Management of Peachtree City's

amphitheater and tennis center will be handed over to a new seven-member

"sports and recreation" authority that will have some familiar

faces on it, according to a plan endorsed by the City Council.

The "compromise"

between the council and the city's development authority which currently

operates both venues for the city involves having two members of the current

development authority serving on the new sports and entertainment authority.

A citizen member of the development

authority's tennis center advisory board and its amphitheater advisory

board will also be seated on the new authority.

The other members will include

two citizens at large and the chairman of the Peachtree City Recreation

Commission.

City Attorney Ted Meeker wanted

to smooth out some of the details, so the matter will be discussed again

at the council's special called meeting Thursday night at 6 p.m. Part

of the rush is that for the new sports and entertainment authority to

be created, the Georgia legislature must pass enabling legislation before

the session is adjourned.

At last Thursday's council

meeting, several residents complained that council's plans would not restrict

the new sports and entertainment authority from going further into debt

on the tennis center and amphitheater.

"I just want the (tennis)

center to be run fiscally well," said Ron Small, adding that he wanted

to see the input from business owners on how the facility should be run.

Several council members countered

that they will have more control over the new authority because they will

get to select the new authority members. Mayor Steve Brown, a vocal critic

of the current development authority, said the resolution was a compromise

and that council would keep a closer eye on how the new sports and entertainment

authority operates the tennis center and amphitheater.

The development authority currently

has approximately $1.456 million in debt for improvements made to both

facilities. Council wants the new sports and entertainment authority to

assume the debt by issuing revenue bonds, which would likely net a cost

savings to the city over the development authority's current financing.

"This is the best situation

that could be worked out at this time and not go to court for years to

come," said Councilman Murray Weed.

Councilwoman Annie McMenamin

said she felt the plan "allows the employees of the tennis center

and amphitheater to have job protection and allow the members of the new

authority to fairly assess the performance of those individuals."

Councilman Dan Tennant said

he didn't think "anything was done underhandedly at any point"

in the way the current setup was constructed to have the development authority

operate the tennis center and amphitheater.

McMenamin, who was on council

when those talks first took place in 1993, agreed.

"I assure you ... everything

was done on good faith for the citizens of Peachtree City," McMenamin

said.

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