SPECIAL CALLED MEETING

The Board of Commissioners of Spalding County, Georgia, held a Special Called Meeting on Monday, July 10, 2000 in their office in the Courthouse Annex in the City of Griffin, Spalding County, Georgia, beginning at 6:00 o’clock p.m. with Commissioners Earle Childres, Martha McDaniel, Merrill Massengale, Johnie McDaniel and Michael Kendall present. Also present were County Manager Mike Ruffin, Deputy County Manager William Wilson, Roland Hinners and John Lester of HDR/W. L. Jorden and Finance Director Jinna Garrison and Parks and Recreation Director Louis Greene.

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Kendall.

The purpose of the meeting was to review SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) Projects.

The meeting was to update everyone as to what the projects were, the status of the projects financially and to look ahead to see where we may be going with the projects that were already on the drawing board and possible discuss the extension of the sales tax.

Chairman Kendall stated that he had been requested to discuss the Parks and Recreation part of the SPLOST first since so many of the citizens present were here for that part.

County Manager Ruffin gave a brief review on the SPLOST Projects. In July 1996 our voters approved a five-year SPLOST for a number of projects. We are now in Year 4 and it was projected that we would raise somewhere around $43 Million. To be able to start some of the projects the voters gave us the right to borrow $14.5 Million mostly for recreation and a new industrial park and also some stormwater work as well.

There were a number of park projects besides the Wyomia Tyus Olympic Park and also a number of road projects, including the four laning of Arthur K Bolton Parkway. The state has decided to fund full construction cost for this project. Also recycling centers have been renovated. The shortfall from the SPLOST is estimated at $5 Million.

Jinna Garrison gave a brief Financial Report on the SPLOST. The original projection for the five-year sales tax was $42,169,518. She said we began collecting the sales tax in January 1997 and we came in $750,000 short for the first year. In early 1998 she revised the projections on a more conservative basis using previous years trends to $38,482,425. During 1998 we collected $443,000 more than projection and 1999 we collected $816,000 more than the projections and so far in 2000 we have collected $41,000 more than projections. We have collected $544,000 more than the projection for all the years of the 1997 SPLOST. We are approximately $5 Million short of our first projected collections of the sales tax. She said so far as of this date we have collected approximately $23 Million of the $38 Million.

The projects that were financed with bonds were portions of WTOP, baseball fields, soccer fields and irrigation. The Swim and Dive Center was financed with Excess Collection, the money over and above the Debt Service. We allocated $200,000 out of the bond money for Orchard Hill and $250,000 out of the bonded money for SunnySide. We allocated $7.3 Million for the industrial park out of the bonded money and $940,000 out of Excess Collections for roads in the industrial park. We allocated $500,000 for recycling centers renovations out of bonded money. For Stormwater management $1 Million was allocated out of bonded money for Spalding County and $1 Million was allocated out of bonded money for the City of Griffin. This $14.5 Million has to be paid back first.

Chairman Kendall explained to the audience that the Swim and Dive Center was to be paid for out of the Excess Collections and was not included in the financing package; consequently what is left is between $4 Million and $5 Million short.

Mr. John Lester gave a status of the Parks and Recreation Projects, specifically on the Swim and Dive Center. He said that most of the projects done with bond money has been completed. The picnic area and the pavilions have been put on hold. $3.8 Million have been spent on Parks and Recreation projects out of the money we borrowed with another $1.4 Million to spend on the baseball area. With the excess funds we have dropped the nature trails, the nature center and tennis center. He said they have allocated for the swimming pool construction $4.5 Million and allocated approximately $300,000 for the design on it. The bond money construction was estimated to be approximately $5.5 Million and the excess money approximately $5 Million. Out of the money borrowed we have spent $4.1 Million on the projects.

Mr. Peter Hand, Peter Hand & Associates was present and reviewed the design process by which current scheme was selected. He put out for suggestion doing a phase development of the entire project with doing the pool and community room and locker rooms first at a cost of $4.9 Million, second phase the full gymnasium with two full cross courts and locker rooms at a cost of $2.2 Million and then the second full gymnasium, locker rooms, weight room and class room and additional multi-room at a cost of $2.6 Million.

Chairman Kendall explained that the sales tax shortfall is a statewide phenomenon that every county in the state is experiencing. We now have to decide which one of the projects, road and street improvements or recreation projects we are going to proceed with and which one are we going to have to cut back on.

County Manager Ruffin stated for clarification that in 1998 the Board voted to borrow up to $4 Million to complete the Swim and Dive Center. The Board voted 4-1 to do this.

Chairman Kendall asked the Board if they were willing to allow the members of the audience to speak and it was agreed that there would be a session allowing public comment from the audience.

The following spoke in favor of the construction of the swim complex:

Mr. Grant Adams, 729 Clay Street; Mr. Gib Downtown, coach of the swim and dive team; Mr. John William Kelley, 2500 West Ellis Road; Mr. Zachary Holmes, 357 Moreland Road; Mr. Gil Lovell, 138 Maddoxwoods Drive; Mr. John Tidwell, 283 Cedardale Drive; Mr. Bain Proctor, 435 Audubon Circle; and John Fuss coach of the swim team, 733 East College Street and he asked if anyone had approached corporate sponsorship.

Commissioner Kendall called for a five-minute recess to allow those who wished to leave the meeting.

Chairman Kendall called the meeting back to order.

Mr. Lester gave a brief update of the roads projects. He said they have completed five (5) roads, 3.7 miles and 2.04 under construction which is Hosannah and Gay Roads and another three (3) roads, 1.5 miles ready to go to construction and 4.29 miles of road in right of way and have acquired 44 of the 131 parcels and have another 4.28 ready to go to right of way and 2.13 miles of roads that are actually not in design. He said as of date we have spent approximately $7.25 Million and have allocated $14.7 Million. Also 47 miles of road have been resurfaced. We will only be able to do 23 miles of paving with the SPLOST funds.

$20 Million was the initial cost of the project. The county allocated up to $5 Million for the Arthur K Bolton Parkway. When we realized there would be a shortfall in the sales tax, the state agreed that they would construct and acquire right of way if the county would pay for the design and engineering, which is $1.2 Million. The 75/25 split with DOT actually wound up to be like a 50/50 split and the $3.8 Million difference has been used to make up the shortfall from what we anticipated the split was. Since then we have approved limited access all the way to I-75, which has escalated the price of the project to $32 Million.

There was a discussion about how to proceed and the extension of the sales tax. County Manager Ruffin suggested that the county do this in March 2001. It was discussed if you are not paving roads and building the swim and dive center, people are not going to vote to extend the sales tax.

Commissioner Martha McDaniel suggested that maybe the county should approach the Hospital Authority and ask them for a low-interest loan to complete the Swim and Dive Center. She said the money will be have spent at home and we pay them interest as if they would be drawing from a bank. Mr. Kendall stated that the people who own this money are the taxpayers. County Manager Ruffin also commented they should ask for a grant to offset part of the construction cost for health benefits the community can get. Mr. Kendall expressed that this suggestion should go back to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission and let them talk about it and follow the procedure.

County Manager Ruffin asked for permission to enter into discussions with the School Board to acquire additional land for a fire lane for the swim and dive center. The consensus of the Board was for Mr. Ruffin to go ahead with discussions.