At the Blue Smoke recreation area, one of two tennis courts sits unplayable due to problems with the surface that have left standing water in a significantly-sized puddle the day after a rainstorm.
The back entrance to the city’s library has remained cordoned off as engineers work on a repair to prevent the exterior brick surface from falling off; apparently it wasn’t fastened to the wall during construction.
The “cast house” at the city’s amphitheater is in need of major work; other tennis courts are showing their age as is much of the city’s infrastructure.
The surface at the All Children’s Playground also needs replacement. Restrooms at several ballfields need repair. And so on.
The costs are adding up. But they are being weighed against the cost of leaving the work undone, potentially to leave visitors and residents with a less than favorable impression of the city.
And that’s why the Peachtree City Council is looking at issuing what is estimated to be about $3 million in bonds: to address the aging infrastructure. Fix what needs to be fixed. Replace what needs to be replaced.
In the next month or so city staff will have completed an exhaustive list of necessary repairs for the City Council to consider. Some council members have said the city’s infrastructure has been neglected for so long, it can’t afford to do so any longer.
The $3 million figure includes some $454,000 to replace the bubble that’s erected over the Kedron pools for the offseason, along with an expansion of the parking lot at the city’s Baseball and Soccer Complex, tabbed at $500,000.
It also includes smaller-cost items down to missing outlet covers, broken baby change stations and a drawer that needs repairing at the front desk of the city’s library.
“People should be reassured that we are taking the necessary steps to maintain our infrastructure,” said Councilwoman Vanessa Fleisch.
At a $3 million level, the city will be paying about $393,000 a year for 10 years to fund the necessary repairs and replacements, city officials have said. Those calculations were made with a 5 percent interest rate, but the city is likely to get a better deal, driving the cost down somewhat, officials said.
The city is not proposing a tax increase to cover the bond payments for this year.
