About The Islander. (St. Simons Island, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 2019)
Conference Center Continued from Page 2 members of the Urban Redevelopment Agency. You appointed them, and now you tell us that you are looking to the URA for all the management decisions regarding the center? So, you’ll basi cally wash your hands of it, and expe dite it to the next impervious level of your hand picked folks who are not ac countable to the citizens!” “Please, tell us, don’t you see any thing wrong with this picture?” asked Schnellman. After the open, public comment pe riod, Mayor Harvey said, “Your com ments will be taken into consideration as we consider this.” Next to condemn the conference center was Brunswick resident Zack Lyde. Lyde was listed as a speaker on the agenda so he wasn’t held to a time lim it like those speaking during the pub lic comment period. Saying he never expected to be on the same side of an issue as Sandy Dean, Lyde said the community need ed to be involved in the decision about the conference center. He said there were better things for the city to spend the money on other than the confer ence center. ‘Your decisions affect the entire community,” said Lyde, “You could have made decisions to improve our lot. Jekyll Island has reasons for a con vention center. If there is no business downtown, what purpose does this building serve? Why do we need it?” Lyde spoke for about 20 minutes or more. County Commission The conference center’s second set back came the next night, Thursday, December 20 during the Glynn County Commission’s regular meeting. On April 7, 2016 the city and county entered into a Memorandum of Un derstanding (MOU) regarding the Oglethorpe Conference Center. Among other things, the MOU re quired the city to have the conference center “substantially completed” by April 7, 2019 or they would have to re imburse the county for the Newcastle St. property where the conference cen ter is to be located. Several months ago the city asked the county for a two year extension to April of 2021. The city’s extension request was on the county’s agenda for the Dec. 20 meeting. The request was rejected by the county on a 4 - 3 vote. Commissioners Bill Brunson, Bob Coleman, Richard Strickland and Pe ter Murphy voted in favor of denying the extension. Voting against denial were Com missioners Allen Booker, Mike Brown ing and Mark Stambaugh. County Attorney Aaron Mumford made the presentation to the commis sion regarding the MOU. At the end of his explanation he mentioned that T_Telping good people M M through tough times. Whether facing the difficult decision to divorce or modify child custody, visitation or support - or contempt or perhaps even criminal charges - you need honest answers from someone you trust. Someone willing to fight for you. For over twenty years Kevin Gough has represented mothers and fathers in domestic matters. KEVIN GOUGH ATTORNEY AT LAW Kevin Gough Firm, LLC 5500 Frederica Road, Suite 1217 • St. Simons Island, Ga. 31522 912-242-5114 kevingough.firm@gmail.com January 7, 2019, The Islander, Page 5 it was his understanding that the city may not be moving forward with the project in light of their actions the night before. Commissioner Booker (Dist. 5) who represents the city disagreed saying, “The city is still moving forward with the project.” Pointing out that the project hadn’t gotten off the ground in almost two decades, Commissioner Richard Stick- land said it was “long dead.” Commissioner Bob Coleman agreed with Strickland saying, “I don’t see any progress. Can we get to the point where we get our money back and do something for the taxpayers?” Booker pointed out it wasn’t just the county’s money. “They (the city) are close to another option being on the table that was not mentioned at last night’s meeting,” said Booker, “I think the mayor and city commission should get one more chance and I’m asking you to support it.” Mayor Harvey, who was at the county meeting, spoke saying, “We had a joint meeting (with the county several months ago) and you agreed to the extension but you didn’t ratify it. We need the extension. If we had the funding it would be different, but we will work that out.” Commissioner Mike Browning said if the city has a viable option they could come back. He also said there would be two new county commission ers in January and suggested letting them have a say on the issue. In response to a question from Browning, Mumford said without the extension, if the center was not sub stantially complete by April, the city would have to reimburse the county for the property. “But,” added Mumford, “this does not excuse them under SPLOST law for performance of the SPLOST ref erendum. But that’s a discussion for another evening. Tonight we’re talk ing about the MOU, the property and whether the city has to reimburse the county for the property. If there is not an extension of the MOU, the city must still do the project. This is just about what happens to the land.” Booker asked where the reimbursed funds would go? Mumford said into the county’s gen eral fund. Coleman said, ‘This started at $4 million for the conference center. Now it’s up to $8 million. If we extend it and kick it down the road two more years the cost will be even higher.” In the end, the county voted to re ject the city’s request for the extension. 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