It appears as if officials

from Fayette County, Peachtree City, Fayetteville and Tyrone are close

to an agreement on how the county will provide jail services for the municipalities.

The Peachtree City Council

discussed a draft of a proposed jail agreement at its special called meeting

Wednesday night. Council tabled the matter until its regular meeting Feb.

7 so officials from Fayetteville and Tyrone could have their input on

the document.

Almost all of Wednesday's discussion

took place in executive session since council reasoned the agreement was

part of litigation the city was involved in.

Peachtree City, along with

Fayetteville and Tyrone, sued the county last year, alleging that city

residents pay more in county taxes than they receive back in services.

The case is currently in the mediation as all parties try to negotiate

an equitable settlement.

The Citizen has filed a lawsuit

asking that the mediation be halted until it can be determined whether

the mediation hearings should be open to the public. Visiting Superior

Court Judge Stephen Boswell, who is presiding over the case, has ruled

that the mediation should be closed to the public and ordered all parties

involved not to disclose any details from the negotiations.

The agreement spells out how

much the county can charge each municipality for holding its prisoners.

The charges are calculated based on each day an inmate spends in the Fayette

County Jail, with the initial rate set at $43.70.

However, the agreement allows

for a certain number of inmates for each city to be charged at a reduced

rate of $30 per inmate based on the municipality's average daily inmate

population for the previous fiscal year.

Mayor Steve Brown told The

Citizen Tuesday that he had been negotiating with County Commission Chairman

Greg Dunn on the matter.

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