The Peachtree City Tourism

Association, Inc., will gather for its first working meeting today following

a 3-2 City Council decision that created the non-profit agency. The new

group previously met for organizational purposes Monday morning.

Mayor Steve Brown made the

motion Thursday night to approve the details for creating the new association,

while nominating councilmen Steve Rapson and Murray Weed to serve on the

corporation's Board of Directors through the end of this year.

Brown, Rapson and Weed voted

to accept the terms as presented; Annie McMenamin and Dan Tennant, both

leaving the council at the end of this year, voted against the plan.

McMenamin was especially vocal

in her disapproval of the process of selection and makeup of the tourism

association, declaring that it was "entirely inappropriate"

for elected council members to be sitting on a non-profit city agency

without anybody from the community at large considered.

"I think putting council

members on this board could create problems," she said. "I definitely

think we need citizen representation at large. It's inappropriate

to have council members serving on this commission."

In addition to Weed and Rapson,

the board will include City Manager Bernard McMullen, City Finance Director

Paul Salvatore, and David Ring, chairman of the city's volunteer

Recreation Commission.

Assistant City Manager Colin

Halterman will serve as a non-voting "ex-defacto" member and

liaison to Donna Romeo, director of the Fred Brown Jr. Amphitheater, and

Sean Ferreria, acting manager of the Peachtree City Tennis Center.

McMenamin, who is retiring

from city politics on term limits after serving 13 years on the council,

didn't disagree with councilmen serving on the board in non-voting

capacities, but suggested that they be chosen randomly by post, not by

name, to avoid personal politics.

McMenamin politely declined

a motion from Tennant that she be allowed to fill one of the two slots

until her term expires Dec. 31.

"The mayor has already

suspended the bylaws of this council by making a motion to approve his

own appointments," she said. "If this passes, and I assume it

will have the three votes it needs, I think the council positions should

be made by post and not by name."

Rapson expressed sympathy,

but suggested the current makeup of the board is just a quick-fix.

"This was designed to

get us to the end of the year," he said. "There are 16 full-time

employees at those venues who need to know who's in charge. I'm

not opposed to getting this non-profit up and running and then changing

the bylaws."

On Friday, McMullen left open

the possibility that the tourism commission's board might eventually

be appointed with civilians or other city staff, and not city councilmen.

But for now, the expertise that can be provided by those intimately familiar

with the finances of the venues is most vital, he said.

"At this point, in terms

of getting it up and running and in terms of the decisions that must be

made concerning funding levels and all, it's good to have the makeup

it does in terms of having the council on it," McMullen said. "My

expectation is that in the long run we will look at reconsidering the

makeup of that board."

Brown defended the arrangement,

saying it was designed by the city manager and city attorney.

Though the bylaws for the tourism

association don't forbid the mayor from sitting on the board of directors,

Weed insisted that wasn't an option.

"I think it's a terrible

idea for Mayor Brown to have an opportunity to serve on this board,"

said Weed, a reference to Brown's aggressive and successful attempt

to wrestle control of the venues away from the Development Authority of

Peachtree City.

"The time is here to bridge

the peace and this is an opportunity for us to do that," said Weed,

adding, "Another mayor, I wouldn't have a problem with."

"Thanks a lot," replied

Brown.

Weed agreed that the makeup

of the board should be reconsidered at some point. "That's something

we can deal with later," said Weed.

Added Rapson, "We've

done enough damage to the city's reputation already; let's act

on this, put it behind us and move on."

Thursday's meeting represented

the first time Rapson has been able to speak so freely about the amphitheater

operation since his wife filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against

the Development Authority last year. The suit, it was pointed out, is

against the DAPC, and not the city or the venues, and so he can serve

on the tourism commission board without conflict.

"I sat here for 22 months

abstaining and nobody ever offered any compromises as a solution to the

2-2 tied votes on every issue involving the amphitheater and tennis center,"

Rapson said. "We owe it to those employees and patrons to fix this

because for whatever reason, this council has failed miserably in that."

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