About Fayette County news. (Fayetteville, GA) 2009-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 2009)
WEEKEND Volume 133 • No 22 50 Cents Cheek (Is Out ONLINE www.fayettedallynews.com Sports; Region hoop TOURNAMENTS CONTINUE See Page 6 Views; Tom Kerlin: Another shot at GLOBAL WARMING'' See Page 4 Feb. 21-22 What The People Don't Know Will Hun Them ■ill.ll....ll..ll, III1 | 1 |li lli l| 111 |i ilt,!..!,!., ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ALL pod a.DC 301 GEORGIA NEWSPAPER PROJECT MAIN LIBRARY - UGA ATHENS GA 30602-0001 Projected savings of $840,000 a year PTG CHtS 23 MSltlMS By Cindy Morley CINDY@FAYETTEDAILYNEWS.COM By unanimous vote Thursday night, the Peachtree City Mayor and Council approved the elimination of 23 landscaping and maintenance positions. The work will be outsourced at a projected sav ings of $840,000 a year, according to city officials “We have put a lot of time into this, and have done our due diligence with the survey and listen ing to public comment,” said Peachtree City Mayor Harold Logsdon. “It’s time to vote.” The mayor and council discussed the issue at their Jan. 15 meeting, and listened to public com ment for more than 90 minutes before deciding to table the issue to allow time for an employee sur vey. In that survey, the city asked employees if they would be willing to take a 25 percent cut in pay to avoid the job cuts. City Manager Bemie McMullen presented those results at the council’s first meeting in February — pointing out that 10.5 percent (28) of those responding said they would be willing to take a 25 percent pay cut. “After seeing the survey results, it is still our recommendation that we move forward with the reduction in workforce,” said McMullen, prior to Thursday night’s vote. The effective date of the job cuts is March 6. The termination agreement includes six weeks severance pay, and continued medical insurance for that same time period - with an option to (Continued on Page 2) 'Wc Cm Sell "tyoun "Tlome, ‘SuaImaaa or Aeunct oz Tile Cm '?ck<L tyuAt the TliefAt "%ome. “SuAmeAA on, JLmcL 7or tyou,. Coll Met JLet Oun tyrowfr $o In TUonA “?on "tyrne! PTC police nab man in robbery of Kroger Peachtree City police believe they have solved Monday's armed robbery of the Kedron Kroger. According to reports, police officers and the department's Special Response Team arrested David Franklin Alewine, 43 late Wednesday at his home at 301 Pinemount Drive in Peachtree City. Police said the arrest came after officers released a photo graph of the suspect inside the store. "The police department received a great deal of support from the community in this case," said Chief Skip Clark. Alewine is being held at the Fayette County jail for criminal attempt armed robbery, police said. His bond has been set at $55,200. — Cindy Morley Three arrested on drug charges by Fayette TNT The Fayette County Sheriffs Office Tactical Narcotics Team arrested three men on drug charges, following two separate investigations. According to reports, agents conducted a buy/bust operation on Thursday, that resulted in the arrest of Christopher Scallion, 27, of Fayette County. He was charged with sale of methamphetamine after he sold approximately 7 grams of methamphetamine to an (Continued on Page 2) Tyrone deadlocks on plans for Hwy. 74 north By Martha Barksdale MARTHA@FAYETTEDAILYNEWS.COM That decades-long conflict in Fayette County-busi ness development versus residential-was refought again before the Tyrone Town Council Thursday night. Pete Frisina of the Fayette County Planning and Zoning Department presented the council with the county's conceptual plan for the Highway 74 North Corridor. The 480 acres includes the highway and surrounding property from Sandy Creek Road to the Fulton County /Fairbum line. Frisina described the plan as an opportunity to create a major employment center at the gateway to Fayette County. The county's plan sketches out a busi ness/technology park on the west side of 74, and small office parks on the east side. Some retail shops and restaurants would be scattered through the develop ments. To ease traffic, curb cuts on 74 would be limited, with the developments served by internal access roads and service drives. Most of the land that is in the county (Continued on Page 2) Dancing With the Stars? fudge rules in controversial Peachtree City annexation suit No, not exactly dancing with the stars, but dancing with his basketball team. Fayette County boys basketball coach Andre Flynn uses some fancy footwork during region tournament going on this weekend at Lithia Springs High School. More on Page 6. (Staff photo by Cindy morley) By Cindy Morley CINDY@FAYETTEDAILYNEWS.COM A Peachtree City resident can move foward with only one of six claims in court against the city of Peachtree City and two developers challenging two annexations off Hwy 74, according to a court order. David Worley, a Peachtree City resident, filed a lawsuit asking the court to nullify a vote taken last May to annex two large parcels of land in the city’s West Village area. In his suit, Worley contends that the council initially voted down the annexation proposed by Levitt and Sons (now Scarbrough Group), and since the annexa tion for John Wieland Homes was contingent upon that annexation, neither should have been successful. He claims that the “no” vote for the Levitt property triggers both a city ordinance and a Georgia law which require a six-month waiting period after annexations or zoning requests that are denied. He also claimed that Peachtree City created an island with the annexations. Developers John Wieland Homes and the Scarbrough Group intervened on the case, ad filed a motion to dismiss They argued their motions in front of Henry County Superior Court Judge Brian Amero on Jan. 13, and on Jan 20, Amero ruled that Worley only has standing on one claim - that Peachtree City created an island of unincorporated Fayette County, according to the order filed Jan 22 in Fayette County Superior Court. Five other claims were kicked out. “Neither Peachtree City nor the intervenors contest ed this assertion,” the Judge wrote in his order. Peachtree City has filed filed a motion for summary judgement in the case, and that motion is still pending. DOUG LEATHERS Sj dougleathers@remax.net tSJ 770-631-3300 • Cell: 678-595-9895 MM BIIM the Fayette Daily News and Today In Peachtree City has a special treat for subscribers. American Profile inside today’s editons... Brought to you by Re/Max-Doug Leathers. Your Local Weather Sat Sun Mon 2/21 2/22 2/23 -■ o*' t ^ c. X ~ 59/32 47/25 51/27 Generally sunny despite Mainly sunny. Highs in Mix of sun and clouds. a few afternoon clouds. the upper 40s and lows Highs in the low 50s and High 59F. in the mid 20s. lows in the upper 20s. n Student Athlete of the Week Fayette Co. HS Austin VORWALD Wrestling Mike Fitzpatrick’s Neuinbn • 770-502-3673
