Newspaper Page Text
Page 2, December 10, 2018, The Islander
3 AG IE 2 N
City Commission
Continued from Page 1
public perception is that the city is un
safe, especially at night, and that we
have a gang problem. No one would
argue that we have wide spread blight
and a 400 plus population of homeless
residents, many hanging out down
town. The Signature Squares (down
town parks) and Mary Ross Park are
examples of these locations. We need to
address the homeless and blight first.”
Colhard also mentioned several arti
cles concerning conference centers and
that many planners are sizing down to
one day conferences or utilizing tech
nology to negate travel altogether.
She also pointed out the competition
offered by facilities on Jekyll Island and
St. Simons Island which come equipped
with beaches and other recreational
amenities.
Sandy Dean commented on the lead
ership of URA (Urban Redevelopment
Agency) chairman LaRon Bemiett. The
URA is charged with developing the
conference center and Mary Ross Park.
She pointed out that in February
2018 Bemiett had requested a resolu
tion from the city commission autho
rizing the Chairman, Bennett, to sign
documents without the consent of the
city commission “or any other entity be
holden to the tax payer.”
She said Bennett also asked for the
URA’s own bank account that he, Ben
nett, would be able to sign without the
consent of the commission “or any other
entity beholden to the tax payer.”
“It has always been a concern to me,”
she stated, “when someone wants the
power to spend without any oversight.”
She pointed out that in Oct. 2018
Bennett submitted a service agreement
to the City Manager (James Drumm)
for his, Bennett’s company, to do the
drafting and design for the Mary Ross
Park renovation. “The cost for this ser
vice was priced at $12,800,” she said.
“Then later in October, Mr. Bennett
submitted another proposal to the city
for his company to manage the comple
tion of the conference center project at
a cost of $170,000,” she said.
“This is against the law and highly
unethical,” she continued. “The last
time the URA met was Sept 27, 2018.
How did these proposals get approved
by the URA board if they haven’t had a
meeting?” she asked.
“How can tills commission keep a
URA chair who is clearly looking to
benefit financially with the projects he
has been charged with?” she asked.
Dean also pointed out that 18 years
ago when the conference center was
voted on as in two SPLOSTs, there
was an MOU (Memorandum of Under
standing) from the Brunswick Golden
Isles Chamber of Commerce, the Con
vention and Visitors Bureau (CVB),
and the Brunswick Glynn County De
velopment Authority stating that these
three entities would lease space in the
new conference center building and
that the CVB would manage the center.
“Those three entities have gone else
where,” she said, “and we now have a
new conference center and hotels on
Jekyll Island.”
“This project (the Oglethorpe Con
ference Center) needs to stop now,” she
said.
The following is background on the
Conference Center SPLOST vote and
the agreements between the City and
County.
On September 18, 2001 Brunswick
and Glynn Comity voters approved
SPLOST IV which included $2 million
for the Conference Center budgeted by
Glynn County. The Conference Cen
ter was listed on SPLOST IV as a Tier
One, Comity Wide Project with a caveat
which read as follows:
“The Oglethorpe Convention Center
will be built by the City of Brunswick af
ter it receives written permission from
Glynn County to proceed. When any
payment is required under any contract
for the construction of any of the proj
ect, the City shall make application for
payment to the County. Upon gaining
assurance that the work for which pay
ment is requested has been completed,
County shall provide sufficient funds
to the City to pay the reasonable cost
of the work up to the $2,000,000 maxi
mum cost of this project.”
On November 8, 2005, Brunswick
and Glynn Comity voters approved
SPLOST V which included $1.5 million
for the Conference Center budgeted by
the City of Brunswick.
In the 2001 SPLOST IV Agreement
and 2003 Oglethorpe Center Agree
ment, the City and Comity agreed that
the Oglethorpe Center would be built
by the City and the City would be re
sponsible for the maintenance, repair,
upkeep, management, and operation of
the Center once it is completed.
In the 2003 Oglethorpe MOU, the
City and County agreed that if the
City chose to locate the Oglethorpe
Center on the County-owned site be
tween Newcastle and Bay Streets (the
site of the former ‘Winchester Build
ing”) the Comity would quitclaim the
property deed to that site once the Con
ference Center was built.
In 2016 the 2003 Oglethorpe MOU
was amended by the City and County
stating that the City had decided to
use the Winchester site and on April 7,
2017 deeded the site to the City.
The 2016 MOU amendment also
states that if the city fails to build the
conference center on the site, the city
Turn to Page 5
City Commission
Big Green Egg
The Ultimate Cooking Experience'
Unleash Your
Backyard Gourmet!
No other outdoor cooker can match the
quality and versatility of a Big Green Egg.
Grilling, Roasting. Baking or Smoking -
it truly is The Ultimate Cooking Experience!
BigGreenEgg.com
©COPYRIGHT BIG GREEN EGG ICC
. Island
i(C£
Hardware
m
1701 Frederica Road • St. Simons Island • 912-638-3800
SECURE A KEY
of the Golden Isles
Safe.
Secure.
Life-Saving.
Emergency Lockbox
for your
home or business
Lockbox contains your door key,
contact information,
access codes,
and medical information
you wish to provide.
10% Discount d 111*1112; Christ mas season only.
Makes a great gilt for parents and grandparents!
When 911 is
called, paramedics,
fire and law
enforcement
will have
immediate access.
Once installed, your confidential lockbox
code is hand-carried to the 911 Dispatch
ONLY.
Owners Jon
Holland &
T.C. Cowan
have 68 years of
combined law
enforcement
experience.
It’s also great for...
• House / pet sitters
• If you get locked out of the house
• A safe space for your kids to access a
house key
Get started today: 912-258-6669
securekey911@gmail.com!
