).

We also do not want to destroy the golf course. Had previous City Councils acted on the road prior to the approval and construction of the Planterra Ridge Golf Course, we would be driving on the road now.

Currently, the Airport Authority is working with the FAA on purchasing a piece of property owned by Pathway Communities to relocate the two golf holes to satisfy the FAA objections. It will take a least one year to properly establish the two new holes once the land is purchased.

At the end of every council meeting Councilman Rapson publicly asks our city staff if there is anything that the city of Peachtree City is doing to hold up the progress of the TDK extension project. The staff always replies, “No.”

The claims of the Direct PAC do not hold up to the scrutiny of the official records and the unanimous votes.

Steve Brown, mayor
MayorSteveBrown@hotmail.com
Peachtree City, Ga. "

Dialog with Birdman on TDK

Submitted by Steve Brown on Fri, 01/25/2008 - 5:00pm.

As I said before, no one was against the road extension in theory. However, when asked what the land plan was for the Coweta side of TDK, Coweta Commissioner Mutt Hunter responded, “That’s none of your damn business!”

I met with the developer Tom Reese several times and he kept telling me they were going to build 1,500 houses and a grocery store shopping center the size of the South Hampton Publix in Tyrone. I continuously said I had no problems with a project that size, but I would like to see the plans approved by Coweta and underway before I committed to anything. Obviously, that never happened because they were lying.

The bogus story from the Chamber of Commerce (and their developer leadership) about the road being a traffic reliever was never believable to anyone who understood land development and transportation. I am quoted in the newspaper for several years dismissing the Chamber’s attempt to mislead the public.

Like I said before, when Coweta withheld their information, we stopped the flow on funds and essentially killed the project. Fayette County later did the same after the huge density plans were announced.

Thus, Former Mayor Bob Lenox (a Chamber of Commerce Board Member vocal for TDK) in October of 2005 said, “For the next two years Steve Brown personally stonewalled this project. You don’t have to take my word for this. Pick up your telephone and call Greg Dunn, Fayette County Commission chairman, or any member of the Fayette County Commission. Call Ken Steele, mayor of Fayetteville, or any member of his council. Call Mitch Seabaugh, our state senator at the time. Call Lynn Westmoreland, then our state representative, now our representative to the U.S. Congress. Call the chairman or any member of the Coweta County Commission. Ladies and gentlemen, building a road nowadays is an arduous and complicated undertaking that can easily take many years. Getting it done means that many good people must stay the course over many years. Unfortunately for us it also means that stopping it requires only one bad or incompetent person who fails to do the job when necessary. It is not often in government that you can clearly find the culprit when things go wrong, but in this case every one of us who has worked for years to make TDK Boulevard a reality knows that Steve Brown stopped it.”

In conclusion, the road turned out to be about developer greed and a series of lies that followed. For State Sen. Mitch Seabaugh and U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland it was about campaign payoffs. For the average taxpayer of Peachtree City and Fayette County it was about being ripped off. Most people agree with that conclusion.

Thanks for the dialog on this matter.
Steve B.

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Steve Brown, Good answer but.....

Submitted by birdman on Mon, 01/28/2008 - 9:40am.

Steve, your answer was appreciated however as I read your letter to the editor I don't see you taking credit for slowing TDK, but, quite the opposite, for accelerating it. In fact you somewhat blame the Lenox administration for not funding the project:

"our current council was the only one that actually programmed funds in the city’s budget for TDK....No funds were committed to TDK extension until this Council approved the 2003 budget, which included capital funding for FY 2004 (October 2003), bringing the total to $825,000 on the table. Brown said there was not a person on Council against TDK,” (Council Minutes, Jan. 2, 2003)....“Brown moved to approve the additional expense of $18,650 to use toward the engineering for the changes requested for the Fayette-Coweta extension. Weed seconded,” (Council Minutes, June 5, 2003). We had met our commitments to build the road....At the end of every council meeting Councilman Rapson publicly asks our city staff if there is anything that the city of Peachtree City is doing to hold up the progress of the TDK extension project. The staff always replies, “No.”"

So I don't see your claim "...we stopped the flow on funds and essentially killed the project....." In fact as I have quoted you took pride in actually funding the project "our current council was the only one that actually programmed funds in the city’s budget for TDK....No funds were committed to TDK extension until this Council approved the 2003 budget, which included capital funding for FY 2004 (October 2003), bringing the total to $825,000 on the table."

