Arriving at

last week's Peachtree City Council meeting, it should have been obvious

that this was destined to be much more than the usual twice-monthly assembly

to discuss city businsess, debate rezongs, appropriate funds.

Blocking the

entranceway to Council chambers was a pack of dogs of all various shapes

and sizes, some dressed for the occasion, others in their altogether.

Beyond them was a row of women in all sorts of red, white and blue sparkly

hats. And a row over from them, gaint hand-manipulated puppets were carrying

on conversation with anyone who cared to listen.

And all that

was normal compared to the series of events about to unfold.

It was enough

to make the heads spin on the near 200 residents who packed the meeting.

It was by far the largest crowd in months, and far larger than the dozen

or so concerned citizens who came by on July 3 when the council was debating

what to do about the limits placed on golf cart drivers.

When it was

all said and done, nearly four hours after two bathroom breaks and two

visits to the law library by the city attorney the few remaining Peachtree

Citians who stuck it out staggered from City Hall wondering what they

had just witnessed. One was heard to ask, to no one in particular, if

the meetings were "always like that."

Not always.

And that's good, because keeping up with this meeting required a scorecard,

or maybe a librato, or at the least, a quick-link to the Official Code

of Georgia.

Among the highlights:

· Residents

of the Cardiff Park neighborhood on the city's westside turned out in

droves to save their decks, which encroach on the setback due to a builder

error. With little consideration, the council offered sympathy and granted

a variance to about two dozen lots in the neighborhood.

· The

council OK'd variance request for 202 Doe Run, even though the homeowner,

a Mr. Phillips, failed to show up to plead his case. City staff couldn't

recall a precedent, and City Attorney Ted Meeker said it wasn't necessary

for the applicant to be there. Said Councilman Rapson, "We can vote

for it, we can table it, we can deny it." Since no one opposed the

request, and it seemed unfair to deny it on a "no-show" technicality,

it was OK'd.

·Presentations

were made to the winners of the July 4th Parade. That's why the dogs were

there, as well as the hats and the puppets. Mayor Brown emceed a slide

show of the winners, who all seemed genuinely honored. Other honorees

Thursday included Bill Lechner, a 20-year volunteer with the city's youth

soccer association; Richard Ferry, an intern with the city's planning

department who has finished his degree and plans to return to teach high

school civics from the newfound perspective; Cpl. Terry Blackburn of the

city police department, who has recently completed a long course of study

on accident scene reconstruction; and three veterans of the Korean War,

who were on hand to accept recognition of the 50th anniversary of that

conflict.

· In other

business, the council reappointed Dennis Payton to a three-year term on

the Planning Commission; Approved the city's share of funding about 20

percent of the total to build a new cart path bridge as part of the Ga.

Highway 54 West widening project; Awarded a design contract for expansion

of the library; OK'd various reinstatements of Limited Use Commercial

zonings.

( Editor's

note: Two other issues covered at this meeting are addresses in

separate stories in this edition. )