A local nonprofit

organization has been pledged almost $2,400 from the Peachtree City Council

to help fund an after-school program at Harmony Village Apartments that

helps 43 elementary school students.

The Association

of Village Pride had requested the maximum $5,000 contribution to nonprofit

agencies allowed by city policy. But since the group serves out-of-city

students through two other programs, council decided to pro-rate its $2,375

contribution based on the number of city students served by the project.

The money will

come from the City Council's contingency fund, which has a pool of $25,000

available for such requests. Per city policy, AVP will not be able to

receive funds from the city again for five years.

The funds will

be provided under a contract between AVP and the city that will be drawn

up. When the matter was discussed at Thursday's council meeting, several

council members said they would prefer the funds be used to purchase tangible

items rather than pay for services.

AVP Executive

Director Opel Murray said the students served by the after-school program

all come from Oak Grove Elementary. The students typically are behind

one or two grade levels for reading and they get extra help with the program,

Murray said.

Councilman

Dan Tennant questioned whether council should consider the request considering

the city's tight budget. But Mayor Steve Brown noted that the program

was supported by several members of the Fayette County Board of Education

who sit on the AVP board.

The program

serves "a very underserved population in the community," Brown

said, noting that the school board had designated the Harmony Village

location as a classroom so it could qualify for special materials from

the school system.

Councilman

Murray Weed said AVP's request complied with the city's policy for distributing

such requests for funding from nonprofit groups.

Tennant said

he would vote in favor of granting the request, but he wanted council

to revisit its policy. The topic will be broached at the council's next

retreat.

The donation

was approved unanimously, 5-0.

AVP also provides

two county-wide leadership-oriented programs for middle school and high

school students throughout Fayette County.