If all goes as planned, Peachtree

City's tennis center and amphitheater will be managed in the future by

a proposed sports and entertainment authority.

But this plan is not the handiwork

of Mayor Steve Brown rather it was developed by a subcommittee of city

council and development authority representatives. The matter will be

discussed at Thursday night's city council meeting.

Subcommittee representatives

said Tuesday that enough council and authority members support the proposal

to ensure passage of the measure through both bodies.

Although the details have yet

to be worked out, at least one current development authority member would

be on the new sports and entertainment authority to help insure a smooth

transition, according to authority member Robert Brooks and Councilman

Murray Weed.

"Every member of the subcommittee

said we certainly need a transition group at least for the immediate future,"

Weed said.

"We want to make sure

we don't lose the quality we've got" at the tennis center and amphitheater,

Brooks said.

Creating a sports and entertainment

authority is one legally permissible way to operate the tennis center

and amphitheater because of conflicts in the state law on development

authorities, according to a recent opinion from new city attorney Theodore

P. Meeker III and bond attorney Earle R. Taylor III.

The city could use the sports

and entertainment authority as a vehicle to issue bonds to pay off the

development authority's current $1.456 million debt which was accrued

over the past eight years after the authority agreed to assume operations

of the facilities in 1993. Before that, the authority had over $200,000

of its own money in the bank and wasn't in debt.

The subcommittee's goal is

to "continue to be able to run the facilities in a manner that's

best for the citizens of Peachtree City and kind of depoliticize it,"

Brooks said.

Representatives from the development

authority's tennis center and amphitheater advisory committees which are

composed of citizens may also be considered to serve on the new sports

and entertainment authority, according to the proposal. Other representatives

may come from the city's recreation commission, the Fayette County Development

Authority, the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce and perhaps another

citizen member.

"Obviously, we'll still

need a vote from both bodies to adopt the idea," Weed said.

Brooks and Weed were on a subcommittee

consisting of authority and council members who hammered out the deal.

Councilman Dan Tennant and authority members Doug Warner and Brian Palmitessa

also participated in the negotiations.

Brooks pointed out that in

reality the city could do what it wishes with the tennis center and amphitheaters

but he appreciated Weed and Tennant's goodwill in the negotiating process.

"They are interested in

our support and we are interested in giving it because we're interested

in what's best for the community," Brooks said.

The creation of a new sports

and entertainment authority will require legislation to be passed by the

Georgia general assembly and Sen. Mitch Seabaugh will be asked to handle

the matter in the current legislative session, Weed said.

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