Wednesday, June 14,2023
Fayette County News A5
County Budget,
Continued from Front
on, as they were not initially
discussed when the budget
was first presented at the
county’s annual retreat last
month, according to county
officials.
The approved increase
for constitutional officers in
cludes a funding supple
ment received from the state
on Jan. l of $5,000 per of
ficer, but does not include
the $2,000 increase the
state will provide on Jan. 1,
2024.
Similarly, the increase
for magistrate court in
cludes approximately
$2,300 from the state, re
ceived Jan. 1.
Although commissioners
Short Term
Rentals,
Continued from Front
out, but they are currently not
regulated by the city. The city
does not disallow them com
pletely.
Learnard directed the
conversation back to Prebor,
asking if he wanted to make a
motion to begin the discus
sion of the short-term rent
als.
Prebor responded by mo
tioning that the city ban
short-term rentals overall,
with Councilman Clint Hol
land seconding the motion.
Before taking the initial
vote on the motion, Council
man Frank Destadio ex
pressed that this motion
deserved some discussion.
“I know that I’ve read a
lot in the last week or two,
and there’s actually Georgia
law that allows for that to
happen,” Destadio said. “I’ve
given Phil (Prebor) the copy
that I had that has several
Georgia laws. We don’t have
our attorney here but there is
some Georgia law that allows
for that to happen.”
Destadio provided clarity
on the precedent, stating that
it is allowed to ban short
term rentals, and that if it
went to court, there is prece-
approved the increase for
members of the judicial cir
cuit, approval must be
gained from all county com
missions in the circuit.
County Administrator Steve
Rapson commented that a
tentative agreement is in
place with Upson County,
while officials are still in
conversation with those of
Spalding and Pike counties.
If approved by all repre
sented counties, Fayette’s
annual allocation to the GJC
will increase $40,000, with
a total circuit increase of
$104,400.
The second public hear
ing and consideration of the
budget is set for Thursday,
June 22 at 5 p.m. Only two
public hearings are required
since there is no proposed
millage rate increase.
Prior to the public hear
ing, Atlanta Regional Com
mission Executive Director
and CEO Anna Roach ad
dressed commissioners to
discuss ongoing plans
through 2050 that align
with ARC’s objective and
goal to “enhance quality of
life, spark economic devel
opment in communities,
and achieve bold visions to
be one great region” through
ARC’s Metropolitan Trans
portation Plan, a long-range
blueprint that details trans
portation investments that
will be made through 2050
to ensure metro Atlanta’s fu
ture success and improve
the region’s quality of life.”
ARC is one of 12 regional
commissions throughout
the state and serves as the
federal transportation
agency for the metro Atlanta
region. Locals serving on the
commission include FCC
Chairman Lee Hearn, Fay
etteville Mayor Ed Johnson,
and resident Bob Reeves.
Roach stated that ARC’s
2022 impact in Fayette in
cluded $4.4 million in trans
portation fund allocation,
including the new pedes
trian bridge in Fayetteville,
invested $603,633 in older
adult services with funds
going directly to Fayette
Senior Services, and worked
to develop/improve livable
centers initiative com
munities.
The MTP, which repre
sents plans through 2050,
includes collaboration with
dent that the city would
“probably win.”
Prior to the vote, Lear
nard expressed that she owns
and operates a short-term
rental in Michigan. While the
initial purpose was for her
and her husband to have a
place to stay when they vis
ited her son in the Detroit
area, they rent it as an
AirBNB when they are not
using it. Learnard read the
reasons why guests want to
stay at her AirBNB in Michi
gan, which they provide for
her prior to booking the loca
tion.
“I believe that what we’re
providing with short term
rentals with the proper re
strictions, permits, and regu
lations, is actually an
important service to the city,”
Learnard said. “I also, be
cause I own a house that isn’t
where I live, hire local people
to do the housekeeping. I hire
local people to shovel snow in
Michigan and to mow the
lawn. I have not had any
problems, thefts, vandalism,
complaints from neighbors,
who I made sure to get to
know.”
Learnard says she sees
value in short-term rentals
and wants to have a healthy
discussion about regulation,
rather than banning the
short-term rentals altogether.
Councilman Mike King
commented that the “out
right banning” of short-term
rentals would not be repre
sentative of the residents in
the city who are already own
ing and operating short-term
rentals.
