September's

successful opening of the new fairgrounds complex on Pine Road has presented

an outpouring of community support for wanting to use the facilities.

The number

of people requesting to use various buildings at the facility caused the

Coweta County Commission Tuesday to establish a fee structure for using

any of the buildings at the complex.

The discussion

started with Commissioner Vernon "Mutt" Hunter saying that every

group in the county should have the chance to use the buildings once without

paying a fee.

But, after

that ...

"I really

thinks it's too big for small groups to use it on a continuing basis,"

he said.

County Administrator

Theron Gay agreed with Hunter and said that's why staff had drawn up the

fee schedule. The schedule has different fees for different organizations.

For example,

if a nonprofit group wants to use one of the rooms in the exhibition building,

it would cost between $200 and $400 for a half-day's use.

But a business

or commercial operation would pay $700-$900 for a half-day.

"I think

the fees will preclude any of the smaller groups from wanting to use it

on a monthly basis," Gay said.

Hunter said

the county needs to provide space for the smaller civic organizations,

but said the fairgrounds facilities are meant to be used by larger groups.

"We just

don't need to lease a $5 million facility to eight or 10 people. It costs

too much to heat and cool," Hunter said.

The other commissioners

agreed and said the rules governing the facility would probably have to

be modified for some government groups. But the commissioners were clear

that they did not want to hear every request to use the facilities.

Commissioners

said they will also look at the idea of staffing the facility, according

to how much it is used.

"We need

somebody out there that knows how to operate some of those complicated

systems," Hunter said.