I also question your comment "Like I said before, when Coweta withheld their information,..." In your letter you clearly state:

"Brown also expressed appreciation for Coweta County’s support of the project. He said funding for the project was the number one concern,...."

That hardly shows your feeling that "when Coweta withheld their information, we stopped the flow on funds and essentially killed the project."

Steve, in your 2001 campaign website you had a section entitled "TDK,NOT NOW, NOT EVER." Yet in your 2005 letter you stated "Brown said he had no problem with the TDK Boulevard project...." I know it said you "nitially had concerns about TDK Boulevard because he did not want to supersede the emphasis on widening Hwy. 74 South, which was still important." But that hardly qualifies as "NOT NOW, NOT EVER."

Here is my problem Steve, you are quite the politician. It is hard for me to know where you stand. Surprisingly I agree that TDK is a bad idea, and you state the concerns very well. But you still come across like YOU were the ONLY one who knew all along that YOU were right. Yet in 2001 you campaigned AGAINST TDK, and in 2005, (after Lenox accused you of stonewalling it), you write the above letter! See the confusion?

Steve, you are a very charismatic person. Problem, from my perspective, is you see yourself as the "savior of PTC." I am not a fan of Logsden, but at least he doesn't accuse everyone else in the entire city who disagrees with him of being "corrupt," "developer", etc. like you do. At least he isn't claiming to be the ONLY one who knows, like you do.

But to be honest Steve, I keep bringing this up because it is such a dramatic example of your hypocrisy. Your answers have all been good, but still leave these questions out there. Just for interest, does anyone else see the hypocrisy?

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If a toddler walked into the intersection of 54/74

Submitted by sniffles5 on Mon, 01/28/2008 - 9:54am.

If a toddler somehow walked into the intersection of Peachtree City's busiest highways, 54 and 74...

and Steve Brown were to risk life and limb to rescue that toddler from an almost certain death...

birdman would start a blog bitterly complaining about how "Steve Brown tied up traffic at a major intersection!".
_______________________________________________________
Why won't Enigma answer one simple question ?

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Sniffles5...You just don't get it

Submitted by birdman on Mon, 01/28/2008 - 1:15pm.

Seems we always scream for "honesty in government," but when someone questions a guy like Brown on his "real" stance, we get called so many lovely "names." Do you not think it important to know where Steve truly stands on issues? He became "famous" by bashing the Lenox Administration and promising to be the "open candidate of the people." Well, last I looked, I am one of the "people." I pay taxes in PTC, have lived here for 18 years, was involved in sports as a coach, board member, etc., had kids go through school here, a wife who was actively involved in the schools, church, and other civic organizations. So I feel I have earned the right to question my city leaders.
When Brown became mayor he immediately started on a course that led to more than one lawsuit, a divisive form of government that alienated surrounding communities, alienated citizens, and conducted a purge of the city hall getting rid of anyone who knew how PTC ran (some bad some good). He personally attacked, in the newspaper, business leaders, civic leaders, state representatives, citizens, and anyone else that dared to not do his bidding.
So when he postures to set up another run for office, I think it important that the voters know the real Steve Brown.
Maybe in your defense of him you can answer why he failed to live up to most of his 2001 campaign promises. That was why he was elected you know. Not to remake the city in his own image.
You can start by telling us why, when his 2001 Campaign promise was "TDK,NOT NOW,NOT EVER" in 2005, while running for re-election, he wrote the above letter?
Then could you address his promise of giving us "Annexation by vote of the people" became a private annexation attempt by him with Wieland Homes DURING an Annexation Moratorium?
Could you please explain why when challenged on his actions his answer was always "corrupt...developers."
By the way, would Steve Brown "risk life and limb" to save the child of one of the 11,000 "developers" he claims voted him out of office?

Steve likes to compare himself to the Founding Fathers in that he has openly challenged government. He sees that as his duty. I agree. So why is it when I openly challenge his government I am insulted and attacked by the very people who claim to support his "duty" to challenge government?

Any answers?

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Steve wrote a letter to the paper?

Submitted by McDonoughDawg on Fri, 01/25/2008 - 11:37am.

No way!!

Don't hold your breath for an explanation, he's always right, PERIOD. Forget what he put down in words, listen to what he means.

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