“As a property owner, I
feel compelled to kind of side
with a property owner. And
for those reasons, I guess
more than anything else, just
outright banning is doing a
disservice and sort of to the
folks that we have using them
as STR now, and it is really
kind of taking an easy way
out,” King said.
“I guess I’m asking every
body up here, ‘Are we okay
with trying to make it where
we have more rentals?”’
added Prebor. “It’s a flat-out
hotel.”
Prebor explained that his
neighbors have come to him
and expressed concern as to
who is living in the homes
that are rented. He expressed
that people want to know
who is living in their neigh
borhoods.
Holland agreed with Pre
bor and expressed that he
does not like the idea of
someone moving in and out
next door to his property.
“Not saying that it’s
gonna happen, but that’s the
potential of what ends up
going in this direction of
short-term rental,” Holland
said. “I also believe that we’ve
basically displaced houses
out of the reach of new fam
ilies coming into this city.”
Holland said if they can
not be banned completely, he
will vote for tight restrictions
and regulations for short
term rentals in Peachtree
City.
The motion was defeated
by a 2-3 vote, which allowed
the presentation for the pro
posed ordinance to continue.
According to Cailloux,
there were a few changes that
the planning committee
made to the ordinance, in
cluding no subleasing al
lowed and a maximum of five
percent of rental property
would be allowed in the city.
An additional change is that
the property owner would
not have to keep a guest reg
ister.
Regarding enforcement,
the only change was that the
first citation would be in
creased to a $1,000 fine,
which is the maximum.
After the presentation,
Destadio expressed that he
would like to see a banning of
corporations buying and
using houses in Peachtree
City as a short-term rental.
Learnard questioned if that
suggestion is legal.
government officials and
community input, major up
dates at least every four
years, and $173 billion in re
sources and funding across
the region.
Roach notes that statis
tics show a population in
crease of 1.8 million people
in the metro Atlanta region
by 2050, and an increase in
Fayette County residents of
19,600, bringing county
population to about 143,800
people. She noted that “we
must plan for growth” and
consider changes in man
ufacturing, technology, and
federal priorities.
An online survey is avail
able for community input
through the ARC’s website.
Discussions continued
about the ordinance, regard
ing changes that were made
to the ordinance as well as
subjects and requirements
that were maintained in re
cent meetings. King sug
gested that the possibility of
overregulation of the ordi
nance could become “bur
densome.”
Cailloux continued to ex
plain that the short-term
rental ordinance was in
tended to align with the cur
rent rental property
ordinance in Peachtree City.
The council sifted
through each aspect of the
proposed ordinance to deter
mine what needed to be
further discussed, as well as
what would be left untouched
by the planning group.
PTC officials say that the
discussion will continue at a
later date.
Rick Ross,
Continued from Front
the event.
“We did not anticipate
people photocopying res
ident passes and selling
them for $100 a piece; we
did not anticipate people
selling golf cart rides
around the neighborhood.
We will anticipate that next
year,” King commented,
adding that 20 tractor
trailers were lined to block
the view from outside the
property, per advice from
The Secret Service. He
apologized for entering
through the property’s
south gate and for the
power and internet/phone
service outages a few
neighborhoods experi
enced during that day.
HOLY TRINITY
CATHOLIC CHURCH
welcome konw.
Holy Trinity a vibrant
Catholic community
in Peachtree City, GA
invites and welcomes
you to our parish.
Thank you for being with
us this weekend as we
gather together at the
table of the Eucharist.
Saturday- 4:00p.m. and 5:30p.m.
Sunday- 7:15a.m., 10:30a.m.
12:15p.m., 1:45p.m. (Spanish)
and 4:30p.m. (Lifeteen)
HOLYTRINITYPTC.ORG
770-487-7672
101 WALT BANKS RD.
PEACHTREE CITY, GA 30269
&zt&oCcc (}&cvic6, Saiat tyz&Uet
152 Antioch Rd • Fayetteville • Parish Office: 770-461-0492
Religious Education: 770-461-0493 • Fax: 770-461-0374
Weekend Mass Schedule
Saturday. 5 pm
Sunday. 8 am and 1030 am
Seating on a first come, first served basis.
Weekday Mass Schedule
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, & Friday. 9 am
Confessions Saturdays, 4 pm - 430 pm
All weekend Masses will livestream outside (weather permitting)
in the courtyard. Please bring your own chair. No reservations needed.
Holy Days of Obligation contact Parish Office - www.stgabrielga.com
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