Now is a good time for some updates and reviews of events happening in the county and Peachtree City. The county review will include some issues that tie into what is covered here.
Remember the claims in the 2013 election by both Mayor Vanessa Fleisch and Council member Kim Learnard that the budget was nailed, balanced, all was under control and everything was getting better? By Councilmember Mike King that he would get zero-based budgeting in place and there would be spending cuts. As well as letters to the editors and blogs needed to end?
Also remember the claims made when the current council took seats in 2014? The proclamations of how great this new council was doing and working together now that the former council and mayor had changed?
Shortly after, Learnard wrote a letter to the editor asking no more funding be spent on the district voting appeal. It contained a “disingenuous claim,” per Commissioner Steve Brown, that the letter was all about spending and that the appeal could not be won.
But, as the links on donhaddix.com clearly show, she stated support for district voting in 2013, transit and other such agendas. Also shown she did so before running for council in 2009.
In another letter, Learnard called Commissioner Steve Brown a “one-man wrecking crew” for changes made to the Fayette County Development Authority (please read the article on donhaddix.com dealing with economic development and the $75,000 being spent by council).
More currently, Learnard wrote another letter on the district voting appeal, yet again saying drop the case.
Learnard has had no problem wasting money on hiring lawyers, needless studies and other spending that suits her agenda, even when she was told it was waste of time, money and effort. So “disingenuous” does seem to be an appropriate description.
Then there was Fleisch’s accusation, last year, of being ambushed on the dais with a counter budget proposal. Strange to get upset when she and others routinely used this practice on the two prior councils.
All of this ties into Council member Eric Imker’s huge letter (available on donhaddix.com) on how to run against incumbents and his prior on how to run for office. Here it needs to be said that some election laws have changed, so he didn’t get all the details correct.
On the turn lanes at Line Creek issue, which I have always opposed, in 2009 he ran against the lanes. Then in 2013 he refused to support an agenda item opposing those turn lanes. Now he opposes the lanes and wants candidates to use it against incumbents.
On the rezoning of property in Wilksmoor for residential, he said it was needed for offices. Yet, Imker voted for rezoning property in the Wilshire area to residential. That property was far better suited for offices. He also voted for the rezoning of office property, in an office park, to allow for building a Marriott Hotel we didn’t need, especially with a hotel already approved at Wisdom Point.
Council also approved the step one annexation for the Bradshaw Family company property on Ga. Highway 54 East. What will be built if annexed? Still more unneeded homes and retail.
What is not being said is another parcel of land Bradshaw has wanted annexed adjoins the two parcels of this annexation. Yet more retail and homes, plus a road into already existing residential areas to connect this property to Ga. Highway 74.
This is the third effort to annex this property. The prior two were rejected at step one, including by three of the current council who now voted for this step one.
On Great Wolf, Jill Howard Church asked, in the AJC, if this fit Peachtree City? My reply, within the 150 word limit, was:
I pushed for the creation of the CVB and backed our Development Authority. So the real question is if it is the right site or just a good deal for Great Wolf?
I authored the Transition Yard Ordinance to protect residential neighbors with berms, foliage and a 75-foot setback. Also grandfathered old variances that had us losing lawsuits.
This variance, reducing the setback to 40 feet, affects homes by leaving the 90-foot-tall slide open visually and to sound from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., while creating a legal precedence.
Having worked on the stormwater plan with engineers, there are already stormwater problems in the Flat Creek area, contrary to staff.
There are already traffic problems in this area. All the additions to the site will impact cart and car traffic.
For this to work requires extensive changes Great Wolf does not want to do.
On March 5th, the council approved an ordinance Fleisch has long wanted, which you can read on donhaddix.com, that increased the Nanny City. It gave control of residential entranceways to council.
This is a costly action to taxpayers, who will directly be paying for entrance signs, monuments, pinestraw, flowers, maintenance, etc.
This being an election year, final year for this council and mid-term for the mayor and two councilmembers, it is appropriate to ask some questions.
What is going to happen in this year’s budget process? Deficit spending has significantly increased since this council took office.
Were campaign pledges and claims kept, or just empty words to get elected?
Have you been encouraged or disappointed by this council? Does the failure to make any effort to attract good paying jobs discourage you? Does the future look better or worse?
Now is the time to think about running, what you want in a candidate, to pay attention to the realities, not the election cliches and handshakes, and will you actually vote?
Don Haddix
Peachtree City, Ga.
[Haddix was the mayor of Peachtree City prior to the current mayor, Mrs. Fleisch.]
