A retreat Friday for the Fayette Unified Team to Use

Resources Effectively (FUTURE) committee marks the first time the

group holds a quarterly meeting "at home."

Previous meetings were in Columbus, Hiawassee and

Callaway Gardens. Friday's session is set for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at

the Wyndham Conference Center in Peachtree City.

The group's "Manifesto" for controlling growth is an item

for review and discussion, along with progress made on "service

delivery systems" for fire services, transportation, consolidated

purchasing, vehicle maintenance and fueling, and others.

Tony Landers, director of community services for the

Atlanta Regional Commission, will again be the facilitator. Landers

says he has worked with the group since its inception about

18 months ago, before the Georgia legislature approved House

Bill 489. The new law requires all county governments and

their municipalities to come up with strategies for "providing

services to our citizens in the most efficient and economical

manner, without regard to jurisdictional boundaries," said Peachtree

City Mayor Bob Lenox.

Mayors, city managers and county commission officials

are anxious to hear progress on the various fact-finding studies

and potential new ways of serving citizens, Lenox said, but

"each category of service has to have an individually tailored plan."

Initial findings on a recreation plan for Fayette County will

be presented by Tyrone Town Manager Barry Amos. The group

also will look at "successful growth strategies" in other states.

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