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REPORT TO THE PEOPLE
One year ago, 21 citizens of Athens-Clarke
County were appointed by the grand jury to
examine the Athens Clarke County Unified
Government to ensure that it is meeting the
goals set forth in our charter and that our
government is providing the services our
citizens demand in an efficient way. We were
charged with the responsibility of assessing
(1) the goals and objectives of unified govern
ment* (2) the extent to which the unified gov
ernment has achieved its original oojectives in
an efficient and responsible manner; the per
formance and accomplishment of the agencies
of the unified government in the preceding
fiscal year, budgetary costs incurred, projected
activities and budgets; and, (4) the extent to
which additional programs are needed.
We have worked diligently, on behalf of all
the citizens of our community this year, and
on Jan. 4, 2011, we presented our findings
to the mayor and commission. The complete
review is available on the ACCUG website for
computer users (go to auditor-documents),
and in print at the Athens Regional Library
so that everyone can read and consider the
results of our examination. The mayor will
assign segments of the review to the commis
sioners for their perusal and action in the near
future.
We hope that every citizen of Athens-Clarke
County will take some time to read this review
of our government's operations, and more
importantly, that the people of this county
will make their feelings known to the mayor
and commission. This is an opportunity for
alt citizens of Athens-Clarke County to team
about services being provided for them and to
become educated about the scope of our local
government.
Jiff Jayne Read, Chairman. Overview Commission
Martin Matheny. Chairman, Puttie Input Committee
Athens
TO THE MAYOR & COMMISSION
We are among a group of citizens who
have recently organized in order to follow
more closely the SPLOST 2011 Classic Center
Expansion project and to try to effect changes
to the process. Our coalescing was brought
about largely by the news reports of the Nov.
9, 2010 commission work session at which
a very aggressive timeline for the project
was proposed and Manager Alan Reddish was
quoted as saying that the time for comment
on the closing of Hancock had passed. As you
are aware, concerns about the proposed clos
ing of Hancock Avenue were expressed last
spring and summer throughout the review and
development of the SPLOST 2011 ttst. Those
concerns have been expressed by citizens,
members of the SPLOST citizen's advisory com
mittee and by then-Mayor Davison and several
commissioners as well. After attending the
Jan. 6 public meeting, we believe that there
is considerable public sentiment against fast-
tracking this project.
That said, we would like to state that our
primary goal is not to delay this project just
for the sake of delay. Rather, our concern is
quite simple. We believe that a public input
process needs to be established for this proj
ect that allows for broader community input
on the architectural as welt as programmatic
plans of the Classic Center. This could help
ensure that they complement, or at least
do not preempt, the community's vision for
downtown—especially in light of the recently
announced Athens Downtown Development
Authority plan for a vision and master plan
and the Economic Development Foundation's
plans for the river district.
Our group is not insensitive to the eco
nomic advantages associated with the project
and the potential cost savings associated with
the current aggressive timeline, but we feel
that a better, more inclusive process guaran
teeing the best possible project overrides the
cost of any detay. So, again, our goal is not
to simply slow the project down; our goal is
to improve the process. With that in mind, we
make the following requests:
(1) In order to keep the Classic Center
expansion project as dose to on schedule as
possible, we do not object to the hiring of a
design firm at the Feb. 1 voting meeting of
the ACC commission. We request, however,
that the commission add a clearly defined
public education and input component to
the scope of the project (in addition to, if
legally required, or as a substitute the
standard SPLOST public input process) and
that this component be developed by a com
mittee made up of county commissioners,
representative(s) from the Classic Center and
the SPLOST office, and representatives from
our group. We atso ask that Pratt Cassity (or
an appointee), UGA faculty and Director of the
Center for Community Design and Preservation,
be invited to participate. If necessary, this
process could take place before the Feb. I
meeting. And, to be dear, we feel that the
following topics should be spedfied as need
ing to be included in the public process:
— the footprint of the expansion, espe
cially the dosing of Hancock Avenue, and the
justification for the size of the expansion;
—the proposed atrium and how that
affects the continuation of the Washington
Street corridor;
—the Classic Center's master plan and
what it says about future development in
downtown;
—and, finally, the exterior design of the
entire complex.
(2) We request that two at-large commu
nity representatives be added to this project's
SPLOST User Group and that those individuals
be chosen by the ACC commissioners.
(3) Finally, as a more general ommenaa-
tion, we request that the Commission under
take, with citizen representation, a review of
the SPLOST public input process, in particular
with regard to the format of public meetings
(such as the one on Jan. 6); the overall tim
ing of public input, espedally with large-scale
projects such as this one; and the make-up of
user groups.
Thank you for your consideration.
Blair Dorminey. Bertis Downs. John English,
Katie Goodrum. Rosemarie Goodrum Krysia Haag
Amy Ktssane. John Kissane, Judy Long. Dan Lorentz
Allen Stovall. Grady Thrasher, HI
Athens
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4 FLAGPOLE.COM • JANUARY 19,2011
